Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

O interesse acadêmico por tioésteres vem de longa data devido ao papel que desempenham em processos biológicos. A presente dissertação versa sobre as reações de Diels-Alder de tiocinamatos e cinamatos de metila p-substituídos por grupos atraentes e repelentes de elétrons, com ciclopentadieno em diferentes condições reacionais e na presença de diversos ácidos de Lewis. Diversos ácidos de Lewis, tais como Ti(OBu-n)4, ZnCI2, BF3&#183;OEt2, TiCl4, AICl3 brometo de borocatecol e BBr3, que geralmente são utilizados em reações de Diels-Alder, foram testados. Entre esses catalisadores, apenas brometo de borocatecol nos forneceu os adutos esperados, com total estereosseletividade endo na maioria dos casos. O emprego de diferentes meios reacionais, como água e solução etérea 5M de perclorato de lítio em éter também foi avaliado, no entanto não obtivemos resultados positivos. Sugerimos que a forte complexação do oxigênio carbonílico do dienófilo com o átomo de boro do catalisador, suposição esta confirmada com dados de RMN de 1H, e interações secundárias expliquem a eficiência desse catalisador nas reações de Diels-Alder em questão. Um estudo da reatividade dos tiocinamatos acima citados frente à redução catódica também foi apresentado nesta dissertação. Essas eletrólises, foram realizadas a potencial constante em solvente aprótico polar, fornecendo hidrodímeros cíclicos com bons rendimentos e total diastereosseletividade trans-trans. / The aim of this work is to study Diels-Alder reactions of methyl thiocinnamates, substituted at the para position by electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups, as well as their corresponding ester analogues, towards cyclopentadiene in the presence of Lewis acid catalysts. Several Lewis acids, such as Ti(OBu-n)4, ZnCI2, BF3&#183;OEt2, TiCl4, AICl3 boroncatechol bromide and BBr3, which are usually employed in Diels-Alder reactions, were tested. Only boroncatechol bromide led to the expected adducts with total stereoselectivity in almost all cases. The use of water or a 5 mol&#183;L<SUP-1 ethereal solution of lithium perchlorate did not give good results. We believe the results obtained by the use of boroncatechol bromide are due to the strong complexation of the dienophile carbonyl oxygen with the boron atom, which has been confirmed by 1H NMR, and to secondary interactions. The cathodic reduction of the above thiocinnamates is also presented. The electrolyses, carried out potentiostatically in a polar aprotic solvent, led exclusively to the trans-trans cyclic hydrodimers in good yields.

Furanoeliangolidos são produtos naturais bioativos com peculiar estrutura macrocíclica. A síntese orgânica destes compostos tem despertado grande interesse por parte de vários pesquisadores. Particularmente, há alguns anos, o nosso grupo de pesquisa vem se dedicando, entre outras atividades, ao estudo de métodos sintéticos para a preparação do esqueleto estrutural dos furanoeliangolidos, mais especificamente do goiazensolido. A estrutura simplificada deste produto natural corresponde a um sistema 7-oxabiciclo[6.2.1]undecano. Este produto natural possui as seguintes atividades biológicas: esquistossomicida, citotóxica e antiinflamatória. Nossa metodologia utiliza, como etapa chave, a reação de Diels-Alder. Após a preparação do sistema policíclico, a clivagem da ligação interna dos anéis poderia fornecer o macrociclo desejado. Neste trabalho, foram estudadas três rotas sintéticas para preparação do núcleo básico dos furanoeliangolidos. Na proposta sintética inicial, a reação de Diels-Alder realizada entre o 2-metil-furano e o 3-bromopropiolato de metila, apresentou um aspecto surpreendente, uma alta regiosselevidade. A reação de anelação para formação do sistema policíclico foi investigada com três compostos diferentes. Todavia, nenhuma destas reações forneceu o produto desejado, mas sim resultaram em misturas complexas de produtos. Estes resultados revelaram a dificuldade em se realizar reações de anelação em compostos deste tipo. Outros substratos poderiam ser usados, mas considerando esses resultados insatisfatórios, nós preferimos iniciar o estudo de uma nova rota sintética. Na segunda rota, tentamos introduzir um grupo contendo três carbonos para formar o anel de seis membros, a partir de modificação na parte ?superior? da molécula (éster metílico). O aldeído intermediário pôde ser obtido com bom rendimento, mas o produto resultante da condensação aldólica deste composto com a acetona, é muito instável. A