Versatile Biocatalytic C(sp3)−H Oxyfunctionalization for the Site- Selective and Stereodivergent Synthesis of α- and β-Hydroxy Acids

C(sp³)−H oxyfunctionalization, the insertion of an O-atom into C(sp³)−H bonds, streamlines the synthesis of complex molecules from easily accessible precursors and represents one of the most challenging tasks in organic chemistry with regard to site and stereoselectivity. Biocatalytic C(sp³)−H oxyfunctionalization has the potential to overcome limitations inherent to small-molecule-mediated approaches by delivering catalyst-controlled selectivity. Through enzyme repurposing and activity profiling of natural variants, we have developed a subfamily of α-ketoglutarate-dependent iron dioxygenases that catalyze the site- and stereodivergent oxyfunctionalization of secondary and tertiary C(sp³)−H bonds, providing concise synthetic routes towards four types of 92 α- and β-hydroxy acids with high efficiency and selectivity. This method provides a biocatalytic approach for the production of valuable but synthetically challenging chiral hydroxy acid building blocks.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Insertion of Alkynes and Electron‐Deficient Olefins into Unactivated sp3 CH Bonds

Insertion of unsaturated systems such as alkynes and olefins into unactivated sp³ C?H bonds remains an unexplored problem. We herein address this issue by successfully incorporating a wide variety of functionalized alkynes and electron‐deficient olefins into the unactivated sp³ C?H bond of pivalic acid derivatives with excellent syn‐ and linear‐ selectivity. A strongly chelating 8‐aminoquinoline directing group proved beneficial for these insertion reactions, while an air‐stable and inexpensive Ni^II salt has been employed as the active catalyst.     

Fluorocyclisation of Oximes to Isoxazolines Through I(I)/I(III) Catalysis

A regioselective fluorocyclisation of β,γ-unsaturated oximes through I(I)/I(III) catalysis is disclosed to generate 5-fluoromethylated isoxazolines. The transformation leverages p-iodotoluene as an inexpensive catalyst, Selectfluor® as the terminal oxidant and an amine⋅HF complex (1 : 7.5) as both the fluoride and Brønsted acid source. The λ³-iodane p-TolIF₂, which is generated in situ, engages the pendant alkene of the substrate to facilitate a cyclisation/fluorination sequence. A range of 5-fluoromethyl isoxazolines can be generated using this method, including aliphatic and aromatic systems (up to 56 % yield). Single crystal X-ray analysis of a representative example reveals a conformation that is consistent with the stereoelectronic gauche effect between the exocyclic C(sp³)−F bond and the C(sp³)−O of the isoxazoline (ϕ_OCCF=−62.0°).     

Economical,Green, and Safe Route Towards Substituted Lactones by Anodic Generation of Oxycarbonyl Radicals

A new electrochemical methodology has been developed for the generation of oxycarbonyl radicals under mild and green conditions from readily available hemioxalate salts. Mono‐ and multi‐functionalised γ‐butyrolactones were synthesised through exo‐cyclisation of these oxycarbonyl radicals with an alkene, followed by the sp³–sp³ capture of the newly formed carbon‐centred radical. The synthesis of functionalised valerolactone derivatives was also achieved, demonstrating the versatility of the newly developed methodology. This represents a viable synthetic route towards pharmaceutically important fragments and further demonstrates the practicality of electrosynthesis as a green and economical method to activate small organic molecules.     

Economical,Green, and Safe Route Towards Substituted Lactones by Anodic Generation of Oxycarbonyl Radicals

A new electrochemical methodology has been developed for the generation of oxycarbonyl radicals under mild and green conditions from readily available hemioxalate salts. Mono‐ and multi‐functionalised γ‐butyrolactones were synthesised through exo‐cyclisation of these oxycarbonyl radicals with an alkene, followed by the sp³–sp³ capture of the newly formed carbon‐centred radical. The synthesis of functionalised valerolactone derivatives was also achieved, demonstrating the versatility of the newly developed methodology. This represents a viable synthetic route towards pharmaceutically important fragments and further demonstrates the practicality of electrosynthesis as a green and economical method to activate small organic molecules.     

