Enantioselective synthesis of 20(S)-camptothecin using an enzyme-catalyzed resolution

The important key intermediate of a 20(S)-camptothecin synthesis was prepared enantioselectively using an enzyme-catalyzed resolution. A commercially available papain was found to exhibit the highest enantioselectivity with moderate activity, and the (S)-enantiomer of 99% ee was obtained as the remaining substrate.     

Asymmetric synthesis of functionalized piperidine derivatives: synthesis of (S)-anatabine

A short and efficient chiral synthesis of 6-aryl-5-phenylsulfonyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridines was achieved in moderate yield and with good selectivity. The absolute configurations were assigned by extending the methodology to (S)-anatabine and as well with NMR experiments.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (S)-dapoxetine

An efficient enantioselective synthesis leading directly to (+)-(S)-dapoxetine has been described for the first time using a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, Barton–McCombie deoxygention, and Mitsunobu reaction as the key steps.     

S(N) 2' Alkylation of Cyclopropanols via Homoenolates

Reining in reactivity: Stereoselective S(N) 2' alkylation of cyclopropanols has been devised under the control of mixed zinc/copper reagents. This method provides convenient access to enantiopure keto homoenolates which react with electrophiles (El(+) ) to form C?C bonds. M=metal.     

Enantioselective synthesis of functionalized 3,4-dihydropyran derivatives organocatalyzed by a novel fluorinated-diphenylprolinolether

A novel fluorinated diarylprolinol silyl ether catalyst have been designed and it successfully applicated in the first asymmetric Michael addition-cyclization reaction between 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes at room temperature. The products were isolated in good yields with high diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (S)-bisoranjidiol, an axially chiral bisanthraquinone

The first enantioselective total synthesis of the bisanthraquinone (S)-bisoranjidiol and an unnatural regioisomer has been accomplished. Key features of the synthesis include the asymmetric oxidative biaryl coupling of a hindered 8-substituted 2-naphthol, selective para-quinone formation, and regioselective tandem Diels-Alder/aromatization reactions.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (S)-(+)-pantolactone

[reaction: see text] The Prins reaction of a chiral alkylidene morpholinone derived from (1R,2S)-ephedrine and 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoic acid proceeds with good diastereoselectivity to generate a spiro bis-acetal. Lewis acid mediated diastereoselective reductive cleavage of the spiro acetal and subsequent removal of the ephedrine portion generates a alpha-hydroxy-gamma-methoxy carboxamide which is readily converted to (S)-(+)-pantolactone with high enantiomeric excess.     

Enantioselective synthesis of N1999A2

An enantioselective synthetic route to the enediyne antibiotic N1999A2 (1) is described, proceeding in 21 steps (0.4% yield, 77% average yield per step) from (R)-(+)-glycidol. The route involves the convergent assembly of three components: a (1-iodovinyl) stannane (2), a 1,5-hexadiyne-3,4-diol derivative (3), and a substituted naphthoic acid (4). Important transformations in the synthetic sequence include the palladium-catalyzed coupling of 2 and 3, an intramolecular oxidative cyclization of a terminal bisacetylene, and a transannular anionic (bi)cyclization of a cyclic bromoenetriyne. The careful selection and manipulation of protective groups throughout the sequence proved to be critical to the development of the synthetic route, where all late-stage intermediates were unstable and could not be concentrated. In the final step of the sequence, three protective groups were removed in a single operation, providing synthetic N1999A2 (1) in 76% yield. Conditions were found that, for the first time, led to the precipitation of 1 as a solid.     

Enantioselective synthesis of spirocyclic aminochroman derivatives according to the CN(R,S) strategy

Enantiomerically pure (3'R)- and (3'S)-3',4'-dihydrospiro[piperidine-2,3'(2'H)-benzopyran]s (R)-10 and (S)-10 were successfully synthesized according to the CN(R,S) methodology with the aim of serving as a pattern for the generation of related spirocyclic compounds. Two different synthetic pathways were studied starting from 2-cyano-6-phenyloxazolopiperidine (-)-2. One of them was selected and used for the preparation of amines (R)-17 and (S)-17 starting from (-)-2 and (+)-2, respectively. The enantiomeric purity of all final aminochroman derivatives was determinated by capillary electrophoresis using beta-cyclodextrin as the chiral selector.     

