Rapid Total Synthesis of Cyclic Lipodepsipeptides as a Premise to Investigate their Self‐Assembly and Biological Activity

A rapid and efficient total synthesis is reported for the cyclic lipodepsipeptide pseudodesmin A. This member of the Pseudomonas viscosin group is active against Gram‐positive bacteria and features self‐assembling properties. A conserved serine residue within the lactone macrocycle is exploited for initial immobilization on 2‐chlorotrityl chloride resin through ether formation with the side‐chain alcohol. Subsequent elongation proceeds through Fmoc solid‐phase peptide synthesis, including automated incorporation of the enantioselectively synthesized (R)‐3‐hydroxydecanoic acid lipid tail. Following esterification to generate the incipient lactone bond, the macrocycle is formed by on‐resin head‐to‐tail macrolactamization and cleaved from the resin to give the desired compound in good purity. The short and efficient synthesis route allows rapid generation of analogues by facile variation of both the peptide and lipid moieties with good control of epimerization while maximizing automation. Synthesis of the pseudodesmin A enantiomer yields identical self‐assembly and biological activity to that observed for the natural compound, showing that activity is not mediated by chiral interactions. A D ‐Asn8 analogue developed en route retains self‐assembly, but loses activity. The synthesis strategy should be generally applicable for the rapid generation of analogues from various cyclic lipodepsipeptide groups, allowing an investigation of their self‐assembling properties and structure–activity relationships.     

Biomimetic Total Synthesis of Cyanosporaside Aglycons from a Single Enediyne Precursor through Site‐Selective p‐Benzyne Hydrochlorination

The cyanosporasides A–F are a collection of monochlorinated benzenoid derivatives isolated from the marine actinomycetes Salinispora and Streptomyces sp. All derivatives feature one of two types of cyanocyclopenta[a]indene frameworks, which are regioisomeric in the position of a single chlorine atom. It is proposed that these chloro‐substituted benzenoids are formed biosynthetically through the cycloaromatization of a bicyclic nine‐membered enediyne precursor. Herein, we report the synthesis of such a bicyclic precursor, its spontaneous transannulation into a p‐benzyne, and its differential 1,4 hydrochlorination reactivity under either organochlorine or chloride‐salt conditions. Our bioinspired approach culminated in the first regiodivergent total synthesis of the aglycons A/F and B/C, as well as cyanosporasides D and E. In addition, empirical insights into the site selectivity of a natural‐like p‐benzyne, calculated to be a ground‐state triplet diradical, to hydrogen, chlorine, and chloride sources are revealed.     

A Rapid Access to Novel and Known Benzimidazole Derivatives Using Silica Chloride as a Reusable Catalyst

A new application of silica chloride as an easily available and reusable solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of benzimidazole and its derivatives through the condensation of o‐phenylenediamines and orthoesters under thermal and solvent‐free conditions is described. This novel and eco‐friendly method is very cheap and has many advantages including excellent yields, short reaction time, and simple work‐up procedure.     

Total Synthesis of (−)‐N‐Methylwelwitindolinone B Isothiocyanate

The asymmetric synthesis of (−)‐N ‐methylwelwitindolinone B isothiocyanate is reported. Critical challenges overcome through these studies include the stereoselective installation of the sterically congested C13 alkyl chloride and control of the wayward reactivity of the indole unit to standard oxidants. A Pt‐catalyzed hydrosilylation helped stymie unwanted rearrangements facilitated by vinyl group participation during the chloride installation step, and a new Fe^II‐catalyzed oxidation accomplished the problematic conversion of indole into 2‐indolinone.     

