N‐Heterocyclic‐Carbene‐Catalyzed Umpolung of Imines

N‐Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis has been widely used for the umpolung of aldehydes, and recently for the umpolung of Michael acceptors. Described herein is the umpolung of aldimines catalyzed by NHCs, and the reaction likely proceeds via aza‐Breslow intermediates. The NHC‐catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of aldimines bearing a Michael acceptor resulted in the formation of biologically important 2‐(hetero)aryl indole 3‐acetic‐acid derivatives in moderate to good yields. The carbene generated from the bicyclic triazolium salt was found to be efficient for this transformation.     

Part 1. modular approach to obtaining diverse tetrahydroquinoline-derived polycyclic skeletons for use in high-throughput generation of natural-product-like chemical probes

A practical synthesis of a tetrahydroaminoquinoline scaffold (12) was developed that used a stereocontrolled aza Michael as the key reaction. Three tetrahydroquinoline alkaloid-like, tricyclic derivatives 16, 18, and 19 with different medium to macrocyclic ring skeletons were obtained, using this scaffold as the starting material, in a modular manner. The macrocyclic compounds with an isolated olefin and an electron-deficient olefin were obtained by ring-closing metathesis approaches. Compounds 16 and 18 are unique and contain bridged 10- and 12-membered functionalized rings. The NMR studies of these compounds revealed interesting information on the conformation of the bicyclic scaffolds that was dependent on the nature and the size of the macrocyclic rings. Finally, this modular methodology, using compound 21 anchored onto the solid support, successfully led to the generation of different macrocyclic derivatives, 23, 25, and 27 in solid-phase synthesis. The solid-phase synthesis approach outlined in this article has the potential to generate tetrahydroquinoline-based tricyclic compounds containing different medium to macrocyclic architectures.     

The furan approach to azacyclic compounds

We describe an efficient new approach to the synthesis of azacyclic compounds that extends our recently developed methodology based on the oxidation of a furan ring with singlet oxygen followed by an intramolecular hetero Michael addition. The new approach gives access to the readily opened bicyclic lactones and novel tricyclic heterocycles containing the piperidine ring.     

A novel highly selective chiral auxiliary for the asymmetric synthesis of L- and D-alpha-amino acid derivatives via a multicomponent Ugi reaction

This paper describes the synthesis of a bicyclic beta-amino acid scaffold in both pure enantiomeric forms and its application as chiral auxiliary in an intramolecular version of the Ugi multicomponent reaction (U-5C-4CR) to prepare alpha-amino acid derivatives of both D- and L-series in a straightforward and very stereoselective manner. The mild conditions required for the Ugi condensation and for the removal of the chiral auxiliary make this method very attractive to prepare a wide range of differently structured N-alkylated and unalkylated amino acid derivatives.     

Eleuthesides and their analogs: V. Medium- and large-ring lactones based on levoglucosenone

Ozonolysis of the bridging double bond in bicyclic enol ethers obtained by the Michael reaction and subsequent intramolecular etherification afforded chiral decanolides fused to a tetrahydropyran ring. Three-step procedures were developed for the synthesis of chiral lactones with medium and large rings via oxidative cleavage with pyridinium chlorochromate of mixed bicyclic ketals which were prepared by treatment with methanolic HCl of Michael adducts derived from levoglucosenone and cyclopenta-, cyclohexa-, cyclohepta-, and cyclododecanone.     

A general route to mono- and disubstituted divinyl sulfones: acyclic Michael acceptors for the synthesis of polyfunctionalized cyclic sulfones

Nucleophilic C-S bond formation using easily available β-hydroxysulfonate derivatives allowed direct access to new mono- and disubstituted divinyl sulfones. Our strategy uses thioethanol (HSCH(2)CH(2)OH) and its analogues such as HSCH(2)CH(Y)OH generated in situ. The strategy also allows the synthesis of modified divinyl sulfones attached to chiral appendages like carbohydrates. Bis-heteronucleophilic Michael addition reactions with 1 equiv of a primary amine afforded new generations of S,S-dioxothiomorpholine derivatives known for their therapeutic applications. Further synthetic manipulations of some of these cyclic compounds led to the synthesis of novel bicyclic derivatives.     

Chiral bicyclic guanidine-catalyzed enantioselective reactions of anthrones

Chiral bicyclic guanidine 1 was found to be an excellent catalyst for reactions between anthrones and various dienophiles. The catalyst can tolerate a range of substituents and substitution patterns, making several anthrone derivatives suitable for this reaction. Both Diels-Alder and Michael adducts were obtained in excellent yields, high regioselectivities, and high enantioselectivities. This is the first case of a highly enantioselective base-catalyzed anthrone Diels-Alder reaction.     

