First Total Synthesis of N‐(3‐Guanidinopropyl)‐2‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐oxoacetamide

The first total synthesis of the α‐oxo amide‐based natural product, N‐(3‐guanidinopropyl)‐2‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐oxoacetamide ( 3 ), isolated from aqueous extracts of hydroid Campanularia sp., has been achieved. The α‐oxo amide 12 , prepared via the oxidative amidation of 1‐[4‐(benzyloxy)phenyl]‐2,2‐dibromoethanone ( 9a ) with 4‐{[(tert‐butyl)(dimethyl)silyl]oxy}butan‐1‐amine ( 10a ), has been used as the key intermediate in the total synthesis of 3 as HBr salt. On the way, an expeditious total synthesis of polyandrocarpamide C ( 2c ), isolated from marine ascidian Polyandrocarpa sp., was carried out in four steps.     

Highly Diastereoselective Total Syntheses of (+)‐7‐Epigoniodiol, (−)‐8‐Epigoniodiol,and (+)‐9‐Deoxygoniopypyrone

An expedient concise total synthesis of (+)‐7‐epigoniodiol, (?)‐8‐epigoniodiol, and (+)‐9‐deoxygoniopypyrone is accomplished. The key transformations include a catalytic hydroxylation and base‐mediated N‐(acetyl)oxazolidinone addition reactions, which could set the consecutive OH motif that is either syn,syn or syn,anti with high diastereoselectivity. Moreover, this approach envisioned to facilitate the synthesis of other representatives of the family with structural and stereochemical variation.     

New Synthesis and Reactions of Ethyl 5‐amino‐4‐cyano‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylate

Synthesis of ethyl 5‐amino‐4‐cyano‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylate 5 has been achieved via abnormal Beckmann rearrangement of o‐chloroaldehyde 1 . Reaction of o‐aminocarbonitrile 5 with concentrated H₂SO₄ furnished expected o‐aminocarboxamide pyrazole 6 . Key intermediates o‐aminocarbonitrile 5 and o‐aminocarboxamide 6 were successfully utilized for the synthesis of pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives. The replacement of Cl in o‐chlorocarbonitrile 3 with secondary amine furnished new synthon 13 , which was further used for the synthesis of polysubstituted heterocycles. The obtained new products were well characterized by IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, and mass spectra.     

First Stereoselective Synthesis of the Cytotoxic Polyketide (4R)‐1‐(3,5‐Dihydroxyphenyl)‐4‐hydroxypentan‐2‐one

The first stereoselective synthesis of the cytotoxic polyketide (4R)‐1‐(3,5‐dihydroxyphenyl)‐4‐hydroxypentan‐2‐one ( 1 ) was achieved from readily available propylene oxide and 3,5‐dimethoxybenzyl alcohol. The synthesis involves Jacobsen's hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) and Grignard reaction as key steps.     

An Efficient Synthesis of Optically Active trans‐(3R,4R)‐3‐Acetoxy‐4‐aryl‐1‐(chrysen‐6‐yl)azetidin‐2‐ones Using (+)‐Car‐3‐ene as a Chiral Auxiliary

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of 3‐acetoxy trans‐β‐lactams 7a and 7b via [2+2] cycloaddition reactions of imines 4a and 4b , derived from a polycyclic aromatic amine and bicyclic chiral acid obtained from (+)‐car‐3‐ene, is described. The cycloaddition was found to be highly enantioselective, producing only trans‐(3R,4R)‐N‐azetidin‐2‐one in very good yields. This is the first report of the synthesis of enantiomerically pure trans‐β‐lactams 7a and 7b with a polycyclic aromatic substituent at N(1) of the azetidin ring.     

A scalable Nenitzescu synthesis of 2‐methyl‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)‐1H‐indole‐5‐carbonitrile

2‐Methyl‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)‐1H‐indole‐5‐carbonitrile is a key intermediate in the synthesis of selective androgen receptor modulators discovered in these laboratories. A practical and convergent synthesis of the title compound starting from 4‐nitro‐3‐(trifluoromethyl)phenol and tert‐butyl acetoacetate was developed, including a telescoped procedure for synthesis (without isolation) and Nenitzescu reaction of 2‐trifluoromethyl‐1,4‐benzoquinone. Conversion of the known Nenitzescu indole product to a novel triflate intermediate followed by palladium‐catalyzed cyanation afforded a penultimate carbonitrile. Removal of the C‐3 tert‐butyl ester group on the indole through a decarboxylative pathway completed the synthesis of the title compound in six steps (27% overall yield) from 4‐nitro‐3‐(trifluoromethyl)phenol (five steps, 37% overall yield from tert‐butyl acetoacetate). J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

