Hydrophobically assisted switching phase synthesis: the flexible combination of solid-phase and solution-phase reactions employed for oligosaccharide preparation

Hydrophobically assisted switching phase (HASP) synthesis is a concept that allows the choice between the advantages of solid-supported chemistry and those of solution-phase synthesis. Starting from the examination of adsorption and desorption properties of hydrophobic molecules to and from reversed-phase silica, we designed a dilipid as a quantitative and fully reversible HASP anchor, permitting final product release. The utility of this new tool in synthetic organic chemistry was demonstrated on oligosaccharide preparation. The synthesis of a pentarhamnoside was accomplished by repetitive glycosylation reactions. Glycosylations were conducted preferably in solution, whereas all protecting group manipulations were performed on solid support. Without the need for chromatographic purification of intermediates, the HASP system furnished the final product after 12 linear steps with average yields of 94% per step at a scale of 0.1 mmol, thus overcoming several of the limitations encountered in the solid-phase synthesis of complex carbohydrates.     

Synthesis of enantiopure 4-hydroxypipecolate and 4-hydroxylysine derivatives from a common 4,6-dioxopiperidinecarboxylate precursor

tert-Butyl 2-substituted 4,6-dioxo-1-piperidinecarboxylates 4 have been prepared in good yield starting from Boc-Asp-O(t)Bu and other beta-amino acids. By analogy with chiral tetramic acids, their reduction by NaBH(4) in CH(2)Cl(2)/AcOH afforded the corresponding cis-4-hydroxy delta-lactams in good yield and stereoselectivity (68-98% de). In the absence of the A(1,3) strain (reduction of 6-substituted 2,4-dioxo-1-piperidines 7), the cis-4-hydroxy isomer was still obtained as the major product but the de values were consistently lower. 4-Hydroxy-6-oxo-1,2-piperidinedicarboxylate 2a, readily accessible from Boc-Asp-O(t)Bu (three steps, 63% overall yield), has proven to be an excellent building block for the synthesis of cis- and trans-4-hydroxypipecolates 17 and 24 (52 and 36% overall yield, respectively) and for the synthesis of a protected 4-hydroxylysine derivative 29 (41% overall yield).     

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a library of 1-(2-thiazolyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxamides

A library of 422 1-(2-thiazolyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxamides was prepared in five steps using solution-phase chemistry. The first step in the synthesis was the reaction of ethyl 2-ethoxymethylene-3-oxo-4,4,4-trifluorobutanoate with thiosemicarbazide, which is reported in the literature to afford a 1:1 mixture of ethyl 1-thiocarbamoyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxylate and ethyl 1-thiocarbamoyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxylate. We reassigned the structure of the product to be a single compound, ethyl 5-hydroxy-1-thiocarbamoyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate. This common intermediate was diversified by reaction with 17 alpha-bromoketones affording, in two steps, 17 1-(2-thiazolyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-4-carboxylic acids. Scavenger resins were used to facilitate formation and purification of up to 27 amides from each of these acids in the last step. In addition, the Curtius reaction was applied to 12 of the acids followed by quenching with alcohols to afford a 108-member carbamate library. Certain compounds in the two libraries were toxic to C. elegans.     

Fluorous mixture synthesis of 4-alkylidene cyclopentenones via a rhodium-catalyzed [2+2+1] cycloaddition of alkynyl allenes

Fluorous mixture synthesis was used to prepare a library of 4-alkylidene cyclopentenones starting from a mixture of four alpha-amino acid derivatives tagged with different fluorous benzyl carbamates ((F)CBz) of varying fluorine content. The amino acids were converted to the corresponding propargyl esters and then subjected to an ester-enolate Claisen rearrangement to give a mixture of allenic amino esters. The allenes were then split four ways and propargylated with different propargyl bromides to give four mixtures of alkynyl allenes. The 4-alkylidene cyclopentenones were formed by a formal [2+2+1] cycloaddition of the alkynyl allenes using catalytic [Rh(CO)2Cl]2 under CO atmosphere. Demixing by fluorous preparative HPLC, removal of the fluorous benzyl carbamates, and then exposure to HCl/ether gave the hydrochloride salts of 16 compounds as diastereomeric mixtures in 69-99% purity. Thus, after just 26 chemical steps, a library of 16 cyclopentenones was prepared by using fluorous mixture synthesis. By comparison, the same library would have required 112 steps if each compound were made individually by parallel synthesis.     

