Postsynthetic Modification of the Nonanuclear Node in a Zirconium Metal-Organic Framework for Photocatalytic Oxidation of Hydrocarbons.

Heterogeneous catalysis plays an indispensable role in chemical production and energy conversion. Incorporation of transition metals into metal oxides and zeolites is a common strategy to fine-tune the activity and selectivity of the resulting solid catalysts, as either the active center or promotor. Studying the underlying mechanism is however challenging. Decorating the metal-oxo clusters with transition metals in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) via postsynthetic modification offers a rational approach to construct well-defined structural models for better understanding of the reaction mechanism. Therefore, it is important to expand the materials scope beyond the currently widely studied zirconium MOFs consisting of Zr6 nodes. In this work, we report the design and synthesis of a new (4,12)-connected Zr-MOF with ith topology that consists of rare Zr9 nodes. FeIII was further incorporated onto the Zr9 nodes of the framework, and the resulting MOF material exhibits significantly enhanced activity and selectivity toward the photocatalytic oxidation of toluene. This work demonstrates a delicate ligand design strategy to control the nuclearity of Zr-oxo clusters, which further dictates the number and binding sites of transition metals and the overall photocatalytic activity toward C-H activation. Our work paves the way for future exploration of the structure-activity study of catalysts using MOFs as the model system.

Information-Rich, Dual-Function 13C/2H-Isotopic Crosstalk NMR Assay for Human Serine Racemase (hSR) Provides a PLP-Enzyme "Partitioning Fingerprint" and Reveals Disparate Chemotypes for hSR Inhibition.

The first dual-function assay for human serine racemase (hSR), the only bona fide racemase in human biology, is reported. The hSR racemization function is essential for neuronal signaling, as the product, d-serine (d-Ser), is a potent N-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) coagonist, important for learning and memory, with dysfunctional d-Ser-signaling being observed in some neuronal disorders. The second hSR function is ß-elimination and gives pyruvate; this activity is elevated in colorectal cancer. This new NMR-based assay allows one to monitor both α-proton-exchange chemistry and ß-elimination using only the native l-Ser substrate and hSR and is the most sensitive such assay. The assay judiciously employs segregated dual 13C-labeling and 13C/2H crosstalk, exploiting both the splitting and shielding effects of deuterium. The assay is deployed to screen a 1020-compound library and identifies an indolo-chroman-2,4-dione inhibitor family that displays allosteric site binding behavior (noncompetitive inhibition vs l-Ser substrate; competitive inhibition vs adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)). This assay also reveals important mechanistic information for hSR; namely, that H/D exchange is ∼13-fold faster than racemization, implying that K56 protonates the carbanionic intermediate on the si-face much faster than does S84 on the re-face. Moreover, the 13C NMR peak pattern seen is suggestive of internal return, pointing to K56 as the likely enamine-protonating residue for ß-elimination. The 13C/2H-isotopic crosstalk assay has also been applied to the enzyme tryptophan synthase and reveals a dramatically different partition ratio in this active site (ß-replacement: si-face protonation ∼6:1 vs ß-elimination: si-face protonation ∼1:3.6 for hSR), highlighting the value of this approach for fingerprinting the pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) enzyme mechanism.

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.

Preparation of Some Homologous TEMPO Nitroxides and Oxoammonium Salts; Notes on the NMR Spectroscopy of Nitroxide Free Radicals; Observed Radical Nature of Oxoammonium Salt Solutions Containing Trace Amounts of Corresponding Nitroxides in an Equilibrium Relationship.

Three new homologous TEMPO oxoammonium salts and three homologous nitroxide radicals have been prepared and characterized. The oxidation properties of the salts have been explored. The direct 13C NMR and EPR spectra of the nitroxide free radicals and the oxoammonium salts, along with TEMPO and its oxoammonium salt, have been successfully measured with little peak broadening of the NMR signals. In the spectra of all ten compounds (nitroxides and corresponding oxoammonium salts), the carbons in the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine core do not appear, implying paramagnetic properties. This unpredicted overall paramagnetism in the oxoammonium salt solutions is explained by a redox equilibrium as shown between oxoammonium salts and trace amounts of corresponding nitroxide. This equilibrium is confirmed by electron interchange reactions between nitroxides with an N-acetyl substituent and oxoammonium salts with longer acyl side chains.

