Aldehyde oxidase catalysed oxidation of various quinolinium and related cations has been studied in vitro. Oxidation products were identified by comparison of their spectral and chromatographic characteristics with those of authentic compounds. The N-heterocyclic cations and quinolones used required synthesis. Incubation of N-methylquinolinium, N-methyl-7,8-benzoquinolinium and N-phenylquinolinium yielded the corresponding 2- and 4-quinolones simultaneously. The ratio of 2- to 4-quinolone formation was found to be species dependent; the proportion of 4-quinolone was greater with guinea pig enzyme than with rabbit enzyme. Incubation of N-methyl-4-methylquinolinium, N-methyl-4-phenylquinolinium and N-methylphenanthridinium produced the expected 2-quinolones. Cations substituted adjacent to the ring nitrogen, i. e. N-methyl-2- methylquinolinium, N-methyl-2-phenylquinolinium and N-phenyl-2-phenylquinolinium, were oxidised to the corresponding 4-quinolones. Kinetic constants were determined spectrophotometrically. The Km values obtained with rabbit enzyme ranged from 1.6 x 10-3 M for N-methylquinolinium to <10-5 M for N-phenyl-2-phenylquinolinium. Quaternary compounds were found to be better substrates than their non-quaternary counterparts, except for N-methylisoquinolinium and N-methylphenanthridinium. In general, guinea pig aldehyde oxidase was shown to have a greater affinity for N-heterocyclic cations than rabbit enzyme. The substrate binding site has been discussed in the light of the results outlined below. Oxidation of N-methyl-4-phenylquinolinium (to the 2-quinolone) was competitively inhibited by N-methyl-2-phenylquinolinium (which yields the 4-quinolone), indicating that both these cations interact at the same active site. The ratio of 2- to 4-quinolone production from N-methylquinolinium was constant under various conditions, including purification of the enzyme but changed at high pH or in the presence of N-methylphenanthridinium. Inhibition studies indicated that both quaternary and non-quaternary compounds act at the same site on the enzyme. Km and Vmax values for phthalazine, N-methyl-2-phenylquinolinium and N-methylquinolinium were determined over the pH range 5.4 to 10.2. In each case, results indicated that the enzyme has an ionisable group at the active site with a pK ca. 8. Aldehyde oxidase was shown to catalyse the dehydrogenation of the pseudobases 3,4-dihydro-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-quinazolinone and 3,4-dihydro- 4-hydroxy-3-methylquinazoline.

Aldehyde oxidase catalysed oxidation of various quinolinium and related cations has been studied in vitro. Oxidation products were identified by comparison of their spectral and chromatographic characteristics with those of authentic compounds. The N-heterocyclic cations and quinolones used required synthesis. Incubation of N-methylquinolinium, N-methyl-7,8-benzoquinolinium and N-phenylquinolinium yielded the corresponding 2- and 4-quinolones simultaneously. The ratio of 2- to 4-quinolone formation was found to be species dependent; the proportion of 4-quinolone was greater with guinea pig enzyme than with rabbit enzyme. Incubation of N-methyl-4-methylquinolinium, N-methyl-4-phenylquinolinium and N-methylphenanthridinium produced the expected 2-quinolones. Cations substituted adjacent to the ring nitrogen, i. e. N-methyl-2- methylquinolinium, N-methyl-2-phenylquinolinium and N-phenyl-2-phenylquinolinium, were oxidised to the corresponding 4-quinolones. Kinetic constants were determined spectrophotometrically. The Km values obtained with rabbit enzyme ranged from 1.6 x 10-3 M for N-methylquinolinium to <10-5 M for N-phenyl-2-phenylquinolinium. Quaternary compounds were found to be better substrates than their non-quaternary counterparts, except for N-methylisoquinolinium and N-methylphenanthridinium. In general, guinea pig aldehyde oxidase was shown to have a greater affinity for N-heterocyclic cations than rabbit enzyme. The substrate binding site has been discussed in the light of the results outlined below. Oxidation of N-methyl-4-phenylquinolinium (to the 2-quinolone) was competitively inhibited by N-methyl-2-phenylquinolinium (which yields the 4-quinolone), indicating that both these cations interact at the same active site. The ratio of 2- to 4-quinolone production from N-methylquinolinium was constant under various conditions, including purification of the enzyme but changed at high pH or in the presence of N-methylphenanthridinium. Inhibition studies indicated that both quaternary and non-quaternary compounds act at the same site on the enzyme. Km and Vmax values for phthalazine, N-methyl-2-phenylquinolinium and N-methylquinolinium were determined over the pH range 5.4 to 10.2. In each case, results indicated that the enzyme has an ionisable group at the active site with a pK ca. 8. Aldehyde oxidase was shown to catalyse the dehydrogenation of the pseudobases 3,4-dihydro-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-quinazolinone and 3,4-dihydro- 4-hydroxy-3-methylquinazoline.

The photochemistry of several novel photoacids was addressed experimentally and theorectically. Initial studies focused on the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) of several chiral phtoacids and explored the effects of chirality on ESPT; subsequent studies examined photochemistry and photophysics of "super" photoacid N-methyl-6-hydroxyquinolinium (MHQ). In the initial studies, no enantioselectivity was observed from the chiral photoacids to various chiral proton acceptors. In the later studies examining ESPT in MHQ both experimentally and theoretically, the excited-state acidity constant of the photoacid was determined to be an unprecedented -7, making it the strongest photoacid reported in the literature to-date. Consideration was then given to applications of the novel photoacid including its properties as a photoinitiator in cationic polymerizations and as a photochemical probe in gas-expanded liquids and in the Nafion membrane. In the course of these studies, an interesting fluorescence quenching effect was observed that became the subject of some exploratory studies that suggest a nucleophilic quenching mechanism.

