Epoxy ketones as versatile building blocks in organic synthesis

The major advances made in the functionalisation of racemic and optically active epoxy ketones where one or several stereogenic centres are either preserved or modified are reviewed. Some relevant applications to the synthesis of natural products and biologically active compounds are also described.     

Glycosyl alkoxythioimidates as complementary building blocks for chemical glycosylation

It is reported that S-glycosyl O-methyl phenylcarbamothioates (SNea carbamothioates) have a fully orthogonal character in comparison to S-benzoxazolyl (SBox) glycosides. This complete orthogonality was revealed by performing competitive glycosylation experiments in the presence of various promoters. The results obtained indicate that SNea carbamothioates have a very similar reactivity profile to that of glycosyl thiocyanates, yet are significantly more stable and tolerate selected protecting group manipulations. These features make the SNea carbamothioates new promising building blocks for further utilization in oligosaccharide synthesis.     

Glycosyl thioimidates in a highly convergent one-pot strategy for oligosaccharide synthesis

Application of two classes of thioimidoyl derivatives, S-benzoxazolyl (SBox) and S-thiazolyl (STaz) glycosides to selective activation over thioglycosides is described. These results allowed us to synthesize a tetrasaccharide derivative using a leaving group differentiated one-pot strategy in 73% yield over three sequential glycosylation steps.     

Sulfo-protected hexosamine monosaccharides: potentially versatile building blocks for glycosaminoglycan synthesis

2,2,2-Trifluorodiazoethane was investigated as a reagent for sulfo group protection on hexosamine monosaccharides. The synthesis of glucosamine and galactosamine building blocks fully differentiated for glycosaminoglycan synthesis and the synthesis of glycosyl donors are described. The compatibility of trifluoroethylsulfonate under a variety of reaction conditions has also been investigated. [structure: see text]     

Green synthetic approaches: solventless synthesis of polyfunctionally substituted aromatics as potential versatile building blocks in organic synthesis utilizing enaminones and enaminonitriles as precursors

Abstract

A variety of 1,3,5-trisubstituted benzenes could be obtained upon heating enaminones in absence of solvent over montmorillonite-K-10. Heating mixtures of two different enaminones 2a–d have also afforded 1,3,5-trisubstituted benzenes 7b–d and 8b–d resulting from self-condensation of one enaminone with two molecules of the other enaminone. Heating enaminone 2b with ethyl propiolate afforded a mixture of triaroylbenzene 3b in addition to diaroylbenzoic acid esters 11 and 1,3,5-aroylbenzene dicarboxylate 12. On the other hand, reaction of enaminone derivative 2b with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate has afforded 2-oxopyran-4-carboxylic acid derivative 15. 2-Aminoprop-1-ene-1,1,3-tricarbonitrile 16 was reacted with enaminones to yield polysubstituted benzenes 19a–c. Likewise the reaction of 2-aminoprop-1-ene-1,1,3-tricarbonitrile 16 with benzylidenemalononitrile has afforded polysubstituted benzenes 24.     

Benzene-o-dithiolate ligands as versatile building blocks in supramolecular chemistry

Polydentate ligands with benzene-o-dithiolato donor groups are useful building blocks in supramolecular coordination chemistry. The coordination chemistry of bis- and tris(benzene-o-dithiolato) ligands and mixed benzene-o-dithiolato/catecholato ligands is reviewed. These ligands exhibit a versatile coordination chemistry both in solution and in the solid state.     

Perylene bisimide dyes as versatile building blocks for functional supramolecular architectures

Perylene bisimide dyes and their organization into supramolecular architectures through hydrogen-bonding, metal ion coordination and pi-pi-stacking is discussed; further self-assembly leading to nano- and meso-scopic structures and liquid-crystalline compounds is also addressed.     

New uses of amino acids as chiral building blocks in organic synthesis

[reaction: see text] N,N-Dibenzylamino aldehydes have emerged as a highly useful class of chiral building blocks in synthetic organic chemistry. We envisioned the transformation of the N,N -dibenzylamino aldehydes to the corresponding aldimines followed by diastereoselective methylene transfer with a sulfonium ylide to obtain alpha-amino aziridines in high yields.     

Stannylated allyl carbonates as versatile building blocks for the diversity oriented synthesis of allylic amines and amides

Stannylated allylic carbonates are suitable substrates for Pd-catalyzed allylic aminations. In DMF and with [allylPdCl](2) as catalyst the stannylated allyl amines formed can be directly coupled with electrophiles according to the Stille protocol, giving rise to highly functionalized building blocks in excellent yields.     

Enantiomerically enriched cyclopropene derivatives: versatile building blocks in asymmetric synthesis

Enantiomerically enriched cyclopropene derivatives, the smallest possible unsaturated carbocycles, are of great synthetic interest since they serve as versatile reactive building blocks. Their reactivity results from the relief of the ring strain in the small molecule. They can be transformed into a wide variety of complex chiral structures and a special emphasis will be directed towards the preparation of enantiomerically enriched methylene- and alkylidenecyclopropane derivatives. The ready availability of a wide range of these chiral entities now provides an excellent opportunity to discover new and unique transformations that can further enrich mainstream synthetic methodology.     

