Synthesis of functionalized dialkyl ketones from carboxylic acid derivatives and alkyl halides

Unsymmetrical dialkyl ketones can be directly prepared by the nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of carboxylic acid chlorides or (2-pyridyl)thioesters with alkyl iodides or benzylic chlorides. A wide variety of functional groups are tolerated by this process, including common nitrogen protecting groups and C-B bonds. Even hindered ketones flanked by tertiary and secondary centers can be formed. The mechanism is proposed to involve the reaction of a (L)Ni(alkyl)(2) intermediate with the carboxylic acid derivative.     

The enantioselective synthesis of alpha-amino acid derivatives via organoboranes

Optically active (S)-alpha-amino acids are prepared in 54-95% ee (12 cases) by reaction of the Schiff base acetate of glycine tert-butyl ester with B-alkyl-9-BBN derivatives in the presence of the Cinchona alkaloid, cinchonidine, and base. The enantiomeric (R)-alpha-amino acids are available in 59-92% ee (3 cases) by using cinchonine as the chiral control element.     

Synthesis of Te-alkyl carbamotelluroates from tellurium,carbon monoxide,amines, and alkyl halides

Lithium amides reacted with tellurium under atmospheric pressure of carbon monoxide to yield lithium carbamotelluroates which were trapped with alkyl halides to give Te-alkyl carbamotelluroates in good yields. Results of control experiments suggested that lithium carbamotelluroates were formed by the reaction of tellurium with carbamoyllithiums generated in situ from lithium amides and carbon monoxide. It was revealed also that yields were improved when tellurium was preliminarily treated with lithium amides prior to the introduction of carbon monoxide into the reaction media.     

Synthesis of homoallylic amines via the palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling of amino acid derivatives

Protected homoallylic amines are synthesized by the decarboxylative coupling of alpha-amino acid derivatives. The catalytic C-C bond-forming reaction relies on the bioinspired decarboxylative metalation of alpha-amino acids to produce alpha-amino anion equivalents. The alpha-amino anion equivalents are intercepted by pi-allyl palladium electrophiles to produce substituted homoallylic amines.     

Novel multicomponent reactions of primary amines and alkyl propiolates with alloxan derivatives in water

A water-accelerated multicomponent synthesis of organic target molecules has been used as a key method for the preparation of novel barbiturate derivatives. The three-component condensation reactions of primary amines with alkyl propiolates in the presence of alloxan derivatives in water are developed as efficient and clean green synthetic procedures for the high-yielding preparation of alkyl 2-(5-hydroxy-2,4,6-trioxohexahydro-5-pyrimidinyl)-3-(alkyl or arylamino)-2-propenoates. The above synthetic protocol provides rapid access to novel and diversely substituted barbiturate derivatives.     

Synthesis of indan-based unusual alpha-amino acid derivatives under phase-transfer catalysis conditions

Conformationally constrained cyclic alpha-amino acid derivatives were synthesized under solid-liquid phase-transfer catalysis conditions. This methodology involves the bis-alkylation of ethyl isocyanoacetate with various alpha,alpha'-dibromo-o-xylene derivatives [alpha,alpha'-dibromo-o-xylene 5, 2,3-bis(bromomethyl)-1, 4-dimethoxybenzene 6, 1,2-bis(bromomethyl)-4,5-dibromobenzene 7, 2, 3-bis(bromomethyl)naphthalene 8, 1,8-bis(bromomethyl)-naphthalene 9, 6,7-bis(bromomethyl)-2,2-dimethyl-1H-phenalene-1,3(2H)-dione 10, 2, 3-bis(bromomethyl)-1,4-anthraquinone 11, 6, 7-bis(bromomethyl)quinoxaline 12, 3,4-bis(bromomethyl)furan 13, 1,2, 4,5-tetrakis(bromomethyl)benzene 28, and hexakis(bromomethyl)benzene 30] using potassium carbonate as a base and tetrabutylammonium hydrogensulfate as a phase-transfer catalyst to give corresponding isonitrile derivatives, which upon hydrolysis with HCl in ethanol gave amino esters. Using this method electron-deficient as well as electron-rich and halogen-substituted indan-based alpha-amino acids were prepared. The preparation of bis-indan as well as tris-indan alpha-amino esters is also described.     

Synthesis of substituted tryptanthrin via aryl halides and amines as antitumor and anti-MRSA agents

The natural alkaloid, tryptanthrin (indolo[2,1-b]quinazoline-6,12-dione), and its analogues are found to exhibit potent antitumor and anti-MRSA activities. An efficient and convenient method has been developed for the synthesis of tryptanthrin D-ring derivatives through the reaction of substituted tryptanthrins and secondary amines in moderate to good yields. Some of the new compounds exhibited antitumor activities against the human tumor cell lines A549, HCT116 and MDA-MB-231, with mean IC₅₀ values at low micromolar levels. In addition, some of the compounds showed excellent anti-MRSA activities and were more effective than vancomycin, with MIC values of 0.31–1.25 μg/mL for Mu50,RN4220, and Newman strains.     

Cross-couplings of alkyl halides with heteroaromatic halides, in water at room temperature

Zn-mediated, Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions between heteroaromatic and alkyl halides can be done at room temperature in pure water using a commercially available Pd catalyst and PTS, a nanomicelle-forming amphiphile. Notably, zinc metal inserts selectively into a carbon sp³-halide bond, while palladium adds oxidatively to a carbon sp²-bond.     

