4,5,6,7-Tetrahydroindol-4-Ones as a Valuable Starting Point for the Synthesis of Polyheterocyclic Structures

This review focuses on the synthesis of polyheterocyclic structures with a variety of medicinal and optoelectronic applications, starting from readily available 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindol-4-one analogs. First, routes toward the 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindol-4-one starting materials are summarized, followed by synthetic pathways towards polyheterocyclic structures which are categorized based on the size and attachment point of the newly formed (hetero)cyclic ring.     

Asymmetric catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions with in situ generated heterocyclic ortho-quinodimethanes

The Diels-Alder reaction is probably the most powerful technology in the synthetic repertoire for single-step constructions of complex chiral molecules. The synthetic power of this fundamental pericyclic transformation has greatly increased with the emergence of asymmetric catalytic variants, and research aimed at further expanding its potential is still exciting and fascinating the chemical community. Here, we document the first asymmetric catalytic Diels-Alder reaction of in situ generated heterocyclic ortho-quinodimethanes (oQDMs), reactive diene species that have never before succumbed to a catalytic approach. Asymmetric aminocatalysis, that uses chiral amines as catalysts, is the enabling strategy to induce the transient generation of indole-, pyrrole- or furan-based oQDMs from simple starting materials, while directing the pericyclic reactions with nitroolefins and methyleneindolinones toward a highly stereoselective pathway. The approach provides straightforward access to polycyclic heteroaromatic compounds, which would be difficult to synthesize by other catalytic methods, and should open new synthetic pathways to complex chiral molecules using nontraditional disconnections.     

Synthesis of chiral building blocks for use in drug discovery

In the past decade there has been a significant growth in the sales of pharmaceutical drugs worldwide, but more importantly there has been a dramatic growth in the sales of single enantiomer drugs. The pharmaceutical industry has a rising demand for chiral intermediates and research reagents because of the continuing imperative to improve drug efficacy. This in turn impacts on researchers involved in preclinical discovery work. Besides traditional chiral pool and resolution of racemates as sources of chiral building blocks, many new synthetic methods including a great variety of catalytic reactions have been developed which facilitate the production of complex chiral drug candidates for clinical trials. The most ambitious technique is to synthesise homochiral compounds from non-chiral starting materials using chiral metal catalysts and related chemistry. Examples of the synthesis of chiral building blocks from achiral materials utilizing asymmetric hydrogenation and asymmetric epoxidation are presented.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Cyclization Processes: Pivotal Avenues for Organic Synthesis

Over the years, gold catalysis has materialized as an incredible synthetic approach among the scientific community. Due to the trivial reaction conditions and great functional compatibility, these progressions are synthetically expedient, because practitioners can implement them to build intricate architectures from readily amassed building blocks with high bond forming indices. The incendiary growth of gold catalysts in organic synthesis has been demonstrated as one of the most prevailing soft Lewis acids for electrophilic activation of carbon‐carbon multiple bonds towards a great assortment of nucleophiles. Nowadays, organic chemists consistently employ gold catalysts to carry out a diverse array of organic transformations to build unprecedented molecular architectures. Despite all these achievements and a plethora of reports, many vital challenges remain. In this account, we describe the reactivity of various gold catalysts towards cyclization processes developed over the years. These protocols give access to a wide scope of polyheterocyclic structures, containing different medium‐sized ring skeletons. This is interesting, as the quest for highly selective reactions to assemble diversely functionalized products has attracted much attention. We envisage that these newly developed chemo‐, regio‐, and diastereoselective protocols could provide an expedient route to architecturally cumbersome heterocycles of importance for the pharmaceutical industry.     

Synthesis of indolo[2,3-c]coumarins and indolo[2,3-c]quinolinones via microwave-assisted base-free intramolecular cross dehydrogenative coupling

A microwave-assisted base-free intramolecular cross dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) of 3-aniline substituted coumarins and quinolinones have been developed. A broad range of indolo[2,3-c]coumarins and indolo[2,3-c]quinolinones can be easily afforded in good to high yields (up to 93%) under palladium catalysis. The method is among the most straightforward and convenient ways to access these fused polyheterocycles.     

Consecutive Intermolecular Reductive Amination/Asymmetric Hydrogenation: Facile Access to Sterically Tunable Chiral Vicinal Diamines and N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes

A highly enantioselective iridium‐ or ruthenium‐catalyzed intermolecular reductive amination/asymmetric hydrogenation relay with 2‐quinoline aldehydes and aromatic amines has been developed. A broad range of sterically tunable chiral N,N′‐diaryl vicinal diamines were obtained in high yields (up to 95 %) with excellent enantioselectivity (up to >99 % ee). The resulting chiral diamines could be readily transformed into sterically hindered chiral N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors, which are otherwise difficult to access. The usefulness of this synthetic approach was further demonstrated by the successful application of one of the chiral vicinal diamines and chiral NHC ligands in a transition‐metal‐catalyzed asymmetric Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction and asymmetric ring‐opening cross‐metathesis, respectively.     

