Cationic copolymers of α,β‐poly‐(N‐2‐hydroxyethyl)‐DL‐aspartamide (PHEA) and α,β‐polyasparthylhydrazide (PAHy): synthesis and characterization

In the present study the derivatization of two water‐soluble synthetic polymers, α,β‐poly(N‐2‐hydroxyethyl)‐DL ‐aspartamide (PHEA) and α,β‐polyasparthylhydrazide (PAHy), with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTA) is described. This reaction permits the introduction of positive charges in the macromolecular chains of PHEA and PAHy in order to make easier the electrostatic interaction with DNA. Different parameters affect the reaction of derivatization, such as GTA concentration and reaction time. PHEA reacts partially and slowly with GTA; on the contrary the reaction of PAHy with GTA is more rapid and extensive. The derivatization of PHEA and PAHy with GTA is a convenient method to introduce positive groups in their chains and it permits the preparation of interpolyelectrolyte complexes with DNA. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Ruthenium(II)‐Catalyzed Protocol for Preparation of Diverse α,β‐ and β,β‐Dihaloenones from Diazodicarbonyls

Efficient one‐step syntheses of α,β‐ and β,β‐dihaloenones were achieved by ruthenium(II)‐catalyzed reactions between cyclic or acyclic diazodicarbonyl compounds and oxalyl chloride or oxalyl bromide in moderate to good yields. This methodology offers several significant advantages, which include ease of handling, mild reaction conditions, one‐step reaction, and the use of an effective and non‐toxic catalyst. The synthesized compounds were further transformed into highly functionalized novel molecules bearing aromatic rings on the enone moiety using the Suzuki reaction.

     

The One‐Pot Wittig Reaction: A Facile Synthesis of α,β‐Unsaturated Esters and Nitriles by Using Nanocrystalline Magnesium Oxide

Nanocrystalline magnesium oxide was found to be an effective heterogeneous, solid base catalyst for the one‐pot Wittig reaction to afford α,β‐unsaturated esters and nitriles in excellent yields with high E‐stereoselectivity in the presence of triphenylphosphine under mild conditions.     

Highly Enantioselective Phase‐Transfer Catalytic α‐Alkylation of α‐tert‐Butoxycarbonyllactams: Construction of β‐Quaternary Chiral Pyrrolidine and Piperidine Systems

A new enantioselective α‐alkylation of α‐tert‐butoxycarbonyllactams for the construction of β‐quaternary chiral pyrrolidine and piperidine core systems is reported. α‐Alkylations of N‐methyl‐α‐tert‐butoxycarbonylbutyrolactam and N‐diphenylmethyl‐α‐tert‐butoxycarbonylvalerolactam under phase‐transfer catalytic conditions (solid potassium hydroxide, toluene, −40 °C) in the presence of (S,S)‐3,4,5‐trifluorophenyl‐3,3′,5,5′‐tetrahydro‐2,6‐bis(3,4,5‐trifluorophenyl)‐4,4′‐spirobi[4H‐dinaphth[2,1‐c:1′,2′‐e]azepinium] bromide [(S,S)‐NAS Br] (5 mol%) afforded the corresponding α‐alkyl‐α‐tert‐butoxycarbonyllactams in very high chemical (up to 99%) and optical yields (up to 98% ee). Our new catalytic systems provide attractive synthetic methods for pyrrolidine‐ and piperidine‐based alkaloids and chiral intermediates with β‐quaternary carbon centers.     

Chemical Synthesis of Rare Natural Bile Acids: 11α‐Hydroxy Derivatives of Lithocholic and Chenodeoxycholic Acids

A method for the preparation of 11α‐hydroxy derivatives of lithocholic and chenodeoxycholic acids, recently discovered to be natural bile acids, is described. The principal reactions involved were (1) elimination of the 12α‐mesyloxy group of the methyl esters of 3α‐acetate‐12α‐mesylate and 3α,7α‐diacetate‐12α‐mesylate derivatives of deoxycholic acid and cholic acid with potassium acetate/hexamethylphosphoramide; (2) simultaneous reduction/hydrolysis of the resulting △¹¹‐3α‐acetoxy and △¹¹‐3α,7α‐diacetoxy methyl esters with lithium aluminum hydride; (3) stereoselective 11α‐hydroxylation of the △¹¹‐3α,24‐diol and △¹¹‐3α,7α,24‐triol intermediates with B₂H₆/tetrahydrofuran (THF); and (4) selective oxidation at C‐24 of the resulting 3α,11α,24‐triol and 3α,7α,11α,24‐tetrol to the corresponding C‐24 carboxylic acids with NaClO₂ catalyzed by 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine 1‐oxyl free radical (TEMPO) and NaClO. In summary, 3α,11α‐dihydroxy‐5β‐cholan‐24‐oic acid and 3α,7α,11α‐trihydroxy‐5β‐cholan‐24‐oic acid have been synthesized and their nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra characterized. These compounds are now available as reference standards to be used in biliary bile acid analysis.     

