Straightforward Access to Chiral Phosphangulene Derivatives.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including heteroatoms have found a wide range of applications, for instance, in supramolecular chemistry or material science. Phosphangulene derivatives are P-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons presenting a concave aromatic surface suitable for building supramolecular receptors. However, the applications of this convenient building block have been strongly hampered by a difficult and multistep preparation requiring several protection-deprotection sequences along with the use of harmful reagents. Here, we report a straightforward, protecting-group-free, three-step, and hundred-milligram-scale synthesis of a chiral phosphangulene oxide derivative via a triple phospho-Fries rearrangement. This compound was easily resolved by chiral HPLC and further functionalized, giving rise to versatile chiral phosphangulene derivatives. Following this strategy, chiral phosphangulene oxides with low symmetry were synthesized. Molecular crystal structures revealed a variety of molecular organization in the solid. This opens the way to wider use of this compound as a building block for cages or new materials.

Racemization mechanism of lithium tert-butylphenylphosphido-borane: A kinetic insight.

The racemization mechanism of tert-butylphenylphosphido-borane is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Based on this converging approach, it is shown, first, that several phosphido-borane molecular species coexist at the time of the reaction and, second, that one particular of both initially assumed reactive routes most significantly contribute to the overall racemization process. From our converging modeling and experimental measurement, it comes out that the most probable species to be here encountered is a phosphido-borane-Li (THF)2 neutral solvate, whose P-stereogenic center monomolecular inversion through a Y-shaped transition structure (Δr G°≠ : 81 kJ mol-1 ) brings the largest contribution to the racemization process.

Simultaneous Control of Central and Helical Chiralities: Expedient Helicoselective Synthesis of Dioxa[6]helicenes.

An expedient synthesis of a new family of configurationally stable dioxa[6]helicenes was established using a sequential helicoselective organocatalyzed heteroannulation/eliminative aromatization via enantioenriched fused 2-nitro dihydrofurans featuring both central and helical chiralities. Starting from simple achiral precursors, a broad range of these previously unknown chiral heterocyclic scaffolds were obtained with good efficiency, and their aromatization proceeded with very high enantiopurity retention in most cases.

Caution: Chemical Instability of Natural Biomolecules During Routine Analysis.

Natural products (NPs) constitute a significant source of active biomolecules widely used in medicine, pharmacology and cosmetics. However, NPs structural characterization has the drawback of their chemical instability during the extraction steps and their likely transformation during the analytical protocol. In particular, tamariscol and conocephalenol are two compounds largely used in the cosmetic industry for their odorant properties. Thus, in the present study, we focused on the evolution of these two metabolites (extracted from Frullania tamarisci and Conocephalum conicum, respectively), as followed by NMR. Interestingly, we found that, once dissolved in deuterated chloroform, these two tertiary alcohols are both subjected to transformation processes, leading to degradation compounds with altered structures. Accordingly, these detected degradation compounds have been fully characterized by NMR and the experimental findings were supported by computational chemistry data.

Umpolung Reactivity of in Situ Generated Phosphido-Boranes: An Entry to P-Stereogenic Aminophosphine-Boranes.

The synthesis of P-stereogenic aminophosphine-boranes has been developed on the basis of umpolung reactivity of in situ generated alkylarylphosphido-boranes, which are normally configurationally unstable intermediates. In our case, their high configurational stability was due to the slow release of the hydroxyalkyl protecting group, together with the fast formation of the iodophosphanylborane in the presence of N-iodosuccinimide. The subsequent substitution reaction was found to proceed in moderate to good yields and in a very high stereospecifity (es) using a variety of amines as nucleophiles.

Platinum-(phosphinito-phosphinous acid) complexes as bi-talented catalysts for oxidative fragmentation of piperidinols: an entry to primary amines.

Platinum-(phosphinito-phosphinous acid) complex catalyzes the oxidative fragmentation of hindered piperidinols according to a hydrogen transfer induced methodology. This catalyst acts successively as both a hydrogen carrier and soft Lewis acid in a one pot - two steps process. This method can be applied to the synthesis of a wide variety of primary amines in a pure form by a simple acid-base extraction without further purification.

Synthesis of chiral supramolecular bisphosphinite palladacycles through hydrogen transfer-promoted self-assembly process.

P-Chiral secondary phosphine oxides react with Pd2(dba)3 in an acidic medium to provide chiral supramolecular bisphosphinite palladacycles through a H-transfer-based self-assembly process prior to SPO-promoted oxidative addition of an acid to a Pd(0) centre. The one-pot methodology allows variations of the X-type ligand as desired. Eight complexes have been characterised by X-ray diffraction.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed [2+2+2] Cycloaddition of 1,6-Enynes and Unactivated Alkynes: Access to Ring-Fused Cyclohexadienes.

The [2+2+2] intermolecular carbocyclization reactions between 1,6-enynes and alkynes catalyzed by [RuCl(cod)(Cp*)] (cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene, Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) are reported to provide bicyclohexa-1,3-dienes. The presented reaction conditions are compatible with internal and terminal alkynes and the chemo- and regioselectivity issues are controlled by the presence of substituents at the propargyl carbon center of the alkyne(s) partner(s).

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Hydroalkynylative Cyclization of 1,6-Enynes Induced by Substituent Effects.

The ruthenium-catalyzed 1,6-enyne cyclization in the presence of bulky substituted terminal alkyne proceeds smoothly at room temperature to afford highly substituted five-membered cyclic compounds featuring a 1,5-enyne motif. Deuterium-labeling experiments showed that the key ruthenacyclopentene intermediate undergoes cleavage of metal-carbon bonds through the metal-assisted σ-bond metathesis reaction, thus leading to the formation of C(sp(2))-H and C(sp(3))-C(sp) bonds.

The Hydroxyalkyl Moiety As a Protecting Group for the Stereospecific Alkylation of Masked Secondary Phosphine-Boranes.

The synthesis of functionalized tertiary phosphine-boranes has been developed via a chemodivergent approach from readily accessible (hydroxymethyl) phosphine-boranes under mild conditions. O-Alkylation or decarbonylative P-alkylation product could be exclusively obtained. The P-alkylation reaction was found to proceed in moderate to very good yields and very high enantiospecificity (es >95%) using a variety of alkyl halides as electrophiles. The configurational stability of the sodium phosphido-borane intermediate was also investigated and allowed a deeper understanding of the reaction mechanism, furnishing secondary phosphine-boranes in moderate yield and enantiopurity.

Stereospecific Synthesis of α- and ß-Hydroxyalkyl P-Stereogenic Phosphine-Boranes and Functionalized Derivatives: Evidence of the P=O Activation in the BH3 -Mediated Reduction.

Access to hydroxy-functionalized P-chiral phosphine-boranes has become an important field in the synthesis of P-stereogenic compounds used as ligands in asymmetric catalysis. A family of optically pure α and ß-hydroxyalkyl tertiary phosphine-boranes has been prepared by using a three-step procedure from readily accessible enantiopure adamantylphosphinate, obtained by semi-preparative HPLC on multigram scale. Firstly, a two-step one-pot transformation affords the enantiopure hydroxyalkyl tertiary phosphine oxides in good yields and enantioselectivities. The third step, BH3 -mediated reduction, allows the formation of the desired phosphine-boranes with excellent stereospecifity. The mechanistic study of this reduction provides new evidence to elucidate the crucial role of the pendant hydroxy group and the subsequent activation of the P=O bond by the boron atom.

Preparation of Vinylcyclopropanes by Sodium Mediated Reductive Isomerization of Methylenecyclopropanes.

We disclosed therein a new reaction of reductive isomerization of methylenecyclopropanes (MCPs) to vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs). On treatment with sodium metal in liquid ammonia, MCPs bearing a C-O bond at allylic position undergo both a reductive cleavage of the C-O bond and an isomerization of the C-C double bond giving rise to VCPs. The scope of the reductive isomerization was investigated and showed a broad applicability since various functional groups are tolerated. MCP substrates were straightforwardly prepared by a palladium-promoted [2 + 1] cycloaddition between norbornene derivatives with alkynes.

H-adamantylphosphinates as universal precursors of P-stereogenic compounds.

A new family of H-adamantylphosphinates as universal precursors of P-stereogenic ligands was obtained in one step from commercial chlorophosphines. Both enantiomers of these air- and moisture-stable intermediates can easily be separated by semipreparative chiral HPLC on a gram scale and individually undergo stereoselective transformations to afford each enantiomer of a set of P-stereogenic compounds such as secondary phosphine oxides and boron-protected monophosphines.

