Approaches to installing a N-gem-dimethylmethylene-2-oxazolyl group and application to the synthesis of a second generation HIV protease inhibitor

Two syntheses of the title compound 1 were developed based on different approaches for installing the oxazole ring moiety. Formation and dehydration of ketoamide was initially used and scaled up to afford 1 on several kilogram scale, then oxazolyl anion/iminium coupling reaction was developed for a more convergent approach.     

Asymmetric synthesis of a potent azepanone-based inhibitor of the cysteine protease cathepsin K

In this account we detail the asymmetric synthesis of 1, a potent azepanone-based inhibitor of cathepsin K (K_i = 0.16 nM), which has been shown to inhibit the production of biomarkers of bone resorption in monkeys. The key steps in the synthesis sequence were the utility of the Evans aldol reaction coupled with the ring closing olefin metatheses to assemble the azepanone core contained within 1.     

Recent progress toward synthesis of chlorosulfolipids: total synthesis and methodology

Chlorosulfolipids (CSLs) are an intriguing family of natural products featuring highly chlorinated linear hydrocarbon skeletons. Although CSLs were first isolated in 1962, chemical synthesis of CSLs was hampered because relevant methods for stereoselective construction of the polychlorinated motifs of CSLs were scarce. Since Carreira’s first total synthesis of the CSL mytilipin A in 2009, several groups, including our own, have reported total syntheses of CSLs. As a result of these total syntheses, important progress has been made in the development of reliable synthetic methods for stereoselective polychlorination. In this digest, we summarize the total syntheses of CSLs by focusing on synthetic methods for stereoselective polychlorination of the organic frameworks of CSLs.     

Vitamin D: a concise synthesis of the C19 hydroxylated enyne A-ring, an interesting precursor for the preparation of C19 substituted vitamin D analogues

A new C₁₉ hydroxylated enyne 15, as potential A-ring building block of vitamin D analogues, was synthesized in enantiomerically pure form in nine steps from (−)-(S)-limonene. This short synthesis involved ozonolyzis of 1,2-limonene oxide followed by a Criegee rearrangement, epoxide trans diaxial ring opening by lithium acetylide, elimination, epoxidation and syn β-elimination of the resulting homopropargylic oxirane.     

Studies directed towards the total synthesis of clavosolides: synthesis of an isomer of clavosolide A

The total synthesis of clavosolide A, employing a radical-mediated route to build its substituted tetrahydropyran unit, a Yamaguchi reaction to construct the diolide aglycon and the Schmidt method for the final glycosidation step, revealed that the reported structure is an isomer of the natural product.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (+)-sordidin, the male-produced aggregation pheromone of the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus

Stereoselective synthesis of (1S,3R,5R,7S)-(+)-sordidin, the natural male-produced aggregation pheromone of the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) starting from 5-benzyloxy-(2E)-pentene-1-ol is described. The key transformations employed in the synthesis are Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, Ueno-Stork cyclization, and Jacobsen kinetic resolution.     

Diastereoselective arylithium addition to an alpha-trifluoromethyl imine. Practical synthesis of a potent cathepsin K inhibitor

A practical, chromatography-free synthesis of potent cathepsin K inhibitor 1 is described. The addition of 4-bromophenyllithium to an alpha-trifluoromethylimine derived from commercially available (S)-leucinol was accomplished in a highly diastereoselective manner (97.6% de, 91% yield). Subsequent Suzuki cross-coupling afforded biaryl 7. Oxidation of the alcohol and sulfide functionalities led to the formation of carboxylic acid 8. Crystallization of 7 and acid 8 as its dicyclohexylamine salt gave excellent impurity rejection. The final amide coupling with commercially available aminoacetonitrile hydrochloride afforded 1 in excellent purity (99.6A% by HPLC, 100% de, <3 ppm Pd, W, Cr).     

Design, synthesis, and screen of cathepsin K inhibitors

We synthesized a series of epoxysuccinic acid derivatives and evaluated their in vitro cathepsin K inhibitory activity The screening results show that the potency of compounds 9e,9d,9p,9j and 9k (IC₅₀≤0.005μmol/L) were equal to or greater than that of the lead compound 9a.Less hydrophobic compounds showed weaker potency,which can be explained by the hydrophobic nature of the cathepsin K binding pockets.     

Synthetic studies of venturicidins: stereoselective synthesis of the C15-C27 segment based on two types of stereospecific epoxide opening reactions

The C15-C27 segment of venturicidins was stereoselectively synthesized by using two types of stereospecific methyl substitution reactions of epoxides and subsequent stereocontrolled methylation reactions of lactone derivatives as the key steps.     

Studies on the synthesis of DNA-damaging part of leinamycin: regioselectivity in Ti(OiPr)4 mediated opening of hydroxy epoxides with carboxylic acids

The preparation of the key intermediate in the synthesis of the DNA damaging fragment of the anticancer antibiotic leinamycin starting from geraniol is described. The synthetic sequence involves the building of a quaternary asymmetric center through kinetic resolution through Sharpless epoxidation followed by the regioselective opening of the resultant enantiomerically pure hydroxyepoxide and intramolecular Wittig-Horner olefination.     

