Fluoroalkene chemistry: Part 1. Highly-toxic fluorobutenes and their mode of toxicity: reactions of perfluoroisobutene and polyfluorinated cyclobutenes with thiols

The reactions of four highly-toxic fluorobutenes - perfluoroisobutene (PFIB), 1-hydropentafluorocyclobutene (1-H), hexafluorocyclobutene (HFCB) and 3-chloropentafluorocyclobutene (3-Cl)—with propanethiol, 2,6-dimethoxybenzenethiol and N-acetylcysteine isopropyl ester were studied. PFIB and HFCB reacted with two molar equivalents of the aliphatic thiols, but with only one molar equivalent of the aromatic thiol (presumably due to steric hindrance) and resembled phosgene in their reactivity. The fluorocyclobutenes 1-H and 3-Cl reacted with one and up to three molar equivalents of the aliphatic thiols, respectively, but with only one molar equivalent of the aromatic thiol. The products of allyl and vinyl substitution were isolated and characterised as fully as possible. The inhalation toxicities of the fluorocyclobutenes to rodents correlated with the number of easily-displaceable fluorine substituents, supporting the contention that toxicity is due to reaction with biological thiols in the lung.     

Scope and limitations of HClO4-SiO2 as an extremely efficient, inexpensive, and reusable catalyst for chemoselective carbon-sulfur bond formation

The scope and limitations of perchloric acid adsorbed on silica gel (HClO₄-SiO₂) as a highly efficient, inexpensive, and reusable catalyst for chemoselective carbon-sulfur bond formation by conjugate addition of thiols to α,β-unsaturated ketones under solvent-free conditions and at rt are reported. In the case of 1,3-diphenylpropenone, the reactions were best carried out either at 80 °C under solvent-free conditions or at rt in MeOH. The reaction of aryl, arylalkyl, alkyl thiols, and alkane dithiols with cyclic and acyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones afforded excellent yields of the corresponding β-sulfidocarbonyls after 2 min to 2 h. In the case of dithiols, the bis-thia-Michael adducts were formed. The rate of the reaction was found to be dependent on the electronic and steric factors of the α,β-unsaturated ketones and the thiols. A substituent at the β-carbon of the α,β-unsaturated ketone offered steric hindrance for conjugate addition and such substrates required longer times. In case of aromatic thiols, the presence of the nitro group reduced the nucleophilicity of the sulfhydryl sulfur atom resulting in slower rate of reaction for 4-nitrothiophenol compared to that of thiophenol and 4-methylthiophenol. For alkane thiol, the reaction rate was influenced by the steric crowding of the alkyl group attached to the sulfhydryl moiety. The rate of reaction for alkane thiols was sluggish compared to that of aryl thiols. The influence of the β-substituent on the rate of thia-Michael addition was utilized for selective reaction during inter-molecular competitions of cyclohexen-2-one versus 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone, cyclohexen-2-one versus 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one, and 4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one versus 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one with thiophenol with 100:0, 91:9, and 70:30 selectivities, respectively. The difference in the rate of reaction of thiophenol and 4-nitrothiophenol was also reflected during the inter-molecular competition for the reaction with cyclohexen-2-one with an excellent selectivity of 100:0. The influence of the steric factor of the alkyl group in alkane thiol resulted in 62:38 selectivity during the inter-molecular competition of ethane thiol and tert-butanethiol with cyclohexen-2-one. During inter- and intra-molecular competitions of thia- versus aza- and thia- versus oxa-Michael addition reactions, chemoselective thia-Michael addition took place. The chemoselective thia-Michael addition over aza-Michael addition during intra-molecular competion reactions with 2-aminothiophenol was utilized for an efficient one-pot synthesis of benzothiazepines.     

On the regioselectivity for the Michael addition of thiols to unsymmetrical fumaric derivatives

The regiochemistry of the Michael addition of thiols to unsymmetrical fumaric derivatives was investigated. Conjugate addition of thiols to unsymmetrical fumaric diester was well controlled by the presence of lithium cation and one of the two possible regioisomers was prepared in a highly selective manner. Fumaric ester amides underwent the regioselective Michael addition that was controlled by the presence or absence of the base; either of the regioisomers was prepared as an almost diastereomerically pure form. The present control of the regiochemistry can be explained by the factors of change of active site for the addition by the coordination or non-coordination of proton or lithium cation to the carbonyls. To clarify the origin of the regioselectivity, the relative rates of the conjugate addition of thiol to acrylate derivatives were measured under competitive conditions. Ethyl acrylate reacted with thiol faster than tert-butyl acrylate and the rate difference was enhanced by the presence of lithium cation. In the presence of base, ethyl acrylate gave the adducts much faster than acrylamide, while under non-basic conditions acrylamide showed higher reactivity than the ester. This regioselectivity was also observed in the Michael/aldol reaction and multi-substituted γ-butyrolactones were prepared in a stereoselective manner. The thio groups introduced here served as a leaving group and a convenient stereoselective synthesis of β-, γ- and δ-lactams was developed.     

Quantification of Intracellular Thiols by HPLC-Fluorescence Detection

Biothiols, such as cysteine and glutathione, play important roles in various intracellular reactions represented by the redox equilibrium against oxidative stress. In this study, a method for intracellular thiol quantification using HPLC-fluorescence detection was developed. Thiols were derivatized with a thiol-specific fluorescence derivatization reagent, viz. ammonium 7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4-sulfonate (SBD-F), followed by reversed-phase separation on an InertSustain AQ-C18 column. Six different SBD-thiols (homocysteine, cysteine, cysteinylglycine, γ-glutamylcysteine, glutathione, and N-acetylcysteine as an internal standard) were separated within 30 min using a citric buffer (pH 3.0)/MeOH mobile phase. The calibration curves of all the SBD-thiols had strong linearity (R² > 0.999). Using this developed method, the thiol concentrations of human chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cell samples were found to be 5.5–153 pmol/1 × 10⁶ cells. The time-dependent effect of a thiol scavenger, viz. N-ethyl maleimide, on intracellular thiol concentrations was also quantified. This method is useful for elucidating the role of intracellular sulfur metabolism.     

Fluoroalkene chemistry: Part 2. Reactions of thiols with some toxic 1,2-dichlorinated polyfluorocycloalkenes

1,2-Dichlorotetrafluorocyclobutene, 1,2-dichlorohexafluorocyclopentene and 1,2-dichlorooctafluorocyclohexene were treated with an equimolar amount of benzenethiol, 2-methoxybenzenethiol, 3-methoxybenzenethiol and 4-methoxybenzenethiol in acetonitrile with potassium carbonate. Each combination of fluoroalkene and thiol gave a mixture of mono and bis vinyl substitution products whose proportions depended on the ring size of the fluorocycloalkene and the size and electronic characteristics of the thiol. Treatment of 1,2-dichlorotetrafluorocyclobutene with one or two molar equivalents of N-acetylcysteine isopropyl ester in acetonitrile with potassium carbonate produced the mono and bis vinyl substitution products accordingly. The results support the contention that the high inhalation toxicity of the fluorocycloalkenes is due to reaction with two molar equivalents of biological thiols in the lung.     

Synthesis of 1-thio-phytosphingolipid analogs by microwave promoted reactions of thiols and aziridine derivatives

A practical and versatile method for the synthesis of 1-thio-phytosphingolipid analogs through regioselective nucleophilic ring-opening reactions of phytosphingosine aziridine derivatives with thiols is described. The reactions were carried out with N-acylaziridines and a variety of thiol compounds. Microwave irradiation highly improved the yield of the ring-opening reaction and the intermediate N-acyl adducts were converted into 1-S-phytosphingolipid analogs, such as phytoceramide and phytosphingosine derivatives.     

