Efficient asymmetric synthesis of (+)-SCH 351448

An efficient and stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-SCH 351448, a novel activator of low-density lipoprotein receptor promoter, has been achieved with a longest linear sequence of 21 steps. Key steps include applications of the recently developed asymmetric allyl- and crotylsilane reagents and a new protodesilylative version of the tandem silylformylation/allylsilylation reaction, which provides an efficient synthesis of 1,5-syn-diols. [reaction: see text]     

Highly selective silylformylation of internal and functionalised alkynes with a cationic dirhodium(II) complex catalyst

The tetracationic complex [Rh₂(MeCN)₂(Naft)₄](BF₄)₄ (Naft = μ-1,8-naphthyridine) was found to be an efficient catalyst for the silylformylation of internal and functionalised alkynes to yield useful synthetic intermediates. The complex exhibits an unprecedented chemoselectivity towards alkyne silylformylation instead of simple hydrosilylation, as well as a good stereoselectivity. The catalytic efficiency of the complex is markedly superior compared to that of previously reported catalysts such as [] or Rh₄(CO)₁₂; incidentally, the performance of the latter catalyst was found to vary dramatically with its shelf-life, which indicates that the catalyst evolves with ageing towards other species, most notably higher nuclearity rhodium carbonyl clusters, which are more chemoselective towards silylformylation. Preliminary results on the determination of the catalytically active species in the case of complex [Rh₂(MeCN)₂(Naft)₄](BF₄)₄ indicate that the complex is reduced in situ to a dirhodium(I) species which maintains the dimeric, lantern-shaped structure.     

Desymmetrization of 4-dimethylsiloxy-1,6-heptadiynes through sequential double silylformylation

[reaction in text] Desymmetrization of dimethylsilyloxyalkadiynes (1) by Rh-catalyzed intramolecular silylformylation affords 5-exo-(formylmethylene)oxasilacyclopentanes 2 in high yields. Novel sequential double silylformylation of 1a also provides desymmetrization, giving 3-(3-silyl-2-formylprop-2-enyl)-5-exo-(formylmethylene)oxasilacyclopentanes 4 in excellent yields. Reduction of 2a and 4 with NaBH(4) gives the corresponding 5-exo-(hydroxymethylmethylene)oxasilacyclopentanes 3a and 5, respectively.     

One-pot,three-component cascade synthesis of new tetrasubstituted pyrroles by coupling reaction of 2-functionally substituted 2-alkenals,amines, and nitroethane

The reactivity of 2-alkylthio(2-alkoxy)-substituted 3-aryl(hetaryl)propenals in a one-pot, three-component reaction with primary amines and nitroethane has been studied. A method for the synthesis of highly functionalized pyrroles (in 36–80% yield) from 2-alkylthiopropenals has been developed on the basis of this reaction. It is found that the reaction proceeds via formation of the intermediate imine of the starting enal, which undergoes 1,2-addition by nitroethane to give kinetically controlled 2-alkylthio-3-alkylamino-1-aryl(hetaryl)-4-nitropentene. When left to stand, upon heating or under microwave assistance, this adduct can be transformed into the thermodynamically controlled 1,4-adduct. The latter undergoes intramolecular cyclization to afford the target pyrrole. A possibility of such isomerization of addition products of nitroalkane to 2-functionalized α,β-unsaturated imines is revealed for the first time. Scope of the reaction depending upon its conditions as well as structure of the starting substrates and amines has been studied.     

Restoration of catalytic activity by the preservation of ligand structure: Cu-catalysed asymmetric conjugate addition with 1,1-diborylmethane

Reported herein is a novel reaction engineering protocol to enhance the efficiency of a transition metal-catalysed process by strategically preventing ligand degradation. Based on spectroscopic investigations, a decomposition pathway of a chiral phosphoramidite ligand during a Cu-catalysed reaction was identified. The involvement of the destructive process could be minimized under the modified reaction conditions that control the amount of nucleophilic alkoxide base, which is the origin of ligand decomposition. Overall, the strategy has been successfully applied to a new class of asymmetric conjugate addition reactions with bis[(pinacolato)boryl]methane, in which α,β-unsaturated enones are utilised as substrates.

