Orbital analysis of bonding in diarylhalonium salts and relevance to periodic trends in structure and reactivity.

Diarylhalonium compounds provide new opportunities as reagents and catalysts in the field of organic synthesis. The three center, four electron (3c-4e) bond is a center piece of their reactivity, but structural variation among the diarylhaloniums, and in comparison with other λ3-iodanes, indicates that the model needs refinement for broader applicability. We use a combination of Density Functional Theory (DFT), Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) Theory, and X-ray structure data to correlate bonding and structure for a λ3-iodane and a series of diarylchloronium, bromonium, and iodonium salts, and their isoelectronic diarylchalcogen counterparts. This analysis reveals that the s-orbital on the central halogen atom plays a greater role in the 3c-4e bond than previously considered. Finally, we show that our revised bonding model and associated structures account for both kinetic and thermodynamic reactivity for both acyclic phenyl(mesityl)halonium and cyclic dibenzohalolium salts.

Regioselective Synthesis of 1,2,3,4-Tetrasubstituted Arenes by Vicinal Functionalization of Arynes Derived from Aryl(Mes)iodonium Salts*.

Herein, the synthesis of 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted benzenoid rings, motifs found in pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and natural products, is described.[1] In the past, the regioselective syntheses of such compounds have been a significant challenge. This work reports a method using substituted arynes derived from aryl(Mes)iodonium salts to access a range of densely functionalized 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted benzenoid rings. Significantly, it was found that halide substituents are compatible under these conditions, enabling post-synthetic elaboration via palladium-catalyzed coupling. This concise strategy is predicated on two regioselective events: 1) ortho- deprotonation of aryl(Mes)iodonium salts to generate a substituted aryne intermediate, and 2) regioselective trapping of said arynes, thereby improving previously reported reaction conditions to generate arynes at room temperature and in shorter reaction times. Density functional theory (DFT) computations and linear free energy relationship (LFER) analysis suggest the regioselectivity of deprotonation is influenced by both proximal and distal ring substituents on the aryne precursor. A competition experiment further reveals the role of arene substituents on relative reactivity of aryl(Mes)iodoniums as aryne precursors.

Design, Synthesis, and Preliminary Studies of Spiro-isoxazoline-peroxides against Human Cytomegalovirus and Glioblastoma ∥.

The association between glioblastoma (GBM) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been the intensely debated topic over the decades for developing new therapeutic options. In this regard, the peroxides from natural and synthetic sources served as potential antiviral and anticancer agents in the past. Herein, a concise and efficient strategy has been demonstrated to access a novel class of peroxides containing a spiro-isoxazoline to primarily investigate the biological activities. The synthetic compounds were evaluated for in vitro antiviral and antiproliferative activity against HCMV and glioblastoma cell line (GBM6), respectively. While compound 13m showed moderate anti-CMV activity (IC50 = 19 µM), surprisingly, an independent biological assay for compound 13m revealed its antiproliferative activity against the human glioblastoma cell line (GBM6) with an IC50 of 10 µM. Hence, the unification of an isoxazoline and peroxide heterocycles could be a potential direction to initiate the HCMV-GBM drug discovery program.

Crystal Structures of DOTMA Chelates from Ce3+ to Yb3+ : Evidence for a Continuum of Metal Ion Hydration States.

The crystal structures of chelates formed between each stable paramagnetic lanthanide ion and the octadentate polyamino carboxylate ligand DOTMA are described. A total of 23 individual chelates structures were obtained; in each chelate the coordination geometry around the metal ion is best described as a twisted square antiprism (torsion angle -25.0°--31.4°). Despite the uniformity of the general coordination geometry provided by the DOTMA ligand, there is a considerable variation in the hydration state of each chelate. The early Ln3+ chelates are associated with a single inner sphere water molecule; the Ln-OH2 interaction is remarkable for being very long. After a clear break at gadolinium, the number of chelates in the unit cell that have a water molecule interacting with the Ln3+ decreases linearly until at Tm3+ no water is found to interact with the metal ion. The Ln-OH2 distance observed in the chelates of the later Ln3+ ions are also extremely long and increase as the ions contract (2.550-2.732 Å). No clear break between hydrated and dehydrated chelates is observed; rather this series of chelates appear to represent a continuum of hydration states in which the ligand gradually closes around the metal ion as its ionic radius decreases (with decreased hydration) and the metal drops down into the coordination cage.

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 with CCC-NHC pincer nickel complexes.

A CCC-NHC pincer Ni(ii)Cl complex was prepared according to the metallation/transmetallation methodology. It was fully characterized by electrochemical, NMR spectroscopic, theoretical, and X-ray crystallographic methods. The complex and its cation were evaluated for electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 under a variety of conditions and found to provide some of the fastest catalytic rates and highest substrate selectivities (CO2vs. H+) reported. Rates improved in the presence of water and, significantly, catalysis occurred at the first reduction potential, presumably at the Ni(i) state. Controlled potential electrolysis (CPE) was found to yield CO at 34% and formate at 47% Faradaic efficiency (FE).

Hexacoordinate Ru-based olefin metathesis catalysts with pH-responsive N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and N-donor ligands for ROMP reactions in non-aqueous, aqueous and emulsion conditions.

Three new ruthenium alkylidene complexes (PCy3)Cl2(H2ITap)Ru=CHSPh (9), (DMAP)2Cl2(H2ITap)Ru=CHPh (11) and (DMAP)2Cl2(H2ITap)Ru=CHSPh (12) have been synthesized bearing the pH-responsive H2ITap ligand (H2ITap = 1,3-bis(2',6'-dimethyl-4'-dimethylaminophenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene). Catalysts 11 and 12 are additionally ligated by two pH-responsive DMAP ligands. The crystal structure was solved for complex 12 by X-ray diffraction. In organic, neutral solution, the catalysts are capable of performing standard ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and ring closing metathesis (RCM) reactions with standard substrates. The ROMP with complex 11 is accelerated in the presence of two equiv of H3PO4, but is reduced as soon as the acid amount increased. The metathesis of phenylthiomethylidene catalysts 9 and 12 is sluggish at room temperature, but their ROMP can be dramatically accelerated at 60 °C. Complexes 11 and 12 are soluble in aqueous acid. They display the ability to perform RCM of diallylmalonic acid (DAMA), however, their conversions are very low amounting only to few turnovers before decomposition. However, both catalysts exhibit outstanding performance in the ROMP of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and mixtures of DCPD with cyclooctene (COE) in acidic aqueous microemulsion. With loadings as low as 180 ppm, the catalysts afforded mostly quantitative conversions of these monomers while maintaining the size and shape of the droplets throughout the polymerization process. Furthermore, the coagulate content for all experiments stayed <2%. This represents an unprecedented efficiency in emulsion ROMP based on hydrophilic ruthenium alkylidene complexes.

Synthesis and Investigation of Novel Spiro-isoxazolines as Anti-Cancer Agents.

A series of structurally diverse 4-bromo spiro-isoxazolines possessing a variety of aromatic and aliphatic substituents at the 3 position, were synthesized through a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition followed by intramolecular cyclization of a pendant hydroxyl or carboxylic acid group. The biochemical antiproliferative activity was evaluated in vitro by using two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and two prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3 and DU-145) using the MTT viability assay, and the IC50 values were obtained. Spiro-isoxazoline derivatives bearing a p-chloro or an o-dichloro aromatic substituent at the 3-position of the isoxazoline showed considerable antitumor activities in all four cell lines with IC50 value ranging from 43µM to 56µM.

A Model Study toward the Concise Synthesis of Bromotyrosine Derived Spiroisoxazoline Natural Products and Analogous Core Structures.

A model study of the first non-aromatic ring based approach toward α-hydroxyspiroisoxazolines resembling the bromotyrosine derived natural product and analogous spiroisoxazoline core structures were implemented. The desired molecular architecture was achieved through the multifunctionalization of a key 1,3-diketo spiroisoxazoline. Our strategy could serve as an efficient alternative of previously developed approaches that utilize an aromatic ring oxidation as the essential step to synthesize this class of natural products.

Synthesis and Tautomerism of Spiro-Pyrazolines.

An experimental study on the synthesis, tautomerism and acid promoted structural changes of spiro-pyrazolines is described. The target was achieved through a [3+2]-dipolar cycloaddition of an alkene with nitrile imines generated in situ and was isolated in high yield. The synthesized cycloadduct displayed a tendency to exhibit an imine-enamine type of tautomerism as evidenced by X-ray crystal and NMR studies. Furthermore, addition of an acid resulted in the transformation of an imine tautomer to an enamine. The current report constitutes a first formal observation of this kind of tautomerism observed in spiro-indoline pyrazolines.

Picture of a chelate in exchange: the crystal structure of NaHoDOTMA, a 'semi'-hydrated chelate.

Crystallography generally only provides static structural information. This can render it an ineffective technique for probing dynamic solution state processes. A crystal of HoDOTMA affords unique structures that effectively represent that of a lanthanide tetra-acetate chelate mid-way through the water exchange process.

Toward molecular rotors: tetra-N-heterocyclic carbene Ag(I)-halide cubane-type clusters.