The synthesis of possible hydroxylated metabolites of 2-chlorophenothiazine derivatives

The synthesis of 7-hydroxy, 8-hydroxy and 7,8-dihydroxy prochlorperazines (3a) and per-phenazines (3b) is reported. The parent ehlorophenothiazines were prepared analogously to previously reported chlorpromazine (3e) metabolite syntheses. The prochlorperazine side chain was introduced in one step using 1-(3-chloropropyl)-4-methylpiperazine and the perphenazine side chain in two steps, first reaction with 1-bromo-3-chloropropane followed by reaction with 1-piperazineethanol. The methoxymethyleneoxy O-proteetive groups were removed under mild conditions using methanolic hydrogen chloride. The preparations of 7-hydroxydesmethylprochlorperazine and 7-hydroxychlorpromazine quaternary methyl iodide are also reported.     

Thermospray-mass spectrometric analysis of underivatized monohydroxy fatty acids: application to stimulated platelets

Monohydroxylated fatty acids prepared from polyunsaturated fatty acids of nutritional value were analysed by thermospray-mass spectrometry without prior chemical derivatization. Positive and negative ionization modes were compared. The highest sensitivity was observed with the negative ionization mode with detection limits of 10 pmol based on the 12-hydroxy derivative of eicosatrienoic acid (12-OH-8,10,14-20:3). This is comparable to that obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 234 nm. Selected ion monitoring based on the fragment [M-H]- allowed a variety of standard monohydroxy fatty acids to be detected. This approach makes possible the analysis of various derivatives generated by thrombin-stimulated platelets (10(9) cells) pre-enriched with minor polyunsaturated fatty acids, even when these derivatives co-elute from the column (e.g., 12-HETE and 14-OH-22:6).     

Structural confirmation of the dihydrosphinganine and fatty acid constituents of the dental pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a recognized periodontal pathogen, is a source of sphinganine bases, fatty acids, free ceramides as well as complex lipids that potentiate interleukin-1b-mediated secretory responses in gingival fibroblasts. The purpose of this study is the structural verification of the sphinganine bases and fatty acids that had been proposed as major components of the complex lipids found in P. gingivalis. The putative C17, C18, and C19 sphinganine bases were prepared from Garner's aldehyde (1) or from a protected serine Weinreb's amide (2). We confirmed that isobranched sphinganine bases are the major structural feature of the ceramides observed from P. gingivalis. We also prepared a C17 unsaturated fatty acid, along with an isobranched C17 3-hydroxy fatty acid, and determined that the major component of the active lipids was the latter.     

Three-step synthesis of oxylipins from D. loretense

A three-step convergent synthesis of an immunostimulatory oxylipin was developed using an olefin cross metathesis approach. The alkene fragments were prepared in two steps from commercially available starting materials with high stereoselectivity. In particular, an organocatalytic aldehyde α-oxygenation gave high enantioselectivity and yield using as little as 2 mol% catalyst. This synthesis represents the shortest synthesis of any natural product containing the 3-ene-1,2,5-triol moiety and delivers an immunostimulatory oxylipin in 33% overall yield.     

Asymmetric addition of arylboronic acids to glyoxylate catalyzed by a ruthenium/Me-BIPAM complex

The enantioselective synthesis of α-hydroxy esters by ruthenium-catalyzed 1,2-addition of arylboronic acids to tert-butyl glyoxylate is described. The use of RuCl(2)(PPh(3))(3) with (R,R)-Me-BIPAM gave optically active mandelic acids of up to 99% ee. Addition of a fluoride salt such as potassium fluoride (KF) or caesium fluoride (CsF) was effective for achieving high enantioselectivities.     

Medium- and long-chain 3-hydroxymonocarboxylic acids: analysis by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry

Medium- and long-chain 3-hydroxymonocarboxylic acids represent intermediates in the beta-oxidation of fatty acids: they accumulate in the plasma of patients with an inherited deficiency of long-chain 3-hydroxyacylcoenzyme A dehydrogenase. 3-Hydroxy acids with chain lengths varying from 6 to 16 were synthesized by a Reformatzky reaction. Capillary gas chromatography of the pertrimethylsilyl derivatives was performed on a CP-Sil 19 CB column, coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometer in the electron impact mode. Calculation of the retention indices showed that the separation of the 3-hydroxy acids from the homologous straight-chain fatty acids may be troublesome, stressing the need for mass spectrometric identification.     

Facile synthesis of a library of lyme disease glycolipid antigens

A library of one of the two Lyme disease antigens, BbGL1, has been synthesized in four steps from d-galactose using BF(3)-promoted glycosylation of the peracetate to introduce the cholesteryl β-glycoside and TBTU-promoted esterification to add a range of fatty acids regioselectively at O-6 of d-galactose in good yield.     