A novel Cu-catalysed asymmetric conjugate addition reaction with bis[(pinacolato)boryl]methane using α,β-unsaturated enones as substrates has been developed on the basis of strategic preservation of the supporting ligand.     

Fluoride-promoted rearrangement of organo silicon compounds: a new synthesis of 2-(arylmethyl)aldehydes from 1-alkynes

A new approach to 2-(arylmethyl)aldehydes 4 based upon a 1,2-anionotropic rearrangement of an aryl group is presented. The synthetic sequence begins with a silylformylation reaction of terminal acetylenes 5 with aryl and heteroaryl silanes 6, followed by treatment of the products (Z)-1 with TBAF. The optimization of the experimental conditions of the fluoride-promoted step is described, together with the synthetic potentialities of the process. A plausible mechanism of the rearrangement reaction is reported that suggests the addition of the fluoride ion to the arylsilicon moiety of beta-silylalkenals (Z)-1 and the consequent migration of the aryl group to the adjacent carbon atom. Both aryl and heteroaryl substituents can rearrange without any loss of configuration. Bromo-functionalized substrates undergo an intramolecular reaction that affords exclusively carbacyclobenzyl aldehydes, further enhancing the high synthetic value of this method.     

‘One-flask’ synthesis to 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-triazoles from aldehydes with hydrazonoyl hydrochlorides via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

A new ‘one-flask’ synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-triazoles has successfully been developed to synthesize a series of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-triazoles. The transformation involves the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of hydrazonoyl hydrochlorides with oxime intermediates prepared from aldehydes with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of excess amount of triethylamine. In this ‘one-flask’ 1,3-dipolar reaction, hydrazonoyl hydrochlorides was concerned as the masked 1,3-dipole nitrilimine under basic condition. Furthermore, this newly developed methodology can be applied to various aldehyde substrates including aliphatic, cyclic aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic aldehydes.     

Asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of aldehydes catalyzed by bifunctional chiral Al(III) complexes

A new bifunctional chiral Al(III) complex of BINOL derivative, which contained tert-amine at 3,3′-position of the BINOL, has been developed for the effective enantioselective hydrophosphonylation of aldehydes. A variety of aromatic, heteroaromatic, condensed-ring, α,β-unsaturated, and aliphatic aldehydes were found to be suitable substrates for the reaction, and the desired α-hydroxy phosphonate were obtained in good to excellent yields (up to 99%) with moderate to good enantioselectivities (up to 87% ee) under mild conditions (at 0 °C). A possible catalytic cycle based on the experimental results was proposed.     

Cationic complexes of dirhodium(II) with 1,8-naphthyridine: Catalysis of reactions involving silanes

The synthesis of cationic dirhodium(II) complexes by partial or total substitution of the acetate groups of [Rh₂(OAc)₄] with different homoleptic neutral bidentate ligands has been attempted. The ligand 1,8-naphthyridine gave the best results: substitution of one as well as of all four acetate ligands is possible, giving rise to mono-, di- and tetra-cationic complexes. One of the resulting tetrasubstituted complexes has been structurally characterised and found to exhibit the expected lantern-shaped structure. All cationic complexes have been investigated as catalysts in different reactions involving silanes: promising results have been obtained, particularly in the silylformylation of alkynes.     

