Selective hydroalkoxycarbonylation of enamides to N-acyl amino acid esters: synthetic applications and theoretical studies

N-acyl amino acid esters are easily accessible from enamides by cobalt-catalyzed hydroalkoxycarbonylation in moderate to excellent yield. An important reaction parameter for selective carbonylation is the use of low hydrogen partial pressure, which prevents hydrogenation as a side reaction. The reported method is applicable to various enamides and alcohols. A DFT calculation of the catalytic cycle explains the preferred pathway of this reaction.     

Oxidative entry to α-oxy N-acyl aminals and hemiaminals: efficient formation of 2-(N-acylaminal) substituted tetrahydropyrans

An efficient new method to synthesize α-oxy N-acyl aminals and hemiaminals in a single step from readily synthesized N-acyl enamines has been developed using PhI(OAc)₂ as the oxidant. The reaction conditions are very mild and the products are obtained in good yields (65-92%). A possible mechanistic pathway is laid out.     

Synthesis of an O-acyl isopeptide by using native chemical ligation to efficiently construct a hydrophobic polypeptide

By using dimethylformamide to suppress the O-to-N acyl migration, we efficiently synthesized an O-acyl isopeptide by native chemical ligation of a peptide-thioester and a Cys-O-acyl isopeptide. The reaction mixture was then loaded onto an octadecylsilane reverse-phase HPLC column, and the isopeptide was purified by using a linear gradient of CH₃CN in 0.1% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid. The recovery rate of the O-acyl isopeptide was considerably higher than that of the corresponding native polypeptide. Synthesis of O-acyl isopeptides via native chemical ligation, with O-to-N acyl migration as the final step to give the native form, has potential as an efficient method of constructing hydrophobic polypeptides.     

Ruthenium tetroxide oxidation of cyclic N-acylamines by a single layer method: formation of ω-amino acids

The ruthenium tetroxide oxidation of cyclic N-acyl amines by a 10% NaIO₄ aqueous solution containing tert-butanol as a single layer system resulted in the endo-cyclic C-N bond cleavage to afford the ω-amino acids as almost sole products in good yields, while a similar oxidation under the double layer using a NaIO₄ aqueous solution, and ethyl acetate gave the N-acyl lactams.     

1-(N-Acylamino)alkyltriphenylphosphonium salts as synthetic equivalents of N-acylimines and new effective α-amidoalkylating agents

1-(N-Acylaminoalkyl)triphenylphosphonium salts 2a-f on reaction with DBU in MeCN are transformed into 1-(N-acylaminoalkyl)amidinium salts 3a-f. Amidinium salts 3d-f with a proton at the β-position undergo slow tautomerization into the corresponding enamides 6d-f. The same 1-(N-acylamino)alkyltriphenylphosphonium salts 2d-f in the presence of Hünig’s base are transformed directly into the corresponding enamides. Phosphonium salts 2, amidinium salts 3, and enamides 6 react with dialkyl malonates in the presence of DBU to give the corresponding amidoalkylation products. α-Amidoalkylation of dialkyl malonates is not observed in the presence of (i-Pr)₂EtN, yet proceeds well under these conditions with more acidic nucleophiles, for example, phthalimide or benzyl mercaptan.     

PTSA catalyzed straightforward protocol for the synthesis of 2-(N-acyl)aminobenzimidazoles and 2-(N-acyl)aminobenzothiazoles in PEG

An efficient PTSA catalyzed synthesis of 2-(N-acyl)aminobenzimidazoles and 2-(N-acyl)aminobenzothiazoles has been described using S-ethylated-N-acylthioureas as substrates and polyethylene glycol as solvent.     

Synthesis of the sphingolipid activator protein, saposin C, using an azido-protected O-acyl isopeptide as an aggregation-disrupting element

In order to achieve an efficient synthesis of highly hydrophobic proteins by the native chemical ligation (NCL) reaction, we examined to incorporate the O-acyl isopeptide method, which is known to improve the solubility of the segment, to the NCL reaction: a peptide thioester having O-acyl isopeptide structures is prepared by the Boc mode solid-phase method using an azido group as a protecting group for the isopeptide site, and then ligated with C-terminal segment with an in situ reduction of the azido group followed by an O- to N-acyl shift. This method was successfully applied to the synthesis of the sphingolipid activator protein, saposin C.     

