Alexander S. Konev

Stereoselective cycloaddition of dibenzoxazepinium ylides to acetylenes and fullerene C60. Conformational behavior of 3-aryldibenzo[b,f]pyrrolo[1,2-d][1,4]oxazepine systems.

Cycloaddition of dibenzoxazepinium ylides to acetylene carboxylates leads to cis-3-aryl-3,13b-dihydrodibenzo[b,f]pyrrolo[1,2-d][1,4]oxazepinecarboxylates, which smoothly dehydrogenate to the corresponding pyrrole derivatives. The o-bromophenyl-substituted pyrrole, in contrast to the pyrroline analogue, demonstrates atropoisomerism. Stereoselective cycloaddition of dibenzoxazepinium ylides to fullerene C(60) gives rise to fulleropyrrolidines with cis-configuration. Restricted Ph group rotation is found in the phenyl derivative. Only one of two possible atropoisomers is formed in the reaction of o-bromophenyl-substituted ylide with fullerene C(60). Details of cycloaddition and conformational behavior of cycloadducts were studied by DFT computations.

Synthesis and Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Properties of an Axially Symmetric Fullerene–Porphyrin Dyad with a Rigid Pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole Spacer

A new approach to porphyrinofullerene donor-acceptor dyads, based on consecutive 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides, generated from bis-aziridinedicarboxylate, to C60 and to porphyrin with a maleimidophenyl substituent, was developed. A synthesis of the axially symmetric porphyrin-fullerene-C60 ensemble 5 with a novel rigid pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrolic linker was realized. Theoretical, electrochemical, and spectroscopic studies of compound 5 showed that it is capable of forming a charge-separated state.

An efficient approach to azirino and pyrrolo-fused dibenzazepines. Conformations of substituted dibenzo[c,f]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepines

An effective approach to azepino-fused heterocycles is described. trans-1-Aryl-7,11b-dihydro-1H-azirino[1,2-a]dibenzo[c,f]azepines were synthesised via a domino sequence: isomerization of gem-dichloroaziridine-intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation of the tethered benzene ring catalysed by SnCl(4) and subsequent hydride induced intramolecular cyclization. Cycloaddition of dibenzazepinium ylides, generated by heating these aziridines, to activated C[double bond]C, C[triple bond]C dipolarophiles and fullerene C(60), leads to derivatives of dibenzo[c,f]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine. The reaction proceeds with complete stereoselectivity via cycloaddition of only W-ylide, which due to the high barrier does not undergo E,Z-isomerization under the reaction conditions. It was found that 2,3,9,13b-tetrahydro-1H-dibenzo[c,f]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine systems can exist in conformations of two types depending on the substituents at the pyrrolidine carbons in β-position with respect to nitrogen. Details of cycloaddition reactions and the conformational behavior of cycloadducts were studied by DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level.

Monofluoro-substituted azomethine ylides in fluorocarbene reactions with imines. Synthesis and transformations of monofluoroaziridines

N-Arylmethylene and N-benzhydrylideneamines react with fluorocarbene yielding fluoro-substituted azomethine ylides that undergo 1,3-π-cyclization into aziridines. Generation of fluoroylides in the presence of dipolarophiles (dimethyl maleate or dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate) led to the reaction of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition resulting in substituted 2-pyrrolines or pyrroles. 2-Fluoroaziridines, products of N-alkyl-N-benzhydrylideneamines 1,3-π-cyclization, in the presence of acid catalysts suffer isomerization into α-fluoroimines and 1,3-disubstituted indoles.

Stereoselective synthesis of cis- and trans-2′,5′-disubstituted N-arylpyrrolo[3′,4′:1,9](C60-Ih)[5,6]fullerenes by the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides from dialkyl aziridinedicarboxylates to fullerene C60

A stereoselective method for the synthesis of 2′,5′-disubstituted N-arylpyrrolofullerenes from anilines, alkyl glyoxylates, alkyl diazoacetates, and fullerene C60 was proposed. The key step of the synthesis is the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of fullerene with azomethine ylides generated by heating of dialkyl aziridinedicarboxylates. The thermal opening of the aziridine ring to azomethine ylide and the cycloaddition of the latter to C60 at 100 °C are nearly completely stereoselective: only trans-adducts are formed from cis-aziridines, whereas trans-aziridines give exclusively cis-adducts.

Synthesis of New Porphyrin-Fullerene Dyads Capable of Forming Charge-Separated States on a Microsecond Lifetime Scale.

A series of covalently linked axially symmetric porphyrin-fullerene dyads with a rigid pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrolic linker enabling a fixed and orthogonal arrangement of the chromophores has been synthesized and studied by means of transient absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The lifetime of the charge-separated state has been found to depend on the substituents on the porphyrin core, reaching up to 4 μs for a species with meso-(p-MeOC6H4) substituents. The ground and excited electronic states of model compounds have been calculated at the DFT and TD-DFT B3LYP(6-31G(d)) levels of theory and analyzed with regard to the effect of the substituent on the stabilization of the charge-separated state in the porphyrin-fullerene ensemble with a view to explaining the observed dependence.

Photocurrent in Multilayered Assemblies of Porphyrin-Fullerene Covalent Dyads: Evidence for Channels for Charge Transport.

Specially designed porphyrin-fullerene dyads have been synthesized to verify literature predictions based on quantum chemistry calculations that certain porphyrin-fullerene dyads are able to self-arrange into specific structures providing channels for charge transport in a bulk mass of organic compound. According to AFM and SEM data, the newly synthesized compounds were indeed prone to some kind of self-arrangement, although to a lesser degree than was expected. A dispersion corrected DFT study of the molecular non-covalent interactions performed at the DFT-D3 (B3LYP, 6-31G*) level of theory showed that the least energy corresponded to head-to-head dimers, with close contacts of porphyrin-porphyrin and fullerene-fullerene fragments, thus providing a unit building block of the channel for charge transport. Experimental proof for the existence of channels for charge transport was obtained by observing a photocurrent in a simple photovoltaic cell.

Monofluorinated aziridines in asymmetric synthesis of chiral fluorinated prop-2-yn-1-amines

Nonracemic C-fluoroaziridines were synthesized for the first time by reaction of fluorocarbene with N-diphenylmethylidene-substituted natural amino acid esters. The products were shown to be used in asymmetric synthesis of chiral fluorinated prop-2-yn-1-amines via one-pot process involving isomerization of 2-fluoroaziridines into α-fluoro imines and subsequent reaction with alkynyldifluoroborane generated in situ.

Diastereospecific and highly site-selective functionalization of C70 fullerene by reaction with diethyl N-arylaziridine-2,3-dicarboxylates

The diastereospecific and highly site-selective cycloaddition of N-arylazomethine ylides generated in situ from diethyl N-arylaziridine-2,3-dicarboxylates to C70 fullerene is reported. The reaction provides C70 fulleropyrrolidines in up to hundreds on a milligram scale as α- and β-adducts in a 4:1 ratio with a controlled stereochemical outcome: cis-aziridines give exclusively trans-adducts, and trans-aziridines give only cis-adducts. The 1H and 13C{1H} NMR spectra for different isomeric adducts were recorded and analyzed to identify some characteristic features, which permit an easy identification of isomeric adducts of this type.

Novel Porphyrin–Fullerene Covalent Dyads Capable of Forming Charge-Separated States on a Microsecond Lifetime Scale

Porphyrin–fullerene dyads, among other donor-acceptor systems, evoke interest as prospective materials for the conversion of solar energy. The principle of their action can be envisioned as depicted in Fig. 20.1