A convenient and efficient copper-catalyzed synthesis of unsymmetrical and symmetrical diaryl chalcogenides from arylboronic acids in ethanol at room temperature

A simple and convenient approach for the synthesis of unsymmetrical diaryl chalcogenides (Te, Se, and S) has been developed by copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of organoboronic acid with diaryl dichalcogenide in ethanol using NaBH₄ in air or oxygen. The present methodology is highly practical for the synthesis of unsymmetrical diaryl tellurides with various functionalities such as –NO₂, –F, –Br, and –COOH that have been obtained in good to excellent yields. Methodology is also effective for the synthesis of unsymmetrical diaryl selenides and sulfides. Moreover, symmetrical diaryl selenides have also been obtained from arylboronic acids using elemental selenium powder under optimized reaction conditions. The use of NaBH₄ is the key for the development of milder reaction conditions, which enable the construction of unsymmetrical diaryl chalcogenides from boronic acid substrates in ethanol at room temperature.     

Microwave initiated reactions: Pechmann coumarin synthesis, Biginelli reaction, and acylation

An energy-efficient protocol has been developed for solvent-free reactions that are mildly exothermic but not spontaneous. The exothermic reaction mixture—on several g-scale—is exposed for about 30 s to low power (about 200 W) microwaves and then the microwave oven is switched off. After this short burst of energy, the exothermic reaction gets initiated and proceeds on its own to completion. A number of coumarins were synthesized by the Pechmann reaction using this strategy.     

Spontaneous grafting of diazonium salts: chemical mechanism on metallic surfaces

The spontaneous reaction of diazonium salts on various substrates has been widely employed since it consists of a simple immersion of the substrate in the diazonium salt solution. As electrochemical processes involving the same diazonium salts, the spontaneous grafting is assumed to give covalently poly(phenylene)-like bonded films. Resistance to solvents and to ultrasonication is commonly accepted as indirect proof of the existence of a covalent bond. However, the most relevant attempts to demonstrate a metal-C interface bond have been obtained by an XPS investigation of spontaneously grafted films on copper. Similarly, our experiments give evidence of such a bond in spontaneously grafted films on nickel substrates in acetonitrile. In the case of gold substrates, the formation of a spontaneous film was unexpected but reported in the literature in parallel to our observations. Even if no interfacial bond was observed, formation of the films was explained by grafting of aryl cations or radicals on the surface arising from dediazoniation, the film growing later by azo coupling, radical addition, or cationic addition on the grafted phenyl layer. Nevertheless, none of these mechanisms fits our experimental results showing the presence of an Au-N bond. In this work, we present a fine spectroscopic analysis of the coatings obtained on gold and nickel substrates that allow us to propose a chemical structure of such films, in particular, their interface with the substrates. After testing the most probable mechanisms, we have concluded in favor of the involvement of two complementary mechanisms which are the direct reaction of diazonium salts with the gold surface that accounts for the observed Au-N interfacial bonds as well as the formation of aryl cations able to graft on the substrate through Au-C linkages.     

Stereoselective SN2′ alkylation reaction sequence of the γ,δ-epoxy α,β-unsaturated ester system via γ,δ-chlorohydrin intermediates by the use of a R3Al-CuCN reagent

A novel stereoselective S_N2′ alkylation reaction sequence of the γ,δ-epoxy α,β-unsaturated ester system has been developed which involves a regioselective substitution reaction with chloride ions at the γ-position and a subsequent S_N2′ alkylation reaction of the resulting γ-chloro-δ-hydroxy derivatives with a R₃Al-CuCN reagent. The new methodology was demonstrated to be applicable to a variety of substrates and to provide various δ-hydroxy-α-alkyl-β,γ-unsaturated esters including those bearing a quaternary asymmetric carbon atom at the α-position in a highly stereoselective manner and high yields.     

Solvent-induced selectivity switching: intermolecular allylsilylation, arylsilylation, and silylation of alkynes over montmorillonite catalyst

Proton-exchanged montmorillonite showed catalytic activity for intermolecular allylsilylation, arylsilylation, and terminal silylation of alkynes with allylsilanes. The reaction selectivity greatly depended on the solvent used. Reactions proceeded with various terminal alkynes and allylsilanes in good to moderate yields. The reaction pathways involving cationic Si species on the montmorillonite surface were also investigated.     

