No abstract

Thermal cyclization of 7,10-diethynylfluoranthene (3) in the gas phase gives corannulene (2), the smallest bowl-shaped polycyclic hydrocarbon fragment of C60 with fullerene-like curvature. Bromocorannulene (10) and 1,6-dibromocorannulene (9) have also been obtained from flash pyrolysis of 7,10-bis(2,2-dibromovinyl)fluoranthene (8). Short, practical syntheses of several corannulene precursors from acenaphthenequinone are described which have made corannulene available in gram quantities.

To search for TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor alpha) converting enzyme (TACE) inhibitors, we designed a new class of macrocyclic hydroxamic acids by linking the P1 and P2' residues of acyclic anti-succinate-based hydroxamic acids. A variety of residues including amide, carbamate, alkyl, sulfonamido, Boc-amino, and amino were found to be suitable P1-P2' linkers. With an N-methylamide at P3', the 13-16-membered macrocycles prepared exhibited low micromolar activities in the inhibition of TNF-alpha release from LPS-stimulated human whole blood. Further elaboration in the P3'-P4' area using the cyclophane and cyclic carbamate templates led to the identification of a number of potent analogues with IC(50) values of