Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of acyclic arrays by tandem 1,4-addition-aldol reactions

Herein, we report efficient acyclic stereocontrol in tandem 1,4-addition-aldol reactions triggered by catalytic asymmetric organometallic addition. Grignard reagents add to alpha,beta-unsaturated thioesters in a 1,4-fashion and the resulting magnesium enolates are trapped with aromatic or aliphatic aldehydes. The process provides a range of tandem products bearing three contiguous stereocenters with excellent control of relative and absolute stereochemistry. The various diastereomeric products have been fully characterized using single-crystal X-ray analysis and the origins of stereocontrol in this tandem protocol are discussed. The versatility and efficiency of this methodology are demonstrated in the first catalytic asymmetric synthesis of (-)-phaseolinic acid with 54% overall yield via a short and concise route.     

A new type of catalytic tandem 1,4-addition-aldol reaction which proceeds through an (oxa-pi-allyl)rhodium intermediate

The reaction of 9-aryl-9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes (B-Ar-9BBN) with alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones and aldehydes in the presence of 3 mol % [Rh(OMe)(cod)](2) in toluene at 20 degrees C for 2 h gave high yields of the tandem 1,4-addition-aldol reaction products with high syn selectivity. The reaction proceeds through the catalytic cycle consisting of 1,4-addition of an organorhodium species to an alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone and the aldol addition of the resulting (oxa-pi-allyl)rhodium intermediate to an aldehyde.     

Easy access to new heterocyclic systems: 1,4-oxazine and substituted 1,4-oxazines

In the course of our investigations on the synthesis of new nitrogen heterocyclic derivatives, we were interested in the synthesis and study of new 1,4-oxazine rings. To this aim, the desired bisvinylphosphate was prepared from N-Boc morpholine-3,5-dione and was then engaged in palladium-catalyzed reactions (reduction, Suzuki, and Stille cross-coupling reactions). The 1,4-oxazine and its corresponding 3,5-disubstituted derivatives were obtained in fair to good yields and were then functionalized under anionic conditions.     

Reactions of diphenylcyclopropenone with ketenes in the presence of nickel tetracarbonyl

Reactions of diphenylcyclopropenone with ketenes in the presence of catalytic amounts of nickel tetracarbonyl have been studied. In these reactions, 1 : 1 cycloadducts, cyclopentene-1,2-dione derivatives, were obtained in yields above 80%. The cycloaddition reactions were significantly affected by solvents, and DMF was the most suitable solvent. Iron pentacarbonyl did not act as a catalyst. Reaction mechanisms are discussed.     

One pot synthesis of amino acid derived chiral disubstituted morpholines and 1,4-oxazepanes via tandem aziridine/epoxide ring opening sequences

A new one-pot synthetic strategy is described for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure cis-3,5-disubstituted morpholines and 3,6-disubstituted 1,4-oxazepanes via tandem aziridine/epoxide ring opening sequences. This new strategy describes how epoxy alcohols could act as both a nucleophile and an electrophile in a tandem fashion and undergo intermolecular regioselective ring opening of chiral aziridines for the first time.     

One pot synthesis of 3,5-alkylated acetophenone and methyl benzoate derivatives via an anionic domino process

The reaction of primary 1,3-dinitroalkanes with 2-ene-1,4-dione or 2-ene-4-oxo ester derivatives in acetonitrile with DBU as base, allow the one pot synthesis of 3,5-alkylated acetophenones and methyl benzoate derivatives respectively via an anionic domino process.     

Practical synthesis of potential endothelin receptor antagonists of 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione derivatives bearing substituents at the C3-, N1- and N4-positions

The expedient synthesis of various 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione compounds, particularly those having substituents at the C3-, N1- and N4-positions is achieved. The important features in these synthetic strategies include: (i) using the coupling reaction of isatoic anhydride with alpha-amino ester for direct construction of the core structure of 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione; (ii) using potassium carbonate as the base of choice for selective alkylation at the N1-site, while using lithiated 2-ethylacetanilide as the required base to furnish the N4-alkylation; and (iii) using 2-nitrobenzoyl chloride as a synthetic equivalent of anthranilic acid to facilitate the polyethylene resin-bound liquid-phase combinatorial synthesis. The prepared 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione compounds are evaluated for endothelin receptor antagonism by a functional assay that measures the inhibitory activity against the change of intramolecular calcium ion concentration induced by endothelin-1. The preliminary results indicate that 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones bearing two flanked aryl substituents at the N1- and N4-sites show better inhibitory activity than the corresponding unalkylated and N-monoalkylated compounds. A promising candidate, 1-benzyl-7-chloro-3-isopropyl-4-(3-methoxybenzyl)-1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione (17b), exhibits an IC50 value in low nM range.     

