Synthesis of Isoindolo[2,1‐a]quinazoline‐5,11‐dione Derivatives via the Reductive One‐Pot Reaction of N‐Substituted 2‐Nitrobenzamides and 2‐Formylbenzoic Acids

Various isoindolo[2,1‐a]quinazoline‐5,11‐dione derivatives 3 were synthesized in good yields by means of the reductive reaction of N‐substituted 2‐nitrobenzamides 1 and 2‐formylbenzoic acids 2 in the presence of SnCl₂?2 H₂O under reflux in EtOH (Scheme, Table). The procedure needed two steps, the reduction of the nitro group of the 2‐nitrobenzamide and ring closure by nucleophilic addition of the NH₂ group to both the formyl and carboxylic acid C?O groups.     

Kinetic Resolution of Racemic Secondary Benzylic Alcohols by the Enantioselective Esterification Using Pyridine‐3‐carboxylic Anhydride (3‐PCA) with Chiral Acyl‐Transfer Catalysts

Pyridine‐3‐carboxylic anhydride (3‐PCA) was found to function as an efficient coupling reagent for the preparation of carboxylic esters from various carboxylic acids with alcohols under mild conditions by a simple experimental procedure. This novel condensation reagent 3‐PCA was applicable not only for the synthesis of achiral carboxylic esters catalyzed by 4‐(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) but also for the production of chiral carboxylic esters by the combination of chiral nucleophilic catalyst, such as tetramisole (=2,3,5,6‐tetrahydro‐6‐phenylimidazo[2,1‐b][1,3]thiazole) derivatives. An efficient kinetic resolution of racemic benzylic alcohols with achiral carboxylic acids was achieved by using 3‐PCA in the presence of (R)‐benzotetramisole ((R)‐BTM), and a variety of optically active carboxylic esters were produced with high enantiomeric excesses by this new chiral induction system without using a tertiary amine.     

Mild and Efficient Synthesis of Carboxylic Acid Anhydrides from Carboxylic Acids and Triazine Coupling Reagents

Abstract

Anhydrides of carboxylic acids were obtained in 53%–95% yield by treatment of appropriate carboxylic acids with 2‐chloro‐4,6‐dimethoxy‐1,3,5‐triazine (CDMT) or 2,4‐dichloro‐6‐methoxy‐1,3,5‐triazine (DCMT) in the presence of N‐methylmorpholine. It has been proved that synthesis proceeds via triazine active esters 3a,b, which are able to acylate carboxylate anion but not less nucleophilic carboxylic acid.     

The ‘Azirine/Oxazolone Method’ on Solid Phase: Introduction of Various α,α‐Disubstituted α‐Amino Acids

Peptides containing various α,α‐disubstituted α‐amino acids, such as α‐aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), 1‐aminocyclopentane‐1‐carboxylic acid, α‐methylphenylalanine, and 3‐amino‐3,4,5,6‐tetrahydro‐2H‐pyran‐3‐carboxylic acid have been synthesized from the N‐ to the C‐terminus by the ‘azirine/oxazolone method’ under solid‐phase conditions. In this convenient method for the synthesis of sterically demanding peptides on solid‐phase, 2H‐azirin‐3‐amines are used to introduce the α,α‐disubstituted α‐amino acids without the need for additional reagents. Furthermore, the synthesis of poly(Aib) sequences has been explored.     

Nucleo‐β‐Amino Acids: Synthesis and Oligomerization to β‐Homoalanyl‐PNA

The synthesis of thyminyl‐, uracilyl‐, cytosinyl‐, and guaninyl‐β³‐amino acids and the oligomerization of the cytosinyl‐ and guaninyl‐β³‐amino acids to β‐homoalanyl‐PNA are presented. The pyrimidinyl nucleobases were connected to the γ‐position of β‐homoalanine by Mitsunobu reaction with a β‐homoserine derivative or by nucleophilic substitution of methanesulfonates. For the preparation of the guaninyl‐β³‐amino acid, a β‐lactam route was established that might be of interest also for the synthesis of other β³‐amino acid derivatives. The cytosinyl and guaninyl building blocks were oligomerized to hexamers. They form quite stable self‐pairing complexes in H₂O as indicated by temperature dependent UV and CD spectroscopy.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Crystal Structure of Some Novel 1‐Aryl‐2‐Thioxo‐2,3‐Dihydro‐1H‐Quinazolin‐4‐Ones