Large-scale solution synthesis of narrow graphene nanoribbons.

According to theoretical studies, narrow graphene nanoribbons with atomically precise armchair edges and widths of <2 nm have a bandgap comparable to that in silicon (1.1 eV), which makes them potentially promising for logic applications. Different top-down fabrication approaches typically yield ribbons with width >10 nm and have limited control over their edge structure. Here we demonstrate a novel bottom-up approach that yields gram quantities of high-aspect-ratio graphene nanoribbons, which are only ~1 nm wide and have atomically smooth armchair edges. These ribbons are shown to have a large electronic bandgap of ~1.3 eV, which is significantly higher than any value reported so far in experimental studies of graphene nanoribbons prepared by top-down approaches. These synthetic ribbons could have lengths of >100 nm and self-assemble in highly ordered few-micrometer-long 'nanobelts' that can be visualized by conventional microscopy techniques, and potentially used for the fabrication of electronic devices.

Toward a formal synthesis of laureatin: unexpected rearrangements involving cyclic ether nucleophiles.

Laureatin, a metabolite of the red algae Laurencia nipponica, has shown potent activity as a mosquito larvicide. The two previously published syntheses of laureatin involved an initial preparation of the 8-membered cyclic ether, followed by formation of the oxetane ring. Our strategy was the reverse, i.e., to utilize an oxetane as the framework to construct the larger ring. During this work, attempted N-bromosuccinimide (NBS)-mediated cyclization of oxetane alcohol 17, prepared from readily accessible 2-methyleneoxetane 12, yielded epoxytetrahydrofuran 19 rather than the expected laureatin core. Further derivatization of 19 yielded trans fused bis-tetrahydrofuran 32. The synthesis of 19 and 32, as well as structural and stereochemical elucidation studies, are described.

meso-Tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin-derived chromene-annulated chlorins.

The synthesis of mono- and bis-chromene-annulated meso-(pentafluorophenyl)chlorins from meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrins by an OsO(4)-mediated dihydroxylation reaction, followed by an intramolecular nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction, is described. The reaction sequence is applicable to the free base systems as well as their Zn(II), Ni(II), Pd(II), and Pt(II) complexes. The optical properties (UV-vis and fluorescence spectra) of the (metallo)chlorin-like chromophores that possess slightly red-shifted optical spectra compared to the corresponding 2,3-dihydroxychlorins are reported. Molecular modeling and (1)H-(19)F-HOESY NMR spectroscopy provide indications for the conformation of the chromene-annulated chromophores. Using (1)H-(1)H COSY and (19)F-(19)F QF-COSY NMR spectra, we interpret the (1)H and (19)F NMR spectra of the porphyrins and chlorins, thus providing a refined reference point for the use of (19)F NMR spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool in the analysis of meso-pentafluorophenyl-substituted porphyrinoids.

Polymer-mediated cyclodehydration of alditols and ketohexoses.

The polymer PEDOT(+) (1 or 2) mediates a cyclodehydration reaction with alditols 3, 5, 7, 9, in hydrocarbon solvents, to give cyclic ethers 4, 6, 8, or 10, respectively, in high yield with a trivial isolation protocol. Polymers 1 or 2 also mediate the cyclodehydration of ketohexoses such as d-fructose, but not aldohexoses, to the important industrial intermediate 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (17), under milder conditions when compared to reactions mediated by mineral acids. A cascade reaction with ketohexoses is observed in toluene via cyclodehydration followed by Friedel-Crafts alkylation of the initially formed benzylic alcohol to give 16.

Synthesis of 3-guaninyl- and 3-adeninyl-5-hydroxymethyl-2-pyrrolidinone nucleosides.

L- and D-glutamic acids, as well as trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline, are converted to the corresponding 3-guaninyl-5-hydroxymethyl-2-pyrrolidinone (4) or 3-adeninyl-5-hydroxymethyl-2-pyrrolidinone (5) nucleoside analog. The protecting group used to block the lactam nitrogen in key intermediates has a significant effect on the diastereoselectivity of the coupling reaction with adenine or guanine.

