[reaction: see text] A novel palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction between two Csp(3)-Csp(3) centers has been investigated. This protocol is initiated by the oxidative addition of an alpha-halo carbonyl compound to a palladium(0) species, followed by the double transmetalation. The key dialkyl palladium intermediate undergoes reductive elimination to form the desired coupling product.

A series of monoligated L·Pd(II)(Ar)X complexes (L = dialkyl biaryl phosphine) have been prepared and studied in an effort to better understand an unusual dearomative rearrangement previously documented in these systems. Experimental and theoretical evidence suggest a concerted process involving the unprecedented Pd(II)-mediated insertion of an aryl group into an unactivated arene.

4-(Dimethylamino)benzaldehyde is alkylated at the N atom by dialkyl sulfates, MeI, or Me3O BF4. In contrast, ethylation by Et3O BF4 occurs selectively at the O atom yielding a quinoid iminium ion. 4-(Diethylamino)benzaldehyde is alkylated only at O by either Et or Me oxonium reagent. The iminium salts are prone to hydrolysis giving the corresponding hydrotetrafluoroborates. Five crystal structu...

Organic base-catalyzed reaction of (S)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl (3,3,3)-trifluoroacetaldimine with dialkyl malonates was found to be effective for synthesis of both (S,S(S)) and (R,S(S)) β-aminomalonates in high yield with good to excellent diastereoselectivity (76-98% de). The products of this Mannich reaction provide direct access to β-trifluoromethyl-β-alanine of either (R) or (S) absolute conf...

A water-soluble squaric acid dialkyl diester derivative is presented, which enables one-pot, two-step amine-selective protein conjugation reactions with (functional) amines in water. This reagent not only allows all-aqueous protein modifications, but also tolerates e.g. hydroxyl groups and can also be used for the modification of proteins with water-insoluble amines.

We synthesized and characterized bromide-bridged Pd(III) chain complexes, [Pd(en)2Br](MalCn-Y)2·H2O (en = ethylenediamine; MalCn-Y = dialkyl sulfomalonate; n: the number of carbon atoms) (n = 7 and 12). The compound with n = 7 showed charge-bistability near room temperature. In addition, it is shown that the Pd(III) state is maintained in the thin film state.

The reaction of triarylantimony diacetates [Ar3Sb(OAc)2] with dialkyl H-phosphites [H-PO(OR)2] in the presence of a Pd(PPh3)4 (5 mol%) catalyst led to the formation of arylphosphonates in moderate to excellent yield under base-free conditions. This reaction is the first example of carbon-phosphorus bond formation by using an organoantimony compound as a pseudo-halide.

Normal mode calculations have been done on 92 disulfide bridges in 25 known protein structures in order to correlate the SS stretch frequency with the CCSS dihedral angle. It is possible to classify the frequencies into four major categories, which provide a more detailed classification scheme than previously proposed from dialkyl disulfide correlations.

We report here that polysubstituted dihydroisoquinolones and isoquinolones can be constructed by the one-pot reaction of the readily available acyclic α,β-unsaturated carbonyl precursors and dialkyl glutaconates under mild basic conditions (1-45 min for the former vs. 1-6 h for the latter) via the domino process involving [3+3] annulation/intramolecular aza-cyclization.