C-N Bond Formation by Consecutive Continuous-Flow Reductions towards A Medicinally Relevant Piperazine Derivative

A new, continuous-flow consecutive reduction method was developed for the C-N bond formation in the synthesis of the key intermediate of the antipsychotic drug cariprazine. The two-step procedure consists of a DIBAL-H mediated selective ester reduction conducted in a novel, miniature alternating diameter reactor, followed by reductive amination using catalytic hydrogenation on 5% Pt/C. The connection of the optimized modules was accomplished using an at-line extraction to prevent precipitation of the aluminum salt byproducts.     

Formation of an Azaruthenacyclopentadiene Skeleton via Ammonia Activation by an Electron-Deficient Ru3 Cluster

A dicationic triruthenium complex containing a μ₃-η³-C₃ ring, [(Cp*Ru)₃(μ₃-η³-C₃MeH₂−)(μ₃-CH)(μ-H)]²⁺ ( 1 a , Cp*=η⁵-C₅Me₅), reacted with ammonia to yield a μ-amido complex, [(Cp*Ru)₃(μ₃-η³-CHCMeCH) (μ₃-CH)(μ-NH₂)]²⁺ ( 5 ), via N−H bond scission. Subsequent treatment with base resulted in C−N bond formation to yield a μ₃-η²:η²-1-azabutadien-4-yl complex, [(Cp*Ru)₃(μ₃-CH)(μ₃-η²:η²-NH=CH−CMe=CH−)]⁺ ( 6 a ). The azaruthenacyclopentadiene skeleton was alternatively synthesized by the photolysis of mono-cationic complex [(Cp*Ru)₃(μ₃-η³-C₃RH₂−)(μ₃-CH)]⁺ ( 2 a ; R=Me, 2 b ; R=H) in the presence of ammonia. The C₃ ring skeleton was broken via the electron transfer to the π*(C−C) orbital in the C₃ ring, and a transiently generated unsaturated μ₃-allylic species can take up ammonia, resulting in N−H bond scission followed by C−N bond formation.     

Base-promoted N-alkylation using formamides as the N-sources in neat water

An efficient catalyst-free, alternative method for the C–N bond formation reaction of alkyl electrophiles using formamides as the N-sources was achieved under mild conditions. The reaction possesses the advantages of a broad range of substrates scope and wide functional group tolerance. It should also be noted that this process was performed using the environmentally benign water as the sole solvent, and high yield can also be achieved in ten-gram scale.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 1,3-oxathiolan-5-one derivatives through dynamic covalent kinetic resolution

The asymmetric synthesis of 1,3-oxathiolan-5-one derivatives through an enzyme-catalyzed, dynamic covalent kinetic resolution strategy is presented. Dynamic hemithioacetal formation combined with intramolecular, lipase-catalyzed lactonization resulted in good conversions with moderate to good enantiomeric excess (ee) for the final products. The process was evaluated for different lipase preparations, solvents, bases, and reaction temperatures, where lipase B from Candida antarctica (CAL-B) proved most efficient. The substrate scope was furthermore explored for a range of aldehyde structures, together with the potential access to nucleoside analog inhibitor core structures.     

2‐Oxazoline Formation for Selective Chemical Labeling of 5‐Hydroxylysine

Hydroxylation of lysine, one of posttranslational modifications of proteins, generates 5‐hydroxylysine (Koh) and plays a crucial role in regulating protein functions in cellular activity. We have developed a chemical labeling method of Koh. The 1,2‐aminoalcohol moiety of Koh in synthetic peptide sequences was trapped by an alkyne‐containing benzimidate to form a 2‐oxazoline ring. An additional ammonia treatment process removed the undesirable amidine residue formed between benzimidate and lysine. During the ammonia treatment, the oxazoline residue formed at Koh mainly remained intact, and the ring opening to the amide form was observed for only part of oxazoline, indicating that the chemical labeling is amino acid selective. Azide‐substituted biotin or fluorescent dye was attached to the peptide through Huisgen cycloaddition at Koh and converted into an alkyne‐labeled oxazoline form. The Koh‐labeling assay could provide a platform to enhance proteomic research of lysine hydroxylation.     

Numerical Investigation on 1,3-Butadiene/Propyne Co-pyrolysis and Insight into Synergistic Effect on Aromatic Hydrocarbon Formation

A numerical investigation on the co-pyrolysis of 1,3-butadiene and propyne is performed to explore the synergistic effect between fuel components on aromatic hydrocarbon formation.A detailed kinetic model of 1,3-butadiene/propyne co-pyrolysis with the sub-mechanism of aromatic hydrocarbon formation is developed and validated on previous 1,3-butadiene and propyne pyrolysis experiments.The model is able to reproduce both the single component pyrolysis and the co-pyrolysis experiments,as well as the synergistic effect between 1,3-butadiene and propyne on the formation of a series of aromatic hydrocarbons.Based on the rate of production and sensitivity analyses,key reaction pathways in the fuel decomposition and aromatic hydrocarbon formation processes are revealed and insight into the synergistic effect on aromatic hydrocarbon formation is also achieved.The synergistic effect results from the interaction between 1,3-butadiene and propyne.The easily happened chain initiation in the 1,3-butadiene decomposition provides an abundant radical pool for propyne to undergo the H-atom abstraction and produce propargyl radical which plays key roles in the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons.Besides,the 1,3-butadiene/propyne co-pyrolysis includes high concentration levels of C3 and C4 precursors simultaneously,which stimulates the formation of key aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene and naphthalene.     

Photochemical synthesis: Using light to build C–C bonds under mild conditions

A review of recent advancements in metal-free arylations via photogenerated triplet aryl cations and decatungstate anion ([W₁₀O₃₂]⁴⁻) photocatalyzed C–C bond formation is reported herein. These approaches are two examples of the great potentialities of photons as green activants in organic synthesis, allowing the functionalization of different chemical substrates under mild conditions (room temperature, aqueous solvents, absence of aggressive and unstable reactants and of expensive transition metal-based catalysts, and chance to use solar light as the energy source).     

Protein‐Templated Formation of an Inhibitor of the Blood Coagulation Factor Xa through a Background‐Free Amidation Reaction

Protein‐templated reactions enable the target‐guided formation of protein ligands from reactive fragments, ideally with no background reaction. Herein, we investigate the templated formation of amides. A nucleophilic fragment that binds to the coagulation factor Xa was incubated with the protein and thirteen differentially activated dipeptides. The protein induced a non‐catalytic templated reaction for the phenyl and trifluoroethyl esters; the latter was shown to be a completely background‐free reaction. Starting from two fragments with millimolar affinity, a 29 nm superadditive inhibitor of factor Xa was obtained. The fragment ligation reaction was detected with high sensitivity by an enzyme activity assay and by mass spectrometry. The reaction progress and autoinhibition of the templated reaction by the formed ligation product were determined, and the structure of the protein–inhibitor complex was elucidated.