The Stille reaction has established itself as one of the two most general and most selective palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, along with the Suzuki cross-coupling of organoboron compounds. The Stille coupling of α-alkoxystannanes is a relatively unexplored area. A previous study showed that an α-alkoxyalkylstannane could be coupled with benzoyl chloride with retention of configuration. However, our group has recently shown that Stille couplings of sulfonamidobenzylstannanes proceeds with inversion of configuration. In order to determine whether the Stille coupling reaction of α-alkoxybenzylstannanes proceeds with inversion or retention, the stereochemistry in the Stille reaction of α-alkoxybenzylstannanes was studied. Optimized conditions for Stille coupling of α-alkoxybenzyl-tributylstannanes with benzoyl chloride were developed: highest yields were observed using Pd2dba3 and PPh3 in toluene. Enantiomerically enriched α-hydroxystannanes were obtained via chromatographic resolution of diastereomeric carbamate derivatives. An X-ray crystal structure was obtained for the 3,5-dinitrobenzoate derivative of (S)-1-hydroxyphenylmethyl-trimethylstannane. Stille coupling (cat. Pd2dba3, PPh3, toluene) of the corresponding acetate with benzoyl chloride provided the acetate of (R)-benzoin thus establishing retention of configuration under these reaction conditions.

The Stille reaction has established itself as one of the two most general and most selective palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, along with the Suzuki cross-coupling of organoboron compounds. The Stille coupling of α-alkoxystannanes is a relatively unexplored area. A previous study showed that an α-alkoxyalkylstannane could be coupled with benzoyl chloride with retention of configuration. However, our group has recently shown that Stille couplings of sulfonamidobenzylstannanes proceeds with inversion of configuration. In order to determine whether the Stille coupling reaction of α-alkoxybenzylstannanes proceeds with inversion or retention, the stereochemistry in the Stille reaction of α-alkoxybenzylstannanes was studied. Optimized conditions for Stille coupling of α-alkoxybenzyl-tributylstannanes with benzoyl chloride were developed: highest yields were observed using Pd2dba3 and PPh3 in toluene. Enantiomerically enriched α-hydroxystannanes were obtained via chromatographic resolution of diastereomeric carbamate derivatives. An X-ray crystal structure was obtained for the 3,5-dinitrobenzoate derivative of (S)-1-hydroxyphenylmethyl-trimethylstannane. Stille coupling (cat. Pd2dba3, PPh3, toluene) of the corresponding acetate with benzoyl chloride provided the acetate of (R)-benzoin thus establishing retention of configuration under these reaction conditions.

A proven strategy, donor-acceptor approach, to reduce the band gap of conjugated materials and possibly improve the photocurrent is to incorporate electron-rich and electron-deficient units in an alternating fashion in a polymer chain. For this purpose, a wise selection of donor and acceptor moieties in a monomer structure results in desired finishing properties of polymeric materials. In this study, fourteen novel monomers were synthesized to explore the acceptor and donor effects on the electronic and optoelectronic properties. Dibenzophenazine, dibenzopyrido]quinoxaline, tetrahydro- dibenzophenazine, thiadiazoloquinoxaline, pyrazinoquinoxaline, thienopyrazine, benzoselenadiazole, thienoselenadiazole were used as acceptor moieties, while thiophene, 3-hexylthiophene and 2,3-dihydrothienodioxine (EDOT) were used as the donor components in these donor-acceptor molecules. To synthesize desired monomers, well-known synthetic methods were performed, including bromination, nitration, reduction and condensation. Bromination was achieved by two different ways depends on the aim, NBS and Br2/HBr medium. For the nitration, HNO2 and H2SO4 were used together. Fe metal in refluxing acetic acid was used as the reducing agent in case of nitro group reductions. On the other hand, Zn metal/AcOH system was chosen for the reduction of both nitro groups and thiadiazole structure to amine, simultaneously. Finally, the Stille Coupling was used to obtain resulting acceptor-donor-acceptor monomers. These synthesized monomers were polymerized by electrochemically and investigated their properties by methods such as spectroelectrochemistry, kinetic and colorimetry studies. Spectroelectrochemistry experiments were performed in order to investigate key properties of conducting polymers such as band gap, maximum absorption wavelength, the intergap states that upon doping and evolution of polaron and bipolaron bands. Switching time and optical contrast of the polymers were evaluated via kinetic studies.

