Copper‐Catalyzed Domino Synthesis of 2‐Imino‐1H‐imidazol‐5(2H)‐ones and Quinoxalines Involving CC Bond Cleavage with a 1,3‐Dicarbonyl Unit as a Leaving Group

Although 2‐imino‐1H‐imidazol‐5(2H)‐ones have important biological activities in metabolism, their synthesis has rarely been investigated. Quinoxalines as “privileged scaffolds” in medicinal chemistry have been extensively investigated, but the development of novel and efficient synthetic methods remains very attractive. Herein, we have developed two copper‐catalyzed domino reactions for the synthesis of 2‐imino‐1H‐imidazol‐5(2H)‐ones and quinoxalines involving C?C bond‐cleavage with a 1,3‐dicarbonyl unit as a leaving group. The domino sequence for the synthesis of 2‐imino‐1H‐imidazol‐5(2H)‐ones includes aza‐Michael addition, intramolecular cyclization, C?C bond‐cleavage, 1,2‐rearrangement, and aerobic dehydrogenation reaction, whereas the domino sequence for the synthesis of quinoxalines includes aza‐Michael addition, intramolecular cyclization, elimination reaction, and C?C bond‐cleavage reaction. The two domino reactions have significant advantages including high efficiency, mild reaction conditions, and high tolerance of various functional groups.     

Lipase‐Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of C1‐ and C2‐Symmetric Racemic Axially Chiral 2,2′‐Dihydroxy‐1,1′‐biaryls

We have discovered that the racemization of configurationally stable, axially chiral 2,2′‐dihydroxy‐1,1′‐biaryls proceeds with a catalytic amount of a cyclopentadienylruthenium(II) complex at 35–50 °C. Combining this racemization procedure with lipase‐catalyzed kinetic resolution led to the first lipase/metal‐integrated dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic axially chiral biaryl compounds. The method was applied to the synthesis of various enantio‐enriched C₁‐ and C₂‐symmetric biaryl diols in yields of up to 98 % and enantiomeric excesses of up to 98 %, which paves the way for new developments in the field of asymmetric synthesis.     

Efficient Synthesis of the C1‐C9 Fragment of 7,8‐O‐Isopropylidene Protected Iriomoteolide 3a Derivative

An efficient and stereoselective synthesis of the C1‐C9 moiety of the 7,8‐O‐isopropylidene protected iriomoteolide 3a derivative has been accomplished. In our strategy, we employed olefin cross‐metathesis of the L‐(+)‐tartaric acid derivative (((4S,5S)‐2,2‐dimethyl‐5‐vinyl‐1,3‐dioxolan‐4‐yl)methoxy)(tert‐butyl)diphenylsilane with a synthesized methyl (S)‐3‐methylhex‐5‐enate to successfully provide the correct olefin geometry of the desired fragment.     

A Convenient Synthesis of 2,3‐Dihydro‐3‐methylidene‐1H‐isoindol‐1‐ones by Reaction of 2‐Formylbenzo­nitriles with Dimethyloxosulfonium Methylide

A facile method for the synthesis of 2,3‐dihydro‐3‐methylidene‐1H‐isoindol‐1‐one and its derivatives carrying substituent(s) at C(5) and/or C(6) has been developed. The reaction of 2‐formylbenzonitrile ( 1a ) with dimethyloxosulfonium methylide, generated by the treatment of trimethylsulfoxonium iodide with NaH in DMSO/THF at 0°, resulted in the formation of 2,3‐dihydro‐3‐methylidene‐1H‐isoindol‐1‐one ( 2a ) in 77% yield. Similarly, six 2‐formylbenzonitriles carrying substituent(s) at C(4) and/or C(5), i.e., 1b – 1g , also gave the corresponding expected products 2b – 2g in comparable yields.     

1‐Butyl‐3‐methyl Imidazolium Acetate Catalyzed Synthesis of N‐substituted‐5‐arylidene‐rhodanines

A direct method for the synthesis of N‐substituted‐5‐arylidene‐rhodanines has been reported in high yield via [bmim]OAc‐catalyzed one‐pot four‐component domino Knoevenagel condensation of primary amine, carbon disulfide, ethyl chloroacetate, and aromatic aldehyde under neat condition. The catalytic role of [bmim]OAc is due to the acidic nature of C‐2 hydrogen of bmim cation and the basic nature of acetate anion in the noncovalent interactions. The synthetic methodology is simple and offers a wide scope for the synthesis of N‐substituted‐5‐arylidene‐rhodanines.     

