Enantioselective silyl protection of alcohols catalysed by an amino-acid-based small molecule

Reliable, selective and environmentally friendly chemical transformations are crucial to the development of new therapeutics and the design of novel materials. Chiral catalysts that can be easily prepared and used to obtain organic molecules of high enantiomeric purity are critical to modern chemical synthesis. The development of protecting groups that shield reactive functionalities has also proved indispensable in the preparation of complex biologically active molecules. Here we present a chiral catalyst that promotes the enantioselective protection of a secondary alcohol as one of the most commonly used protected forms of an alcohol: a silyl ether. The catalyst is a small, simple molecule that can be prepared in three steps from commercial materials without the need for rigorously controlled conditions. Enantioselective silylations are performed with commercial silyl chlorides and produce yields of up to 96 per cent at an enantiomeric ratio of up to 98:2. Chiral catalysts for selective formation of commonly used protecting groups such as silyl ethers should significantly enhance the ability of chemical synthesis to deliver, in a more practical and efficient manner, important organic molecules.     

Collective synthesis of natural products by means of organocascade catalysis

Organic chemists are now able to synthesize small quantities of almost any known natural product, given sufficient time, resources and effort. However, translation of the academic successes in total synthesis to the large-scale construction of complex natural products and the development of large collections of biologically relevant molecules present significant challenges to synthetic chemists. Here we show that the application of two nature-inspired techniques, namely organocascade catalysis and collective natural product synthesis, can facilitate the preparation of useful quantities of a range of structurally diverse natural products from a common molecular scaffold. The power of this concept has been demonstrated through the expedient, asymmetric total syntheses of six well-known alkaloid natural products: strychnine, aspidospermidine, vincadifformine, akuammicine, kopsanone and kopsinine.     

Control of four stereocentres in a triple cascade organocatalytic reaction

Efficient and elegant syntheses of complex organic molecules with multiple stereogenic centres continue to be important in both academic and industrial laboratories. In particular, catalytic asymmetric multi-component 'domino' reactions, used during total syntheses of natural products and synthetic building blocks, are highly desirable. These reactions avoid time-consuming and costly processes, including the purification of intermediates and steps involving the protection and deprotection of functional groups, and they are environmentally friendly and often proceed with excellent stereoselectivities. Therefore, the design of new catalytic and stereoselective cascade reactions is a continuing challenge at the forefront of synthetic chemistry. In addition, catalytic cascade reactions can be described as biomimetic, as they are reminiscent of tandem reactions that may occur during biosyntheses of complex natural products. Here we report the development of an asymmetric organocatalytic triple cascade reaction for the synthesis of tetra-substituted cyclohexene carbaldehydes. This three-component domino reaction proceeds by way of a catalysed Michael/Michael/aldol condensation sequence affording the products with good to moderate yields (25-58 per cent). During this sequence, four stereogenic centres are formed with high diastereoselectivity and complete enantioselectivity. In addition, variation of the starting materials can be used to obtain diverse polyfunctional cyclohexene derivatives, which can be used as building blocks in organic synthesis.     

A.Flavus Mediated Biotransformations for the Syntheses of Active A-oxyfunctionalized Compounds

1 Results Biotransformations are enzyme- and whole cell-catalysed conversions of non-natural substrates to products.They are important tools in organic synthesis,especially for the syntheses of chiral molecules,where the reactions catalysed may be asymmetric syntheses or the resolution of racemates.The main advantages associated with the use of single enantiomer compounds are increased specificity and the avoidance of adverse side effects[1].Whole cell reactions are advantegous over enzyme-catalyzed rea...     

