Pd0‐Mediated Rapid Cross‐Coupling Reactions,the Rapid C‐[11C]Methylations,Revolutionarily Advancing the Syntheses of Short‐Lived PET Molecular Probes

Positron emission tomography is a noninvasive method for monitoring drug (or diagnostic) behavior and its localization on the target molecules in the living systems, including the human body, using a short‐lived positron‐emitting radionuclide. New methodologies for introducing representative short‐lived radionuclides, ¹¹C and ¹⁸F, into the carbon frameworks of biologically active organic compounds have been established by developing rapid C‐[¹¹C]methylations and C‐[¹⁸F]fluoromethylations using rapid Pd⁰‐mediated cross‐coupling reactions between [¹¹C]methyl iodide (sp³‐hybridized carbon) and an excess amount of organotributylstannane or organoboronic acid ester having sp²(phenyl, heteroaromatic, or alkenyl), sp(alkynyl), or sp³(benzyl and cinnamyl)‐hybridized carbons; and [¹⁸F]fluoromethyl halide (iodide or bromide) and an organoboronic acid ester, respectively. These rapid reactions provide a firm foundation for an efficient and general synthesis of short‐lived ¹¹C‐ or ¹⁸F‐labeled PET molecular probes to promote in vivo molecular imaging studies.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-[2-[<Superscript>18</Superscript>F]fluoro-3-(2-nitro-1<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-imidazole-1-yl)propyl]tyrosine ([<Superscript>18</Superscript>F]FNT]) as a new class of tracer for imaging hypoxia

For detection of hypoxic tumor tissue, all radiotracers synthesized until now, are based on the concept that cellular uptake is being controlled by diffusion. As a new approach, we chose the concept to have the tracer hypothetically transported into the cells by well known carrier systems like the amino acid transporters. For this purpose, radiosynthesis of O-[2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-3-(2-nitro-1H-imidazole-1yl)propyl]tyrosine ([¹⁸F]FNT]) was carried out from methyl 2-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-(4-3-(2-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-2-(tosyloxy)propoxy) phenyl)propanoate via no-carrier-added nucleophilic aliphatic substitution. After labelling, 81 ± 0.9% of labelled intermediate i.e. methyl 2-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-(4-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-3-(2-nitro-1H-imidazole-1-yl)propoxy) phenyl)propanoate was obtained at 140 °C. At the end of radiosynthesis, [¹⁸F]FNT was obtained in an overall radiochemical yield of 40 ± 0.9% (not decay corrected) within 90 min in a radiochemical purity of >98% in a formulation ready for application in the clinical studies for PET imaging of hypoxia.     

Synthesis of the Chiral Pair of a Novel Thromboxane Antagonist, 3‐[2‐(3‐Benzenesulfonylamino‐7‐oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐2‐yl‐methyl)phenyl] Propionic Acid

Preparation of the enantiomeric pair of 3‐[2‐(3‐benzenesulfonylamino‐7‐oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐2‐yl‐methyl)phenyl] propionic acid, a novel thromboxane antagonist is reported. They are synthesized from either enantiomers of known (1R,2R,3R,4S)‐3‐[2‐(3‐carboxy‐7‐oxabicyclo[2,2,1]hept‐2‐yl‐methyl)phenyl]‐propionic acid methyl ester via epimerization, modified Curtius' rearrangement and sulfonylamino formation. Other derivatives may be prepared similarly.     

Sulfonyl Fluoride‐Based Prosthetic Compounds as Potential 18F Labelling Agents

Nucleophilic incorporation of [¹⁸F]F^? under aqueous conditions holds several advantages in radiopharmaceutical development, especially with the advent of complex biological pharmacophores. Sulfonyl fluorides can be prepared in water at room temperature, yet they have not been assayed as a potential means to ¹⁸F‐labelled biomarkers for PET chemistry. We developed a general route to prepare bifunctional 4‐formyl‐, 3‐formyl‐, 4‐maleimido‐ and 4‐oxylalkynl‐arylsulfonyl [¹⁸F]fluorides from their sulfonyl chloride analogues in 1:1 mixtures of acetonitrile, THF, or tBuOH and Cs[¹⁸F]F/Cs₂CO_3(aq.) in a reaction time of 15 min at room temperature. With the exception of 4‐N‐maleimide‐benzenesulfonyl fluoride ( 3 ), pyridine could be used to simplify radiotracer purification by selectively degrading the precursor without significantly affecting observed yields. The addition of pyridine at the start of [¹⁸F]fluorination (1:1:0.8 tBuOH/Cs₂CO_3(aq.)/pyridine) did not negatively affect yields of 3‐formyl‐2,4,6‐trimethylbenzenesulfonyl [¹⁸F]fluoride ( 2 ) and dramatically improved the yields of 4‐(prop‐2‐ynyloxy)benzenesulfonyl [¹⁸F]fluoride ( 4 ). The N‐arylsulfonyl‐4‐dimethylaminopyridinium derivative of 4 ( 14 ) can be prepared and incorporates ¹⁸F efficiently in solutions of 100 % aqueous Cs₂CO₃ (10 mg mL^?1). As proof‐of‐principle, [¹⁸F] 2 was synthesised in a preparative fashion [88(±8) % decay corrected (n=6) from start‐of‐synthesis] and used to radioactively label an oxyamino‐modified bombesin(6–14) analogue [35(±6) % decay corrected (n=4) from start‐of‐synthesis]. Total preparation time was 105–109 min from start‐of‐synthesis. Although the ¹⁸F‐peptide exhibited evidence of proteolytic defluorination and modification, our study is the first step in developing an aqueous, room temperature ¹⁸F labelling strategy.     

Methods for the synthesis of fluorine-18-labeled aromatic amino acids,radiotracers for positron emission tomography (PET)

Potential of electrophilic and nucleophilic methods of radiofluorination in the synthesis of fluorine-18-labeled fluorinated amino acid analogs, radiotracers for positron emission tomography (PET), is considered. The synthesis of 6-L-[¹⁸F]FDOPA ((S)-2-amino-3-(6-[¹⁸F]fluoro-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propionic acid) was used as an example to discuss new elaborations in this field directed on both the improvement of already existing methods and the development of fundamentally new approaches to the introduction of a fluorine-18 label into the nonactivated aromatic ring of amino acids using nucleophilic methods.     

[F]Fluoromethyl iodide ([F]FCH2I): preparation and reactions with phenol, thiophenol, amide and amine functional groups

In this study, we report the synthesis and reactivity of [¹⁸F]fluoromethyl iodide ([¹⁸F]FCH₂I) with various nucleophilic substrates and the stabilities of [¹⁸F]fluoromethylated compounds. [¹⁸F]FCH₂I was prepared by reacting diiodomethane (CH₂I₂) with [¹⁸F]KF, and purified by distillation in radiochemical yields of 14-31% (n = 25). [¹⁸F]FCH₂I was stable in organic solvents commonly used for labeling and aqueous solution with pH 1-7, but was unstable in basic solutions. [¹⁸F]FCH₂I displayed a high reactivity with various nucleophilic substrates such as phenol, thiophenol, amide and amine. The [¹⁸F]fluoromethylated compounds synthesized by the reactions of phenol, thiophenol and tertiary amine with [¹⁸F]FCH₂I were stable for purification, formulation and storage. In contrast, the [¹⁸F]fluoromethylated compounds synthesized by the reactions of primary or secondary amines, and amide with [¹⁸F]FCH₂I were too unstable to be detected or purified from the reaction mixtures. Defluorination of these [¹⁸F]fluoromethyl compounds was a main decomposition route.     

A Resin‐Linker‐Vector Approach to Radiopharmaceuticals Containing 18F: Application in the Synthesis of O‐(2‐[18F]‐Fluoroethyl)‐L‐tyrosine

A Resin‐linker‐vector (RLV) strategy is described for the radiosynthesis of tracer molecules containing the radionuclide ¹⁸F, which releases the labelled vector into solution upon nucleophilic substitution of a polystyrene‐bound arylsulfonate linker with [¹⁸F]‐fluoride ion. Three model linker‐vector molecules 7 a – c containing different alkyl spacer groups were assembled in solution from (4‐chlorosulfonylphenyl)alkanoate esters, exploiting a lipase‐catalysed chemoselective carboxylic ester hydrolysis in the presence of the sulfonate ester as a key step. The linker‐vector systems were attached to aminomethyl polystyrene resin through amide bond formation to give RLVs 8 a – c with acetate, butyrate and hexanoate spacers, which were characterised by using magic‐angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. On fluoridolysis, the RLVs 8 a , b containing the longer spacers were shown to be more effective in the release of the fluorinated model vector (4‐fluorobutyl)phenylcarbamic acid tert‐butyl ester ( 9 ) in NMR kinetic studies and gave superior radiochemical yields (RCY≈60 %) of the ¹⁸F‐labelled vector. The approach was applied to the synthesis of the radiopharmaceutical O‐(2‐[¹⁸F]‐fluoroethyl)‐L ‐tyrosine ([¹⁸F]‐FET), delivering protected [¹⁸F]‐FET in >90 % RCY. Acid deprotection gave [¹⁸F]‐FET in an overall RCY of 41 % from the RLV.     