The Catalytic Asymmetric Aldol Reaction

The construction of C-C bonds with complete control of the stereochemical course of a reaction is of utmost importance for organic synthesis. The aldol reaction-the simple addition of an enolate donor to a carbonyl acceptor-is one of the most powerful reactions available to the synthetic chemist. In general, control of the relative and absolute configuration of the newly formed stereogenic centers has been achieved through the use of chiral starting materials or chiral auxiliaries. In recent years the search for catalytic methods that efficiently and effectively transfer chirality information has become a major effort in synthetic organic chemistry. Two different approaches have been taken toward the catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction: biocatalysis and catalysis with small molecules. Both approaches have specific advantages and limitations, and as a result are complementary to each other. The important efforts toward both approaches are reviewed in this article.     

Asymmetric synthesis of anti-1,2-amino alcohols via the Borono-Mannich reaction: a formal synthesis of (-)-swainsonine

Chiral alpha-hydroxy aldehydes generated in situ by the ADH reaction of vinyl sulfones undergo a borono-Mannich reaction with beta-styrenyl boronic acid and primary amines to give anti-1,2-amino alcohols in high enantiomeric purities (83-95% ee). This new method allows much more rapid access to these valuable chiral building blocks that has been used in a short formal synthesis (10 synthetic steps from 4-penten-1-ol) of (-)-swainsonine.     

Synthesis of 2(5H)-Furanone Derivatives with Symmetrical and Unsymmetrical Bis-1,2,3-triazole Structure

The interesting bioactivities of 2(5H)-furanone, 1,2,3-triazole, and amino acid derivatives have promoted their combination into one multifunctional molecule. The symmetrical bis-1,2,3-triazoles and mono-1,2,3-triazoles with one free azide group are synthesized respectively by controlling the molar ratio of reactants, N-[5-alkoxy-2(5H)-furanonyl] amino acid propargyl ester and 1,4-diazidobutane. The unsymmetrical bis-1,2,3-triazoles are afforded by the subsequent reaction of mono-1,2,3-triazoles with other terminal alkynes with good to excellent yields in a short time under the same mild “click” reaction conditions. The 32 new compounds obtained in the reactions are characterized by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. Because of the diversity of four or five basic units in molecule, this methodology provides easy access to different chiral 2(5H)-furanone compounds with polyheterocyclic structure, especially with unsymmetrical bis-1,2,3-triazole moiety. Importantly, a simple approach is provided for the synthesis of unsymmetrical bis-1,2,3-triazoles using common diazides.     

An organocatalytic oxidative coupling strategy for the direct synthesis of arylated quaternary stereogenic centers

A broadly applicable oxidative coupling strategy of 3-substituted catechols and carbon-centered pro-nucleophiles for the construction of arylated quaternary stereogenic centers has been developed. Pivoting on a base-catalyzed addition of a carbon-centered acid to an in situ generated o-benzoquinone, the method is general and atom-economical and provides remarkably efficient access to one of the most challenging structural motifs. Furthermore, use of chiral bifunctional organocatalysts allows the process to be rendered asymmetric (up to 81% ee).     

Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Vinyl Aziridines: Expedient Synthesis of Cyclic Sulfoximines from Chiral Sulfinimines

A novel rearrangement of 2‐vinyl aziridine 2‐carboxylates to unusual chiral cyclic sulfoximines is described herein. The method allows the synthesis of substituted cyclic sulfoximines in high yields with complete stereocontrol, and tolerates a wide substrate scope. A one‐pot process starting directly from sulfinimines provides access to complex chiral sulfoximines in only two steps from commercially available aldehydes. A mechanistic hypothesis and synthetic application in the formal synthesis of trachelanthamidine, by transformation of a cyclic sulfoximine into a pyrroline, is also disclosed.     

Azithromycin as a new chiral selector in capillary electrophoresis

In capillary electrophoresis (CE), separation of enantiomers of a chiral compound can be achieved through the chiral interactions and/or complex formation between the chiral selector and the enantiomeric analytes on leaving their diastereomeric forms with different stability constants and hence different mobilities. A great number of chiral selectors have been employed in CE and among them macrocyclic antibiotics exhibited excellent enantioselective properties towards a wide number of racemic compounds. The use of azithromycin (AZM) as a chiral selector has not been reported previously. This work reports the use of AZM as a chiral selector for the enantiomeric separations of five chiral drugs and one amino acid (tryptophan) in CE. The enantioseparation is carried out using polar organic mixtures of acetonitrile (ACN), methanol (MeOH), acetic acid and triethylamine as run buffer. The influences of the chiral selector concentration, ACN/MeOH ratio, applied voltage and capillary temperature on enantioseparation are investigated. The results show that AZM is a viable chiral selector in CE for the enantioseparation of the type of chiral drugs investigated.     

Oxazolidinones as chiral auxiliaries in asymmetric aldol reactions applied to total synthesis

Asymmetric aldol reactions of oxazolidinones as chiral auxiliaries have been achieved and attracted significant consideration as one of the most powerful synthetic tools for the carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions. The methodology has been highly successful in the stereoselective construction of a number of natural products, antibiotics, and other medicinally important compounds. The present review is focused on the utility and versatility of oxazolidinones (Evans chiral auxiliaries) in the asymmetric aldol condensations for the total synthesis of natural products and complex targets.     