An efficient synthesis of 3-(indol-3-yl)quinoxalin-2-ones with TfOH-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts type coupling reaction in air

An efficient one-pot synthetic approach to access a variety of 3-(indol-3-yl)quinoxalin-2-ones from various quinoxalin-2-ones and very wide scope of indoles through TfOH-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts type coupling reaction in DMF has been developed. Only 10 mol % Brønsted acid as a catalyst, air as an oxidizer, and very wide range of substrates are the prominent advantages of this method.     

Synthesis of cyclopropanated [2.2.1] heterobicycloalkenes: An improved procedure

A safer and improved method to our previous report on palladium-catalyzed cyclopropanation of heterobicyclic alkenes has been developed. By using tetrahydrofuran as the solvent and a more dilute aqueous NaOH solution for the generation of diazomethane from Diazald, cyclopropanation could be achieved smoothly with minimal adjustment over the course of reaction. 7-Oxabicyclic substrates with bulky C1 or C2 groups, as well as 2,3-diazabicyclic substrates with various N-substituents, effectively underwent cyclopropanation. Using this methodology, yields to previously reported products were markedly increased, and 10 new cyclopropanated [2.2.1] heterobicyclic products were prepared. In addition, this work accounts for the first reported cyclopropanation of 2,3-diazabicyclic alkenes, which all gave excellent yields of >90%.     

ZrCl4 as a mild and efficient catalyst for the one-pot conversion of TBS and THP ethers to acetates

A mild, efficient and chemoselective method has been developed for the direct transformation of tert-butyldimethylsilyl and tetrahydropyranyl protected alcohols into the corresponding acetates with acetic anhydride and zirconium(IV) chloride as the catalyst in acetonitrile, in a one-pot reaction with high yields and short reaction times. This method has been applied to a variety of substrates.     

Chiral Nanoparticles/Lewis Acids as Cooperative Catalysts for Asymmetric 1,4‐Addition of Arylboronic Acids to α,β‐Unsaturated Amides

Cooperative catalysts consisting of chiral Rh/Ag nanoparticles and Sc(OTf)₃ have been developed that catalyze asymmetric 1,4‐addition reactions of arylboronic acids with α,β‐unsaturated amides efficiently. The reaction has been considered one of the most challenging reactions because of the low reactivity of the amide substrates. The new catalysts provide the desired products with outstanding enantioselectivities (>98 % ee) in the presence of low loadings (<0.5 mol %) of the catalyst.     

Synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ)–oxazoline ligands and their application in enantioselective Henry reactions

A novel family of eleven new tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ)–oxazoline intermediates and five corresponding copper(II) catalysts has been developed and applied to the catalytic asymmetric Henry reaction of various aldehydes with nitromethane to provide β-hydroxy nitroalkanes in high conversion (>99%). This paper describes the synthesis of the TIQ compounds from l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) as the starting material. The chiral ligands were complexed in situ with various transition metals such as Cu, Sc, Co, Zn, Ni and Mn and tested as a chiral catalyst for the Henry reaction. The reaction was optimized in terms of the metal, counter ion, solvent, temperature and over a range of substrates. The corresponding catalyst with copper(II) acetate and 2-propanol as the solvent provides the best enantioselectivities (up to 77% ee) of the corresponding nitroalcohol for 4-chlorobenzaldehyde.     

Characterization of new fluorescent peroxidase substrates

The reagents Lumigen PS-1 and Lumigen PS-3 were originally developed as chemiluminescent substrates for ultrasensitive detection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in homogeneous solution and membrane blotting assays. However, an additional unique feature of these acridan-based reagents is the generation of a fluorescent species on reaction with peroxidase, a property which has been termed as chemifluorescence. These reagents, therefore, represent the first dual-use substrates enabling both chemiluminescent and fluorescent detection. We have developed several additional acridan-based substrates for fluorescent detection of HRP which are capable of subattomole detection sensitivity. By varying several structural parameters within the class of compounds we have produced substrates which either produce fluorescence alone or both chemiluminescence and fluorescence.