hidrólise de cetais deste tipo, conforme verificamos em experimentos com um cetal mais simples, requer tratamento com ácido forte. O produto obtido da reação aldólica, portanto não poderia resistir a essas condições, então abandonamos a rota. Na terceira rota sintética, a metodologia consistiu na construção do sistema policíclico através de duas reações de Diels-Alder e utilizando uma reação de ozonólise para clivar a dupla ligação central. A estereoquímica do aduto obtido na segunda reação de Diels-Alder foi confirmada por estudos de RMN. A ozonólise deste composto deu origem ao macrociclo desejado, contendo o núcleo estrutural dos furanoeliangolidos. Como o grupo imida presente neste macrociclo é muito resistente à hidrólise e outras reações, nós também desenvolvemos uma modificação que produz um produto mais tratável. O dieno utilizado nesta segunda reação de Diels-Alder não fornece aduto com anidrido maleico, mas ele reage bem com o acetilenodicarboxilato de dimetila dando o aduto correspondente. As duas duplas ligações deste composto são suficientemente diferentes uma da outra para permitir a ozonólise seletiva da dupla ligação central, mais nucleofílica. Nesta última rota sintética, dois macrociclos foram preparados em sete etapas, envolvendo duas reações de Diels-Alder, com rendimento total de 36,3% e 42,1%, respectivamente. / Furanoheliangolides are bioactive natural products containing a peculiar macrocyclic structure. The synthesis of these compounds has been a matter of considerable interest to several researchers. In the last few years, our research group has dedicated some efforts to develop synthetic methods for the preparation of the core structure of the furanoheliangolides, particularly goyazensolide. The core structure of this natural product corresponds to the 7- oxabicyclo[6.2.1]undecane system. This natural product has several biological activities, such as schistosomicidal, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory. Our methodology uses, as a key step, the Diels-Alder reaction. After the preparation of the polycyclic system, the cleavage of the internal bond of the rings should furnish the desired macrocycle. In this work, three synthetic routes to the preparation of the core structure of the furanoheliangolides were studied. In the first route, the Diels-Alder reaction between 2-methylfuran and methyl 3-bromopropiolate, occurred with unusually high regioselectivity The cyclization reaction for the formation of the polycyclic system was investigated with three different compounds. However, none of these reactions furnished the desired product, but resulted instead in complex mixtures of products. These results showed the difficulty to perform cyclization reactions in compounds of this type. Other substrates could have been used, but considering these discouraging initial results, we preferred to start the studies of a new synthetic route. In the second route we were still attempting to introduce a three-carbon group to form the new six-membered ring; the main modification was that we would now start from the other side of the molecule. The aldehyde could be obtained in good yield, but the aldol reaction product of this aldehyde with the ketone is very unstable. As we have found in experiments with a simple ketal, the hydrolysis of ketals of this type require rather strong acidic treatment. Therefore, the aldol product would not withstand these conditions, so we abandoned these studies. In the third synthetic route, the methodology consisted of building the polycyclic system through two Diels-Alder reactions followed by an ozonolysis reaction to cleave the central double bond. The stereochemistry of the addut obtained in the second Diels-Alder reaction was confirmed by NMR studies. The ozonolysis of this product produced the desired core of the furanoheliangolides. As the imide group of this macrocycle is very resistant to hydrolysis and other reactions, we have also developed a modification that produces a more treatable product. The diene used in this second Diels-Alder reaction does not give Diels-Alder adduct with maleic anhydride, but it reacts well with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate to give correspondent addut. The two double bonds of this addut are sufficiently different from each other to permit the selective ozonolysis of the more nucleophilic central bond. In this last synthetic route, two macrocycles were prepared in seven steps, involving two Diels-Alder reactions, with overall yields of 36.3% and 42.1%, respectively.