Stereoselective Palladium‐Catalyzed Alkenylation and Alkynylation of Thioglycosides

An efficient and unprecedented palladium‐catalyzed S‐glycosylation reaction of a range of alkenyl and alkynyl halides by using thiosugars as nucleophile partners has been established. With palladium diacetate in combination with Xantphos as the catalytic system, a variety of β‐alkenylthioglycosides as well as β‐alkynylthioglycosides can be prepared in good to excellent yields. The efficiency of this general protocol was well‐demonstrated by the formal synthesis of a leaf‐closure β‐glucosidase inhibitor.

     

Michael Reaction of Nitroalkanes with β‐Nitroacrylates under a Solid Promoter: Advanced Regio‐ and Diastereoselective Synthesis of Nitro‐Functionalized α,β‐Unsaturated Esters and 1,3‐Butadiene‐2‐carboxylates

A new class of nitro‐functionalized α,β‐unsaturated esters has been prepared by a regio‐ and diastereoselective Michael addition of nitroalkanes to β‐nitroacrylates, performed at room temperature, under carbonate on polymer as promoter, and in the presence of ethyl acetate as eco‐friendly solvent. Moreover, by the modular choice of the reaction conditions the method allows the synthesis of 1,3‐butadiene‐2‐carboxylates.     

Negative effect of stretching on the development of β‐phase in β‐nucleated isotactic polypropylene

On the premise that shear in the slit die of an extruder was minimized as far as possible, β‐nucleated isotactic polypropylene (iPP) was extruded. Simultaneously, once the extrudate (in the melt state) left the die exit, it was stretched at various stretching rates (SRs). For iPP with a low content of β‐nucleating agent (β‐NA), the crystallinity of β‐phase (X_β) initially increases with increasing SR, and then decreases slightly with further increase in SR. However, for iPP containing a higher content of β‐NA, with increasing SR, X_β decreases monotonically, indicating a negative effect of SR on β‐phase formation. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering and polarized optical microscopy experiments reveal that, when SR is less than 30 cm min^?1, the increasing amount of row nuclei induced by increasing SR is mainly responsible for the increase of X_β. In contrast, when SR exceeds 30 cm min^?1, the overgrowth of shish structures unexpectedly restrains the development of β‐phase, and spatial confinement is considered as a better explanation for the suppression of β‐phase. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

A facile and practical approach to randomly methylated β‐cyclodextrin

BACKGROUND: Because of its high demand for use in pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, soil remediation technologies, etc., randomly methylated β‐cyclodextrin (RM‐β‐CD) is one of the most important cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives. The aim of this present work is to use a green and commercially available approach to obtain RM‐β‐CD. Compared with other methylated CDs, RM‐β‐CD with an asymmetric molecular structure has higher water solubility. When the degree of substitution (DS) is about 1.8, the solubility tends to increase with increasing temperature and is suitable for pharmaceutical applications. RESULTS: RM‐β‐CD was synthesized using a green approach with ideal DS equal to 1.79. The one step process of β‐cyclodextrin methylation by CH₃Cl instead of (CH₃)₂SO₄ at mild temperature (80 °C) and pressure (1.60 MPa) with a good yield (78%), is convenient and environmentally friendly. The mixture of RM‐β‐CD obtained contained five compounds with various DS, from which the main compound with a DS equal to 1.8 was separated by column chromatography. The compounds were carefully characterized by infra‐red, NMR and mass spectrometry. CONCLUSIONS: The one‐step process to RM‐β‐CDs with CH₃Cl is more economical, more efficient and less noxious than the usual method using (CH₃)₂SO₄. Moreover, this approach avoids some poisonous residual materials and meets the demand for protecting the environment. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of thermal aging on the biodegradation of PCL,PHB‐V,and their blends with starch in soil compost

