One-pot synthesis of helical aromatics: stereoselectivity, stability against racemization, and assignment of absolute configuration assisted by experimental and theoretical circular dichroism.

Helical aromatics (1) were synthesized via one step in good quantity by solvent-free condensation of N,N'-p-phenylenediamine (2) and various carboxylic acids in the presence of a Lewis acid. Microwave irradiation greatly facilitated the condensation reaction to furnish 1 with a 100% diastereo- and a 50% enantioselectivity, when a chiral carboxylic acid was utilized. 1f, derived from 2-methylglutaric acid, was quite stable, no racemization taking place even at 200 degrees C. The assignment of the absolute configurations to the helical aromatics has been achieved by experimental and theoretical CD spectra calculated by time-dependent density functional theory.

Crystal structure of achiral nonapeptide Boc-(Aib-DeltaZPhe)4-Aib-OMe at atomic resolution: evidence for a 3(10)-helix.

An x-ray crystallographic analysis was carried out for Boc-(Aib-DeltaZPhe)4-Aib-OMe (1: Boc = t-butoxycarbonyl; Aib = alpha-aminoisobutyric acid; DeltaZPhe = Z-alpha,beta-didehydrophenylalanine) to provide the precise conformational parameters of the octapeptide segment -(Aib-DeltaZPhe)4-. Peptide 1 adopted a typical 3(10)-helical conformation characterized by = +/-55.8 degrees (50 degrees -65 degrees), = +/-26.7 degrees (15 degrees -45 degrees), and = +/-179.5 degrees (168 degrees -188 degrees) for the average values of the -(Aib-DeltaZPhe)4- segment (the range of the eight values). The 3(10)-helix contains 3.1 residues per turn, being close to the "perfect 3(10)-helix" characterized by 3.0 residues per turn. NMR and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that the 3(10)-helical conformation at the atomic resolution is essentially maintained in solution. Energy minimization of peptide 1 by semiempirical molecular orbital calculation converged to a 3(10)-helical conformation similar to the x-ray crystallographic 3(10)-helix. The preference for a 3(10)-helix in the -(Aib-DeltaZPhe)4- segment is ascribed to strong inducers of the 3(10)-helix inherent in Aib and DeltaZPhe residues-in particular, the Aib residues tend to stabilize a 3(10)-helix more effectively. Therefore, the -(Aib-DeltaZPhe)4- segment is useful to rationally design an optically inactive 3(10)-helical backbone, which will be of great importance to provide novel insights into noncovalent and covalent chiral interactions of a helical peptide with a chiral molecule.

Synthesis and structural analyses of 3-acetamido-1,4-di-O-acetyl-2,3,5-trideoxy-5-C-(isopropylphosphinyl)-D-erythro-pentopyranoses.

1H NMR spectroscopy of phosphorus containing hetero sugars (phospha sugars), revealed the alpha and beta configurations and chair conformations for 3-acetamido-1,4-di-O-acetyl-2,3,5-trideoxy-5-C-(isopropylphosphinyl)-alpha- and beta-D-erythro-pentopyranoses. The conformation of the title compounds was determined by 1H NMR as 1C4 in CDCl3 and the conformation was in accord with that in solid state determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis.