Published papers

We report the first stereoselective synthesis of stable (E)- A nd (Z)-β-chlorovinyl-λ3-chlorane via direct mesitylation of 1,2-dichloroethylene with mesityldiazonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate under mild reaction conditions. The structure of the (E)-vinyl-λ3-chlorane was established by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Because of the enormously high leaving group ability of the aryl-λ3-chloranyl group, vinyl-λ3-chloranes undergo not only SNVσ-type reaction with extremely weak nucleophiles such as perfluoroalkanesulfonate, iodobenzene, and aromatic hydrocarbons but also coupling with phenylcopper(I) species.

The silaboration of [1.1.1]propellane enables direct introduction of B and Si functional groups onto the bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane (BCP) scaffold in high yield under mild, additive-free conditions. The silaborated BCP can be obtained on a gram-scale in a single step without the need for column-chromatographic purification, and is storable and easy to handle, providing a versatile synthetic intermediate for BCP derivatives. We also describe various conversions of the C−B/C−Si bonds on the BCP scaffold, including development of a modified Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction at the highly sterically hindered bridgehead sp3 carbon center of the BCP skeleton using a combination of highly activated BCP boronic esters, copper(I) oxide, and a PdCl2(dppf) catalyst system.

We report synthesis and characterization of near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing/emitting Thiele's hydrocarbon derivatives, in which four aryl groups are bridged to a quinodimethane skeleton. The quinoid structure of the bridged-tetra-aryl-p-quinodimethanes (BTAQs) was confirmed by spectroscopic, X-ray crystallographic, and computational methods. Although quinodimethane derivatives with a small HOMO-LUMO energy gap often exhibit biradical character, BTAQs showed no biradical character. Instead, they exhibited two-step near-infrared electrochromism. The donor/acceptor properties of the aryl groups were found to play a key role in the unique properties of BTAQs.

We designed, synthesized, and characterized two types of dimeric forms of monocarba-closo-dodecaborate, namely, a “dumbbell”-shaped dianion having a C−C bond and a “clackers”-shaped monoanion having an iodonium linker. The unique architectures of these anionic molecules were established by X-ray analysis. Spectroscopic analysis, DFT calculations, and reactivity experiments revealed high anionic and chemical stability of both anions, which are crucial properties for weakly coordinating anions.

Following the recent report of the chemical generation and trapping at room temperatures of C2, generated from an alkynyl phenyl iodonium salt, a computational analysis had indicated that both unimolecular fragmentation and bimolecular substitution mechanisms for the process could be envisaged. Here a combined theoretical and experimental analysis explores how the energetics of these mechanisms and resulting experimental products respond to variation in the nucleofuge. When the phenyl iodonium nucleofuge is replaced by pyridinium, trapping products are again obtained, which we conclude favours a bimolecular mechanism involving no free C2. Trapped products in greater yield were also observed using dibenzothiophenium as the nucleofuge in both condensed solution phase and most significantly in a two-flask room temperature experiment in which a volatile species, presumed to be C2, is transferred and trapped in a second flask. The energetics of the unimolecular fragmentation process producing C2 are predicted to be too high to correspond to a facile thermal reaction, which means that an experimental/theoretical dichotomy remains to be explained.

Planar chiral carbon nanorings and nanobelts (CNRs and CNBs), the sidewall segment molecules of chiral-type carbon nanotubes (CNTs), have attracted attention owing to their characteristic chiroptical properties. From the appropriate CNTs, axially or planar chiral CNRs and CNBs have been designed and synthesized, but multiply helical sidewall segments were almost unexplored due to the difficulty in simultaneous control of multiple chiralities. In this article, we have succeeded in the perfectly diastereo- and enantiocontrolled catalytic synthesis of a cycloparaphenylene with four helical and two planar chiralities showing good chiroptical responses as chiral organic molecules. The perfectly stereocontrolled multiply helical structure was confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The experimental and theoretical studies established the importance of the highly symmetric multiply helical structure in the cylindrical axis in obtaining good chiroptical responses.

We present the first synthesis of air/moisture-stable λ3-bromanes (9and10) by using a cyclic 1,2-benzbromoxol-3-one (BBX) strategy. X-ray crystallography and NMR and IR spectroscopy ofN-triflylimino-λ3-bromane (12) revealed that the bromine(III) center is effectively stabilized by intramolecular R-Br-O hypervalent bonding. This strategy enables the synthesis of a variety of air-, moisture-, and benchtop-stable Br-hydroxy, -acetoxy, -alkynyl, -aryl, and bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]methylide λ3-bromane derivatives.

A safe, rapid, and environmentally friendly synthesis of iodosylarene (ArIO) has been developed using NaClO under a carbon dioxide (CO2) atmosphere. Exposure of iodoarene to NaClO-5H2O in acetonitrile under CO2 (1 atm) resulted in the clean formation of ArIO within 10 minutes in high yield. The absence of a base in this method enables the direct use of in-situ-generated iodosylarene not only for a variety of oxidative transformations (synthesis of sulfilimine, pentavalent bismuth, benzyne adduct, etc.), but also for the synthesis of iodonium ylide and imino-λ3-iodane in one pot.

Alkyne π-bond activation by transition metal complexes has been well studied for cycloisomerization of enynes into bicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes, which can allow the introduction of carbon and oxygen functional groups concomitant with the construction of the core structures. However, the cycloisomerization of enynones through the activation of carbonyl groups into bicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes has not been achieved. Herein, we report the aluminum halide-mediated cycloisomerization of 7-en-2-ynones into halogenated bicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes.

