Synthesis and stereochemical determination of batzelladine C methyl ester.

Batzelladine C (3) is a tricyclic guanidine alkaloid of unknown stereochemistry at one centre as well as unknown absolute stereochemistry. The two possible diastereoisomers of the methyl ester corresponding to this compound have been synthesised, permitting the relative and absolute stereochemistry of this compound to be assigned.

Colorimetric fluoride ion sensing by polyborylated ferrocenes: structural influences on thermodynamics and kinetics.

The thermodynamic factors underlying the use of ferroceneboronic esters as electrochemical or colorimetric fluoride ion sensors have been investigated through the synthesis of a range of systematically related derivatives differing in the number/nature of the boronic ester substituents and in the nature of ancillary ligands. Thus, if the shift in electrochemical potential associated with the conversion of one (or more) boronic ester group(s) to anionic boronate(s) on fluoride binding is sufficient to allow oxidation of the resulting host/guest complex by dioxygen, colorimetric sensing is possible. In practice, while monofunctional systems of the type CpFe[eta(5)-C(5)H(4)B(OR)(2)] offer selectivity in fluoride binding, electrochemical shifts in chloroform solution are insufficient to allow for a colorimetric response. Two chemical modification strategies have been shown to be successful in realizing a colorimetric sensor: (i) the use of the more strongly electron-donating Cp(*) ancillary ligand (which shifts the oxidation potential of both the free receptor and the resulting fluoride adduct cathodically by ca. -400 mV) and (ii) receptors featuring two or more binding sites and consequently a larger fluoride-induced electrochemical shift. Thus, in the case of [eta(5)-C(5)H(4)B(OR)(2)](2)Fe [(OR)(2) = OC(H)PhC(H)PhO, 2(s)], the binding of 2 equiv of fluoride gives an electrochemical shift (in chloroform) of -960 mV (cf. -530 mV for the corresponding monofunctional analogue, 1(s)). Related tris- and tetrakis-functionalized systems are also shown to be oxidized as the bis(fluoride) adducts, presumably because of fast oxidation kinetics, relative to the rate of the (electrostatically unfavorable) binding of a third equivalent of fluoride. Furthermore, the rate of sensor response (as measured by UV/vis spectroscopy) is found to be strongly enhanced by the presence of pendant (uncomplexed) three-coordinate boronic ester functions (e.g., a rate enhancement of 1-2 orders of magnitude for 3(s)/4(s) with respect to 2(s)) and/or delocalized aromatic substituents.

Synthesis of polymeric and macrocyclic Lewis acids: influence of backbone on degree of aggregation.

A simple, one-step synthesis of multinuclear Lewis acids can be driven with high selectivity towards either macrocyclic or polymeric arrays by appropriate choice of backbone framework.

Synthesis and characterisation of benzyl phosphino-thioether and -thiolato Pd(II) complexes and their applications in Suzuki coupling reactions.

The synthesis of the benzyl phosphinothioether derivatives Ph(2)PCH(2)CH(Et)SR and their corresponding palladium complexes are reported, where R = CH(2)Ph, R = CH(2)-3,5-Me-C(6)H(3) and R = 1-CH(2)C(10)H(7)(5). Crystallographic data obtained for the complexes Pd(3)Cl(2) and Pd(4)Cl(2) show intra- and inter-molecular pi-pi interactions between the aromatic rings on the P and S substituents, and NOE experiments for Pd(4)Cl(2) show that these interactions persist in solution. The performance of the phosphinothioether palladium complexes in aryl-aryl cross-coupling reactions is compared with that of the corresponding complex of the parent phosphinothiolato ligand Ph(2)PCH(2)CH(Et)S(-)(1). High turnover numbers up to 2000000 are reported for the coupling of bromobenzene, using the palladium dimer [Pd(1)I](2) as the catalyst precursor. Kinetic studies show a linear dependence of the reaction on catalyst loading. The effect of other variables on the cross-coupling reaction, such as temperature, solvent and base, is also reported.

Synthesis of 5-alkylidene-1,3-dioxane-4,6-diones, an easily accessible family of axially chiral alkenes: preparation in non-racemic form and platinum binding studies.

A general synthetic route to 5-alkylidene-1,3-dioxane-4,6-diones, which are a family of axially chiral alkenes, is described. Conformational issues are explored and the platinum-binding properties of these species are discussed. That these alkenes exist as stable enantiomers is established by their partial kinetic resolution upon reaction with cysteine.

Effects of alpha-substitutions on structure and biological activity of anticancer chalcones.