RhII‐Catalyzed [3+2] Cycloaddition of 2 H‐Azirines with N‐Sulfonyl‐1,2,3‐Triazoles

Rh^II‐catalyzed intermolecular [3+2] cycloaddition of 2 H‐azirines with N‐sulfonyl‐1,2,3‐triazoles is disclosed, in which a series of fully functionalized pyrroles is produced via rhodium azavinyl carbene intermediates. A distinct feature of this reaction is that the azavinyl carbene serves as a [2 C] equivalent, instead of as [1 C] or aza‐[3 C] synthons, which have been reported previously in cyclopropanations and [3+n] cycloadditions. Moreover, this methodology has also been successfully applied in the total synthesis of URB447 as well as the formal synthesis of Atorvastatin (Lipitor).     

First Total Synthesis of N‐(3‐Guanidinopropyl)‐2‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐oxoacetamide

The first total synthesis of the α‐oxo amide‐based natural product, N‐(3‐guanidinopropyl)‐2‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐oxoacetamide ( 3 ), isolated from aqueous extracts of hydroid Campanularia sp., has been achieved. The α‐oxo amide 12 , prepared via the oxidative amidation of 1‐[4‐(benzyloxy)phenyl]‐2,2‐dibromoethanone ( 9a ) with 4‐{[(tert‐butyl)(dimethyl)silyl]oxy}butan‐1‐amine ( 10a ), has been used as the key intermediate in the total synthesis of 3 as HBr salt. On the way, an expeditious total synthesis of polyandrocarpamide C ( 2c ), isolated from marine ascidian Polyandrocarpa sp., was carried out in four steps.     

Synthesis of the 2‐Alkenyl‐4‐alkylidenebut‐2‐eno‐4‐lactone (=α‐Alkenyl‐γ‐alkylidenebutenolide) Core Structure of the Carotenoid Pyrrhoxanthin via the Regioselective Dihydroxylation of Hepta‐2,4‐diene‐5‐ynoic Acid Esters

A new strategy for the stereoselective synthesis of 4‐alkylidenebut‐2‐eno‐4‐lactones (=γ‐alkylidenebutenolides) with (Z)‐configuration of the exocyclic CC bond at C(4) was developed. It is exemplified by the synthesis of 4‐alkylidenebutenolactone 31 (Scheme 4), which constitutes a substructure of the carotenoids pyrrhoxanthin ( 1 ) and peridinin. The formation of the precursor 4‐(1‐hydroxyalkyl)butenolactone 29 was accomplished either by cyclocarbonylation of the prop‐2‐yn‐1‐ol moiety of 27 (→ 29 ) or by hydrostannylation of the isopropylidene‐protected alkynoic acid ester 26 (→ 28 ) followed by transacetalization/transesterification (→ 30 ). The 4‐alkylidenebutenolactone was formed by the anti‐selective Mitsunobu dehydration 29 → 31 .     

Benedict's solution/ vitamin C: An alternative catalytic protocol for the synthesis of regioselective‐1,4‐disubstituted‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazoles at room temperature

A novel and highly efficient method for the synthesis of 1,4‐disubstituted‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazoles by copper‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition has been developed. This economic and sustainable protocol uses a readily available Benedict's solution/Vitamin C catalyst system affording a wide range of 1,4‐disubstituted‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazoles under mild conditions.     

Collective Synthesis of 4‐Hydroxy‐2‐pyridone Alkaloids and Their Antiproliferation Activities

A collective synthesis of 4‐hydroxy‐2‐pyridone alkaloids—specifically, pretenellin B, prebassianin B, farinosone A, militarione D, pyridovericin, and torrubiellone C—has been achieved. Key steps include using a strategic convergent method to synthesize the densely substituted pyridone key intermediate by Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction, a divergent synthesis approach of target molecules by aldol condensation of pyridone intermediate with homologous aldehydes, and an iterative synthesis of homologous aldehydes with all‐trans‐polyene backbones. Interestingly, among the six tumor cell lines investigated, torrubiellone C was found to induce potent and apoptotic inhibitory activities on Jurkat T cells with IC₅₀ values of 7.05 μM . Hence, this approach could potentially contribute to the synthesis of bioactive small‐molecule libraries as well as drug discovery.     

