One-pot Synthetic Approaches for the Construction of Isochroman-4-ones and Benzoxazin-3-ones Using O,P-Acetals

A method for synthesizing six-membered heterocyclic compounds was developed based on the features of O,P-acetals. Sequential reactions of intramolecular cyclization between the methylene carbon atom of O,P-acetal and its electrophilic functional group (ester or protected carbamate) was followed by Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) olefination with various aldehydes. The developed one-pot method yielded isochroman-4-one and benzoxazin-3-one derivatives with an alkylidene moiety.

Catalytic cleavage of HEAT and subsequent covalent binding of the tetralone moiety by the SARS-CoV-2 main protease

Here we present the crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) covalently bound to 2-methyl-1-tetralone. This complex was obtained by co-crystallization of Mpro with HEAT (2-(((4-hydroxyphenethyl)amino)methyl)-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one) in the framework of a large X-ray crystallographic screening project of Mpro against a drug repurposing library, consisting of 5632 approved drugs or compounds in clinical phase trials. Further investigations showed that HEAT is cleaved by Mpro in an E1cB-like reaction mechanism into 2-methylene-1-tetralone and tyramine. The catalytic Cys145 subsequently binds covalently in a Michael addition to the methylene carbon atom of 2-methylene-1-tetralone. According to this postulated model HEAT is acting in a pro-drug-like fashion. It is metabolized by Mpro, followed by covalent binding of one metabolite to the active site. The structure of the covalent adduct elucidated in this study opens up a new path for developing non-peptidic inhibitors.

Crystal structure of 1-butyl-3-{2-[(indan-5-yl)amino]-2-oxoethyl}-1H-imidazol-3-ium chloride

In the cation of the title molecular salt, C18H24N3O+·Cl−, an intramolecular C—H...O hydrogen bond stabilizes the almost coplanar orientation of the aromatic ring of the indane unit and the amide plane. In the crystal, the packing is dominated by intermolecular C—H...Cl hydrogen-bonding interactions that result in the formation of slab-like structures propagating along [010]. The slabs are linked by weak C—H...O interactions, forming layers lying parallel to (100). The methylene carbon atom of the indanyl substituent is disordered over two positions with a refined occupancy ratio of 0.84 (2):0.16 (2). The crystal studied was refined as a twin with matrix [1 0 0.9, 0 \overline{1} 0, 0 0 \overline{1}]; the resulting BASF value is 0.30.

SN2 and SN2′ reaction dynamics of cyclopropenyl chloride with halide ion — A direct ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) study

Direct ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) calculations have been carried out for the reaction of cyclopropenyl chloride with halide ion (F–) (F– + (CH)3Cl → F(CH)3 + Cl–) in gas phase. Both SN2 and SN2′ channels were found as product channels. These channels are strongly dependent on the collision angle of F– to the target (CH)3Cl molecule. The collision at one of the carbon atoms of the C=C double bond leads to the SN2′ reaction channel; whereas the collision at the methylene carbon atom leads to the SN2 reaction channel. The reactions proceed via a direct mechanism without long-lived complexes. The reaction mechanism is discussed on the basis of the theoretical results.Key words: SN2 reaction, direct ab initio molecular dynamics, halogen exchange, reaction mechanism.

Bacterial metabolism of fluorene, dibenzofuran, dibenzothiophene, and carbazole

Fluorene and its three heteroatomic analogs, dibenzofuran, dibenzothiophene, and carbazole, are environmental contaminants in areas impacted by spills of creosote. In addition, dibenzofuran has been used as an insecticide, and it is formed from the photolysis of chlorinated biphenyl ethers. Many biodegradation studies of dibenzofuran have considered it as a model for chlorinated dibenzofurans, which are of greater environmental concern. This paper reviews the bacterial degradation of fluorene and its analogs. These compounds are susceptible to three different modes of initial oxidation: (i) the naphthalene-like attack, in which one of the aromatic rings is oxidized to a dihydrodiol; (ii) an angular dioxygenase attack, in which the carbon bonded to the methylene group in fluorene or to the heteroatoms in the analogs, and the adjacent carbon in the aromatic ring are both oxidized; and (iii) the five-membered ring attack, in which the methylene carbon atom in fluorene or the sulfur atom in dibenzothiophene is oxidized. The metabolites, enzymology, and genetics of these transformation are summarized. Literature data are presented, indicating that the electronegativity of the atom connecting the two aromatic rings influences the attack of the angular dioxygenase. In dibenzofuran and carbazole, the connecting atoms, O and N respectively, have high electronegativities, and these compounds serve as substrates for angular dioxygenases. In contrast, the connecting atoms in dibenzothiophene and fluorene, S and C respectively, have lower electronegativities, and these atoms must be oxidized before the angular dioxygenases attack these compounds.Key words: angular dioxygenase, carbazole, dibenzofuran, dibenzothiophene, fluorene.

The effect of adenosine triphosphate on porphyrin excretion and on glycine metabolism in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides

1. ATP, GTP, CTP and UTP at concentrations of 1mm markedly decrease the amount of coproporphyrin excreted by Rhodopseudomonas spheroides illuminated in a medium containing glycine, succinate and fumarate. 2. The effect of ATP is decreased if ethionine is also added to the medium. 3. Evidence is presented showing that ATP is taken up by the organisms from the medium. 4. ATP is shown to have a marked effect on the utilization of glycine. In the presence of ATP the incorporation of the methylene carbon atom of glycine into the fatty acid moieties of the phospholipids is greatly increased, and more of the carboxyl carbon atom is lost, probably as carbon dioxide. 5. ATP has little effect on the utilization of succinate or fumarate. 6. The possible significance of these results with regard to the control by ATP of porphyrin synthesis and excretion and glycine metabolism is discussed.

