Synthesis and Herbicidal Activity of Novel N‐(2‐Fluoro‐5(3‐methyl‐2,6‐dioxo‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)‐2,3‐dihydro‐pyrimidin‐1(6H)‐yl)phenyl)‐2‐phenoxyacetamide Derivatives

Thirteen novel N‐(2‐fluoro‐5‐(3‐methyl‐2,6‐dioxo‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)‐2,3‐dihydropyrimidin‐1(6H)‐yl)phenyl)‐2‐phenoxy)acetamides were designed and synthesized utilizing 4‐fluoro‐aniline and ethyl 3‐amino‐4,4,4‐trifluoro‐but‐2‐enoate as starting materials. The chemical structures of all compounds were confirmed by ¹H NMR, IR, mass spectrum and elemental analyses. Subsequently, the herbicidal activities of the as‐prepared compounds were evaluated in the greenhouse. Bioassay results indicated that most of compounds had better herbicidal activities against dicotyledonous weeds. Among all the tested compounds, compounds 4a – 4i showed good herbicidal activities at both pre‐emergence and post‐emergence treatment against two or three kinds of dicotyledonous weeds, such as Abutilon theophrasti Medic, Amaranthus ascendens L, and Chenopodium album L at the dosage of 75 g ai/ha.     

An Efficient One‐pot Synthesis of Aryl‐substituted 1‐(Thiazol‐2‐yl)‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylates via a Hantzsch Synthesis‐Knorr Reaction Sequence

The treatment of α‐bromoalkyl aryl ketones and 2‐(propan‐2‐ylidene)hydrazine carbothioamide afforded 4‐aryl‐2‐(2‐(propan‐2‐ylidene)hydrazinyl)thiazoles via a Hantzsch‐thiazole synthesis, which reacted with 4‐aryl‐2,4‐diketoesters via a sequential Knorr‐pyrazole reaction to deliver a variety of aryl‐substituted ethyl 1‐(thiazol‐2‐yl)‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylates in a one‐pot fashion with moderate to high yields. The key intermediates 4‐aryl‐2,4‐diketoesters, existing as its enolic lithium salt, were synthesized in situ by a high‐yield tert‐BuOLi‐mediated Claisen condensation of alkylphenones and diethyl oxalate. This class of elegant molecule comprises aryl groups on the two different heterocyclic cores, and the configurations of two representative molecules were determined by single crystal X‐ray crystallography.     

Biology‐Oriented Combined Solid‐ and Solution‐Phase Synthesis of a Macroline‐Like Compound Collection

Macrolines constitute a class of natural products that has more than 100 members and displays diverse biological activities. These compounds feature a cycloocta[b]indole scaffold that represents an interesting target structure for biology‐oriented synthesis (BIOS). We have presented a solid‐phase synthesis of isomerically pure cycloocta[b]indoles by employing the Pictet–Spengler reaction and the Dieckmann cyclization as key steps. The scope of this reaction sequence was investigated in more detail by using various additional diversification procedures, such as Pd‐catalyzed Sonogashira or Suzuki couplings on a solid phase, thus allowing, for example, the generation of 10‐substituted cycloocta[b]indole derivatives. Finally, solution‐phase decoration of the cycloocta[b]indole skeleton by reduction and saponification was evaluated, thereby further extending the scope of the solid‐phase synthesis.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of a 3‐Aryl‐3‐benzyloxindole (=3‐Aryl‐3‐benzyl‐1,3‐dihydro‐2H‐indol‐2‐one) Exhibiting Antitumor Activity

A palladium‐catalyzed intramolecular α‐arylation of an amide in the presence of a bulky chiral N‐heterocyclic carbene ligand is the key step in the first catalytic synthesis of (3R)‐6‐chloro‐3‐(3‐chlorobenzyl)‐1,3‐dihydro‐3‐(3‐methoxyphenyl)‐2H‐indol‐2‐one ((R)‐ 5 ). This oxindole, in racemic form, had been shown previously to be an anticancer agent. (R)‐ 5 was obtained with an overall yield of 45% and with 96% enantioselectivity.     

Synthesis ofN1‐3‐{(4‐Substituted aryl‐3‐chloro‐2‐oxo‐azetidine)‐iminocarbamyl}‐propyl‐6‐nitroindazole Derivatives and Their Biological Significance

Synthesis ofN¹‐3‐{(4‐substitute daryl‐3‐chloro‐2‐oxo‐azetidine)‐iminocarbamyl}‐propyl‐6‐nitroindazole 4a – 4s was conducted by a conventional method. All the compounds were synthesized and characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FAB‐Mass techniques and chemical methods. All the final synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity and antitubercular activity with MIC values against some selected microorganisms.     

A New Solution—phase Parallel Synthesis of 2—Alkyamino—3—aryl—5—phenylmethylene—3,5—dihydro—4H—imidazol—4—ones

Thirteen new 2-alkylaminoimidazolones(4) wre rapidly synthesized by a new solution-phase parallel synthetic method,which includes aza-Wittig reaction of iminophosphorane(1) with aromatic isocyanate to give carbodi-imide(2) and subsequent reaction of 2 with various aliphatic primary amine in a parallel fashion.The products were confirmed by ^1H NMR,MS,IR and X-ray crystallographic analysis.The unusual selectivity of the cyclization was probably due to the deometry of the guanidine intermediate.     

Microwave‐assisted Synthesis of Novel 3,4‐Bis‐chalcone‐N‐arylpyrazoles and Their Anti‐inflammatory Activity

A series of 3,4‐bis‐chalcone‐N‐arylpyrazoles 3a‐h was prepared conveniently from diacetyl pyrazoles 2a,b . All reactions were carried out under conventional thermal heating and/or microwave irradiation. The structure of the latter functionally pyrazoles was confirmed under the bases of their IR, mass, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. The X‐ray diffraction of compound 3e not only confirmed the chemical structure of 3a‐h , but also showed the E configuration of their chalcone moieties. Treatment of compound 3e with phenyl hydrazine in presence of acetic acid afforded the tri‐pyrazle 4 . The anti‐inflammatory activity of the newly synthesized compounds was investigated. Some of these compounds showed a moderate activity when compared with indomethacin as a reference drug. The combination between chalcone and pyrazole moieties revealed a variable effect in anti‐inflammatory activity.     

Solid‐State Synthesis and Characterization of 2‐Thioxo‐4‐Imidazolidinone Derivatives

A new and efficient two‐step solid‐state synthesis method is described for 2‐thioxo‐4‐imidazolidinone from aryl isothiocyanate and free amino acid. This method requires only simple equipment and is easy to perform. The products reported were characterized on the basis of IR, MS, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and elemental analysis.     

A Facile One‐Step Synthesis of 2‐Arylindazoles via Reductive Cyclization of N‐(2‐nitroarylidene)amines

A mild and efficient synthesis of 2‐arylindazole derivatives via the reductive cyclization of nitro‐aryl substrates mediated by a low‐valent titanium reagent (TiCl₄/Sm/Et₃N) has been developed. The attractive features of the current method include an N–N bond formation and the selective reduction of the C = N bond and nitro group, both of which were easily achieved in one‐pot by controlling the pH of the reaction mixture.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of Highly Substituted 1H‐Pyrazole‐5‐carboxylates from 4‐Aryl‐2,4‐diketoesters and Arylhydrazines

A one‐pot synthesis of highly substituted 1H‐pyrazole‐5‐carboxylates 1 has been developed starting from easily available 4‐aryl‐2,4‐diketoesters 2 and arylhydrazine hydrochlorides 3 . More active 2‐carbonyl group of 2 was blocked with methoxyamine hydrochloride to give 2‐methoxy imine intermediates, which were then subjected to condensation cyclization with 3 in situ to provide the desired products 1 . In addition, the geometrical configuration of 1aa was unambiguously confirmed by single crystal X‐ray crystallography.     

Novel 5‐Methyl‐2‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐4‐{4,5‐dihydro‐ 3‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐5‐(1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐2‐yl)pyrazol‐1‐yl}‐oxazole Derivatives: Synthesis and Anticancer Activity

Eleven novel 5‐methyl‐2‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐4‐{4,5‐dihydro‐3‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐5‐(1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐2‐yl)pyrazol‐1‐yl}‐oxazole derivatives were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ESI‐MS, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. All of the compounds have been screened for their antiproliferative activities against PC‐3 cell (human prostate cancer) and A431 cell (human epidermoid carcinoma cancer) lines in vitro. The results revealed that compounds 4g , 4j and 4k exhibited the strong inhibitory activities against the PC‐3 cell lines (with IC₅₀ values of 2.8±0.11, 3.1±0.10 and 3.0±0.06 μg/mL, respectively).     

One‐Pot Diastereoselective Synthesis of Densely Functionalized 2H‐Indeno[2,1‐b]furans. Single‐Crystal X‐Ray Structure of Dimethyl 8,8a‐Dihydro‐8‐oxo‐8a‐(2,2,2‐trichloroethoxy)‐2H‐indeno[2,1‐b]furan‐2,3‐di­carboxylate

Highly reactive 1 : 1 intermediates were produced in the reaction of Ph₃P and dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates (=dialkyl but‐2‐ynedioates). Protonation of these intermediates by alcohols (2,2,2‐trichloroethanol, propargyl alcohol (=prop‐2‐yn‐1‐ol), MeOH, benzyl alcohol, and allyl alcohol (=prop‐2‐en‐1‐ol) led to vinyltriphenylphosphonium salts 4 , which underwent a Michael addition reaction with the conjugate base to produce the corresponding stabilized phosphonium ylides 5 (Scheme). Wittig reaction of the stabilized phosphonium ylides with ninhydrin ( 6 ) led to the corresponding densely functionalized 2H‐indeno[2,1‐b]furans 10 in fairly good yields (Table 1). The structures of the final products were confirmed by IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The configuration of dimethyl 8,8a‐dihydro‐8‐oxo‐8a‐(2,2,2‐trichloroethoxy)‐2H‐indeno[2,1‐b]furan‐2,3‐dicarboxylate ( 10a ) was established by a single‐crystal X‐ray structure determination, establishing that the one‐pot multicomponent condensation reaction was completely diastereoselective.     

Microwave‐Assisted Three‐Component Synthesis of Some Novel 1‐Alkyl‐1H‐indole‐2,3‐dione 3‐(O‐Alkyl­oxime) Derivatives as Potential Chemotherapeutic Agents

A convenient and efficient method for a one‐pot conversion of N‐alkylisatins to N‐alkylisatin O‐alkyloximes 7a – 7n as potential chemotherapeutic agents is described (Scheme) (isatin=1H‐indole‐2,3‐dione). In this method, the microwave‐assisted three‐component reaction of N‐alkylisatins 8 , hydroxylamine hydrochloride, and diverse alkyl halides in the presence of K₂CO₃ and Bu₄NBr furnishes the corresponding N‐alkylisatin O‐alkyloximes under solvent‐free condition in short times (2–10 min) and good to excellent yields (62–83%). The O‐alkylation of in situ generated isatin oximes with alkyl halides was achieved regioselectively, and (Z)‐O‐alkyloximes were produced dominantly. PM3 Semi‐empirical quantum‐mechanic calculations were performed to rationalize the evidences, and the calculations indicated a lower heat of formation for the (Z)‐O‐alkyloximes.     

Liquid‐Phase Synthesis of 2′‐Methyl‐RNA on a Homostar Support through Organic‐Solvent Nanofiltration

Due to the discovery of RNAi, oligonucleotides (oligos) have re‐emerged as a major pharmaceutical target that may soon be required in ton quantities. However, it is questionable whether solid‐phase oligo synthesis (SPOS) methods can provide a scalable synthesis. Liquid‐phase oligo synthesis (LPOS) is intrinsically scalable and amenable to standard industrial batch synthesis techniques. However, most reported LPOS strategies rely upon at least one precipitation per chain extension cycle to separate the growing oligonucleotide from reaction debris. Precipitation can be difficult to develop and control on an industrial scale and, because many precipitations would be required to prepare a therapeutic oligonucleotide, we contend that this approach is not viable for large‐scale industrial preparation. We are developing an LPOS synthetic strategy for 2′‐methyl RNA phosphorothioate that is more amenable to standard batch production techniques, using organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) as the critical scalable separation technology. We report the first LPOS‐OSN preparation of a 2′‐Me RNA phosphorothioate 9‐mer, using commercial phosphoramidite monomers, and monitoring all reactions by HPLC, ³¹P NMR spectroscopy and MS.     

A Flexible Approach to Azasugars: Asymmetric Total Syntheses of (+)‐Castanospermine, (+)‐7‐Deoxy‐6‐epi‐castanospermine,and (+)‐1‐epi‐Castanospermine

The asymmetric total synthesis of natural azasugars (+)‐castanospermine, (+)‐7‐deoxy‐6‐epi‐castanospermine, and synthetic (+)‐1‐epi‐castanospermine has been accomplished in nine to ten steps from a common chiral building block (S)‐ 8 . The method features a powerful chiral relay strategy consisting of a highly diastereoselective vinylogous Mukaiyama‐type reaction with either chiral or achiral aldehydes (≥95 % de; de=diastereomeric excess) and a diastereodivergent reduction of tetramic acids, which allows formation of three continuous stereogenic centers with high diastereoselectivities. The method also provides a flexible access to structural arrays of 5‐(α‐hydroxyalkyl)tetramic acids, such as 17/34 , and 5‐(α‐hydroxyalkyl)‐4‐hydroxyl‐2‐pyrrolidinones, such as 18 and 25/35 a . The method constitutes the first realization of the challenging chiral synthons A and D and thus of the conceptually attractive retrosynthetic analysis shown in Scheme 1 in a highly enantioselective manner.