O amido termoplástico (TPS) é um material biodegradável, de baixo custo, com grande potencial para aplicação na composição de plásticos biodegradáveis. Muitos estudos têm sido realizados no sentido de melhorar algumas de suas propriedades, principalmente a sua baixa resistência mecânica, elevada hidrofilicidade, e baixa miscibilidade com polímeros comerciais, fatores que dificultam a ampliação da utilização desse material como plástico biodegradável. Uma alternativa para melhorar tais propriedades, é a produção de blendas destes materiais com outros polímeros. Contudo, quando a natureza química dos materiais a serem combinados é muito diversa, faz-se necessário compatibilizar os materiais, em geral obtida pela adição de agentes compatibilizantes ou promovendo reações durante a extrusão, processo denominado compatibilização reativa. No trabalho, diferentes alternativas foram investigadas com o intuito de aumentar o potencial de aplicação do amido, entre elas: o efeito do ácido cítrico na modificação do amido; o uso da ureia para estabilização da massa molar do amido via extrusão reativa permitindo seu reprocessamento; a modificação do amido com ácido cítrico e ou 4,4\'-difenil metano diisocianato e o uso de dois processos de extrusão reativa para produção do amido termoplástico; a produção de blendas de amido com poli(butileno adpato co-tereftalato) e poli(ácido lático); a produção do amido termoplástico com reticulação termorreversível pela incorporação de reações de Diels-Alder. Foram feitas diversas caracterizações entre elas, análise das propriedades térmicas por meio das técnicas de termogravimetria (TGA), calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC), análise dinâmicomecânica (DMA) ensaios mecânicos, absorção de umidade, espectroscopia de infravermelho por transformada de Fourier (FTIR), microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), análises reológicas, cromatografia (HPSEC) e viscosimetria. Os resultados das investigações contribuíram para o desenvolvimento de novos polímeros termoplásticos ou termorrígidos a base de amido de milho e esclareceram questões não abordadas na literatura, sobre a modificação do amido via processo de extrusão reativa. / Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is a biodegradable material, inexpensive, with high potential of usage in the biodegradable plastics composition. Many studies have been performed to improve some properties, mainly its low mechanical strength, high hydrophilicity and low miscibility with commercial polymers, factors that hinder the usage expansion such material as plastic. An alternative to improve these properties is the polymer blends of starch production with other polymers. However, when the materials chemical nature is quite variable then is necessary to make the polymers compatible. Usually, the reactive compatibility is obtained by the addition of coupling agents or promoting reactions during extrusion. In the present study, new alternatives were studied in order to increase the starch application potential including: the citric acid effect on starch modification; use of urea to stabilize the starch molecular weight by reactive extrusion allowing its reprocessing; the starch modification with citric acid and 4,4\'-diphenyl methane diisocyanate and the use of two reactive extrusion processes for thermoplastic starch producing; starch blends production with poly (butylene adipate co-terephthalate) and poly (lactic acid); the starch modification by incorporating crosslinking thermoreversible Diels-Alder adduct. Several characterizations were made including thermal analysis by means of thermogravimetry (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) mechanical testing, moisture absorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), rheology analysis, chromatography (HPSEC) and viscometry. The research results have contributed to the development of new thermoplastic polymers or thermosetting from corn starch and helped to clarify issues not addressed in the literature about the starch modification by reactive extrusion process.

