Vadim V. Kachala

The First Molecular Level Monitoring of Carbohydrate Conversion to 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural in Ionic Liquids. B2O3—An Efficient Dual‐Function Metal‐Free Promoter for Environmentally Benign Applications

The mechanistic nature of the conversion of carbohydrates to the sustainable platform chemical 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) was revealed at the molecular level. A detailed study of the key sugar units involved in the biomass conversion process has shown that the simple dissolution of fructose in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride significantly changes the anomeric composition and favors the formation of the open fructoketose form. A special NMR approach was developed for the determination of molecular structures and monitoring of chemical reactions directly in ionic liquids. The transformation of glucose to 5-HMF has been followed in situ through the detection of intermediate species. A new environmentally benign, easily available, metal-free promoter with a dual functionality (B(2)O(3)) was developed for carbohydrate conversion to 5-HMF.

Critical Influence of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Aging and Decomposition on the Utility of Biomass Conversion in Organic Synthesis.

Spectral studies revealed the presence of a specific arrangement of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) molecules in solution as a result of a hydrogen-bonding network, and this arrangement readily facilitates the aging of 5-HMF. Deterioration of the quality of this platform chemical limits its practical applications, especially in synthesis/pharma areas. The model drug Ranitidine (Zantac®) was synthesized with only 15 % yield starting from 5-HMF which was isolated and stored as an oil after a biomass conversion process. In contrast, a much higher yield of 65 % was obtained by using 5-HMF isolated in crystalline state from an optimized biomass conversion process. The molecular mechanisms responsible for 5-HMF decomposition in solution were established by NMR and ESI-MS studies. A highly selective synthesis of a 5-HMF derivative from glucose was achieved using a protecting group at O(6) position.

Photoinduced skeletal rearrangement of diarylethenes comprising oxazole and phenyl rings.

A novel photochemical rearrangement of diarylethenes bearing oxazole and benzene derivatives as aryl moieties that results in the formation of polyaromatic systems was investigated. The mechanism of the transformation includes photocyclization, sequential [1,9] and [1,3]-hydrogen shifts, as well as a lateral oxazole ring-opening process. It was shown that this reaction can be an effective synthetically preparative method for the preparation of naphthalene (polyaromatic) derivatives.

PMR and 13C NMR Spectra of Biologically Active Compounds. XII. Taraxasterol and Its Acetate from the Aerial Part of Onopordum acanthium

Crystalline taraxasterol and its acetate were isolated for the first time from Onopordum acanthium. Two-dimensional COSY, HSQC, and HMBC NMR experimentswere carried out forcomplete assignment of signals in the PMR and 13C NMR. Chemical shifts of stereochemically important methyl C atoms C-28 and C-29 were measured.

O-polysaccharide structure in serogroup I azospirilla

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and O-specific polysaccharides (OPS) were obtained from the outer membrane of four Azospirillum strains previously assigned to serogroup I based on the serological affinity revealed by the antibodies (AB) to the LPS of A. brasilense Sp245. Investigation, including determination of monosaccharide composition, methylation analysis, and one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, was carried out to determine the OPS structure. The OPSs of A. brasilense Sp107 and S27 and of A. lipoferum RG20a were found to have an identical structure of repeating units represented by a linear penta-D-rhamnan, as was previously described for the OPSs of A. brasilense Sp245 and SR75. The OPS of A. brasilense SR15 was found to consist of tetrasaccharide repeating units of the following structure: → 2)-α-D-Rhap-(1 → 2)-β-D-Rhap-(1 → 3)-α-D-Rhap-(1 → 2)-α-D-Rhap-(1 →. An opine compound, Nδ-(1-carboxyethyl)-ornithine, closely associated with the LPS of A. brasilense SR15, was identified in azospirilla for the first time. The presence of a 6-deoxisugar (D-rhamnose) in the OPS structure was shown to be the chemical basis of the serological similarity and the reason for classification of these strains within the serogroup I.

