Geminally activated β-nitrostyrenes in reactions with cyclic β-diketones

The interaction of gem-benzoylnitroethenes and gem-alkoxycarbonylnitroethenes with cyclic β-diketones (dihydroresorcinol and dimedone) occurs as a one-pot process via sequential Ad_N and S_N steps followed by denitration to give functionally substituted hexahydrobenzofurans. The intermediate products of the nucleophilic addition have been isolated in the reactions of gem-acetylnitroethenes with dihydroresorcinol. The structures of the synthesized compounds have been confirmed by IR, ¹H, and ¹³C-{¹H} spectroscopy including the heteronuclear correlation experiments (¹H-¹³C HMQC and ¹H-¹³C HMBC).     

A new flexible strategy for the synthesis of gem-difluoro-bisarylic derivatives and heterocyclic analogues

A new strategy has been designed for the preparation of gem-difluoro-bisarylic derivatives. It starts from easily accessible and reactive gem-difluoro-propargylic intermediates and elaborates the aromatic rings by a Diels-Alder-aromatization sequence. Heterocyclic systems can be also obtained by 1,3 dipolar cycloadditions, affording mixed aromatic/heteroaromatic derivatives with CF₂ as a linker. Since this motif is a bioisostere of O and CO, corresponding bisarylic scaffolds could be of use to prepare chemical libraries of fluorinated analogues of bioactive natural products and/or drugs.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of potent glycosidase inhibitors: 4-deoxy-4,4-difluoroisofagomine and analogues

A series of 4,4-difluoroisofagomine analogues were synthesized. These compounds were tested for inhibition of eight glycosidases. The 3R,5R isomer 1 is a new and potent inhibitor against β-glucosidase from almonds with K_i value of 1.2 μM. The influence of the gem-difluoromethylene group (CF₂) on binding to glycosidases is discussed. It is concluded that only non-essential hydroxyl groups can be replaced by the gem-difluoro group and that in such a case (β-glycosidase) the change in inhibition is, interestingly, a result of the change in base strength.     

Regio-selective hydroxylation of gem-difluorinated octanes by alkane hydroxylase (AlkB)

gem-Difluoromethylene substituted molecules constitute a distinct class of fluorinated compounds. In this study, special chemistry has been developed for their preparation based on the highly selective terminal hydroxylation of these gem-difluorinated octanes by AlkB (alkane hydroxylase) from Pseudomonas putida Gpo1 to form gem-difluorinated octan-1-ols. The hydroxylation reaction is performed by whole-cell catalysis. Identification of the distal- and proximal-hydroxylation products was made by ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁹F NMR; GC and GC/MSD; and/or by comparison with authentic standards in GC. To the best of our knowledge, we have obtained the first synthesis of 2,2-, 3,3- and 4,4-difluorooctan-1-ols, from simple and inexpensive starting materials.     

Highly efficient copper/palladium-catalyzed tandem Ullman reaction/arylation of azoles via C-H activation: synthesis of benzofuranyl and indolyl azoles from 2-(gem-dibromovinyl)phenols(anilines) with azoles

In this paper, a novel and highly efficient copper/palladium-catalyzed tandem intramolecular Ullman-type C-O(N) coupling reaction of 2-(gem-dibromovinyl)phenols(anilines) followed by an intermolecular arylation of azoles through C-H activation has been developed. In the presence of CuBr with Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂ used as co-catalyst, and LiO^tBu as a base, the one-pot reactions of 2-(gem-dibromovinyl)phenols and 2-(gem-dibromovinyl)anilines with a variety of azoles, including oxazoles, imidazoles, thiazoles, and oxadiazoles underwent smoothly in toluene at 100 °C to generate the corresponding biheteroaryl products in high yields. A tentative mechanism of copper/palladium-catalyzed tandem reaction was described.     

Exploring benzylic gem-C(sp3)–boron–silicon and boron–tin centers as a synthetic platform

A stepwise build-up of multi-substituted C_sp³ carbon centers is an attractive, conceptually simple, but often synthetically challenging type of disconnection. To this end, this report describes how gem-α,α-dimetalloid-substituted benzylic reagents bearing boron/silicon or boron/tin substituent sets are an excellent stepping stone towards diverse substitution patterns. These gem-dimetalloids were readily accessed, either by known carbenoid insertion into C–B bonds or by the newly developed scalable deprotonation/metallation approach. Highly chemoselective transformations of either the C–Si (or C–Sn) or the C–B bonds in the newly formed gem-C_sp³ centers have been achieved through a set of approaches, with a particular focus on exploiting the synthetically versatile polarity reversal in organometalloids by λ³-aryliodanes. Of particular note is the metal-free arylation of the C–Si (or C–Sn) bonds in such gem-dimetalloids via the iodane-guided C–H coupling approach. DFT calculations show that this transfer of the (α-Bpin)benzyl group proceeds via unusual [5,5]-sigmatropic rearrangement and is driven by the high-energy iodine(iii) center. As a complementary tool, the gem-dimetalloid C–B bond is shown to undergo a potent and chemoselective Suzuki–Miyaura arylation with diverse Ar–Cl, thanks to the development of the reactive gem-α,α-silyl/BF₃K building blocks.

