TY - JOUR A1 - Lood, Kajsa A1 - Tikk, Triin A1 - Krüger, Mandy A1 - Schmidt, Bernd T1 - Methylene capping facilitates cross-metathesis reactions of enals BT - a short synthesis of 7-methoxywutaifuranal from the xylochemical isoeugenol JF - The journal of organic chemistry N2 - Four combinations of type-I olefins isoeugenol and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxystyrene with type-II olefins acrolein and crotonaldehyde were investigated in cross-metathesis (CM) reactions. While both type-I olefins are suitable CM partners for this transformation, we observed synthetically useful conversions only with type-II olefin crotonaldehyde. For economic reasons, isoeugenol, a cheap xylochemical available from renewable lignocellulose or from clove oil, is the preferred type-I CM partner. Nearly quantitative conversions to coniferyl aldehyde by the CM reaction of isoeugenol and crotonaldehyde can be obtained at ambient temperature without a solvent or at high substrate concentrations of 2 mol.L-1 with the second-generation Hoveyda-Grubbs catalyst. Under these conditions, the ratio of reactants can be reduced to 1:1.5 and catalyst loadings as low as 0.25 mol % are possible. The high reactivity of the isoeugenol/crotonaldehyde combination in olefin metathesis reactions was demonstrated by a short synthesis of the natural product 7-methoxywutaifuranal, which was obtained from isoeugenol in a 44% yield over five steps. We suggest that the superior performance of crotonaldehyde in the CM reactions investigated can be rationalized by "methylene capping", i.e., the steric stabilization of the propagating Ru-alkylidene species. KW - Aldehydes KW - Catalysts KW - Hydrocarbons KW - Metathesis KW - Mixtures Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.joc.1c02851 SN - 0022-3263 SN - 1520-6904 VL - 87 IS - 5 SP - 3079 EP - 3088 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Haubitz, Toni A1 - Fudickar, Werner A1 - Linker, Torsten A1 - Kumke, Michael Uwe T1 - pH-sensitive fluorescence switching of pyridylanthracenes BT - the effect of the isomeric pattern JF - The journal of physical chemistry : A, Molecules, spectroscopy, kinetics, environment & general theory N2 - 9,10-substituted anthracenes are known for their useful optical properties like fluorescence, which makes them frequently used probes in sensing applications. In this article, we investigate the fundamental photophysical properties of three pyridyl-substituted variants. The nitrogen atoms in the pyridinium six-membered rings are located in the ortho-, meta-, and para-positions in relation to the anthracene core. Absorption, fluorescence, and transient absorption measurements were carried out and were complemented by theoretical calculations. We monitored the photophysics of the anthracene derivatives in chloroform and water investigating the protonated as well as their nonprotonated forms. We found that the optical properties of the nonprotonated forms are strongly determined by the anthracene chromophore, with only small differences to other 9,10-substituted anthracenes, for example diphenyl anthracene. In contrast, protonation leads to a strong decrease in fluorescence intensity and lifetime. Transient absorption measurements and theoretical calculations revealed the formation of a charge-transfer state in the protonated chromophores, where electron density is shifted from the anthracene moiety toward the protonated pyridyl substituents. While the para- and ortho-derivatives' charge transfer is still moderately fluorescent, the meta-derivative is affected much stronger and shows nearly no fluorescence. This nitrogen-atom-position-dependent sensitivity to hydronium activity makes a combination of these fluorophores very attractive for pH-sensing applications covering a broadened pH range. KW - Absorption KW - Aromatic compounds KW - Fluorescence KW - Hydrocarbons KW - Reaction mechanisms Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.0c09911 SN - 1089-5639 SN - 1520-5215 VL - 124 IS - 52 SP - 11017 EP - 11024 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER -