First total synthesis of the anti-inflammatory lipid mediator Resolvin D6

The first total synthesis of Resolvin D6, an endogenous lipid mediator of resolution of inflammation derived from docosahexaenoic acid, has been achieved. The chiral hydroxy-groups at C4 and C17 were generated via an asymmetric Noyori transfer hydrogenation and a Sharpless catalytic asymmetric epoxidation, respectively. A mild copper catalyzed coupling of cis-1,4-dibromo-2-butene with TMS-acetylene generated the C7–C14 fragment. Pd⁰/Cu^I Sonogashira couplings and Zn(Cu/Ag) reduction completed the synthesis of Resolvin D6.     

Total synthesis of Resolvin E1

The enantioselective total synthesis of Resolvin E1 (RvE1), a naturally occurring small molecule mediator of inflammation resolution, is reported. Two routes are presented, both modular and convergent in nature, with an excellent control of all stereocenters. The C12- and C18-hydroxy groups are derived from (S)-glycidol while the C5-hydroxy group is installed via enantioselective reduction of a ketone precursor. Both the cis-alkenes are introduced with excellent control by the reduction of a late-stage bis-alkyne intermediate. The synthetic disconnections are very amenable to analog preparation, and further modifications to the chemistry have allowed for scale-up and First in Man testing of this novel pro-resolution molecule.     

Totalsynthese des Verrucarins E sowie ihre Anwendung zur Herstellung eines 13C-markierten Derivates desselben

Total synthesis of verrucarin E. Its application to the preparation of a ¹³C-labeled derivative. A relative high over-all yield synthesis of verrucarin E (3-acetyl-4-hydroxymethyl-pyrrole), a secondary metabolite of the soil fungus Myrothecium verrucaria, has been achieved by condensation of (E)-5-benzyloxy-3-penten-2-one with tosylmethylisocyanide and subsequent hydrogenolysis of the obtained O-benzyl derivative. As the closure to the pyrrole ring takes place regiospecifically, this procedure is convenient for preparing verrucarin E labeled with C-isotopes. On the basis of the data obtained from the ¹³C-NMR. spectrum of Verrucarin E labeled with ¹³C at the C(2) and C(3) positions, all the ¹³C-resonances of Verrucarin E could be assigned unambiguously.     

Total syntheses of four possible stereoisomers of resolvin E3

Resolvin E3, 17,18-dihydroxy-5Z,8Z,11Z,13E,15E-eicosapentaenoic acid, is a potent anti-inflammatory lipid mediator. To determine the stereochemistries of the C17- and C18-hydroxy groups of resolvin E3 and to supply a sufficient amount of material for future biological studies, we developed a highly convergent and practical route to its four possible stereoisomers. The key reactions employed here were the Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons coupling, the two copper(I)-mediated reactions between the alkynes and the propargyl tosylates, and the simultaneous reduction of the three triple bonds to the three Z-olefins.     

Total synthesis and bioactivity of 18(R)-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid

Resolvins are family of lipid mediators derived from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are generated during the resolution phase of acute inflammation. Resolvin E1 is biosynthesized from eicosapentaenoic acid via 18(R)-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (18R-HEPE) in the Cox-2 and lipoxygenase mediated pathway and has proven to exhibit potent anti-inflammatory activity. We report herein the first total chemical synthesis of 18R-HEPE and demonstrate that this compound displays in vivo bioactivity by blocking neutrophil infiltration in a murine model of zymosan-induced peritonitis.     

Synthesis of Low-Valent Dinuclear Group 14 Compounds with Element–Element Bonds by Transylidation

Dinuclear low-valent compounds of the heavy main group elements are rare species owing to their intrinsic reactivity. However, they represent desirable target molecules due to their unusual bonding situations as well as applications in bond activations and materials synthesis. The isolation of such compounds usually requires the use of substituents that provide sufficient stability and synthetic access. Herein, we report on the use of strongly donating ylide-substituents to access low-valent dinuclear group 14 compounds. The ylides not only impart steric and electronic stabilization, but also allow facile synthesis via transfer of an ylide from tetrylene precursors of type ^RY₂E to ECl₂ (E=Ge, Sn; ^RY=TolSO₂(PR₃)C with R=Ph, Cy). This method allowed the isolation of dinuclear complexes amongst a germanium analogue of a vinyl cation, [(^PhY)₂GeGe(^PhY)]⁺ with an electronic structure best described as a germylene-stabilized Ge^II cation and a ylide(chloro)digermene [^CyY(Cl)GeGe(Cl)^CyY] with an unusually unsymmetrical structure.     

Nature of the Arsonium‐Ylide Ph3As=CH2 and a Uranium(IV) Arsonium–Carbene Complex

Treatment of [Ph₃EMe][I] with [Na{N(SiMe₃)₂}] affords the ylides [Ph₃E=CH₂] (E=As, 1As ; P, 1P ). For 1As this overcomes prior difficulties in the synthesis of this classical arsonium‐ylide that have historically impeded its wider study. The structure of 1As has now been determined, 45 years after it was first convincingly isolated, and compared to 1P , confirming the long‐proposed hypothesis of increasing pyramidalisation of the ylide‐carbon, highlighting the increasing dominance of E⁺?C^? dipolar resonance form (sp³‐C) over the E=C ene π‐bonded form (sp²‐C), as group 15 is descended. The uranium(IV)–cyclometallate complex [U{N(CH₂CH₂NSiPrⁱ₃)₂(CH₂CH₂SiPrⁱ₂CH(Me)CH₂)}] reacts with 1As and 1P by α‐proton abstraction to give [U(Tren^TIPS)(CHEPh₃)] (Tren^TIPS=N(CH₂CH₂NSiPrⁱ₃)₃; E=As, 2As ; P, 2P ), where 2As is an unprecedented structurally characterised arsonium‐carbene complex. The short U?C distances and obtuse U‐C‐E angles suggest significant U=C double bond character. A shorter U?C distance is found for 2As than 2P , consistent with increased uranium‐ and reduced pnictonium‐stabilisation of the carbene as group 15 is descended, which is supported by quantum chemical calculations.     

Zur synthese und struktur von pentacarbonylmetall(0)-Komplexen intramolekular basenstabilisierter zinn(III)-verbindungen

The synthesis and structure of pentacarbonylmetal(0) complexes of the types (C0)₅MSn(XCH₂CH₂)₂E (M = Cr, Mo, W; X = O, S; E = NR, PPh, O, S) and (CO)₅ WSn(SCH₂CH₂)₂E · py (E = NMe, O, S) are reported.¹¹⁹Sn and ¹³C NMR studies show the compounds with X = O and E = NR to be dimeric whereas the derivatives with X = S have been found to be monomeric. The π-acceptor behaviour of the ligands Sn(XCH₂CH₂)₂E is comparable to that of the phosphanes. The barriers to internal rotations about the nitrogencarbon bonds have been determined for the NBu^t derivatives.     

Diastereoselective Synthesis of New Dialkylphosphorylhydrazones

A series of 22 dialkylphosphorylydrazones (dialkyl ester, N′-[(1E)-(R₁ phenyl)methylene]-phosphorohydrazidic acid), 20 of them new, along with three new N,N′-bis (diisobutylphosphorylthioamide)diamines (bis-[diisobutyl ester), N-thioxomethylene]-, diamine)phosphora-midic acid, were prepared and characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ³¹P NMR, and mass spectrometry. The analysis of ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ³¹P NMR, and NOE spectra confirmed the observation of the single diastereoisomer E in the synthesis of dialkylphosphorylydrazones. The results of a molecular modeling study performed in order to investigate the mechanism of the synthesis of dialkylphosphorylydrazones are in agreement with the experimental results, i.e., the favored formation of diastereoisomer E over Z.     

Total synthesis of resolvin E2

Resolvin E2 (2) was synthesized stereoselectively using the C1-8 and C15-20 aldehydes 6 and 9, which were connected to the C9-14 fragment by using Wittig reactions. The aldehyde 6 was prepared from the γ-silyl alcohol (S)-20 by a sequence of reactions involving ozonolysis, oxidation with NaIO₄, and the Wittig reaction of the resulting aldehyde with Ph₃PCHCHO, whereas the aldehyde 9 was synthesized from the corresponding γ-silyl alcohol through epoxidation, reaction with Et₂AlCN, and reduction with DIBAL-H.     

An NHC–Silyl–NHC Pincer Ligand for the Oxidative Addition of C−H,N−H,and O−H Bonds to Cobalt(I) Complexes

N‐Heterocyclic carbene based pincer ligands bearing a central silyl donor, [CSiC]⁻, have been envisioned as a class of strongly σ‐donating ligands that can be used for synthesizing electron‐rich transition‐metal complexes for the activation of inert bonds. However, this type of pincer ligand and complexes thereof have remained elusive owing to their challenging synthesis. We herein describe the first synthesis of a CSiC pincer ligand scaffold through the coupling of a silyl–NHC chelate with a benzyl–NHC chelate induced by one‐electron oxidation in the coordination sphere of a cobalt complex. The monoanionic CSiC ligand stabilizes the Co^I dinitrogen complex [(CSiC)Co(N₂)] with an unusual coordination geometry and enables the challenging oxidative addition of E−H bonds (E=C, N, O) to Co^I to form Co^III complexes. The structure and reactivity of the cobalt(I) complex are ascribed to the unique electronic properties of the CSiC pincer ligand, which provides a strong trans effect and pronounced σ‐donation.     

An NHC–Silyl–NHC Pincer Ligand for the Oxidative Addition of C−H,N−H,and O−H Bonds to Cobalt(I) Complexes

N‐Heterocyclic carbene based pincer ligands bearing a central silyl donor, [CSiC]⁻, have been envisioned as a class of strongly σ‐donating ligands that can be used for synthesizing electron‐rich transition‐metal complexes for the activation of inert bonds. However, this type of pincer ligand and complexes thereof have remained elusive owing to their challenging synthesis. We herein describe the first synthesis of a CSiC pincer ligand scaffold through the coupling of a silyl–NHC chelate with a benzyl–NHC chelate induced by one‐electron oxidation in the coordination sphere of a cobalt complex. The monoanionic CSiC ligand stabilizes the Co^I dinitrogen complex [(CSiC)Co(N₂)] with an unusual coordination geometry and enables the challenging oxidative addition of E−H bonds (E=C, N, O) to Co^I to form Co^III complexes. The structure and reactivity of the cobalt(I) complex are ascribed to the unique electronic properties of the CSiC pincer ligand, which provides a strong trans effect and pronounced σ‐donation.     

Synthesis and Incorporation of k2U into RNA

Lysidine (k²C) is one of the most modified pyrimidine RNA bases. It is a cytidine nucleoside, in which the 2-oxo functionality of the heterocycle is replaced by the ϵ-amino group of the amino acid lysine. As such, lysidine is an amino acid-containing RNA nucleoside that combines directly genotype (C-base) with phenotype (lysine amino acid). This makes the compound particularly important in the context of theories about the origin of life and here especially for theories that target the origin of translation. Here, we report the total synthesis of the U-derivative of lysidine (k²U), which should have the same base pairing characteristics as k²C if it exists in the isoC-like tautomeric form. To investigate this question, we developed a phosphoramidite building block for k²U, which allows its incorporation into RNA strands. Within RNA, k²U can base pair with the counter base U and isoG, confirming that k²U prefers an isoC-like tautomeric structure that is also known to dominate for k²C. The successful synthesis of a k²U phosphoramidite and its use for RNA synthesis now paves the way for the preparation of a k²C phosphoramidite and RNA strands containing k²C.     