Modular Stereoselective Synthesis of (1→2)‐C‐Glycosides based on the sp2–sp3 Suzuki–Miyaura Reaction

This work reports a modular and rapid approach to the stereoselective synthesis of a variety of α‐ and β‐(1→2)‐linked C‐disaccharides. The key step is a Ni‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reaction of D ‐glucal pinacol boronate with alkyl halide glycoside easily prepared from commercially available D ‐glucal. The products of this sp²–sp³ cross‐coupling reaction can be converted to glucopyranosyl, mannopyranosyl, or 2‐deoxy‐glucopyranosyl C‐mannopyranosides by one‐ or two‐step stereoselective oxidative–reductive transformations. To the best of our knowledge, we demonstrated the first synthetic application of a challenging sp²–sp³ Suzuki‐Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction in carbohydrate chemistry.     

Distal γ-C(sp3)−H Olefination of Ketone Derivatives and Free Carboxylic Acids

Reported herein is the distal γ-C(sp³)−H olefination of ketone derivatives and free carboxylic acids. Fine tuning of a previously reported imino-acid directing group and using the ligand combination of a mono-N-protected amino acid (MPAA) and an electron-deficient 2-pyridone were critical for the γ-C(sp³)−H olefination of ketone substrates. In addition, MPAAs enabled the γ-C(sp³)−H olefination of free carboxylic acids to form diverse six-membered lactones. Besides alkyl carboxylic acids, benzylic C(sp³)−H bonds also could be functionalized to form 3,4-dihydroisocoumarin structures in a single step from 2-methyl benzoic acid derivatives. The utility of these protocols was demonstrated in large scale reactions and diversification of the γ-C(sp³)−H olefinated products.     

Oxidative C(sp3)−N Cleavage Cascade Cyclization of N-Uracil Amidines and Tertiaryamines: Switchable Divergent Synthesis of Functionalized Pyrimidouracils and Dihydropyrimidouracils

The divergent synthesis of dihydropyrimidouracil and pyrimidouracil derivatives from N-uracil amidines and tertiaryamines by an oxidative C(sp³)−N cleavage cascade cyclization reaction is first described. This transformation enables the formation of new C(sp³)−N and C(sp²)−N bonds via the selection of different oxidation conditions. The features of this method include tunable product selectivity, excellent chemoselectivity, readily available starting materials, broad substrate scope, good tolerance of functional groups, and moderate to high yields.     

Construction of C(sp2)−C(sp3) Bond between Quinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones and N‐Hydroxyphthalimide Esters via Photocatalytic Decarboxylative Coupling

A novel visible‐light‐driven decarboxylative coupling of alkyl N‐hydroxyphthalimide esters (NHP esters) with quinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones has been developed. This C(sp²)?C(sp³) bond‐forming transformation exhibits excellent substrate generality with respect to both the coupling partners. Of note, a series of 3‐primary alkyl‐substituted quinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones that were difficult to synthesize by previous methods could be obtained in moderate to excellent yields. Additionally, the mild conditions, easy availability of substrates, wide functional group tolerance and operational simplicity make this protocol practical in the synthesis of 3‐alkylated quinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones.     

Distal γ‐C(sp3)−H Olefination of Ketone Derivatives and Free Carboxylic Acids

Reported herein is the distal γ‐C(sp³)?H olefination of ketone derivatives and free carboxylic acids. Fine tuning of a previously reported imino‐acid directing group and using the ligand combination of a mono‐N‐protected amino acid (MPAA) and an electron‐deficient 2‐pyridone were critical for the γ‐C(sp³)?H olefination of ketone substrates. In addition, MPAAs enabled the γ‐C(sp³)?H olefination of free carboxylic acids to form diverse six‐membered lactones. Besides alkyl carboxylic acids, benzylic C(sp³)?H bonds also could be functionalized to form 3,4‐dihydroisocoumarin structures in a single step from 2‐methyl benzoic acid derivatives. The utility of these protocols was demonstrated in large scale reactions and diversification of the γ‐C(sp³)?H olefinated products.     

