Modified guanidines as potential chiral superbases. 2. Preparation Of 1,3-unsubstituted and 1-substituted 2-iminoimidazolidine derivatives and a related guanidine by the 2-chloro-1, 3-dimethylimidazolinium chloride-induced cyclization of thioureas

Simple preparation methods for modified guanidines were explored for new chiral superbases. Thus, (4S,5S)-4,5-diphenyl- and diastereomeric cyclohexane-fused 2-iminoimidazolidines were prepared from (1S,2S)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine and (1R,2R)- or (1S,2S)-1, 2-diaminocyclohexanes through cyclization of protected thiourea intermediates with 2-chloro-1,3-dimethylimidazolinium chloride (DMC) as a key reaction. In the (4S,5S)-4,5-diphenyl series 1-methyl-2-iminoimidazolidines and 2-diethylaminoimidazoline were also prepared as related guanidines.     

Modified guanidines as potential chiral superbases. 1. Preparation Of 1,3-disubstituted 2-iminoimidazolidines and the related guanidines through chloroamidine derivatives

Modified guanidines were explored as potential chiral superbases. Thus, chiral 1,3-dimethyl-2-iminoimidazolidines with or without 4, 5-diphenyl groups, their guanidinium salts, and the 2-iminoimidazolidines with (S)-1-phenylethyl groups on the ring nitrogens were prepared by treatment of 2-chloroimidazolinium chlorides with appropriate amines. Bicyclic guanidines were also prepared from a prolinamide using a similar procedure.     

Simple preparation of chiral 1,3-dimethyl-2-iminoimidazolidines (monocyclic guanidines) and applications to asymmetric alkylative esterification

New chiral 1,3-dimethyl-2-iminoimidazolidines (monocyclic guanidines) were simply prepared by the action of primary amines on 2-chloro-1,3-dimethylimidazolinium chlorides, derived from the corresponding urea, in high yields. Modest asymmetric induction in alkylative esterification of benzoic acid with (1-bromoethyl)benzene was observed when the 1,3-dimethyl-4,5-diphenyl-2-[(1-phenyl- or 1-naphthyl)ethylimino]imidazolidines with all S (or R) configurations were used as bases.     

New methods for the preparation of aryl 2-iminoimidazolidines

A divergent strategy for the synthesis of 1-aryl- and 2-aryl-2-iminoimidazolidines is presented. Cyclization of N-Boc-N′-aryl-N′′-(2-hydroxyethyl)guanidines in the presence of methanesulfonyl chloride and triethylamine or sodium hydride at 0 °C affords the corresponding 2-iminoimidazolidines in good yields.     

Modified guanidines as chiral auxiliaries

Investigations on modified guanidines, prepared by newly developed methods, as potential chiral auxiliaries led to reasonable asymmetric induction not only in catalytic but also in stoichiometric asymmetric syntheses. These guanidine-mediated reactions may contribute to the development of green chemistry because of their possible application as re-cyclable (economically favored) and easily functionalizable (widely applicable) auxiliaries.     

A simple one-pot synthesis of triflyl guanidines: access to highly substituted electron-poor guanidines

Unsymmetrical di- and trisubstituted triflyl guanidines are accessed through a simple, one-pot protocol from the corresponding isothiocyanate and amine. Furthermore, in the presence of base, trisubstituted triflyl guanidines are alkylated to obtain tetrasubstituted triflyl guanidines in high yields and complete regioselectivity.     

Generation of diverse 1-(isoquinolin-1-yl)guanidines via a sequential multi-component/cross-coupling reaction

A multi-component reaction of 2-alkynylbenzaldehyde, 4-methylbenzenesulfonohydrazide, carbodiimide, and bromine is reported, which generates 1-(4-bromoisoquinolin-1-yl)guanidines in good yields under mild conditions. The products could be further elaborated via a palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction, leading to the diverse 1-(isoquinolin-1-yl)guanidines.     

Solid-phase synthesis of substituted guanidines using a novel acid labile linker

A novel acid labile linker for solid-phase synthesis of substituted guanidines has been developed. Its synthetic utility is exemplified by high-yielding pyrazole displacement with structurally and electronically diverse sets of aliphatic and aromatic amines. The final cleavage is achieved by treatment with 95:5 trifluoroacetic acid/water for 1 h. The corresponding guanidines were obtained in high purity (80-95%) and good isolated yields (50-95%). The scope and limitations of this linker were further demonstrated by the solid-phase synthesis of an 880-member library of individual trisubstituted arylguanidines employing pyrazole displacement with a set of 11 anilines and two subsequent Mitsunobu N-alkylations with sets of 10 and 8 alcohols, respectively.     

Bis(1,3,4-thiadiazolo)-1,3,5-triazinium halides. 2. Intramolecular ring transformation and synthesis of novel highly substituted guanidines.