Synthetic Applications of Stereodefined 2-Substituted 1-Silyl-1-stannylethenes: A New Synthesis of 5-Ethenyl-5′-(1-propynyl)-2,2′-bithiophene,a Naturally-Occurring Phototoxin)

(E)-2-(5-Trimenthylstannyl-2-thienyl)ethenyldimethylphenylsilane. (E)-8, which can be stereospecifically prepared from (Z)-1-dimethylphenylsilyl-2-(2-thienyl)-1-trimethylstannyl-ethene, (Z)-6, or from (E)-2-(2-thienyl)ethenyldimethylphenylsilane, (E)-9, serves as an equivalent to the 2-ethenylthiophene d ¹', d ⁵-synthon, 20, in an efficient two-step synthesis of 5-ethenyl-5′-(1-propynyl)-2,2′-bithiophene, 10, a naturally-occurring phototoxin. In the first step of this synthesis compound (E)-8 undergoes a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with 2-iodo-5-(1-propynyl)thiophene, 16, and in th second step the so obtained cross-coupling product, (E)-17, undergoes a protodesilylation reaction.     

Platinum(II) and Palladium(II) Bis(chelate) Complexes Containing both Tri(1‐cyclohepta‐2, 4, 6‐trienyl)phosphane,P(C7H7)3, and Dichalcogenolato Ligands

Tri(1‐cyclohepta‐2, 4, 6‐trienyl)phosphane, P(C₇H₇)₃ ([P] when coordinated to a metal atom), was used to stabilize complexes of platinum(II) and palladium(II) with chelating dichalcogenolato ligands as [P]M(E∩E) [E = S, ∩ = CH₂CH₂, M = Pt ( 3a ); E = S, ∩ = 1, 2‐C₆H₄, M = Pt ( 5a ), Pd ( 6a ); E = S, ∩ = C(O)C(O), M = Pt ( 7a ), Pd ( 8a ); E = S, Se, ∩ = 1, 2‐C₂(B₁₀H₁₀), M = Pt ( 9a, 9b ), Pd ( 10a, 10b ); E = S, ∩ = Fe₂(CO)₆, M = Pt ( 11a ), Pd ( 12a )]. Starting materials in all reactions were [P]MCl₂ with M = Pt ( 1 ) and Pd ( 2 ). Attempts at the synthesis of [P]M(ER)₂ with non‐chelating chalcogenolato ligands were not successful. All new complexes were characterized by multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in solution (¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P, ⁷⁷Se and ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR), and the molecular structures of 5a and 12a were determined by X‐ray analysis. Both in the solid state and in solution the ligand [P] is linked to the metal atom by the P‐M bond and by η²‐C=C coordination of the central C=C bond of one of the C₇H₇ rings. In solution, intramolecular exchange between coordinated and non‐coordinated C₇H₇ rings is observed, the exchange process being markedly faster in the case of M = Pd than for M = Pt.     

Nature of the Arsonium-Ylide Ph3As=CH2 and a Uranium(IV) Arsonium–Carbene Complex

Treatment of [Ph₃EMe][I] with [Na{N(SiMe₃)₂}] affords the ylides [Ph₃E=CH₂] (E=As, 1As ; P, 1P ). For 1As this overcomes prior difficulties in the synthesis of this classical arsonium-ylide that have historically impeded its wider study. The structure of 1As has now been determined, 45 years after it was first convincingly isolated, and compared to 1P , confirming the long-proposed hypothesis of increasing pyramidalisation of the ylide-carbon, highlighting the increasing dominance of E⁺−C⁻ dipolar resonance form (sp³-C) over the E=C ene π-bonded form (sp²-C), as group 15 is descended. The uranium(IV)–cyclometallate complex [U{N(CH₂CH₂NSiPrⁱ₃)₂(CH₂CH₂SiPrⁱ₂CH(Me)CH₂)}] reacts with 1As and 1P by α-proton abstraction to give [U(Tren^TIPS)(CHEPh₃)] (Tren^TIPS=N(CH₂CH₂NSiPrⁱ₃)₃; E=As, 2As ; P, 2P ), where 2As is an unprecedented structurally characterised arsonium-carbene complex. The short U−C distances and obtuse U-C-E angles suggest significant U=C double bond character. A shorter U−C distance is found for 2As than 2P , consistent with increased uranium- and reduced pnictonium-stabilisation of the carbene as group 15 is descended, which is supported by quantum chemical calculations.     

