Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Atropisomeric Biaryls: A Cation‐Directed Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction

A catalytic enantioselective nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction which yields axially chiral biaryl derivatives in excellent yields with e.r. values of up to 97:3 has been developed. This process uses a chiral counterion to direct the addition of thiophenolate to a prochiral dichloropyrimidine by a tandem desymmetrization/kinetic resolution mechanism. The products can be derivatized to a range of atropisomeric structures without any reduction in enantioenrichment, thus offering access to unexplored chiral biaryl architectures.     

Concerted Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions

Recent developments in experimental and computational chemistry have identified a rapidly growing class of nucleophilic aromatic substitutions that proceed by concerted (cS_NAr) rather than classical, two‐step, S_NAr mechanisms. Whereas traditional S_NAr reactions require substantial activation of the aromatic ring by electron‐withdrawing substituents, such activating groups are not mandatory in the concerted pathways.     

Carbene‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Aromatic N‐Nucleophilic Addition of Heteroarenes to Ketones

The aromatic nitrogen atoms of heteroarylaldehydes are activated by carbene catalysts to react with ketone electrophiles. Multi‐functionalized cyclic N,O‐acetal products are afforded in good to excellent yields and optical purities. Our reaction involves the formation of an unprecedented aza‐fulvene‐type acylazolium intermediate. A broad range of N‐heteroaromatic aldehydes and electron‐deficient ketone substrates works effectively in this transformation. Several of the chiral N,O‐acetal products afforded through this protocol exhibit excellent antibacterial activities against Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) and are valuable in the development of novel agrichemicals for plant protection.     

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution of Nitrobenzenes with Nitrite Ion

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Metal‐free Synthesis of Aryl Amines: Beyond Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution

A mild and metal‐free approach to C?N coupling is described that employs diaryliodonium salt electrophiles and secondary aliphatic amine nucleophiles. This reaction results in direct ipso‐substitution of the iodonium moiety and unsymmetrical aryl(TMP)iodonium salts are primarily employed. Moreover, arene substituents and substitution patterns that currently pose a challenge to classical metal‐free methods are accommodated and the alicyclic amine nucleophiles used here are unprecedented in other contemporary metal‐free C?N coupling reactions.     

Transition‐Metal‐Free Catalytic Hydrodefluorination of Polyfluoroarenes by Concerted Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution with a Hydrosilicate

A transition‐metal‐free catalytic hydrodefluorination (HDF) reaction of polyfluoroarenes is described. The reaction involves direct hydride transfer from a hydrosilicate as the key intermediate, which is generated from a hydrosilane and a fluoride salt. The eliminated fluoride regenerates the hydrosilicate to complete the catalytic cycle. Dispersion‐corrected DFT calculations indicated that the HDF reaction proceeds through a concerted nucleophilic aromatic substitution (CS_NAr) process.     

Enantioselective Liquid Chromatographic Separations Using Macrocyclic Glycopeptide-Based Chiral Selectors

Numerous chemical compounds of high practical importance, such as drugs, fertilizers, and food additives are being commercialized as racemic mixtures, although in most cases only one of the isomers possesses the desirable properties. As our understanding of the biological actions of chiral compounds has improved, the investigation of the pharmacological and toxicological properties has become more and more important. Chirality has become a major issue in the pharmaceutical industry; therefore, there is a continuous demand to extend the available analytical methods for enantiomeric separations and enhance their efficiency. Direct liquid chromatography methods based on the application of chiral stationary phases have become a very sophisticated field of enantiomeric separations by now. Hundreds of chiral stationary phases have been commercialized so far. Among these, macrocyclic glycopeptide-based chiral selectors have proved to be an exceptionally useful class of chiral selectors for the separation of enantiomers of biological and pharmacological importance. This review focuses on direct liquid chromatography-based enantiomer separations, applying macrocyclic glycopeptide-based chiral selectors. Special attention is paid to the characterization of the physico-chemical properties of these macrocyclic glycopeptide antibiotics providing detailed information on their applications published recently.     

Organocatalytic Enantioselective Nucleophilic Alkynylation of Allyl Fluorides Affording Chiral Skipped Ene‐ynes

Asymmetric methods for preparation of chiral alkynyl‐containing compounds are in extremely high demand in many sectors of chemical research. In this work, we report the discovery of a general organocatalytic enantioselective alkynylation based on the idea of Si/F activation of the allylic C?F bond. This approach features reasonably broad substrate scope, functional group tolerance, and relatively neutral, mild, and operationally convenient reaction conditions; all of which bode well for the synthetic value of the discovered method. In particular, this method provides unique chiral skipped 1,4‐ene‐ynes having two kinds of versatile functional groups.     

Neutralization of Pathogenic Fungi with Small‐Molecule Immunotherapeutics

Systemic fungal infections represent an important public health concern, and new antifungal agents are highly desirable. Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a novel class of antifungal compounds called antibody‐recruiting molecules targeting fungi (ARM‐Fs). Our approach relies on the use of non‐peptidic small molecules, which selectively bind fungal cells and recruit endogenous antibodies to their surfaces, resulting in immune‐mediated clearance. Using the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans as a model, we identified a highly specific bifunctional molecule able to mediate the engulfment and phagocytosis of C. albicans cells by human immune cells in biologically relevant functional assays. This work represents a novel therapeutic approach to treating fungal illness with significant potential to complement and/or combine with existing treatment strategies.     

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions of meso‐Bromosubporphyrin: Synthesis of a Thiopyrane‐Fused Subporphyrin

meso‐Bromosubporphyrin undergoes nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) reactions with arylamines, diarylamines, phenols, ethanol, thiophenols, and n‐butanethiol in the presence of suitable bases to provide the corresponding substitution products. The S_NAr reactions also proceed well with pyrrole, indole, and carbazole to provide substitution products in moderate to good yields. Finally, the S_NAr reaction with 2‐bromothiophenol and subsequent intramolecular peripheral arylation reaction affords a thiopyrane‐fused subporphyrin.     

Aromatic Nucleophilic Substitution Polymerization of Dichloro-1,3,5-Triazines with Alkanedithiols

Reaction of 2,4-dichloro-6-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine with alkane-dithiols in the presence of a base in THF afforded the corresponding condensation polymers containing triazinylthio group in moderate yields. This polymerization reaction also proceeded in the o-dichlorobenzene-water two-phase system by using phase transfer catalysts. The resulting polymers consisted of THF-soluble and insoluble fractions. When the reaction was carried out at a higher temperature or for a longer reaction time, the yield of the insoluble polymer was increased. The THF-soluble polymers were also soluble in toluene, and they had the ability to extract sodium and potassium ions from aqueous picrates. The polymers functioned as catalysts for substitution reactions of an alkyl bromide and the reduction of a ketone with sodium borohydride under liquid-liquid phase transfer conditions with a reactivity superior to that of the monomeric analog.     

Silyldefluorination of Fluoroarenes by Concerted Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution

The reaction of readily generated silyl lithium reagents with various aryl fluorides to provide the corresponding aryl silanes is reported. DFT calculations reveal that the nucleophilic aromatic substitution of the fluoride anion by the silyl lithium reagent proceeds through concerted ipso substitution. In contrast to the classical nucleophilic aromatic substitution, this concerted ionic silyldefluorination also occurs on more electron‐rich aryl fluorides.     

Preparation of N-Arylated Heterocycles by Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution of fluorobenzoates and fluorophenylnitriles with weakly basic heterocycles readily occur. This synthetic methodology is utillized to produce potent angiotensin-II antagonists.