Fluorescent Guanidinium-Azacarbazole for Oxoanion Binding in Water

Oxoanions such as carboxylates, phosphates, and sulfates play important roles in both chemistry and biology and are abundant on the cell surface. We report on the synthesis and properties of a rationally designed guanidinium-containing oxoanion binder, 1-guanidino-8-amino-2,7-diazacarbazole (GADAC). GADAC binds to a carboxylate, phosphate, and sulfate in pure water with affinities of 3.6 × 104, 1.1 × 103, and 4.2 × 103 M-1, respectively. Like 2-azacarbazole, which is a natural product that enables scorpions to fluoresce, GADAC is fluorescent in water (λabs = 356 nm, λem = 403 nm, ε = 13,400 M-1 cm-1). The quantum yield of GADAC is pH-sensitive, increasing from Φ = 0.12 at pH 7.4 to Φ = 0.53 at pH 4.0 as a result of the protonation of the aminopyridine moiety. The uptake of GADAC into live human melanoma cells is detectable in the DAPI channel at low micromolar concentrations. Its properties make GADAC a promising candidate for applications in oxoanion binding and fluorescence labeling in biological (e.g., the delivery of cargo into cells) and other contexts.

A molecular electron density theory study on the Chichibabin reaction: The origin of regioselectivity

A Molecular Electron Density Theory (MEDT) study was performed on the nucleophilic amination of pyridine and benzene to elucidate the observed regioselectivity in the Chichibabin reaction. For this purpose, three possible reaction paths were considered between NaNH₂ and the 2-, 3- and 4-positions of pyridine. The reaction of NaNH₂ and benzene was also investigated. The results indicated that in each reaction, the first step involves the nucleophilic attack of the NH₂‾ ion toward the aromatic system to produce an anionic intermediate. The second step, proceeds via hydride elimination of the anionic intermediate to produce the corresponding aromatic amine. This step is more favourable both kinetically and thermodynamically for the reaction at the 2-position of pyridine relative to the 4-position. In contrast to the Parr functions analysis which indicates that the 4-position is activated more electrophilically in pyridine, the PES analysis reveals that the 2-position attack with the NH₂‾ ion is more favourable both thermodynamically and kinetically. The results for the reaction of sodium amide and benzene indicated that this reaction is not feasible due to the high activation barriers. In consistent with the experimental results, the ELF analysis indicated that in the first step of the reaction between pyridine and sodium amide, the formation of the C2-N bond takes place via a pseudoradical coupling between the C2 carbon atom of pyridine and the N atom of NaNH₂. These variations occur in the second-half of the first step of the reaction. NCI analysis on the reaction revealed that the more attractive forces between the fragments, make the transition states for the 2-position attack more stable relative to the others. Thus, the NCI analysis can satisfactorily describe the observed regioselectivity in the Chichibabin reaction.

Nucleophilic Substitution of Hydrogen Atom in Initially Inactivated Pyrrole Ring

It has been found that 1-dialkylamino-8-(pyrrolyl-1)naphthalenes 1 and 6, upon treatment with an equimolar amount of HBF₄ under ambient conditions, produce 1-dialkylammonium salts which are transformed into 7,7-dialkyl-7 H-pyrrolo[1,2- a]perimidine-7-ium tetrafluoroborates 5 and 7, respectively. The reaction proceeds in a highly selective manner and represents the first case of nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in the initially inactivated pyrrole ring. The scope and limitations of the transformation, apparently operating due to the joint action of the "proximity effect" and proton catalysis, are outlined.

Aleksei Yevgen'evich Chichibabin (1871-1945): A Century of Pyridine Chemistry

Tutor, journalist, patriot, and defector: Aleksei Yevgen'evich Chichibabin made seminal contributions to the chemistry of pyridines. As the Chichibabin reaction enters its second century, it is appropriate to re-examine the life of this remarkable chemist and his legacy to heterocyclic chemistry.

Oxidative nucleophilic aromatic amination of nitrobenzenes

Nitrobenzenes substituted with electron-acceptor groups such as halogen, nitro, trifluoromethyl, pentafluorosulfanyl, or cyano underwent oxidative nucleophilic substitution with lithium salts of arylamines to afford N-aryl-2-nitroanilines.