Chalcones are known to exhibit antimitotic properties caused by inhibition of tubulin polymerisation. We describe here the effects of different alpha-substitutions, in particular alpha-fluorination, on the structure and biological activity of a series of chalcones.

Iron complexes of facially capping triphosphorus macrocycles.

Primary and secondary phosphine piano-stool complexes of the type [eta(5)-CpFeL3]+ (L = phenylphosphine, 3, (alpha-methyl)vinylphosphine, 4, allylphosphine, 5, (2-methylpropenyl)phosphine, 5b, allyl(phenyl)phosphine, 6) are described. The alkenyl phosphine complexes, 5 and 6, react by intramolecular hydrophosphination to give the corresponding [eta(5)-CpFe]+ complexes of 1,5,9-triphosphacyclododecane (12-aneP3R3, 2, R = H), 9 and 10 respectively. Alkylation of the secondary phosphines in 9 is achieved by hydrophosphinations with ethene to give the 12-aneP3R3 (R = Et) derivative 11. These complexes are also obtained by reaction of suitable [eta(5)-CpFe]+ containing precursor complexes with the corresponding free 12-aneP3R3 macrocycle as is the related [eta(5)-Cp*Fe]+ derivative, 8. Direct substitution of acetonitrile in [Fe(CH3CN)6][BF4]2 by 12-aneP3Et3, leads to the macrocycle piano-stool complex, [(12-aneP3Et3)Fe(CH3CN)3][BF4]2, 7. The crystal structures of selected primary phosphine, eta(5)-Cp, eta(5)-Cp* complexes and 7, allow a comparison of steric influences upon key macrocycle ring closure reactions and hence an insight into parameters required for the formation of smaller ring sizes by template based methods.

Synthetic and reaction chemistry of heteroatom stabilized boryl and cationic borylene complexes.

The synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization of the aryloxy and amino functionalized chloroboryl complexes (eta(5)-C(5)R(5))Fe(CO)(2)B(OMes)Cl (R = H, 2a ; R = Me, 3a) and (eta(5)-C(5)H(5))Fe(CO)(2)B(N(i)Pr(2))Cl (7a) are reported. Compound 2ais shown to be a versatile substrate for further boron-centred substitution chemistry leading to the asymmetric boryl complexes (eta(5)-C(5)H(5))Fe(CO)(2)B(OMes)ER(n) [ER(n) = OC(6)H(4)(t)Bu-4, 2c; ER(n) = SPh, 2d] with retention of the metal-boron bond. The reactivities of 2a, 3a and 7a towards the halide abstraction agent Na[BAr(f)(4)] have also been examined, in order to investigate the potential for the generation of cationic heteroatom-stabilized terminal borylene complexes. The application of this methodology to the mesityloxy derivatives and gives rise to B-F containing products, presumably via fluoride abstraction from the [BAr(f)(4)](-) counter-ion. By contrast, amino-functionalized complex 7a is more amenable to this approach, and the thermally robust terminal aminoborylene complex [(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))Fe(CO)(2)B(N(i)Pr(2))][BAr(f)(4)] (9) can be isolated in ca. 50% yield. The reactivity of 9towards a range of nucleophilic and/or unsaturated reagents has been examined, with examples of addition, protonolysis and metathesis chemistries having been established.

Novel tetralone-derived retinoic acid metabolism blocking agents: synthesis and in vitro evaluation with liver microsomal and MCF-7 CYP26A1 cell assays.

The potent inhibitory activity of novel 2-benzyltetralone and 2-benzylidenetetralone derivatives vs liver microsomal retinoic acid metabolizing enzymes and a MCF-7 CYP26A1 cell assay is described. In the liver microsomal assay, the 2-biphenylmethyl-6-hydroxytetralone derivatives 16a and 16b were found to be potent inhibitors (IC50 = 0.5 and 0.8 microM) compared with the broad spectrum P450 inhibitor ketoconazole and the retinoid mimetic R115866 (IC50 = 18.0 and 9.0 microM, respectively). In the MCF-7 CYP26A1 cell assay, the 2-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-6-methoxytetralone 5 and unsaturated benzylidene precursor 6 were found to be the most potent (IC50 = 7 and 5 microM, respectively), which was comparable with liarozole (7 microM) but considerably less active than R115866 (IC50 = 5 nM). With a CYP26A1 homology model, the tetralones were shown to be positioned in a hydrophobic tunnel with additional interactions, e.g., transition metal coordination and hydrogen-bonding interactions with GLY300, observed for the potent 4-hydroxyphenyl substituted inhibitors.

A new series of luminescent phosphine stabilised platinum ethynyl complexes.

