Efficient palladium-mediated or base-induced 5-endo-dig cyclisation of C5-alkynylated pyrimidine derivatives: conventional and microwave-assisted synthesis of novel furo[2,3-d]pyrimidines

A series of the novel 5-alkynyl- and furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives in which the sugar moiety is replaced by a methoxymethyl (MOM) group is synthesised using the Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction under both conventional and microwave conditions, in good to excellent yields. The 5-endo-dig cyclisation of 5-alkynylpyrimidine derivatives promoted by a Pd-catalyst or base gives the corresponding furo[2,3-d]pyrimidines in good yields.     

Synthesis of important β-functionalized 5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-ol derivatives in the presence of γ-alumina catalyst in aqueous medium

The γ-alumina catalyzed synthesis of a new series of β-functionalized 5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-ol derivatives by the multi-component reaction of an aldehyde, ethylcyano acetate, and in situ generated 3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one obtained from hydrazine monohyrade and ethyl acetoacetate in aqueous medium is described. The present reaction forms an important variant of the Yonemitsu-type multi-component reaction. The salient features of this present environmentally benign method are: recyclability of the catalysts, mild reaction condition, excellent yields of product, and the use of aqueous medium in the reaction.     

Regioselective synthesis of novel polyfunctionally substituted pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines under solvent-free conditions

A series of 2-(pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-yl)benzoic acids 5 has been prepared by a novel protocol that uses the fusion method between 5-amino-1H-pyrazoles 4 and 3-(3-oxo-2-benzofuran-1(3H)-ylidene)pentane-2,4-dione 3. The use of this novel protocol renders good to excellent yields along with short reaction times. In addition, this solvent-free cyclocondensation proceeds in a regiospecific fashion by intramolecular ring opening of the furane ring in a Michael-type reaction.     

A new and efficient one-pot synthesis of 2-hydroxy-1,4-dihydrobenzoxazines via a three-component Petasis reaction

The secondary amines synthesized by the reaction between 2-aminophenols and aromatic aldehydes, via the reduction of the corresponding imines, were employed in the synthesis of new 2-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazine derivatives through a one-pot Petasis multicomponent reaction in good to excellent yields.     

Synthesis of novel oxindolylpyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines via a three-component sequential tandem reaction

A novel one-pot three-component reaction of 6-amino-uracil, isatin, and acetophenone was accomplished through a programmed pH variation for the synthesis of 5-(2-oxoindolin-3-yl)-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(3H,7H)-dione derivatives. The reaction was conducted in a sequential tandem manner to give the oxindole substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine products in good to excellent yields. Despite of timing all the processes were carried out in one pot. Most of these novel compounds show narrow to good spectrum of antimicrobial activities in vitro.     

γ-Selective allylic substitution reaction with Grignard reagents catalyzed by copper N-heterocyclic carbene complexes and its application to enantioselective synthesis

The reaction of allylic compounds with alkyl Grignard reagents in the presence of a catalytic amount of copper N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes proceeded predominantly in an S_N2′ reaction pathway to give γ-substituted product in excellent yield. The method was applied to asymmetric reaction by using optically active NHC ligands.     

Truncated diastereoselective Passerini reaction, a rapid construction of polysubstituted oxazole and peptides having an α-hydroxy-β-amino acid component

The reaction of aldehydes and ketones, including aliphatic and aromatic ones, with amides of α-isocyano-β-phenylpropionic acid in toluene in the presence of lithium bromide gives 2,4,5-trisubstituted oxazoles in good to excellent yield. Protected chiral α-amino aldehydes participate in this reaction to give, after hydrolysis of the oxazoles, norstatine-containing peptides in good overall yield. The nucleophilic addition of isonitriles to N,N-dibenzylphenylalanal is investigated for the first time and is found to be stereoselective leading predominantly to the anti-adduct (dr=9/1). On the other hand, the reaction between the N-Boc phenylalanal and isonitrile is non-stereoselective.     

Stille reaction over cis-halocyclohexadienediol derivatives

Stille reaction was performed with several halo cis-diol derivatives by reaction with allyltributyltin in the presence of a palladium catalyst forming allyl cis-dihydrodiol derivatives. These couplings were conducted with conventional heating as well as with microwave irradiation. Allylbenzene cis-dihydrodiol was obtained with excellent yield using mild conventional heating. However, if the diol moiety is protected with the isopropylidene group, the expected product is obtained only under microwave irradiation. The unusual reactivity observed for the polyoxygenated derivatives suggests assistance of the free hydroxyls in the catalytic cycle.     

Chemoselective synthesis of 3H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]quinolin-4(5H)-one derivatives from 3-phenacylideneoxindoles and substituted tosylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC)

A simple and convenient synthetic approach to access of 3H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]quinolin-4(5H)-one derivatives by the reaction of (Z)-3-(2-oxo-2-ethylidene)indolin-2-one derivatives 1 with functionalized TosMICs under basic conditions has been reported. The desired products were obtained in good to excellent yields (82–94%). The easy accessibility of the starting materials, simple and mild reaction conditions, short reaction time, and good to excellent chemical yields make this methodology highly efficient.     

One-pot synthesis of aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts from α-oxo ketene-S,S-acetals, arylaldehydes and nitriles

Promoted by TiCl₄, a series of α-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-β-amino carbonyl derivatives--the aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts, have been synthesized from α-oxo cyclic ketene-S,S-acetals, arylaldehydes, and nitriles in good to excellent yields. A mechanism involving sequential Morita-Baylis-Hillman and Ritter reactions for this novel one-pot, three-component reaction is described.     