A Stereospecific Alkene 1,2-Aminofunctionalization Platform for the Assembly of Complex Nitrogen-Containing Ring Systems

TFA promoted deprotection of O−Ts activated N-Boc hydroxylamines triggers aminofunctionalization-based polycyclizations of tethered alkenes. The processes involve intramolecular stereospecific aza-Prilezhaev alkene aziridination in advance of stereospecific C−N cleavage by a pendant nucleophile. Using this approach, a wide range of fully intramolecular alkene anti-1,2-difunctionalizations can be achieved, including diaminations, amino-oxygenations and amino-arylations. Trends associated with the regioselectivity of the C−N cleavage step are outlined. The method provides a broad and predictable platform for accessing diverse C(sp³)-rich polyheterocycles of relevance to medicinal chemistry.     

Synthesis of 1-aryl- benzocycloalkane derivatives via one-pot two-step reaction of benzocyclonone,tosylhydrazide, and arylboronic acid

A metal-free one-pot two-step reductive coupling reaction of benzocyclonone, tosylhydrazide, and arylboronic acid was developed for the formation of a C(sp³)–C(sp²) bond, which enabled the efficient synthesis of 1-aryl-benzocycloalkane compounds in moderate to good yields on a multi-gram scale. Moreover, five- and six-membered benzocyclic ketones are also suitable substrates for this reaction. Notably, this protocol was also found to be suitable for synthesizing 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one, an important intermediate in the synthesis of indatraline.     

Copper-Catalyzed Oxidative Benzylic C(sp3)−H Cyclization for the Synthesis of β-Lactams

β-Lactams are important structural motifs because of their ubiquity in natural products and pharmaceuticals. We report herein a Cu-catalyzed intramolecular oxidative C(sp³)−H amidation for the synthesis of β-lactams using tBuOOtBu. This method is based on Kharasch–Sosnovsky amidation and does not require prefunctionalization of C(sp³)−H bonds or the installation of a directing group, thereby allowing for the straightforward synthesis of β-lactams. Our intramolecular functionalization protocol can be extended to diverse benzylic C(sp³)−H bonds and shows excellent functional-group tolerance.     

Iodine-Promoted Domino Oxidative Cyclization for the One-Pot Synthesis of Novel Fused Four-Ring Quinoxaline Fluorophores by sp3 C−H Functionalization

A method for the synthesis of novel fused four-ring quinoxaline skeleton has been described by an I₂ promoted sp³ C−H functionalization between 1,2,3,3-tetramethyl-3H-indolium iodides and 1,2-diamines. This transformation proceeds smoothly under metal- and peroxide-free conditions through a sequential iodination, oxidation, annulation and rearrangement. Moreover, 8,9-dichloro-5,12,12-trimethyl-2-(trifluoromethyl)-5,12-dihydroquinolino[2,3-b]quinoxaline showed good photophysical properties and was used in live cell imaging, indicating the potential value of this skeleton as a fluorophore in probes.     

Influence of post‐annealing on a diamondlike carbon film analyzed by Raman spectroscopy

The influence of a post‐annealing treatment on the chemical structure of a diamondlike carbon (DLC) film was clarified by Raman spectroscopy. The DLC films were synthesized by ionized deposition. The structures were elucidated via Raman analysis in conjunction with the sp² cluster model. The as‐prepared DLC film consisted of a dielectric matrix including sp³ carbon, where sp² clusters were floating. When the post‐annealing treatment commenced, especially between 450 and 600°C, carbon─hydrogen bonds were cleaved, and the hydrogen atoms were desorbed from the film, creating defects or dangling bonds. The defects were reactive in growing sp² clusters that were strained with numerous defects because of the restricted degrees of freedom in the solid. As the post‐annealing temperature further increased, the clusters became dominant and the strain was gradually dissolved.     

