Fabrizio Roncaglia

Axially Chiral Enamides: Substituent Effects, Rotation Barriers, and Implications for their Cyclization Reactions

The barrier to rotation around the N-alkenyl bond of 38 N-alkenyl-N-alkylacetamide derivatives was measured (ΔG(⧧) rotation varied between <8.0 and 31.0 kcal mol(-1)). The most important factor in controlling the rate of rotation was the level of alkene substitution, followed by the size of the nitrogen substituent and, finally, the size of the acyl substituent. Tertiary enamides with four alkenyl substituents exhibited half-lives for rotation between 5.5 days and 99 years at 298 K, sufficient to isolate enantiomerically enriched atropisomers. The radical cyclizations of a subset of N-alkenyl-N-benzyl-α-haloacetamides exhibiting relatively high barriers to rotation round the N-alkenyl bond (ΔG(⧧) rotation >20 kcal mol(-1)) were studied to determine the regiochemistry of cyclization. Those with high barriers (>27 kcal mol(-1)) did not lead to cyclization, but those with lower values produced highly functionalized γ-lactams via a 5-endo-trig radical-polar crossover process that was terminated by reduction, an unusual cyclopropanation sequence, or trapping with H2O, depending upon the reaction conditions. Because elevated temperatures were necessary for cyclization, this precluded study of the asymmetric transfer in the reaction of individual atropisomers. However, enantiomerically enriched atropsiomeric enamides should be regarded as potential asymmetric building blocks for reactions that can be accomplished at room temperature.

Expedient Synthesis, on Large Scale, of Aliphatic Chaetomellic Anhydrides from N-Allyl-2,2-dichlorocarboxyamides

Chaetomellic anhydride A and an analog (with two additional carbons) were obtained, on a preparative scale, starting from amides derived from the acylation of 2-(2-propenylamino)pyridine with 2,2-dichloropalmitic or 2,2-dichlorostearic acid. An alternative approach, in which the methyl substituent of the target anhydride is introduced by the carboxylic acid reactant and the long aliphatic chain is added through the allylamino moiety, proved unviable.

Novel route to chaetomellic acid A and analogues: Serendipitous discovery of a more competent FTase inhibitor

A new practical route to chaetomellic acid A (ACA), based on the copper catalysed radical cyclization (RC) of (Z)-3-(2,2-dichloropropanoyl)-2-pentadecylidene-1,3-thiazinane, is described. Remarkably, the process entailed: (i) a one-pot preparation of the intermediate N-α-perchloroacyl-2-(Z)-alkyliden-1,3-thiazinanes starting from N-(3-hydroxypropyl)palmitamide, (ii) a two step smooth transformation of the RC products into ACA and (iii) only one intermediate chromatographic purification step. The method offers a versatile approach to the preparation of ACA analogues, through the synthesis of an intermediate maleic anhydride with a vinylic group at the end of the aliphatic tail, a function that can be transformed through a thiol-ene coupling. Serendipitously, the disodium salt of 2-(9-(butylthio)nonyl)-3-methylmaleic acid, that we prepared as a representative sulfurated ACA analogue, was a more competent FTase inhibitor than ACA. This behaviour was analysed by a molecular docking study.

2,2-Dichlorination of Aldehydes with the 2,6-Lutidine·HCl/Cl2/CH2Cl2 System: an Environmentally Benign Process Suitable for Scale Up

Abstract An effective and environmentally benign preparation of 2,2-dichloroaldehydes has been achieved by chlorination of aldehydes with Cl 2 (g) in CH 2 Cl 2 , using 2,6-lutidine hydrochloride as recoverable catalyst. Remarkable qualities of the process are: easy work up, high purity products, HCl as the only ‘waste’ stream and inherent bias to the scale up.

Acetic Anhydride/Et3N/DMAP: An Effective Acetylating System for Hemiacetals

Abstract The selective and efficient acetylation of the hemiacetal hydroxyl in the equilibrium mixture between RCl2C(OAll)OH and AllOH/RCl2CHO was achieved using the acylating system Ac2O/Et3N/dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP).

New Silver(I) Coordination Polymer with Fe4 Single-Molecule Magnets as Long Spacer

In continuation of our work on supramolecular architectures of single-molecule magnets (SMMs) as a promising strategy in developing their magnetic performance, in this paper we report the synthesis and single crystal X-ray structure of the centered triangular tetrairon(III) SMM, [Fe4(PhpPy)2(dpm)6], Fe4 (Hdpm = dipivaloylmethane, H3PhpPy = 2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-(4-(pyridine-4-yl)phenyl)propane-1,3-diol), and its assembly in the coordination polymer {[Fe4(PhpPy)2(dpm)6Ag](ClO4)}n, Fe4Ag, upon reaction with silver(I) perchlorate. Thanks to the presence of the pyridyl rings on the two tripodal ligands, Fe4 behaves as divergent ditopic linker, and due to the Fe4:AgClO4 1:1 ratio, Fe4Ag probably possesses a linear arrangement in which silver(I) ions are linearly coordinated by two nitrogen atoms, forming 1D chains whose positive charge is balanced by the perchlorate anions. The stabilization of such a polymeric structure can be ascribed to the long distance between the two donor nitrogen atoms (23.4 A) and their donor power. Fe4Ag shows slow relaxation of the magnetization which follows a thermally activated process with Ueff/kB = 11.17(18) K, τ0 = 2.24(17) 10−7 s in zero field, and Ueff/kB = 14.49(5) K, τ0 = 3.88(8) 10−7 s in 1-kOe applied field, in line with what reported for tetrairon(III) SMMs acting as building blocks in polymeric structures.

Filling the Gap in Extended Metal Atom Chains: Ferromagnetic Interactions in a Tetrairon(II) String Supported by Oligo-α-pyridylamido Ligands

The stringlike complex [Fe4(tpda)3Cl2] (2; H2tpda = N2, N6-bis(pyridin-2-yl)pyridine-2,6-diamine) was obtained as the first homometallic extended metal atom chain based on iron(II) and oligo-α-pyridylamido ligands. The synthesis was performed under strictly anaerobic and anhydrous conditions using dimesityliron, [Fe2(Mes)4] (1; HMes = mesitylene), as both an iron source and a deprotonating agent for H2tpda. The four lined-up iron(II) ions in the structure of 2 (Fe···Fe = 2.94-2.99 Å, Fe···Fe···Fe = 171.7-168.8°) are wrapped by three doubly deprotonated twisted ligands, and the chain is capped at its termini by two chloride ions. The spectroscopic and electronic properties of 2 were investigated in dichloromethane by UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy, 1H NMR spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical measurements showed four fully resolved, quasi-reversible one-electron-redox processes, implying that 2 can adopt five oxidation states in a potential window of only 0.8 V. Direct current (dc) magnetic measurements indicate dominant ferromagnetic coupling at room temperature, although the ground state is only weakly magnetic. On the basis of density functional theory and angular overlap model calculations, this magnetic behavior was explained as being due to two pairs of ferromagnetically coupled iron(II) ions ( J = -21 cm-1 using JŜ i·Ŝ j convention) weakly antiferromagnetically coupled with each other. Alternating-current susceptibility data in the presence of a 2 kOe dc field and at frequencies up to 1.5 kHz revealed the onset of slow magnetic relaxation below 2.8 K, with the estimated energy barrier Ueff/ kB = 10.1(1.3) K.