Surfactant-Catalyzed Addition of Higher Thiols to N-Aryl Substituted Maleimides

The cationic-type surfactant-catalyzed conjugate addition reaction of long-alkyl-chained thiols with N-aryl-substituted maleimides in water as a green reaction medium afforded the corresponding thia-Michael adducts in moderate to good yields.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.]     

Michael Addition of Thiols to á,(a)-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds Catalyzed by Bifunctional Organocatalysts:Asymmetric Michael Addition and Asymmetric Protonation

Recently the hydrogen-bond activated reactions have attracted much attention.1 Takemoto2 reported a highly enantioselective Michael addition of manolate to nitroolefins catalyzed by a bifunctional organocatalyst with tertiary amine and thiourea moiety. As we known,stereoselective conjugate additions of thiols are interesting due to the standpoint of biological and synthetic importance, however, only very limited good results have been obtained except for the works of Shibasaki3, Kanemasa4 and Deng5 et al.In this letter, we report an efficient catalytic asymmetric Michael reactions of thiols to a,a-unsaturated carbonyl compounds promoted by bifunctional organocatalysts. A series of organocatalysts with chiral amine and thiourea structures were designed and synthesized and have been successfully applied in the conjugated additions of thiols to a,a-unsaturated imides and enones.The reactions got quantitative yields and the ee values were up to 84%. It is noteworthy that the a-asymmetric protonation (up to 43% ee) also could be achieved.The Michael addition between aromatic thiols and a,a-unsaturated carbonyl compounds isdescribed as follows:Works to further increase the enantioselectivity is under investigation in our laboratory.     

Photoinitiated Thiol−Ene Reactions of Various 2,3‐Unsaturated O‐, C‐ S‐ and N‐Glycosides – Scope and Limitations Study

The photoinitiated thiol?ene addition reaction is a highly stereo‐ and regioselective, and environmentally friendly reaction proceeding under mild conditions, hence it is ideally suited for the synthesis of carbohydrate mimetics. A comprehensive study on UV‐light‐induced reactions of 2,3‐unsaturated O‐, C‐, S‐ and N‐glycosides with various thiols was performed. The effect of experimental parameters and structural variations of the alkenes and thiols on the efficacy and regio‐ and stereoselectivity of the reactions was systematically studied and optimized. The type of anomeric heteroatom was found to profoundly affect the reactivity of 2,3‐unsaturated sugars in the thiol?ene couplings. Hydrothiolation of 2,3‐dideoxy O‐glycosyl enosides efficiently produced the axially C2‐S‐substituted addition products with high to complete regioselectivity. Moderate efficacy and varying regio‐ and stereoselectivity were observed with 2,3‐unsaturated N‐glycosides and no addition occurred onto the endocyclic double bond of C‐glycosides. Upon hydrothiolation of 2,3‐unsaturated S‐glycosides, the addition of thiyl radicals was followed by elimination of the thiyl aglycone resulting in 3‐S‐substituted glycals.     

Lanthanide‐Catalyzed Selective Addition of Diethyl Phosphite to Chalcones

Lanthanide‐catalyzed addition of diethyl phosphite with chalcones was achieved under mild conditions. The reaction exhibited good product selectivity using different catalysts. γ‐Oxophosphonates were obtained in high yields in the reactions catalyzed by Yb(OAr)₃(THF)₂, while those catalyzed by [(Me₃Si)₂N]₃La(μ‐Cl)Li(THF)₃ afforded 1,2‐oxaphospholane‐5‐phosphonates as the main products in moderate to good yields. This methodology provides facile and practical approaches to the corresponding organophosphorus compounds with biological interest.     