Montmorillonite K-10 catalyzed Mannich reaction: Synthesis of aminonaphthoquinone derivatives from Lawsone

An efficient one-pot protocol for the synthesis of 2-((substituted amino)(4-phenyl)methyl)-3-hydroxy-naphthalene-1,4-dione derivatives has been developed by the three-component reaction of 2-hydroxy-naphthalene-1,4-dione, aromatic aldehydes and anilines/heterocyclic amines using montmorillonite K-10 as a catalyst. The advantages of this method include short reaction time, excellent yield and easy work-up.     

Synthesen von Dibenzo[b,e][1,4]dioxin-2,3-chinonen,einschliesslich der Ecklonochinone A und B sowie der Isoecklonochinone A und B

Syntheses of Dibenzo[b,e][1,4]dioxin-2,3-quinones Including the Ecklonoquinones A and B and the Isoecklonoquinones A and B Oxidation of monomesyloxy-substituted pyrocatechols with MnO₂ in toluene using phase-transfer conditions leads in high yield to monomesyloxy-substituted dibenzo[b,e][1,4]dioxin-2,3-quinones with loss of one mesyloxy group. In this way, ecklonoquinone A ( 2 ), ecklonoquinone B ( 3 ), isoecklonoquinone A ( 43 ), and isoecklonoquinone B ( 44 ) were prepared. Their structures are based on X-ray analyses of ecklonoquinone-A leucoacetate ( 45 ) and the mesyloxy-substituted quinone 20 . The reddish-violet dibenzodioxin-diquinone 49 was prepared from an intermediate of the iso-series. The parent compound 1 has been synthesized in yields better than 50% from pyrocatechol and methyl 2,5-dioxo-2,5-dihydrobenzoate as oxidant and 2-methoxypyridin as catalyst. To rationalize the specific effect on the dimerisation step of the mesyloxy group, the intermediacy of 1,4-quinone monoacetals is proposed. This also applies to a proposed biogenetic scheme.     

Synthesis of 1,4-benzodiazepine-3,5-diones

Even though benzodiazepines have a strong position in medicinal chemistry, very few synthetic routes to 1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-3,5(2H,4H)-diones have ever been published and the claimed products have often been poorly characterized. Through the present work several 1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-3,5(2H,4H)-diones have become available from N-carbamoylmethylanthranilic acids. The required ring closures were achieved only when the amino groups of the starting materials were substituted with electron withdrawing groups such as acetyl, alkyloxycarbonyl, or nitroso. During the synthetic work a novel ring contraction rearrangement from a 1-nitroso-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-3,5(2H,4H)-dione to a 3H-quinazoline-4-one was observed. The proposed mechanism involves elimination of HNO followed by a proton-mediated loss of CO. The 1-nitrosated 1,4-benzodiazepinediones could be separately denitrosated to the corresponding amino compounds.     

Use of pyridinium ionic liquids as catalysts for the synthesis of 3,5-bis(dodecyloxycarbonyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine derivative

The synthesis of cationic amphiphilic 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative, potential gene delivery agent is achieved via an efficient multi-step sequence. The key step of this approach is a two-component Hantzsch type cyclisation of 3-oxo-2-[1-phenylmethylidene]-butyric acid dodecyl ester and 3-amino-but-2-enoic acid dodecyl ester utilising bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ether as a solvent and 1-butyl-4-methylpyridinium chloride as a catalyst. The 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative with long alkyl ester chains at positions 3 and 5 of the 1,4-DHP ring — 3,5-bis(dodecyloxycarbonyl)-2,6-dimethyl-4-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine was obtained in substantially higher yield with respect to classical Hantzsch synthesis. Bromination of this compound followed by nucleophilic substitution of bromine with pyridine gave the desired cationic amphiphilic 1,4-dihydropyridine.      