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Quinazolin-4(3H)-ones Incorporating Sulfonamido-4-thiazolidinone

Some new derivatives 7‐chloro‐2‐[2‐(2,6‐dichlorophenyl)amino]benzyl‐3‐[4‐(2‐substituted phenyl‐4‐oxo‐ thiazolidin‐3‐yl)phenyl]sulfonamido‐quinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones 5a – 5l were synthesized from 2‐[2‐(2,6‐dichloro‐phenyl)amino]phenyl acetic acid via acid chloride, benzoxazinone, amino quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one and Schiff base formation. The synthesized compounds were screened for in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities by broth micro dilution method. Some of the Schiff base as well as 4‐thiazolidinone derivatives showed promising antibacterial activity while pronounced antifungal activity was observed against C. albicans.     

Synthesis and Derivatization of 1,1‐[18F]Difluorinated Alkenes

A general method for the synthesis of 1,1‐[¹⁸F]difluorinated alkenes from [¹⁸F]fluoride is reported. This transformation is highly regioselective giving the desired ¹⁸F‐fluoroalkenes with radiochemical purities of up to 77 % within 20 minutes and a molar activity (A_m) of 1 GBq μmol^?1. The transformations are operationally simple to perform and were readily translated onto a commercial automated synthesis unit. The resultant 1,1‐[¹⁸F]difluorinated alkene motif is prevalent in numerous drug molecules, and this is the first general method to synthesize this motif with fluorine‐18. ¹⁸F‐fluorinated alkenes are excellent building blocks and participate in a number of post‐labeling transformations to access a range of ¹⁸F‐perfluorinated functional groups that have never before been radiolabeled with non‐carrier‐added [¹⁸F]fluoride. This method considerably expands the range of ¹⁸F‐motifs accessible to radiochemists.     

Enantioselective syntheses of no-carrier-added (n.c.a.) (s)-4-chloro-2-[f] fluorophenylalanine and (s)-(α-methyl) -4-chloro-2-[f]fluorophenylalanine

(S)-4-Chloro-2-fluorophenylalanine and (S)-(α-methy)-4-chloro-2-fluorophenylalanine were synthesized and labeled with no carrier added (n.c.a.) fluorine-18 through a radiochemical synthesis relying on the highly enantioselective reaction between 4-chloro-2-[¹⁸F]fluorobenzyl iodide and the lithium enolate of (2S)-1-(tert-butyloxycarbonyl)-2-(tert-butyl)-3-methyl-1,3-imidazolidine-4-one for (S)-4-chloro-2-[¹⁸F]fluorophenylalanine and (2S,5S)-1-(tert-butyloxycarbonyl)-2-(tert-butyl)-3,5-dimethyl-1,3-imidazolidine-4-one for (S)-(α-methyl) -4-chloro-2-[¹⁸F] fluorophenylalanine. Quantities of about 20–25 mCi were obtained at the end of sy nthesi s, ready for injection after hydrolysis and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification, with a radiochemical yield of 17%–20% corrected to the end of bombardment after a total synthesis time of 90–105 min from [¹⁸F] fluoride. The enantiomeric excesses were shown to be 97% or more for both molecules without chiral separation and the radiochemical and chemical purities were 98% or better.     

Targeted Fluorination with the Fluoride Ion by Manganese‐Catalyzed Decarboxylation

We describe the first catalytic decarboxylative fluorination reaction based on the nucleophilic fluoride ion. The reported method allows the facile replacement of various aliphatic carboxylic acid groups with fluorine. Moreover, the potential of this method for PET imaging has been demonstrated by the successful ¹⁸F labeling of a variety of carboxylic acids with radiochemical conversions up to 50 %, representing a targeted decarboxylative ¹⁸F labeling method with no‐carrier‐added [¹⁸F]fluoride. Mechanistic probes suggest that the reaction proceeds through the interaction of the manganese catalyst with iodine(III) carboxylates formed in situ from iodosylbenzene and the carboxylic acid substrates.     

Organomediated Enantioselective 18F Fluorination for PET Applications

The first organomediated asymmetric ¹⁸F fluorination has been accomplished using a chiral imidazolidinone and [¹⁸F]N‐fluorobenzenesulfonimide. The method provides access to enantioenriched ¹⁸F‐labeled α‐fluoroaldehydes (>90 % ee), which are versatile chiral ¹⁸F synthons for the synthesis of radiotracers. The utility of this process is demonstrated with the synthesis of the PET (positron emission tomography) tracer (2S,4S)‐4‐[¹⁸F]fluoroglutamic acid.     

