A general synthetic strategy for the design of new BODIPY fluorophores based on pyrroles with polycondensed aromatic and metallocene substituents.

BODIPYrrole: A general strategy for the design of novel BODIPY fluorophores based on pyrroles with polycondensed aromatic and metallocene substituents has been developed. The strategy involves the acylation of the condensed substituent and treatment of the acylated derivative (as oxime) with acetylene in MOH/DMSO (M = alkali metal) to give pyrroles that were then used for assembly of the BODIPY fluorophores (see scheme).

Study of conformations and hydrogen bonds in the configurational isomers of pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde oxime by 1H, 13C and 15N NMR spectroscopy combined with MP2 and DFT calculations and NBO analysis.

The (1)H, (13)C and (15)N NMR studies have shown that the E and Z isomers of pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde oxime adopt preferable conformation with the syn orientation of the oxime group with respect to the pyrrole ring. The syn conformation of E and Z isomers of pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde oxime is stabilized by the N-H...N and N-H...O intramolecular hydrogen bonds, respectively. The N-H...N hydrogen bond in the E isomer causes the high-frequency shift of the bridge proton signal by about 1 ppm and increase the (1)J(N, H) coupling by approximately 3 Hz. The bridge proton shows further deshielding and higher increase of the (1)J(N, H) coupling constant due to the strengthening of the N-H...O hydrogen bond in the Z isomer. The MP2 calculations indicate that the syn conformation of E and Z isomers is by approximately 3.5 kcal/mol energetically less favorable than the anti conformation. The calculations of (1)H shielding and (1)J(N, H) coupling in the syn and anti conformations allow the contribution to these constants from the N-H...N and N-H...O hydrogen bondings to be estimated. The NBO analysis suggests that the N-H...N hydrogen bond in the E isomer is a pure electrostatic interaction while the charge transfer from the oxygen lone pair to the antibonding orbital of the N-H bond through the N-H...O hydrogen bond occurs in the Z isomer.

Base-catalyzed stereoselective vinylation of ketones with arylacetylenes: a new C(sp3)-C(sp2) bond-forming reaction.

Alkylaryl- and alkylheteroarylketones, including those with condensed aromatic moieties, are readily vinylated with arylacetylenes (KOH/DMSO, 100 degrees C, 1 h) to give regio- and stereoselectively the (E)-beta-gamma-ethylenic ketones ((E)-3-buten-1-ones) in 61-84% yields and with approximately 100% stereoselectivity. This vinylation represents a new C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) bond-forming reaction of high synthetic potential.

Pronounced stereospecificity of (1)H, (13)C, (15)N and (77)Se shielding constants in the selenophenyl oximes as shown by NMR spectroscopy and GIAO calculations.

In the (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra of 1-(2-selenophenyl)-1-alkanone oximes, the (1)H, the (13)C-3 and (13)C-5 signals of the selenophene ring are shifted by 0.1-0.4, 2.5-3.0 and 5.5-6.0 ppm, respectively, to higher frequencies, whereas those of the (13)C-1, (13)C-2 and (13)C-4 carbons are shifted by 4-5, approximately 11 and approximately 1.7 ppm to lower frequencies on going from the E to Z isomer. The (15)N chemical shift of the oximic nitrogen is larger by 13-16 ppm in the E isomer relative to the Z isomer. An extraordinarily large difference (above 90 ppm) between the (77)Se resonance positions is revealed in the studied oxime isomers, the (77)Se peak being shifted to higher frequencies in the Z isomer. The trends in the changes of the measured chemical shifts are well reproduced by the GIAO calculations of the (1)H, (13)C, (15)N and (77)Se shielding constants in the energy-favorable conformation with the syn orientation of the-C=N-O-H group relative to the selenophene ring.

Synthesis and optical properties of 2-(benzo[b]thiophene-3-yl)pyrroles and a new BODIPY fluorophore (BODIPY = 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene).