Long‐Lived 1H Nuclear Spin Singlet in Dimethyl Maleate Revealed by Addition of Thiols

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have become important techniques in many research areas. One major limitation is the relatively low sensitivity of these methods, which recently has been addressed by hyperpolarization. However, once hyperpolarization is imparted on a molecule, the magnetization typically decays within relatively short times. Singlet states are well isolated from the environment, such that they acquire long lifetimes. We describe herein a model reaction for read‐out of a hyperpolarized long‐lived state in dimethyl maleate using thiol conjugate addition. This type of reaction could lend itself to monitoring oxidative stress or hypoxia by sensitive detection of thiols. Similar reactions could be used in biosensors or assays that exploit molecular switching. Singlet lifetimes of about 4.7 min for ¹H spins in [D₄]MeOH are seen in this system.     

Conjugate Addition of Indoles to α, β-Unsaturated Ketones （Chalcones） Catalyzed by KHSO4 under Ultrasonic Conditions

Conjugate addition of indoles to a variety of α,β-unsaturated ketones （chalcones） mediated by a catalytic amount of KHSO4 at room temperature under ultrasonic conditions to afford the corresponding Michael adducts in good to excellent yields was reported.     

Exocyclic Olefinic Maleimides: Synthesis and Application for Stable and Thiol‐Selective Bioconjugation

Michael addition reactions between biological thiols and endocyclic olefinic maleimides are extensively used for site‐specific bioconjugation. The resulting thio‐succinimidyl linkages, however, lack stability because of their susceptibility to thiol exchange. Reported herein is that in contrast to their endocyclic counterparts, exocyclic olefinic maleimides form highly stable thio‐Michael adducts which resist thiol exchange at physiological conditions. A high‐yielding approach for synthesizing a variety of exocyclic olefinic maleimides, by 4‐nitrophenol‐catalyzed solvent‐free Wittig reactions, is reported. Mechanistic studies reveal that the catalyst facilitates the formation of the Wittig ylide intermediate through sequential proton donation and abstraction. Overall, this report details an improved thiol bioconjugation approach, a facile method for synthesizing exocyclic olefinic maleimides, and demonstrates that phenolic compounds can catalyze ylide formation.     

One-step synthesis of N-acetylcysteine and glutathione derivatives using the Ugi reaction

Fully protected natural and unnatural N-acetylcysteine, dipeptide Cys-Gly, glutathione, and homoglutathione derivatives were synthesized by the Ugi four-component reaction using various benzylthio aldehydes and ketones as carbonyl building blocks. The scope and limitations of the method were investigated. Formation of imidazoline by-products in the Ugi reaction was discussed. 2,2,2-Trifluoroethanol was shown to be a superior reaction media than methanol in some reactions. Also, the 4-methyl-2,6,7-trioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octyl derivative (OBO-ester) of isocyanoacetic acid was shown to be superior to use than ethyl isocyanoacetate as a peptide synthesis precursor in cases when higher reactivity of an isocyanide is required.     

Synthesis of chiral carbosilane dendrimers with l-cysteine and N-acetyl-l-cysteine on their surface and their application as chiral selectors for enantiomer separation by capillary electrophoresis

The synthesis of chiral carbosilane dendrimers functionalized with cysteine and N-acetylcysteine groups is presented. These dendrimers were obtained through thiol–ene addition reactions and their application as chiral selectors in capillary electrophoresis was investigated. Four drugs used as model compounds were analyzed under different experimental conditions observing that the use of a first generation dendrimer containing 4 terminal N-acetyl-l-cysteine groups enabled the enantiomeric discrimination of razoxane with a discrimination power similar to that obtained with other powerful chiral selectors such as cyclodextrins.     

Asymmetric Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Substitution of Diaryl Methanols with Thiols and Alcohols for the Synthesis of Chiral Thioethers and Ethers

An enantioselective addition of thiols and alcohols to aza‐ortho‐quinone methides, starting from diaryl methanols, was developed. The asymmetric additions occur under mild reaction conditions in the presence of chiral phosphoric acids and furnish the corresponding adducts with excellent yields and enantioselectivities.     