Bis(1,3,4-thiadiazolo)-1,3,5-triazinium halides 6 can be easily attacked by nucleophiles at either the C(3a) or the C(4a) position of the central six-membered (cationic) ring. Nucleophilic attack leads to at least two reaction channels, one of which has been previously detected (pathway a) and leads to novel aminals 19. In this paper we report on a second channel (pathway b). Attack of primary or secondary amines 8 at C(3a) or C(4a) in 6 (and their analogues 7) leads to the weakly stabilized intermediates 14. A cascade of several proton shifts, ring openings, rearrangements, and ring closure processes is initiated which finally leads via 17 and 18 to novel highly substituted guanidines 9, 10, 12, and 13. Pathway b seems to be the result of well-balanced negative-hyperconjugative effects in 14 and/or 17 which control the highly selective opening of a relatively stable central 1,3,5-triazinium ring to yield the crucial intermediate 18. Some representatives of the guanidines have been characterized by X-ray analyses. Since some of the guanidines contain one or two chirality centers, an effort was made to investigate the stereochemistry of these compounds.     

Addition of N-heterocyclic carbenes to a ruthenium(VI) nitrido polyoxometalate: a new route to cyclic guanidines

The scope of N-atom transfer from the electrophilic ruthenium(VI) nitrido containing polyoxometalate [PW(11)O(39)Ru(VI)N](4-) has been extended to the N-heterocyclic carbene {CH(2)(Mes)N}(2)C and the coupling product {CH(2)(Mes)N}(2)CNH(2)(+) characterized by (1)H NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Because guanidines display many fields of applications ranging from biology to supramolecular chemistry, this could afford an original route to the synthesis of cyclic guanidines. This also enlarges the potential of nitrido complexes in the synthesis of heterocycles, mainly illustrated in the literature through the formation of aziridines through N-atom transfer to alkenes. In the course of the reaction, the ruthenium(III)-containing polyoxometallic intermediate [PW(11)O(39)Ru(III){NC{N(Mes)CH(2)}(2)}](5-) has been thoroughly characterized by continuous-wave and pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance, which nicely confirms the presence of the organic moiety on the polyoxometallic framework, Ru K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure, and electrochemistry.     

Phase-transfer-catalyzed alkylation of guanidines by alkyl halides under biphasic conditions: a convenient protocol for the synthesis of highly functionalized guanidines

An operationally straightforward and efficient method for the alkylation of carbamate-protected guanidines with various alkyl halides and mesylates is described. This protocol proceeds via deprotonation of the acidic N-carbamate hydrogen of the guanidine under biphasic conditions using a catalytic amount of a tetrabutylammonium salt as a phase-transfer catalyst. In this manner, highly functionalized guanidines can be obtained. The reaction is tolerant of a wide range of functional groups on both the alkyl halide and guanidine component. In addition, the reaction is sufficiently mild such that simple aqueous workup and filtration through a short silica gel column yields the substituted guanidines in high purity. In conjunction with the EDCI-mediated guanylation of disubstituted thioureas with amines, phase-transfer catalyzed alkylation of guanidines via a one-pot, three-component synthesis of substituted guanidines was achieved.     

Tethered libraries: solid-phase synthesis of substituted urea-linked bicyclic guanidines

The general concept of tethered combinatorial libraries of compounds in which two pharmacophores are found is described. In particular, an improved method for the solid-phase synthesis of bicyclic guanidines from reduced N-acylated dipeptides, and its use in the synthesis of urea-linked bicyclic guanidines, is described. The exhaustive reduction of glutamine-containing resin-bound N-acylated dipeptides, using borane-THF, generated compounds containing three secondary amines and one primary amine. Following selective trityl protection of the primary amine, treatment of the three secondary amines with thiocarbonyldiimidazole (CSIm2) and mercuric acetate (Hg(OAc)2) generated the resin-bound bicyclic guanidines. Following trityl deprotection, an Fmoc-amino acid was coupled. Upon removal of the Fmoc protecting group, the resulting primary amine was treated with hexyl isocyanate to generate the urea-linked bicyclic guanidines. The desired products were cleaved from the resin using hydrogen fluoride. The selection of building blocks and characterization of controls for the synthesis of a combinatorial library is discussed.     

Polyhydroxylated bicyclic isoureas and guanidines are potent glucocerebrosidase inhibitors and nanomolar enzyme activity enhancers in Gaucher cells

Four diastereomeric series of N-alkylated [6+5] bicyclic isoureas having hydroxyl substituents mimicking glucose hydroxyl groups have been synthesized as potential β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) inhibitors with the aim of developing pharmacological chaperones for enzyme deficiency in Gaucher disease (GD). The bicyclic compounds differ either by the configuration of the ring fusion carbon atoms or by the nature of the N-alkyl substituents. When assayed for effects on GCase activity, the isoureas displayed selective inhibition of GCase with low micromolar to nanomolar IC(50)'s in isolated enzyme experiments. One of the series of isoureas, a family having a specific cis ring fusion, exhibited strong inhibition of recombinant GCase activity with K(i) values in the 2-42 nM range. In addition, the [6+5] bicyclic guanidine derivatives with a substitution pattern analogous to the most active isoureas were also found to be potent inhibitors of GCase with K(i) values between 3 and 10 nM. Interestingly, the active bicyclic isoureas and guanidines also behaved as GCase inhibitors in wild-type human fibroblasts at nanomolar concentrations. The potential of these compounds as pharmaceutical chaperones was determined by analyzing their capacity for increasing GCase activity in GD lymphoblasts derived from N370S and L444P variants, two of the most prevalent Gaucher mutations. Six compounds were selected from the different bicyclic isoureas and guanidines obtained that increased GCase activity by 40-110% in N370S and 10-50% in L444P cells at low micromolar to nanomolar concentrations following a 3 day incubation. These results describe a promising series of potent GCase ligands having the cellular properties required for pharmacological chaperones.     