Asymmetric and Geometry‐Selective α‐Alkenylation of α‐Amino Acids

Both E‐ and Z‐N′‐alkenyl urea derivatives of imidazolidinones may be formed selectively from enantiopure α‐amino acids. Generation of their enolate derivatives in the presence of K⁺ and [18]crown‐6 induces intramolecular migration of the alkenyl group from N′ to Cα with retention of double bond geometry. DFT calculations indicate a partially concerted substitution mechanism. Hydrolysis of the enantiopure products under acid conditions reveals quaternary α‐alkenyl amino acids with stereodivergent control of both absolute configuration and double bond geometry.     

Pericyclic Transformations at the Periphery of Chromen‐4‐one (=4H‐1‐Benzopyran‐4‐one): An Unusual Preference for a 1,5‐Shift of Allylic Moieties over the Ene Reaction

Quite unlike the reported facile ene reactions on the periphery of many related heterocyclic systems, similarly disposed moieties on the periphery of the chromen‐4‐one (=4H‐1‐benzopyran‐4‐one) system fail to undergo an ene reaction and display a rather unusual preference for an overall [1,5] shift of the allylic C‐atom. Thus, heating xylene solutions of 2‐(N‐allylanilino)‐, 2‐(N‐crotylanilino)‐, and 2‐(N‐cinnamylamino)‐substituted (E)‐(oxochromenyl)propenoates 9a – c and 2‐[allyl(benzyl)amino]‐, 2‐[benzyl(crotyl)amino]‐, and 2‐[benzyl(cinnamyl)amino]‐substituted (E)‐(oxochromenyl)propenoates 16a – c in a sealed tube at 220–230° leads to a [1,5] shift of the allylic moieties (allyl, crotyl, cinnamyl), which is followed by intramolecular cyclization involving the N‐atom and the ester function, to give the 3‐allyl‐3‐crotyl‐, and 3‐cinnamyl‐substituted‐1‐phenyl‐ or 1‐benzyl‐2H‐[1]benzopyrano[2,3‐b]pyridine‐2,5(1H)‐diones 10a – c and 17a – c . The anticipated carbonyl–ene reaction in the 2‐(N‐allylanilino)‐, 2‐(N‐crotylanilino)‐, 2‐(N‐cinnamylanilino)‐, 2‐[allyl(benzyl)amino]‐, 2‐[benzyl(crotyl)amino]‐, and 2‐[benzyl(cinnamyl)amino]‐substituted 4‐oxochromene‐3‐carboxaldehydes 8a – c and 15a – c is also not observed, and these molecules remain untransformed under identical conditions. No [1,5] shifts of benzyl, phenyl, or methyl groups are observed, even in the absence of allylic moieties, though facile [1,5]‐H shift occurs in 2‐(benzylamino)‐ and 2‐(phenylamino)‐substituted (E)‐(oxochromenyl)propenoates 23a , b , which is followed by a similar intramolecular cyclization leading to the 2H‐[1]benzopyrano[2,3‐b]pyridine‐2,5(1H)‐diones 24a , b .     

Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of thieno[3,4‐b]pyrazine or dithieno[3′,2′:3,4;2″,3″:5,6]benzo[1,2‐d]imidazole‐containing conjugated polymers

Novel conjugated polymers composed of benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene and thieno[3,4‐b]pyrazine or dithieno[3′,2′:3,4;2″,3″:5,6]benzo[1,2‐d]imidazole units are synthesized by Stille polycondensation. The resulting polymers display a longer wavelength absorption and well‐defined redox activities. The effective intramolecular charge‐transfer and energy levels of all polymers are elucidated by computational calculations. Bulk‐heterojunction solar cells based on these polymers as p‐type semiconductors and [6,6]‐phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₁BM) as an n‐type semiconductor are fabricated, and their photovoltaic performances are for the first time evaluated. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1067–1075     

Convenient Synthesis of Piperazine Substituted Quinolones

A series of 1‐[(4‐hydroxy‐2‐oxo‐1‐phenyl‐1,2‐dihydroquinolin‐3‐yl)carbonyl]‐4‐(substituted) piperazines 3a–c and methyl 2‐[(4‐hydroxy‐2‐oxo‐1‐phenyl‐1,2‐dihydroquinolin‐3‐yl)carbonylamino] alkanoates 5a–d has been developed by the direct condensation of ethyl [4‐hydroxy‐2‐oxo‐1‐phenyl‐1,2‐dihydro‐3‐quinoline] carboxylate 2 with N ¹‐monosubstituted piperazine hydrochlorides or amino acid ester hydrochloride in the presence of triethyl amine. The quinolone amino acid esters 5a–d were the key intermediate for the preparation of a series of 1‐[2‐((4‐hydroxy‐2‐oxo‐1‐phenyl‐1,2‐dihydroquinolin‐3‐yl)carbonylamino)alkylcarbony]‐4‐substituted piperazine derivatives 8–11 (a‐d) via azide coupling method with amino acid ester hydrochloride.     