Structural and Functional Analysis of Bacterial Sulfonosphingolipids and Rosette-Inducing Factor 2 (RIF-2) by Mass Spectrometry-Guided Isolation and Total Synthesis

We have analyzed the abundance of bacterial sulfonosphingolipids, including rosette-inducing factors (RIFs), in seven bacterial prey strains by using high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS²) and molecular networking (MN) within the Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) web platform. Six sulfonosphingolipids resembling RIFs were isolated and their structures were elucidated based on comparative MS and NMR studies. Here, we also report the first total synthesis of two RIF-2 diastereomers and one congener in 15 and eight synthetic steps, respectively. For the total synthesis of RIF-2 congeners, we employed a decarboxylative cross-coupling reaction to synthesize the necessary branched α-hydroxy fatty acids, and the Garner-aldehyde approach to generate the capnine base carrying three stereogenic centers. Bioactivity studies in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta revealed that the rosette inducing activity of RIFs is inhibited dose dependently by the co-occurring sulfonosphingolipid sulfobacins D and F and that activity of RIFs is specific for isolates obtained from Algoriphagus.     

One-pot parallel solution-phase synthesis of 1-substituted 4-(2-aminoethyl)-1H-pyrazol-5-ols

Two variations of enaminone-based parallel solution-phase synthesis of 1-substituted 4-(2-aminoethyl)-1 H-pyrazol-5-ols 8 and their NH-tautomers 8' were developed. The synthetic strategy comprises a two step preparation of the N-protected alpha-enamino lactams 3a and 3b from 2-pyrrolidinone (1), "ring switching" transformation of 3a, b with monosubstituted hydrazines 4a-u, and acidolytic removal of the N-protecting group. In order to ensure a clean and fast conversion, reactions of Cbz-enaminone 3a with hydrazines 4a-k were carried out under microwave irradiation to afford the "ring-switched" intermediates 7a-k. Deprotection of 7a-k with HBr-AcOH at 50 degrees C gave a library of 11 analytically pure 4-(2-aminoethyl)-1 H-pyrazol-5-ols (di)hydrobromides 8/ 8'a-k in 16-75% yields over two steps. The other reagent, Boc-enaminone 3b, was more reactive and ring switching transformations with hydrazines 4b, d, k proceeded smoothly and cleanly under conventional heating. Finally, a parallel one-pot transformation of the Boc-enaminone 3b with hydrazines 4a-u followed by subsequent deprotection of the intermediates 9a-u with HCl-EtOAc furnished a library of 21 analytically pure 4-(2-aminoethyl)-1 H-pyrazol-5-ols (di)hydrochlorides 8/ 8'a-u in 40-100% yields.     

Profiling and characterisation by liquid chromatography/multi-stage mass spectrometry of the chlorogenic acids in Gardeniae Fructus

The chlorogenic acids of Gardeniae Fructus used traditionally as a Chinese herbal medicine (zhizi) have been investigated qualitatively by liquid chromatography/multi-stage mass spectrometry (LC/MS(4)). Twenty-nine chlorogenic acids were detected and twenty-five characterised to regioisomer level on the basis of their fragmentation, twenty-four for the first time from this source. Assignment to the level of individual regioisomers was possible for three caffeoylquinic acids, three dicaffeoylquinic acids, three sinapoylquinic acids, four caffeoyl-sinapoylquinic acids, two feruloyl-sinapoylquinic acids, one p-coumaroyl-sinapoylquinic acid, three (3-hydroxy, 3-methyl)glutaroylquinic acids, two (3-hydroxy, 3-methyl)glutaroyl-feruloylquinic acids, one (3-hydroxy, 3-methyl)glutaroyl-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and one (3-hydroxy, 3-methyl)glutaroyl-caffeoyl-feruloylquinic acid. Six (3-hydroxy, 3-methyl)glutaroyl-caffeoylquinic acids were detected and two were tentatively assigned as 3-caffeoyl-4-(3-hydroxy, 3-methyl)glutaroylquinic acid and 3-caffeoyl-5-(3-hydroxy, 3-methyl)glutaroylquinic acid. The (3-hydroxy, 3-methyl)glutaroyl residue modifies the mass spectral fragmentation behavior and elution sequence compared with the chlorogenic acids that contain only a cinnamic acid residue(s). Fourteen of these twenty-nine chlorogenic acids have not previously been reported from any source.     