The base catalyzed intramolecular nucleophilic cyclization of 1‐(2‐haloaroyl)‐3‐aryl thioureas ( 1a‐i ), in the presence of DMF afforded the 1‐aryl‐2‐thioxo‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐quinazolin‐4‐ones ( 2a‐i ). The structures were confirmed by spectroscopic data, elemental analyses and in case of the 2c by single crystal X‐ray diffraction data. The mechanistic studies support an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution (S_NAr mechanism) rather than intramolecular aromatic substitution (S_RN1 mechanism).     

An Efficient Synthesis of 3-Alkyl-2-alkyliminooxazolidin-4-one via a Domino Reaction

3‐Alkyl‐2‐alkyliminooxazolidin‐4‐ones were prepared from a copper‐catalyzed domino intermolecular nucleophilic addition of α‐hydroxy‐(or mecapto) carboxylic acid ester to carbodiimide and a followed nucleophilic substitution of the formed amino group to carboxylic acid ester. The reactions could be performed under convenient conditions and good yields were achieved in most cases.     

Convenient Synthesis of tert‐Butyl Esters of Indole‐5‐carboxylic Acid and Related Heterocyclic Carboxylic Acids

The tert‐butyl esters of indole‐5‐carboxylic acid and related compounds such as benzofuran‐ and benzothiophene‐5‐carboxylic acid were readily accessed by reacting the appropriate carboxylic acids with tert‐butyl trichloroacetimidate. To obtain the tert‐butyl esters of the 5‐carboxylic acids of 1H‐benzotriazole and 1H‐benzimidazole, position 1 of these heterocycles had to be protected by acetylation prior to reaction with tert‐butyl trichloroacetimidate. Cleavage of the acetyl residue of the obtained intermediates by dilute aqueous NaOH in ethanol led to the desired tert‐butyl 1H‐benzotriazole‐and 1H‐benzimidazole‐5‐carboxylates.     

Direct High‐Performance Liquid Chromatographic Enantioseparation of β‐Methyl‐Substituted Unusual Amino Acids on a Quinine‐Derived Chiral Anion‐Exchange Stationary Phase

A quinine‐derived chiral anion‐exchange stationary phase was used for the direct high‐performance liquid chromatographic separation of the enantiomers of the N‐protected unusual β‐substituted α‐amino acids, β‐methylphenylalanine, β‐methyltyrosine, β‐methyltryptophan, and β‐methyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐3‐carboxylic acid. The readily prepared 2,4‐dinitrophenyl and tert‐butyloxycarbonyl derivatives were well separated, and in most cases the separation of all four stereoisomers of these β‐methyl‐α‐amino acids could be obtained in one chromatographic run. The elution sequences of the enantiomers of the different derivatives were determined and revealed a dependence on the type of the N‐protecting group. In this context, the effects of different protecting groups (acetyl, tert‐butyloxycarbonyl, benzoyl, 3,5‐dinitrobenzoyl, benzyloxycarbonyl, 3,5‐dinitrobenzyloxycarbonyl, 2,4‐dinitrophenyl, and 9‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl) on the chromatographic behavior were investigated.     

Reaction of γ‐Hydroxy‐N‐[1‐(dimethylcarbamoyl)ethyl]butanamides under the ‘Direct Amide Cyclization’ Conditions