Synthesis of Oxazolidinone and Tosyl Enamines by Tertiary Amine Catalysis.

A procedure for the synthesis of oxazolidinone and tosyl enamines is reported. Alkynoyl oxazolidinones and tosyl imides undergo reaction to form enamines in the presence of catalytic amounts of tertiary amines. The data suggest that an amide anion is formed during the reaction, which undergoes conjugate addition to form the final product.

Stereoselectivity in the epoxidation of carbohydrate-based oxepines.

The facial selectivity in the DMDO epoxidation of carbohydrate-based oxepines derived from glucose, galactose, and mannose has been determined by product analysis and density functional theory (DFT, B3LYP/6-31+G**//B3LYP/6-31G*) calculations. Oxepines 3 and 4, derived from d-galactose and d-mannose, largely favor alpha- over beta-epoxidation. The results reported here, along with selectivities in the DMDO-mediated epoxidation of d-xylose-based oxepine 1 and d-glucose-based oxepines 2 and 5 reported earlier, support a model in which electronic effects, guided by the stereochemistry of the oxygens on the oxepine ring, largely determine the stereoselectivity of epoxidation. Other contributing factors included conformational issues in the oxepine's transition state relative to the reactant, the asynchronicity in bond formation of the epoxide, and the overall steric bulk on the alpha- and beta-faces of the oxepine. Considered together, these factors should generally predict facial selectivity in the DMDO-epoxidation of cyclic enol ethers.

Structural confirmation of the dihydrosphinganine and fatty acid constituents of the dental pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a recognized periodontal pathogen, is a source of sphinganine bases, fatty acids, free ceramides as well as complex lipids that potentiate interleukin-1b-mediated secretory responses in gingival fibroblasts. The purpose of this study is the structural verification of the sphinganine bases and fatty acids that had been proposed as major components of the complex lipids found in P. gingivalis. The putative C17, C18, and C19 sphinganine bases were prepared from Garner's aldehyde (1) or from a protected serine Weinreb's amide (2). We confirmed that isobranched sphinganine bases are the major structural feature of the ceramides observed from P. gingivalis. We also prepared a C17 unsaturated fatty acid, along with an isobranched C17 3-hydroxy fatty acid, and determined that the major component of the active lipids was the latter.

NMR and HPLC-MS/MS analysis of synthetically prepared linoleic acid diol glucuronides.

Hydroxylated fatty acids are important mediators of many physiological and pathophysiological processes in a variety of human tissues. Recent evidence shows that in humans many of these are ultimately excreted in the urine as the glucuronide conjugates. In this paper we describe a general approach for the chemical synthesis of glucuronide conjugate derivatives of fatty acids. The synthesis strategy employs three steps (epoxidation, hydrolysis and glucuronidation) using methyl linoleate as a model non-hydroxylated starting compound. Hydroxylated starting compounds would require only the glucuronidation step. NMR and HPLC-MS/MS experiments were used to help determine the structure of the synthesized glucuronide conjugates and to identify fragmentation product ions useful for discriminating positional isomers in biological samples. This synthetic strategy should prove useful for generating analytical standards in order to identify and quantify glucuronide metabolites of hydroxylated fatty acids in humans.

Structures and biological activities of novel phosphatidylethanolamine lipids of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

The Gram-negative periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis synthesizes several classes of novel phosphorylated complex lipids, including the recently characterized phosphorylated dihydroceramides. These sphingolipids promote the interleukin-1 (IL-1)-mediated secretion of inflammatory mediators from fibroblasts, including prostaglandin E2 and 6-keto prostaglandin F2alpha, and alter gingival fibroblast morphology in culture. This report demonstrates that one additional class of phosphorylated complex lipids of P. gingivalis promotes IL-1-mediated secretory responses and morphological changes in cultured fibroblasts. Structural characterization identified the new phospholipid class as 1,2-diacyl phosphatidylethanolamine, which substituted predominantly with isobranched C15:0 and C13:0 fatty acids. The isobranched fatty acids, rather than unbranched fatty acids, and the phosphoethanolamine head group were identified as the essential structural elements required for the promotion of IL-1-mediated secretory responses. These structural components are also observed in specific phosphorylated sphingolipids of P. gingivalis and likely contribute to the biological activity of these substances, in addition to the phosphatidylethanolamine lipids described in this report.