Le N-hydroxytétraphénylphtalimide (NHTPPI) présente une activité catalytique sensiblement supérieure à celle du N-hydroxyphtalimide (NHPI) dans l'oxydation aérobie de substrats organiques. Deux nouvelles voies d'accès à des analogues fonctionnalisés du NHTPPI ont été étudiées. La première implique une réaction de Diels-Alder entre des oxydes ou dioxydes de thiophènes polyaromatiques et le maléimide ou l'anhydride maléique. De nombreuses limitations rendent cette approche difficilement généralisable. Dans la deuxième voie, l'étape clé est une cycloaddition entre des tétracyclones ou des acécyclones et le 2-bromomaléimide qui conduit directement au motif phtalimide par décarbonylation et déshydrobromation de l'adduit de Diels-Alder. Cette méthodologie de synthèse très efficace et tolérante a permis d'introduire des groupements variés sur les cycles aromatiques portés par le noyau benzénique central et d'obtenir de nouveaux analogues du NHTPPI ainsi que des N-hydroxydiarylacénaphtophtalimides en seulement trois à cinq étapes. La chiralité axiale a été mise en évidence en série diarylacénaphtophtalimide et la séparation d'énantiomères a été réalisée dans un premier cas, ce qui ouvre la voie vers de nouveaux analogues chiraux du NHPI. Les nouveaux N-hydroxyimides obtenus ont montré d'excellentes performances en catalyse d'oxydation aérobie, dans tous les cas supérieurs à celles du NHPI et, dans certains cas, à celles du NHTPPI. / N-Hydroxytetraphenylphthalimide (NHTPPI) exhibits a better catalytic activity than N-hydroxyphtalimide (NHPI) in the aerobic oxidation of organic substrates. Two new routes to functionalized analogs of NHTPPI have been studied. The first one involves a Diels-Alder reaction between polyaromatic thiophene oxides or dioxides and maleimide or maleic anhydrid. Several limitations make this approach difficult to generalize. In the second approach, the key step is a cycloaddition between tetracyclones or acecyclones and 2-bromomaleimide to directly give the phthalimide framework by decarbonylation and deshydrobromation of the Diels-Alder adduct. This versatile and efficient methodology allowed us to introduce various functional groups on the aromatic cycles borne by the central ring, and thus, new NHTPPI analogs, along with N-hydroxydiarylacenaphthophtalimides, were obtained in only three to five steps. Axial chirality was underlined in the diarylacenaphtophtalimide family and resolution of enantiomers was carried out in one case, which opens a way to new chiral analogs of NHPI. The new N-hydroxyimides exhibit excellent performances as catalysts in aerobic oxidation, superior to NHPI and, in some cases, to NHTPPI.

Further investigations intending illucidate the mechanism of a newly discovered redox-alkylation reaction of azo dyes are presented. Preliminary results indicate that this reaction most probably proceeds via initial N-alkylation of the anion derived from an alpha-ketohydrazone. An investigation is continued to study the synthesis of macrocycle-carbohydrate-dye hybrids. The development of a modular approach to macrocycle assembly has enabled the synthesis of a library of pyridine-based macrocycles possessing multiple donor sites. A central dye scaffold, prepared from the SNAr reaction between halo-substituted azo dye and a disubstituted phenol, was decorated with a representative carbohydrate or macrocycle using Sharpless click chemistry. Also an "S3N-ligand azo-dye" conjugate has been synthesised with a view to the development of a sensor for heavy metal ions. Complexation of this system with Ag(I), Hg(II) and Cu(II) salts has been investigated. Complexation of the dye to metals results in a bathochromic shift in the absorption maximum of the azo dye, an effect which is most pronounced for Cu(II).The Kobayashi fragmentation has transformed the area of benzyne chemistry as it enables its generation from readily available precursors under mild reaction conditions. The controlled generation of benzyne in this manner has been utilised by many groups, allowing readily access to a variety of functionalised aromatic and heteroaromatic from simple precursors. During the course of a synthetic project, which was to utilise the Kobayashi fragmentation in a key intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction, we noticed that alternate modes of fragmentation/rearrangement accompanied the desired elimination reaction leading to benzyne generation. In particular, competing Fries or Smiles rearrangements became the major routes of fragmentation in appropriately functionalised substrates. The results of an investigation into the factors affecting the course of the Kobayashi fragmentation, together with the development of a novel bi-aryl synthesis are presented in this thesis.

