Polydiacetylene-based ultrastrong bioorthogonal Raman probes for targeted live-cell Raman imaging.

Live-cell Raman imaging based on bioorthogonal Raman probes with distinct signals in the cellular Raman-silent region (1800-2800 cm-1) has attracted great interest in recent years. We report here a class of water-soluble and biocompatible polydiacetylenes with intrinsic ultrastrong alkyne Raman signals that locate in this region for organelle-targeting live-cell Raman imaging. Using a host-guest topochemical polymerization strategy, we have synthesized a water-soluble and functionalizable master polydiacetylene, namely poly(deca-4,6-diynedioic acid) (PDDA), which possesses significantly enhanced (up to ~104 fold) alkyne vibration compared to conventional alkyne Raman probes. In addition, PDDA can be used as a general platform for multi-functional ultrastrong Raman probes. We achieve high quality live-cell stimulated Raman scattering imaging on the basis of modified PDDA. The polydiacetylene-based Raman probes represent ultrastrong intrinsic Raman imaging agents in the Raman-silent region (without any Raman enhancer), and the flexible functionalization of this material holds great promise for its potential diverse applications.

Preparation and structure of a tubular addition polymer: a true synthetic nanotube.

The structure of a synthetic nanotube prepared by the solid-state polymerization of a stacked column of diacetylene-based macrocycles has been determined. A polyether macrocycle monomer with two parallel diacetylene functionalities was prepared. Its crystal structure revealed that the compound crystallizes with structural parameters suitable for topochemical polymerization. Slow annealing of a single crystal for 35 days brought about a single-crystal-to-single-crystal polymerization resulting in the first experimentally determined structure of a tubular addition polymer.

Asymmetric induction in 8π electrocyclizations. Design of a removable chiral auxiliary.

The pseudo C(2) symmetric trans diphenyl oxazoline group acts as an effective chiral auxiliary in the 8π, 6π tandem electrocyclization of a substituted tetraene 1-carboxylic acid. Assignment of absolute stereochemistry to the [4.2.0] bicyclooctadiene product supports a model in which both s-cis and s-trans conformations favor the transition states with the same helical twist. This assignment prefaces the development of analogs of SNF4435 C and D. These natural products demonstrate activity as androgen receptor antagonists and as multidrug resistance (mdr) reversal agents.

Weak interactions dominating the supramolecular self-assembly in a salt: a designed single-crystal-to-single-crystal topochemical polymerization of a terminal aryldiacetylene.

Single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) topochemical polymerizations of diacetylenes can yield nearly defect-free conjugated polymer crystals unattainable by other methods. Aryl-substituted diacetylenes with their potentially greater conjugation have been targeted for years, but until now no one has reported a SCSC polymerization of any aryl-substituted diacetylene. This is presumably due to the rigidity of such diaryl-substituted monomers as well as the lack of control over the supramolecular structure. To address this problem, the polymerization of a terminal phenyldiacetylene was targeted. It was assumed that a terminal diacetylene should demonstrate greater flexibility in the solid state. To establish the necessary (approximately 4.9 A) repeat distance, commensurate with the repeat distance in the polymer, a host-guest system was designed. The chosen diacetylene guest, the amine DABzNH(2), was to be crystallized with the oxalamide dicarboxylic acid host, H(2)og. The plan required a segregation of the hydrogen bonds, amide-amide hydrogen bonds to establish the 4.9 A spacing, and the carboxylate to ammonium ion hydrogen bonds to organize the guest. Prior to carrying out the diacetylene synthesis a series of model salts were studied. Consistent with the hydrophobic effect it was found that amines with large "greasy" substituents assembled according to the design. Once the model studies established that weak interactions could dominate the supramolecular structure of a salt, the actual design was put to the test. The targeted guest, DABzNH(2), was synthesized and crystals of the host-guest salt (DABzNH(3))(2)og were prepared. The resulting crystal structure was in complete accordance with the design. A SCSC polymerization was achieved by a slow annealing treatment lasting about three months. The crystal structure of the resulting polymer not only confirmed the first example of a poly(aryldiacetylene) single crystal, it also revealed an unexpected reaction pathway that shows a major movement involving the rigid aromatic substituent.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel C14-C3'BzN-linked macrocyclic taxoids.