A biomimetic approach to the synthesis of a mycolic acid motif

A new method for the stereoselective synthesis of the (R,R)-β-hydroxy-α-alkyl fatty acid fragment of mycolic acids, via an asymmetric anti-aldol reaction is reported. The ‘mycolic acid motif’ fragment was prepared in three steps and >98% ee.     

Confirmation of structure and synthesis of three new 11β-OH C20 gibberellins from loquat fruit

Three new 11β-hydroxy C₂₀ gibberellins have been isolated from immature loquat fruit and their structures were established as 11β-hydroxy-GA₁₂, 11β-hydroxy-GA₁₅ and 11β-hydroxy-GA₅₃, respectively, by direct GC-MS comparisons with authentic samples obtained from gibberellic acid by multistep syntheses. An advanced intermediate (30) was prepared in 20 steps from which 6 11β-hydroxy C₂₀ gibberellins were prepared by parallel routes involving up to a further 5 steps for each sequence. The key steps involved a much improved synthesis of gibberellenic acid derivatives, a Lewis acid catalysed cyclisation of a diazoketone, a domino-hydroboration of a diene and oxidative cleavage of a ketone derived enolate.     

Solid-phase convergent synthesis of a benzimidazolone library via the combination of two smaller arrays of carboxylic acids and secondary amines

The concept of convergent synthesis can be extended to combinatorial chemistry in order to obtain collections of products characterized by considerable chemical diversity and a certain molecular complexity. In this work, a library consisting of three carboxylic acids containing a benzimidazolonic functionality with variations at two positions was synthesized on solid phase. After cleavage, this library was combined with a second library consisting of 16 solid-supported amines containing two points of variation. IRORI technology was used for the split-and-mix synthesis of the final 48 members library.     

Metabolic Profiling of Aliphatic,hydroxy, and Methyl-Branched Fatty Acids in Human Plasma by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

An efficient method for the simultaneous profiling analysis of 44 fatty acids including 24 aliphatic, 12 hydroxyl, and eight methyl-branched fatty acids as tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) derivatives was developed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. In this study, new mass spectral databases of isolauric, 11-methyllauric, isomyristic, isopentadecylic, isopalmitic, isostearic, 17-methylstearic, and 19-methylarachidic acids were constructed as TBDMS derivatives. Under the optimal conditions, linearity in the range of 0.1–10.0?µg/mL (24 aliphatic fatty acids) and 0.01–1.0?µg/mL (eight methyl-branched and 12 hydroxy fatty acids) showed good correlation coefficients (r?≥?0.997). The repeatability showed relative standard deviation of less than 11.2% and accuracy (percent relative error) varied from ?11.0 to 7.8 for the 44 fatty acids studied. The recoveries ranged from 61.7 to 90.1% with good repeatability. When applied to human plasma sample, 18 aliphatic, three 2-hydroxy, three 3-hydroxy, and five methyl-branched fatty acids were positively identified and quantified. Therefore, the present method will be useful for profiling analysis of various fatty acids in biological samples including plasma.     

Solution-phase synthesis of a combinatorial library of 3-[4-(coumarin-3-yl)-1,3-thiazol-2-ylcarbamoyl]propanoic acid amides

The parallel solution-phase synthesis of a new combinatorial library of 3-[4-(R1-coumarin-3-yl)-1,3-thiazol-2-ylcarbamoyl]propanoic acid amides 9 has been developed. The synthesis involves two steps: 1) the synthesis of core building blocks - 3- [4-(coumarin-3-yl)-1,3-thiazol-2-ylcarbamoyl]propanoic acids, 6 - by the reaction of 3-(omega-bromacetyl)coumarins 1 with 3-amino(thioxo)methylcarbamoylpropanoic acid (5); 2) the synthesis of the corresponding 3-[4-(coumarin-3-yl)-1,3-thiazol-2-yl- carbamoyl]propanoic acids amides 9 using 1,1'-carbonyldimidazole as a coupling reagent. The advantages of the method compared to existing ones are discussed.     

Products of cytochrome P450(BioI) (CYP107H1)-catalyzed oxidation of fatty acids

[reaction: see text] Oxidation of tetradecanoic and hexadecanoic acids by cytochrome P450(BioI) (CYP107H1) produces mainly the 11-, 12-, and 13-hydroxy C(14) fatty acids and the 11- to 15-hydroxy C(16) fatty acids, respectively. In contrast to previous reports, terminal hydroxylation is not observed. The enantiospecificity of fatty acid hydroxylation by P450(BioI) was also determined, and the enzyme was shown to be moderately selective for production of the (R)-alcohols.