A bis-calixarene from olefin metathesis

A ring-closing olefin metathesis reaction of tetra­kis­(all­yl­oxy)calix[4]arene gave the bis­ calixarene, (15E,40E,60E)-65,74-bis­(prop-2-en-1-yl­oxy)-13,18,38,43,58,63-hexa­oxado­deca­cyclo­[28.26.8.720,36.111,45.151,55.05,57.07,12.019,24.026,64.032,37.044,49.168,72]tetra­hepta­conta-1,3,5(57),7,9,11,15,19(24),20,22,26,28,30(64),32,34,36,40,44(49),45,47,51,53,55(65),60,68,70,72(74)-hepta­cosa­ene, C74H68O8. It is a cage formed from two calix[4]arene units joined by butenyl groups at three of the O atoms on the narrow rim. The fourth O atom on each calixarene unit is joined with an allyl group. Each of the calix[4]arene units has a flattened cone conformation in which the all­yloxy-substituted aryl group and the opposite aryl group are close together and almost parallel [dihedral angle between planes = 1.09 (11)°], and the other two aryl groups are splayed outward [dihedral angle between planes = 79.53 (11)°]. No guest mol­ecule (e.g. solvent) was observed within the cage. The alkene C atoms of one of the links between the calixarene moieties are disordered over two orientations with occupancies of 0.533 (9) and 0.467 (9)

(3aR,8aR)-2,2,6,6-Tetra­methyl-4,4,8,8-tetra­phenyl­tetra­hydro-1,3-dioxolo[4,5-e][1,3,2]dioxasilepine

The title compound, C33H34O4Si, is a dioxasilepine compound, an effective chiral dopant for the determination of high helical twisting powers in liquid crystals. Its structure consists of a five-membered dioxolo ring fused to a seven-membered dioxasilepine ring which contains two sets of phenyl rings in a twisted butterfly shape attached to the two Csp 3 atoms in the ring opposite each other. Two methyl groups are attached to the Si atom in the ring and two additional methyl groups are attached to the Csp 3 atom in the dioxolo ring (one of which is disordered) and which lies in an envelope pattern. The dihedral angles between the mean planes of the phenyl ring pairs are 85.9 (2) and 83.5 (1)°. The dihedral angles between the mean planes of the dioxolo ring and the two pairs of butterfly shaped phenyl rings are 46.2 (1), 67.7 (1), 35.6 (7) and 83.5 (1)°

9,9-Dimethyl-9-silafluorene

The title compound, C14H14Si, crystallizes with two almost identical mol­ecules (r.m.s. deviation = 0.080 Å for all non-H atoms) in the asymmetric unit. All atoms of the silafluorene moiety lie in a common plane (r.m.s. deviations = 0.049 and 0.035 Å for the two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit). The Si—Cmeth­yl bonds are significantly shorter [1.865 (4)–1.868 (4) Å] than the Si—Caromatic bonds [1.882 (3)–1.892 (3) Å]. Owing to strain in the five-membered ring, the endocyclic C—Si—C angles are reduced to 91.05 (14) and 91.21 (14)°

Epoxide-Opening Cascades in the Synthesis of Polycyclic Polyether Natural Products

The structural features of polycyclic polyether natural products can, in some cases, be traced to their biosynthetic origin. However in case that are less well understood, only biosynthetic pathways that feature dramatic, yet speculative, epoxide-opening cascades are proposed. We summarize how such epoxide-opening cascade reactions have been used in the synthesis of polycyclic polyethers (see scheme) and related natural products. The group of polycyclic polyether natural products is of special interest owing to the fascinating structure and biological effects displayed by its members. The latter includes potentially therapeutic antibiotic, antifungal, and anticancer properties, and extreme lethality. The polycyclic structural features of this class of compounds can, in some cases, be traced to their biosynthetic origin, but in others that are less well understood, only to proposed biosynthetic pathways that feature dramatic, yet speculative, epoxide-opening cascades. In this review we summarize how such epoxide-opening cascade reactions have been used in the synthesis of polycyclic polyethers and related natural products