HINDERED CONFORMATIONAL ISOMERIZATION OF 9,10-DIHYDRO-9,9-DIMETHYL-10-METHYLENEANTHRACENES

While the n.m.r. spectrum of 10,10-dimethyl-9-methylene-9,10-dihydroanthracene (I) shows the geminal methyl group absorption as a sharp singlet the spectrum of the dibromo derivative, 10,10-dimethyl-9-dibromomethylene-9,10-dihydroanthracene (II) shows the methyl absorptions as two sharp well-separated peaks at room temperature which coalesce at 91°. 10,10-Dimethyl-9-phenylbromomethylene-9,10-dihydroanthracene (III), and the methyl ester (V) of IV show a broad geminal methyl spectrum at room temperature which separates to a doublet at lower temperatures and sharpens to a singlet at higher temperatures. Rate constants for the first-order processes responsible for the change in spectrum of II, III, and V have been calculated at the coalescence temperatures to be 57 (364 °K), 35 (305 °K), and 61 (300 °K) sec−1, respectively. The ΔH≠'s were used to extrapolate the rates to 305° to give values of 1, 40, and 100 sec−1, respectively. The process being studied is inferred to be the equilibrium between two boat conformations of the center ring in the dihydroanthracene system, rapid interconversion leading to identical environments for the two methyl groups. A comparison with the geometrically similar o,o′-disubstituted biphenyl racemization gives support for this explanation. A number of compounds with a proton and one substituent on the methylene carbon atom of I (substituents: bromine, chlorine, phenyl, carboxy, carbomethoxy, phenylmercapto) and also 10,10-dimethyl-9-phenylcarbomethoxymethylene-9,10-dihydroanthracene (XII) showed a single methyl absorption at room temperature. The methyl spectrum of the mono bromo compound VI did not broaden at temperatures down to 246 °K.

The stereochemistry of β -diketo complexes with trimethylplatinum iv. III. The crystal structure of trimethyl (acetylacetonyl-) 2:2'-bipyridyl platinum

The results of an X -ray crystal structure analysis of the crystalline complex, (CH 3 ) 3 Pt(CH 3 . CO . CH . CO . CH 3 )C 10 H 8 N 2 , formed by trimethylplatinum with acetylacetone and 2:2'-bipyridyl are presented. There are four monomeric molecules in a monoclinic unit cell having a = 14.863, b = 8.480, c = 13.749 Å, β = 99° 24' at 110±10 °K and space group P 2 1 / c . The atomic positions have been determined by three-dimensional analysis from observations collected at 100 to 120 °K. Refinement, including allowance for anisotropic thermal motion, was carried out by the method of least squares until the value of the residual R was 0.084. The platinum atom is octahedrally co-ordinated to three methyl groups in the cis configuration (Pt—C = 2.05 Å), to the two nitrogen atoms of the bipyridyl (Pt—N = 2.15 Å) and to the central or ‘active methylene’ carbon atom of acetylacetone (Pt—C = 2.36 Å). The oxygen atoms of the acetylacetone take no part in the co-ordination; this is the first example of a β -diketone acting as an unidentate ligand solely through a carbon atom. Comparison of the bond lengths in this and in the dimeric trimethyl 4:6-dioxononyl platinum suggests that in both compounds the β -diketone is in the keto and not the enol form; in the present compound the oxygen atoms are not chelated and the C=0 bonds are not parallel.

The stereochemistry of B -diketo complexes with trim ethylplatinum iv II. The crystal structure of ethyl(trim ethylplatini-)- acetoacetate

A three-dimensional X-ray crystal structure analysis of the complex between trimethyl platinum and ethylacetoacetate, (CH 3 ) 3 Pt CH 3 . CO. CH. CO OC 2 H 5 , has shown that the molecule is dimeric. In a monoclinic unit cell (a = 8.83, b = 14.12, c = 9.30 Å, β = 95°, space group P2 1 / c ) there are two centrosymmetrical dimeric molecules in which each platinum atom is octahedrally co-ordinated by three methyl groups, in the cis configuration, by the two carbonyl oxygen atoms of one β -ketoester and by the central, or ‘active methylene’ carbon atom of the other β -ketoester in the dimer. The structure is thus essentially the same as that of trimethyl 4:6-dioxononyl platinum (part I) and the result shows that complex formation via a tridentate β -diketo system is preferred to co-ordination through an ester oxygen. A critical account is given of the criteria used to judge the correctness of the results.

The Synthesis of 5,7-Dichlorocoumaran-3-one and Related Problems

5,7-Dichlorocoumaran-3-one has been prepared from methyl 2-hydroxy-3,5-dichlorobenzoate by a three stage synthesis. It could not be prepared by (i) intramolecular cyclization of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy- acetic acid or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetyl chloride or (ii) by the reaction of ω-bromo-2-hydroxy-3,5-dichloroacetophenone with bases. The reaction of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid with phosphorus pentoxide in benzene gave 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2',4'-dichlorophenyl 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate, and diphenylmethane. By the use of 14C-labelled acids the methylene carbon atom of the diphenylmethane was shown to be derived from the methylene carbon atom of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. A possible mechanism is proposed for this reaction.