Asymmetric synthesis of (2S,3R)-(−)-epi-CP-99,994 using sulfinimine-derived anti-2,3-diamino esters

A differentially protected C-3 N-sulfinyl, C-2 N,N-(diphenylmethylene) 2,3-diamino ester was employed in the synthesis of the amino piperidine (2S,3R)-(−)-epi-CP-99,994. Key steps in the synthesis included the chemoselective hydrolysis of the C-2 N,N-(diphenylmethylene) group and its reprotection as a dibenzylamino group.     

Lewis acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts/Michael cascade reaction of N,N-dialkyl-3-vinylanilines with N-tosylaziridines for the stereoselective synthesis of highly functionalized tetrahydroisoquinolines

A Lewis acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts/Michael cascade reaction between N-dialkyl-3-vinylanilines and N-tosylaziridines has been developed for the stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs). The reaction using Gd(OTf)₃ as the Lewis acid catalyst was tolerant to the various N-dialkyl-3-vinylaniline and N-tosylaziridine substrates and provided access to 28 new, highly functionalized THIQs in typically high yields with moderate- to- excellent diastereoselectivities.     

1,9-Bis(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)dipyrromethanes in the synthesis of porphyrins bearing one or two meso substituents

A synthesis of 5,15-disubstituted zinc-porphyrins has been developed that employs condensation of a 1,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)dipyrromethane+a dipyrromethane in refluxing ethanol containing zinc acetate followed by oxidation with DDQ. The N,N-dimethylaminomethylation of the dipyrromethane was achieved via Eschenmoser's reagent (N,N-dimethylmethyleneammonium iodide) in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature. The synthesis is compatible with diverse substituents (e.g., alkyl, aryl, ester, acetal) and enables rapid synthesis of trans-AB-, A₂-, and A-porphyrins. The synthesis of >40 zinc porphyrins has been surveyed; 13 zinc porphyrins were isolated in yields of 5-20% without detectable scrambling.     

Concise synthesis of quinazoline alkaloids, luotonins A and B, and rutaecarpine

The total synthesis of luotonin A was achieved in excellent yield by using a Pd-assisted biaryl coupling reaction of N-(bromoquinolinyl)methylquinazolinone with Cy₃P and KOAc. The successive treatment of luotonin A with NBS and aq. AgNO₃ gave luotonin B in good yield. Although the Pd-assisted coupling reaction of N-(2-bromoindolyl)ethylquinazolinone with Cy₃P and KOAc yielded rutaecarpine in poor yield, N-acetate under the same reaction conditions yielded the desired rutaecarpine directly in excellent yield.     

Concise,efficient and highly selective asymmetric synthesis of (+)-(3S,4R)-cisapride

A concise asymmetric synthesis of the gastroprokinetic agent (+)-(3S,4R)-cisapride {(+)-(3S,4R)-N(1)-[3′-(4″-fluorophenoxy)propyl]-3-methoxy-4-(2″′-methoxy-4″′-amino-5″′-chlorobenzamido)piperidine} from commercially available starting materials has been developed. The key step of this synthesis employs the diastereoselective conjugate addition of lithium (R)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amide to tert-butyl 5-[N-3′-(4″-fluorophenoxy)propyl-N-allylamino]pent-2-enoate and in situ enolate oxidation with (?)-camphorsulfonyloxaziridine to set the (3S,4R)-configuration found within the piperidine ring of the product. This synthesis proceeds in 9 steps from commercially available 1-(4′-fluorophenoxy)-3-bromopropane with an overall yield of 19%.     

Lewis acid-catalyzed [3+3] cycloadditions of donor‒acceptor aziridines with N,N-dialkyl-3-vinylanilines via carbon-carbon bond cleavage

A Lewis acid-catalyzed [3 + 3] cycloaddition reaction of donor?acceptor aziridines with N,N-dialkyl-3-vinylanilines has been developed for the stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs). The reaction performed using Gd(OTf)₃ as the Lewis acid catalyst was tolerant to various N-tosylaziridine and N,N-dialkyl-3-vinylaniline substrates and provided access to highly functionalized THIQs in typically high yields with moderate-to-excellent diastereoselectivities.     

