Rapid assembly of highly-functionalised difluorinated cyclooctenones via ring-closing metathesis

Building block methodology from trifluoroethanol and ring-closing metathesis using a Fürstner modification of Grubbs' conditions allows the rapid synthesis of novel difluorinated cyclooctenones.     

Nitrogen-capped pi-prismands: syntheses and conformational analyses

[structure: see text] The one-pot syntheses of the new diazabicyclophanes 5-7 are described. The benzene rings incorporated in the bridging chains exhibit rotational motion which is examined by means of variable-temperature NMR experiments and semiempirical calculations. X-ray analysis and NMR studies indicate that the metal ion in the endohedral silver(I) complex of 7 fluctuates between the two nitrogen atoms.     

A versatile method to prepare difluorinated primary alcohols and its application to the syntheses of novel acyclic fluorinated nucleosides

The addition of fluorine to a molecule often leads to intriguing changes in the properties of the molecule. Many novel drug leads and drug candidates are the results of the incorporation of fluorine. This Letter presents a versatile method to create molecules with the general structure R₁R₂CHCF₂CH₂OH from ketone R₁(CO)R₂. The key steps of this synthetic method involve the formation of a cyclic thiocarbonate and the regioselective radical opening of the thiocarbonate to yield the corresponding primary alcohol –CF₂CH₂OH. Using this synthetic method, novel fluorinated analogs of ganciclovir and penciclovir have been prepared.     

Total syntheses of conformationally locked difluorinated pentopyranose analogues and a pentopyranosyl phosphate mimetic

Trifluoroethanol has been elaborated, via a telescoped sequence involving a metalated difluoroenol, a difluoroallylic alcohol, [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement, and ultimately an RCM reaction and requiring minimal intermediate purification, to a number of cyclooctenone intermediates. Epoxidation of these intermediates followed by transannular ring opening or dihydroxylation, then transannular hemiacetalization delivers novel bicyclic analogues of pentopyranoses, which were elaborated (in one case) to an analogue of a glycosyl phosphate.     

Towards the synthesis of sulfonamide-based RNA mimetics

The scalable, divergent synthesis of all four monomers required for the preparation of sulfonamide-based RNA mimetics is described. Such mimetics may combine excellent mimicry of the parent RNA with enhanced (bio)chemical robustness and convenient oligomerization. As a proof of principle, a dimer resulting from the monomers is described.     

An efficient synthesis of triazolo-carbohydrate mimetics and their conformational analysis

A chemical library of 1,2,3-triazole fused carbohydrate mimetics was constructed. To synthesize enantiomerically pure mimetics, we developed a stereo- or diastereodivergent synthetic route from D-glucose, D-mannose and D-galactose as chiral sources. In this synthesis, an In(OTf)(3)-catalyzed tandem azidation-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 1,1-dimethoxyhex-5-yne derivatives with TMSN(3) was used as the key step to construct the 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro[1,2,3]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine framework. Additionally, NMR was used to carry out a conformational analysis of the synthesized mimetics, which are of structural interest since they have an N,O-acetal moiety in place of the anomeric position of normal pyranosides.     

Towards the syntheses of N‐H and N‐alkylated derivatives of meridianins

Novel N‐H and N‐alkylated derivatives of meridianins have been synthesized as potential antitumor agents by a two‐step conversion of N‐tosyl‐3‐acetylindoles or N‐alkyl‐3‐acetylindoles to the corresponding enaminones using DMF‐DMA, with or without added pyrrolidine. Further cyclization with guanidine gave the corresponding 2‐aminopyrimidines. The structures of the compounds, thus obtained, were proved by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, NOE experiments and X‐ray analysis.     

Synthesis and conformational properties of sugar amides and thioamides

The synthesis of deoxythioformamido and deoxythioacetamido derivatives of 1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene--D-galactopyranose, 1,2:3,5-di-O-isopropylidene--D-glucofuranose, and 2,3:4,5-di-O-isopropylidene-β-D-fructopyranose at the primary carbon atom has been effected by thionation of the corresponding sugar amides. Formamides and thioformamides existed as a mixture of the Z (major) and E (minor) stereomers around the N---C(=X) bond in CDCl₃ solutions, while the Z rotamer was the sole one detected in the cases of acetamides and thioacelamides.     

Synthesis and conformational studies of peptidomimetics containing furanoid sugar amino acids and a sugar diacid

Furanoid sugar amino acids (1) were synthesized and used as dipeptide isosteres to induce interesting turn structures in small linear peptides. They belong to a new variety of designed hybrid structures that carry both amino and carboxyl groups on rigid furanose sugar rings. Four such molecules, 6-amino-2,5-anhydro-6-deoxy-D-gluconic acid (3, Gaa) and its mannonic (4, Maa), idonic (5, Iaa), and a 3,4-dideoxyidonic (6, ddIaa) congeners were synthesized. The synthesis followed a novel reaction path in which an intramolecular 5-exo S(N)2 opening of the hexose-derived terminal aziridine ring in 2 by the gamma-benzyloxy oxygen with concomitant debenzylation occurred during pyridinium dichromate oxidation of the primary delta-hydroxyl group to carboxyl function, leading to the formation of furanoid sugar amino acid frameworks in a single step. Incorporation of these furanoid sugar amino acids into Leu-enkephalin replacing its Gly-Gly portion gave analogues 8-11. Detailed structural analysis of these molecules by circular dichroism (CD) and various NMR techniques in combination with constrained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that two of these analogues, 8a and 10a, have folded conformations composed of an unusual nine-membered pseudo beta-turn-like structure with a strong intramolecular H-bond between LeuNH --> sugarC3-OH. This, in turn, brings the two aromatic rings of Tyr and Phe in close proximity, a prerequisite for biological activities of opioid peptides. The analgesic activities of 8a,b determined by mouse hot-plate and tail-clip methods were similar to that of Leu-enkephalin methyl ester. The syn disposition of the beta-hydroxycarboxyl motif on the sugar rings appears to be the driving force to nucleate the observed turn structures in some of these molecules (8 and 10). Repetition of the motif on both sides of a furanose ring resulted in a novel molecular design of sugar diacid, 2,5-anhydro-D-idaric acid (7, Idac). Bidirectional elongation of the diacid moieties of 7 with identical peptide strands led to the formation of a C2-symmetric reverse-turn mimetic 12 which displayed a very ordered structure consisting of identical intramolecular H-bonds at two ends between LeuNH --> sugar-OH, the same as in 8 and 10.     