This work explores divergent reactivity of the benzylic gem-boron–silicon and boron–tin double nucleophiles, including the arylation of the C–B bond with Ar–Cl, along with a complementary oxidative λ³-iodane-guided arylation of the C–Si/Sn moiety.     

gem-Difluoromethylation of α- and γ-ketoesters: preparation of gem-difluorinated α-hydroxyesters and γ-butyrolactones

PhSCF₂SiMe₃ has been demonstrated as difluoromethyl carbanion synthon (⁻CF₂H). It reacts chemoselectively with α- and γ-ketoesters at the keto group in the presence of a catalytic amount of TBAF in THF to give the corresponding α-hydroxy ester adducts as well as γ-gem-difluorophenylsulfanylmethylated-γ-butyrolactones in good yields. Reductive cleavage of the phenylsulfanyl group of these products employing Bu₃SnH/AIBN gives the corresponding gem-difluoromethylated α-hydroxyesters and γ-butyrolactones in good yields.     

gem-Dihalocyclopropane formation by iron/copper activation of tetrahalomethanes in the presence of nucleophilic olefins. Evidence for a carbene pathway

The activation of CBr₄ and CCl₄ by a bimetallic iron/copper couple in acetonitrile is a new, inexpensive, nontoxic and efficient procedure for gem-dibromo- and gem-dichloromethylenation of nucleophilic alkenes. This new route to gem-dihalocyclopropanes involves dihalocarbene species.     

Practical synthesis of gem-difluorides from cyclohexanone: Synthesis of gem-bistrifluoroacetates and their reactions with fluoride nucleophiles

Formation of ketone acylals bearing trihaloacetoxy groups and their nucleophilic geminal disubstitution by fluoride ions were investigated. Cyclohexanone reacted with trifluoroacetic anhydride without catalyst to give gem-bistrifluoroacetates via a concerted bimolecular reaction. Treatment with hydrogen fluoride under mild conditions efficiently yielded the corresponding gem-difluorides. In this reaction process, trifluoroacetic acid was recovered and converted to trifluoroacetic anhydride using P₂O₅. Since gem-difluorides were derived from ketones, HF and P₂O₅, this constitutes a practical synthesis of gem-difluorides.     

Dérivés de sucres à groupement gem-dihalogénoéthényle

Carbohydrate Derivatives Bearing a gem-Dihalogenoethenyl Group Treated with the appropriate Wittig reagent, aldehydosugar derivatives ( 1–13 ) led in good to excellent yields to the expected gem-difluoro, gem-chlorofluoro-and/or gem-dichloroenoses ( 14–29 ). Examples of their dibromo analogues had been previously described (see e.g. [1]) but the diiodo derivatives could not be isolated, The influence of the conditions on the yields is reported as well as spectroscopic properties (particularly the long-range ¹³C, ¹⁹F- and ¹H, ¹⁹F-coupling constants) of these new enoses.     

Rhodium-Catalyzed Regio- and Diastereoselective [3+2] Cycloaddition of gem-Difluorinated Cyclopropanes with Internal Olefins

Direct synthesis of gem-difluorinated carbocyclic molecules represents a longstanding challenge in organic chemistry. Herein, a Rh-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reaction between readily available gem-difluorinated cyclopropanes (gem-DFCPs) and internal olefins has been developed, enabling the efficient synthesis of gem-difluorinated cyclopentanes with good functional group compatibility, excellent regioselectivity and good diastereoselectivity. The resulting gem-difluorinated products can undergo downstream transformations to access various mono-fluorinated cyclopentenes and cyclopentanes. This reaction demonstrates the use of gem-DFCPs as a type of “CF₂” C3 synthon for cycloaddition under transition metal catalysis, which provides potential strategy for synthesizing other gem-difluorinated carbocyclic molecules.     

Synthesis of gem-diamino derivatives on solid support

Anchoring of an α-amino-acid amide residue by its amine function to a carbamate resin followed by primary amide Hofmann rearrangement led to a gem-diamino residue linked to the resin. The generated primary amine could be acylated with various carboxylic compounds offering a large variety of molecules. Furthermore, this new solid-phase strategy allowed a reliable synthesis of a gem-diamino monomeric residue which could not be easily obtained in solution due to the limited stability of monocarbamate-protected gem-diaminoalkyl derivatives.     

gem-Diol-Type Intermediate in the Activation of a Ketone on Sn-β Zeolite as Studied by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