Microwave-assisted cleavage of Weinreb amide for carboxylate protection in the synthesis of a (R)-3-hydroxyalkanoic acid

A versatile route for the modular synthesis of (R)-3-hydroxyalkanoic acids, constituents of the naturally biodegradable poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) polymers, and its application to the synthesis of (R)-3-hydroxydecanoic acid is described. Key steps include a microwave-assisted catalytic transfer hydrogenation and a facile microwave-assisted hydrolysis of an N-methoxy-N-methyl (Weinreb) amide, which enhances the practicality of this protecting group for carboxylic acids.     

Iron-catalyzed sulfonylimine synthesis under neutral conditions

A convenient FeCl₃-catalyzed synthesis of N-sulfonylimines via the condensation of aldehydes with N-sulfonylamides in mild and neutral conditions (in ethanol at room temperature) is reported. This procedure constitutes the first iron-catalyzed synthesis of N-sulfonylimines and is adapted to the condensation of both aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes.     

Practical optical resolution of dl-muscone using tartaric acid derivatives as a chiral auxiliary

A simple and practical synthesis of (R)-(−)-muscone was achieved by optical resolution of dl-muscone using tartaric acid derivatives. The acetalization of dl-muscone with N,N′-dibenzyl-l-tartaramide in the presence of Sc(OTf)₃ and methyl orthoformate furnished a diastereomeric mixture of acetals, which were readily separated by simple recrystallization. Diastereomerically pure acetal was hydrolyzed to give optically pure muscone and recovered N,N′-dibenzyl-l-tartaramide.     

Visible-light-induced N-heterocyclic carbene mediated cascade transformation of N-alkenoxypyridinium salts

While N-alkenoxypyridinium salts are widely used for the synthesis of α-functionalized ketones via umpolung strategy, such approaches are usually limited to special nucleophiles at high temperatures. Herein, we developed an alternative photoinduced N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)- mediated functionalization of N-alkenoxypyridinium salts with various nucleophiles, including tetramethylammonium azide, secondary amines, aryl and alkyl thiols, and even the challenging C(sp³)-nucleophiles, under mild conditions. A cascade radical-radical coupling/nucleophilic substitution sequence was proposed, wherein the NHC enabled the formation of a photoactive electron donor-acceptor complex for α-iodo ketone synthesis.     

Metal-free and highly regioselective synthesis of N-heteroaryl substituted pyrazoles from α,β-unsaturated N-tosylhydrazones and heteroaryl chlorides

A cascade cyclization/nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) reaction of α,β-unsaturated N-tosylhydrazones with N-heteroaryl chlorides was developed for the synthesis of N-heteroaryl pyrazole derivatives. This one-pot reaction provided bi(heteroaryl) derivatives in good to excellent yields and with excellent regioselectivity. The procedure is operationally simple and applicable to large-scale synthesis.     

A new synthesis of alkyl (E)-(3-dimethylamino)acrylates

A highly stereoselective one-step method for the synthesis of alkyl (E)-(3-dimethylamino)acrylates from N,N-dimethylformamide and ketene acetals is reported.     

Synthesis of a secretoglobin 3A2 type C (98–139) fragment by Dawson’s native chemical ligation

A secretoglobin 3A2 type C (98–139) peptide was synthesized by native chemical ligation between ¹¹⁵Ile and ¹¹⁶Cys residues using Dawson’s linker. The peptide-N-acyl-benzimidazolinone-glycine amide, a C-terminal thioesters precursor, was provided from 3-amino-4-(methylamino)benzoic acid. In addition, an N-terminal cysteine fragment, the (116–139) peptide, was prepared by ordinary Fmoc-solid phase peptide synthesis. Native chemical ligation of the (98–115) fragment with the Dawson’s linker and the (116–139) peptide smoothly proceeded to give SCGB3A2 type C (98–139) peptide.     

A stereoselective synthetic approach to (2S,3R)-N-(1′,1′-dimethyl-2′,3′-epoxypropyl)-3-hydroxytryptophan,a component of cyclomarin A

A stereoselective synthetic approach to (2S,3R)-N-(1′,1′-dimethyl-2′,3′-epoxypropyl)-3-hydroxytryptophan an amino acid contained in cyclomarin A was accomplished. The synthesis is based on a diastereoselective addition of an indole Grignard into a chiral serine aldehyde equivalent.     

Synthesis of 5-methylfuro[3,2-c]quinolin-4(5H)-one via palladium-catalysed cyclisation of N-(2-iodophenyl)-N-methyl-3-furamide

A new synthesis of the furo[3,2-c]quinolin-4(5H)-one heterocycle has been developed using a palladium-catalysed cyclisation of N-(2-iodophenyl)-N-methyl-3-furamide. By varying the catalyst, base and solvent, the yield of the cyclisation was optimised. It was found that the use of palladium oxide with potassium acetate in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) with a small amount of tetrabutylammonium chloride gave the highest yield of 5-methylfuro[3,2-c]quinolin-4(5H)-one (9).     

Novel and convenient synthesis of 4(1H)quinolones

A rapid two-step synthesis of 4(1H)quinolones is described. The first step involves condensation of o-nitroacetophenone with N,N-dimethylformamide dimethylacetal yielding highly crystalline enamines. In the second step a reductive cyclization is achieved under catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) conditions. In all cases, the total time of this process was less than 3 h.     

Sur quelques voies d'accès aux carbonitrures CxNy. Exemples à la charniére entre chimie moléculaire et chimie du solide

The synthesis of β-C₃N₄, predicted from ab initio calculations, seems difficult owing to the stability of the N₂ molecule easily formed when high temperatures are involved in the preparation process. Using a high pressure process (P = 3 GPa) with organic precursors (5-azacytosine, 2-amino-4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazine) without solvent, a brown-orange solid was prepared. X-ray diffraction, infra-red spectroscopy and chemical titration show the formation of carbon nitride compounds C_xN_y. The knowledge of chemical mechanisms reveals new prospects about the synthesis of carbon nitride C₃N₄.     

Synthesis of enantiomerically pure 4-aryl-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones via enzymatic resolution: preparation of the antihypertensive agent (R)-SQ 32926

A practical and short synthesis of the enantiomerically pure dihydropyrimidone antihypertensive agent (R)-SQ 32926 has been developed. The key step in the synthesis is the enzymatic resolution of an N3-acetoxymethyl-activated dihydropyrimidone precursor by Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase. The absolute configuration of (R)-SQ 32926 was confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopy.     

Mild, powerful, and robust methods for esterification, amide formation, and thioesterification between acid chlorides and alcohols, amines, thiols, respectively

We developed two efficient practical methods for esterification, amide formation, and thioesterification between acid chlorides and alcohols, amines, thiols, respectively. The present mild and robust reaction was performed by two separate methods both by combining cheap and readily available amines, N-methylimidazole, and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA). Method A uses catalytic N-methylimidazole and TMEDA with an equimolar amount of K₂CO₃, whereas Method B uses equimolar amounts of N-methylimidazole and TMEDA. The salient features are as follows. (i) With regard to reactivity, Method B was superior to Method A for esterification and thioesterification, whereas cost-effective Method A was superior to Method B for amide formation. (ii) Amide formation proceeded smoothly between acid chlorides and less nucleophilic and stereocongested amines such as 2,6-dichloroaniline. (iii) This protocol was applied to the successful synthesis of two agrochemicals, bromobutide and carpropamid.     

An expedient synthesis of (+)-quinolactacin A2

An expedient synthesis of quinolactacin A2 from N-methylisatoic anhydride and N-Boc-(2S,3S)-isoleucine has been achieved. The key step involves the Friedländer-type annulation of isatoic anhydride and β-ketoester derived from isoleucine.