Esterification and Selective Esterification in the Presence of TiCl4

A series of carboxylic acids was esterified to the corresponding esters with TiCl_4 as catalyst at room temperature,in high yields.This catalyst was highly effective for the selective esterification of primary alcohols with carboxylic acids,in the presence of secondary alcohols,and for the selective esterification of saturated acid with alcohol in the presence of conjugated acid or aromatic acid.On account of the high yield,high chemoselectivity,mild condition,and being free of other dehydrants,this is an efficient method.     

An efficient glycosidation method using 2,3-unsaturated glycosyl donors

A novel class of ‘armed’ glycosyl donors containing a double bond at the C-2 position was designed by mimicking the mechanism of lysozyme-initiated hydrolysis. These donors were used to achieve chemoselective glycosidation of hex-2-enopyranosyl acetate and hexopyranosyl acetate, and synthesis of O-glycosidic linkages between highly deoxygenated sugars and tertiary alcohols.     

Diethylzinc-Mediated Cross-Coupling Reactions between Dibromoketones and Monobromo Carbonyl Compounds

A novel route to synthesize 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds is described. α,α-Dibromoketones generate zinc enolates through a diethylzinc-mediated halogen-metal exchange and react with α-bromocarbonyl compounds to furnish 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds via a second generation of zinc enolates. This cross-coupling reaction is enabled by the chemoselective formation of zinc enolates from α,α-dibromoketones in the presence of α-bromocarbonyl compounds. Chiral 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds can be obtained via the enantioselective bromination of aldehydes using a chiral secondary amine catalyst and a subsequent cross-coupling reaction between the resulting chiral α-bromoaldehydes and α,α-dibromoacetophenones.     

Isoindolium-Based Allenes: Reactivity Studies and Applications in Fluorescence Temperature Sensing and Cysteine Bioconjugation

The reaction of a series of electron-deficient isoindolium-based allenes with sulfhydryl compounds has been studied, leading to the formation of isoindolium-based vinyl sulfides. The vinyl sulfides generated could be readily converted into the corresponding indanones and amines upon heating at 30–70 °C with good yields up to 61 %. The thermal cleavage reaction of vinyl sulfides was further studied for developing temperature-sensitive systems. Notably, a novel FRET-based fluorescent temperature sensor was designed and synthesized for temperature sensing at 50 °C, giving a 6.5-fold blue fluorescence enhancement. Moreover, chemoselective bioconjugation of cysteine-containing peptides with the isoindolium-based allenes for the construction of multifunctional peptide bioconjugates was investigated. Thermal cleavage of isoindoliums on the modified peptides at 35–70 °C gave indanone bioconjugates with up to >99 % conversion. These results indicated the biocompatibility of this novel temperature-sensitive reaction.     

Ammonium formate-based one-pot reductive Heck reactions for the construction of cyclic sulfonamides

A modified method is reported for the conversion of unsaturated sulfonamides into their cyclic saturated counterparts. This method utilises a single palladium catalyst for an intramolecular Heck reaction and subsequent transfer hydrogenation, which is achieved in one-pot following the addition of ammonium formate. Accordingly, a range of fourteen structural variations are reported and under optimal conditions the adducts were generated in typically good to excellent yields. Notably, discrimination of differentially substituted dienes can be accomplished in the case of compounds 28 and 29 and the process was only observed to fail with the more sterically hindered precursor 32.     

Efficient Reduction of Nitroarenes to the Corresponding Anilines with Sulfur in Basic Media under Solvent-Free Conditions

Aromatic nitro compounds can be conveniently reduced to the corresponding primary amines in the presence of S 8 under solvent-free conditions in excellent yields. Alumina supported NaOH catalyses this transformation. Chemoselectivity was observed in the reduction of the nitro group in the presence of phenol, carboxylic acid, aldehyde, and benzyl halide groups.     

TiCl3OTf-[bmim]Br: a novel and efficient catalyst system for chemoselective one-pot synthesis of thioamides from arylaldoximes

The combination of TiCl₃OTf with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide is found to be an efficient and novel catalytic system for chemoselective one-pot transformation of arylaldoximes to their corresponding thioamides in high to excellent yields.     

Stereochemistry modulates the catalytic hydrogenolysis of nitrile-substituted cyclopropanes

The study of Raney-Ni catalyzed chemo- and regioselective hydrogenolysis of diastereomeric nitrile-substituted spirocyclopropyloxindoles is presented. The chemoselectivity outcome of the reaction is remarkably influenced by the relative stereochemistry of the nitrile-substituted spirocyclopropyloxindoles. Chemo- and high regioselective cyclopropane ring-opening occurs from the syn diastereomers to give the corresponding 3-propylacetamide derivatives. X-ray crystallographic studies together with DFT model chemistry calculations indicate that chemo- and regioselectivity are directly dependent on the bond length asymmetry of the cyclopropane ring.     

Highly chemoselective synthesis of aryl allylic sulfoxides through calcium hypobromite oxidation of aryl allylic sulfides

A highly chemoselective oxidation of widely substituted aryl allylic sulfides, prepared by allylation of arylthioethers with KF-Celite, to the corresponding aryl allylic sulfoxide was achieved by employing calcium hypobromite. Neither over-oxidation to sulfones nor halogenation of the aromatic rings was observed. The protocol may be successfully applied for the oxidation of substituted allylic systems (i.e., 2-haloallyl) that per se could interact with the oxidizing agent.     

Positional chemoselectivity in the Zn(II)-mediated removal of phenol protecting groups

A protocol was developed for the chemoselective ortho-deprotection of polyphenolic substrates using readily available Zn^IIX₂ salts. This procedure provides exceptional positional selectivity for the deprotection of phenols that reside adjacent to directing carbonyl functionality in the presence of similar protecting groups at the meta and para positions. Good to excellent yields of the desired free phenols were obtained (?96%), and a wide assortment of protecting groups was readily removed under the reaction conditions.