BiBr3-Mediated Intramolecular Aza-Prins Cyclization of Aza-Achmatowicz Rearrangement Products: Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Suaveoline and Sarpagine Alkaloids

An intramolecular aza-Prins cyclization of aza-Achmatowicz rearrangement products was developed in which bismuth tribromide (BiBr₃) plays a dual role as an efficient Lewis acid and source of the bromide nucleophile. This approach enables the facile construction of highly functionalized 9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes (9-ABNs), which are valuable synthetic building blocks and a powerful platform for the synthesis of a variety of alkaloid natural products and drug molecules. Suitable substrates for the aza-Prins cyclization include 1,1-disubstituted alkenes, 1,2-disubstituted alkenes, alkynes, and allenes, with good to excellent yields observed. Finally, we showcase the application of this new approach to the enantioselective total synthesis of six indole alkaloids: (−)-suaveoline ( 1 ), (−)-norsuaveoline ( 2 ), (−)-macrophylline ( 3 ), (+)-normacusine B ( 4 ), (+)-N_a-methyl-16-epipericyclivine ( 5 ) and (+)-affinisine ( 6 ) in a total of 9–14 steps. This study significantly expands the synthetic utility of the aza-Achmatowicz rearrangement, and the strategy (aza-Achmatowicz/aza-Prins) is expected to be applicable to the total synthesis of other members of the big family of macroline and sarpagine indole alkaloids.     

BiCl3 promoted aza-Prins type cyclization: a rapid and efficient synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted piperidines

Several N-protected homoallyl amines and epoxides were subjected to an aza-Prins cyclization. A rapid and efficient BiCl₃ promoted stereoselective synthesis of trans-2,4-disubstituted piperidine derivatives was achieved.     

Rapid microwave-assisted synthesis of phenyl ethers under mildly basic and nonaqueous conditions

A mild method for O-alkylation of phenols has been developed using stoichiometric amounts of K₂CO₃ as a base and microwave irradiation. The method is suitable for substrates that are sensitive towards strong bases or hydrolysis, or difficult to extract from an aqueous medium.     

Synthesis of indoles with a polyfluorinated benzene ring

A two-step sequence consisting of a Sonogashira coupling of polyfluorinated 2-iodoanilines with terminal alkynes, followed by a KOH promoted cyclization of the 2-alkynylanilines thus formed, has been developed as a one-pot synthesis of 2-R-indoles (R=n-Bu, Ph, CH₂OTHP→CH₂OH, C(CH₃)₂OH→H) containing a polyfluorinated benzene moiety.     

Selective reduction of aromatic azides in solution/solid-phase and resin cleavage by employing BF3·OEt2/EtSH. Preparation of DC-81

An efficient method for the reduction of aromatic azides in both solution and solid-phase has been developed by employing BF₃·OEt₂/EtSH. This report also describes resin cleavage employing this reagent system. Further, this protocol has been utilized for the solution as well as the solid-phase synthesis of pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepines, including the naturally occurring antibiotic DC-81 and fused [2,1-b]quinazolinones.     

Metal-free synthesis of 3-chalcogen benzo[b]furans via an iodine-mediated electrophilic cyclisation of 2-alkynylanisoles

An efficient and metal-free method was developed to synthesize 3-chalcogen benzo[b]furans via the iodine-mediated electrophilic cyclisation of 2-alkynylanisoles with disulfides or diselenides. In the presence of I₂, various 3-sulfenylbenzofurans or 3-selenenylbenzofurans were obtained in moderate to high yields.     

Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed intramolecular aza-Prins cyclization for the synthesis of heterobicycles

The coupling of (E)- and (Z)-hex-3-ene-1,6-ditosylamide with various aldehydes in the presence of 10 mol % Sc(OTf)₃ gave the corresponding trans- and cis-fused 1,5-ditosyl-octahydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridines, respectively, in good yields via intramolecular aza-Prins cyclization, whereas the coupling of (E)- and (Z)-N-(6-hydroxyhex-3-enyl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide afforded the corresponding trans- and cis-fused octahydro-1-tosylpyrano[4,3-b]pyrroles derivatives, respectively, via intramolecular Prins-cyclization.     

Heck-type cross-coupling between halo-exo-glycals and endo-glycals: a practical way to achieve C-glycosidic disaccharides

An effective Heck-type cross-coupling reaction between halo-exo-glycals and endo-glycals to achieve C-glycosidic disaccharides has been developed. Using Pd(OAc)₂ as the catalyst, dppp as ligand and K₂CO₃ as base, the reactions gave C-glycosidic products in good to excellent yields with exclusive stereochemistry.     

