Synthesis of functionalized quinolines and benzo[c][2,7]naphthyridines based on a photo-Fries rearrangement.

An efficient one-pot method for the synthesis of functionalized quinolines and tetrahydronaphthyridines has been developed. The photo-Fries rearrangement of p-substituted anilides afforded differently substituted o-amino ketones that reacted in situ with acetylenic Michael acceptors such as dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) to give 6,4-disubstituted quinoline 2,3-dicarboxylates. Starting from anilides derived from ß-alanine, a naphthyridine nucleus can also be assembled.

Synthesis, structural and conformational properties, and gas phase reactivity of 1,4-dihydropyridine ester and ketone derivatives.

A new series of 4-aryl-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridines, characterized by ester or ketone functions at positions 3 and 5, has been synthesized. Structural and conformational properties, concerning the dihydropyridine ring and the orientation (synplanar/antiperiplanar) of the substituents have been investigated in their crystal structure and in solution by nuclear magnetic resonance. Evaluation of intermolecular and hydrogen bonding interactions as well as packing features, have been also carried out, evidencing interesting packing motifs. Their gas phase reactivity, as protonated and deprotonated molecules, has been investigated by electrospray ionization, high resolution and collision-induced dissociation multiple stage mass spectrometry. Deydrogenation reactions have been observed as a function of the capillary voltage.

Purine nucleotide catabolism in rat liver. Certain preliminary aspects of uricase reaction.

We investigated the mechanism of action of uricase, which oxidizes uric acid to allantoin, in the rat. Allantoin may decompose chemically to urea and hydantoin, containing the carbons in positions 2 and 8 of the purine ring, respectively. These carbons are derived by formylation, catalyzed by formyltransferase, in two reactions of de novo synthesis. Since uric acid and allantoin are represented in equivalent amounts in the liver, we expected to find identical incorporation of radioactivity in C(2) and C(8) of both compounds after administration of (14)C-formate. In the case of (14)C-allantoin, this was true, but not for (14)C-uric acid extracted from rat liver. We interpret these results through a series of experiments and considerations.

Heteroaryl-substituted phenols as potential antioxidants.

A series of O-heteroaryl phenols have been synthesised and structurally characterised. Photo-Fries rearrangement of these compounds represents a useful way to access the corresponding C-heteroaryl derivatives. The activity of the new phenolic compounds as radical scavengers towards the 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS(+*)) has been evaluated. 2-tert-Butyl-4-(4-phenyl-isoxazol-3-ylmethoxy)-phenol (compound 3c) showed the highest scavenger activity (IC50 value (i.e. the concentration that scavenged 50% of the radicals) 3.17 x 10(-6) M), which was one order of magnitude greater than that of the corresponding lead compound tert-butylhydroxy-anisole (BHA) (IC50 1.04 x 10(-5) M). In further experiments, compound 3c showed dose-dependent inhibition of the oxidation of linoleic acid, as well as methaemoglobin formation, promoted by the presence of the radical generator 2,2'-azobis(amidino-propane) hydrochloride (AAPH) and it was markedly more potent than BHA in these assays.

Convenient synthetic approach to 2,4-disubstituted quinazolines.

[reaction: see text] 2,4-Dialkyl or aryl quinazolines have been prepared in three steps starting from easily available anilides. A photochemically induced Fries rearrangement of the anilides gave several ortho-aminoacylbenzene derivatives that were acylated at the NH2. These acylamides underwent rapid cyclization to 2,4-disubstituted quinazolines (and benzoquinazolines) in the presence of ammonium formate under microwave activation. This procedure is compatible with different functional groups and allowed also the preparation of new quinazolines derived from naturally occurring amino acids.

Rapid approach to 3,5-disubstituted 1,4-benzodiazepines via the photo-fries rearrangement of anilides.

Different anilides derived from carboxylic acids and substituted anilines have been submitted to the photochemically induced Fries rearrangement giving the corresponding o-amino phenones under conditions that are compatible with the presence of acid-labile groups (such as N-Boc or TBDMSO) on R1 and R3. These compounds, not easily obtained in other ways, are useful building blocks for the preparation of benzocondensated heterocycles. After coupling with N-Boc amino acids and TFA-mediated deprotection, the products cyclized to the corresponding 3,5-disubstituted 1,4-benzodiazepin-2-ones, privileged structures predominantly active in the central nervous system. The same results were obtained by coupling with N-Cbz-protected alpha-amino acids followed by microwave assisted hydrogenolysis. When the Fries rearrangement was carried out on the anilide derived from N-Boc-Ala-OH and the further coupling done with N-Cbz-(OMe)Asp-OH, the formed benzodiazepines could be inserted in a peptide chain for the preparation of conformationally constrained peptidomimetics.

Structural characterization and regiochemical differentiation of alpha-cyanoethylindole isomers in the gas phase.

Mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry techniques have been used to study the gas phase ion chemistry of isomeric alpha-cyanoethylindoles obtained by photochemical reactions. Both the fragmentation reactions occurring in the ion source, as well as metastable decompositions produced by the molecular and selected fragment ions, have allowed us to structurally characterize and differentiate each isomer from the others. The experiments, carried out also on deuterium labeled analogs, have shown the role exerted by the alpha-cyanoethyl substituent and by its position at the indolic ring on gas phase reactions that resulted to be distinctive and selective for each isomer. Ab initio theoretical calculations have been used to evaluate the stability and chemico-physical properties of different ion structures.

Design and photochemical characterization of a biomimetic light-driven Z/E switcher.

Protonated Schiff bases (PSBs) of polyenals constitute a class of light-driven switchers selected by biological evolution that provide model compounds for the development of artificial light-driven molecular devices or motors. In the present paper, our primary target is to show, through combined computational and experimental studies, that it is possible to approach the design of artificial PSBs suitable for such applications. Below, we use the methods of computational photochemistry to design and characterize the prototype biomimetic molecular switchers 4-cyclopenten-2'-enylidene-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrolinium and its 5,5'-dimethyl derivative both containing the penta-2,4-dieniminium chromophore. To find support for the predicted behavior, we also report the photochemical reaction path of the synthetically accessible compound 4-benzylidene-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrolinium. We show that the preparation and photochemical characterization of this compound (together with three different N-methyl derivatives) provide both support for the predicted photoisomerization mechanism and information on its sensitivity to the molecular environment.

Gas phase ion chemistry of the heterocyclic isomers 3-methyl-1,2-benzisoxazole and 2-methyl-1,3-benzoxazole.

Different mass spectrometric methods, stable isotope labeling, and theoretical calculations have allowed us to structurally characterize and differentiate the isomeric ion structures produced by the two heteroaromatic isomers 3-methyl-1,2-benzisoxazole and 2-methyl-1,3-benzoxazole. The low-energy collision induced dissociation spectra of their molecular ions show large differences. Although both of them produce abundant loss of CO, that involves a carbon atom of the benzene ring, the 2-methyl-1,3-benzoxazole also shows abundant [M-CHO](+) ions at m/z 104, the intensity of which is quite low in the case of its isomer 3-methyl-1,2-benzisoxazole. In addition, MS/MS measurements of fragment ions show characteristic differences that allow distinction among the isomers depending on the original arrangement of the atoms in the five-membered ring. Theoretical ab initio calculations have allowed to determine chemico-physical properties of different ions and to propose a rationalization of the decomposition pathways followed by the two benz(is)oxazole isomers.

Gas phase reactivity of isomeric arylglycosides towards amines. A chemical ionization mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry study.

Chemical ionization mass spectrometry (MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) experiments have been performed for the structural characterization and isomeric differentiation of two series of C- and O-linked arylglycosides with potential antioxidant activity. Different amines have been used for producing gas phase chemical ionization. Depending on their proton affinity and steric hindrance, adduct ions with different stability are formed. The most stable adducts are produced by ethylamine and they have been extensively structurally characterized by experimental and theoretical approaches. Energy resolved chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometric experiments have allowed unambiguous characterization and differentiation of both the anomers differing at the configuration of the glycosidic C(1) atom, and regio- and structural isomers at extremely low concentrations, typical of mass spectrometry. This study has shown that amine chemical ionization mass spectrometry and MS/MS are powerful and versatile tools for the structural characterization of arylglycosides.

Synthesis and photoreactivity of 4,5-dithienyl[1,3]dithiol-2-ones.

Whereas irradiation of 4,5-dithiophen-2-yl[1,3]dithiol-2-one leads to the expected 2,3,5,6-tetrathiophen-2-yl-1,4-dithiine product, similar reaction of thiophen-3-yl-substituted [1,3]dithiol-2-ones leads to thieno[3,4-c]dithiines via a unique ring cleavage reaction.

Application of self-ionization for enhancing stereochemical and positional effects from arylglycosides under electron ionization conditions in an ion trap mass spectrometer.

Ion trap mass spectrometry has been used to structurally characterize and differentiate positional and stereo isomers of arylglycosides having potential antioxidant properties. The use of the self-ionization (SI) technique has allowed to evidence a strong reactivity of fragment ions produced from dissociations of the molecular ion towards the molecules introduced into the trap. Specific structural effects due to positional isomers and anomers have been also envisaged through the occurrence of bimolecular processes inside the ion trap analyzer. Under self-ionization conditions, even-electron ions are produced. The charge is retained on the sugar moiety, in agreement with its proton affinity higher than that of the substituted phenol moiety. Most of the fragmentation pathways involve elimination of acetic acid that protects the hydroxylic groups of the glycoside. SI also produces adduct ions, likely as covalent species, having higher m/z values than the molecular ion. The reaction site is mainly the double bond present in the pyranosidic ring. Even if some fragment ions have lost the initial stereochemistry, their formation can be related to the structure of the parent neutrals introduced into the cell. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments, carried out on ions formed by ion-molecule reactions, have allowed to obtain further information on gas phase ion structures. The study of mass-selected ion-molecule reactions and their kinetics have evidenced a spectacularly different reactivity of the ion at m/z 111 towards the two anomers 2alpha and 2beta, with the latter showing a much more pronounced reactivity. The approach developed in this work revealed to be an useful tool in structural characterization, as well as in stereo and regiochemical differentiation of arylglycosides.

Structural characterization and differentiation of modified isomeric tryptophans.

Different mass spectrometry (MS) techniques have been applied to the study of modified tryptophan isomers obtained by photochemical reactions. The gas phase behavior of the molecular ions and the most abundant fragment ions produced under electron ionization has been selectively studied by MS/MS experiments. Both the fragmentation reactions occurring in the ion source, as well as those produced under collision-induced dissociation conditions have allowed to characterize and differentiate each isomer from the others. Investigation of a bisubstituted derivative has been useful in the rationalization of the gas phase behavior of this series of modified tryptophans. This study has allowed the evaluation of the role played by the substituents and their positions at the indolic ring on the gas phase decompositions that are distinctive and selective for each isomer. The occurrence of regiospecific reactions suggests that isomerization phenomena do not occur either in the molecular ions or in the main fragment ions in the gas phase.