Solid-phase synthesis of trisubsituted guanidines

The solid-phase library synthesis of trisubstituted guanidines was accomplished. Amines were loaded onto the 4-formyl-3,5-dimethoxyphenoxymethyl linker via reductive amination. Subsequent acylation with Fmoc-4-aminomethylbenzoic acid followed by Fmoc deprotection gave solid-supported primary amines. Alternatively, sulfonylation of resin-bound secondary amines with 4-cyanobenzenesulfonyl chloride followed by borane reduction also gave solid-supported primary amines. Both resins were acylated with isocyanates to furnish solid-supported ureas. Dehydration of ureas with p-toluenesulfonyl chloride in pyridine gave solid-supported carbodiimides. Nucleophilic addition of amines to the carbodiimide bond followed by cleavage off the solid support gave trisubstituted guanidines.     

Chiral bicyclic guanidines: a concise and efficient aziridine-based synthesis

A series of chiral bicyclic guanidines, either symmetrical or non-symmetrical, was synthesized using a concise and efficient aziridine-based synthetic methodology. Starting from commercial amino alcohols, five synthetic steps were performed, with only three requiring chromatographic purification, giving the desired guanidines in 43-71% overall yield. Preliminary studies using these guanidines showed moderate enantioselectivity for several Michael reactions.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of highly functionalized guanidines on soluble polymer support

An efficient method for the N,N′-di(Boc)-protected guanidines containing piperazine and homopiperazine scaffolds has been developed under multi-step microwave irradiation. Followed by alkylation of carbamate-protected guanidines with various alkyl halides is also explored. This protocol proceeds via deprotonation of the acidic N-carbamate hydrogen of the guanidine by sodium hydride on soluble polymer support. In this manner, highly functionalized guanidines were obtained after cleavage from the support. The reaction is tolerant of a wide range of functional groups on both the alkyl halide and guanidine components. In addition, the reaction is sufficiently simple workup by precipitation in each step to yield the substituted guanidines in high purity. In conjunction with microwave irradiation and soluble polymer support, this method provides an efficient route to access highly functionalized guanidines.     

Synthesis of 2-iminoimidazolidin-4-one derivatives by cyclization of 2-aryl-1-(4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)guanidines with ethyl bromoacetate, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, and maleic anhydride

Derivatives of 2-iminoimidazolidin-4-one, (E)-methyl (2-imino-5-oxoimidazolidin-4-ylidene)acetate, and (2-imino-5-oxo-imidazolidin-4-yl)acetic acid were synthesized by the cyclization of 2-aryl-1-(4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)guanidines with ethyl bromoacetate, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, and maleic anhydride, respectively. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1372–1378, July, 2007.     

‘One-flask’ transformation of isocyanates and isothiocyanates to guanidines hydrochloride by using sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide

A ‘one-flask’ synthesis of guanidines was developed by reacting isocyanates and isothiocyanates with sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide followed by addition of primary or secondary amines with a catalytic amount of AlCl₃. The desired guanidines were obtained in good yields and the reaction was applicable to aliphatic and aromatic substrates. A plausible mechanism was proposed through the generation of cyanamide anion from isocyanates or isothiocyanates with sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide. Addition of amines and catalytic amount of AlCl₃ smoothly converted the cyanamides to the desired guanidines.     

Synthesis of polycyclic guanidines by cyclocondensation reactions of N-amidinyliminium ions

A new method for the synthesis of polycyclic guanidines is described. The N-amidinyliminium ion generated from alpha-(phenylthio)amidine precursor 16 by reaction with Cu(OTf)(2) undergoes cyclocondensation with 1,3-dienes, styrenes, and beta-dicarbonyl compounds to give 1-iminohexahydropyrrolo[1,2-c]pyrimidines having side chains at C3 and C7. In all cases, major products have a cis relationship of the C7 side chain and angular C4a hydrogen, whereas C3 side chains are incorporated with lower stereoselectivity (dr = 2--5:1) in cyclocondensations with dienes and styrenes to give stereoisomer 39 as the major product. In contrast to most cycloadditions of alkenes with N-acyliminium ions, cyclocondensations of alkenes with N-amidinyliminium ions proceed by a stepwise pathway. Cyclocondensation of the cognate ureido aminal 31 with styrene provides the rare 2-imino-5,6-dihydro-4H-1,3-oxazine derivative 32, rather than a pyrimidine as the major product. The high stereoselectivity observed in condensations of 16 with benzyl acetoacetate to afford Biginelli adduct 29 supports the intermediacy of N-amidinyliminium ions in related tethered Biginelli condensations of guanidines reported earlier from our laboratories.