A Gold‐Catalyzed Domino Cyclization Enabling Rapid Construction of Diverse Polyheterocyclic Frameworks

We report herein an efficient gold(I)‐catalyzed post‐Ugi domino dearomatization/ipso‐cyclization/Michael sequence that enables access to libraries of diverse (hetero)arene‐annulated tricyclic heterocycles. This process affords novel complex polycyclic scaffolds in moderate to good yields from readily available acyclic precursors with excellent chemo‐, regio‐, and diastereoselectivity. The power of this strategy has been demonstrated by the rapid synthesis of 40 highly functionalized polyheterocycles bearing indole, pyrrole, (benzo)furan, (benzo)thiophene, pyrazole, and electron‐rich arene groups in two operational steps.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Multiple Cascade Reaction of 2‐Alkynylphenylazides with Propargyl Alcohols

An unprecedented gold‐catalyzed multiple cascade reaction between 2‐alkynyl arylazides and alkynols has been developed, allowing for the step‐economical synthesis of pyrroloindolone derivatives with a wide range of structural diversity. In this reaction, the gold complex participates in triple catalysis in tandem fashion. Moreover, the efficient chirality transfer from optically pure alkynol substrates enables facile access to chiral pyrroloindolone derivatives with two stereogenic centers, including a quaternary one, with excellent levels of optical purity.     

Brønsted-acid and Brønsted-base catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions

The enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction is one of the most important reactions for the synthesis of complex molecules. It provides access to chiral six-membered carbocyclic compounds containing up to four stereogenic centers in a single step. Asymmetric catalysis in the Diels-Alder reaction has mainly been realized using chiral Lewis acids. In this perspective, we describe several cases of chiral Br?nsted-acid and Br?nsted-base catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions, providing an overview of this rapidly growing field.     

Asymmetric biosynthesis of intermediates of anti-HIV drugs

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is the fifth most common cause of death and many new HIV infections occur every year. The prevalence of HIV also seriously affects the quality of a patient’s life. More than forty anti-HIV drugs have been put into clinical uses, many of which are chiral molecules with multiple stereogenic centers, for example abacavir, lamivudine, zidovudine, stavudine, tenofovir, atazanavir. However, the chemical synthesis of these chiral intermediates have the disadvantages of low enantiomeric purity and complex synthetic steps. The benefits of asymmetric biosynthesis of chiral drugs include high enantiomeric excess (e.e.), good product selectivity, mild reaction conditions, and less side effects. The biosynthesis of the chiral intermediates of these anti-HIV drugs is thus particularly important. Herein, we review the different sources of enzymes and microbial cells for the asymmetric biosynthesis of the above chiral anti-HIV drug intermediates. We also review recent biotechnology progress in engineering these enzymes and microbial cells with improved biocatalytic activities, including enzyme and cell immobilization, surface display of enzymes, and directed evolution of enzymes. These biotechnology processes enable the efficient biosynthesis of these chiral intermediates, facilitating the industrial production of anti-HIV drugs with reduced costs.     

Asymmetric Allylic Substitution-Isomerization for the Modular Synthesis of Axially Chiral N-Vinylquinazolinones

Axially chiral N-substituted quinazolinones are important bioactive molecules, which are presented in many synthetic drugs. However, most strategies toward their atroposelective synthesis are mainly limited to the axially chiral arylquinazolinone frameworks. The development of modular synthetic methods to access diverse quinazolinone-based atropisomers remains scarce and challenging. Herein, we report the regio- and atroposelective synthesis of axially chiral N-vinylquinazolinones via the strategy of asymmetric allylic substitution-isomerization. The catalysis system utilized both asymmetric transition-metal catalysis and organocatalysis to efficiently afford trisubstituted and tetrasubstituted N-vinylquinazolinone atropisomers, respectively. With the meticulous design of β-substituted allylic substrates, both Z- and E-tetrasubstituted axially chiral N-vinylquinazolinones were obtained in good yields and high enantioselectivities.     

Controlling Regioselectivity in the Enantioselective N‐Alkylation of Indole Analogues Catalyzed by Dinuclear Zinc‐ProPhenol

The enantioselective N‐alkylation of indole and its derivatives with aldimines is efficiently catalyzed by a zinc‐ProPhenol dinuclear complex under mild conditions to afford N‐alkylated indole derivatives in good yield (up to 86 %) and excellent enantiomeric ratio (up to 99.5:0.5 e.r.). This method tolerates a wide array of indoles, as well as pyrrole and carbazole, to afford the corresponding N‐alkylation products. The reaction can be run on a gram scale with reduced catalyst loading without impacting the efficiency. The chiral aminals were further elaborated into various chiral polyheterocyclic derivatives. The surprising stability of the chiral N‐alkylation products will open new windows for asymmetric catalysis and medicinal chemistry.