Total synthesis of the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint inhibitor psilostachyin C

A concise total synthesis of the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint inhibitor psilostachyin C is reported using a 1,4-addition-aldol condensation-ring-closing metathesis (RCM) strategy. Initial biological studies indicate that psilostachyin C could enhance the sensitivity of the HeLa cell toward camptothecin (CPT) treatment via the activation of the caspase-3 mediated apoptosis pathway.     

Theophylline as a new and green catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of spiro[benzo[a]pyrano[2,3-c]phenazine] and benzo[a]pyrano[2,3-c]phenazine derivatives under solvent-free conditions

A green, convenient, high yielding and one-pot procedure for the synthesis of novel spiro[benzo[a]pyrano[2,3-c]phenazine] derivatives by domino multi-component condensation reaction between 2-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione, benzene-1,2-diamines, ninhydrine, and malononitrile in the presence of a catalytic amount of 1,3-dimethyl-7H-purine-2,6-dione (theophylline) as an expedient, eco-friendly and reusable solid base catalyst under thermal, microwave irradiation and solvent-free conditions. This procedure has also been applied successfully for the synthesis of benzo[a]pyrano[2,3-c]phenazines.     

Evidence of a 1,4-dipole intermediate in the reaction of 1-phenyl-4-vinylpyrazole with ptad

1-Phenyl-4-vinylpyrazole reacts with 1-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione in methylene chloride to form an unstable azetidine (4). An intermediate 1,4-dipole is probably involved since, when the reaction is conducted in acetone, a 1:1:1 adduct (3) is isolated.     

Rigid Scaffolds: Synthesis of 2,6-Bridged Piperazines with Functional Groups in all three Bridges

The activity of pharmacologically active compounds can be increased by presenting a drug in a defined conformation, which fits exactly into the binding pocket of its target. Herein, the piperazine scaffold was conformationally restricted by substituted C₂- or C₃-bridges across the 2- and 6-position. At first, a three-step, one-pot procedure was developed to obtain reproducibly piperazine-2,6-diones with various substituents at the N-atoms in high yields. Three strategies for bridging of piperazine-2,6-diones were pursued: 1. The bicyclic mixed ketals 8-benzyl-6-ethoxy-3-(4-methoxybenzyl)-6-(trimethylsilyloxy)-3,8-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2,4-diones were prepared by Dieckmann analogous cyclization of 2-(3,5-dioxopiperazin-2-yl)acetates. 2. Stepwise allylation, hydroboration and oxidation of piperazine-2,6-diones led to 3-(3,5-dioxopiperazin-2-yl)propionaldehydes. Whereas reaction of such an aldehyde with base provided the bicyclic alcohol 9-benzyl-6-hydroxy-3-(4-methoxybenzyl)-3,9-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-2,4-dione in only 10 % yield, the corresponding sulfinylimines reacted with base to give N-(2,4-dioxo-3,9-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-6-yl)-2-methylpropane-2-sulfinamides in >66 % yield. 3. Transformation of a piperazine-2,6-dione with 1,4-dibromobut-2-ene and 3-halo-2-halomethylprop-1-enes provided 3,8-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2,4-dione and 3,9-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-2,4-dione with a vinyl group at the C₂- or a methylene group at the C₃-bridge, respectively. Since bridging via sulfinylimines and the one-pot bridging with 3-bromo-2-bromomethylprop-1-ene gave promising yields, these strategies will be exploited for the synthesis of novel receptor ligands bearing various substituents in a defined orientation at the carbon bridge     

Organocatalyzed synthesis of 2-amino-8-oxo-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-chromene-3-carbonitriles

2-Amino-8-oxo-tetrahydro-4H-chromene-3-carbonitriles were synthesized for the first time from a tandem Michael addition-cyclization reaction between cyclohexane-1,2-dione and benzylidenemalononitriles. An enantioselective synthesis of these compounds was achieved in moderate ee values (up to 63% ee) by using a cinchona alkaloid-derived thiourea catalyst.     