Synthesis of 5‐[2‐(guanin‐9‐yl)‐ and 5‐[2‐(2‐aminopurin‐9‐yl)ethyl]‐2‐D‐ribo‐(1,2′,3′,4′‐tetrahydroxybutyl)‐1,3‐dioxane

Stereoselective synthesis of 5‐[2‐(guanin‐9‐yl)‐ and 5‐[2‐(2‐aminopurin‐9‐yl)ethyl]‐2‐D‐ribo‐(1′,2′,3′,4′‐tetrahydroxybutyl)‐1,3‐dioxane, 2‐5, as potential prodrugs of penciclovir, has been accomplished in six steps from readily available 2,3,4,5‐tetra‐O‐acetyl‐aldehydo‐D‐ribose ( 6 ) and the 1,3‐diol 7 . It has been demonstrated that the use of boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BF₃·Et₂O) in dichloromethane along with excess anhydrous copper(II) sulfate was crucial for the efficient formation of cyclic acetal 8 . In addition, the chromatographic separation of cis and trans isomers of the cyclic acetal at the bromide stage 10 was feasible, which was requisite for the successful stereoselective synthesis of the ribosyl derivatives 2–5 .     

Microwave‐assisted Synthesis of 6‐{(5‐Aryl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl)methyl}‐6H‐indolo[2,3‐b]quinoxalines

An efficient and convenient synthesis of a new series of 2‐{(6H‐indolo[2,3‐b]quinoxalin‐6‐yl)methyl}‐5‐aryl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazoles from readily available 1,2‐diaminobenzene and isatins under microwave irradiation conditions was disclosed. The 6‐{(5‐aryl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl)methyl}‐6H‐indolo[2,3‐b]quinoxalines were also prepared by the thermal cyclo‐condensation reaction of 2‐(6H‐indolo[2,3‐b]quinoxalin‐6‐yl)acetohydrazides with carboxylic acids in refluxing POCl₃. The microwave‐assisted synthesis was rapid and resulted in higher yield of the products at lower operating temperature with reduced waste generation in comparison with the thermal reaction protocol.     

A Practical and Enantiospecific Synthesis of (−)‐(R)‐ and (+)‐(S)‐Piperidin‐3‐ols

A highly enantiospecific, azide‐free synthesis of (?)‐(R)‐ and (+)‐(S)‐piperidin‐3‐ol in excellent yield was developed. The key step of the synthesis involves the enantiospecific ring openings of enantiomerically pure (R)‐ and (S)‐2‐(oxiran‐2‐ylmethyl)‐1H‐isoindole‐1,3(2H)‐diones with the diethyl malonate anion and subsequent decarboxylation.     

The Stereoselective Total Synthesis of (6S)‐5,6‐Dihydro‐6‐[(2R)‐2‐hydroxy‐6‐phenylhexyl]‐2H‐pyran‐2‐one via Prins Cyclization

The stereoselective total synthesis of an antiproliferative and antifungal α‐pyrone natural product (6S)‐5,6‐dihydro‐6‐[(2R)‐2‐hydroxy‐6‐phenylhexyl]‐2H‐pyran‐2‐one is described. The key steps involved are the Prins cyclization, Mitsunobu reaction, and ring‐closing metathesis reaction.     

Synthesis and Properties of O‐β‐D‐ribofuranosyl‐(1″→2′)‐guanosine‐5″‐ O‐phosphate and Its Derivatives

The efficient synthesis of O‐β‐D ‐ribofuranosyl‐(1″→2′)‐guanosine‐5″‐O‐phosphate and O‐β‐D ‐ribofuranosyl‐(1″→2′)‐adenosine‐5″‐O‐phosphate, minor tRNA components, have been developed, and their conformational properties were examined by NMR spectroscopy.     