Studies toward the total synthesis of (+)-providencin (1), a highly oxygenated cembranoid dipterpene with a unique bicyclo[12.2.0]hexadecane skeleton and pronounced biological activity, are described. These studies resulted in the synthesis of advanced intermediates 320 and 332 which contain all of the carbon atoms of 1. In a first generation approach toward 1, a zirconium-mediated deoxygenative ring contraction of furanose 177 was used to furnish enantiopure cyclobutanol 176. Olefination of furan aldehyde 197 with phosphonate 214 completed cyclobutylfuran segment 215. A second generation approach toward cyclobutylfuryl subunit 221 via ring-closing metathesis of diene 237 was unproductive, but the iodolactone subunit 228 needed for 1 was prepared successfully using carbometallation-iodination of alkyne 231. Nucleophilic substitution of tosylate 230 with the dianion of phenylselenyl acetic acid (252) followed by acid-catalyzed lactone formation was employed for construction of the γ-lactone moiety of 228. A third generation route to the cyclobutylfuryl subunit of 1 involved a tin(II) chloride-mediated stereoselective allenol synthesis by reaction of aldehyde 302 with propargyllic bromide 264. A silver-catalyzed allenone-to-furan isomerization of 309 completed the synthesis of cyclobutylfuran subunit 288. Attempts to couple the two major fragments, 228 and 288, using palladium-catalyzed C-H activation of the furan component were unsuccessful, but linkage of two major subunits was achieved at the C12-C13 bond via an intermolecular aldol reaction to give 332 and at the C6-C7 bond using intermolecular palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling to afford 320. / Graduation date: 2012

The synthesis and preliminary optoelectronic properties of a series of donor-acceptor (DA) type polymers differing by the acceptor units in the polymer backbone were investigated. Polymers CoP1, CoP2 and CoP3 were designed to yield alternating DA segments with randomly distributed different acceptor units along polymer backbone. The combination of neutral state red colored and neutral state green colored materials resulted in different neutral state colors with respect to their additional acceptor unit. 5,8-Dibromo-2,3-bis(4-tert-butylphenyl) quinoxaline, 5,8-dibromo-2,3-di(thiophen-2-yl)quinoxaline and 4,7-dibromobenzo[c][1,2,5]selenadiazole units were perceived as additional acceptor units and these constituents were combined with the 4,7-dibromo-2-dodecyl-2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole unit and the 2,5-bis(tributylstannyl)thiophene moiety via Stille coupling. The resultant donor acceptor type random copolymers indicated that possessing 5,8-dibromo-2,3-di(thiophen-2-yl)quinoxaline as an extra electron deficient with 4,7-dibromo-2-dodecyl-2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole unit on the same polymer backbone originated a neutral state black colored copolymer along with spanning the entire visible spectrum.

The synthesis of benzo[e]dimethyldihydropyrene (BDHP) photoswitches with ter-27, quarter-36, and quinque-28 thiophene oligomers attached on the same side of the switch was achieved using Stille coupling reactions. BDHP photoswitches with bi-75, ter-76 and quinque-77 thiophene oligomers attached directly to the switch on one side, and via a carbonyl spacer on the opposite side of the switch were also synthesized. Dimethyldihydropyrene (DHP) photoswitches with a naphthoyl functional group in the 2 position were synthesized using a Friedel Crafts reaction, and ter-96, quinque-97 and septi-98 thiophene oligomers were attached on opposite sides of the switch using Stille coupling reactions. All compounds were characterized by NMR, IR UV-vis spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The relative rates of the photo-opening reactions under excess light conditions and the UV closing reactions versus BDHP were measured. Improvements in the photo-opening properties of the oligothiophene functionalized switches compared to BDHP were observed. The most dramatic photo-opening improvement was found for the quinquethienyl substituted DHP switch 97 which photo-opened when irradiated with visible light over 100 times faster than BDHP. UV closing rates were virtually the same as that of BDHP. However the addition of oligothiophenes led to an increase in the thermal closing reaction rates. Compounds with the naphthoyl functional group in the 2 position of DHP were found to have dramatically increased thermal closing rates. The electrochemical properties of oligothiophene functionalized BDHP and naphthoyl functionalized DHP switches in the closed form were studied by cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. During the oxidation cycle, a closing reaction from the cyclophanediene (CPD) form to the DHP form of the switches occurred which prevented the study of the electrochemical properties of the switches in the open form. Conductivity testing was performed on the quinquethienyl substituted DHP switch 97 using a gold interdigitated micro electrode array. The conductivity of undoped 97 was greater in the closed DHP isomer than in the open CPD isomer. Irradiation with red or blue light allowed for repetitive switching between the more highly conducting closed form and the less conducting open form. When electrochemically doped, 97 showed improved conductivity over the undoped form but only the conductivity of the closed doped form could be measured due to electrochemically induced closing.

