Facile access to functionalized chiral secondary benzylic boronic esters via catalytic asymmetric hydroboration.

Allylic and homoallylic phosphonates bearing an aryl or heteroaryl substituent at the γ- or δ-position undergo rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydroboration by pinacolborane to give functionalized chiral secondary benzylic boronic esters in yields up to 86% and enantiomer ratios up to 99 : 1. Compared to minimally-functionalized terminal and 1,1-disubstituted vinyl arenes, there are relatively few reports of efficient catalytic asymmetric hydroboration (CAHB) of more highly functionalized internal alkenes. Phosphonate substrates bearing a variety of common heterocyclic ring systems, including furan, indole, pyrrole and thiophene derivatives, as well as those bearing basic nitrogen substituents (e.g., morpholine and pyrazine) are tolerated, although donor substituents positioned in close proximity of the alkene can influence the course of the reaction. Stereoisomeric (E)- and (Z)-substrates afford the same major enantiomer of the borated product. Deuterium-labelling studies reveal that rapid (Z)- to (E)-alkene isomerization accounts for the observed (E/Z)-stereoconvergence during CAHB. The synthetic utility of the chiral boronic ester products is illustrated by stereospecific C-B bond transformations including stereoretentive electrophile promoted 1,2-B-to-C migrations, stereoinvertive SE2 reactions of boron-ate complexes with electrophiles, and stereoretentive palladium- and rhodium-catalyzed cross-coupling protocols.

Investigation of desilylation in the recognition mechanism to fluoride by a 1,8-naphthalimide derivative.

A reaction-based chemosensor (AF-1) was designed, synthesized and applied as an optical approach for quantitative measurement of F(-) in MeCN. In the presence of F(-), selective fluoride-assisted desilylation instantly gave colorimetric and fluorogenic signals, providing a dual-optical channel for the detection of F(-). (1)H NMR titration was carried out to investigate the desilylation process, revealing F(-) triggered rapid cleavage of Si-O bond in trimethylsilyl ether. AF-1 exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity to F(-) over other anions. The detection limit to F(-) was calculated to be 0.05 ppm.

Fluxional additives: a second generation control in enantioselective catalysis.

The concept of "fluxional additives", additives that can adopt enantiomeric conformations depending on the chiral information in the ligand, is demonstrated in enantioselective Diels-Alder and nitrone cycloaddition reactions. The additive design is modular, and diverse structures are accessible in three steps. Chiral Lewis acids from main group and transition metals show enhancements in enantioselectivity in the presence of these additives.

Asymmetric catalysis using self-assembled chiral bidentate P,P-ligands.

A strategy is described for modular catalyst development based upon metal-directed self-assembly of bifunctional subunits around a structural metal to form a heteroleptic complex in which a second set of ligating groups are now suitably disposed to bind a second metal to form a catalytic site. A library of chiral diphosphites was prepared via metal-directed self-assembly and used in a simple asymmetric allylic amination, giving enantiomeric excesses as high as 97%.

Targeting methanopterin biosynthesis to inhibit methanogenesis.

This paper describes the design, synthesis, and successful employment of inhibitors of 4-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)aminobenzene-5'-phosphate (RFA-P) synthase, which catalyzes the first committed step in the biosynthesis of methanopterin, to specifically halt the growth of methane-producing microbes. RFA-P synthase catalyzes the first step in the synthesis of tetrahydromethanopterin, a key cofactor required for methane formation and for one-carbon transformations in methanogens. A number of inhibitors, which are N-substituted derivatives of p-aminobenzoic acid (pABA), have been synthesized and their inhibition constants with RFA-P synthase have been determined. Based on comparisons of the inhibition constants among various inhibitors, we propose that the pABA binding site in RFA-P synthase has a relatively large hydrophobic pocket near the amino group. These enzyme-targeted inhibitors arrest the methanogenesis and growth of pure cultures of methanogens. Supplying pABA to the culture relieves the inhibition, indicating a competitive interaction between pABA and the inhibitor at the cellular target, which is most likely RFAP synthase. The inhibitors do not adversely affect the growth of pure cultures of the bacteria (acetogens) that play a beneficial role in the rumen. Inhibitors added to dense ruminal fluid cultures (artificial rumena) halt methanogenesis; however, they do not inhibit volatile fatty acid (VFA) production and, in some cases, VFA levels are slightly elevated in the methanogenesis-inhibited cultures. We suggest that inhibiting methanopterin biosynthesis could be considered in strategies to decrease anthropogenic methane emissions, which could have an environmental benefit since methane is a potent greenhouse gas.