24 peroxide [Cu I (pyr)(tpb)] 10 mol % TBHP, 1 atm O 2 , 1:2 AcOH/pyr, rt, 24 h ∼2.5 26 74 g 35 25 n-hexane aldehyde CuCl 2 , 18-crown-6 1 atm O 2 , MeCHO, CH 2 Cl 2 , 70 °C, 24 h 2.4 91 h 9 34a 26 n-decane aldehyde Cu II Cl 16 Pc-AM(PS) 3 equiv of PhCHO, MeCN, 1 atm O 2 , 50 °C 15.4 100 i 61 a See Chart 2 for ligand structures. b Also 28% cyclohexene. c Also 26% cyclohexene. d Mixture of alcohol and hydroperoxide. e Remainder of product is cyclohexene. f Approximately 93:7 of 1-adamantol/2-adamantol. g Approximately 98:2 of 1-adamantol/2-adamantol. h Afforded oxidation products in an approximately 1:1 ratio at the 2-and 3-positions. i Mixture of decanones.

Formaldehyde (FA) is a reactive signaling molecule that is continuously produced through a number of central biological pathways spanning epigenetics to one-carbon metabolism. On the other hand, aberrant, elevated levels of FA are implicated in disease states ranging from asthma to neurodegenerative disorders. In this context, fluorescence-based probes for FA imaging are emerging as potentially powerful chemical tools to help disentangle the complexities of FA homeostasis and its physiological and pathological contributions. Currently available FA indicators require direct modification of the fluorophore backbone through complex synthetic considerations to enable FA detection, often limiting the generalization of designs to other fluorophore classes. To address this challenge, we now present the rational, iterative development of a general reaction-based trigger utilizing 2-aza-Cope reactivity for selective and sensitive detection of FA in living systems. Specifically, we developed a homoallylamine functionality that can undergo a subsequent self-immolative β-elimination, creating a FA-responsive trigger that is capable of masking a phenol on a fluorophore or any other potential chemical scaffold for related imaging and/or therapeutic applications. We demonstrate the utility of this trigger by creating a series of fluorescent probes for FA with excitation and emission wavelengths that span the UV to visible spectral regions through caging of a variety of dye units. In particular, Formaldehyde Probe 573 (FAP573), based on a resorufin scaffold, is the most red-shifted and FA sensitive in this series in terms of signal-to-noise responses and enables identification of alcohol dehydrogenase 5 (ADH5) as an enzyme that regulates FA metabolism in living cells. The results provide a starting point for the broader use of 2-aza-Cope reactivity for probing and manipulating FA biology.

A spectrophotometric sensor is described that provides a useful assessment of the LUMO-lowering provided by catalysts in Diels–Alder and Friedel–Crafts reactions. A broad range of 33 hydrogen-bonding catalysts was assessed with the sensor, and the relative rates in the above reactions spanned 5 orders of magnitude as determined via 1H- and 2H NMR spectroscopic measurements, respectively. The differences between the maximum wavelength shift of the sensor with and without catalyst (Δλmax–1) were found to correlate linearly with ln(krel) values for both reactions, even though the substrate feature that interacts with the catalyst differs significantly (ketone vs nitro). The sensor provides an assessment of both the inherent reactivity of a catalyst architecture as well as the sensitivity of the reaction to changes within an architecture. In contrast, catalyst pKa values are a poor measure of reactivity, although correlations have been identified within catalyst classes.

An efficient cross-coupling reaction of aryl halides and nitromethane was developed with the use of parallel microscale experimentation. The arylnitromethane products are precursors for numerous useful synthetic products. An efficient method for their direct conversion to the corresponding oximes and aldehydes in a one-pot operation has been discovered. The process exploits inexpensive nitromethane as a carbonyl equivalent, providing a mild and convenient formylation method that is compatible with many functional groups.