1,3-Bis(3'-butylimidazol-1'-yl)benzene diiodide (2a), 1,3-bis(3'-but-3''-enyl-imidazolium-3'-yl)benzene diiodide (2b), 1,3-bis(3'-pent-4''-enyl-imidazolium-3'-yl)benzene diiodide (2c), 1,3-bis(4'-butyl-1',2',4'-triazolium-1'-yl)benzene diiodide (2d), or 1,3-bis(4'-butyl-1',2',4'-triazolium-1'-yl)benzene dibromide (2e) was reacted with Ag2O yielding unprecedented tetra-N-heterocyclic carbene-Ag(I)-X cubane-type clusters. These were characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, ESI-TOF MS, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystallography. Results from VT (13)C NMR spectroscopy and cross-over experiments are consistent with intramolecular exchange suggesting that the Ag(I) complexes are molecular rotors.

Putative agmatinase inhibitor for hypoxic-ischemic new born brain damage.

Agmatine is an endogenous brain metabolite, decarboxylated arginine, which has neuroprotective properties when injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into rat pups following hypoxic-ischemia. A previous screen for compounds based on rat brain lysates containing agmatinase with assistance from computational chemistry, led to piperazine-1-carboxamidine as a putative agmatinase inhibitor. Herein, the neuroprotective properties of piperazine-1-carboxamidine are described both in vitro and in vivo. Organotypic entorhinal-hippocampal slices were firstly prepared from 7-day-old rat pups and exposed in vitro to atmospheric oxygen depletion for 3 h. Upon reoxygenation, the slices were treated with piperazine-1-carboxamidine or agmatine (50 µg/ml agents), or saline, and 15 h later propidium iodine was used to stain. Piperazine-1-carboxamidine or agmatine produced substantial in vitro protection compared to post-reoxygenated saline-treated controls. An in vivo model involved surgical right carotid ligation followed by exposure to hypoxic-ischemia (8 % oxygen) for 2.5 h. Piperazine-1-carboxamidine at 50 mg/kg i.p. was given 15 min post-reoxygenation and continued twice daily for 3 days. Cortical agmatine levels were elevated (+28.5 %) following piperazine-1-carboxamidine treatment with no change in arginine or its other major metabolites. Histologic staining with anti-Neun monoclonal antibody also revealed neuroprotection of CA1-3 layers of the hippocampus. Until endpoint at 22 days of age, no adverse events were observed in treated pups' body weights, rectal temperatures, or prompted ambulation. Piperazine-1-carboxamidine therefore appears to be a neuroprotective agent of a new category, agmatinase inhibitor.

Diagnostic accuracy of holotranscobalamin, methylmalonic acid, serum cobalamin, and other indicators of tissue vitamin B12 status in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin B12 deficiency is common among the elderly, and early detection is clinically important. However, clinical signs and symptoms have limited diagnostic accuracy and there is no accepted reference test method. METHODS: In elderly subjects (n = 700; age range 63-97 years), we investigated the ability of serum cobalamin, holotranscobalamin (holoTC), total homocysteine (tHcy), methylmalonic acid (MMA), serum and erythrocyte folate, and other hematologic variables to discriminate cobalamin deficiency, defined as red blood cell cobalamin <33 pmol/L. RESULTS: Serum holoTC was the best predictor, with area under the ROC curve (95% CI) 0.90 (0.86-0.93), and this was significantly better (P ≤ 0.0002) than the next best predictors; serum cobalamin, 0.80 (0.75-0.85), and MMA, 0.78 (0.72-0.83). For these 3 analytes, we constructed a 3-zone partition of positive and negative zones and a deliberate indeterminate zone between. The boundaries were values of each test that resulted in a posttest probability of deficiency of 60% and a posttest probability of no deficiency of 98%. The proportion of indeterminate observations for holoTC, cobalamin, and MMA was 14%, 45%, and 50%, respectively. Within the holoTC indeterminate zone (defined as 20-30 pmol/L), discriminant analysis selected only erythrocyte folate, which correctly allocated 65% (58/89) of the observations. Renal dysfunction compromised the diagnostic accuracy of MMA but not holoTC or serum cobalamin. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the use of holoTC as the first-line diagnostic procedure for vitamin B12 status.

Synthesis of Novel Pyrazoles via [2+3]-Dipolar Cycloaddition Using Alkyne Surrogates.