Structural characterization of new defective molecules in poly(amidoamide) dendrimers by combining mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance.

A new side-reaction occurring during divergent synthesis of PAMAM dendrimers (generations G0-G2) was revealed by mass spectrometric detection of defective molecules with a net gain of a single carbon atom as compared to expected compounds. Combining MS/MS experiments performed on different electrosprayed precursor ions (protonated molecules and lithiated adducts) with NMR analyses allowed the origin of these by-products to be elucidated. Modification of one ethylenediamine end-group of perfect dendrimers into a cyclic imidazolidine moiety was induced by formaldehyde present at trace level in the methanol solvent used as the synthesis medium. Dendrimers studied here were purposely constructed from a triethanolamine core to make them more flexible, as compared to NH3- or ethylenediamine-core PAMAM, and hence improve their interaction with DNA. Occurrence of this side-reaction would be favored by the particular flexibility of the dendrimer branches.

Cyclobutene formation in PtCl2-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of heteroatom-tethered 1,6-enynes.

Aza(oxa)bicyclo[3.2.0]heptenes are accessed through the PtCl2 -catalyzed cycloisomerizations of heteroatom-tethered 1,6-enynes featuring a terminal alkyne and amide as the solvent. It is shown that the weak coordinating properties of the solvent and alkyl substituent(s) at the propargylic carbon atom favor the formation of cyclobutenes instead of other possible cycloisomerization products such as 1,3-diene derivatives or cyclopropane-fused heterocycles.

End-group cleavage in MALDI of ATRP-made polystyrene: a silver-catalyzed reaction during sample preparation.

Cleavage of the labile halide termination upon matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) has always been reported as a major concern in mass analysis of polystyrene prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). By studying this issue using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, we evidence here that the ionization step is not involved in this deleterious process. Instead, removal of the halogen was shown to readily occur upon interaction of the silver salt (AgTFA) used as the cationizing agent in mass spectrometry, either in solution or in the solid-state when performing solvent-free sample preparation. In solution, this silver-induced reaction mostly consists of a nucleophilic substitution, leading to polystyrene molecules holding different terminations, depending on relative nucleophilicity of species present in the liquid-phase solution composition. In chloroform supplemented with AgTFA, trifluoroacetate-terminated PS were evidenced in ESI-MS spectra but experienced end-group cleavage in MALDI. In contrast, the major methoxy-terminated PS macromolecules formed when the silver-catalyzed nucleophilic substitution was performed in methanol were generated as intact gas-phase ions using both ionization techniques. This controlled and fast modification could hence be advantageously used as a rapid sample pretreatment for safe MALDI mass analysis of ATRP-made polystyrene.

Palladium-mediated phosphine-dependent chemoselective bisallylic alkylation leading to spirocarbocycles.

Cycles everywhere: The selectivity in the transformations of 1,3-diones to carbocycles by palladium-catalyzed bisallylic alkylations is strongly dependent on the phosphine that is employed. Moreover, synthesized vinylcyclopentenes can be easily transformed into cycloheptadiene derivatives through a carbon-carbon allylic bond cleavage.

Assessment of the electronic properties of P ligands stemming from secondary phosphine oxides.

We report the study of the net donating ability of monodentate and bidentate P ligands stemming from secondary phosphine oxides (SPOs). We experimentally measured and/or calculated the frequencies of CO stretching modes of various metal carbonyl complexes. The inferred electronic properties of the ligands span an unprecedented range, going from π-accepting phosphite-like compounds, to extremely electron-donating ligands outclassing N-heterocyclic carbenes.

Bulky, optically active P-stereogenic phosphine-boranes from pure H-menthylphosphinates.

The transformation of readily available pure-H-menthylphosphinates into chiral phosphinous acid-boranes permits the elaboration of bulky P-stereogenic secondary phosphine-boranes. Taking advantage of the synthetic potential of these compounds, a broad range of hindered P-chiral tertiary phosphine-boranes has been prepared with excellent enantiomeric excesses. The utility of bulky o-tolylphosphines was illustrated by the synthesis of a rare enantiopure phosphapalladacycle (S(P),S(P))-12.