N-Methoxypyridinium salts are exceptionally reactive radical traps that can be used in efficient radical chain reactions with organoboranes.

We propose a new 13C DEPTQ+ NMR experiment, based on the improved DEPTQ experiment, which is designed to unequivocally identify all carbon multiplicities (Cq, CH, CH2, and CH3) in two experiments. Compared to this improved DEPTQ experiment, the DEPTQ+ is shorter and the different evolution delays are designed as spin echoes, which can be tuned to different 1JCH values; this is especially valuable when a large range of 1JCH coupling constants is to be expected. These modifications allow (i) a mutual leveling of the DEPT signal intensities, (ii) a reduction in J cross-talk in the Cq/CH spectrum, and (iii) more consistent and cleaner CH2/CH3 edited spectra. The new DEPTQ+ is expected to be attractive for fast 13C analysis of small-to medium sized molecules, especially in high-throughput laboratories. With concentrated samples and/or by exploiting the high sensitivity of cryogenically cooled 13C NMR probeheads, the efficacy of such investigations may be improved, as it is possible to unequivocally identify all carbon multiplicities, with only one scan, for each of the two independent DEPTQ+ experiments and without loss of quality.

The antibacterial activity of 22 thiolato-bridged dinuclear ruthenium(II)-arene compounds was assessed in vitro against Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. None of the compounds efficiently inhibited the growth of the three E. coli strains tested and only compound 5 exhibited a medium activity against this bacterium (MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of 25 μM). However, a significant antibacterial activity was observed against S. pneumoniae, with MIC values ranging from 1.3 to 2.6 μM for compounds 1-3, 5 and 6. Similarly, compounds 2, 5-7 and 20-22 had MIC values ranging from 2.5 to 5 μM against S. aureus. The tested diruthenium compounds have a bactericidal effect significantly faster than that of penicillin. Fluorescence microscopy assays performed on S. aureus using the BODIPY-tagged diruthenium complex 15 showed that this type of metal compound enter the bacteria and do not accumulate in the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria. Cellular internalization was further confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) experiments. The nature of the substituents anchored on the bridging thiols and the compounds molecular weight appear to significantly influence the antibacterial activity. Thus, if overall a decrease of the bactericidal effect with the increase of compounds' molecular weight is observed, however the complexes bearing larger benzo-fused lactam substituents had low MIC values. This first antibacterial activity screening demonstrated that the thiolato-diruthenium compounds exhibit promising activity against S. aureus and S. pneumoniae and deserve to be considered for further studies.

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<p>The monoalkylation of N-methoxypyridinium salts with alkyl radicals generated from alkenes (via hydroboration with catecholborane), alkyl iodides (via iodine atom transfer) and xanthates is reported. The reaction proceeds under neutral conditions since no acid is needed to activate the heterocycle and does not require the use of an external oxidant. A rate constant for the addition of a primary radical to N-methoxylepidinium >107 M–1 s–1 was experimentally determined. This rate constant is more than one order of magnitude larger than the one measured for the addition of primary alkyl radical to protonated lepidine demonstrating the remarkable reactivity of methoxypyridinium salts towards radicals. The reaction could be extended to a three component carbopyridinylation of electron rich alkenes including enol esters, enol ethers and enamides.</p>

Radicals can be generated by the cleavage of the C—B bond of alkylboranes or boronic acid derivatives. The fragmentation process may result from a nucleohomolytic substitution process or from a redox process. The nucleohomolytic substitution is ideal for the generation of alkyl radicals and is usually part of a chain-reaction process. Redox processes (mainly oxidative reactions) have been used to generate both alkyl and aryl radicals. The use of stoichiometric oxidizing agents can be avoided by employing photoredox catalysis. A broad range of synthetic applications such as radical cascade processes, multicomponent reactions, and cross-coupling reactions in the presence of suitable metal catalysts are now possible. In their diversity, organoboron compounds represent one of the most general sources of radicals. The merging of radical chemistry with the classical chemistry of organoboron derivatives opens tremendous opportunities for applications in organic synthesis.

<p>The monoalkylation of N-methoxypyridinium salts with alkyl radicals generated from alkenes (via hydroboration with catecholborane), alkyl iodides (via iodine atom transfer) and xanthates is reported. The reaction proceeds under neutral conditions since no acid is needed to activate the heterocycle and does not require the use of an external oxidant. A rate constant for the addition of a primary radical to N-methoxylepidinium >107 M–1 s–1 was experimentally determined. This rate constant is more than one order of magnitude larger than the one measured for the addition of primary alkyl radical to protonated lepidine demonstrating the remarkable reactivity of methoxypyridinium salts towards radicals. The reaction could be extended to a three component carbopyridinylation of electron rich alkenes including enol esters, enol ethers and enamides.</p>

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