Different proportions of starch were blended with poly(β‐hydroxybutyrate)‐co‐poly(β‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHB‐V) or poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) by extrusion, and the mechanical (maximum tensile strength, elongation at break and Young's modulus) and thermal properties (by differential scanning calorimetry) were determined. The biodegradability of the blends in soil compost was also assessed after thermal aging for 192, 425, and 600 h at different temperatures. The maximum tensile strength of the PCL50 blend (containing 50% starch) was 35% lower than that of PCL and that of the PHB‐V50 blend was 60% lower than that of PHB‐V without thermal aging. PHB‐V blends were more biodegradable than PCL blends. For the blends prepared, only the biodegradation of PHB‐V25 was affected by thermal aging. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3539–3546, 2003     

Catalytic Asymmetric Construction of Spirocycles Containing Pyrrolidine Motifs and Spiro Quaternary Stereogenic Centers via 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition of Azomethine Ylides with 2‐Alkylidene‐Cycloketones

The first catalytic asymmetric 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with various sterically hindered α,α,β‐trisubstituted 2‐alkylidene‐cycloketones has been developed successfully with silver acetate/TF‐BiphamPhos complex for the construction of spiro heterocyclic compounds containing pyrrolidine motifs and a spiro quaternary stereogenic carbon center. The highly efficient catalytic system exhibited high reactivity, excellent diastereoselectivity, good enantioselectivity and broad substrate scope under mild conditions. Subsequent transformations led to the expedient preparation of synthetically useful spiro[pyrrolidine‐tetrahydropyranone] and spiro[pyrrolidine‐isochroman‐1‐one] without loss of the diastereo‐ and enantiomeric excesses.     

Effect of nucleating duality on the formation of γ‐phase in a β‐nucleated isotactic polypropylene copolymer

BACKGROUND: It is a challenge for polymer processing to promote the formation of γ‐phase under atmospheric conditions in isotactic polypropylene (iPP) copolymer containing chain errors. Incorporation of an α‐nucleator in iPP copolymer seems reasonable since it can enhance non‐isothermal crystallization. Up to now, however, the issue regarding a β‐nucleated iPP copolymer still remains unclear, which is the subject of this study. RESULTS: The results indicate that the γ‐phase indeed occurs in a β‐nucleated random iPP copolymer with ethylene co‐unit (PPR) sample and becomes predominant at slow cooling rates (e.g. 1 °C min^?1) where the formation of the β‐form is suppressed to a large extent. With detailed morphological observations the formation of γ‐phase in the β‐nucleated PPR sample at slow cooling rate is unambiguously attributed to the nucleating duality of the β‐nucleator towards α‐ and β‐polymorphs. The α‐crystals, induced by the β‐nucleator, serve as seeds for the predominant growth of the γ‐phase. Moreover, the presence of the β‐nucleator, acting as heterogeneous nuclei, promotes the formation of γ‐phase in the nucleated PPR sample, at least to some extent. CONCLUSION: The findings in this study extend our insights into the formation of γ‐phase in β‐nucleated iPP copolymer and, most importantly, provide an alternative route to obtain iPP rich in γ‐phase. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydroformylation of 1,1‐Disubstituted Allylphthalimides: A Catalytic Route to β3‐Amino Acids

The high enantioselective rhodium‐catalyzed hydroformylation of 1,1‐disubstituted allylphthalimides has been developed. By employing chiral ligand 1,2‐bis[(2S,5S)‐2,5‐diphenylphospholano]ethane [(S,S)‐Ph‐BPE], a series of β³‐aminoaldehydes can be prepared with up to 95% enantioselectivity. This asymmetric procedure provides an efficient alternative route to prepare chiral β³‐amino acids and alcohols.     

Titanium‐Mediated Direct Carbon‐Carbon Double Bond Formation to α‐Trifluoromethyl Acids: A New Contribution to the Knoevenagel Reaction and a High‐Yielding and Stereoselective Synthesis of α‐Trifluoromethylacrylic Acids

An efficient strategy for a high‐yielding and stereoselective synthesis of α‐trifluoromethyl unsaturated carboxylic acids directly from the reactions of 3,3,3‐trifluoropropanoic acid (CF₃CH₂COOH) with various aryl aldehydes in the presence of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) is reported here for the first time, which is a valuable expansion for the classical Knoevenagel reaction. Because these compounds may have potential applications in organic electronics and can be easily converted to the corresponding fluorinated alcohols and amino acids with excellent bioactivity, this route should be a good choice for the preparation of α‐trifluoromethyl‐containing derivatives.     