A series of cis-platinum ethynyl complexes with the general formula cis-[Pt(dppe)(C[triple bond]CR)2](dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane; R = C6H4-p-NO2 1, C6H4-p-CH3 2, C6H4-p-C[triple bond]CH 3 and C6H4-p-C6H4-p-C[triple bond]CH 4) have been prepared by the coupling reaction of cis-[Pt(dppe)Cl2] with two equivalents of the appropriate alkyne. The new complexes have been fully characterized by spectroscopic techniques, and the cis square planar arrangement at the platinum centre has been confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of complexes 1, 2 and 4. The absorption spectra of the complexes 1-4 are dominated by a pi-->pi* band that contains some platinum (n + 1) p orbital character. The position of the band is dependent on the electron donating or withdrawing properties of the ethynyl substituents, R. Complex 1 displays a triplet emission in the green, at room temperature, while complexes 2-4, display singlet emissions in the blue. Again, the difference can be attributed to the nature of the R substituents.

Synthesis of unsymmetrical 3,3'-biquinazoline-2,2'-diones by condensation of 3-aminoquinazolinones with benzoxazinones; fortuitous discovery, and further syntheses of 4-H-3-oxo-1,9a,10-triazaanthracen-9-ones.

Condensation of 2-alkyl- or 2-aryl-3-aminoquinazolin-4-ones with benz[1,3]oxazin-4-ones gives the unsymmetrical 2,2' disubstituted 3,3' biquinazoline-4,4'-diones. The reaction is tolerant to a range of heteroatom and unsaturated functionality in the quinazolinone 2-position. However, treatment of 3-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-3H-quinazolin-4-ones with benz[1,3]oxazinone at high temperatures gave 4H-3-oxo-1,9a,10-triazaanthracen-9-ones, an unreported fused heterocyclic system, a more direct synthesis of which, replacing benzoxazinones with orthoesters is presented.

Reactivity of the bis(pentafluorophenyl)boranes ClB(C6F5)2 and [HB(C6F5)2]n towards late transition metal reagents.

The reactivities of the highly electrophilic boranes ClB(C(6)F(5))(2) (1) and [HB(C(6)F(5))(2)](n) (2) towards a range of organometallic reagents featuring metals from Groups 7-10 have been investigated. Salt elimination chemistry is observed 1 between and the nucleophilic anions eta(5)-C(5)R(5))Fe(CO)(2)](-)(R = H or Me) and [Mn(CO)(5)](-), leading to the generation of the novel boryl complexes (eta(5)-C(5)R(5))Fe(CO)(2)B(C(6)F(5))(2)[R = H (3) or Me (4)] and (OC)(5)MnB(C(6)F(5))(2) (5). Such systems are designed to probe the extent to which the strongly sigma-donor boryl ligand can also act as a pi-acceptor; a variety of spectroscopic, structural and computational probes imply that even with such strongly electron withdrawing boryl substituents, the pi component of the metal-boron linkage is a relatively minor one. Similar reactivity is observed towards the hydridomanganese anion [(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)Me)Mn(CO)(2)H](-), generating a thermally labile product identified spectroscopically as (eta(5)-C(5)H(4)Me)Mn(CO)(2)(H)B(C(6)F(5))(2) (6). Boranes 1 and 2 display different patterns of reactivity towards low-valent platinum and rhodium complexes than those demonstrated previously for less electrophilic reagents. Thus, reaction of 1 with (Ph(3)P)(2)Pt(H(2)C=CH(2)) ultimately generates EtB(C(6)F(5))(2) (10) as the major boron-containing product, together with cis-(Ph(3)P)(2)PtCl(2) and trans-(Ph(3)P)(2)Pt(C(6)F(5))Cl (9). The cationic platinum hydride [(Ph(3)P)(3)PtH](+) is identified as an intermediate in the reaction pathway. Reaction of with [(Ph(3)P)(2)Rh(mu-Cl)](2), in toluene on the other hand, appears to proceed via ligand abstraction with both Ph(3)P.HB(C(6)F(5))(2) (11) and the arene rhodium(I) cation [(Ph(3)P)(2)Rh(eta(6)-C(6)H(5)Me)](+) (14) ultimately being formed.

Fe-Ga multiple bonding? Synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization of a transition metal complex containing a cationic two-coordinate gallium centre.

This communication reports the synthesis and characterization of the cationic iron complex [((eta5-C5Me5)Fe(CO)2))2Ga]+[BAr(f)4]- [Ar(f) = C6H3(CF3)2-3,5] containing a symmetrically bridging two-coordinate gallium atom and a delocalised Fe-Ga-Fe pi system incorporating partial Fe-Ga multiple bond character.