Recently, Wang Zhiyong, a student of Chemical Engineering Class 2, Grade 2015 of the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering has published as the first author a paper titled “Synthesis of 5-(Trifluoromethyl) pyrazolines by Formal [4 + 1]-Annulation of Fluorinated Sulfur Ylides and Azoalkenes” (Wang, Zhiyong; Yang, Yanzhou; Gao, Fang; Wang, Zhiyong*; Luo, Qian; Fang, Ling* Org. Lett. 2018, 20, 934−937. SCI Area 1, IF = 6.579) in Organic Letters, an internationally well-known academic journal in the area of organic chemistry. Wang Zhiyong is also a team member of the 9th Student Research Training Program (SRTP). This paper contains latest progress in synthesis of 5-(Trifluoromethyl) pyrazolines of the team. The project was finished with guidance of Professor Wang Zhiyong, an associate professor of the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
Fluorine atom has the highest electronegativity and the second smallest atom diameter after hydrogen. As a result, carbon-fluorine bonds have some unique physical, chemical and biochemical properties. Introduction of fluorine atoms or fluorinated functional groups into organic molecules may improve the lipotropy and metabolic stability and reduce the surface tension of the molecule. It is widely used in areas such as pharmaceutical chemistry, agricultural chemicals and material chemistry. At present, nearly 25% of the commercially available medicines contain at least one fluorine atom and nearly 30% of the pesticides contain fluorine atoms. However, only a few natural organic compounds that have been discovered contain fluorine atoms and most of the fluorinated organic compounds can only be synthesized artificially. Despite the remarkable progress made in the synthesis of fluorinated organic compounds in past decades, it is urgently needed to develop some new ways of selective fluorination of organic molecules using cheap and easily available fluorinated reagents.
The author used novel trifluoroethyl sulfonium salt as the trifluoromethyl to substitute the sulfur ylide precursor, and realized the formal [4 + 1]-annulation of fluorinated sulfur ylides and azoalkenes, thus effectively synthesized the 5-(Trifluoromethyl) pyrazolines with potential biological activity. The reaction condition is moderate, operation is easy and gram-level preparation is allowed as well.
Wang Zhiyong, a third-year undergraduate of Chongqing University, is the first author of the paper. He has started the research in the lab from the first year in the University. Thanks to his interests in organic chemistry and his devotion to scientific research, with the guidance of his supervisor, Wang worked hard for more than 1 year and it paid off now. His research findings have been published in a famous journal in the area.
One has to have the basic knowledge before he can carry out scientific researches. Wang Zhiyong says that he believes one would get somewhere as long as he is interested in and devoted to scientific research and does his best. Though not everyone is able to attain remarkable results, you would still be learn and get something in the course of making repeated experiments, consulting teachers and communicating with fellow students. The key to revitalization of science and technology lies in practicing what we have learnt, which should be started the university. It is the responsibility of the young people to practice what they have learnt.
