A new method for the direct synthesis of imines from alcohols and amines is described where hydrogen gas is liberated. The reaction is catalyzed by the ruthenium N-heterocyclic carbene complex [RuCl2(IiPr)(p-cymene)] in the presence of the ligand DABCO and molecular sieves. The imination can be applied to a variety of primary alcohols and amines and can be combined with a subsequent addition reaction. A deuterium labeling experiment indicates that the catalytically active species is a ruthenium dihydride. The reaction is believed to proceed by initial dehydrogenation of the alcohol to the aldehyde, which stays coordinated to ruthenium. Nucleophilic attack of the amine affords the hemiaminal, which is released from ruthenium and converted into the imine.

Recently, bioorthogonal chemistry based on the Inverse Electron-Demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) cycloaddition between 1,2,4,5-tetrazines and trans-cyclooctene (TCO) analogues added an interesting dimension to molecular imaging. Until now, antibodies (Abs) were tagged with TCO and after pretargeting they were reacted with tetrazines substituted with reporters. However, TCO tags have the tendency to degrade under physiological conditions, and due to their hydrophobic nature are buried within the protein. This results in loss of reactivity and a low Ab functional loading. To circumvent these problems, we report for the first time an approach in which tetrazines are used as tags for antibody (Ab) modification, and TCO as the imaging agent. We developed a new Ab-tetrazine conjugate, which displays a high functional loading, good stability and reactivity. We utilized this immunoconjugate for live-cell imaging together with novel TCO probes, resulting in selective and rapid labeling of SKOV-3 cells. Our approach may be useful for in vivo pretargeted imaging.

In a continued chemosystematic investigation of the water-soluble compounds in Veronica sect. Hebe, we have investigated two more of the species formerly classified as Parahebe. Both species contained mannitol in considerable amounts and in addition some glucosides of iridoid acids. Veronica cheesemanii was characterised by aucubin and its esters: 2′-O-benzoylaucubin and an aucubin diester named cheesemanioside. The main iridoid compounds in Veronica hookeriana were catalpol and its ester verminoside, but this species also contained the sugar ester methyl 1-O-benzoyl-3-α-glucuronosylglycerol and a caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside (CPG) named parahebeoside, a 2′-O-β-xylopyranosyl derivative of the known plantamajoside. The results show that the studied species of the former genus Parahebe are very different with regard to their chemical content. This is in agreement with the DNA sequence data and implies the genus was polyphyletic as previously circumscribed. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

A straightforward procedure is described for the synthesis of (1→6)‐linked saccharides by regioselective glycosylation of unprotected glycosyl acceptors. Phenyl 1‐thioglycopyranosides derived from D‐glucose, D‐galactose and D‐mannose were treated with dibutyltin oxide to introduce a stannylene acetal, and then subjected to selective glycosylation at the 6‐position with the Koenigs–Knorr protocol. Peracylated glycosyl bromides of D‐glucose, D‐galactose, D‐mannose and D‐glucosamine were employed as the donors to give the corresponding (1→6)‐linked disaccharides in moderate to good yields. The best results were obtained with glycosyl donors and acceptors derived from D‐glucose and D‐galactose. Fully acylated disaccharide thioglycosides could also serve as glycosyl donors for the regioselective coupling. Brominolysis and subsequent Koenigs–Knorr coupling with the stannylene acetal of phenyl 1‐thio‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside gave rise to the corresponding (1→6)‐linked trisaccharides in moderate yields.