The syntheses of an important class of hitherto unreported novel pyrazoles are described. The regioselective synthesis of 1,3,4,5-tetrasubstituted pyrazoles was achieved by the Huisgen cyclization of nitrile imines with a trisubstituted bromoalkene. The substituted bromoalkene functions as an alkyne synthon which was used to construct 5,5-disubstituted bromopyrazoline intermediates that undergo aromatization to the analogous pyrazoles through the loss of HBr. The cycloaddition regioselectivity was confirmed through single X-ray crystal data of one of the pyrazoles.

Improved molecular weight control in ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) reactions with ru-based olefin metathesis catalysts using N donors and acid: a kinetic and mechanistic investigation.

The effect of the addition of H(3)PO(4) on the ROMP activity of cyclooctene (COE) with first- [Cl(2)(PCy(3))(2)Ru=CHPh] and second-generation [(H(2)IMes)Cl(2)(PCy(3))Ru=CHPh] Grubbs' catalysts 1 and 4 (Cy=cyclohexyl, Ph=phenyl, Mes=2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (mesityl)), their inhibited mixtures with 1-methylimidazole (MIM), as well as their isolated bis-N,N'-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) derivatives [Cl(2)(PCy(3))(DMAP)(2)Ru=CHPh)] (5 b) and [Cl(2)(H(2)IMes)(DMAP)(2)Ru=CHPh] (7 b) (DMAP=dimethylaminopyridine), a novel catalyst, has been investigated. The studies include the determination of their initiation rates, as well as a determination of the molecular weights and molecular weight distributions of the polymers obtained with these catalysts and catalyst mixtures from the exo-7-oxanorbornene derivative 11. The structure of catalyst 7 b was confirmed by means of X-ray diffraction. All N-donor-bearing catalysts or N-donor-containing catalyst mixtures not only exhibited elevated activity in the presence of acid, but also increased initiation rates. Using the reversible inhibition/activation protocol with MIM and H(3)PO(4) enabled us to conduct controlled ROMP with catalyst 4 producing the isolated exo-7-oxanorbornene-based polymer 12 with predetermined molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions. This effect was based on fast and efficient catalyst initiation in contrast to the parent catalyst 4. Hexacoordinate complex 5 b also experienced a dramatic increase in initiation rates upon acid-addition and the ROMP reactions became well-controlled in contrast to the acid-free reaction. In contrast, complex 7 b performs well-controlled ROMP in the absence of acid, whereas the polymerization of the same monomer becomes less controlled in the presence of H(3)PO(4). The closer evaluation of catalysts 5 b and 7 b demonstrated that their initiation rates exhibit a linear dependency on the substrate concentration in contrast to catalysts 1 and 4. As a consequence, their initiation rates are determined by an associative step, not a dissociative step as seen for catalysts 1 and 4. A feasible associative metathesis initiation mechanism is proposed.

A Novel Synthesis of 1,3,5-Trisubstituted Pyrazoles through a Spiro-pyrazoline Intermediate via a Tandem 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition/Elimination.

The syntheses of an important class of hitherto unreported 1,3,5-pyrazoles, inspired by an unanticipated eliminatory ring opening are described. The reported pyrazole compounds were constructed through the Huisgen cyclization of 2-methylene-1,3,3-trimethylindoline and an in situ generated nitrile imine. The newly formed spiro-pyrazoline intermediate presumably then undergoes a ring opening/elimination process to afford a pyrazole, as evidenced by single X-ray crystal data. The current report constitutes the first formal observation of this kind of ring opening involving a spiro-pyrazoline intermediate.

Oxonium Ion Mediated Synthesis of 4-Substituted Spiro-Isoxazolines.

The stereoselective synthesis of 4-bromo-spiro-isoxazolines was achieved in one step through the bromination of various isoxazoles that contain a pendant alcohol or carboxylic acid functional group. Isoxazole bromination leads to a bromonium ion intermediate which opens either by neighboring oxygen lone pair electrons or by intramolecular nucleophilic attack. Single X-ray crystal data provides evidence that the two contiguous stereocenters of the spiro-isoxazoline are formed by the anti intramolecular attack of the nucleophile relative to bromine since there is an anti stereochemical relationship between the spirocyclic ring oxygen and the bromine atom.

Construction of Novel Spiroisoxazolines via Intramolecular Cyclization/Methylation.

Improved yields for the syntheses of a variety of spiroisoxazolines were achieved through intramolecular cyclization/methylation reactions of functionalized 5,5-disubstituted isoxazolines in one reaction vessel. Aromatic ring containing nitrile oxides and disubstituted geminal alkenes reacted in a 1,3-dipolar fashion to afford the corresponding 5,5-isoxazoline. A comparison of the relative location of the nucleophile and electrophile on the isoxazoline and two different ester functional groups was performed in order to determine the best isoxazoline system for the intramolecular cyclization/methylation reaction.