Synthesis of the Potassium Channel Opener (3S,4R)‐3,4‐Dihydro‐4‐(2,3‐dihydro‐2‐methyl‐3‐oxo‐pyridazin‐6‐Yl)oxy‐3‐hydroxy‐6‐(3‐hydroxyphenyl)sulphonyl‐2,2,3‐trimethyl‐2H‐benzo[b]pyran

The preparation of the potassium channel opener (3S,4R)‐3,4‐dihydro‐4‐(2,3‐dihydro‐2‐methyl‐3‐oxo‐pyridazin‐6‐yl)oxy‐3‐hydroxy‐6‐(3‐hydroxyphenyl)sulphonyl‐2,2,3‐trimethyl‐2H‐benzo[b]pyran (1) as a single enantiomer is reported. Considerable improvements have been implemented with respect to the original synthesis that allow for the preparation of multigram quantities of the final target compound. The optimized synthesis consists of a six‐step linear sequence whose key step is an asymmetric epoxidation protocol through the use of Jacobsen's (S,S)‐(+)‐N,N′‐bis(3,5‐di‐tert‐butylsalicylidene)‐1,2‐cyclohexanediaminomanganese(III) chloride catalyst.     

Aza‐Bambusurils En Route to Anion Transporters

Previous calculations of anion binding with various bambusuril analogs predicted that the replacement of oxygen by nitrogen atoms to produce semiaza‐bambus[6]urils would award these new cavitands with multiple anion binding properties. This study validates the hypothesis by efficient synthesis, crystallography, thermogravimetric analysis and calorimetry. These unique host molecules are easily accessible from the corresponding semithio‐bambusurils in a one‐pot reaction, which converts a single anion receptor into a potential anion channel. Solid‐state structures exhibit simultaneous accommodation of three anions, linearly positioned within the cavity along the main symmetry axis. The ability to hold anions at a short distance of about 4 Å is reminiscent of natural chloride channels in E. coli, which exhibit similar distances between their adjacent anion binding sites. The calculated transition‐state energy for double‐anion movement through the channel suggests that although these host–guest complexes are thermodynamically stable they enjoy high kinetic flexibility to render them efficient anion channels.     

The Effect of Oxidizing Agents in the Preparation of 2,3,5‐triaryl‐2H‐tetrazolium Salts from 1,3,5‐triarylformazans

Tetrazolium salts are a group of versatile molecules with a relatively limited application due to synthesis difficulty and high cost of production. Here, we have comparatively examined several approaches for the preparation of 2‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐3,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium chloride (NTC), as a model tetrazolium salt, through the oxidation of 1‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐3,5‐diphenylformazan (NF), by means of interphase oxidation, dehydrogenation, and direct chlorination. Our findings indicate that chlorination of NF with 1‐chlorobenztriazole to be the best choice to prepare NTC from small‐scale and scaled‐up considerations.     

Direct synthesis of γ‐substituted phthalides via ortho‐aryl benzoic acid mediated benzyl radical cyclization

Direct synthesis of γ‐substituted phthalids from related ortho‐aryl benzoic acids with 48–85% yield are covered. The direct oxidation in the presence of peroxydisulphate‐copper (II) chloride in aqueous medium was applied. The reaction is highly regioselective and leads exclusively to γ‐butyrolactone, through very stable benzylic radical intermediate.     

Eco‐friendly and Efficient Synthesis of 2,3‐Dihydroquinazolin‐4(1H)‐ones

A simple and facile method for the synthesis of 2,3‐dihydroquinazolin‐4(1H)‐ones through the direct cyclocondensation of one‐pot three‐component cyclocondensation of isatoic anhydride, ammonium acetate (or primary amines) and aldehydes; and anthranilamide and aldehydes using silica supported ferric chloride (SiO₂‐FeCl₃) as catalyst under solvent‐free conditions is described.     

Absolute Asymmetric Synthesis of Enantiopure Organozinc Reagents,Followed by Highly Enantioselective Chlorination

We report the absolute asymmetric synthesis (AAS) of indenylzinc reagents by using total spontaneous resolution followed by enantiospecific conversion into 1‐chloroindene. The chiral complex [Zn(dcp)(ind)(tmeda)] (dcp=2,6‐dichlorophenoxy and tmeda=N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine) ( 3 ) was prepared from the achiral starting materials indene, potassium, zinc chloride, TMEDA, and 2,6‐dichlorophenol. The reagent resolved spontaneously on crystallization, and single crystals of 3 react with N‐chlorosuccinimide in the presence of benzoquinone in 2‐propanol to give 1‐chloroindene in >98 % enantiomeric excess. It was found that (R)‐ 3 gave (R)‐1‐chloroindene upon reaction, indicating an S_E2′‐mechanism. Since bulk samples of 3 gave optically active product upon chlorination, total spontaneous resolution must have occurred. This demonstrates that enantiopure products can be obtained through the absolute asymmetric synthesis of organometallic reagents starting from achiral materials. The general absolute asymmetric synthesis (AAS) method offers easy access to both enantiomers and an almost limitless variation in the design of the product.     