Oxidation of aminonitrotoluenes by 2,4-DNT dioxygenase of Burkholderia sp. strain DNT.

Aminonitrotoluenes form rapidly from the reduction of dinitrotoluenes (DNTs) which are priority pollutants and animal carcinogens. For example, 4-amino-2-nitrotoluene (4A2NT) and 2A4NT accumulate from the reduction of 2,4-DNT during its aerobic biodegradation. Here, we show that 2,4-DNT dioxygenase (DDO) from Burkholderia sp. strain DNT oxidizes the aminonitrotoluenes 2A3NT, 2A6NT, 4A3NT, and 5A2NT to 2-amino-3-nitrobenzylalcohol, 2-amino-4-nitro-m-cresol and 3-amino-5-nitro-p-cresol, 4-amino-3-nitrobenzylalcohol and aminonitrocresol, and 2-amino-5-nitro-o-cresol, respectively. 2A5NT and 3A4NT are oxidized to aminonitrocresols and/or aminonitrobenzylalcohols, and 4A2NT is oxidized to aminonitrocresol. Only 2A4NT, a reduced compound derived from 2,4-DNT, was not oxidized by DDO or its three variants. The alpha subunit mutation I204Y resulted in two to fourfold faster oxidization of the aminonitrotoluenes. Though these enzymes are dioxygenases, they acted like monooxygenases by adding a single hydroxyl group, which did not result in the release of nitrite.

Structures and biological activity of phosphorylated dihydroceramides of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a recognized periodontal pathogen, synthesizes free ceramides as well as other phosphorylated ceramide lipids. The purpose of this study was to separate complex lipids of P. gingivalis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and determine the structures and biological activities of the major ceramide classes. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) and NMR analyses, three major classes of dihydroceramides were identified in specific HPLC fractions, with all classes containing the same dihydroceramide base structures (3-OH isoC(17:0) in amide linkage to saturated long-chain bases of 17, 18, or 19 carbons). The free dihydroceramide class recovered in HPLC fractions 7-8 revealed little biological activity. HPLC fraction 20 dihydroceramides, substituted with 1-O-phosphoglycerol and isoC(15:0) linked to the hydroxyl of 3-OH isoC(17:0), significantly potentiated interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-mediated prostaglandin secretion and produced marked alterations in fibroblast morphology. HPLC fraction 28 dihydroceramides, substituted with 1-O-phosphoethanolamine, demonstrated little capacity to potentiate IL-1beta-mediated prostaglandin secretion. The novel phosphorylated dihydroceramides synthesized by P. gingivalis demonstrate varying biological activities based on the phosphorylated head group substitution and/or the addition of esterified fatty acid. These results also demonstrate the strong virulence capacity of phosphoglycerol dihydroceramides of P. gingivalis to promote inflammatory factor secretion from IL-1beta-treated fibroblasts and to produce marked alterations in cell morphology in culture.

Squaric acid N-hydroxylamides: synthesis, structure, and properties of vinylogous hydroxamic acid analogues.

The synthesis of squaric acid N-hydroxylamide esters 5 and amides 6 from dimethyl squarate 2a is described. These derivatives are analogues of the naturally occurring iron(III) chelator hydroxamic acid. On the basis of a comparative reactivity study, a concerted retro-Cope mechanism for the formation of the N-hydroxylamide esters 5 by reaction of dimethyl squarate with hydroxylamines is proposed. A preliminary iron(III) binding study of these hydroxamic acid analogues is presented, demonstrating binding of iron(III) to amides 6 in aqueous solutions, while the esters 5 did not show any sign of metal ion binding. 13C NMR spectroscopic data (chemical shift and spin-lattice relaxation time determination) of these and related derivatives delineate the resonance structures predominant in these molecules. The resonance structures of the derivatives rationalize their spectroscopic data, chemical reactivity, and iron(III) binding properties. Single-crystal X-ray structure analyses of squaric acid N-hydroxylamide ester 5b and squaric acid N-hydroxylamide amide 6c confirm their connectivity and provide structural evidence supporting the spectroscopically derived conclusions. The squaric acid N-hydroxylamides are potentially useful in the construction of chemosensors for iron(III).