Novel macrocyclic paclitaxel congeners were designed to mimic the bioactive conformation of paclitaxel. Computational analysis of the "REDOR-Taxol" structure revealed that this structure could be rigidified by connecting the C14 position of the baccatin moiety and the ortho position of C3'N-benzoyl group (C3'BzN), which are ca. 7.5 A apart, with a short linker (4-6 atoms). 7-TES-14beta-allyloxybaccatin III and (3R,4S)-1-(2-alkenylbenzoyl)-beta-lactams were selected as key components, and the Ojima-Holton coupling afforded the corresponding paclitaxel-dienes. The Ru-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis (RCM) of paclitaxel-dienes gave the designed 15- and 16-membered macrocyclic taxoids. However, the RCM reaction to form the designed 14-membered macrocyclic taxoid did not proceed as planned. Instead, the attempted RCM reaction led to the occurrence of an unprecedented novel Ru-catalyzed diene-coupling process, giving the corresponding 15-membered macrocyclic taxoid (SB-T-2054). The biological activities of the novel macrocyclic taxoids were evaluated by tumor cell growth inhibition (i.e., cytotoxicity) and tubulin-polymerization assays. Those assays revealed high sensitivity of cytotoxicity to subtle conformational changes. Among the novel macrocyclic taxoids evaluated, SB-T-2054 is the most active compound, which possesses virtually the same potency as that of paclitaxel. The result may also indicate that SB-T-2054 structure is an excellent mimic of the bioactive conformation of paclitaxel. Computational analysis for the observed structure-activity relationships is also performed and discussed.

Single-crystal-to-single-crystal topochemical polymerizations by design.

The polymerization of simple conjugated dienes has long been of interest: polydienes occur throughout Nature, and polyisoprene and its analogues form the basis of entire industries. In contrast, the polymers of similar small conjugated compounds, diacetylenes, trienes, and triacetylenes, are either unknown or laboratory curiosities. For 40 years, the only viable synthetic method for the 1,4-polymerization of a diacetylene was a topochemical polymerization in a condensed phase. But such an approach is hit or miss: if the diacetylene monomers have a solid-state structure preorganized at distances matching the repeat distance in the final polymer, then thermal or photochemical energy can bring about the polymerization. However, most monomers lack the proper structural parameters and simply do not react. As discussed in this Account, we have developed a supramolecular host-guest strategy that imposes the necessary structural parameters upon a diacetylene monomer that otherwise does not polymerize. We apply this strategy in the synthesis of new types of conjugated polymers made from diacetylenes, triacetylenes, and trienes. To implement the host-guest strategy, we chose a host that would self-assemble into a supramolecular structure with the requisite intermolecular spacing. For diacetylenes, the ideal spacing is 4.9 A, and the oxalamides, which routinely crystallize with a spacing of 5 A, make ideal host molecules. We chose specific oxalamide host substituents that bind to the diacetylene guest molecule, typically through hydrogen bonding. We have focused upon the single-crystal-to-single-crystal polymerizations, allowing us to obtain and characterize the polymers in perfect crystalline form and to define and better understand the reaction trajectories. We have prepared several new classes of polydiacetylenes using this strategy, including the first terminal polydiacetylenes and an aryl-substituted diacetylene. Interestingly, to prepare poly(diiododiacetylene), we used halogen bonds to bind the host and guest. The simplest polydiacetylene known, poly(diiododiacetylene), lacks the side chains that complicate the structures of similar previous polymers. Future studies should provide insights into the role of such side chains in conjugated materials. We further demonstrated the strength of the host-guest strategy by moving from the polydiacetylenes to the polytriacetylenes. Although the structural requirements for a triacetylene polymerization had been stated decades ago, no one had ever found a triacetylene with the requisite spacing of 7.4 A. We designed a series of pyridine-substituted vinylogous amide hosts to achieve this spacing. Cocrystallization of these host molecules with a triacetylene dicarboxylic acid gave us the desired structure. Using thermal annealing, we completed the synthesis of the triacetylene polymer.

Poly(diiododiacetylene): preparation, isolation, and full characterization of a very simple poly(diacetylene).

Poly(diiodiacetylene), or PIDA, is a conjugated polymer containing the poly(diacetylene) (PDA) backbone but with only iodine atom substituents. The monomer diiodobutadiyne (1) can be aligned in the solid state with bis(nitrile) oxalamide hosts by hydrogen bonds between oxalamide groups and weak Lewis acid-base interactions (halogen bonds) between nitriles and iodoalkynes. The resulting cocrystals start out pale blue but turn shiny and copper-colored as the polymerization progresses. The development of a crystallization methodology that greatly improves the yield of PIDA to about 50% now allows the full characterization of the polymer by X-ray diffraction, solid-state (13)C MAS NMR, Raman, and electron absorption spectroscopy. Comparison of a series of hosts reveals an odd-even effect in the topochemical polymerization, based on the alkyl chain length of the host. In the cocrystals formed with bis(pentanenitrile) oxalamide (4) and bis(heptanenitrile) oxalamide (6), the host/guest ratio is 1:2 and the monomer polymerizes spontaneously at room temperature, while in the case of bis(butanenitrile) oxalamide (3) and bis(hexanenitrile) oxalamide (5), where the host and guest form cocrystals in a 1:1 ratio, the polymerization is disfavored and does not go to completion. The topochemical polymerization can also be observed in water suspensions of micrometer-sized 6.1 cocrystals; the size distribution of these microcrystals, and the resulting polymer chains, can be controlled by sonication. Completely polymerized PIDA cocrystals show a highly resolved vibronic progression in their UV/vis absorption spectra. Extensive rinsing of the crystals in organic solvents such as methanol, THF, and chloroform separates the polymer from the soluble host. Once isolated, PIDA forms blue suspensions in a variety of solvents. The UV/vis absorption spectra of these suspensions match the cocrystal spectrum, without the vibronic resolution. However, they also include a new longer-wavelength absorption peak, associated with aggregation of the polymer chains.