Hydrogen-mediated C-C bond formation: catalytic regio- and stereoselective reductive condensation of alpha-keto aldehydes and 1,3-enynes

Hydrogenation of 1,3-enynes in the presence of alpha-keto aldehydes using cationic Rh(I) catalysts enables regio- and stereoselective reductive coupling to the acetylenic terminus of the enyne to afford (E)-2-hydroxy-3,5-dien-1-one products. Reductive condensation of 1-phenyl but-3-en-1-yne 1a with phenyl glyoxal 2a performed under an atmosphere of D(2) provides the product of mono-deuteration, (E)-2-hydroxy-3-deuterio-3,5-dien-1-one deuterio-3a, in 85% yield. Competition experiments involving catalytic hydrogenation of phenyl glyoxal in the presence of equimolar quantities of 1,4-diphenylbutadiene and 1,4-diphenylbut-3-en-1-yne 10a, as well as 1,4-diphenylbut-3-en-1-yne 10a and 1,4-diphenylbutadiyne, are chemoselective for coupling to the more highly unsaturated partner, suggesting a preequilibrium involving precoordination and exchange of the pi-unsaturated pronucleophiles with the catalyst prior to C-C bond formation, as well as a preference for coordination of the most pi-acidic reacting partner, as explained by the Dewar-Chatt-Duncanson model for alkyne coordination.     

L-proline/urea catalyzed,novel, and eco-friendly synthesis of coumarin substituted-3-indoloxanthenes

A green and eco-friendly synthesis of coumarin substituted-3-indoloxanthenes 4(a-l) has been developed using urea/L-proline as simple catalyst. Two efficient methods have been described for the synthesis of these 3-indoloxanthene derivatives. In the first method, Knoevenagel condensation, then Pinner cyclisation followed by 1,4 addition between 4-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydrocoumarin-3-carbaldehyde 1(a-b) , with cyclohexane-1,3-dione (2) and indole 3(a-f) using of L-proline as catalyst was described. In the second method, urea/thiourea catalyzes the same reaction at 100°C for 10 minutes to afford the title compounds 4(a-l) . These two protocols involve eco-friendly and inexpensive catalysts, give excellent yields of the clean products without the need of column chromatography for their isolation or purification.     

Selective Synthesis in Microdroplets of 2-Phenyl-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione from Phenyl Hydrazine with Phthalic Anhydride or Phthalic Acid

Pyridazine derivatives are privileged structures because of their potential biological and optical properties. Traditional synthetic methods usually require acid or base as a catalyst under reflux conditions with reaction times ranging from hours to a few days or require microwave assistance to induce the reaction. Herein, this work presents the accelerated synthesis of a pyridazine derivative, 2-phenyl-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione (PDHP), in electrosprayed microdroplets containing an equimolar mixture of phenyl hydrazine and phthalic anhydride or phthalic acid. This reaction occurred on the submillisecond timescale with good yield (over 90 % with the choice of solvent) without using an external catalyst at room temperature. In sharp contrast to the bulk reaction of obtaining a mixture of two products, the reaction in confined microdroplets yields only the important six-membered heterocyclic product PDHP. Results indicated that surface reactions in microdroplets with low pH values cause selectivity, acceleration, and high yields.     

Application of novel nanostructured dinitropyrazine molten salt catalyst for the synthesis of sulfanylpyridines via anomeric based oxidation

1,4-Dinitropyrazine-1,4-diium trinitromethanide {[1,4-pyrazine-NO₂][C(NO₂)₃]₂} as a novel nanostructured molten salt (NMS) catalyzed the synthesis of 2-amino-3,5-dicarbonitrile-6-sulfanylpyridine derivatives via the one-pot three-component condensation reaction between several aromatic aldehyde, malononitrile and benzyl mercaptan at room temperature under solvent-free conditions. The synthesized NMS catalyst was fully characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³CNMR, mass, thermal gravimetric, X-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The major advantages of described methodology are mildness, ease of separation, good yields and short reaction times. A rational mechanism was suggested for the final step of the 2-amino-3,5-dicarbonitrile-6-sulfanylpyridines synthesis. We think that the proposed mechanism has potential for entering into the graduate text book in the future.