2-(Benzo[b]thiophene-3-yl)-1-vinylpyrrole has been synthesized directly from 3-acetylbenzo[b]thiophene oxime and acetylene (flow system, KOH-DMSO, 120 degrees C, 5 h) in 68% yield. Devinylation of the synthesized pyrrole (Hg(OAc)(2), NaBH(4), 50 degrees C) led to the corresponding 2-(benzo[b]thiophene-3-yl)pyrrole in 63% yield. Trifluoroacetylation of both the pyrroles with trifluoroacetic anhydride (80 degrees C, 1 h) gave the corresponding 5-trifluoroacetyl pyrroles in 97% and 76% yields, respectively. 2-(Benzo[b]thiophene-3-yl)pyrrole was reacted subsequently with mesityl aldehyde, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ), and BF(3)OEt(2) to afford 4,4-difluoro-3,5-di(benzo[b]thiophene-3-yl)-8-mesityl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene, a representative of the novel BODIPY fluorophore family (BODIPY = 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene), in 34% overall yield. The synthesized pyrroles exhibit promising optical properties (absorption and emission spectra, nonlinear optical (NLO) features), superior to existing analogues. The BODIPY fluorophore displays an intense red-shifted fluorescence emission in CH(2)Cl(2) (625 nm, 0.84 fluorescence quantum yield) that is fully preserved in the solid state.

C-H...N and C-H...O intramolecular hydrogen bonding effects in the 1H, 13C and 15N NMR spectra of the configurational isomers of 1-vinylpyrrole-2-carbaldehyde oxime substantiated by DFT calculations.

According to the (1)H, (13)C and (15)N NMR spectroscopic data and DFT calculations, the E-isomer of 1-vinylpyrrole-2-carbaldehyde adopts preferable conformation with the anti-orientation of the vinyl group relative to the carbaldehyde oxime group and with the syn-arrangement of the carbaldehyde oxime group with reference to the pyrrole ring. This conformation is stabilized by the C-H...N intramolecular hydrogen bond between the alpha-hydrogen of the vinyl group and the oxime group nitrogen, which causes a pronounced high-frequency shift of the alpha-hydrogen signal in (1)H NMR (approximately 0.5 ppm) and an increase in the corresponding one-bond (13)C-(1)H coupling constant (ca 4 Hz). In the Z-isomer, the carbaldehyde oxime group turns to the anti-position with respect to the pyrrole ring. The C-H...O intramolecular hydrogen bond between the H-3 hydrogen of the pyrrole ring and the oxime group oxygen is realized in this case. Due to such hydrogen bonding, the H-3 hydrogen resonance is shifted to a higher frequency by about 1 ppm and the one-bond (13)C-(1)H coupling constant for this proton increases by approximately 5 Hz.

Bifurcated hydrogen-bonding effect on the shielding and coupling constants in trifluoroacetyl pyrroles as studied by 1H, 13C and 15N NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations.

According to the (1)H, (13)C and (15)N NMR spectroscopic data and DFT calculations, bifurcated N--H...N and N--H...O intramolecular hydrogen bond is shown to be present in 2-trifluoroacetyl-5-(2'-pyridyl)-pyrrole. This bifurcated hydrogen bond causes an increase in the absolute size of the (1)J(N,H) coupling constant by about 6 Hz, and the deshielding of the bridge proton by 2 ppm. DFT calculations show that the influence of the N--H...N and N--H...O intramolecular hydrogen bonds on the (1)J(N,H) coupling and proton shielding is almost additive, although the components of the bifurcated hydrogen bond slightly weaken each other. In 2-trifluoroacetyl-5-(2'-pyridyl)-pyrrole, the coupling constants involving the fluorine and the N--H covalent bond nuclei depend dramatically on the spatial position of the pyridine ring. The pyridine ring rotation operates as a quantum switch controlling the spin information transfer between the (19)F and (15)N nuclei, as well as the proton.