Modification and unexpected reactivity of 2-borylbenzaldimines: acylated and silylated derivatives as well as dimeric compounds.

Various novel N-alkyl and N-benzyl 2-borylbenzaldimines 3 were prepared by condensation of 2-(dimesitylboryl)benzaldehyde (1) with amines. Further functionalization of compound 3e was possible by deprotonation and subsequent regioselective reaction with electrophiles to give compounds 4. Applying similar conditions to 3a led to the unexpected formation of hitherto unknown dimeric compounds (5 and 6). All structural types were fully characterized, including by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, quantum chemical calculations on the SCS-MP2 and DFT levels gave insights into the reaction mechanisms and the stereoselectivity. The B/N bonding situation in these molecules was analyzed using Wiberg bond indices. Preliminary UV-vis and fluorescence measurements indicate that the substitution reaction leading to compounds 4 can be utilized to tune the photophysical properties of these compounds.

BN-Dibenzo[a,o]picenes: analogues of an unknown polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.

Reflecting on synthetic pinnacles: Whereas the parent hydrocarbon is not readily accessible, several examples of BN substituted-dibenzo[a,o]picenes can be prepared in two steps from known starting materials. These non-linear heptacene analogues are water-stable materials. Their preparation utilizes a potentially general method for preparing extended BN analogues of difficult-to-synthesize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon frameworks.

Improvement of σ1 receptor affinity by late-stage C-H-bond arylation of spirocyclic lactones.

The direct C-H-bond arylation of the complex spirocyclic lactones 13, 14, and 18 allows the introduction of diverse aryl moieties in the last step of the synthesis. A selective α-arylation of the thiophene moiety was performed with the catalytic system PdCl2/2,2'-bipyridyl/Ag2CO3, whereas the ß-position of the thiophene ring was addressed by using the alternative catalytic system PdCl2/P[OCH(CF3)2]3/Ag2CO3. Due to electronic and steric reasons the arylation of the five-membered lactone 18 occurred in both α-positions providing 4'-mono-, 6'-mono- and 4',6'-diarylated thiophenes 22-26a-c. Compounds with an additional aryl moiety at the 'upper left (top)' position (1'-position of 13, 3'-position of 14, 4'-position of 18) showed increased σ1 affinity compared to the non-arylated parent compounds. A phenyl moiety at the 'left' position (2'-position in 20a) also increased the σ1 affinity but to a lower extent. A considerable reduction of σ1 affinity was observed after introducing an aryl moiety in 6'-position of 18, which might result from shielding the tertiary amine, which is crucial for interaction with the σ1 receptor. The discussion of the experimental results is supported by high-level quantum chemical DFT-calculations of the NBO-charges of 13 and 18 and the relative energies of the related arylated products.

Photochemical synthesis of a ladder diborole: a new boron-containing conjugate material.

Climbing the ladder: Reductive cyclization of alkynyl haloboranes lead to the bis-benzocycloborabutylidene rather than the expected ladder diborole, despite the former being much less thermodynamically favored. Photochemical conversion to the ladder diborole was, however, quite facile upon irradiation at 254 nm.

Synthesis and photophysical properties of aryl-substituted 2-borylbenzaldimines and their extended π-conjugated congeners.

Novel N-aryl-substituted 2-borylbenzaldimines 6 and related systems with extended π-framework 7 based on two borylbenzaldimine units linked by a spacer moiety were synthesized by condensation reactions of 2-(dimesitylboryl)benzaldehyde 3 with various amines 4 and diamines 5. All compounds were completely characterized including X-ray diffraction, especially in view of Lewis acid-base B-O and B-N interactions. The electronic as well as the photophysical properties of bisimines 7 were determined using cyclic voltammetry, UV/vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy and quantum chemistry. These compounds feature large Stokes shifts and reversible reduction waves. Interestingly, UV irradiation experiments unfold enhanced photostability for compounds 7 with an extended π-skeleton. By use of 1,8-diaminonaphthalene we observed the formation of a hitherto unknown BN-heterocyclic compound 9 fused with a perimidine skeleton. Structural and energetic aspects were evaluated by high level quantum chemical methods (DFT and SCS-MP2-calculations).

Ring closure reactions of 2,6-diazaheptatrienyl metal compounds: synthesis of 3-aminoindole derivatives and 14-membered macrocyclic dimers.

2,6-Diazaheptatrienyl metal compounds 6(-)K(+) are easily accessible from the corresponding diimines 6 by deprotonation using KO-t-Bu as base. According to quantum chemical calculations, they are, in comparison to other isomeric species with nitrogen atoms in other positions, highly reactive intermediates, which undergo in dilute solution at 50 °C ring closure reactions to form 3-aminoindole derivatives 8/10. In contrast, in more concentrated solution at room temperature, the formation of 14-membered macrocyclces 13 as a result of formal dimerization is observed. The 3-aminoindole derivatives obtained in this work possess rare substitution patterns, and the macrocyclic compounds are essentially unknown. Two-fold vinylogous derivatives 7 give rise to tricyclic systems with δ-carboline backbone 12. The experimental results are interpreted using high-level DFT calculations with regard to the possible reaction mechanism and the nature of the transition state of the five-membered ring formation. The molecular structures in the solid state of all types of compounds were elucidated by X-ray diffraction.

Exploitation of an additional hydrophobic pocket of σ1 receptors: late-stage diverse modifications of spirocyclic thiophenes by C-H bond functionalization.

The hypothesis that the σ(1) receptor will tolerate an additional aryl moiety in position 1 of the spirocyclic system was based on spirocyclic pyrazole derivatives, pharmacophore models of σ(1) receptor ligands and DFT calculations. The strategy of introducing the aryl residue at the final step of the synthesis allowed the preparation of a large set of diverse ligands for the exploitation of the hydrophobic pocket of the σ(1) receptor protein. The catalyst system PdCl(2)/2,2'-bipyridyl/Ag(2)CO(3) is able to introduce various aryl groups onto the α-positions of spirocyclic thiophene derivatives 5 and 6 to afford the target aryl-appended spirocyclic thiophenes 3 and 4. Although the σ(1) affinity of the 1-phenyl substituted spirocyclic thiophenes 3a and 4a is slightly reduced compared with the σ(1) affinity of the non-arylated compounds 5 and 6, both compounds represent very potent σ(1) receptor ligands (3a: K(i) = 4.5 nM; 4a: K(i) = 1.0 nM). This result indicates that an aryl moiety in position 1 is well tolerated by the σ(1) receptor protein. The substitution pattern of the additional phenyl moiety has only weak effects on the σ(1) affinity. Even ligands 3f and 4h with extended naphthyl residue show high σ(1) affinity. However, decrease of σ(1) affinity by extension of the π-system to a biphenylyl substituent (4j: K(i) = 30 nM) indicates that the biphenylyl residue is too large for the primary hydrophobic binding pocket of the σ(1) receptor.