Transition-metal-free approach to synthesis of indolines from N-(ortho-chloromethyl)aryl amides and iodonium ylides

A transition-metal-free method for the synthesis of indolines has been developed. In the presence of K₂CO₃, the cyclization reaction of N-(ortho-chloromethyl)aryl amides and iodonium ylides proceeded smoothly at room temperature in moderate to good yields.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of nanocrystalline ZnSe: An in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray powder diffraction study

The hydrothermal synthesis of nanocrystalline ZnSe has been studied by in situ X-ray powder diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The formation of ZnSe was studied using the following starting mixtures: Zn+Se+H₂O (route A) and ZnCl₂+Se+H₂O+Na₂SO₃ (route B). The route A experiment showed that Zn powder starts reacting with water at 134 °C giving ZnO and H₂ followed by the formation of ZnSe which takes place in temperature range from 167 to 195 °C. The route B experiment shows a considerably more complex reaction path with several intermediate phases and in this case the formation of ZnSe starts at 141 °C and ZnSe and Se were the only crystalline phases observed at the end of the experiment where the temperature was 195 °C. The sizes of the nanocrystalline particles were determined to 18 and 9 nm in the route A and B experiments, respectively. Nanocrystalline ZnSe was also synthesized ex situ using the route A and B methods and characterized by conventional X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. An average crystalline domain size of ca. 8 nm was determined by X-ray powder diffraction in fair agreement with TEM images, which showed larger aggregates of nanoparticles having approximate diameters of 10 nm. Furthermore, a method for purification of the ZnSe nanoparticles was developed and the prepared particles showed signs of anisotropic size broadening of the diffraction peaks.     

Palladium-catalysed allylic amination for the direct synthesis of epi-4-alkylamino-N-acetylneuraminic acid derivatives

A simple and efficient procedure has been developed for the direct formation of epi-4-alkylamino-N-acetylneuraminic acid derivatives as potential inhibitors of influenza neuraminidases. The allylic amination of oxazoline 6 has been effected with a series of primary and secondary amines in the presence of catalytic Pd(π-allyl)₂(Et₃P)₂ to give the corresponding 4-epi-alkylamino products in a stereoselective and regiospecific manner.     

One-pot synthesis of N-allylthioureas using supported reagents

A simple and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of N-allylthioureas from allylic bromides in one-pot by using a supported reagents system, KSCN/SiO₂-RNH₃OAc/Al₂O₃, in which allyl bromide reacts first with KSCN/SiO₂ and the product, allyl isothiocyanate, reacts with RNH₃OAc/Al₂O₃ to give the final product, N-allylthiourea, in good yield.     

Approach to highly functionalized oxazolones by a Pd-catalyzed cyclization of N-alkynyl tert-butyloxycarbamates

A mild and operationally simple approach to highly functionalized oxazolones has been developed, which involves an intramolecular oxypalladation of N-alkynyl tert-butyloxycarbamates, followed by either protonolysis of the alkenyl C-Pd bond to afford 3,5-disubstituted oxazolones or allylation with allyl halides in the presence of Ag₂CO₃ to generate 3,4,5-trisubstituted oxazolones, respectively.     

PEG-400 as green reaction medium for Lewis acid-promoted cycloaddition reactions with isoeugenol and anethole

A simple and efficient one-pot method for the synthesis of new 2,4-diaryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines using a three-component imino Diels-Alder cycloaddition between trans-isoeugenol or trans-anethole, anilines, and benzaldehyde in the presence of BF₃·OEt₂ in PEG-400, a green and reusable solvent, has been developed. Also, BF₃·OEt₂-catalyzed formal [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of trans-isoeugenol or trans-anethole with 1,4-benzoquinone in PEG-400 to give dihydrobenzo[b]furan derivatives has been described.     

One-pot synthesis and antiproliferative evaluation of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives

An efficient one-pot methodology for the synthesis of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines was developed by using 5-aminopyrazoles with formamide in presence of PBr₃ as the coupling agent. Among the examples presented in this work, compounds 41 and 54-56 with phenyl or 2-quinolinyl groups at N-1 and p-Me-Ph, p-Cl-Ph, or p-OMe-Ph group at C-3 position in the pyrazole ring possessed better potency against NCI-H226 and NPC-TW01 cancer cells with GI₅₀ values between 18 μM and 39 μM.     

