Aluminum-Catalyzed Intramolecular Vinylation of Arenes by Vinyl Cations.

This study addresses the challenges associated with vinyl cation generation, a process that traditionally requires quite specific counterions. Described herein is a novel intramolecular vinylation of arenes catalyzed by aluminum(III) chloride, utilizing practical conditions and readily available vinyl triflates derived from 2-aceto-3-arylpropionates. Comprehensive experimental data support diverse carbocycle synthesis, exemplified by indenes and higher analogues. Control experiments verify the applicability of the vinylation protocol, and synthetic applications showcase a potent tubulin polymerization inhibitor with anticancer properties. Density functional theory computations reveal a Lewis-acid-driven mechanism involving triflate moiety abstraction to generate a reactive vinyl cation.

High anti Diastereoselectivity in a Tandem Oxyhomologation-Coupling Protocol for the Preparation of Amides and Peptides Incorporating α-Hydroxy ß-Amino Acids.

The one-pot MAC (Masked Acyl Cyanide) reaction is used to perform the tandem oxyhomologation reaction of N,N-dibenzyl-l-phenylalaninal and coupling with nitrogen nucleophiles to provide a wide selection of amide and peptide derivatives of (2S,3S)-allophenylnorstatin in generally good yields and with high anti selectivity, often with dr >98:2. The procedure works equally well with other selected N,N-dibenzyl α-amino aldehydes, and is used to achieve a very short synthesis of (2S,3S,S)-epibestatin.

Homochiral vs. heterochiral preference in chiral self-recognition of cyclic diols.

The structure and clustering propensity of a chiral derivative of cis-1,2-cyclohexanediol, namely, 1-phenyl-cis-1,2-cyclohexanediol (cis-PCD), has been studied under supersonic expansion conditions by combining laser spectroscopy with quantum chemistry calculations. The presence of the phenyl substituent induces conformational locking relative to cis-1,2-cyclohexanediol (cis-CD), and only one conformer of the bare molecule is observed by both Raman and IR-UV double resonance spectroscopy. The homochiral preference inferred for the dimer formation at low enough temperature is in line with the formation of a conglomerate in the solid state. The change in clustering propensity in cis-PCD relative to trans-1,2-cyclohexanediol (trans-CD), which shows heterochiral preference, is explained by the presence of the phenyl substituent rather than the effect of cis-trans isomerism. Indeed the transiently chiral cis-CD also forms preferentially heterodimers, whose structure is very close to that of the corresponding trans-CD dimer.

A simple and efficient process for the synthesis of 2D carbon nitrides and related materials.

We describe here a new process for the synthesis of very high quality 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs), such a C2N and CN carbon nitrides. This process relies on the use of a metallic surface as both a reagent and a support for the coupling of small halogenated building blocks. The conditions of the assembly reaction are chosen so as to leave the inorganic salts by-products on the surface, to further confine the assembly reaction on the surface and increase the quality of the 2D layers. We found that under these conditions, the process directly returns few layers material. The structure/quality of these materials is demonstrated by extensive cross-characterizations at different scales, combining optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The availability of such very large, high-quality layers of these materials opens interesting perspectives, for example in photochemistry and electronics (intrinsic transport properties, high gap substrate for graphene, etc...).

Catalytic oxidation properties of an acid-resistant cross-bridged cyclen Fe(II) complex. Influence of the rigid donor backbone and protonation on the reactivity.

The catalytic properties of an iron complex bearing a pentadentate cross-bridged ligand backbone are reported. With H2O2 as an oxidant, it displays moderate conversions in epoxidation and alkane hydroxylation and satisfactory ones in aromatic hydroxylation. Upon addition of an acid to the reaction medium, a significant enhancement in aromatic and alkene oxidation is observed. Spectroscopic analyses showed that accumulation of the expected FeIII(OOH) intermediate is limited under these conditions, unless an acid is added to the mixture. This is ascribed to the inertness induced by the cross-bridged ligand backbone, which is partly reduced under acidic conditions.

Diversity in the Synthesis of Functionalized Cyclohexene Oxide Derivatives by a Cycloaddition-Fragmentation Sequence from Benzene Oxide.

A cycloaddition-fragmentation sequence from benzene oxide and a nitroso- or azo-dienophile was investigated as a tool for access to highly substituted cyclohexene oxide derivatives. Alkyl lithium-promoted fragmentation of the cycloadducts led to the cyclic derivatives after 1,4- or 1,2-addition of a second equivalent of the lithium reagent. New fragmentation processes were observed when using non-nucleophilic bases of highly hindered alkyl lithium reagents. All reactions proceeded with complete stereocontrol.

Collective Total Synthesis of Mavacuran Alkaloids through Intermolecular 1,4-Addition of an Organolithium Reagent.

We report a synthetic endeavor towards the highly strained pentacyclic caged framework of the mavacuran alkaloids which culminated with the concise total synthesis of C-fluorocurine, C-profluorocurine, C-mavacurine, normavacurine, 16-epi-pleiocarpamine and taberdivarine H. We designed a strategy involving late-stage construction of the D ring by Michael addition of a vinylic nucleophile to a 2-indolyl acrylate moiety. While the intramolecular Michael addition did not succeed, we were able to perform a diastereoselective unusual intermolecular 1,4-addition of a functionalized vinyl lithium reagent to a readily accessible Michael acceptor with the assistance of the piperidine nitrogen atom through the formation of a complex as suggested by DFT computations. Final cyclization was achieved by nucleophilic substitution to form an ammonium intermediate. The first total syntheses of C-profluorocurine and C-fluorocurine were finalized by the dihydroxylation of C-mavacurine and a pinacol rearrangement, respectively.

Tuning the nuclearity of [Mo2O2S2]2+-based assemblies by playing with the degree of flexibility of bis-thiosemicarbazone ligands.

[MoV2O2S2]2+-based thiosemicarbazone complexes appear as very promising molecules for biological applications due to the intrinsic properties of their components. This paper deals with the synthesis and characterization of six coordination complexes obtained by the reaction of [MoV2O2S2]2+ clusters with bis-thiosemicarbazone ligands that contain flexible or rigid spacers between the two thiosemicarbazone units. Interestingly, structural characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, MALDI-TOF MS technique and NMR spectroscopy revealed that the nuclearity of the complex is controlled by the nature of the spacer between the thiosemicarbazone units. Binuclear complexes, namely [MoV2O2S2(L1-3)], are isolated with flexible spacers while tetranuclear complexes [(MoV2O2S2)2(L4-6)2] are formed when the bis-thiosemicarbazone ligands are built on rigid spacers.

Bio-Inspired Bimetallic Cooperativity Through a Hydrogen Bonding Spacer in CO2 Reduction.

At the core of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) active site two metal ions together with hydrogen bonding scheme from amino acids orchestrate the interconversion between CO2 and CO. We have designed a molecular catalyst implementing a bimetallic iron complex with an embarked second coordination sphere with multi-point hydrogen-bonding interactions. We found that, when immobilized on carbon paper electrode, the dinuclear catalyst enhances up to four fold the heterogeneous CO2 reduction to CO in water with an improved selectivity and stability compared to the mononuclear analogue. Interestingly, quasi-identical catalytic performances are obtained when one of the two iron centers was replaced by a redox inactive Zn metal, questioning the cooperative action of the two metals. Snapshots of X-ray structures indicate that the two metalloporphyrin units tethered by a urea group is a good compromise between rigidity and flexibility to accommodate CO2 capture, activation, and reduction.

How Crystal Symmetry Dictates Non-Local Vibrational Circular Dichroism in the Solid State.

Solid-State Vibrational Circular Dichroism (VCD) can be used to determine the absolute structure of chiral crystals, but its interpretation remains a challenge in modern spectroscopy. In this work, we investigate the effect of a twofold screw axis on the solid-state VCD spectrum in a combined experimental and theoretical analysis of P21 crystals of (S)-(+)-1-indanol. Even though the space group is achiral, a single proper symmetry operation has an important impact on the VCD spectrum, which reflects the supramolecular chirality of the crystal. Distinguishing between contributions originating from molecular chirality and from chiral crystal packing, we find that while IR absorption hardly depends on the symmetry of the space group, the situation is different for VCD, where completely new non-local patterns emerge. Understanding the two underlying mechanisms, namely gauge transport and direct coupling, will help to use VCD to distinguish polymorphic forms.

Diastereo- and Enantioselective Inverse-Electron-Demand Diels-Alder Cycloaddition between 2-Pyrones and Acyclic Enol Ethers.