Oxazolopiperidin-2-ones as type II' beta-turn mimetics: synthesis and conformational analysis

We describe a straightforward synthesis of 9-substituted 3-aminooxazolidinopiperidin-2-ones 4. Some derivatives were prepared for use in peptide synthesis as rigidified surrogates of the Ala-Pro dipeptide. Analysis of the amide derivatives 14 by NMR experiments and molecular mechanics/dynamics calculations shows that the major isomer 14a has a stronger propensity than the minor isomer 14b to adopt beta-turn conformations, and the calculations indicate that in water 14a adopts a stable betaII' turn conformation.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel dipeptide mimetics with hydantoin moiety

The synthesis of three novel 5,5-dimethylhydantoin derivatives 2-amino-N-(4,4-dimethyl-2,5-dioxoimidazolidin-1-yl)acetamide, 2-amino-N-(4,4-dimethyl-2,5-dioxoimidazol idin-1-yl)-3-phenylpropanamide, and 2-amino-4-methyl-N-(4,4-dimethyl-2,5-dioxoimidazol idin-1-yl) pentanamide, is reported. The newly synthesized compounds have been characterized by infrared (IR), MS, and NMR (¹H and ¹³C) spectra.     

Spiro beta-lactams as beta-turn mimetics. Design, synthesis, and NMR conformational analysis

Molecular modeling calculations using high-level ab initio methods (MP2/6-31+G) of a new type of spiro beta-lactams predict that these systems could adopt a beta-turn secondary structure in solution. Strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds stabilize the beta-turn conformation with a geometry that is very close to the ideal type II beta-turns. The synthesis of the spiro beta-lactams is achieved by Staudinger reaction of a cyclic ketene derived from N-bencyloxycarbonyl-L-proline acid chloride with an imine. This reaction allows the formation of the spiranic backbone in a single-step with high diastereoselectivity and good yields. The new spiro beta-lactams obtained are the core for the preparation of different types of peptidomimetics using well-established peptide chemistry. The NMR conformational analysis shows that these compounds adopt beta-turn conformation as predicted by the theoretical studies.     

Application of tri- and tetrasubstituted alkene dipeptide mimetics to conformational studies of cyclic RGD peptides

The first application of a combination of novel ψ[(E)-CXCX]-type alkene dipeptide isosteres to conformation studies of cyclic bioactive peptides was carried out (X=H or Me). For exploration of bioactive conformations of Kessler's cyclic RGD peptides, cyclo(-Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-Val-) 1 and cyclo(-Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-N-MeVal-) 2, d-Phe-ψ[(E)-CXCX]-l-Val-type dipeptide isosteres were utilized having di-, tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes containing the γ-methylated isosteres that have been reported to be potential type II′ β-turn promoters. All of the (E)-alkene pseudopeptides 3-6 exhibited higher antagonistic potency against α_vβ₃ integrin than 1, although potencies were slightly lower than 2. Detailed structural analysis using ¹H NMR spectroscopy revealed that representative type II′ β/γ backbone arrangements proposed for 1, were not observed in peptides 3-6. Rather on the basis of ¹H NMR data, the conformations of peptides 3-6 were estimated to be more analogous to those of the N-methylated peptide 2.     

Design and synthesis of novel conformationally restricted peptide secondary structure mimetics

[structure: see text] A facile synthesis of the novel conformationally restricted reverse turn mimetic is described. The key features are the preparation of the alpha-keto amide and tandem bicyclic ring formation.     

Synthesis of bis‐pyrrole tetra esters and alcohols as novel mimetics of the anticancer mitomycin

Open‐chain bis‐Reissert compounds 1 were converted to the corresponding bis‐oxazolium intermediates via acid‐catalyzed intramolecular cyclization. These oxazolium compounds exist in a variety of tautomeric structures in which the meso‐ionic form can be intercepted by reaction with dipolarophiles in a 1,3‐dipolar‐cycloaddition reaction to produce a variety of highly functionalized bis‐pyrrole esters 2 . In turn, the bis‐pyrrole esters could be converted to the corresponding bis‐pyrrole tetrols 3 in high yields. J. Heterocyclic Chem., 2011.     

Synthesis of novel dihydrooxazine and oxazoline based sugar hybrids from sugar azides

A convenient one-step method for the synthesis of novel dihydrooxazine and oxazoline based sugar hybrids is reported starting from the readily accessible sugar azides and aldehydes. We have used Aubé’s protocol to achieve this transformation. The resulting glycoconjugates could be used to increase the diversity on the sugar backbone and may find applications as potential glycomimetics and in drug discovery.     

Formation of LacNAc mimetics employing novel donor substrates for enzymatic beta 1-->4 galactosylation

In examining C-6 modified 4-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactopyranosides as donor structures the beta-galactosidase (Bacillus circulans) revealed an unexpectedly broad substrate specificity which allowed successful syntheses of various disaccharide components.