Some experimental observations indicate that a sequential formation of secondary (2°) carbocations might be involved in some biosynthetic pathways, including those of verrucosane-type diterpenoids and mangicol-type sesterterpenoids, but it remains controversial whether or not such 2° cations are viable intermediates. Here, we performed comprehensive density functional theory calculations of these biosynthetic pathways. The results do not support previously proposed pathways/mechanisms: in particular, we find that none of the putative 2° carbocation intermediates is involved in either of the biosynthetic pathways. In verrucosane biosynthesis, the proposed 2° carbocations (II and IV) in the early stage are bypassed by the formation of the adjacent 3° carbocations and by unusual skeletal rearrangement reactions, and in the later stage, the putative 2° carbocation intermediates (VI, VII, and VIII) are not present as the proposed forms but as nonclassical structures between homoallyl and cyclopropylcarbinyl cations. In the mangicol biosynthesis, one of the two proposed 2° carbocations (X) is bypassed by a C-C bond-breaking reaction to generate a 3° carbocation with a C=C bond, while the other (XI) is bypassed by a strong hyperconjugative interaction leading to a nonclassical carbocation. We propose new biosynthetic pathways/mechanisms for the verrucosane-type diterpenoids and mangicol-type sesterterpenoids. These pathways are in good agreement with the findings of previous biosynthetic studies, including isotope-labeling experiments and byproducts analysis, and moreover can account for the biosynthesis of related terpenes.

The enigmatic self-assembling ability of nanodiamond (ND) particles has been discovered herein. Diamond-rich crystalline nanosheets with thickness of approximately ∼25 nm were grown from a Langmuir monolayer of arachidic acid (AA) at the interface between air and a dilute aqueous ND solution. Their fine rectangular shapes with uniform uniaxial birefringence indicate appreciable crystallinity, thus supporting that they are hydrated colloidal crystals of homogeneous ND particles.

We have developed photoboosted stannylation reactions of terminal alkynes (linear-selective hydrostannylation) and fluoroarenes (defluorostannylation), in which the stannyl anion is photoexcited to an excited triplet (T1) stannyl diradical species. This unprecedented T1-stannyl diradical species shows completely different reactivity and selectivity from those of stannyl anions and stannyl radicals. This methodology is operationally simple, has broad functional group tolerance, and proceeds in high yield without the need for any catalyst.

Decreasing the partition coefficient (LogP) by the introduction of a hydrophilic group is the conventional approach for improving the aqueous solubility of drug candidates, but is not always effective. Since melting point is related to aqueous solubility, we and other groups have developed alternative strategies to improve solubility by means of chemical modification to weaken intermolecular interaction in the solid state, thereby lowering the melting point and increasing the solubility. Here, we show that converting the symmetrical molecular structure of the clinically used estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist cyclofenil (1) into asymmetrical form by introducing an alkyl group enhances the aqueous solubility. Among the synthesized analogs, the chiral methylated analog (R)-4c shows the highest solubility, being 3.6-fold more soluble than 1 even though its hydrophobicity is increased by the methylation. Furthermore, (R)-4c also showed higher membrane permeability than 1, while retaining a comparable metabolic rate, and equivalent biological activity of the active forms (R)-13a to 2. Further validation of this strategy using lead compounds having symmetric structures is expected.

We describe the imidation of phosphines and α-amidation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds using N-triflylimino-λ3-iodane, which is generated in situ from iodosylarene and triflylamide without any other additives. Furthermore, the imino-λ3-iodane catalytically generated from an iodoarene precatalyst with oxone and triflylamide promotes α-amidation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, representing the first method catalyzed by imino-λ3-iodane.

The 3(2H)-furanone unit is observed in many biologically active natural products, as represented by the antifungal medication griseofulvin. Setosusin (1) is a fungal meroditerpenoid featuring a unique spiro-fused 3(2H)-furanone moiety; however, the biosynthetic basis for spirofuranone formation has not been investigated since its isolation. Therefore, in this study we identified the biosynthetic gene cluster of 1 in the fungus Aspergillus duricaulis CBS 481.65 and elucidated its biosynthetic pathway by heterologous reconstitution of related enzyme activities in Aspergillus oryzae. To understand the reaction mechanism to afford spirofuranone, we subsequently performed a series of in vivo and in vitro isotope-incorporation experiments and theoretical calculations. The results indicated that SetF, the cytochrome P450 enzyme that is critical for spirofuranone synthesis, not only performs the epoxidation of the polyketide portion of the substrate but also facilitates the protonation-initiated structural rearrangement to yield 1. Finally, a mutagenesis experiment using SetF identified Lys303 as one of the potential catalytic residues that are important for spirofuranone synthesis.

There is increasing interest in replacement of the planar aromatic rings of drug candidates with three-dimensional caged scaffolds in order to improve the physical properties, but bioisosteres of meta-substituted benzenes have remained elusive. We focused on the bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane (BCH) scaffold as a novel bioisostere of meta-substituted benzenes, anticipating that [3.1.1]propellane (2) would be a versatile precursor of diversely functionalized BCHs. Here, we describe a practical preparative method for [3.1.1]propellane from newly developed 1,5-diiodobicyclo[3.1.1]heptane (1), as well as difunctionalization reactions of 2 leading to functionalized BCHs. We also report postfunctionalization reactions of these products.

The enantioselective synthesis of aza[6] and [7]helicene-like molecules have been achieved by the cationic rhodium(I)/axially chiral biaryl bisphosphine complex-catalyzed intramolecular [2+2+2] cycloaddition of cyanodiynes. This protocol was successfully applied to the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of an S-shaped double aza[6]helicene-like molecule with a high ee value of 89 %. Although no epimerization and racemization were observed in the double carbo[6]helicene-like molecule at 80 °C, epimerization and racemization of the double aza[6]helicene-like molecule proceeded at 80 °C. This double aza[6]helicene-like molecule showed good fluorescent quantum yields and chiroptical responses under both neutral and acidic conditions.