Synthesis of the 2‐Alkenyl‐4‐alkylidenebut‐2‐eno‐4‐lactone (=α‐Alkenyl‐γ‐alkylidenebutenolide) Core Structure of the Carotenoid Pyrrhoxanthin via the Regioselective Dihydroxylation of Hepta‐2,4‐diene‐5‐ynoic Acid Esters

A new strategy for the stereoselective synthesis of 4‐alkylidenebut‐2‐eno‐4‐lactones (=γ‐alkylidenebutenolides) with (Z)‐configuration of the exocyclic CC bond at C(4) was developed. It is exemplified by the synthesis of 4‐alkylidenebutenolactone 31 (Scheme 4), which constitutes a substructure of the carotenoids pyrrhoxanthin ( 1 ) and peridinin. The formation of the precursor 4‐(1‐hydroxyalkyl)butenolactone 29 was accomplished either by cyclocarbonylation of the prop‐2‐yn‐1‐ol moiety of 27 (→ 29 ) or by hydrostannylation of the isopropylidene‐protected alkynoic acid ester 26 (→ 28 ) followed by transacetalization/transesterification (→ 30 ). The 4‐alkylidenebutenolactone was formed by the anti‐selective Mitsunobu dehydration 29 → 31 .     

Transformations of Methyl 2‐[(E)‐2‐(Dimethylamino)‐1‐(methoxycarbonyl)ethenyl]‐1‐methyl‐1H‐indole‐3‐carboxylate

A simple and efficient synthesis of novel 2‐heteroaryl‐substituted 1H‐indole‐2‐carboxylates and γ‐carbolines, compounds 1 – 3 , from methyl 2‐(2‐methoxy‐2‐oxoethyl)‐1‐methyl‐1H‐indole‐3‐carboxylate ( 4 ) by the enaminone methodology is presented.     

Synthesis of N‐aryl‐2‐amino‐4‐oxo‐3,4‐dihydrothieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐6‐carboxamides

Synthetic routes for the preparation of methyl 2‐amino‐4‐methoxythieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐6‐carboxylate (4) ‐ useful intermediate for lipophilic and classical antifolates from 2‐amino‐4,6‐dichloropyrimidine‐5‐car‐baldehyde (1) have been studied. It has been shown that more efficient synthesis of compound 4 includes the preparation of 4‐methoxy derivative 7 and subsequent tandem substitution/annulation reaction with methyl mercaptoethanoate in dimethylformamide in the presence of potassium carbonate and molecular sieves 4 Å. Compound 4 was used for the synthesis of N‐aryl 2‐amino‐4‐oxo‐3,4‐dihydrothieno[2,3‐d]‐pyrimidine‐6‐carboxamides 10a‐c, including an analog of folic acid with amide bridge ‐ N‐(4‐{[(2‐amino‐4‐oxo‐3,4‐dihydrothieno[2,3‐d]pyrirnidin‐6‐yl)carbonyl]amino}‐benzoyl)‐L‐glutamic acid (10c) .     

One Pot Synthesis of Medicinally Important cis‐2‐Methyl‐4‐amino substituted‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinolines

A simple synthesis of medicinally important cis‐2‐methyl‐4‐azapan‐2‐one‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinolines/cis‐9‐(2‐methyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinolin‐4‐yl)‐9H‐carbazole was reported. Multicomponent one pot synthesis with anilines and N‐vinylcaprolactam/N‐vinyl carbazole via imino Diels‐Alder reaction by using antimony trichloride as catalyst and acetonitrile as solvent was employed. NMR technique (2D) was used to study the regio‐ and stereo‐chemistry of newly synthesized compounds. The cis diastereo‐selectivity of the products was predicted by COSY and NOESY studies.     

An Innovative Protocol for the Synthesis of 3‐(Pyridin‐2‐yl)‐5‐sec‐aminobiphenyl‐4‐carbonitriles and 9,10‐Dihydro‐3‐(pyridine‐2‐yl)‐1‐sec‐aminophenanthrene‐2‐carbonitriles