Metalloradical Cations and Dications Based on Divinyldiphosphene and Divinyldiarsene Ligands

Metalloradicals are key species in synthesis, catalysis, and bioinorganic chemistry. Herein, two iron radical cation complexes ( 3-E )GaCl₄ [( 3-E )^.+ = [{(IPr)C(Ph)E}₂Fe(CO)₃]^.+, E = P or As; IPr = C{(NDipp)CH}₂, Dipp = 2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃] are reported as crystalline solids. Treatment of the divinyldipnictenes {(IPr)C(Ph)E}₂ ( 1-E ) with Fe₂(CO)₉ affords [{(IPr)C(Ph)E}₂Fe(CO)₃] ( 2-E ), in which 1-E binds to the Fe atom in an allylic (η³-EEC_vinyl) fashion and functions as a 4e donor ligand. Complexes 2-E undergo 1e oxidation with GaCl₃ to yield ( 3-E )GaCl₄. Spin density analysis revealed that the unpaired electron in ( 3-E )^.+ is mainly located on the Fe (52–64 %) and vinylic C (30–36 %) atoms. Further 1e oxidation of ( 3-E )GaCl₄ leads to unprecedented η³-EEC_vinyl to η³-EC_vinylC_Ph coordination shuttling to form the dications ( 4-E )(GaCl₄)₂.     

Total synthesis of resolvin E1

Resolvin E1 (RvE1), which is an endogenous mediator to resolve inflammation, was synthesized by Wittig reaction between the C15-C20 aldehyde and the C10-C14 phosphonium salt possessing the vinyl iodo moiety followed by Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of the resulting vinyl iodide with the vinyl borane of the C1-C9 part, which was derived from the corresponding acetylene by hydroboration. The C5 and C18 chiral centers in these parts were created by the kinetic resolution of the racemic γ-TMS allylic alcohols using the asymmetric epoxidation, while that of the C10-C14 part was constructed by the asymmetric hydrogen transfer reaction of the corresponding γ-TMS acetylene ketone.     

Donor Rhodium Carbenes by Retro‐Buchner Reaction

Rhodium carbenes are key intermediates in a range of cycloadditions and insertion reactions. Herein, we report the first generation of donor Rh^II carbenes by decarbenation of 7‐substituted 1,3,5‐cycloheptatrienes. This discovery unlocks an improved retro‐Buchner‐cyclopropanation sequence, a Si?H insertion reaction for a broad‐scope synthesis of allylsilanes, and a new method for the vinylogation of aldehydes. The last strategy led to the development of an iterative synthesis of E‐polyenes, and to the total synthesis of navenones B and C.     

Selective Enzymatic Demethylation of N2,N2‐Dimethylguanosine in RNA and Its Application in High‐Throughput tRNA Sequencing

The abundant Watson–Crick face methylations in biological RNAs such as N¹‐methyladenosine (m¹A), N¹‐methylguanosine (m¹G), N³‐methylcytosine (m³C), and N²,N²‐dimethylguanosine (m²₂G) cause significant obstacles for high‐throughput RNA sequencing by impairing cDNA synthesis. One strategy to overcome this obstacle is to remove the methyl group on these modified bases prior to cDNA synthesis using enzymes. The wild‐type E. coli AlkB and its D135S mutant can remove most of m¹A, m¹G, m³C modifications in transfer RNA (tRNA), but they work poorly on m²₂G. Here we report the design and evaluation of a series of AlkB mutants against m²₂G‐containing model RNA substrates that we synthesize using an improved synthetic method. We show that the AlkB D135S/L118V mutant efficiently and selectively converts m²₂G modification to N²‐methylguanosine (m²G). We also show that this new enzyme improves the efficiency of tRNA sequencing.