Hybrid Palladium Catalyst Assembled from Chiral Phosphoric Acid and Thioamide for Enantioselective β-C(sp3)−H Arylation

A hybrid palladium catalyst assembled from a chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) and thioamide enables a highly efficient and enantioselective β-C(sp³)−H functionalization of thioamides (up to 99 % yield, 97 % ee). A kinetic resolution of unsymmetrical thioamides by intermolecular C(sp³)−H arylation can be achieved with high s-factors. Mechanistic investigations have revealed that stereocontrol is achieved by embedding the substrate in a robust chiral cavity defined by the bulky CPA and a neutral thioamide ligand.     

TMSCl Promoted Direct sp3 C‐H Alkenylation to Construct (E)‐2‐Styryl‐tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazoles

A high‐efficient and stereo‐specific approach for the preparation of biologically important (E)‐2‐styryl‐tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazoles has been developed via TMSCl promoted direct sp³ C‐H alkenylation of 2‐methyl‐5,6‐dihydrobenzo[d]thiazol‐7(4H)‐one under metal‐free conditions. Seventeen target compounds were synthesized in excellent yields of 82% –98% under the optimal conditions of 300 mol% TMSCl at 110°C for 2 h, and their chemical structures were elucidated by IR, NMR, ESI‐MS, elemental analyses and X‐ray crystallography analysis. A plausible mechanism was also proposed, and this method provided a good functional group conversion for the sp³ C‐H substrates.     

Resolving Inflammation: Synthesis,Configurational Assignment,and Biological Evaluations of RvD1n−3 DPA

New drugs that can resolve inflammation without immunosuppressive effects are at the medicinal chemistry frontier. Pro-resolving endogenously formed small molecules, that is, the resolvins, are excellent candidates displaying such bioactions. The first total synthesis of the specialized pro-resolving mediator RvD1_{n−3 DPA} has been achieved using the underutilized sp³–sp³ Negishi cross coupling reaction and an alkyne hydrosilylation–protodesilylation protocol. Biological evaluations revealed that this novel mediator displays low nanomolar pro-resolving properties and potently activates the human DRV1/GPR32 receptor. As such, this endogenous natural product is a lead compound for the development of novel immunoresolvents.     

Hybrid Palladium Catalyst Assembled from Chiral Phosphoric Acid and Thioamide for Enantioselective β‐C(sp3)−H Arylation

A hybrid palladium catalyst assembled from a chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) and thioamide enables a highly efficient and enantioselective β‐C(sp³)?H functionalization of thioamides (up to 99 % yield, 97 % ee). A kinetic resolution of unsymmetrical thioamides by intermolecular C(sp³)?H arylation can be achieved with high s‐factors. Mechanistic investigations have revealed that stereocontrol is achieved by embedding the substrate in a robust chiral cavity defined by the bulky CPA and a neutral thioamide ligand.     

Fluorénacènes et fluorénaphènes synthèses dans la série des indéno-fluorènes,XVII. Dérivés méthylés du cis-fluorénacène,du trans-fluorénacène et du trans-fluorénaphène

By condensation of the chlorides of the three 9-oxo-fluorene-2-, -3-, and -4-carboxylic acids with 4-bromo-1,2-xylene on one side, and of the chlorides of o-bromobenzoic acid, 2-bromo-4-methyl-benzoic acid and 2-bromo-4,5-dimethyl-benzoic acid with fluorene, 2-methylfluorene and 3-methylfluorene on the other side, followed by direct or indirect cyclisation and by final reduction, several new methyl derivatives of the indenofluorenes I, II and IV are synthesized.