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Henrik Helligsø Jensen

Publications and source records attributed to Henrik Helligsø Jensen.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Stereoelectronic substituent effects.

An investigation was carried out on the influence of the stereochemistry of substituents, particularly hydroxyl groups, on their electronic effects in piperidines, carbohydrates (pyranosides), and related compounds. Polar groups, such as OH, OR, and F, were found in the 3 and 4 position to be much more electron-withdrawing when positioned equatorially rather than axially. In contrast, little difference in electronic effects was observed from apolar groups as a result of epimerization. These observations were believed to be caused by differences in charge-dipole interactions and were used to explain why stereoisomeric glycosides hydrolyze with different rates. The conformational changes of hydroxylated piperidines and related compounds as a function of pH were likewise explained from the different substituent effects of axial and equatorial OH groups.

Amines↗

The disarming effect of the 4,6-acetal group on glycoside reactivity: torsional or electronic?

An evaluation of whether the well-known deactivating effect of a 4,6-acetal protection group on glycosyl transfer is caused by torsional or an electronic effect from fixation of the 6-OH in the tg conformation was made. Two conformationally locked probe molecules, 2,4-dinitrophenyl 4,8-anhydro-7-deoxy-2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-beta-D-glycero-D-gluco-octopyranoside (18R) and the L-glycero-D-gluco isomer (18S), were prepared, and their rate of hydrolysis was compared to that of the flexible 2,4-dinitrophenyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (21) and the locked 2,4-dinitrophenyl 4,6-O-methylidene-2,3-di-O-methyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (26). The rate of hydrolysis at pH 6.5 was 21 > 18R > 18S > 26, which showed that the deactivating effect of the 4,6-methylene group is partially torsional and partially electronic. A comparison of the rate of acidic hydrolysis of the corresponding methyl alpha-glycosides likewise showed that the probe molecules 17S and 17R hydrolyzed significantly slower than methyl tetra-O-methyl-glucoside 19, confirming a deactivating effect of locking the saccharide in the (4)C(1) conformation. The experiments showed that the hydroxymethyl rotamers deactivate the rate of glycoside hydrolysis in the order tg >> gt > gg.

Acetals↗

Steric effects are not the cause of the rate difference in hydrolysis of stereoisomeric glycosides.

[structure: see text] A long-lived and plausible explanation as to why glycosides with axial substituents are more reactive than those with equatorial substituents was given in 1955 by Edward based on sterical hindrance being relieved in the transition state. Using model compounds 5, 6, 8, and 10, we here show conclusively that sterical hindrance is not the controlling factor in glycoside hydrolysis.

Galactosides↗

Stereoelectronic substituent effects in polyhydroxylated piperidines and hexahydropyridazines.

From the pK(a) values of the conjugate acids of a large series of hydroxylated piperidines and hexahydropyridazines, a consistent difference in basicity was found between stereoisomers having an axial or equatorial hydroxyl (OH) group either beta or gamma to the amine. Compounds with an equatorial OH group in the 3-position were 0.8 pH units more acidic than otherwise identical compounds with an axial OH group, whilst compounds with an equatorial OH group in the 4-position relative to the amine were 0.4 pH units more acidic than the corresponding compound with an axial OH. A similar effect was observed for the COOMe substituent. The difference in electron-withdrawing power of axial and equatorial substituents was explained by a difference in charge-dipole interactions in the two systems. Since this stereoelectronic substituent effect causes differences in basicity in different conformers, certain piperidines and hexahydropyridazines were found to change conformation upon protonation. A method for predicting the pK(a) of piperidines which takes stereochemistry into account is described.

Journal Article↗