Asymmetric synthesis and catalysis is one of the leading research areas in chemistry society, for its versatility and efficiency in obtaining chiral molecules that found the vast majority in natural active compounds and synthetic drugs. Developing asymmetric catalytic methodology is at the frontier in both industrial and academic research laboratories. Enantioselective organocatalysis has emerged as a powerful synthetic tool that is complementary to metal-catalyzed transformations. The development of chiral phosphoric acid and metal phosphate as catalysts has been a breakthrough in recent years. Chiral phosphoric acids have been shown to be powerful catalysts in many organic transformations. Moreover, chiral metal phosphates, which formed by simply replacing the proton in phosphoric acid with metals, have introduced new catalytic activations and broaden the scope of phosphoric acids. This thesis details new highly enantioselective chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed Pinacol rearrangement and robust alkaline phosphates catalytic system, which utilizes novel carbonyl activation. The Pinacol rearrangement has long been known to be difficult to control in terms of regioselectivity and stereoselectivity. The initial studies found that indolyl-diol compounds can be treated with chiral phosphoric acids to afford the Pinacol rearrangement with high regio- and enantioselectivity. Over 16 chiral phosphoric acids were screened, and it was found an H8-BINOL-phosphoric acid variant with 1-naphthyl groups at 3 and 3' position was the excellent catalyst. This asymmetric transformation is tolerant toward variety of substituents both on the indole ring and migrating groups. During the study, it was found that different ways to generate the catalyst had critical effect on this catalytic transformation. Only those phosphoric acids washed with HCl after column chromatography afforded the rearrangement products with high enantioselectivity. And those without treating with HCl were found contaminated by alkaline metals. These "contamination" catalysts were also found active with carbonyl activations. A highly enantioselective catalytic hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of alpha-keto esters has been developed with chiral alkaline metal phosphates. A calcium 1-naphthyl-BINOL phosphate was found to be the optimum catalyst. A large range of alpha-keto esters as well as isatins can be applied in this alkaline phosphates catalytic system with high efficiency and selectivity. The structure of the catalyst is detailed for the first time by X-ray crystal structure analysis. A proposed Transition state model is provided based on the catalyst crystal structure and Raman spectroscopy analysis. This methodology was further developed with an asymmetric Mukaiyama-Michael addition of beta,gamma-unsaturated alpha-keto ester. The best catalyst was found to be a magnesium chiral phosphate. And the transformation was found capable of tolerating a wide variety of beta,gamma-unsaturated alpha-keto esters.

<p>This thesis describes synthesis and reactivity studies of 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes and 2-silenolates, species that are strongly influenced by reversed Si=C bond polarization, i.e. an Si^δ-=C^δ+ polarization as compared to the natural Si^δ+=C^δ- polarization. Because of the reversed polarization, the 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes are zwitterions and the 2-silenolates are predominantly described by the resonance structure with the negative charge at Si. </p><p>Transient zwitterionic 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes are formed thermolytically from carbamylpolysilanes (<i>tris</i>(trimethylsilyl)silylamides) and trapped with 1,3-dienes in nearly quantitative yields. These silenes have structure and reactivity characteristics that differ from earlier studied Si=C bonded compounds. They are thermodynamically stable toward dimerization and react with 1,3-dienes to give exclusively [4+2] cycloadducts. Their reactions with 1,3-dienes proceed in accordance with inverse electron demand (IED) Diels-Alder reactions which is explained by the electron-rich nature of these silenes. The 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes are also less reactive toward alcohols than earlier silenes. Hence, alcohols do not react with 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes but with the silene precursor, the carbamylpolysilanes, leading to alkoxysilanes in high yields. The latter reaction represents a novel base-free synthetic protocol for protection of primary and secondary alcohols with the fluoride resistant but photolabile <i>tris</i>(trimethylsilyl)silyl group.</p><p>Another class of formally Si=C bonded compounds, metal 2-silenolates, has been formed in high yields using a novel facile method. Reaction of acyl- and carbamylpolysilanes with potassium <i>tert</i>-butoxide in tetrahydrofurane gives potassium 2-silenolates. The potassium 2-silenolates are stable at room temperature, in contrast to earlier lithium 2-silenolates that degrade rapidly at ambient temperature. The first crystallisable complex of a 2-silenolate was formed and characterized by X-ray crystallography. This 2-silenolate has a pyramidal central Si (ΣSi = 317.8°), and an Si-C single rather than Si=C double bond (r(SiC) = 1.926 Å). The potassium 2-silenolates give exclusively Si alkylated products with alkyl halides and only [4+2] cycloadducts with 1,3-dienes.</p>