Synthesis, structure, and metal complexation behavior of a new type of functionalized chiral phenanthroline derivative.

SmI(2) serves as an effective promoter for the coupling of 1,10-phenanthroline with an epoxide to generate a new class of chiral, functionalized ligands that readily form complexes with metals. Structural studies of the resulting phenanthroline derivative and two of its metal complexes are reported.

Pressure-induced polymerization of diiodobutadiyne in assembled cocrystals.

Diiodobutadiyne forms cocrystals with bis(pyridyl)oxalamides in which the diyne alignment is near the ideal parameters for topochemical polymerization to the ordered conjugated polymer, poly(diiododiacetylene) (PIDA). Nonetheless, previous efforts to induce polymerization in these samples via heat or irradiation were unsuccessful. We report here the successful ordered polymerization of diiodobutadiyne in these cocrystals, by subjecting them to high external pressure (0.3-10 GPa). At the lower end of the pressure range, the samples contain primarily monomer, as demonstrated by X-ray diffraction studies, but some polymerization does occur, leading to a pronounced color change from colorless to blue and to the development of intense Raman peaks at 962, 1394, and 2055 cm-1, corresponding to the poly(diacetylene). At higher pressures, the samples turn black and contain primarily polymer, as determined by solid-state NMR and Raman spectroscopy. Both density functional theory calculations (B3LYP/LanL2DZ) and comparisons to authentic samples of PIDA have confirmed the data analysis.

Preparation of poly(diiododiacetylene), an ordered conjugated polymer of carbon and iodine.

Conjugated organic polymers generally must include large substituents for stability, either contained within or appended to the polymer chain. In polydiacetylenes, the substituents fulfill another important role: During topochemical polymerization, they control the spacing between the diyne monomers to produce an ordered polymer. By using a co-crystal scaffolding, we have prepared poly(diiododiacetylene), or PIDA, a nearly unadorned carbon chain substituted with only single-atom iodine side groups. The monomer, diiodobutadiyne, forms co-crystals with bis(nitrile) oxalamides, aligned by hydrogen bonds between oxalamide groups and weak Lewis acid-base interactions between nitriles and iodoalkynes. In co-crystals with one oxalamide host, the diyne undergoes spontaneous topochemical polymerization to form PIDA. The structure of the dark blue crystals, which look copper-colored under reflected light, has been confirmed by single-crystal x-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy.

Asymmetry by electrophilic rearrangement of symmetric 2-pyridone photodimers.

[reaction: see text] Halogenation of achiral trans-2-pyridone photodimers results in 1,3-migration of an amide nitrogen and formation of a chiral structure with six stereogenic centers and well-differentiated functionality. The reactivity of this product toward nucleophiles, including the allylic halide, is dominated by participation by the amide nitrogen.

Designed cocrystals based on the pyridine-iodoalkyne halogen bond.

Diiodobutadiyne (1) and diiodohexatriyne (2) form cocrystals with bispyridyl oxalamides and ureas, based on the halogen bond between the alkynyl iodine and pyridine nitrogen. In each cocrystal, the oxalamide or urea host forms one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded networks, aligning the diiodopolyyne for potential topochemical polymerization with a repeat distance matching the host repeat.

Single-crystal-to-single-crystal topochemical polymerizations of a terminal diacetylene: two remarkable transformations give the same conjugated polymer.

Host-guest chemistry was used to prepare a cocrystal of a dipyridyl substituted oxalamide host and a resorcinol derivative of a terminal diacetylene. X-ray crystallography revealed that the molecules assemble into a triple-helix with the diacetylene functionalities aligned in the center of the helix. Upon heating, the diacetylenes polymerize to give the corresponding polymer. In a second experiment, the X-ray structure of the crystalline hydrate of the same diacetylene also showed a suitable alignment of the diacetylene functionalities. These crystals polymerize at only 50 degrees C with the C1 carbon end of the diacetylene undergoing an unprecedented 2.4 A inward swinging movement. This results in a remarkable 9% increase in crystal density. These are the first structurally characterized polymerizations of any terminal diacetylene. A detailed comparison of the two sets of structural changes offers an interesting insight into the precise trajectories of polymerization reactions.

The topochemical 1,6-polymerization of a triene.

The first topochemical 1,6-polymerization of a triene has been observed. The required supramolecular structure for this polymerization was achieved by the pi-pi stacking of the isonicotinate functionality. The crystal environment of this polymerization reaction controlled both the molecular and supramolecular structure of the polymer and allowed its structure to be determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.