Zirconyl nitrate mediated regioselective ring opening of epoxides and aziridines: an easy synthesis of β-nitrato-alcohols and -sulfonamides

Epoxides and aziridines are cleaved efficiently and regioselectively in the presence of zirconyl nitrate at room temperature to afford the corresponding β-nitrato-alcohols and -sulfonamides, respectively, in high yields.     

Nuclephilic ring opening of epoxides promoted by multi-site phase-transfer catalyst:An efficient and eco-friendly route to synthesis of β-hydroxythiocyanate

A highly effective and mild protocol for ring opening of epoxides with NH4SCN in the presence of catalytic amount of a multisite phase-transfer catalyst,α,α′,α″-N-hexakis(triethylammoniummethylene chloride)-melamine,is developed.A variety ofβ-hydroxy thiocyanates as important intermediates in agricultural and pharmaceutical chemistry were obtained in high yields with excellent regioselectivity and in short reaction times.     

A concise synthesis of Tamiflu: third generation route via the Diels-Alder reaction and the Curtius rearrangement

Our third generation synthesis of Tamiflu was achieved in 12 steps from commercially available starting materials, using the Diels-Alder reaction and Curtius rearrangement as key steps.     

A unified approach to the synthesis of both enantiomers of anatoxin-a and homoanatoxin-a cyanotoxins

Anatoxin-a and homoanatoxin-a are highly neurotoxic compounds produced by cyanobacteria, principally during surface water-blooms (SWBs). Owing to their powerful biological activity and unique structural characteristics, these natural alkaloids have been the subject of extensive research work in both pharmacological and synthetic studies. In this contribution we report a simple and efficient synthetic approach for the preparation of both the natural and unnatural enantiomers of these cyanotoxins, [(+)-1 and (+)-2] and [(?)-1 and (?)-2] respectively. Key features of this approach include: i) construction of the azabicyclic homotropane framework in both enantiomeric forms from cis-5,6-epoxycyclooctene, based on a microwave mediated epoxide ring opening reaction by a chiral benzyl amine followed by a transannular amine-alkene cyclization; ii) elaboration of the characteristic methyl or ethyl enone by means of a Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction of an enol-triflate with a C2 or C3 terminal alkyne, followed by a chemo- and regio-selective hydration of the resulting conjugated enyne group.     

A short and concise synthesis of isofagomine, homoisofagomine, and 5′-deoxyisofagomine

A short and concise synthesis of isofagomine derivatives via the epoxidation of chiral N-Boc-5-hydroxy-3-piperidene, followed by regioselective epoxide ring opening is described. This constitutes the first reported synthesis of homoisofagomine and the 5′-deoxyisofagomine.     

Synthesis of 1,2-azidoalcohols from epoxides using a task-specific protic ionic liquid: 1-hydrogen-3-methylimidazolium azide

A task-specific ionic liquid as an environmentally eco-friendly green catalyst has been synthesized and used in the ring opening of epoxides under green conditions. In order to use protic ionic liquids (PIL), we decided to synthesize 1,2-azidoalcohols via a ring opening reaction of epoxides with 1-hydrogen-3-methylimidazolium azide ([Hmim]N₃), which actually acts as a solvent, a reagent and an activator of the epoxide ring. The reaction was carried out in short times (50–70 min) at 70 °C to give 1,2-azidoalcohol in 80–94% isolated yields.     

Nuclephilic ring opening of epoxides promoted by multi-site phase-transfer catalyst:An efficient and eco-friendly route to synthesis of b-hydroxy-thiocyanate

A highly effective and mild protocol for ring opening of epoxides with NH ₄ SCN in the presence of catalytic amount of a multisite phase-transfer catalyst, α,α',α" -N-hexakis(triethylammoniummethylene chloride)-melamine, is developed. A variety of b-hydroxy thiocyanates as important intermediates in agricultural and pharmaceutical chemistry were obtained in high yields with excellent regioselectivity and in short reaction times.     

Application of N-thiocyanatosuccinimide as a reagent for the facile conversion of epoxides into thiocyanohydrines

The use of in situ generated N-thiocyanatosuccinimide with NH₄SCN offers an efficient reagent system for the conversion of epoxides into their corresponding thiocyanohydrines in good to high yields.The major advantages of this method are as follows:use of cheap reagent,high regioselectivity,simple availability of reagent,ease of workup of the reaction.     

A new synthetic approach to 2,3-dideoxy-2-fluoro-β-d-threo-pentofuranose, the fluorofuranose unit of the anti-HIV-active nucleoside, β-FddA

The fluorinated furanose unit of the anti-HIV-active nucleoside (2,3-dideoxy-2-fluoro-β-d-threo-pentofuranosyl)adenine, β-FddA, has been synthesized as its 5-trityl derivative with high stereocontrol from (S)-trityl glycidol and phenylthioacetic acid.     

Novel 3-deoxy analogs of the anti-HBV agent entecavir: synthesis of enantiomers from a single chiral epoxide

A synthesis of novel 3^′-deoxy analogs of the anti-HBV agent entecavir (BMS-200475) was devised using regioselective ring opening of suitable cyclopentene epoxides as the key step. This versatile approach afforded access to an enantiomeric pair of carbocyclic nucleosides from a single chiral intermediate.