Herein, we present an innovative, novel, and highly convenient protocol for the synthesis of 3‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐5‐sec‐aminobiphenyl‐4‐carbonitriles ( 6a , 6b , 6c , 6d , 6e , 6f , 6g ) and 9,10‐dihydro‐3‐(pyridine‐2‐yl)‐1‐sec‐aminophenanthrene‐2‐carbonitriles ( 10a , 10b , 10c , 10d , 10e ), which have been delineated from the reaction of 4‐sec‐amino‐2‐oxo‐6‐aryl‐2H‐pyran‐3‐carbonitrile ( 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f , 4g ) and 4‐sec‐amino‐2‐oxo‐5,6‐dihydro‐2H‐benzo[h]chromene‐3‐carbonitriles ( 9a , 9b , 9c , 9d , 9e ) with 2‐acetylpyridine ( 5 ) through the ring transformation reaction by using KOH/DMF system at RT. The salient feature of this procedure is to provide a transition metal‐free route for the synthesis of asymmetrical 1,3‐teraryls like 3‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐5‐sec‐aminobiphenyl‐4‐carbonitriles ( 6a , 6b , 6c , 6d , 6e , 6f , 6g ) and 9,10‐dihydro‐3‐(pyridine‐2‐yl)‐1‐sec‐aminophenanthrene‐2‐carbonitriles ( 10a , 10b , 10c , 10d , 10e ). The novelty of the reaction lies in the creation of an aromatic ring from 2H‐pyran‐2‐ones and 2H‐benzo[h]chromene‐3‐carbonitriles via two‐carbon insertion from 2‐acetylpyridine ( 5 ) used as a source of carbanion.     

Preparation of 8‐Aza‐7‐deazaaristeromycin and ‐neplanocin A and Their 5′‐Homologs

The synthesis of new members of the aristeromycin and neplaoncin A families of carbocyclic nucleosides possessing the 1H‐pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine ring is reported. For this purpose, an adapted route to 4‐amino‐1H‐pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine is described.     

New approach to the synthesis of substituted 7H‐furo[3,2‐b]pyran‐7‐ones based on 5‐hydroxy‐2‐methyl‐4H‐pyran‐4‐one derivatives

A convenient approach to the synthesis of the previously unknown 7H‐furo[3,2‐b]pyran‐7‐ones based on the intramolecular cyclization of carbonyl derivatives of 5‐hydroxy‐2‐methyl‐4H‐pyran‐4‐one has been elaborated. Key intermediates in the synthesis of the target 7H‐furo[3,2‐b]pyran‐7‐ones are 3‐hydroxy‐6‐methyl‐2‐(2‐oxo‐2‐arylethyl)‐4H‐pyran‐4‐ones. They are formed as a result of multicomponent condensation of 5‐hydroxy‐2‐methyl‐4H‐pyran‐4‐one with arylglyoxals and 4‐methoxyaniline.     

Synthesis of 15‐Cyano‐12‐oxopentadecano‐15‐lactone and 15‐Cyano‐ 12‐oxopentadecano‐15‐lactam

15‐Cyano‐12‐oxopentadecano‐15‐lactone was synthesized in 59% total yield starting from 2‐nitrocyclododecanone by Michael addition to acrylaldehyde, followed by reaction with trimethylsilylcyanide, hydrolysis, ring‐expansion, and Nef reaction. A two‐step, one‐pot synthesis of intermediate 2‐hydroxy‐4‐(1‐nitro‐2‐oxycyclododecyl)butanenitrile from 3‐(1‐nitro‐2‐oxocyclododecyl)propanal was developed and the conditions for the Nef reaction were studied. 15‐Cyano‐12‐oxopentadecano‐15‐lactam was synthesized in 40% total yield starting from 2‐nitrocyclododecanone by Michael addition to acrylaldehyde, followed by Strecker reaction, ring‐expansion, and Nef reaction. The conditions for the Strecker and Nef reactions were studied. The structures of the target compounds, intermediates, and by‐product were characterized by IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and elemental analysis or MS.     

Synthesis of 5‐methyl‐4‐oxo‐2‐(coumarin‐3‐yl)‐N‐aryl‐3,4‐dihydrothieno[2,3‐d]‐pyrimidine‐6‐carboxamides

Possible approaches to synthesis of 5‐methyl‐4‐oxo‐2‐(coumarin‐3‐yl)‐N‐aryl‐3,4‐dihydrothieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐6‐carboxamides 4 have been discussed. It is shown that the preferable approach is cyclization of 2‐iminocoumarin‐3‐carboxamides 1 , utilizing 5‐amino‐3‐methyl‐N²‐arylthiophene‐2,4‐dicarboxamides 2 as binucleophilic reagents. The proposed procedure allowed us to easily obtain 4 in two stages, using common reagents. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 18:341–346, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20303