Lewis acid zeolites have found increasing application in the field of biomass conversion, in which the selective transformation of carbonyl-containing molecules is of particular importance due to their relevance in organic synthesis. Mechanistic insight into the activation of carbonyl groups on Lewis acid sites is challenging and critical for the understanding of the catalytic process, which requires the identification of reaction intermediates. Here we report the observation of a stable surface gem-diol-type species in the activation of acetone on Sn-β zeolite. ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn, and ¹³C–¹¹⁹Sn double-resonance NMR spectroscopic studies demonstrate that only the open Sn site ((SiO)₃Sn-OH) on Sn-β is responsible for the formation of the surface species. ¹³C MAS NMR experiments together with density functional theory calculations suggest that the gem-diol-type species exhibits high reactivity and can serve as an active intermediate in the Meerwein—Ponndorf–Verley–Oppenauer (MPVO) reaction of acetone with cyclohexanol. The gem-diol-type species offers an energy-preferable pathway for the direct carbon-to-carbon hydrogen transfer between ketone and alcohol. The results provide new insights into the transformation of carbonyl-containing molecules catalyzed by Lewis acid zeolites.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Highly Selective Photoredox C(sp2)−H Difluoroalkylation and Perfluoroalkylation of Hydrazones

The first gold‐catalyzed photoredox C(sp²)?H difluoroalkylation and perfluoroalkylation of hydrazones with readily available R_F?Br reagents is reported. The resulting gem‐difluoromethylated and perfluoroalkylated hydrazones are highly functionalized, versatile molecules. A mild reduction of the coupling products can efficiently produce gem‐difluoromethylated β‐amino phosphonic acids and β‐amino acid derivatives. In mechanistic studies, a difluoroalkyl radical intermediate was detected by an EPR spin‐trapping experiment, indicating that a gold‐catalyzed radical pathway is operating.     

Characterization of gem-difluoropropargyl synthons through HF loss from protonated molecules in methane chemical ionization mass spectra

Electron impact and methane chemical ionization mass spectra were obtained following gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for several gem-difluoropropargyl compounds, which had been synthesized as potential intermediates for synthesis of gem-difluoromethylene-containing C-3 acetylenes. EI spectra were variable with respect to the presentation of molecular ions, depending on substituent functional groups present. Methane-CI spectra were characterized by loss of 19 mass units from molecular weight with all compounds examined. These [M − 19]⁺ ions often presented as base peaks of the CI spectra, and were more reliably present and abundant than [M + 1]⁺ ions for these compounds. These ions could have been formed by elimination of HF from the protonated molecules under conditions of methane chemical ionization.     

Ionic liquids as recyclable solvents for diethylaminosulfur trifluoride (DAST) mediated fluorination of alcohols and carbonyl compounds

The first simple and efficient method for the synthesis of mono and gem-difluorinated molecules using [C₈mim][PF₆] ionic liquid as a recyclable solvent medium with diethylaminosulfur trifluoride (DAST) as the fluorinating reagent, is reported.     

Synthesis and chiroptical property of C2-symmetric cyclohexapyrrole

Condensation reaction of gem-dimethyldipyrrylmethane-5,5′-dicarbinol and 4,4′-dimethyl-3,3′-di-iso-butyl-2,2′-bipyrrole under the catalysis by trifluoroacetic acid gave a hexapyrrolic macrocycle 6 in 15% yield after DDQ oxidation. X-ray crystallography of 6 shows that three parts of highly planar dipyrrylmethene unit are assembled by two sp³ hybridized gem-dimethyl carbon bridges and one direct linking at the pyrrole α-positions, leading to C₂ molecular symmetry. The complexation of 6 with (S)-(+)- and (R)-(−)-mandelic acid induced a CD Cotton effect at 461 and 650 nm.     

Synthesis of Selectively gem-Difluorinated Molecules; Chiral gem-Difluorocyclopropanes via Chemo-Enzymatic Reaction and gem-Difluorinated Compounds via Radical Reaction

The incorporation of fluorine atoms into an organic compound can alter the chemical reactivity or biological activity of the resulting compound due to the strong electron withdrawing nature of the fluorine atom. We have synthesized many original gem-difluorinated compounds and described the results in four sections. The first section describes the synthesis of optically active-gem-difluorocyclopropanes via the chemo-enzymatic reaction; we applied these compounds to liquid crystalline molecules, then further discovered a potent DNA cleavage activity for the gem-difluorocyclopropane derivatives. The second section describes the synthesis of selectively gem-difluorinated compounds via a radical reaction; we synthesized fluorinated analogues of a sex pheromone of the male African sugarcane borer, Eldana saccharina, and used the compounds as proof for investigating the origin of pheromone molecule recognition on the receptor protein. The third involves the synthesis of 2,2-difluorinated-esters by visible light-driven radical addition of 2,2-difluoroacetate with alkenes or alkynes in the presence of an organic pigment. The last section describes the synthesis of gem-difluorinated compounds via the ring-opening of gem-difluorocyclopropanes. We further developed a novel method of synthesizing gem-difluorohomoallylic alcohols via the ring-opening of gem-difluorocyclopropane and aerobic oxidation by photo-irradiation in the presence of an organic pigment. Since gem-difluorinated compounds that were prepared by the present method have two olefinic moieties with a different reactivity at the terminal position, we accomplished the synthesis of four types of gem-difluorinated cyclic alkenols via the ring-closing-metathesis (RCM) reaction.     

One-pot synthesis of benzimidazoles from gem-dibromomethylarenes using o-diaminoarenes

A one-pot synthesis of benzimidazoles from gem-dibromomethylarenes is described. The reaction shows the method to prepare a variety of benzimidazole analogues with excellent yield.