New bacteriochlorin derivatives with a fused N-aminoimide ring

Upon interaction of hydrazine hydrate with bacteriopurpurin, the initially formed monohydrazide in an acidic medium readily reacts with the second carboxyl group to give a six-membered N-aminocycloimide of bacteriochlorin p6. The free amino group at the fused imide ring makes it easy to obtain N-alkyl and N-acyl derivatives. The compounds thus obtained exhibit high light-induced cytotoxicity on A549 human adenocarcinoma cells.

General Photoinduced Sequential Electrocyclization/[1,9]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement/Ring-Opening Reaction of Diarylethenes.

A novel and efficient photochemical transformation of diarylethenes comprising a five-membered heterocyclic ring and phenyl moiety is described. This reaction provides a simple method for the preparation of functionalized naphthalene derivatives via photorearrangement reaction of diarylethenes, and the process is characterized by high efficiency that was determined by NMR monitoring. Some mechanistic aspects of this process have been also explored. It was found that the reaction includes tandem transformation of three basic processes: the photocyclization of the hexatriene system, [1,9]-sigmatropic rearrangement, and heterocyclic ring opening. Diarylethenes with different heterocycle moieties (thiophene, benzo[b]thiophene, furan, indole, imidazole, thiazole, oxazole, pyrazole) have been involved into this process, and the target naphthalenes with good yields have been obtained. The opportunity for use in the transformation of diarylethenes with different heterocyclic residues permits synthesis of naphthalenes with desired functional groups. The general character and high efficiency of the reaction promise that the transformation can be an effective synthetic route for the annulation of benzene rings to various aromatic systems, including heterocycles.

Synthesis of 1,2,3,4-tetrazino[5,6-f]benzo-1,2,3,4-tetrazine 1,3,7,9-tetra-N-oxides.

Abstract1,2,3,4-Tetrazino[5,6-g]benzo-1,2,3,4-tetrazine 1,3,7,9-tetraoxides, which possess an-thracene-type annulation of the benzene ring with two 1,2,3,4-tetrazine 1,3-dioxide fragments, were obtained for the first time from aminobenzenes containing tert-butyl-NNO-azoxy groups in appropriate positions. Complete assignments of the signals in the 1H, 13C, and 14N NMR spectra of the compounds obtained were carried out.

3-R-4-Nitro-6,7-furoxanobenzo[ d ]isoxazoles – a new type of condensed nitroarenes capable of Diels–Alder reaction

Pericyclic [4+2] cycloaddition (Diels–Alder reaction) of nitrofuroxanobenzo[d]isoxazoles, capable of acting both as dienophiles (at the C=CNO2 bond) or heterodienes (at the C=C–N(O)=O fragment) was used to synthesize a new type of condensed polycyclic systems. The obtained compounds combining in one molecule two pharmacophore moieties, furoxan (nitric oxide donor) and substituted isoxazole, may be considered as a potential basis for the design of compounds with dual biological activity.

Malonyl-ginsenoside content of a cell-suspension culture of Panax japonicus var. repens

The presence of large amounts of ginsenosides malonyl-Rb1, -Rc, -Rb2, and -Rd in a suspension culture of Panax japonicus var. repens cells was demonstrated for the first time. Identification of ginsenoside malonyl-Rb1 was based on chromatographic, chemical, and spectroscopic evidence. Ginsenosides malonyl-Rc, -Rb2, and -Rd were identified on the basis of chromatographic and chemical data. Content and composition of the individual ginsenosides (Rg1, R0, malonyl-Rb1, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, and Rd) were monitored in the suspension culture over 4 years. The RP-HPLC-UV analysis showed that Rg1, R0, and malonyl-Rb1 accounted for more than 75% of the total pool of ginsenosides. In accordance with this result, and data analysis reported in the literature, we propose that ginsenoside formation in the cells of P. japonicus var. repens in vitro is closely related to the cellular compartmentation of these substances. In particular, the accumulation of the 20(S)-protopanaxadiol ginsenosides (especially Rb1) is strongly dependent on their pattern of malonylation, which likely targets them for transport into the vacuole.