Synthesis of novel tricyclic isoindole derivatives

Novel 3-methylene-2,5-dioxo-3H,9bH-oxazolo[2,3-a]isoindoles were prepared from the thermolysis of (3R,9bS)-5-oxo-2,3,5,9b-tetrahydrothiazolo[2,3-a]isoindole-3-carboxylic acids in acetic anhydride. The structure of 3-methylene-2,5-dioxo-3H,9bH-oxazolo[2,3-a]isoindole 6a was determined by X-ray crystallography.     

O- and N-alkylated diketopyrrolopyrrole derivatives

The alkylation of 3-phenyl-6-(2-thienyl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione with 1-bromo-2-ethylhexane was performed. Besides the expected N,N′-dialkylated product, both possible N,O-dialkyl derivatives were isolated and identified for the first time. The position of the alkyl substituents in all three dialkylated isomers was determined by 2D ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.     

Simultaneous determination of naphthoquinone derivatives in Boraginaceous herbs by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method using diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of eight naphthoquinone derivatives namely shikonin, acetylshikonin, deoxyshikonin, β-acetoxyisovalerylshikonin, isobutylshikonin, β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin, 2-methyl-n-butyrylshikonin and isovalerylshikonin in nine species of the Boraginaceae family. These species, coming from different areas of China, are all used as interchangeable sourcing plants for the Chinese Materia Medica known as “Zicao”, and are Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnston., A. guttata Bunge, Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc., Onosma paniculatum Bur. et Franch., O. exsertum Hemsl., O. confertum W.W. Smith, O. hookerii Clarke var. longiflorum Duthie, O. hookerii Clarke and O. waltonii Duthic. Quantification of the eight naphthoquinones in all the Zicao samples are reported and compared with each other. Furthermore, two positional isomers, 2-methyl-n-butyrylshikonin and isovalerylshikonin, were successfully separated and quantified for the first time in the present study. The results showed that, besides the three officially used species (namely, A. euchroma, A. guttata and L. erythrorhizon) that were listed in Chinese pharmacopoeia as interchangeable sourcing plants for Zicao, other six species of Onosma used by native peoples in Tibet and Yunnan Province also contain various types and considerable amounts of naphthoquinones and that O. waltonii contains the most. Therefore, these species of Onosma could be developed as new sources of naphthoquinones. The entire analytical procedure is reproducible and suitable for the quantification of naphthoquinones in all related Boraginaceous plants for quality assessment purposes.     

Synthetic studies of erythromycin derivatives: 6-O-methylation of (9S)-12,21-anhydro-9-dihydroerythromycin A derivatives

Synthetic studies on methylation of erythromycin derivatives were conducted. Methylation of 6 resulted in the formation of the C-3′ quaternary ammonium salts with a rate faster than 6-O-methylation. In dipolar aprotic solvent and under strong base conditions, 6-O-methylation, C-3′ quaternary ammonium salts formation and 2-C-methylation proceeded simultaneously to yield a mixture of three different products 7, 8 and 9. The quaternary ammonium salts were converted back to the corresponding tertiary amines 2, 10 and starting material 6 by employing sodium 4-pyridinethiolate as a N-demethylation reagent. The 6-O-methylation was eventually achieved in a good yield when a carbobenzyloxy (Cbz) group was utilized to protect the C-3′-dimethylamino group of 4. In this report, we will discuss the details of different reaction courses in the methylation of (9S)-12, 21-anhydro-9-dihydroerythromycin A derivatives.     

Synthesis of polyarene derivatives of fused aziridines by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling

A convenient and effective synthetic approach to potentially radiochromic polyarene derivatives of bi- and tricyclic aziridines utilizing modified Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling with catalysis in micellar media has been developed. A series of polyarene substituents were introduced into 1,5-diaryl-3,5a-dihydro-1H-azireno[1,2-c]imidazoles, 1,6-diaryl-1,3,4,6a-tetrahydroazireno[1,2-a]pyrazines, and 1,2-diaryl-1,1a-dihydroazireno[1,2-a]quinoxalines without degradation of the highly reactive aziridine ring system.     

