Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel alkenylthiophenes as potent and selective CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonists.

A novel class of (5-(pent-1-enyl)thiophen-2-yl)pyrazole antagonists was discovered, many of which exhibited potent CB1 activity and good CB1/2 selectivity, suggesting that along with a 1,3-transposition of the carbonyl of the pyrazole 3-carboxamide, bioisosteric replacement of the conventional pyrazole 5-aryl group with a thienyl ring substituted with an appropriate alkenyl moiety is viable.

Asymmetric aerobic oxidation of alpha-hydroxy acid derivatives by C4-symmetric, vanadate-centered, tetrakisvanadyl(V) clusters derived from N-salicylidene-alpha-aminocarboxylates.

A series of chiral vanadyl(V) methoxides bearing 3-t-butyl-5-substituted N-salicylene-L-valinate and L-t-leucinate as chiral auxiliaries has been prepared. In all cases except the 3,5-di-t-butyl analogue, they exist as monomers both in solution and in the single crystal state. In the case of the 3,5-di-t-butyl analogue, the architectural nature of the vanadyl(V) complex highly depends on the base used during the complex formation event. A pentanuclear C4-symmetric complex was formed when potassium salts were employed instead of the corresponding sodium salts. A central vanadate(V) unit serves to grip four identical chiral monomeric vanadyl(V) units together, by which a potassium ion sits on top of the four flanking units through carbonyl coordinations and serves to hold the whole cluster by cooperation with the central vanadate(V) unit. In comparison with the corresponding monomeric vanadyl(V) methoxide complex, the cluster complex was utilized to facilitate the asymmetric aerobic oxidations of various racemic alpha-hydroxyesters, -amides, and -thioesters with excellent selectivity factors (krel 40 to >500).

Highly enantioselective aerobic oxidation of alpha-hydroxyphosphonates catalyzed by chiral vanadyl(V) methoxides bearing N-salicylidene-alpha-aminocarboxylates.

An unprecedented vanadyl(V) methoxide complex 4 derived from 3,5-dibromo-N-salicylidene-l-tert-leucinate enables highly enantioselective aerobic oxidations of alpha-hydroxyphosphonates at ambient temperature with selectivity factors ranging from 3 to >99.

Diethylene glycol ether-linked 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzamides as triply branched dendritic anchors to CdSe/ZnS core/shell type nanoparticles: potential hydrophilic fluorescent probes.

Functionalized N-2-mercaptoethyl-gallamides bearing three or five hydroxyl units that are tethered with diethylene glycol ether(s) allow for transferring hydrophobically pyridine-capped CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles from an organic to an aqueous layer with intact fluorescent profiles.

Nucleophilic acyl substitutions of anhydrides with protic nucleophiles catalyzed by amphoteric, oxomolybdenum species.

[reaction: see text] Among six different group VIb oxometallic species examined, dioxomolybdenum dichloride and oxomolybdenum tetrachloride were the most efficient catalysts to facilitate nucleophilic acyl substitution (NAS) of anhydrides with a myriad array of alcohols, amines, and thiols in high yields and high chemoselectivity. In contrast to the well-recognized redox chemical behaviors associated with oxomolybdenum(VI) species, the catalytic NAS was unprecedented and tolerates virtually all kinds of functional groups. By using benzoic anhydride as a mediator for in situ generation of an incipient mixed anhydride-MoO(2)Cl(2) adduct with a given functional alkanoic acid, one can achieve oleate, dipeptide, diphenylmethyl, N-Fmoc-alpha-amino, pyruvic, and tert-butylthio ester, N-tert-butylamide, and trityl methacrylate syntheses with appropriate protic nucleophiles. The amphoteric character of the Mo=O unit in oxomolybdenum chlorides was found to be responsible for the catalytic NAS profile as supported by a control NAS reaction of using an authentic adduct-MoOCl(2)(O(2)CBu(t)())(2) between pivalic anhydride and MoO(2)Cl(2) as the catalyst.