Stereoisomeric sugar-derived indolizines as versatile building blocks: synthesis of enantiopure di- and tetrahydroxyindolizidines.

The synthesis of the sugar-derived (1S,2R,8aR)-1,2-di-O-isopropylidene-1,2,3,5,6,8a-hexahydro-5-oxoindolizine (8) and by analogy of the corresponding stereoisomers ent-8 and ent-7, an epimer at C2 of ent-8, has been accomplished in a straightforward manner. The carbon-carbon double bond and the carbonyl functionalities on the six-membered ring make these nitrogen-containing heterocycles useful building blocks for the efficient preparation of a variety of enantiopure polyhydroxylated indolizidines of interest for their glycosidase inhibitory activity. We report here the synthesis of 2,8a-diepilentiginosine 12 from 8 and the preparation of stereoisomeric 1,2,7,8-tetrahydroxyindolizidines 9-11 performed by OsO4-catalyzed double bond syn dihydroxylation of 7 and 8, followed by deoxygenation of the amide group.     

Chemistry of epoxysulfones: straightforward synthesis of versatile chiral building blocks

[reaction: see text] Several chiral building blocks have been obtained easily in large quantities from an epoxysulfone (9) that could be obtained in both enantiomeric forms from accessible starting materials.     

Oligosilsesquioxanes as versatile building blocks for the preparation of self-assembled thin films

A self-assembly approach to the preparation of nanocomposite siliceous thin films by using oligosilsesquioxanes as building blocks is presented. Poly(styrene-4-sulfonate), PSS, and octa(3-aminopropyl)silsesquioxane, NSi8, were layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled onto planar substrates and polystyrene (PS) particles, thus forming composite multilayers. We have clarified the binding properties of NSi8 to PSS by examining the pH influence on film buildup by microelectrophoresis (zeta-potential) and quartz crystal microgravimetry (QCM). The regular growth of PSS/NSi8 multilayers on planar supports was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy and QCM. By applying the LbL coating procedure to spherical templates, we prepared compact, microporous hollow silica spheres by calcining PS spheres coated with (poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)/PSS)(2)/(NSi8/PSS)(n) (n varying from 3 to 12), at 750 degrees C, because of sintering of the octameric clusters (NSi8). Hollow spheres derived from coatings with n = 3 drastically altered in size (relative to the template core), depending on the size of the PS particles used. The novelty of this method for the nanofabrication of siliceous films stems from the use of well-defined and discrete building blocks, such as NSi8, leading to homogeneous organic-silica composite films as well as individual siliceous particles of variable size and shape.     

2-Aryl-3,4-dihydropyrans as building blocks for organic synthesis: ring-opening reactions with nucleophiles

An electrophilic ring-opening reaction of 2-aryl-3,4-dihydropyran with many nucleophiles, such as thiophenols, thiols, benzenesulfinic acid, resorcin, 2-methylfuran, benzamide and allyltrimethylsilane, was developed. In the presence of an appropriate catalyst, a product that contains not only a moiety of the nucleophile but also a fragment of 1,3-dicarbonyl compound was obtained.     

Boronic acid-substituted metal complexes: versatile building blocks for the synthesis of multimetallic assemblies

Polypyridyl complexes of Ru(II) and Ir(III) incorporating a boronic acid substituent undergo cross-coupling with bromo-substituted complexes, and a sequential coupling-bromination-coupling strategy permits the controlled synthesis of a luminescent Y-shaped heterometallic assembly, in which efficient energy transfer to the terminus occurs.     

Enantioenriched synthesis of cyclopropenes with a quaternary stereocenter, versatile building blocks

Ir(salen) complexes were found to catalyze enantioselective cyclopropenation efficiently. Cyclopropenation can be carried out using either a donor/acceptor- or an acceptor/acceptor-substituted diazo compound such as α-aryl-α-diazoacetates, α-phenyl-α-diazophosphonate, 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1-diazoethane, and α-cyano-α-diazoacetamide as carbenoid precursors. The reactions provide highly enantioenriched cyclopropenes (84-98% ee) with a functionalized quaternary carbon as versatile building blocks.     

S-thiazolinyl (STaz) glycosides as versatile building blocks for convergent selective, chemoselective, and orthogonal oligosaccharide synthesis

In the aim of developing new procedures for efficient oligosaccharide assembly, a range of S-thiazolinyl (STaz) glycosides have been synthesized. These novel derivatives were evaluated against a variety of reaction conditions and were shown to be capable of being chemoselectively activated in the armed-disarmed fashion. Moreover, the S-thiazolinyl moiety exhibited a remarkable propensity for selective activation over other common leaving groups. Conversely, a variety of leaving groups could be selectively activated over the STaz moiety, which, in turn, allowed STaz/S-ethyl and STaz/S-phenyl orthogonal approaches. To demonstrate versatility of novel STaz derivatives, a number of oligosaccharide targets have been synthesized in a convergent selective, orthogonal, and chemoselective fashion.