Advance in the synthesis of aromatic amine via direct amination

Arylamines are very common and important organic molecules. Acting as important intermediates in medical and chemical industry, they are widely used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, dyes, pesticides, rubber additives, isocyanates and heterocyclic compounds. The traditional methods for the synthesis of arylamines include several steps. The production of aniline, for example, includes the following steps: the production of nitro-benzene by the nitration of benzene, and the reduction of the resulting nitro-benzene by catalytic hydrogenation or other reduction ways[1-6]; or the substitution of phenol or chlorbenzene by amino groups, etc.[7-10]. There are several disadvantages for these methods: low atom utilization, strict operation condition, large amount of by-products and serious environmental pollution, which could not afford for the needs of a sustainable civilization. So there has been growing interest in the direct amination to produce arylamines recently. With the direct methods, the multi- step reaction may change into one step, the atom utilization can be evidently improved, and the by-products H2 or/and H2O are harmless to the environment.     

可溶性聚合物支载下合成小分子化合物

概述了液相合成中使用的可溶性聚合物性质和特点,以及可溶性聚合物支载下小分子化合物的合成和可溶性聚合物支载的催化剂、氧化剂和还原剂在合成小分子化合物中的应用。     

Absolute Asymmetric Synthesis Using A Cocrystal Approach

1 Results Absolute asymmetric synthesis by means of solid-state reaction of chiral crystals self-assembled from achiral molecules is an attractive and promising methodology for asymmetric synthesis because it is not necessary to employ any external chiral source like a chiral catalyst.In order to design reliably absolute asymmetric syntheses in the solid state,it is inevitable to prepare and predict the formation of chiral crystals from achiral compounds.We have prepared a number of chiral cocrystals co...     

Catalytic functionalization of unactivated primary C-H bonds directed by an alcohol

New synthetic methods for the catalytic functionalization of C-H bonds have the potential to revolutionize the synthesis of complex molecules. However, the realization of this synthetic potential requires the ability to functionalize selectively one C-H bond in a compound containing many such bonds and an array of functional groups. The site-selective functionalization of aliphatic C-H bonds is one of the greatest challenges that must be met for C-H bond functionalization to be used widely in complex-molecule synthesis, and processes catalysed by transition-metals provide the opportunity to control selectivity. Current methods for catalytic, aliphatic C-H bond functionalization typically rely on the presence of one inherently reactive C-H bond, or on installation and subsequent removal of directing groups that are not components of the desired molecule. To overcome these limitations, we sought catalysts and reagents that would facilitate aliphatic C-H bond functionalization at a single site, with chemoselectivity derived from the properties of the catalyst and site-selectivity directed by common functional groups contained in both the reactant and the desired product. Here we show that the combination of an iridium-phenanthroline catalyst and a dihydridosilane reagent leads to the site-selective γ-functionalization of primary C-H bonds controlled by a hydroxyl group, the most common functional group in natural products. The scope of the reaction encompasses alcohols and ketones bearing many substitution patterns and auxiliary functional groups; this broad scope suggests that this methodology will be suitable for the site-selective and diastereoselective functionalization of complex natural products.     

Advance in the synthesis of aromatic amine via direct animation

Arylamines are very common and important organic molecules. Acting as important intermediates in medical and chemical industry, they are widely used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, dyes, pesticides, rubber additives, isocyanates and heterocyclic compounds. The traditional methods for the synthesis of arylamines include several steps. The production of aniline, for example, includes the following steps: the production of nitro-benzene by the nitration of benzene, and the reduction of the resulting nitro-benzene by catalytic hydrogenation or other reduction ways^[1—6]; or the substitution of phenol or chlorbenzene by amino groups, etc.^[7—10]. There are several disadvantages for these methods: low atom utilization, strict operation condition, large amount of by-products and serious environmental pollution, which could not afford for the needs of a sustainable civilization. So there has been growing interest in the direct amination to produce arylamines recently. With the direct methods, the multi- step reaction may change into one step, the atom utilization can be evidently improved, and the by-products H₂ or/and H₂O are harmless to the environment......     

