Metal-Catalyzed Oxa-[4+2] Cyclizations of Quinone Methides with Alkynyl Benzyl Alcohols.

An oxa-[4+2] cyclization of quinone methides with alkynyl benzyl alcohols has been realized in the presence of a metal catalyst, and the reaction afforded spiroacetal products in overall high yields (up to 99%) and good diastereoselectivities (up to >95:5 dr). By carrying out the reaction under gold catalysis and utilizing alkynyl benzyl alcohols as electron-rich reaction partners, this approach provides a useful strategy for settling the challenges in oxa-[4+2] cyclization of para-quinone methide derivatives. This reaction serves as a good example for metal-catalyzed oxa-[4+2] cyclizations of quinone methides. In addition, it also offers a useful method for the construction of spiroacetal skeletons.

Cooperative Catalysis-Enabled Asymmetric α-Arylation of Aldehydes Using 2-Indolylmethanols as Arylation Reagents.

A catalytic asymmetric α-arylation of aldehydes using 2-indolylmethanols as arylation reagents has been established. This reaction was enabled by a cooperative catalytic system consisting of a gold complex, a Brønsted acid, and a chiral amine, which have a synergistic effect in the reaction process. By using this strategy, a series of α-arylation products of aldehydes were generated in overall acceptable yields and good enantioselectivities (up to 69%, 91:9 er). The control experiments demonstrated that the addition of PPh3AuCl as a gold complex was helpful to improve the yield, and trifluoroacetic acid as a Brønsted acid played a crucial role in the reaction by promoting the generation of carbocation and chiral enamine intermediates, which are two key intermediates of the asymmetric α-arylation reaction. In addition, the enantioselectivity of the reaction was mainly controlled by the chiral amine catalyst via forming a chiral enamine intermediate. This reaction has not only provided a useful protocol for catalytic asymmetric α-arylation of aldehydes but also enriched the research contents of 2-indolylmethanol-involved reactions and asymmetric cooperative catalysis.

Enantioselective Construction of Cyclopenta[b]indole Scaffolds via the Catalytic Asymmetric [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of 2-Indolylmethanols with p-Hydroxystyrenes.

The catalytic asymmetric [3 + 2] cycloaddition of 2-indolylmethanols to p-hydroxystyrenes was established in the presence of a chiral phosphoramide, and this reaction provided chiral cyclopenta[b]indole scaffolds in generally high yields and with good enantioselectivities (up to 98% yield, 99:1 er). The control experiments demonstrated that the dual hydrogen-bonding activation mode of the chiral catalyst toward the two substrates played an important role in the reaction. In addition, the large-scale reaction indicated that this catalytic asymmetric [3 + 2] cycloaddition could be scaled up for the synthesis of chiral cyclopenta[b]indole derivatives.

Radical Deaminative ipso-Cyclization of 4-Methoxyanilines with 1,7-Enynes for Accessing Spirocyclohexadienone-Containing Cyclopenta[c]quinolin-4-ones.

A new C-center radical-triggered bicyclization cascade of N-tethered 1,7-enynes for forming 28 examples of biologically interesting spirocyclohexadienone-containing cyclopenta[c]quinolin-4-ones with two all-carbon quaternary stereocenters has been established under mild conditions. The in situ generated diazonium salts from 4-methoxyanilines and t-BuONO are served as 4-methoxyphenyl precursors without additional oxidant, enabling 6-exo-dig cyclization/5-exo-trig ipso-cyclization to construct three new C-C bonds through metal-free dearomatization. The reaction also features broad substrate scope, annulation efficiency, and high functional group tolerance.

Base-Promoted [4 + 1]/[3 + 1 + 1] Bicyclization for Accessing Functionalized Indeno[1,2-c]furans.

A novel three-component bicyclization strategy for the metal-free synthesis of densely functionalized indeno[1,2-c]furans with generally good yields has been established from readily accessible o-phthalaldehydes (OPA), isocyanides, and α-diazoketones. The reaction pathway involves aldol-type addition, 1,2-hydride shift, 5-exo-trig cyclization, and 1,4-addition as well as an oxo-5-exo-dig cyclization sequence, resulting in continuous multiple bond-forming events including C-C and C-O bonds to rapidly build up functional oxo-heterocycles.

Metal-Free Radical Haloazidation of Benzene-Tethered 1,7-Enynes Leading to Polyfunctionalized 3,4-Dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-ones.

A new cascade three-component haloazidation of benzene-tethered 1,7-enynes for the formation of biologically interesting azidylated 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-ones has been achieved under mild and metal-free conditions using TMSN3 as a N3 source and NIS (or NBS or NCS) as a halogen source. The reaction pathway involves in situ-generated azidyl radical-triggered α,ß-conjugated addition/6-exo-dig cyclization/radical coupling sequence, resulting in successive multiple bond-forming events, including carbon-nitrogen, carbon-carbon, and carbon-halogen bonds to rapidly construct complex heterocyclic molecules. Furthermore, the resulting products would be useful building blocks in the discovery of lead compounds and other biologically interesting N3-containing heterocycles.