A broadly applicable diastereo- and enantioselective inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction of 2-pyrones and acyclic enol ethers is reported herein. Using a copper(II)-BOX catalytic system, bridged bicyclic lactones are obtained in very high yields (up to 99 % yield) and enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee) from diversely substituted 2-pyrones and acyclic enol ethers. Mechanistic experiments as well as DFT calculations indicate the occurrence of a stepwise mechanism. The synthetic potential of the bridged bicyclic lactones is showcased by the enantioselective synthesis of polyfunctional cyclohexenes and cyclohexadienes, as well as a carbasugar unit.

Deciphering the Metal Speciation in Low-Molecular-Weight Complexes by IMS-MS: Application to the Detection of Manganese Superoxide Dismutase Mimics in Cell Lysates.

The detection and quantification of exogenous metal complexes are crucial to understanding their activity in intricate biological media. MnII complexes are difficult to detect and quantify because of low association constants, and high lability. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimic (or mimetic) labelled Mn1 is based on a 1,2-di-aminoethane functionalized with imidazole and phenolate and has good intrinsic anti-superoxide, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated intestinal epithelial HT29-MD2 cells, similar to that of its propylated analogue labelled Mn1P. Ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) is a powerful technique for separating low molecular weight (LMW) metal complexes and can even separate complexes with the same ligand but bound to different divalent metal cations with similar ionic radii. We demonstrated the intracellular presence of the Mn1 and Mn1P complexes, at least partly intact, in lysates of cells incubated with the complexes and estimated the intracellular Mn1P concentration using a Co-13 C6 analogue.

Revisiting the Three Vanadium Sandwich-Type Polyoxometalates: Structures, Solution Behavior, and Redox Properties.

It is well known that the trivacant anions α-B-[XW9O33]9- react with vanadyl ions to give the sandwich-type polyoxometalates [(VIVO)3(XW9O33)2]12- with X = AsIII or SbIII. Nevertheless, the oxidized derivatives have been obtained selectively by electrochemical oxidation from the fully reduced derivatives [(VIVO)3(XW9O33)2]12- allowing full characterization both in solution using UV-vis and multinuclear (17O, 51V, and 183W) NMR spectroscopies and in the solid state by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural analysis of the oxidized [(VVO)3(XW9O33)2]9- polyanions is consistent with the idealized D3h symmetry, while solution studies reveal a fair hydrolytic stability in a wide pH range from 0 to 6. Besides, the D3h polyanions either as reduced or oxidized forms [(VO)3(AsW9O33)2]9/12- have been identified as the thermodynamic product that results from the conversion of the C2v polyanion [(H2O)(VO)3(AsW9O33)2]9/12- through moderate heating. Conversely, the SbIII-containing derivative gives exclusively the D3h polyanion, probably either due to the extended lone pair of the trigonal SbIII heterogroup that prevents the formation of the C2v arrangement or the lability of the oxo-metalate bonds that favor chemical exchange. The electrochemical studies of sandwich-type polyoxometalates revealed that each {V═O} group gives rise to a one-electron transfer process. At last, the redox properties appear strongly altered in the 0.3-5 pH range, consistent with proton-coupled electron transfers.

Electrochemical Benzylic C-H Functionalization with Isocyanides.

We report the challenging direct carbamoylation or cyanation of benzylic C(sp3)-H bonds with an isocyanide via an electrochemical process giving rise to structures that are encountered in several biologically relevant compounds and drugs. This transformation proceeds under mild conditions without the need for any external oxidant and avoids the necessity to start from a prefunctionalized benzylic substrate or the deployment of the cation pool method. The anodic oxidation of the benzylic position and the subsequent addition of the isocyanide lead to the formation of a C-C bond and to a nitrilium cation that hydrolyzes to yield α-aryl acetamide derivatives, whereas the elimination of a t-butyl cation delivers α-aryl acetonitrile derivatives.

Novel Easy to Synthesize Benzonitrile Compounds with Mixed Carbazole and Phenoxazine Substituents Exhibiting Dual Emission and TADF Properties.

The photophysical and electrochemical properties of a new class of fluorinated benzonitrile compounds substituted with mixed phenoxazine and carbazole units have been investigated. When absorbing in a large range of the UV-vis spectrum due to both localized and charge-transfer absorptions, these compounds show dual broad emission in solution and intense emission in PMMA films, with photoluminescence quantum yields changing from a few percent in solution to 18% in a more rigid environment. The compounds also exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence demonstrated by the role of oxygen in the quenching of delayed fluorescence and by time-resolved luminescence studies, with an efficiency directly related to the number of phenoxazine substituents. Electrochemistry reveals dramatic changes in the reduction mechanisms according to the number of remaining fluorine atoms on the benzonitrile core. All these results demonstrate how it is possible to tune the photophysical and electrochemical properties of easily synthesizable derivatives by controlling the nature and relative number of the substituents on a simple aromatic platform.