This thesis describes the use of 2H-azirines, three-membered unsaturatednitrogen-containing heterocycles, as reactive intermediates ina number of Lewis acid promoted alkylations and Diels-Alderreactions providing synthetically useful aziridines. In order to carry out this investigation a new generalprocedure for the ring closure of vinyl azides, forming theresultant 3-substituted-2H-azirines, was developed applying low boiling solventsin closed reaction vessels at elevated temperatures. The addition of organolithium reagents in the presence ofcommercially available chiral ligands, to the 3-(2-naphthyl)-2H-azirine was studied, which gave the correspondingaziridines. Several Lewis acids were shown to catalyze the normalelectron-demand Diels-Alder reaction between 3-alkyl-,3-aromatic-, and 3-ester-substituted 2H-azirines and various dienes. These reactions gave theexpected cycloadducts in moderate yields. Using a chiral auxiliary high diastereoselectivity wasobtained in the addition of alkyl radicals to a8-phenylmenthyl-substituted 2H-azirine-3-carboxylate. The alkyl radicals weregenerated from the corresponding trialkyl borane and molecularoxygen. Hydroborations and transmetallations were used toprepare these trialkylboranes. Catalytic amounts of CuClincreased the diastereoselectivity in the radical additionreactions. Attempts were made to explain how the coordination of aLewis acid to the azirine nitrogen atom affects thereactivity/stability of the azirine. DFT calculations and NMRexperiments involving Lewis acid-azirine complexes wereperformed. Keywords:Enantioselective, diastereoselective, vinylazide, 2H-azirines, aziridines, Lewis acid, chiral ligand,chiral auxiliary, organolithiums, Diels-Alder reaction, alkylradicals, triethylborane.

This thesis describes synthesis and reactivity studies of 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes and 2-silenolates, species that are strongly influenced by reversed Si=C bond polarization, i.e. an Siδ-=Cδ+ polarization as compared to the natural Siδ+=Cδ- polarization. Because of the reversed polarization, the 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes are zwitterions and the 2-silenolates are predominantly described by the resonance structure with the negative charge at Si. Transient zwitterionic 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes are formed thermolytically from carbamylpolysilanes (tris(trimethylsilyl)silylamides) and trapped with 1,3-dienes in nearly quantitative yields. These silenes have structure and reactivity characteristics that differ from earlier studied Si=C bonded compounds. They are thermodynamically stable toward dimerization and react with 1,3-dienes to give exclusively [4+2] cycloadducts. Their reactions with 1,3-dienes proceed in accordance with inverse electron demand (IED) Diels-Alder reactions which is explained by the electron-rich nature of these silenes. The 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes are also less reactive toward alcohols than earlier silenes. Hence, alcohols do not react with 2-amino-2-siloxysilenes but with the silene precursor, the carbamylpolysilanes, leading to alkoxysilanes in high yields. The latter reaction represents a novel base-free synthetic protocol for protection of primary and secondary alcohols with the fluoride resistant but photolabile tris(trimethylsilyl)silyl group. Another class of formally Si=C bonded compounds, metal 2-silenolates, has been formed in high yields using a novel facile method. Reaction of acyl- and carbamylpolysilanes with potassium tert-butoxide in tetrahydrofurane gives potassium 2-silenolates. The potassium 2-silenolates are stable at room temperature, in contrast to earlier lithium 2-silenolates that degrade rapidly at ambient temperature. The first crystallisable complex of a 2-silenolate was formed and characterized by X-ray crystallography. This 2-silenolate has a pyramidal central Si (ΣSi = 317.8°), and an Si-C single rather than Si=C double bond (r(SiC) = 1.926 Å). The potassium 2-silenolates give exclusively Si alkylated products with alkyl halides and only [4+2] cycloadducts with 1,3-dienes.