DDQ-Mediated Three-Component Dioxygenation of Alkenes.

A new DDQ-mediated three-component dioxygenation of alkenes has been established, providing a direct and metal-free access toward densely functionalized 4,5-dichloro-3-hydroxyphthalonitrile derivatives with generally good to excellent yields under mild conditions. During this process, DDQ plays dual roles as both a dehydrogenation reagent and a coupling partner, enabling oxidative coupling to form two C-O functionalities in a highly atom-economy fashion.

Base-promoted transannulation of heterocyclic enamines and 2,3-epoxypropan-1-ones: regio- and stereoselective synthesis of fused pyridines and pyrroles.

Base-promoted transannulation of heterocyclic enamines and 2,3-epoxypropan-1-ones has been successfully achieved, providing a new access to structurally diverse fused pyridines and pyrroles with excellent regio- and stereoselectivity. Treatment with N-aryl 4-aminofuran-2(5H)-ones and 2,3-epoxypropan-1-ones under microwave heating resulted in functional furo[3,2-b]pyridines in good yields. The N-aryl 4-aminopyrrol-2(5H)-ones bearing an electron-withdrawing group engaged in the reaction afforded pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyridines, whereas their counterparts with an electron-neutral or an electron-donating group underwent a different reaction pathway to form pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrroles through C-C bond cleavage.

Synthesis of Allenyl Sulfones via a TBHP/TBAI-Mediated Reaction of Propargyl Alcohols with Sulfonyl Hydrazides.

A new TBHP/TBAI-mediated reaction of propargyl alcohols with sulfonyl hydrazides in the presence of HOAc has been established, in which a wide variety of allenyl sulfones were obtained in moderate to excellent yields. Mechanistic studies indicate that this transformation involves HOAc-promoted sulfonohydrazide intermediate formation, sequential C-O, C-N, and N-S bond cleavage, and C-S bond formation. Significantly, this sulfonohylation proceeds in a radical process and shows highly functional group compatibility and excellent regioselectivity, with a short reaction time and inexpensive reagents.

Domino reaction of arylglyoxals with pyrazol-5-amines: selective access to pyrazolo-fused 1,7-naphthyridines, 1,3-diazocanes, and pyrroles.

New multicomponent domino reactions of arylglyoxals with pyrazol-5-amines have been established, providing selective access to unprecedented pyrazolo-fused 1,7-naphthyridines, 1,3-diazocanes, and pyrroles (up to 52 examples). The unreported dipyrazolo-fused 1,7-naphthyridines were regioselectively synthesized through a special double [3 + 2 + 1] heteroannulation accompanied by direct C-C formation between two electrophilic sites of arylglyoxals. The unusual [3 + 3 + 1 + 1] cyclization resulted in 20 examples of novel dipyrazolo-fused 1,3-diazocanes, whereas pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyrazoles were obtained in good yields by varying arylglyoxals 1 and pyrazol-5-amines 2 in the ratio 1:2. Mechanisms of formation of these three new types of heterocycles are also proposed.

Organocatalytic chemo- and regioselective oxyarylation of styrenes via a cascade reaction: remote activation of hydroxyl groups.

The first organocatalytic oxyarylation of styrenes has been established through a cascade of vinylogous Michael addition/alkoxyl transfer reactions of o- or p-hydroxylstyrenes with quinone imine ketals. The process leads to a highly chemo- and regioselective oxyarylation of styrenes and provides access to m-alkylated anilines in generally high yields and excellent diastereoselectivity (up to 99% yield, >95:5 dr). An investigation of the reaction pathway revealed that the existence and position of the hydroxyl group of styrene played crucial roles in the cascade reaction, suggesting that the two reactants were simultaneously activated by binaphthyl-derived phosphoric acid via hydrogen bonding interactions and long-distance conjugative effects. In addition, the activating group of the hydroxyl functionality in the products can be easily removed or transformed, demonstrating the applicability and utility of this strategy in styrene oxyarylation and in the synthesis of styrene-based compounds.

Sensitive fluorescence detection of miRNA-124 in cardiomyocytes under oxidative stress using a nucleic acid probe.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs of 18-25 bases. miRNAs are also important new biomarkers that can be used for disease diagnosis in the future. Studies have shown that miR-124 levels are significantly elevated during acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and play a key role in the cardiovascular system. A variety of methods have been established to detect myocardial infarction-related miRNAs. However, most require complex miRNA extraction and isolation, and these methods are virtually undetectable when RNA levels are low in the sample. It may lead to biased results. Thus, it is necessary to develop a technique that can detect miRNA without extracting it, which means that intracellular detection is of great significance. Here, we improved the traditional silicon spheres and obtained a biosensor that could effectively capture and detect specific noncoding nucleic acids through the layer-by-layer assembly method. The sensor is protected by hyaluronic acid so it can successfully escape the lysosome into the cell and achieve detection. With the help of a full-featured microplate reader, we determined that the detection limit of the biosensor could reach 1 fM, meeting the needs of intracellular detection. At the same time, we prepared an oxidative stress cardiomyocyte infarction model and successfully captured the overexpressed miR-124 in the infarcted cells to achieve in situ detection. This study could provide a new potential tool to develop miRNAs for sensitive diagnosis in AMI, and the proposed strategy implies its potential for biomedical research.