Access to valuable building blocks by the regio- and enantioselective ring opening of itaconic anhydride by lipase catalysis.

Herein, we report for the first time the highly regio- and enantioselective ring opening of a biobased itaconic anhydride catalyzed by the Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PCL) in tert-butyl methyl ether (TBME) at room temperature. This method is easy, efficient and eco-friendly and can be performed in one step with a series of highly valuable monoester itaconates (achiral or enantioenriched) using various alcohols as nucleophiles with 100% atom economy. In all cases, the ß-monoester isomer was the predominant product of the reaction. Using achiral primary alcohols as substrates, a variety of novel itaconates were obtained in moderate to excellent yields (50-90%). For select examples, product characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction, in addition to the standard techniques. The application of this approach was performed for the preparation of enantioenriched 4-monoester itaconates via enzymatic kinetic resolution.

A Tale of Two Complexes: Electro-Assisted Oxidation of Thioanisole by an "O2 Activator/Oxidizing Species" Tandem System of Non-Heme Iron Complexes.

We report two new FeIII complexes [L1 FeIII (H2 O)](OTf)2 and [L2 FeIII (OTf)], obtained by replacing pyridines by phenolates in a known non-heme aminopyridine iron complex. While the original, starting aminopyridine [(L5 2 )FeII (MeCN)](PF6 ) complex is stable in air, the potentials of the new FeIII/II couples decrease to the point that [L2 FeII ] spontaneously reduces O2 to superoxide. We used it as an O2 activator in an electrochemical setup, as its presence allows to generate superoxide at a much more accessible potential (>500 mV gain). Our aim was to achieve substrate oxidation via the reductive activation of O2 . While L2 FeIII (OTf) proved to be a good O2 activator but a poor oxidation system, its association with another complex (TPEN)FeII (PF6 )2 generates a complementary tandem couple for electro-assisted oxidation of substrates, working at a very accessible potential: upon reduction, L2 FeIII (OTf) activates O2 to superoxide and transfers it to (TPEN)FeII (PF6 )2 leading in fine to the oxidation of thioanisole.

A case study of the MAC (masked acyl cyanide) oxyhomologation of N,N-dibenzyl-L-phenylalaninal with anti diastereoselectivity: preparation of (2S,3S)-allophenylnorstatin esters.

The three-component reaction between a protected α-amino aldehyde, an alcohol and an α-silyloxymalononitrile provides an expedient access to protected α-hydroxy-ß-amino acid derivatives. The prototypical process, performed on N-Cbz-phenylalaninal, is known to proceed with syn diastereoselectivity. The present study demonstrates that the diastereoselectivity of the reaction can be inverted, using the rationale of a Felkin-Anh interaction model. Reactions performed on N,N-dibenzyl-L-phenylalaninal proceed with a high anti diastereoselectivity, providing a panel of synthetically useful ester derivatives of (2S,3S)-allophenylnorstatin. The procedure is exploited to accomplish one of the most efficient syntheses of the title compound to date, in 3 steps (66% yield) from N,N-dibenzyl-L-phenylalaninal.

Enantioselective hydrophosphonylation of N-Boc imines using chiral guanidine-thiourea catalysts.

The enantioselective hydrophosphonylation of N-Boc imines was investigated using a new family of pseudo-symmetric guanidine-thiourea catalysts, providing α-amino phosphonates in moderate to high yields with good enantioselectivity. The catalyst was heterogenized by polymerization with styrene and the resulting catalyst was applied to reactions under continuous-flow conditions.

Intercepting a transient non-hemic pyridine N-oxide Fe(III) species involved in OAT reactions.

In the context of bioinspired OAT catalysis, we developed a tetradentate dipyrrinpyridine ligand, a hybrid of hemic and non-hemic models. The catalytic activity of the iron(III) derivative was investigated in the presence of iodosylbenzene. Unexpectedly, MS, EPR, Mössbauer, UV-visible and FTIR spectroscopic signatures supported by DFT calculations provide convincing evidence for the involvement of a relevant FeIII-O-NPy active intermediate.