N-Polyfluoro(trimethylsilyl)ethyl azole derivatives

A facile synthetic route to N-polyfluoro(trimethylsilyl)ethyl azole derivatives was developed starting from N-bromo(chloro)polyfluoroethyl-substituted azoles. The silanes thus obtained were reacted with various electrophiles in the presence of the fluoride ion to yield the corresponding fluorinated carbinols, ketones, carboxylic acids, and methyl dithiocarboxylates as well as N-pentafluoroethylbenzimidazole.     

Efficient regioselective heterocyclisation leading to fluorescent fused pyrazine derivatives

The regioselective syntheses of substituted pyrrolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline, pyrido[2,3-b]pyrrolo[2,3-e]pyrazine, pyrido[2,3-b]pyrrolo[3,2-e]pyrazine and pyrido[3,4-b]pyrrolo[3,2-e]pyrazine are reported. Differential reactivity between two amino groups in ortho-diaminopyridine can be exploited to obtain new regio-defined unsymmetrical pyridopyrrolopyrazine derivatives. Weak electron-donating methyl or moderately electron-withdrawing carboxylic groups attached to the aromatic ortho-diamines reduce the regioselectivity of obtaining unsymmetrical substituted pyrrolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline. The fluorescence properties of the resultant 1-alkyl pyridopyrrolopyrazine and substituted pyrrolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline derivatives are presented.     

Chemical and electrochemical procedures for the synthesis of diisopropyltetrahydroquinoxalinedione derivatives

Diisopropyltetrahydroquinoxalinedione derivatives are synthesized from the reaction of various catechols with N,N′-diisopropylethylenediamine. Both chemical and electrochemical methods give the same products. While the chemical synthesis is faster, the electrochemical synthesis provides higher yields.     

Stille reaction over cis-halocyclohexadienediol derivatives

Stille reaction was performed with several halo cis-diol derivatives by reaction with allyltributyltin in the presence of a palladium catalyst forming allyl cis-dihydrodiol derivatives. These couplings were conducted with conventional heating as well as with microwave irradiation. Allylbenzene cis-dihydrodiol was obtained with excellent yield using mild conventional heating. However, if the diol moiety is protected with the isopropylidene group, the expected product is obtained only under microwave irradiation. The unusual reactivity observed for the polyoxygenated derivatives suggests assistance of the free hydroxyls in the catalytic cycle.     

Gas-phase pyrolysis of benzimidazole derivatives: novel route to condensed heterocycles

Gas-phase pyrolysis of N-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-N′-arylidenehydrazines 1a-e gave the corresponding arylnitriles 2a-e, 2-aminobenzimidazole 3, 2,4,5-triphenylimidazole 4, 1,3-diphenyl-8H-2,3a,8-triazacyclopenta[a]indene 5, and 5,11-diphenyl-6H,12H-dibenzimidazo[1,2-a];1’,2’-d]pyrazine 6. The kinetics and analysis of the products of reaction are reported and used to elucidate the mechanism of the elimination process.     

Unexpected nitrilimine cycloaddition of thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine derivatives

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of 2-arylidene-6,7-dihydro-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-3(5H)-ones to diphenylnitrilimine (generated in situ by triethylamine dehydrohalogenation of the N′-phenylbenzohydrazonoyl chloride) proceeded regio- and site-selectively affording a mixture of two unexpected isomer products at reflux temperature. The cycloaddition/ring-opening/rearrangement/substitution, mechanism of the reaction was also discussed.     

An efficient synthesis of ortho-N-Boc-arylmethyl ketone derivatives

A new and efficient method for the preparation of ortho-N-Boc-arylmethyl ketone derivatives is reported. The reaction involves the intermediacy of a 4-methylene-3,1-benzoaxin-2-one moiety which smoothly converts to the target compounds under acidic conditions. The ortho-N-Boc-arylmethyl ketone derivatives can be formed in a one-pot reaction or alternatively the 4-methylene-3,1-benzoaxin-2-ones can be isolated and subsequently transformed into the desired products.     

Synthesis of gem-diamino derivatives on solid support

Anchoring of an α-amino-acid amide residue by its amine function to a carbamate resin followed by primary amide Hofmann rearrangement led to a gem-diamino residue linked to the resin. The generated primary amine could be acylated with various carboxylic compounds offering a large variety of molecules. Furthermore, this new solid-phase strategy allowed a reliable synthesis of a gem-diamino monomeric residue which could not be easily obtained in solution due to the limited stability of monocarbamate-protected gem-diaminoalkyl derivatives.     

Novel synthesis of o-naphthothiophenequinone derivatives via regioselective Diels-Alder reaction

A novel procedure to construct o-naphthothiophenequinones has been achieved from readily available o-benzothiophenquinones and N-dienes via Diels-Alder reaction-aromatization sequence as key steps. The absolute regioselectivity was established via Diels-Alder reaction of o-benzothiophenquinones with rich electron N-dienes.     

Cytotoxic ent-kauranoid derivatives from Isodon rubescens

An extensive study of the diterpenoids produced by the species of Isodon rubescens, has led to the isolation of 12 new ent-kaurane diterpenoids, hebeirubescensins A-L (1-12), and 19 known analogues. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Selected compounds were assayed for their inhibitory ability against human A549, HT-29, and K562 cells. Among them, hebeirubescensins B and C exhibited significant cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ values of <2.0 μM. The structure-activity relationships were discussed.     

Synthesis of zwitterionic 4-hydroxy-2(1H)-quinolinone derivatives

Zwitterionic 4-hydroxy-2(1H)-quinolinone derivatives were synthesized through a unique reaction of 4-hydroxy-2(1H)-quinolinone with p-benzoquinone and N-heterocyclic aromatics. The zwitterions possessed astropisomeric nature. A possible mechanism of the reaction was presented.     

Microwave-assisted rapid and efficient synthesis of C-alkyl imidazoisoquinolinone derivatives

The synthesis of a set of 10-benzyl-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-b]isoquinolin-5(1H)-one and 5-oxo-imidazo[1,2-b]isoquinolin-10-yl)-N-phenylacetamide derivatives was achieved by exposing the corresponding alkylating agent and imidazoisoquinolinone to microwave irradiation and traditional oil bath heating in the presence of K₂CO₃ and DMAP. The microwave technique as well as DMAP as base accelerated the alkylation reaction for 2-6 min giving 79-88% yields.     

Computer-assisted design and lactonization of model seco-acid derivatives of lankanolide

In some cases, seco-acid derivatives (a precursor of macrolactone) did not cyclize to form the corresponding macrolactone. To design easily cyclizable seco-acid derivatives of lanaknolide, the conformation of several model seco-acids was calculated, and lactonization experiments of the seco-acids prepared from oleandomycin were carried out to elucidate the efficiency of the cyclization of the model seco-acid. The easily cyclable seco-acid was designed to be C8 exomethylene derivative of lankanolide seco-acid. On the other hand, seco-acid derivative having tertiary alcohol at C8 was predicted not to cyclize to form macrolactone.     

Synthesis of [60]fullerene-based α-amino acid derivatives

N-(2-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro[60]fullero[1,2-g]quinazolin-4-yl)-α-amino acid derivatives were obtained by Diels-Alder addition of adequately substituted pyrimidine ortho-quinodimethanes to C₆₀. One of the new compounds is a l-lysine derivative were both the amino and the carboxyl groups are free; this compound is suitable to be incorporated in peptides.     

An advantageous synthesis of new indazolone and pyrazolone derivatives

The synthesis of new indazolone and pyrazolone derivatives starting from methyl anthranilate type substrates is presented. This general approach constitutes a novel and advantageous alternative for the synthesis of the target heterocycles, which implies the use of the environmentally friendly oxidizer PIFA. The synthetic design includes the oxidation of N-arylamides by the hypervalent iodine reagent to the corresponding N-acylnitrenium ions, which can be intramolecularly trapped by an amine moiety to furnish the title compounds by formation of a new N-N single bond.