The preparation of the title compounds was achieved via the ‘azirine/oxazolone method’ starting from the corresponding γ‐hydroxy acids. Upon subjecting the γ‐hydroxy‐N‐[1‐(dimethylcarbamoyl)ethyl]butanamides 4 to the so‐called ‘direct amide cyclization’ (DAC) conditions, chlorinated acids 11 or imino lactones 12 were obtained as the sole products instead of the expected cyclodepsipeptides A or their cyclodimers (Scheme 4). Variation of the substituents in 4 did not affect the outcome of the reaction and a mechanism for the formation of both products from the intermediate oxazolone 13 has been proposed. Under the acidic conditions of the DAC, the imino lactones are formed as their HCl salts 12 , which, in polar solvents or on silica gel, reacted further to give the chlorinated acids 11 . Stabilization of the imino lactones was achieved by increasing the substitution in the five‐membered ring, and their structure, in the form of the hydrochlorides, was established independently by X‐ray crystallography (Fig. 4). A derivative 15 of the imino lactone 12a was prepared by the reaction with the 2H‐azirin‐3‐amine 10a ; its structure was also established by an X‐ray crystal‐structure determination (Fig. 3). Furthermore, the structures of the ω‐chloro acids 11a and 11b were determined by X‐ray crystallography (Fig. 2).     

Rapid Synthesis of Novel and Known Coumarin‐3‐carboxylic Acids Using Stannous Chloride Dihydrate under Solvent‐Free Conditions

Various coumarin‐3‐carboxylic acid (=2‐oxo‐2H‐1‐benzopyran‐3‐carboxylic acid; CcaH) derivatives have been synthesized in good yields using catalytic amounts of SnCl₂?2 H₂O under solvent‐free conditions. This inexpensive, nontoxic, and readily available catalytic system (10 mol‐%) efficiently catalyzes the Knoevenagel condensation and intramolecular cyclization of various 2‐hydroxybenzaldehydes or acetophenones with Meldrum's acid. High product yields, use of inexpensive and safe catalyst, and solvent‐free conditions display both economic and environmental advantages.     

Studies on the Reaction of α‐Chloroformylarylhydrazine Hydrochloride with Imidazole and 1,2,4‐Triazole

α‐Imidazolformylarylhydrazine 2 and α‐[1,2,4]triazolformylarylhydrazine 3 have been synthesized through the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 1 with imidazole and 1,2,4‐triazole, respectively. 2,2′‐Diaryl‐2H,2′H‐[4,4′]bi[[1,2,4]‐triazolyl]‐3,3′‐dione 4 was obtained from the cycloaddition of α‐chloroformylarylhydrazine hydrochloride 1 with 1,2,4‐triazole at 60 °C and in absence of n‐Bu₃N. The inducing factor for cycloaddition of 1 with 1,2,4‐triazole was ascertained as hydrogen ion by the formation of 4 from the reaction of 3 with hydrochloric acid. 4 was also acquired from the reaction of 3 with 1 and this could confirm the reaction route for cycloaddition of 1 with 1,2,4‐triazole. Some acylation reagents were applied to induce the cyclization reaction of 2 and 3.1 possessing chloroformyl group could induce the cyclization of 2 to give 2‐aryl‐4‐(2‐aryl‐4‐vinyl‐semicarbazide‐4‐yl)‐2,4‐dihydro‐[1,2,4]‐triazol‐3‐one 6. 7 was obtained from the cyclization of 2 induced by some acyl chlorides. Acetic acid anhydride like acetyl chloride also could react with 2 to produce 7D . 5‐Substituted‐3‐aryl‐3H‐[1,3,4]oxadiazol‐2‐one 8 was produced from the cyclization reaction of 3 induced by some acyl chlorides or acetic acid anhydride. The 1,2,4‐triazole group of 3 played a role as a leaving group in the course of cyclization reaction. This was confirmed by the same product 8 which was acquired from the reaction of 1 , possessing a better leaving group: Cl, with some acyl chlorides or acetic acid anhydride.     

Three closely related dibenzazepine carboxylic acids: hydrogen‐bonded aggregation in one,two and three dimensions

In the structure of (6R*,11R*)‐5‐acetyl‐11‐ethyl‐6,11‐dihydro‐5H‐dibenzo[b,e]azepine‐6‐carboxylic acid, C₁₉H₁₉NO₃, (I), the molecules are linked into sheets by a combination of O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds; in the structure of the monomethyl analogue (6RS,11SR)‐5‐acetyl‐11‐ethyl‐2‐methyl‐6,11‐dihydro‐5H‐dibenzo[b,e]azepine‐6‐carboxylic acid, C₂₀H₂₁NO₃, (II), the molecules are linked into simple C(7) chains by O—H...O hydrogen bonds; and in the structure of the dimethyl analogue (6RS,11SR)‐5‐acetyl‐11‐ethyl‐1,3‐dimethyl‐6,11‐dihydro‐5H‐dibenzo[b,e]azepine‐6‐carboxylic acid, C₂₁H₂₃NO₃, (III), a combination of O—H...O, C—H...O and C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds links the molecules into a three‐dimensional framework structure. None of these structures exhibits the R₂²(8) dimer motif characteristic of simple carboxylic acids.     

Preparation of THP‐Ester‐Derived Pyridinium‐Type Salts and their Reactions with Various Nucleophiles

Nucleophilic substitution at the anomeric positions of tetrahydropyranyl (THP) and related carbohydrate‐derived esters that proceeded through pyridinium‐type salt intermediates have been developed. Treatment of the 6‐substituted α‐acetoxy‐tetrahydropyrans with TMSOTf (TMS=trimethylsilyl) and 2‐substitutited pyridines, such as 2‐p‐tolylpyridine and 2‐methoxypyridine, led to the efficient generation of cis‐pyridinium‐type salts. These salts reacted with various nucleophiles, such as alcohols, azides, and organozinc reagents, to form nucleophilic‐substitution products. A characteristic feature of these processes was that they took place under mild conditions, which did not affect acid‐labile protecting groups. Furthermore, the reactions that employed azides and C‐nucleophiles generated 2,6‐trans products with high degrees of stereoselectivity.     

Effective Methods for the Synthesis of N‐Methyl β‐Amino Acids from All Twenty Common α‐Amino Acids Using 1,3‐Oxazolidin‐5‐ones and 1,3‐Oxazinan‐6‐ones

N‐Methyl β‐amino acids are generally required for application in the synthesis of potentially bioactive modified peptides and other oligomers. Previous work highlighted the reductive cleavage of 1,3‐oxazolidin‐5‐ones to synthesise N‐methyl α‐amino acids. Starting from α‐amino acids, two approaches were used to prepare the corresponding N‐methyl β‐amino acids. First, α‐amino acids were converted to N‐methyl α‐amino acids by the so‐called ‘1,3‐oxazolidin‐5‐one strategy’, and these were then homologated by the Arndt–Eistert procedure to afford N‐protected N‐methyl β‐amino acids derived from the 20 common α‐amino acids. These compounds were prepared in yields of 23–57% (relative to N‐methyl α‐amino acid). In a second approach, twelve N‐protected α‐amino acids could be directly homologated by the Arndt–Eistert procedure, and the resulting β‐amino acids were converted to the 1,3‐oxazinan‐6‐ones in 30–45% yield. Finally, reductive cleavage afforded the desired N‐methyl β‐amino acids in 41–63% yield. One sterically congested β‐amino acid, 3‐methyl‐3‐aminobutanoic acid, did give a high yield (95%) of the 1,3‐oxazinan‐6‐one ( 65 ), and subsequent reductive cleavage gave the corresponding AIBN‐derived N‐methyl β‐amino acid 61 in 71% yield (Scheme 2). Thus, our protocols allow the ready preparation of all N‐methyl β‐amino acids derived from the 20 proteinogenic α‐amino acids.     

A Novel Synthetic Method for the Preparation of Aliphatic Aldehydes from the Corresponding Carboxylic Acids

A novel synthetic method for the preparation of aliphatic aldehydes from the corresponding carboxylic acids via 1,3‐dimethylbenzimidazolium salts is provided. 1,3‐Dimethylbenzimidazolium salts were rapidly reduced with sodium/ethanol and then hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid to obtain aliphatic aldehydes, in which the 1,3‐dimethylbenzimidazolium salts can be readily achieved from the corresponding carboxylic acids. The mechanism for the reductive reaction of 1,3‐dimethylbenzimidazolium salts with sodium/ethanol was discussed.     

Quaternary Chiral β2,2‐Amino Acids with Pyridinium and Imidazolium Substituents

The reactions of cyclic sulfamidates as electrophiles with a variety of nitrogen‐containing aromatic heterocycle nucleophiles, such as pyridines, N‐alkylimidazoles and N‐methylbenzimidazol, was explored. In all cases, although the nucleophilic substitution reactions occurred on quaternary centres, elimination products were not detected. The inversion of configuration at this quaternary centre was determined by X‐ray diffraction analysis and the enantiomeric excess of the reactions was checked by chiral HPLC. This synthetic approach allowed us to obtain a new family of chiral charged β^2,2‐amino acids, including a new bisamino acid that incorporates an imidazolium salt as a cross‐linker. In this context, the treatment of these chiral imidazolium salts with Ag₂O opens the way to new chiral N‐heterocyclic carbenes, which are important substrates in the fields of organometallic and organocatalytic chemistry. Additionally, we have done a thorough conformational analysis of these β‐amino acid derivatives, both in the solid state and in solution. The most important conformational feature of these acyclic systems is the rigidity of the N‐CH₂‐C‐N⁺ dihedral angle, which is essentially due to the gauche effect.     

DPPH (= 2,2‐Diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) Radical‐Scavenging Reaction of Protocatechuic Acid (= 3,4‐Dihydroxybenzoic Acid): Difference in Reactivity between Acids and Their Esters

Protocatechuic acid (= 3,4‐dihydroxybenzoic acid; 1 ) exhibits a significantly slow DPPH (= 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) radical‐scavenging reaction compared to its esters in alcoholic solvents. The present study is aimed at the elucidation of the difference between the radical‐scavenging mechanisms of protocatechuic acid and its esters in alcohol. Both protocatechuic acid ( 1 ) and its methyl ester 2 rapidly scavenged 2 equiv. of radical and were converted to the corresponding o‐quinone structures 1a and 2a , respectively (Scheme). Then, a regeneration of catechol (= benzene‐1,2‐diol) structures occurred via a nucleophilic addition of a MeOH molecule to the o‐quinones to yield alcohol adducts 1f and 2c , respectively, which can scavenge additional 2 equiv. of radical. However, the reaction of protocatechuic acid ( 1 ) beyond the formation of the o‐quinone was much slower than that of its methyl ester 2 . The results suggest that the slower radical‐scavenging reaction of 1 compared to its esters is due to a dissociation of the electron‐withdrawing carboxylic acid function to the electron‐donating carboxylate ion, which decreases the electrophilicity of the o‐quinone, leading to a lower susceptibility towards a nucleophilic attack by an alcohol molecule.     

Direct Acyl Substitution of Carboxylic Acids: A Chemoselective O‐ to N‐Acyl Migration in the Traceless Staudinger Ligation

A chlorophosphite‐modified, Staudinger‐like acylation of azides involving a highly chemoselective, direct nucleophilic acyl substitution of carboxylic acids is described. The reaction provides the corresponding amides with analytical purity in 32–97 % yield after a simple aqueous workup without the need for a pre‐activation step. The use of chlorophosphites as dual carboxylic acid–azide activating agents enables the formation of acyl C? N bonds in the presence of a wide range of nucleophilic and electrophilic functional groups, including amines, alcohols, amides, aldehydes, and ketones. The coupling of carboxylic acids and azides for the formation of alkyl amides, sulfonyl amides, lactams, and dipeptides is described.     

Synthesis and Cyclization of 8‐Formyl‐2‐(phenoxymethyl)quinoline‐3‐carboxylic Acids

A facile synthesis of a series of new quinoline‐8‐carbaldehyde compounds, namely 8‐formyl‐2‐(phenoxymethyl)quinoline‐3‐carboxylic acids ( 4a – 4h ) and 13‐oxo‐6,13‐dihydro[1]benzoxepino[3,4‐b]quinoline‐8‐carbaldehyde ( 5a – 5g ) is described, involving the one‐pot synthesis reaction of ethyl 2‐(chloromethyl)‐8‐formylquinoline‐3‐carboxylate ( 3 ) with substituted phenols followed by the intramolecular cyclization reaction via the treatment with polyphosphoric acid (PPA). Quinoline‐8‐carbaldehydes 4a – 4h and 5a – 5g are novel and their structures were supported by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, MS and elemental analysis.