Recovering true FRET efficiencies from smFRET investigations requires triplet state mitigation.

Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) methods employed to quantify time-dependent compositional and conformational changes within biomolecules require elevated illumination intensities to recover robust photon emission streams from individual fluorophores. Here we show that outside the weak-excitation limit, and in regimes where fluorophores must undergo many rapid cycles of excitation and relaxation, non-fluorescing, excitation-induced triplet states with lifetimes orders of magnitude longer lived than photon-emitting singlet states degrade photon emission streams from both donor and acceptor fluorophores resulting in illumination-intensity-dependent changes in FRET efficiency. These changes are not commonly taken into consideration; therefore, robust strategies to suppress excited state accumulations are required to recover accurate and precise FRET efficiency, and thus distance, estimates. We propose both robust triplet state suppression and data correction strategies that enable the recovery of FRET efficiencies more closely approximating true values, thereby extending the spatial and temporal resolution of smFRET.

Lewis-Base-Catalyzed Reductive Aldol Reaction To Access Quaternary Carbons.

A synthetic method for the efficient construction of ß-hydroxylactones and lactams bearing α-quaternary carbon centers is described. This transformation relies on an electronically differentiated Lewis base catalyst, which is uniquely capable of promoting a reductive aldol reaction of α,α-disubstituted and α,α,ß-trisubstituted enones. This approach provides a valuable synthetic alternative for carbon-carbon bond formation in complex molecular settings due to its orthogonal reactivity compared to that of traditional aldol reactions. Based on this method described herein, lactones, lactams, and morpholine amides bearing α-quaternary carbon centers are accessible in yields up to 85% and 50:1 dr.

Acid Chlorides as Formal Carbon Dianion Linchpin Reagents in the Aluminum Chloride-Mediated Dieckmann Cyclization of Dicarboxylic Acids.

The development of acid chlorides as formal dianion linchpin reagents that enable access to cyclic 2-alkyl- and 2-acyl-1,3-alkanediones from dicarboxylic acids is described herein. Mechanistic experiments relying on 13C-labeling studies confirm the role of acid chlorides as carbon dianion linchpin reagents and have led to a revised reaction mechanism for the aluminum(III)-mediated Dieckmann cyclization of dicarboxylic acids with acid chlorides.

Aluminum Chloride-Mediated Dieckmann Cyclization for the Synthesis of Cyclic 2-Alkyl-1,3-alkanediones: One-Step Synthesis of the Chiloglottones.

Cyclic 2-alkyl-1,3-alkanediones are ubiquitous structural motifs in many natural products of biological importance. Reported herein is an AlCl3·MeNO2-mediated Dieckmann cyclization reaction of general synthetic utility that enables direct access to complex 2-alkyl-1,3-dione building blocks from readily available dicarboxylic acid and acid chloride substrates. This new strategy enables direct synthetic access to the chiloglottone plant pheromones from commercial material in a single synthetic transformation.

Synthesis and stability of cyclic α-hydrogen nitroxides.

Nitroxides (nitroxyl radicals) hold a unique place in science due to their stable radical nature. We have recently reported the first design concept providing a general solution to the problem of designing and preparing monocyclic α-hydrogen nitroxides. The initial studies were limited to aryl derivatives. We now report a wider study showing that alkyl substituents may be employed as well. In addition, we report several additional examples of aryl substituents and reveal some of the structural limitations with regard to nitroxide stability as a function of the α-carbon substituent.

Design concept for α-hydrogen-substituted nitroxides.

Stable nitroxides (nitroxyl radicals) have many essential and unique applications in chemistry, biology and medicine. However, the factors influencing their stability are still under investigation, and this hinders the design and development of new nitroxides. Nitroxides with tertiary alkyl groups are generally stable but obviously highly encumbered. In contrast, α-hydrogen-substituted nitroxides are generally inherently unstable and rapidly decompose. Herein, a novel, concept for the design of stable cyclic α-hydrogen nitroxides is described, and a proof-of-concept in the form of the facile synthesis and characterization of two diverse series of stable α-hydrogen nitroxides is presented. The stability of these unique α-hydrogen nitroxides is attributed to a combination of steric and stereoelectronic effects by which disproportionation is kinetically precluded. These stabilizing effects are achieved by the use of a nitroxide co-planar substituent in the γ-position of the backbone of the nitroxide. This premise is supported by a computational study, which provides insight into the disproportionation pathways of α-hydrogen nitroxides.

Oxidative asymmetric umpolung alkylation of Evans' ß-ketoimides using dialkylzinc nucleophiles.

Umpolung alkylation of Evans' auxiliary substituted ß-ketoimides affords the diastereomerically pure products in yields ranging from 40 to 80%. The reaction itself proceeds with diastereoselectivities between 3 : 1 and 18 : 1. Dialkylzinc serves as the nucleophile and umpolung of the ß-keto-imide enolate is achieved by the action of Koser's reagent.

Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of A-86929, a dopamine D1 agonist.

A-86929, a dopamine D1 agonist was synthesized with 95% ee in five steps with overall yield of 56% via catalytic enantioselective one-pot aziridination followed by Friedel-Crafts cyclization and a mild Pictet-Spengler cyclization protocol.

Stereoselective one-pot synthesis of oxazolines.

Treatment of alkenes with NBS, a nitrile, NaHCO3 and water in the presence of Cu(OTf)2 or Zn(OTf)2 is reported to furnish oxazolines in one pot and good yields. The reaction is equally applicable to chalcones.

Samarium triflate-catalyzed halogen-promoted Friedel-Crafts alkylation with alkenes.

A versatile and efficient halogen-promoted highly regio- and stereoselective Friedel-Crafts (F-C) alkylation with alkenes has been developed with use of easily available and inexpensive NBS or I2 as the efficient halogen sources. Lewis acids, in particular metal triflates, are found to be effective catalysts for this halogen-promoted F-C alkylation. Among these, Sm(OTf)3 was the best catalyst. Electron-rich arenes smoothly underwent F-C alkylation with a variety of alkenes including alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds.