Aminopyridine-Borane Complexes as Hydrogen Atom Donor Reagents: Reaction Mechanism and Substrate Selectivity.

Lewis base-borane complexes are shown to be potent hydrogen atom donors in radical chain reduction reactions. Results obtained in 1 H, 11 B, and 13 C NMR measurements and kinetic experiments support a complex reaction mechanism involving the parent borane as well as its initial reaction products as active hydrogen atom donors. Efficient reduction reactions of iodides, bromides, and xanthates in apolar solvents rely on initiator systems generating oxygen-centered radicals under thermal conditions and pyridine-borane complexes carrying solubilizing substituents. In contrast to tin hydride reagents, the pyridine-boranes reduce xanthates faster than the corresponding iodides.

Conformational Preferences in Small Peptide Models: The Relevance of cis/trans-Conformations.

The accurate description of cis/trans peptide structures is of fundamental relevance for the field of protein modeling and protein structure determination. A comprehensive conformational analysis of dipeptide model Ace-Gly-NMe (1) has been carried out by using a combination of theoretical calculations and experimental ((1) H and (13) C NMR and NOESY) spectroscopic measurements to assess the relevance of cis-peptide conformers. NMR measurements in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution and calculations employing a continuum solvation model both point to the extended trans,trans conformer C5_tt as the global minimum. The cis-peptide structures C5_ct and C5_tc, with the N- or C-terminal amide group in cis-conformation, are observed separately and located 13.0±2 kJ mol(-1) higher in energy. This is in close agreement with the theoretical prediction of around 12 kJ mol(-1) in DMSO. The ability of common protein force fields to reproduce the energies of the cis-amide conformers C5_ct and C5_tc in 1 is limited, making these methods unsuitable for the description of cis-peptide structures in protein simulations.

Regioselective Transition-Metal-Free Allyl-Allyl Cross-Couplings.

Readily prepared allylic zinc halides undergo SN 2-type substitutions with allylic bromides in a 1:1 mixture of THF and DMPU providing 1,5-dienes regioselectively. The allylic zinc species reacts at the most branched end (γ-position) of the allylic system furnishing exclusively γ,α'-allyl-allyl cross-coupling products. Remarkably, the double bond stereochemistry of the allylic halide is maintained during the cross-coupling process. Also several functional groups (ester, nitrile) are tolerated. This cross-coupling of allylic zinc reagents can be extended to propargylic and benzylic halides. DFT calculations show the importance of lithium chloride in this substitution.

Preparation of tri- and tetrasubstituted allenes via regioselective lateral metalation of benzylic (trimethylsilyl)alkynes using TMPZnCl·LiCl.

The zincation of various 1-(trimethylsilyl)-3-aryl-1-propynes with TMPZnCl·LiCl followed by a Pd-catalyzed coupling with aryl halides provides arylated allenes in 52-92% yield. Subsequent metalation with TMPZnCl·LiCl and cross-coupling with a second different aryl halide provides regioselectively tetrasubstituted allenes in 42-70% yield. This sequence can be performed in a one-pot procedure. DFT calculations and NMR studies support the formation of allenylzinc and propargyllithium intermediates starting from 1-(trimethylsilyl)-3-phenyl-1-propyne.

Transfer hydrogenation in open-shell nucleotides - a theoretical survey.

The potential of a larger number of sugar models to act as dihydrogen donors in transfer hydrogenation reactions has been quantified through the calculation of hydrogenation energies of the respective oxidized products. Comparison of the calculated energies to hydrogenation energies of nucleobases shows that many sugar fragment radicals can reduce pyrimidine bases such as uracil in a strongly exothermic fashion. The most potent reducing agent is the C3' ribosyl radical. The energetics of intramolecular transfer hydrogenation processes has also been calculated for a number of uridinyl radicals. The largest driving force for such a process is found for the uridin-C3'-yl radical, whose rearrangement to the C2'-oxidized derivative carrying a dihydrouracil is predicted to be exothermic by 61.1 kJ/mol in the gas phase.

Transfer hydrogenation as a redox process in nucleotides.

Using a combined theoretical and experimental strategy, the heats of hydrogenation of the nucleotide bases uracil, thymine, cytosine, adenine, and guanine have been determined. The most easily hydrogenated base is uracil, followed by thymine and cytosine. Comparison of these hydrogenation enthalpies with those of ketones and aldehydes derived from sugar models indicates the possibility of near-thermoneutral hydrogen transfer between uracil and the sugar phosphate backbone in oligonucleotides.

New in situ trapping metalations of functionalized arenes and heteroarenes with TMPLi in the presence of ZnCl2 and other metal salts.

The addition of TMPLi to a mixture of an aromatic or heteroaromatic substrate with a metal salt such as MgCl2, ZnCl2, or CuCN at -78 °C first leads to lithiation of the arene followed by transmetalation with the metal salt to afford functionalized organometallic compounds of Mg, Zn, or Cu. This in situ trapping method allows an expedited metalation (-78 °C, 5 min) of a range of sensitive pyridines (bearing a nitro, ester, or cyano group) and allows the preparation of kinetic regioisomers of functionalized aromatic compounds or heterocycles not otherwise available by standard metalating agents, such as TMPMgCl⋅LiCl or TMPZnCl⋅LiCl.

The chemical fate of paroxetine metabolites. Dehydration of radicals derived from 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)piperidine.

Quantum chemical calculations have been used to model reactions which are important for understanding the chemical fate of paroxetine-derived radicals in the environment. In order to explain the experimental observation that the loss of water occurs along the (photo)degradation pathway, four different mechanisms of radical-induced dehydrations have been considered. The elimination of water from the N-centered radical cation, which results in the formation of an imine intermediate, has been calculated as the most feasible process. The predicted energy barrier (ΔG = 98.5 kJ mol(-1)) is within the barrier limits set by experimental measurements. All reaction intermediates and transition state structures have been calculated using the G3(MP2)-RAD composite procedure, and solvent effects have been determined using a mixed (cluster/continuum) solvation model. Several new products, which comply with the available experimental data, have been proposed. These structures could be relevant for the chemical fate of antidepressant paroxetine, but also for biologically and environmentally related substrates.

Free radical 5-exo-dig cyclization as the key step in the synthesis of bis-butyrolactone natural products: experimental and theoretical studies.

Radical cyclization reactions were performed by 5-exo-dig mode to yield cis-fused bicyclic systems, leading to the synthesis of bis-butyrolactone class of natural products. The study was aimed at understanding the impact of alkyl side chains of furanoside ring systems in L-ara configuration on the radical cyclization. It was amply demonstrated by experimental studies that the increase in the length of the alkyl side chain has an effect on the cyclization: while efficient cyclization reactions could be realized with methyl and ethyl side chains, the yields were significantly reduced in the case of n-pentyl side chain. Theoretical studies using DFT and (RO)MP2 methods were carried out to analyze the influence of the substitution pattern on the cyclization barriers.