Special Issue "RACI 2003 symposium"

Abstract: n/a

Abstract: Liquid or low melting association products of carbon dioxide and a secondary amine, both neutral molecules that may be gaseous, are recognised as “distillable” ionic media.

Abstract: The use of iodobenzene diacetate and iodine under photolytic conditions provides and efficient method for the oxidative cyclization of spiroacetals bearing an hydroxyalkyl side chain to bis-spiroacetals. An overview is provided of the use of this reaction for the synthesis of several bis-spiroacetal containing natural products such as the polyether antibiotics salinomycin and CP44,161 and the shellfish toxins, the spirolides.

Abstract: In the past decade there has been a significant growth in the sales of pharmaceutical drugs worldwide, but more importantly there has been a dramatic growth in the sales of single enantiomer drugs. The pharmaceutical industry has a rising demand for chiral intermediates and research reagents because of the continuing imperative to improve drug efficacy. This in turn impacts on researchers involved in preclinical discovery work. Besides traditional chiral pool and resolution of racemates as sources of chiral building blocks, many new synthetic methods including a great variety of catalytic reactions have been developed which facilitate the production of complex chiral drug candidates for clinical trials. The most ambitious technique is to synthesise homochiral compounds from non-chiral starting materials using chiral metal catalysts and related chemistry. Examples of the synthesis of chiral building blocks from achiral materials utilizing asymmetric hydrogenation and asymmetric epoxidation are presented.

Abstract: The preparation and characterization by LCMS of a library of 55 fluorescence- quenched peptides is described. The peptides bear a terminal anthranilamide fluorophore and a penultimate 2,4-dinitrophenyl-L-lysine quencher, and will be used to probe the substrate binding domain of the human blood coagulation enzyme, factor Xa.

Abstract: The syntheses of representative examples of five classes of new heterocyclic ligands are described. These include N,N'-chelating bis-heterocycles, binucleating ligands, cyclometallated compounds, chiral ligands and a family of polyheteroaryl-linked arenes.

Abstract: The synthesis of (2S)-2-benzyloxymethyl-3-(2-fluoro-4-methoxyphenyl)- propionic acid, (2S)-2-benzyloxymethyl-3-(2-fluoro-4-methylphenyl)propionic acid and (2S)-2-benzyl-oxymethyl-3-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)propionic acid has been achieved by TiCl4 mediated alkylation of the corresponding (4R)-4-benzyl-3-[3-(2-fluoro-4-methoxyphenyl-, 2-fluoro-4-methylphenyl-, 2,4- dimethylphenyl-)propionyl]-2-oxazolidinones, followed by hydrolysis of the chiral auxiliary. The stereochemistry of the alkylation reaction was confirmed by an X-ray crystal structure of (4R)-4-benzyl-3-[(2S)-2-benzyloxymethyl-3-(2- fluoro-4-methylphenyl)propionyl]-2-oxazolidinone.

Abstract: Although microwave chemistry and its applications have undergone rapid growth over the last decade, the technology is not yet employed routinely in all synthetic laboratories. A significant obstacle to implementation concerns the empirical work required to adapt established conditions into alternatives employing higher temperatures. We now have established predictive tools to translate reaction conditions from conventional heated (ambient pressure) to elevated temperature (ambient or elevated pressure). We have studied 45 reactions (including published literature examples) and made in excess of 200 estimations for specific yield or conversion, with a high degree of accuracy. Linear regression analysis of estimated vs. experimental conversion or yield was 0.90 (first iteration) and 0.98 (second iteration).

Abstract: Photolyses of the thiohydroximate ester derivatives 13 and 21 of the 4- (benzyl-seleno)-2-azetidinoines 7 and 20, afford the 1-aza-7-oxo-4-selenabicyclo- [3.2.0]heptane ring systems 14 and 21 in good to moderate yield in processes that presumably involve intramolecular homolytic substitution at selenium with expulsion of benzyl radical. Extension of this methodology to the preparation of derivatives 24 of 12,2a-dihydro-1H,8H-azeto[2,1-b][1,3]benzoselenazin-1-one (22) is also described.

Abstract: Photolysis of the thiohydroximate ester derivative 21 of 2-carboethoxy-2-(2- (benzylseleno)pyridin-3-yl)tridecylcarboxylic acid (20) affords 2-dodecyl-2- carboethoxy-2,3-dihydroselenolo[2,3-b]pyridine (22) in 89% yield in a process presumably involving intramolecular homolytic substitution by a tertiary alkyl radical at selenium with loss of a benzyl radical. Work toward extending this methodology to the preparation of pyridine-fused selenium analogues of antioxidants is described.

Abstract: The recently discovered novel concept of self-terminating, oxidative radical cyclizations, through which alkynes can be converted into carbonyl compounds under very mild reaction conditions using O-centered inorganic and organic radicals as oxidants, is described

Abstract: An overview of the synthesis of the fungal metabolites (+)-dermolactone, (–)- semixanthomegnin, (+)- and (–)-mellein, (–)-ochratoxin α, (–)-(1R,3S)-thysanone, the enantiopure ventiloquinones L, E and G, and 8-desmethyleleutherin from a common chiral intermediate, is presented. Further methodology leading potentially toward extended quinones such as (3S,3'S)-xylindein is also outlined.

Abstract: A benign and efficient synthesis of chiral macrocyclic ‘aza-crown’ ethers of varying ring size is reported. The synthesis involves a Schiff base condensation of ether linked dialdehydes of varying chain length and (1R,2R)-(–)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane under mild conditions to yield the macrocycles, which are subsequently reduced to yield the diamino analogues.