Ces dernières années, un nouveau type de polymère donneur d’électron pour des applications photovoltaïques a été étudié de manière intensive, les copolymères à faible bande interdite. Ils sont constitués d’un groupement riche en électron (ER) et d’un groupement pauvre (EP) permettant de contrôler les orbitales frontières et d’induire une délocalisation de l’exciton généré lors du processus de photo-excitation. Une large variété de dispositifs est basée sur ces copolymères avec des rendements d’environ 10% et, pour accroitre leur efficacité, il est nécessaire d’avoir une meilleure compréhension de ces polymères pendant le phénomène de photo-absorption. La chimie théorique apparait comme un outil permettant de prédire différentes propriétés optoélectroniques. Au cours de ce travail, nous avons utilisé la théorie de la fonctionnelle de la densité indépendante (DFT) et dépendante du temps (TD DFT) pour simuler les propriétés optiques d’oligomères de taille croissante avec différents groupements ER et EP. Les propriétés optiques des polymères correspondant ont été extrapolées à l’aide du modèle de Kuhn. Ce criblage théorique nous a permis de sélectionner des systèmes prometteurs à base de benzodithiophène, de benzothiadiazole et de benzofurazane qui ont ensuite été synthétisés par couplage de Stille. Les polymères et oligomères obtenus ont été caractérisés par spectroscopie UV-visible et de fluorescence, chromatographie d’exclusion stérique et par RMN dans le but d’observer des relations structure-propriétés et de faire des corrélations entre résultats expérimentaux et théoriques. / During the last decade, a new kind of donor polymers for photovoltaic application have been intensively studied, the low band-gap polymers. They are based on repeating units associating two different moieties, one electron-rich (ER) and one electron-poor (EP), which allow to finely tune the molecular orbitals and to induce a delocalization of the exciton generated upon the photo-excitation process. A large variety of devices are based on such low band-gap polymers, with a power conversion efficiency record around 10%, and, to increase the efficiency, it is necessary to have a better understanding of these polymers during the photo-absorption phenomenon. Computational chemistry isa powerful tool that permits to predict different opto-electronic properties. For this work, we used Density Functional Theory and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory to compute the optical properties of increasingly large oligomers involving various ER and EP subunits. The optical properties in the polymer limit were then estimated for the different systems by using an extrapolation scheme based on the Kuhn equation. This theoretical screening allowed us to select promising candidates based on benzodithiophene, benzothiadiazole and benzofurazan for syntheses, which were performed by a Stille coupling. The obtained polymers and size-controlled oligomers were further characterized by UV visible spectroscopy, fluorescence, size exclusion chromatography and NMR, in order to extractstructure-properties relationships and correlate experimental results to theoretical data.

<div>Enantioselective syntheses of hexacyclic aspidoalbidine alkaloids (+)-fendleridine and (+)-acetylaspidoalbidine are described. These syntheses feature an asymmetric decarboxylative allylation and photocyclization of a highly substituted enaminone. Also, the synthesis highlights the formation of a C19-hemiaminal ether via a reduction/condensation/intramolecular cyclization cascade with the C21-alcohol. The present synthesis provides convenient access to the aspidoalbidine hexacyclic alkaloid family in an efficient manner.</div><div>A copper-catalyzed cross-coupling is described. Use of Cu(I) salts in the presence of allyl bromides and organostannyl furans were found to undergo catalytic turnover under ambient conditions and afford the coupled products in good to great yields. Model substrate screening led to conditions used in the concise formal synthesis of FR901464 analogues. Optimization of the described coupling step led to suppression of undesired isomers and byproducts affording the desired diene coupled product in high yield, stereo-, and regioselectivity on a multigram scale. Novel protection of the resulting diene moiety as an unconventional protecting group, and a facile four-step single column chromatographic stereoselective sequence are also reported.</div>