Les cyclopropanes sont des motifs d’une grande importance puisqu’ils sont présents dans plusieurs molécules biologiquement actives en plus d’être de puissants intermédiaires dans la synthèse de molécules complexes. Au cours de cet ouvrage, nous avons développé une nouvelle méthode générale pour la synthèse d’ylures d’iodonium de malonates, soit d’importants précurseurs d’esters cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxyliques. Ainsi, à l’aide de ces ylures, une méthode très efficace pour la synthèse d’esters cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxyliques racémiques a été développée. Des travaux ont aussi été entrepris pour la synthèse énantiosélective de ces composés. Par ailleurs, les esters cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxyliques ont été utilisés dans le développement de deux nouvelles méthodologies, soit dans une réaction de cycloaddition (3+3) avec des imines d’azométhines et dans la formation d’allènes par l’addition-1,7 de cuprates. Nous avons aussi poursuivi l’étude synthétique du cylindrocyclophane F impliquant l’utilisation de cyclopropanes pour le contrôle des centres chiraux. Ainsi l’addition-1,5 d’un cuprate sur un ester cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylique a été utilisée comme l’une des étapes clés de notre synthèse. L’autre centre chiral a pu être contrôlé par l’hydrogénolyse sélective d’un cyclopropylméthanol. Ces études ont, par ailleurs, mené au développement d’une nouvelle réaction d’arylcyclopropanation énantiosélective utilisant des carbénoïdes de zinc générés in situ à partir de réactifs diazoïques. Cette méthode permet d’accéder très efficacement aux cyclopropanes 1,2,3-substitués. De plus, nous avons développé la première réaction de Simmons-Smith catalytique en zinc menant à un produit énantioenrichi. / Cyclopropanes are important scaffolds as they are present in many biologically actives compounds and they are useful intermediates in the synthesis of complex molecules. In this thesis, we developed a novel general method for the synthesis of iodonium ylides of malonates, which are important precursors in the synthesis of cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic esters. From these ylides, a method to generate racemic cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic esters very efficiently was developed. Further works was also achieved on an asymmetric version of this reaction. Cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic esters were used to develop two new methods: a (3+3) cycloaddition reaction with azomethine imines and the formation of allenes by the 1,7-addition of cuprates. We also continued our studies towards the total synthesis of cylindrocyclophane F, which use the cyclopropanes to control all chiral centers. The 1,5-addition of a cuprate on a cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic ester was utilized as one of the key steps of our synthesis. The other chiral centre was controlled by the hydrogenolysis of a cyclopropylmethanol. Moreover, these studies led to the development of a novel highly enantioselective arylcyclopropanation reaction using zinc carbenoids generated in situ from diazo compounds. This method allows the efficient access to 1,2,3-substituted cyclopropanes. Moreover, we developed the first Simmons-Smith reaction using a catalytic amount of zinc to produce an enantioenriched product.

Les cyclopropanes sont des motifs d’une grande importance puisqu’ils sont présents dans plusieurs molécules biologiquement actives en plus d’être de puissants intermédiaires dans la synthèse de molécules complexes. Au cours de cet ouvrage, nous avons développé une nouvelle méthode générale pour la synthèse d’ylures d’iodonium de malonates, soit d’importants précurseurs d’esters cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxyliques. Ainsi, à l’aide de ces ylures, une méthode très efficace pour la synthèse d’esters cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxyliques racémiques a été développée. Des travaux ont aussi été entrepris pour la synthèse énantiosélective de ces composés. Par ailleurs, les esters cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxyliques ont été utilisés dans le développement de deux nouvelles méthodologies, soit dans une réaction de cycloaddition (3+3) avec des imines d’azométhines et dans la formation d’allènes par l’addition-1,7 de cuprates. Nous avons aussi poursuivi l’étude synthétique du cylindrocyclophane F impliquant l’utilisation de cyclopropanes pour le contrôle des centres chiraux. Ainsi l’addition-1,5 d’un cuprate sur un ester cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylique a été utilisée comme l’une des étapes clés de notre synthèse. L’autre centre chiral a pu être contrôlé par l’hydrogénolyse sélective d’un cyclopropylméthanol. Ces études ont, par ailleurs, mené au développement d’une nouvelle réaction d’arylcyclopropanation énantiosélective utilisant des carbénoïdes de zinc générés in situ à partir de réactifs diazoïques. Cette méthode permet d’accéder très efficacement aux cyclopropanes 1,2,3-substitués. De plus, nous avons développé la première réaction de Simmons-Smith catalytique en zinc menant à un produit énantioenrichi. / Cyclopropanes are important scaffolds as they are present in many biologically actives compounds and they are useful intermediates in the synthesis of complex molecules. In this thesis, we developed a novel general method for the synthesis of iodonium ylides of malonates, which are important precursors in the synthesis of cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic esters. From these ylides, a method to generate racemic cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic esters very efficiently was developed. Further works was also achieved on an asymmetric version of this reaction. Cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic esters were used to develop two new methods: a (3+3) cycloaddition reaction with azomethine imines and the formation of allenes by the 1,7-addition of cuprates. We also continued our studies towards the total synthesis of cylindrocyclophane F, which use the cyclopropanes to control all chiral centers. The 1,5-addition of a cuprate on a cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic ester was utilized as one of the key steps of our synthesis. The other chiral centre was controlled by the hydrogenolysis of a cyclopropylmethanol. Moreover, these studies led to the development of a novel highly enantioselective arylcyclopropanation reaction using zinc carbenoids generated in situ from diazo compounds. This method allows the efficient access to 1,2,3-substituted cyclopropanes. Moreover, we developed the first Simmons-Smith reaction using a catalytic amount of zinc to produce an enantioenriched product.