A novel domino strategy for forming poly-substituted quaternary imidazoles through a Cs2CO3-promoted aryl migration process.

A new domino strategy for the synthesis of highly functionalized quaternary imidazole derivatives via [3 + 2] heterocyclization, involving aryl migration and ring-opening of oxirane, has been developed. This domino reaction enables the successful assembly of three new sigma bonds including two C-N bonds in a simple operation. Features of this strategy include the mild conditions, convenient operation, and short reaction periods (15-20 min).

A novel three-component [5 + 1] heterocyclization leading to 2-azafluorenone synthesis and its polyfunctionalizations.

An efficient methodology for the synthesis of new and highly functionalized 2-azafluorenones via a three-component domino reaction involving C1-aryl acylation, C3-thiolation, and C4-cyanation has been developed. This domino reaction enables successful assembly of three new sigma bonds including a C-S bond and a C-N bond in a one-pot operation. Features of this strategy include the mild condition, convenient one-pot operation, and short reaction periods (15-30 min).

Allylic amination and N-arylation-based domino reactions providing rapid three-component strategies to fused pyrroles with different substituted patterns.

New three-component domino reaction providing divergent approaches to multifunctionalized fused pyrroles with different substituted patterns have been established (40 examples). The direct C(sp(3))-N bond formation was achieved through intermolecular allylic amination in a one-pot operation, and N-arylation of amines was realized by varying N-amino acid enaminones. The reaction is easy to perform simply by mixing three common reactants in acetic acid under microwave heating. The reaction proceeds at fast rates and can be finished within 30 min, which makes workup convenient to give good chemical yields.

New domino heteroannulation of enaminones: synthesis of diverse fused naphthyridines.

A series of new poly-functionalized fused naphthyridine derivatives were synthesized via a three-component reaction of aldehyde, 2-aminoprop-1-ene-1,1,3-tricarbonitrile and enaminone in EtOH using EtONa as a base. During these reaction processes, the domino construction of fused naphthyridine skeleton with concomitant formation of two new pyridine rings was readily achieved via base promoted three-component reactions in a one-pot operation. The procedures are facile, avoiding time-consuming and costly syntheses, tedious work-up and purifications of precursors.

A multicomponent synthetic strategy for two-carbon-tethered 1,3-oxathiole-indole pairs.

An efficient methodology for the multicomponent synthesis of new and highly functionalized heterocycles containing 1,3-oxathiole and indole units which are connected through an sp(2)-C(2) bridge has been developed. This domino reaction enables successful assembly of three new sigma bonds including a C-S bond and a C-O bond in a one-pot operation. Features of this strategy include mild conditions, convenient one-pot operation, and high stereo- and regioselectivity.

Microwave-assisted multicomponent reaction in water leading to highly regioselective formation of benzo[f]azulen-1-ones.

Microwave-assisted three-component reaction has been established for the regioselective synthesis of benzo[f]azulen-1-ones. The reaction was performed in aqueous media under microwave irradiation by using readily available and inexpensive starting materials. A total of 38 examples were examined to show a broad substrate scope and good overall yields (70-89%). The present new synthesis shows attractive green chemistry characteristics, such as the use of water as reaction media, concise one-pot conditions, short reaction periods (7-24 min), easy work-up/purification and reduced waste production without the use of any strong acids or metal promoters.

Community Health Nursing Competency and Psychological and Organizational Empowerment of Public Health Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

AIM: This study explored the effect of public health nurses' current community care nursing competency on the psychological and organizational empowerment of public health services in Taiwan. DESIGN: A cross-sectional nationwide survey design was used. METHODS: A self-developed structured questionnaire was administered to public health nurses. They were recruited using a purposive sampling technique, and they participated in community healthcare workshops. RESULTS: The mean score of Community Care Nursing Competence (CCNC) was 3.92 ± 0.83. The mean score in Community Empowerment (CE) was 3.66 ± 0.90. The study revealed that age and communication competence were crucial factors in public health nurses working in the community. With age and through the accumulation of practical experience, public health nurses' communication competence may also improve, which can further enhance their psychological and organizational empowerment in the nursing workplace.

3-(4-Chloro-phen-yl)-1-(4-nitro-phen-yl)benzo[f]quinoline.

In the title compound, C(25)H(15)ClN(2)O(2), the pyridine ring is inclined at angles of 6.89 (7), 4.24 (9) and 66.98 (4)° with respect to the naphthalene, chloro-phenyl and nitro-phenyl rings, respectively. The two substituent aromatic rings make a dihedral angle of 71.1 (1)° with one another. C-H⋯π and π-π stacking are present in the crystal structure; the π-π stacking [centroid-centroid distance between the pyridyl rings of adjacent mol-ecules= 3.7838 (11) Å] links the mol-ecules into dimers, while the C-H⋯Cg type π-ring inter-actons link the mol-ecules into a chain structure along c.