Practical Synthesis of (20S)‐10‐(3‐Aminopropyloxy)‐7‐ethylcamptothecin,a Water‐Soluble Analogue of Camptothecin

A robust, practical synthesis of (20S)‐10‐(3‐aminopropyloxy)‐7‐ethylcamptothecin (T‐2513, 5 ), which is a water‐soluble analogue of camptothecin, has been developed. The key step in this synthesis is a highly diastereoselective ethylation at the C20 position by using N‐arylsulfonyl‐(R)‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐3‐carboxylic acid ester as a chiral auxiliary, which affords the key intermediate ethyl‐(S)‐2‐acyloxy‐2‐(6‐cyano‐5‐oxo‐1,2,3,5‐tetrahydroindolizin‐7‐yl)butanoate ( 8 k ) in 93 % yield and 87 % de. Optically pure compound 8 k was obtained by a single recrystallization from acetone and its further elaboration through Friedlander condensation afforded compound 5 . This synthesis does not require any chromatographic purification steps and can provide compound 5 on a multi‐gram scale in 6.3 % overall yield (16 steps).     

Synthesis of (1α)‐1,25‐Dihydroxyvitamin D3 with a β‐Positioned Seven‐Carbon Side Chain at C(12)

A convergent synthesis of an analogue of (1α)‐1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃ ( 1b ) with a C₇ side chain at C(12), i.e., of 5 (Fig.), is described. A key step of the synthesis is the assembly of the triene system by a Pd^II‐catalyzed ring closure of an enol triflate (‘bottom’ fragment) followed by coupling of the resulting Pd^II intermediate with an alkenylboronate (‘upper’ fragment) (Scheme 2). The synthetic strategy allows isotopic labelling at the end of the synthesis.     

An Efficient One‐pot Three‐component Method for the Synthesis of 5‐Amino‐3‐(2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)‐7‐aryl‐7H‐thiazolo[3,2‐a]pyridine‐6,8‐dicarbonitriles

A facile, convenient, and adequate method has been developed for the synthesis of novel 5‐amino‐3‐(2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)‐7‐aryl‐7H‐thiazolo[3,2‐a]pyridine‐6,8‐dicarbonitriles ( 6 ) by employing 2‐(4‐(2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)thiazol‐2‐yl)acetonitrile ( 3 ) as an important precursor. Initially, we have synthesized the target compounds in a stepwise manner and then approached a tandem method to examine the feasibility of one‐pot method. Subsequently, one‐pot three‐component protocol has been established for the synthesis of title compounds by the reaction of 3 with benzaldehyde and malononitrile in refluxing ethanol engender a new six‐membered thiazolo[3,2‐a] pyridine as a hybrid scaffold. Reaction conditions were optimized for this reaction and a broad substrate scope with various aryl and heteroaryl aldehydes make this protocol very practical, attractive, and worthy. Mechanistic aspects for the formation of these compounds were outlined comprehensively. Characterization of these newly synthesized compounds was achieved by means of IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and HRMS.     

(R)‐2,3‐Cyclohexylideneglyceraldehyde,a Chiral Pool Synthon for the Synthesis of 2‐Azido‐1,3‐diols

A new approach was proposed for the synthesis of 2‐azido‐1,3‐diols from easily available and inexpensive chiral pool synthon (R)‐2,3‐O‐cyclohexylidene‐D ‐glyceraldehyde, through Mitsunobu azidation of 1,2‐diols. Both C(2) and C(1) azides in variable ratios were obtained in alkyl substituted diols with C(2) as the major one.     

Efficient synthesis and spectral determination of 11‐[(o‐ m‐ and p‐substituted)‐phenyl]‐8‐chloro‐3,3‐dimethyl‐2,3,4,5,10,11‐hexahydro‐1H‐dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepin‐1‐ones

A new synthesis to obtain eleven novel derivatives of 11‐[(o‐ m‐ and p‐substituted)‐phenyl]‐8‐chloro‐3,3‐dimethyl‐2,3,4,5,10,11‐hexahydro‐1H‐dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepin‐1‐ones with possible pharmacological activity in the central nervous system in two efficient steps has been developed. The final products were obtained by condensation and cyclization between 3‐[4‐chloro‐1,2‐phenylenediamine]‐5,5‐dimethyl‐2‐cyclohexenone with (o‐ m‐ and p‐substituted)benzaldehyde. The structure of all products was corroborated by ir, ¹H‐nmr, ¹³C‐nmr and high resolution in ms.     