Polynuclear coordination compounds of alkali metal ions with organic chromophores

The crystal structures of sodium 4‐({4‐[N,N‐bis(2‐hydroxy­ethyl)­amino]­phenyl}diazenyl)­benzoate 3.5‐hydrate, Na⁺·C₁₇H₁₈N₃O₄^?·3.5H₂O, (I), and potassium 4‐({4‐[N,N‐bis(2‐hydroxy­ethyl)­amino]­phenyl}diazenyl)­benzoate dihydrate, K⁺·C₁₇H₁₈N₃O₄^?·2H₂O, (II), are described. The results indicate an octahedral coordination around sodium in (I) and a trigonal prismatic coordination around potassium in (II). In both cases, coordination around the metal cation is achieved through O atoms of the water mol­ecules and hydroxy groups of the chromophore. The organic conjugated part of the chromophore is approximately planar in (I), while a dihedral angle of 30.7 (2)° between the planes of the phenyl rings is observed in (II).     

Novel Intramolecular Cyclization of 2‐(Buta‐1,3‐dienyl)benzyl Anions to 6,7(9)‐Dihydro‐5H‐benzocycloheptenyl Anions Leading to Successive Formation of 1,2‐Dihydrocyclopropa[a]naphthalenes

When treated with LiNⁱPr₂ (LDA) at ?78°, 1‐[(methylsulfanyl)methyl]‐2‐[(1Z,3E)‐4‐phenylbuta‐1,3‐dien‐1‐yl]benzene easily cyclized to form benzocycloheptenyl anion, which successively underwent intramolecular nucleophilic substitution to give a cyclopropanaphthalene. Similar LDA‐mediated cyclization also occurred for 4‐phenyl‐ or 4‐methyl‐substituted 1‐[2‐(methoxymethyl)phenyl]buta‐1,3‐dienes to furnish the corresponding benzocycloheptenes and cyclopropanaphthalenes. A 4‐tert‐butyl analog also underwent LDA‐mediated cyclization to give a benzocycloheptene, but not a cyclopropanaphthalene.     

Two orthopalladated chromophores

The title compounds, {5‐(di­methyl­amino)‐2‐[N‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)­imino­methyl]­phenyl}[N‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)‐4‐nitro­salicyl­aldiminato]­palladium(II), [Pd(C₁₄H₁₁N₂O₄)(C₁₆H₁₇N₂O)], (I), and [4‐(diethyl­amino)‐N‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)­sali­cyl­aldiminato]{2‐[N‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)­imino­methyl]‐5‐nitrophenyl}palladium(II) di­chloro­methane hemisolvate, [Pd(C₁₄H₁₁N₂O₃)(C₁₈H₂₁N₂O₂)]·0.5CH₂Cl₂, (II), both contain push–pull chromophores coordinated to Pd in a square‐planar arrangement. In both compounds, the five‐membered orthopalladated ring is essentially planar, while the coordinated six‐membered ring is not. Deviations from a coplanar arrangement of the phenyl­ene rings of the coordinated Schiff bases are observed in both (I) and (II) as a result of intramolecular steric interactions.     

Heteronuclear NMR spectroscopic investigations of hydrogen bonding in 2‐(benzo[d]thiazole‐2′‐yl)‐N‐alkylanilines

The 2‐(benzo[d]thiazole‐2′‐yl)‐N‐alkylanilines have previously revealed the presence of a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond. This in turn gives rise to a more complicated multiplet for the protons attached to the carbon adjacent to the amino group. This intramolecular hydrogen bond was investigated by a deuterium exchange experiment using heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁵ N and ²H). We observed changes in the multiplet structure and chemical shifts providing further evidence that the deuterium replaces the hydrogen in the intramolecular hydrogen bond. A time course study of the D₂O exchange confirmed the presence of a strong hydrogen bond. The comparison of the structures obtained by X‐ray crystallography showed a very small difference in planarity between the two‐substituted and four‐substituted amino compounds. In both the cases, the phenyl ring is not absolutely coplanar with the thiazole unit. The existence of this intramolecular hydrogen bond in 2‐(benzo[d]thiazole‐2′‐yl)‐N‐alkylanilines was further confirmed by single crystal X‐ray crystallography. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.