Highly enantioselective hydrogenation of N-phthaloyl enamides

Rh- or Ru-catalyzed highly enantioselective hydrogenation of N-phthaloyl enamides is presented. Electron-rich TangPhos and DuanPhos are found to be effective ligands for Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of α-aryl enamides and up to 99% ee has been achieved. In contrast, for the hydrogenation of α-alkyl enamide, the Ru-C₃-TunePhos complex is more effective and up to 69% ee can be observed. This work is the first report of the hydrogenation of N-phthaloyl enamides.     

Selective O-acylation of unprotected N-benzylserine methyl ester and O,N-acyl transfer in the formation of cyclo[Asp-Ser] diketopiperazines

The synthesis of two diastereomeric cyclo[Asp-N-Bn-Ser] diketopiperazines (2a and 2b) was investigated. Initial formation of the Boc-aspartyl-N-benzyl serine isopeptide methyl esters (4a and 4b) was observed, which derive from the selective O-acylation of unprotected (S)- or (R)-N-benzylserine. This unexpected O-acylation is preferred over the formation of the tertiary amide and the resulting ester bond is stable in solution to O,N-acyl transfer. The O,N-acyl migration is then triggered by cleavage of the Boc protecting group and treatment with base, which also promotes immediate cyclization to the diketopiperazines.     

A novel and efficient solvent-free and heterogeneous method for the synthesis of primary, secondary and bis-N-acylsulfonamides using metal hydrogen sulfate catalysts

Some metal hydrogen sulfates were used as acid catalysts in the N-acylation of different sulfonamides using carboxylic acid chlorides and anhydrides as acylating agents under both heterogeneous and solvent-free conditions. Al(HSO₄)₃ and Zr(HSO₄)₄ were found to have the highest activity and catalyze the reactions efficiently to furnish the primary N-acyl sulfonamides (RCONHSO₂R′), secondary N-acylsulfonamides (RCONR″SO₂R′) and bis-N-acylsulfonamnides [RCO(SO₂R′)N-R″-N(SO₂R′)COR] in good to high yield. The mild reaction conditions, inexpensive and low toxicity of catalysts and easy work-up procedure make this method attractive.     

Hydrolytic and transglycosylation reactions of N-acyl modified substrates catalysed by β-N-acetylhexosaminidases

The hydrolytic and transglycosylation capabilities of 35 fungal β-N-acetylhexosaminidases with p-nitrophenyl 2-amino-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranoside and its four N-acyl derivatives (CHO, COCH₂OH, COCH₂CH₃, COCF₃) as substrates were tested. The preparation of four novel p-nitrophenyl disaccharides from these unnatural substrates catalysed by enzymes from Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium oxalicum and Talaromyces flavus represents a considerable extension of the synthetic potential of glycosidases.     

Six new indole alkaloids from Gelsemium sempervirens Ait. f.

One new yohimbane and five new sarpagine-type indole alkaloids were isolated from the radix of Gelsemium sempervirens Ait. f., and their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis, chemical conversion or total synthesis. It was found that 2-acyl sarpagine-type alkaloids possessing an N_b-methyl group take a keto-amino structure or a transannular form in solution depending on the solvent.     

Unprecedented formation of stable ketene-N,O-acetals and their rearrangement under basic conditions

Treatment of 2,4-disubstituted glutaryl dichlorides with benzimidic acid ethyl ester hydrochloride in the presence of triethylamine did not give the expected bis(acylbenzimidates), but delivered O-acyl-N-ethoxybenzylidene-ketene-N,O-acetals in good to excellent yields. These compounds, which are stable to moisture and chromatography on silica gel, underwent an unprecedented rearrangement to cyclic enamides under stronger basic conditions. A mechanism for this rearrangement is proposed.     

A novel solid-phase synthesis of di- and trisubstituted N-acyl ureas

A novel, mild method for the synthesis of di- and trisubstituted N-acyl ureas on solid support is described. Addition of carboxylic acids to a resin-bound carbimidoyl chloride gave, initially, an O-acyl isourea which subsequently rearranged to the corresponding N-acyl urea. Trisubstituted N-acyl ureas were assembled on a Wang resin from a wide range of Fmoc amino acids, secondary amines and carboxylic acids. Acid mediated cleavage yielded the products in good yields and excellent purities. In addition, the regioselective synthesis of disubstituted N-acyl ureas is demonstrated with four examples.     

Synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles using exo- and endo-selective radical cyclizations onto enamides

The effect of positional change of the carbonyl group of enamides on Bu₃SnH-mediated alkyl radical cyclization leading to five-, six-, seven-, and eight-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles was examined. A 5-exo cyclization is generally preferred over a 6-endo ring closure in systems having an alkyl radical center on the enamide-acyl side chain, whereas enamides having an alkyl radical center opposite to the acyl side chain predominantly gave 6-endo cyclization products. These results suggest that the exo or endo selectivity of radical cyclization onto the alkenic bond of enamides can be controlled by positional change of the carbonyl group. For an understanding of these selectivities, heat of formation for each transition state was calculated. 6-endo-Selective radical cyclization was applied to the radical cascade, enabling a concise synthesis of a cylindricine skeleton. A 7- or 8-endo alkyl radical cyclization, however, predominated over a corresponding 6- or 7-exo ring closure regardless of the positional change of the carbonyl group of enamides.     

Structure dependence in the solvolysis kinetics of amino acid esters

To better understand acyl transfer reactions of oligopeptides, seventeen N-acyl amino acid esters were solvolyzed in mildly basic methanol-d₄. All show pseudo-first-order kinetics by ¹H NMR. The rate constant varies up to 400-fold with the identity of the amino acid and up to 6200-fold with the identity of the N-acyl group. The impact of the N-acyl group on the rate constant is discussed in terms of crowding, amide conformation, and amide CO bond character.     

Synthesis of cyclic peptides via O-N-acyl migration

We describe here a novel and convenient synthesis of head-to-tail cyclic peptide avoiding racemization. Linear depsipeptides including a serine residue as the key element for ester bond formation and acyl transfer were synthesized on 2-chlorotrityl chloride resin. After cleavage from the resin, intramolecular head-to-tail cyclization was performed in solution by C-terminal activation of urethane protected O-acyl serine residue. After removal of the N^α-serine protecting group, the final step consisted in O-N-acyl migration reaction on the ‘switch’ or ‘click’ element to restore native cyclic peptides.     

Direct C?H Functionalization of Enamides and Enecarbamates by Using Visible‐Light Photoredox Catalysis

Direct C? H functionalization of various enamides and enecarbamates was realized through visible‐light photoredox catalyzed reactions. Under the optimized conditions using [Ir(ppy)₂(dtbbpy)PF₆] as photocatalyst in combination with Na₂HPO₄, enamides such as N‐vinylpyrrolidinone could be easily functionalized by irradiation of the reaction mixture overnight in acetonitrile with visible light. The scope of the reaction with respect to enamide and enecarbamate substrates by using diethyl 2‐bromomalonate for the alkylation reaction was explored, followed by an investigation of the scope of alkylating reagents used to react with the enamides and enecarbamates. The results indicated that reaction takes place with quite broad substrate scope, however, tertiary enamides with an internal C?C double bond in the E configuration could not be alkylated. Alkylation of N‐vinyl tertiary enamides and enecarbamates gave monoalkylated products exclusively in the E configuration. Alkylation of N‐vinyl secondary enamides gave doubly alkylated products. Double bond migration was observed in the reaction of electron‐deficient bromides such as 3‐bromoacetyl acetate with N‐vinylpyrrolidinone. A mechanism is proposed for the reaction that is different from reported reactions of SOMOphiles with a nonfunctionalized C?C double bond. Further tests on the trifluoromethylation and arylation of enamides and enecarbamates under similar conditions showed that the reactions could serve as a mild, practical, and environmentally friendly approach to various functionalized enamides and enecarbamates.     

One-pot synthesis of pyrrolidino- and piperidinoquinolinones by three-component aza-Diels-Alder reactions of in situ generated N-arylimines and cyclic enamides

An efficient synthesis of hexahydropyrrolo[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones and hexahydropyridino[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones has been developed in moderate to high yields by one-pot two-step aza-Diels-Alder reactions of N-arylimines, formed in situ from anilines and benzaldehydes, with cyclic enamides, formed in situ from 5-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-ones and 6-hydroxypiperidin-2-ones by BF₃·OEt₂-promoted dehydration in dichloromethane at room temperature. The hexahydropyrrolo[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones were formed as a single exo-stereoisomer in most cases and hexahydropyridino[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones were formed as a mixture of exo- and endo-isomers favoring the endo-diastereomer.     

Photoredox/Cobalt Dual-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Elimination of Carboxylic Acids: Development and Mechanistic Insight

Recently, dual-catalytic strategies towards the decarboxylative elimination of carboxylic acids have gained attention. Our lab previously reported a photoredox/cobaloxime dual catalytic method that allows the synthesis of enamides and enecarbamates directly from N-acyl amino acids and avoids the use of any stoichiometric reagents. Further development, detailed herein, has improved upon this transformation's utility and further experimentation has provided new insights into the reaction mechanism. These new developments and insights are anticipated to aid in the expansion of photoredox/cobalt dual-catalytic systems.