Mild ketone formation via Ni-catalyzed reductive coupling of unactivated alkyl halides with acid anhydrides

Ni-catalyzed ketone formation through mild reductive coupling of a diverse set of unactivated alkyl bromides and iodides with particularly aryl acid anhydrides was successfully developed using zinc as the terminal reductant. These conditions also allow direct coupling of alkyl iodides with aryl acids in the presence of Boc(2)O and MgCl(2).     

Pd-catalyzed Negishi coupling of pyrazole triflates with alkyl zinc halides

A mild, functional group tolerant palladium-catalyzed Negishi coupling of pyrazole triflates and nonaflates with alkyl, benzyl, and aryl zinc halides has been developed. It allows quick access to 3-substituted pyrazole analogs at late stage via common synthetic intermediates.     

Ketone formation via mild nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of alkyl halides with aryl acid chlorides

The present work highlights unprecedented Ni-catalyzed reductive coupling of unactivated alkyl iodides with aryl acid chlorides to efficiently generate alkyl aryl ketones under mild conditions.     

Nucleophilic substitution of alkyl halides by zinc salts-32 preparation of tertiary alkyl esters and ethers under non-solvolytic conditions

Zinc salts of carboxylic acids, phenols and alcohols are found to react with tertiary alkyl halides in nonpolar solvents and in presence of a base yielding the corresponding esters and ethers in moderate to good yields.     

Synthesis of alkyl indole derivatives

Condensation of arylamines with α-halogenoketone afforded the intermediate anilino-ketones which on direct cyclization furnished the corresponding alkylindoles. Synthesis of 2,3,5-trimethyl-4,7-dimethoxyindole (5a) and 2,3,6-trimethyl-7-methoxyindole (5b) is described. Earlier (1) synthesis of 2,3-dimethyl-4,7-dimethoxyindole and 1,2,3-trimethyl-4,7-dimethoxy-indole is reported.     

Soluble polymer supported synthesis of alpha-amino acid derivatives

A Schiff base activated glycine supported on a soluble polymer (poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)) was readily alkylated with a wide variety of electrophiles in the presence of a carbonate base in acetonitrile. The presence of the polymer provided a phase-transfer catalysis environment which accelerated the reaction. Effects of various carbonate bases and leaving groups have been also studied. Completion of the PEG-supported reaction was obtained without using a large excess of reagents or an extra phase-transfer catalyst, even in the case of unreactive or hindered electrophiles. After cleavage from the polymer, alpha-amino esters are obtained in good yields.     

The direct synthesis of tertiary amines with three different substituents via the reaction of primary amines, alkyl halides, and α-chlorine substituted allylsilanes catalyzed by Lewis acids

Tertiary amines with three different substituents were obtained in a single step by the CuCl/B(OMe)₃ or B(OMe)₃-catalyzed reaction of α-chlorine substituted allylsilanes, alkyl halides, and primary amines.     

Facile N-derivatization of alpha-amino esters and amides via benzotriazolylmethyl derivatives

Alpha-(N-substituted amino)esters were prepared in a two-step procedure from available unsubstituted alpha-amino esters. alpha-Amino esters are first converted into the corresponding N-benzotriazolylmethyl derivatives; in the second step, the benzotriazole group is substituted by various nucleophiles with or without the presence of a Lewis acid to give substituted alpha-amino esters in high overall yield under mild conditions with no signs of racemization. Boc-protected amino acids were converted into alpha-amino amides; subsequent deprotection allowed the conversion into N-substituted derivatives analogously to the alpha-amino esters, without racemization in high yields under mild conditions.     

Synthesis of beta-substituted alpha-amino acids via Lewis acid promoted enantioselective radical conjugate additions

[Chemical reaction: See text] Lewis acid promoted radical conjugate additions to beta-substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated alpha-nitro esters and amides were investigated. With achiral Lewis acids, there was competition between the desired radical conjugate addition and undesired alkene reduction mediated by Bu3nH. Zinc Lewis acids provided the greatest amounts of addition products with both substrate classes. Studies with Bu3nD indicated that the acidic alpha-stereocenter of the alpha-nitro ester products does not racemize under controlled workup conditions. The corresponding alpha-nitro amides racemized significantly during chromatography, but this problem could be greatly minimized by subjecting the crude adducts to subsequent transformations. Indium-mediated reduction of the nitro group followed by acylation of the resulting amine provided good yields of beta-substituted alpha-amino acid derivatives with mimimal levels of racemization. Attempts to use chiral Lewis acids in a stereoselective variant of this process revealed that Kanemasa's DBFOX/Ph ligand (14a) was uniquely effective. Moderate to good ee's and low dr's were obtained with amide substrates. Determination of the absolute configurations of the syn and anti isomers of adduct 7b showed that the hydrogen atom abstraction step was significantly more stereoselective than the radical conjugate addition step. A model for substrate binding to the chiral Lewis acid is presented.     

Solvolytic displacement of alkyl halides by metal salts: Preparative procedures for allyl-, benzyl- and tertiary alkyl-oxy derivatives using the zinc salts

Reaction of allylic, benzylic and tertiary alkyl halides with zinc oxide in protic solvents leads to the formation of the corresponding alcohol, ethers and esters in good yields. The scope and limitations of this reaction have been examined. The possible involvement of ion quadruplets in the reaction is suggested.     

The Barbier-Grignard-type carbonyl alkylation using unactivated alkyl halides in water

The aqueous Barbier-Grignard-type alkylation of aldehydes with unactivated alkyl iodides and bromides was developed. By using a combination of zinc and cuprous iodide, catalyzed by indium(I) chloride, we successfully added tertiary, secondary, and primary alkyl halides to various aromatic aldehydes in 0.07 M aqueous Na2C2O4. A mechanistic rationale for the success of the reaction has been proposed.