Hydrothermal chemistry of Th(IV) with aromatic dicarboxylates: New framework compounds and in situ ligand syntheses

A novel thorium (IV) coordination polymer, Th(C₅H₂N₂O₄)₂(H₂O)₂ (1), has been prepared under the hydrothermal reaction of thorium nitrate tetrahydrate and 3,5-pyrazoledicarboxylic acid (H₃pdc). Compound 1 (orthorhombic, P2₁2₁2₁, a=6.9362(5) Å, b=10.7806(8) Å, c=17.9915(14) Å, Z=2, R₁=0.0210, wR₂=0.0470) consists of thorium metal centers connected via H₃pdc linkages to form an overall three-dimensional structure containing π-π interactions between the pyrazole rings. 2,3-Pyrazinedicarboxylic acid (H₂pzdc) was explored as well to (1) study the effect of the location of the carboxylic groups around the aromatic ring and (2) produce heterometallic compounds. Thorium (IV) and copper (II) were combined with H₂pzdc, resulting in an interesting decomposition reaction characterized though the isolation of Th(C₂O₄)₂(H₂O)₂·2H₂O (2) (monoclinic, C2/c, a=13.8507(12) Å, b=7.8719(7) Å, c=10.7961(16) Å, β=118.0310(10)°, Z=2, R₁=0.0160, wR₂=0.0349), Cu(C₆H₂N₂O₄) (3) (monoclinic, C2/c, a=11.499(3) Å, b=7.502(2) Å, c=7.402(2) Å, β=93.892(5)°, Z=4, R₁=0.0472, wR₂=0.0745) and Cu(C₅H₃N₂O₂)(NO₃)(H₂O) (4). The capture of these species provides mechanistic evidence for the formation of the oxalate anions observed in 2 via the decarboxylation of H₂pzdc to yield the linker in 4: 2-pyrazinecarboxylate anions.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis and Properties of Controlled α‐Fe2O3 Nanostructures in HEPES Solution

A facile, template‐free, and environmentally friendly hydrothermal strategy was explored for the controllable synthesis of α‐Fe₂O₃ nanostructures in HEPES solution (HEPES=2‐[4‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐1‐piperazinyl]ethanesulfonic acid). The effects of experimental parameters including HEPES/FeCl₃ molar ratio, pH value, reaction temperature, and reaction time on the formation of α‐Fe₂O₃ nanostructures have been investigated systematically. Based on the observations of the products, the function of HEPES in the reaction is discussed. The different α‐Fe₂O₃ nanostructures possess different optical, magnetic properties, and photocatalytic activities, depending on the shape and size of the sample. In addition, a novel and facile approach was developed for the synthesis of Au/α‐Fe₂O₃ and Ag/α‐Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites in HEPES buffer solution; this verified the dual function of HEPES both as reductant and stabilizer. This work provides a new strategy for the controllable synthesis of transition metal oxide nanostructures and metal‐supported nanocomposites, and gives a strong evidence of the relationship between the property and morphology/size of nanomaterials.     

An Efficient Synthetic Strategy for Introduction of C3‐C4 Double Bond into Eudesmane Skeleton: First Total Synthesis of (+)‐Chrysanthemol

The first enantioselective synthesis of (+)‐chrysanthemol 1 was carried out starting from (+)‐dihydrocarvone in ten steps. In our studies, a facile synthetic strategy has been developed for introduction of C₃‐C₄ double bond into a eudesmane skeleton.     

An efficient catalytic method for the synthesis of 2,7-dialkyl-2,3a,5a,7,8a,10a-hexaazaperhydropyrenes

An efficient method for the synthesis of 2,7-dialkyl-2,3a,5a,7,8a,10a-hexaazaperhydropyrenes in high yields (up to 95%) via the intermolecular cyclization of 1,4,5,8-tetraazadecalin with N,N-bis(methoxymethyl)-N-alkylamines in the presence of SmCl₃·6H₂O as the catalyst has been developed.     

A facile synthesis of isoindolo[2,1-a]quinolin-11-one via [4+2] reactions of N-acyliminium intermediates with olefines

A facile synthesis of isoindolo[2,1-a]quinolin-11-one has been developed to attain new molecules of this family via [4+2] reactions of N-acyliminium cation, produced from 2,3-dihydro-3-hydroxy-2-arylisoindol-1-one, in the presence of BF₃·OEt₂ with olefins in moderate to good yields at ambient temperature.