Copper(II) tetrafluoroborate as a novel and highly efficient catalyst for Michael addition of mercaptans to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds

Copper(II) tetrafluoroborate has been found to be a new and highly efficient catalyst for Michael addition of thiols to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds under solvent-free conditions and in H₂O at room temperature. The reactions are very fast and are completed in 2 min to 1 h affording high yields. The rate of thiol addition was dependent on the steric hindrance at the β-carbon of the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl substrate. In the case of chalcones, the reactions are best carried out in MeOH as solvent.     

无溶剂条件下新型功能离子液体催化活性亚甲基化合物与查尔酮的Michael加成研究

以基于DBU(1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene)的新型功能离子液体[DBU][Ac],[DBU][Lac],[DBU][Tfa],[DBU][n-Pr]和[DBU][n-Bu]为催化剂,研究了无溶剂条件下活性亚甲基化合物与查尔酮的Michael加成反应.反应时间短、收率高、后处理简单、离子液体重复使用6次而活性未发现明显下降.     

A Mechanism Study of a Novel Acid-Activatable Michael-Type Fluorescent Probe for Thiols

A Michael addition is usually taken as a base-catalysed reaction. However, our synthesized 2-(quinolin-2-ylmethylene) malonic acid (QMA) as a Michael-type thiol fluorescent probe is acid-active in its sensing reaction. In this work, based on theoretic calculation and experi-mental study on 7-hydroxy-2-(quinolin-2-ylmethylene) malonic acid, we demonstrated that QMA as a Michael acceptor is acid-activatable, i.e., it works only in solutions at pH<7, and the lower the pH of solutions is, the higher reactivity QMA has. In alkaline solution, the malonate QMA[-2H⁺]^2- cannot react with both RS^- and RSH. In contrast, 2-(quinolin-2-ylmethylene) malonic ester (QME), the ester of QMA, reveal a contrary pH effect on its sensing reaction, that is, it can sense thiols in alkaline solutions but not in acidic solutions, like a normal base-catalysed Michael addition. The values of activation enthalpies from theoretic calculation support the above sensing behavior of two probes under different pH conditions. In acidic solutions, the protonated QMA is more highly reactive towards elec-trophilic attack over its other ionized states in neutral and alkaline solutions, and so can react with lowly reactive RSH. In contrast, there is a big energy barrier in the interaction of QME with RSH (acidic solutions), and the reaction of QME with the highly reactive nucle-ophile RS^- is a low activation energy process (in alkaline solutions). Theoretic calculation reveals that the sensing reaction of QMA undergoes a 1,4-addition process with neutral thiols (RSH), and a 1,2-addition pathway for the sensing reaction of QME with RS^-. Therefore, the sensing reaction of QMA is an acid-catalysed Michael addition via a 1,4-addition, and a normal base-catalysed Michael addition via a 1,2-addition.     

Convergence of products from Povarov and von Miller reactions: approaches to helquinoline

Yttrium triflate or triflic acid catalysed Povarov reaction of methyl anthranilate with ethyl vinyl ether, both as aldehyde surrogate and as alkene, gave the desired 2-methyl-4-ethoxytetrahydroquinoline diastereoisomers as the major products along with four component coupling von Miller adducts. A proton NMR-study, using yttrium triflate as catalyst, revealed that the cis-diastereoisomers were the initial major products in both the Povarov and von Miller reactions but that these isomerised to the trans-diastereoisomers under the reaction conditions. Two distinct pathways for forming von Miller adducts were uncovered with the initial Povarov products being converted to von Miller adducts under the reaction conditions. Replacement of the 4-ethoxy with a 4-methoxy group under acidic conditions gave predominantly the trans-diastereoisomer, which was subsequently converted to a cis/trans mixture of the tetrahydroquinoline antibiotic helquinoline. It was also possible to convert the von Miller products to Povarov products under acidic conditions.