标准态下碳酸二甲酯合成体系热力学分析

 用Benson基团贡献法计算了碳酸二甲酯(DMC)的热力学数据标准摩尔生成焓Δ_fH_m^θ、标准摩尔生成吉布斯自由能Δ_fH_m^θ和等压摩尔热容C_p,m;在标准态下,300~1 000 K温度范围内对比了甲醇或二甲醚(DME)氧化羰化合成DMC,甲醇或DME与CO₂直接合成DMC,由合成气合成DMC,DME,甲醛或甲醇这些反应的焓变Δ_fH_m^θ、吉布斯自由能变Δ_fH_m^θ和平衡常数lnK^θ.计算结果表明:在讨论的条件范围内,由DME氧化羰化合成DMC是热力学上可自发进行的反应,但DME和CO₂反应合成DMC与甲醇和CO₂反应合成DMC,均不能自发进行(需要通过耦合等方式来改变反应途径或重构反应体系,该反应才有可能进行).此计算将为合成DMC的反应路线设计以及新催化剂体系的探索提供热力学依据.     

Submarine hot springs and the origin of life

The discovery of hydrothermal vents at oceanic ridge crests and the appreciation of their importance in the element balance of the oceans is one of the main recent advances in marine geochemistry. It is likely that vents were present in the oceans of the primitive Earth because the process of hydrothermal circulation probably began early in the Earth's history. Here we examine the popular hypothesis that life arose in these vents. This proposal, however, is based on a number of misunderstandings concerning the organic chemistry involved. An example is the suggestion that organic compounds were destroyed on the surface of the early Earth by the impact of asteroids and comets, but at the same time assuming that organic syntheses can occur in hydrothermal vents. The high temperatures in the vents would not allow synthesis of organic compounds, but would decompose them, unless the exposure time at vent temperatures was short. Even if the essential organic molecules were available in the hot hydrothermal waters, the subsequent steps of polymerization and the conversion of these polymers into the first organisms would not occur as the vent waters were quenched to the colder temperatures of the primitive oceans.     

Navigating chemical space for biology and medicine

Despite over a century of applying organic synthesis to the search for drugs, we are still far from even a cursory examination of the vast number of possible small molecules that could be created. Indeed, a thorough examination of all 'chemical space' is practically impossible. Given this, what are the best strategies for identifying small molecules that modulate biological targets? And how might such strategies differ, depending on whether the primary goal is to understand biological systems or to develop potential drugs?     

The remarkable metal-catalysed olefin metathesis reaction

Catalytic olefin metathesis--through which pairs of C = C bonds are reorganized--transforms simple molecules to those that are complex and precious. This class of reactions has noticeably enriched chemical synthesis, which is the art of preparing scarce molecules with highly desirable properties (for example, medicinal agents or polymeric materials). Research in the past two decades has yielded structurally well-defined catalysts for olefin metathesis that are used to synthesize an array of molecules with unprecedented efficiency. Nonetheless, the full potential of olefin metathesis will be realized only when additional catalysts are discovered that are truly practical and afford exceptional selectivity for a significantly broader range of reactions.     

Molecular imprinting of bulk, microporous silica

Molecular imprinting aims to create solid materials containing chemical functionalities that are spatially organized by covalent or non-covalent interactions with imprint (or template) molecules during the synthesis process. Subsequent removal of the imprint molecules leaves behind designed sites for the recognition of small molecules, making the material ideally suited for applications such as separations, chemical sensing and catalysis. Until now, the molecular imprinting of bulk polymers and polymer and silica surfaces has been reported, but the extension of these methods to a wider range of materials remains problematic. For example, the formation of substrate-specific cavities within bulk silica, while conceptually straightforward, has been difficult to accomplish experimentally. Here we describe the imprinting of bulk amorphous silicas with single aromatic rings carrying up to three 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane side groups; this generates and occupies microporosity and attaches functional organic groups to the pore walls in a controlled fashion. The triethoxysilane part of the molecules' side groups is incorporated into the silica framework during sol-gel synthesis, and subsequent removal of the aromatic core creates a cavity with spatially organized aminopropyl groups covalently anchored to the pore walls. We find that the imprinted silicas act as shape-selective base catalysts. Our strategy can be extended to imprint other functional groups, which should give access to a wide range of functionalized materials.     

Three-dimensional heteronuclear NMR studies of RNA.

