To define the abundance and comprehend the reactivity of dibenzodioxocins in lignin, model compound studies, specific degradation experiments on milled wood lignin, and molecular modeling calculations have been performed. Quantitative (31)P NMR measurements of the increase of biphenolic hydroxyl groups formed after a series of alkaline degradations in the presence of hydrosulfide anions (kraft conditions) showed the presence of 3.7 dibenzodioxocin rings/100 C9 units in milled wood lignin. The DFRC degradation protocol (Derivatization Followed by Reductive Cleavage) was chosen as an independent means to estimate their abundance. Initial experiments with a dibenzodioxocin model compound, trans-6,7-dihydro-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-4,9-dimethoxy-2,11-dipropyldibenzo[e,g][1,4]dioxocin-6-ylmethanol, showed that it is not cleaved under DFRC conditions, but rather it isomerizes into a cyclic oxepine structure. Steric effects precluded this isomerization from occurring when DFRC was applied to milled wood lignin. Instead, monoacetylated biphenolic moieties were released and quantified by (31)P NMR, at 4.3 dibenzodioxocin rings/100 C9 units. The dibenzodioxocin content in residual lignins isolated from kraft pulps delignified to various degrees showed that during pulp delignification, the initial rate of dibenzodioxocin removal was considerably greater than the cleavage rate of arylglycerol-beta-aryl ether bonds. The activation energy for the degradation of dibenzodioxocins under kraft conditions in milled wood lignin was 96 +/- 9 kJ/mol, similar to that of arylglycerol-beta-aryl ether bond cleavage.

We report herein the three-step enantioselective synthesis of beta-trifluoromethyl alpha-amino acids including trifluorovaline (TFV) using stereoselective hydrogenation with [((R)-trichickenfootphos)Rh(cod)]BF(4) catalyst as the key step.

An alternative synthesis of WAY-262398, 1, a novel, dual-acting SSRI/5-HT 1A antagonist, has been developed. The target compound was initially synthesized as a part of diastereomeric mixture which was separated by chiral preparative HPLC. The new route was designed around intermediates suitable for chiral resolution and/or chiral reduction of a suitable intermediate. Both processes had to be employed to achieve the target optical purity.

Enantioselective Synthesis of β-Trifluoromethyl α-Amino Acids. -The structure of the chiral catalysts is essential for the enantioselective hydrogenation of either (Z)-alkyl or (Z)-aryl trifluoroamidoenoates. Enantiopure trifluorovalin is obtained from (IIa). Other selective deprotection reactions of (IIa) are demonstrated. -(BENHAIM*, C.; BOUCHARD, L.; PELLETIER, G.; SELLSTEDT, J.; KRISTOFOVA, L.; DAIGNEAULT, S.; Org. Lett. ; Wyeth Res., St-Laurent, Que. H4R 1J6, Can.; Eng.) -R. Steudel 39-193 s