Preparation and characteristics of β-chitin and poly(vinyl alcohol) blend

Mechanical properties of blend films of β-chitin and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in dry and wet states were improved compared to those of homopolymers. Fourier transformed infra-red (FTi.r.) spectra of the blend showed the transition of hydroxyl and carbonyl stretching bands upon blending. The subtraction infra-red spectra of blend 70/30 indicated that the blend showed an intermolecular interaction and the reduction of crystallinity compared with those of pure β-chitin. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) patterns of the blend also exhibited the loss of crystallinity of β-chitin and PVA upon blending. The blends, however, showed a mixed-crystal structure. Dielectric analysis of the blend showed the transition of α and β relaxation peaks of β-chitin upon blending, appeared at 182° and 97°, respectively. For blends, the temperature of the maximum loss (T_max) of β-chitin appeared at around 182° shifted to a lower temperature region. Differential scanning calorimetric analysis of the blend also showed the transition of melting endotherms of the blend. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies of blends using ruthenium tetraoxide as a staining agent were examined to reveal the micro-structure and miscibility of the blends. The TEM micrograph of blend 70/30 shows some microseparations, but it is still believed to be miscible in the blends.     

RuO4 staining and lamellar structure of α‐ and β‐PP

Monoclinic (α) and hexagonal (β) polypropylene (α‐ and β‐PP) were stained in the vapor of a ruthenium tetroxide solution prepared in situ. The effect of staining on the fusion behavior was investigated using a DSC. A staining duration between 10 and 24 h was found suitable for obtaining a good electron contrast between the crystalline and amorphous regions for TEM examination without causing severe damage to the crystals. The spherulites of the water‐quenched α‐PP were found to be composed of very fine cross‐hatched lamellae whose long period was about 10 nm. In comparison, the β‐PP spherulites crystallized isothermally at 130°C had a category 2 morphology and the lamellae have a long period of 20 nm. The morphology of the spherulite boundary varied depending on the contact angle between the lamellae of the neighboring spherulites. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 1529–1538, 1999     

Highly Enantioselective Michael Addition of Cyclic 1,3‐Dicarbonyl Compounds to β,γ‐Unsaturated α‐Keto Esters

A highly enantioselective Michael addition of cyclic 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds to β,γ‐unsaturated α‐keto esters catalyzed by amino acid‐derived thiourea‐tertiary‐amine catalysts is presented. Using 5 mol% of a novel tyrosine‐derived thiourea catalyst, a series of chiral coumarin derivatives were obtained in excellent yields (up to 99%) and with up to 96% ee under very mild conditions within a short reaction time.     

A concise synthesis of single‐enantiomer β‐lactams and β‐amino acids using Rhodococcus globerulus

BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical companies continue to evaluate β‐amino acids and β‐lactams in a range of drug candidates. The development of a highly efficient and selective bioresolution of cyclic β‐lactam substrates could yield enantiopure lactams and β‐amino acids with medicinal potential. The aim of this work was to discover and develop a biocatalyst capable of selectively hydrolysing β‐lactam substrates. RESULTS: Screening of our in‐house culture collection led to the discovery of a microorganism, Rhodococcus globerulus (NCIMB 41042) with β‐lactamase activity. Whole‐cell bioresolutions of the β‐lactams 1–4 were successfully carried out and in all cases enantiomeric excesses of the residual lactam and amino acid product were found to be greater than 98%. For one example, the bioresolution was optimised to operate at 60 g L^?1 substrate concentration with a 20% wt/wt cell paste loading. CONCLUSION: A microorganism, Rhodococcus globerulus (NCIMB 41042), capable of selectively hydrolysing a range of cyclic β‐lactams, has been discovered. A scalable whole‐cell bioresolution process has been developed, leading to the synthesis of multigram quantities of enantiomerically pure β‐lactams and β‐amino acids. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Enantioselective N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Catalyzed [3+3] Annulation of α,β‐Unsaturated Esters with Methyl Ketoimine

Herein, we disclose the N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐catalyzed [3+3] annulation of challenging esters with methyl ketoimines for the highly enantioselective synthesis of intriguing δ‐lactams featuring various substituent patterns. The annulation occurs under mild conditions and offers good tolerance, good yields and excellent enantioselectivities. The six‐membered heterocyclic products are valuable for the synthesis of bioactive molecules.

     

Chemoselective Reduction of α,β‐Unsaturated Carbonyls over Novel Mesoporous CoHMA Molecular Sieves under Hydrogen Transfer Conditions

Chemoselective reduction of α,β‐unsaturated carbonyls to the corresponding alcohols was achieved by a catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) method using cobalt(II)‐substituted hexagonal mesoporous aluminophosphate (CoHMA) molecular sieve catalyst. Further, the catalyst was found to be promising as a heterogeneous catalyst as the yield was practically unchanged after up to six cycles.