Scope and mechanism of formal S(N)2' substitution reactions of a monomeric imidozirconium complex with allylic electrophiles

The zirconium imido complex Cp2(THF)Zr=NSi(t-Bu)Me2 (1) reacts with allylic ethers, chlorides, and bromides to give exclusively the products of the SN2' reaction; i.e., attack at the allylic position remote from the leaving group with migration of the double bond. The primary amine products can be isolated in excellent yields, after in situ Cbz protection, in the presence of variety of functional groups. Good diastereoselectivity and complete stereoselectivity allowed the formation of enantioenriched allylic amines from enantioenriched allylic ethers. Regiospecific substitution with 1 has also been achieved with allylic fluorides, which are notoriously poor substrates in other substitution reactions. On the basis of rate and kinetic isotope effect studies, we propose a general mechanism for the allylic substitution reactions with 1 which involves dissociation of THF and binding of the substrate, followed by the substitution step. In a DFT study of the substitution reaction, we identified a six-membered closed transition state for the substitution step and other relevant stationary points along the reaction coordinate. This study shows that the substitution reaction can be described as a concerted asynchronous [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. This detailed knowledge of the reaction mechanism provides a rationale for the origins of the observed regio-, diastereo-, and stereoselectivity and of the unusual reactivity profile observed in the reaction.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (S,S)-ethambutol using proline-catalyzed asymmetric α-aminooxylation and α-amination

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of (S,S)-ethambutol, a tuberculostatic antibiotic, has been achieved in 99% ee via both proline-catalyzed α-aminooxylation and α-amination of n-butyraldehyde as the key step.     

Carbon-rich organometallics: synthesis and characterization of new ferrocenyl end-capped bis(butadiynyl) fluorene derivatives

A new series of ferrocenyl end-capped bis(butadiynyl) fluorene complexes [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Fe(η⁵-C₅H₄)CCCCRCCCC(η⁵-C₅H₄)Fe(η⁵-C₅H₅)] (R = fluoren-9-one-2,7-diyl, 1; 9,9-dihexylfluorene-2,7-diyl, 2; 9-ferrocenylmethylenefluorene-2,7-diyl, 3; 9-ferrocenylphenylmethylenefluorene-2,7-diyl, 4) have been synthesized in moderate yields by the oxidative coupling reactions of ethynylferrocene with half equivalents of the appropriate diethynylfluorene derivatives. All the new complexes have been characterized by FTIR, NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The molecular structures of selected molecules have been determined by X-ray crystallographic techniques. The electronic absorption and redox properties of these carbon-rich molecules were investigated and the data were compared with those for the corresponding 2,7-bis(ferrocenylethynyl)fluorene counterparts. Cyclic voltammetry indicates that the half-wave potential of the terminal ferrocenyl moieties becomes more anodic when the number of ethynyl units increases and when the 9-substituent of the central fluorene ring changes from an electron-donating group to an electron-deficient group.     

Design, synthesis and anti flaviviridae activity of N(6)-, 5',3'-O- and 5',2'-O-substituted adenine nucleoside analogs

During a random screening of representative libraries of nucleoside analogues we discovered that the adenine derivatives FEVB28 and FEG118 were Flaviviridae inhibitors endowed with potency comparable, if not superior, to that of ribavirin. Those studies prompted us to design a new class of protected nucleoside analogs, reported herein, which displays interesting anti-bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) activity and low cytotoxicity in cell-based assays (4, 23, 29 EC(50): 14, 11, 26 microM respectively, CC(50)>100 microM) and appreciable activity in enzyme assays against the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of BVDV (4, 23, 29, RdRp inhibition activity 27, 16, 15 microM respectively). A molecular modeling study was also carried out to highlight the possible interactions between this compounds class and the corresponding hepatitis C virus (HCV) enzyme.     

Facile synthesis of novel functionalized bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF) derivatives

An improved and efficient synthetic route to four functionalized bis(ethylenedithio)-tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF) derivatives 2-5 is reported. Tetrathiolate 1 was readily prepared from 2,2'-bis(1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalen-5-one) under carefully controlled conditions. Subsequent reaction of 1 with selected primary alkyl halides affords new functionalized BEDT-TTF derivatives in good yields.     

Preparation of polyfunctional zinc organometallics using an Fe- or Co-catalyzed Cl/Zn-exchange

A new Fe- or Co-catalyzed Cl/Zn-exchange reaction allows the direct transformation of aryl, heteroaryl, and also alkyl chlorides into the corresponding zinc reagents. The method tolerates functional groups such as a nitrile or an ester. Remarkably, secondary and tertiary alkyl chlorides are suitable substrates for the Cl/Zn exchange.     

Regioselective C-2 and C-6 substitution of (S)-nicotine and nicotine derivatives

[reaction: see text] Regioselective deprotonations of (S)-nicotine and derivatives at the C-2 and C-6 positions of the pyridine ring were performed in good to excellent yields. These methodologies allow the direct introduction of a plethora of functional groups onto the pyridine ring of nicotine.