Multidimensional heteronuclear NMR has revolutionized solution structure determinations of proteins. But this technique has not been applied to nucleic acids because of difficulties in the synthesis of isotopically (13C and/or 15N) labelled molecules. Here we report the application of three-dimensional heteronuclear NMR to the study of a uniformly 13C/15N or 15N-labelled RNA duplex of defined sequence. These experiments simplify resonance assignment and the analysis of proton-proton nuclear Overhauser effects (and therefore distance information) in the molecule. Our results show that it is now possible to determine the structures of larger and more complex RNAs using multidimensional heteronuclear NMR.     

Tracking kinesin-driven movements with nanometre-scale precision

Several enzyme complexes drive cellular movements by coupling free energy-liberating chemical reactions to the production of mechanical work. A key goal in the study of these systems is to characterize at the molecular level mechanical events associated with individual reaction steps in the catalytic cycles of single enzyme molecules. Ideally, one would like to measure movements driven by single (or a few) enzyme molecules with sufficient temporal resolution and spatial precision that these events can be directly observed. Kinesin, a force-generating ATPase involved in microtubule-based intracellular organelle transport, will drive the unidirectional movement of microscopic plastic beads along microtubules in vitro. Under certain conditions, a few (less than or equal to 10) kinesin molecules may be sufficient to drive either bead movement or organelle transport. Here we describe a method for determining precise positional information from light-microscope images. The method is applied to measure kinesin-driven bead movements in vitro with a precision of 1-2 nm. Our measurements reveal basic mechanical features of kinesin-driven movements along the microtubule lattice, and place significant constraints on possible molecular mechanisms of movement.     

烷基双（1,1—二甲基—2—炔丙基）胺和1,8—丙炔萘的合成

研究烷基双（１,１－二甲基－２－炔丙基）胺和１,８－二乙炔萘的制备方法。方法 从廉价原料丙酮和乙炔出发,经６步反应制备未见献报道和烷基二炔丙胺８ａ,８ｂ,８ｃ和以萘甲酸酐为起始物经８步反应制备１,８－二丙炔萘。结果 合成未见献报道的烷基二炔丙胺,并对１,８－二丙炔萘的合成方法作了改进。结论 该方法可用于一些天然化合物的合成以及含炔丙胺的药物,材料的合成。     

自蔓延高温合成技术及发展

本文简述了自蔓延高温合成的发展历史,最新成就和各种技术。主要介绍了化合物和复杂化合物粉的合成,烧结,热致密化,铸造和离心铸造,焊接、涂层以及燃烧波和燃烧机制方面的理论研究。     

Vernier templating and synthesis of a 12-porphyrin nano-ring

Templates are widely used to arrange molecular components so they can be covalently linked into complex molecules that are not readily accessible by classical synthetic methods. Nature uses sophisticated templates such as the ribosome, whereas chemists use simple ions or small molecules. But as we tackle the synthesis of larger targets, we require larger templates-which themselves become synthetically challenging. Here we show that Vernier complexes can solve this problem: if the number of binding sites on the template, n(T), is not a multiple of the number of binding sites on the molecular building blocks, n(B), then small templates can direct the assembly of relatively large Vernier complexes where the number of binding sites in the product, n(P), is the lowest common multiple of n(B) and n(T) (refs 8, 9). We illustrate the value of this concept for the covalent synthesis of challenging targets by using a simple six-site template to direct the synthesis of a 12-porphyrin nano-ring with a diameter of 4.7?nm, thus establishing Vernier templating as a powerful new strategy for the synthesis of large monodisperse macromolecules.     

对镍（II）苯四甲酸和咪唑三元配合物的研究

镍（II）,苯四甲酸和咪唑的三元配合物已被合成并被表征,通过红外光谱,紫外光谱,差热分析和无素分析等实验推测出其可能的结构,其结构的主要特征是一种多核配合物,并通过在羧基,配位水分子和结晶水分子间存在的几种氢键形成一种三维网状结构,该配合物化学式为｛[Ni(TCB)2/2(IMI)2H2O][Ni(IMI)4(H2O2]｝（H2O）2。