Simple Access to Highly Functional Bicyclic γ‐ and δ‐Lactams: Origins of Chirality Transfer to Contiguous Tertiary/Quaternary Stereocenters Assessed by DFT

This paper describes the synthesis of both polysubstituted oxazolo‐pyrrolidinones and ‐piperidinones by a domino process. The methodology is based on the reaction between hydroxyl halogenoamides and Michael acceptors, which leads efficiently to bicyclic lactams. The process is compatible with unsymmetrical electron‐withdrawing groups on the Michael acceptor, which allows the formation of two contiguous and fully controlled tertiary and quaternary stereocenters. In the case of tetrasubstituted Michael acceptors, two adjacent quaternary stereocenters are formed in good yield. Starting from (R)‐phenylglycinol derived amides results in the formation of enantioenriched bicyclic lactams in low to good yields and with high levels of stereoselectivity, thus greatly increasing the scope and interest of this strategy. The origins of chirality transfer and diastereoselectivity were studied by DFT calculations and have been attributed to a kinetic control in one of the last two steps of the reaction sequence. This selectivity is dependent upon both the substituents on the Michael acceptor and the sodium cation chelation.     

Lipase-catalyzed domino Michael–aldol reaction of 2-methyl-1,3-cycloalkanedione and methyl vinyl ketone for the synthesis of bicyclic compounds

Synthesis of bicyclic compounds was achieved via a lipase-catalyzed, stereoselective, domino Michael–aldol reaction of 2-methyl-1,3-cycloalkanedione and methyl vinyl ketone. Appropriate reaction conditions, including the type of enzyme, solvent, and temperature, were determined. In addition, the effects of solvent polarity and addtives were investigated. The reaction proceeded in the presence of lipase AS in a solution of 20% acetone in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at 10 °C for 8 days, followed by the addition of p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH) to afford bicyclic compounds in 51–83% yields with moderate stereoselectivity. Although this domino Michael–aldol reaction showed only moderate stereoselectivity, even with the acid-supported enhancement of the reaction, these results represent potential new applications for lipase.     

有机催化不对称Michael加成反应

有机催化的不对称合成反应是目前研究最为活跃的领域之一. 不对称Michael加成反应是合成众多重要的手性合成子和药物中间体的有效手段. 目前报道的催化Michael加成反应的有机催化剂主要有脯氨酸及其衍生物、手性咪唑啉酮、手性(硫)脲、金鸡纳碱衍生物等. 对各类有机催化剂在有机催化不对称Michael加成反应中的应用, 以及不对称诱导反应的机理、催化剂分子结构及反应条件对其催化活性和不对称诱导作用的影响进行了评述.     

N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed Michael additions of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds

A study of the organocatalytic activity of N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) in the Michael addition of 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds has allowed us to identify 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene (IPr) as an excellent catalyst for this transformation (up to 99 % yield with a 2.5 mol % catalyst loading), and the reaction was found to be of broad scope. Two early applications of this unprecedented catalytic activity of NHCs are described, that is, the domino carbocyclization reactions of simple cyclic 1,3‐dicarbonyl and malonic acid derivatives, which allow stereoselective access to bridged bicyclic compounds, and the stereoselective synthesis of cyclohexanols (or cyclohexene). Early mechanistic investigations are also reported.     

Chiral Guanidine Catalyzed Annulation to the Core Structure of （－）－Huperzine A

A bridged bicydic compound (7), the key intermediate for the synthesis of ( - )-huperzine A (1), was prepared by diastereoselective Michael-aldol annulatlon of β-keto ester (4) catalyzed by chiral guanidine (2). A variety of chiral catalysts, substrates and reaction conditions were tested.     

Stereoselective synthesis of conformationally constrained omega-amino acid analogues from pyroglutamic acid

Bicyclic lactams derived from pyroglutamic acid provide a useful scaffold for synthesis of conformationally restricted analogues of lysine, ornithine and glutamine, as well as an Ala-Ala dipeptide analogue. Amino alcohol and carboxylic acid derivatives are accessible from a common intermediate. In this strategy, the bicyclic lactam system not only controls, but also facilitates the determination of the stereochemistry of the synthetic intermediates.     

Development of XIAP Antagonists Based On De Novo 8,5-Fused Bicyclic Lactams

In order to develop original water soluble antagonists of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), a novel bicyclic scaffold was designed based on 8,5-fused bicyclic lactam. During its preparation, a spontaneous rearrangement from 8,5- to 7,5-fused bicyclic lactam was observed and confirmed by MS and NMR analyses, in particular the HMBC spectra. DFT calculations were performed to understand the corresponding mechanism. It was finally prevented through changing the reaction order in the synthesis route and a Smac mimetic with this core structure, ZJ-1 was successfully obtained. The structure of this new bicyclic scaffold was well confirmed by HRMS and NMR (¹H, ¹³C, NOESY) analyses. ZJ-1 presented in addition a binding affinity to XIAP-BIR3, nearly 6 times better than that of AVPI, similar to the reported SM-128 in an in vitro fluorescence polarization (FP) assay. This preliminary result suggests that this new bicyclic scaffold could be very attractive in the development of novel anticancer agents targeting XIAP.     

Enantioselective and diastereoselective Mukaiyama-Michael reactions catalyzed by bis(oxazoline) copper(II) complexes.

The scope of highly enantioselective and diastereoselective Michael additions of enolsilanes to unsaturated imide derivatives has been developed with use of [Cu((S,S)-t-Bu-box)](SbF6)2 (1a) as a Lewis acid catalyst. The products of these additions are useful synthons that contain termini capable of differentiation under mild conditions. Michael acceptor pi-facial selectivity is consistent with two-point binding of the imide substrate and can be viewed as an extension of substrate enantioselection in the corresponding Diels-Alder reactions. A model analogous to the one employed to describe the hetero Diels-Alder reaction is proposed to account for the observed relation between enolsilane geometry and product absolute diastereocontrol. Insights into modes of catalyst inactivation are given, including spectroscopic evidence for inhibition of the catalyst by a dihydropyran intermediate that evolves during the course of the reaction. A procedure is disclosed in which an alcohol additive is used to hydrolyze the inhibiting dihydropyran and afford the desilylated Michael adduct in significantly shortened reaction time.     

Ene Reductase Enabled Intramolecular β-C−H Functionalization of Substituted Cyclohexanones for Efficient Synthesis of Bridged Bicyclic Nitrogen Scaffolds

Herein we report that ene reductases (EREDs) can facilitate an unprecedented intramolecular β-C−H functionalization reaction for the synthesis of bridged bicyclic nitrogen heterocycles containing the 6-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane scaffold. To streamline the synthesis of these privileged motifs, we developed a gram-scale one-pot chemoenzymatic cascade by combining iridium photocatalysis with EREDs, using readily available N-phenylglycines and cyclohexenones that can be obtained from biomass. Further derivatization using enzymatic or chemical methods can convert 6-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-one into 6-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3α-ols, which can be potentially utilized for the synthesis of azaprophen and its analogues for drug discovery. Mechanistic studies revealed the reaction requires oxygen, presumably to produce oxidized flavin, which can selectively dehydrogenate the 3-substituted cyclohexanone derivatives to form the α,β-unsaturated ketone, which subsequently undergoes spontaneous intramolecular aza-Michael addition under basic conditions.     

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Some Bi- and Tricyclic Pyrimidine Derivatives

Pyrimidine derivatives 4a-4c was prepared by a Biginelli cyclocondensation of g -ketoesters, aryl aldehydes, and thiourea derivatives under microwave irradiation. A simple and fast synthesis of bicyclic pyrimidine derivatives 6a-6c was performed by microwave-assisted reaction of 4a-4c with bromomalononitrile ( 5 ). Reaction of bicyclic pyrimidines 6a-6c with HCO 2 H and HONH 3 Cl under microwave irradiation gave tricyclic pyrimidines 7a-7c and 8a-8c respectively.     

Synthetic entries to substituted bicyclic pyridones

The synthesis of 6,6- and 5,6-bicyclic pyridone scaffolds has been completed using (i) an intramolecular Mitsunobu reaction and/or (ii) hydrolysis of a bicyclic pyridinium salt intermediate. Regioselective functionalization of the pyridone ring has been achieved via either direct lithiation or use of the "halogen dance" reaction. Suzuki coupling then allows introduction of aryl units at C(7)/C(9) or C(8) onto the bicyclic pyridone scaffold at either an early or late stage in the synthetic sequence. Suzuki couplings involving iodopyridinium intermediates are particularly effective.     

Ligand-free Pd/C-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction for the synthesis of heterobiaryl derivatives

We have developed a mild and efficient protocol for the ligand-free and heterogeneous Pd/C-catalyzed hetero Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction that allows for the synthesis of both heteroaryl-aryl and heteroaryl-heteroaryl derivatives in good to excellent yields.     

Synthesis of bicyclo [2· 2· 1] hept-2-enes with mono and disubstituted long perfluorinated chains CnF2n+1 (n = 4,6,8,10) Investigation of association in solution by 19F NMR study of polymerization via a metathetic reaction

A method for the synthesis of mixed fluorinated and hydrogenated derivatives: the bicyclo [2· 2· 1] hept-2-enes with long chains C_nF_2n+1 (n = 4,6,8 and 10) is described. Association of these bicyclic derivatives in solution was demonstrated by ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. In addition, these compounds were found to polymerize readily by a metathetic reaction producing a new type of fluorinated polymer.