Tandem IBX‐Promoted Primary Alcohol Oxidation/Opening of Intermediate β,γ‐Diolcarbonate Aldehydes to (E)‐γ‐Hydroxy‐α,β‐enals

A tandem IBX‐promoted oxidation of primary alcohol to aldehyde and opening of intermediate β,γ‐diolcarbonate aldehyde to (E)‐γ‐hydroxy‐α,β‐enal has been developed. Remarkably, the carbonate opening delivered exclusively (E)‐olefin and no over‐oxidation of γ‐hydroxy was observed. The method developed has been extended to complete the stereoselective total synthesis of both (S)‐ and (R)‐coriolides and d ‐xylo‐ and d ‐arabino‐C‐20 guggultetrols.     

Organocatalytic Asymmetric Cascade Reactions of 7‐Vinylindoles: Diastereo‐ and Enantioselective Synthesis of C7‐Functionalized Indoles

The first catalytic asymmetric cascade reaction of 7‐vinylindoles has been established by the rational design of such substrates. Cascade reactions with isatin‐derived 3‐indolylmethanols in the presence of a chiral phosphoric acid derivative allow the diastereo‐ and enantioselective synthesis of C7‐functionalized indoles as well as the construction of cyclopenta[b]indole and spirooxindole frameworks (all >95:5 d.r., 94–>99 % ee). This approach not only addresses the great challenge of the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of C7‐functionalized indoles, but also provides an efficient method for constructing biologically important cyclopenta[b]indole and spirooxindole scaffolds with excellent optical purity. Investigation of the reaction pathway and activation mode has suggested that this cascade reaction proceeds through a vinylogous Michael addition/Friedel–Crafts process, in which dual H‐bonding activation of the two reactants plays a crucial role.     

A scalable Nenitzescu synthesis of 2‐methyl‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)‐1H‐indole‐5‐carbonitrile

2‐Methyl‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)‐1H‐indole‐5‐carbonitrile is a key intermediate in the synthesis of selective androgen receptor modulators discovered in these laboratories. A practical and convergent synthesis of the title compound starting from 4‐nitro‐3‐(trifluoromethyl)phenol and tert‐butyl acetoacetate was developed, including a telescoped procedure for synthesis (without isolation) and Nenitzescu reaction of 2‐trifluoromethyl‐1,4‐benzoquinone. Conversion of the known Nenitzescu indole product to a novel triflate intermediate followed by palladium‐catalyzed cyanation afforded a penultimate carbonitrile. Removal of the C‐3 tert‐butyl ester group on the indole through a decarboxylative pathway completed the synthesis of the title compound in six steps (27% overall yield) from 4‐nitro‐3‐(trifluoromethyl)phenol (five steps, 37% overall yield from tert‐butyl acetoacetate). J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

Synthesis of Acetyl and Iodo Derivatives of 4‐Hydroxy‐6‐phenyl‐6H‐pyrano[3,2‐c]pyridine‐2,5‐diones and 4‐Hydroxy‐1‐phenylpyridin‐2(1H)‐ones

A simple and efficient method has been described for the synthesis of acetyl and iodo derivatives of 4‐hydroxy‐6‐phenyl‐6H‐pyrano[3,2‐c ]pyridine‐2,5‐diones 1 and 4‐hydroxy‐1‐phenylpyridin‐2(1H )‐ones 5 . Compounds 1 with phenyl and alkyl substituent at C(7) and C(8), respectively, can be easily acetylated by refluxing in a mixture of acetic acid and polyphosphoric acid to give 3‐acetyl‐4‐hydroxy‐6‐phenyl‐6H‐pyrano[3,2‐c ]pyridine‐2,5‐diones 2 in excellent yields. Compounds 1 and 5 can be iodinated with iodine and anhydrous sodium carbonate in boiling dioxane to give 4‐hydroxy‐3‐iodo‐6‐phenyl‐6H‐pyrano[3,2‐c ]pyridine‐2,5‐diones 3 and 4‐hydroxy‐3‐iodo‐1‐phenylpyridin‐2(1H )‐ones 6 , respectively, in good yields. The structures were confirmed using infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance , and elemental analysis.     

A Phosphine‐Catalyzed Novel Asymmetric [3+2] Cycloaddition of C,N‐Cyclic Azomethine Imines with δ‐Substituted Allenoates

Catalytic asymmetric [3+2] cycloadditions of C,N‐cyclic azomethine imines with δ‐substituted allenoates have been developed in the presence of (S)‐Me‐f‐KetalPhos, affording functionalized tetrahydroquinoline frameworks in good yields with high diastereo‐ and good enantioselectivities under mild condition. The substrate scope has been also examined. This is the first time that δ‐substituted allenoates have been applied as a δ,γ‐C?C bond participated C₂ synthon in asymmetric synthesis.