Synthesis of C-glycosyl β-amino acids by asymmetric Mannich-type three-component reactions

C-Galactosyl and C-ribosyl β-amino acids were prepared by one-pot InCl₃-catalyzed Mannich-type three-component condensation (3CC) by combining the corresponding formyl C-glycoside, p-methoxybenzyl amine, and a ketene silyl acetal. In each case the reaction was highly stereoselective and afforded only one single product in good to excellent yields.     

N-heterocyclic carbenes mediated cyano-phosphorylation of ketones

Cyanation-O-protection reaction of ketones with different cyanide sources catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbenes is reported. Under the catalysis of 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene, various ketones coupled with diethyl cyanophosphonate to produce cyanohydrin-O-phosphates with a quaternary carbon center in moderate to excellent yield. Furthermore, the reaction can be scaled-up easily and high yield maintained.     

Efficient synthesis of 5-nitro-benzo[b]furans via 2-bromo-4-nitro-phenyl acetates

Acetylation/Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction/cyclization has been carried out in one-pot using a Na₂PdCl₄/2-(di-tert-butylphosphino)-N-phenylindole/CuI system in TMEDA to give 5-nitro-2-substituted benzo[b]furans in excellent yields. We also describe the extension of this method to 4-EWG-2-bromo-phenols obtaining 2,5-disubstituted-benzo[b]furans in good yields.     

Ring-opening reaction of methylenecyclopropanes with LiCl, LiBr or NaI in acetic acid

The methylenecyclopropanes 1 react with LiCl, LiBr or NaI at 80 °C to give the corresponding gem-disubstituted homoallylic halides 2 in good to excellent yields in acetic acid. In some cases, the ring-opening reaction can be completed within 5 min to give the corresponding gem-disubstituted homoallylic halides in high yields.     

The use of N-sulfenylimines in the β-lactam synthon method: Staudinger reaction, oxidation of the cycloadducts and ring opening of β-lactams

Selected N-sulfenylimines act as good nucleophilic partners in the Staudinger reaction with methoxy- and benzyloxy-ketenes. The choice of diisopropylethylamine as a non-nucleophilic Lewis base for the generation of ketenes from acid chlorides is a determining factor for the success of the reaction. N-Sulfenyl-β-lactams are obtained in good to excellent yields and with moderate cis/trans diastereoselectivity. Then, they are quantitatively and selectively transformed to N-sulfinyl- or N-sulfonyl-β-lactams, by adjusting the oxidation state of the sulfur atom. The oxidation process induces an inversion of polarity of the nitrogen atom's substituent and allows a subsequent smooth ring opening by reaction of N-thiolated-β-lactams with various nucleophiles. The overall sequence provides straightforward and efficient route to highly functionalized-β-amino acid derivatives.     

Efficient, solventless N-Boc protection of amines carried out at room temperature using sulfamic acid as recyclable catalyst

A simple, rapid, and efficient protocol for the chemoselective N-Boc protection of amines using sulfamic acid as catalyst is described. N-Boc protection of various structurally diverse aliphatic, aromatic, alicyclic, and heterocyclic amines (1°, 2°, 3°) was carried out with (Boc)₂O using sulfamic acid as catalyst (5 mol %) at room temperature under solventless conditions. The advantages of this method are simplicity, shorter reaction times (1-15 min), a cost-effective catalyst, and excellent isolated yields (90-100%); it is also environmentally benign. Moreover, the combined use of ultrasound and sulfamic acid achieves a synergic effect that is especially marked in the N-Boc protection of deactivated (sterically hindered and electron-deficient) amines. The catalyst possesses distinct advantages: ease of handling, cleaner reactions, high activity, and excellent chemoselectivity.     

Carbon dendron nano-chains with π-extended conjugation based on end-capped N,N-dimethylamino in linear 1,4-phenylethynyl or in 1,5-naphthylethynyl subunits: fluorescence analysis

The synthesis of dendrons with the end-capped 5-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthyl-1-ethynyl unit connected to conjugated naphthylethynyl or p-phenylethynyl chains, as the branches of the 1,3,5-substituted benzene core, have been undertaken by heterocoupling reaction between 1,3,5-triiodobenzene and the convenient end-capped 5-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthylacetylene or 5-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthylethynylphenylacetylene in the presence of the palladium-copper catalyst system, in excellent yields. The influence of the alternating naphthylethynyl-phenylethynyl chains on the fluorescence emission radiation, in the dendron structures, has been analyzed.     

Novel and efficient synthesis of triazolobenzodiazepine analogues through the sequential Ugi 4CR-click-N-arylation reactions

An efficient approach for the synthesis of N-alkyl-2-aryl-2-(6-oxo-4H-benzo[f][1,2,3]triazolo[1,5-a][1,4]diazepin-5(6H)-yl)acetamides is described. The protocol involves Ugi four-component reaction of 2-bromobenzoic acid, propargylamine, aldehydes and isocyanides followed by in situ sequential click reaction of azide ion with triple bond and N-arylation reaction to afford desired products in good to excellent yields.     

A simple and efficient synthesis of pyrazoles in water

A simple, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly method for the synthesis of substituted 1H-pyrazoles by one-pot condensation reaction of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with tosyl hydrazide in water was developed. The reaction system exhibited tolerance with various functional groups, Aromatic moiety with both electron-rich and electron-deficient substituents could give desired products in good to excellent yields.     

An efficient bakers’ yeast catalyzed synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-(1H)-ones

Bakers’ yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) efficiently catalyzes the three-component Biginelli reaction of aldehydes, β-keto esters, and urea/thiourea to form 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-(1H)-ones in good to excellent yields.