Trityl Chloride (TrCl): Efficient and Homogeneous Organocatalyst for the Solvent‐Free Synthesis of 14‐Aryl‐14H‐dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes by in situ Formation of Carbocationic System

Trityl chloride (triphenylmethyl chloride, TrCl, Ph₃CCl) is utilized as an efficient and homogeneous organocatalyst for the synthesis of 14‐aryl‐14H‐dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes from β‐naphthol and arylaldehydes under solvent‐free conditions. Moreover, a plausible mechanism is suggested based on the literature and on in situ formation of trityl carbocation with inherent instability during the reaction.     

Importance of a Fluorine Substituent for the Preparation of meta‐ and para‐Pentafluoro‐λ6‐sulfanyl‐Substituted Pyridines

Although there are ways to synthesize ortho‐pentafluoro‐λ⁶‐sulfanyl (SF₅) pyridines, meta‐ and para‐SF₅‐substituted pyridines are rare. We disclose herein a general route for their synthesis. The fundamental synthetic approach is the same as reported methods for ortho‐SF₅‐substituted pyridines and SF₅‐substituted arenes, that is, oxidative chlorotetrafluorination of the corresponding disulfides to give pyridylsulfur chlorotetrafluorides (SF₄Cl‐pyridines), followed by chloride/fluoride exchange with fluorides. However, the trick in this case is the presence on the pyridine ring of at least one fluorine atom, which is essential for the successful transformation of the disulfides into m‐and p‐SF₅‐pyridines. After enabling the synthesis of an SF₅‐substituted pyridine, ortho‐F groups can be efficiently substituted by C, N, S, and O nucleophiles through an S_NAr pathway. This methodology provides access to a variety of previously unavailable SF₅‐substituted pyridine building blocks.     

An Efficient One-pot Synthesis of β-Amino/β-Acetamido Carbonyl Compounds via ZrCl4-catalyzed Mannich-type Reaction

Zirconium(IV) chloride catalyzed efficient one-pot synthesis of β-amino/β-acetamido carbonyl compounds at room temperature is described. In the presence of ZrCl4, the three-component Mannich-type reaction via a variety of in situ generated aldimines, with various ketones, aromatic aldehydes and aromatic amines in ethanol, led to the formation of β-amino carbonyl compounds and the four-component Mannich-type reaction of aromatic aldehydes with various ketones, acetonitrile and acetyl chloride resulted in the corresponding β-acetamido carbonyl compounds in high to excellent yields. This methodology has also been applied towards the synthesis of dimeric β-amino/β-acetamido carbonyl compounds.     

A convenient synthesis of 2‐mercapto and 2‐chlorobenzothiazoles

A convenient synthesis of 2‐mercapto and 2‐chlorobenzothiazoles is described. The key feature of the synthesis is an exclusive ortho‐selective nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of ortho‐haloanilines with potassium/sodium O‐ethyl dithiocarbonate under mild conditions. Subsequent intra‐molecular cycliza‐tion affords 2‐mercaptobenzothiazoles in high yields. The 2‐mercaptobenzothiazoles are readily converted to corresponding 2‐chlorobenzothiazoles upon treatment with sulfuryl chloride.     

An Easy Synthetic Approach to Construct Some Ebselen Analogues and Benzo[b]selenophene Derivatives: Their Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Assessment

2‐(Chloroseleno)benzoyl chloride serves as a versatile building block for the synthesis of novel ebselen (2‐phenyl‐1,2‐benzisoselenazol‐3(2H)‐one) analogues and benzo[b]selenophen‐3(2H)‐one derivatives. The antioxidant activity and cytotoxic evaluation of the newly synthesized compounds were implemented. Among all the synthesized compounds, 1‐(3‐hydroxybenzo[b]selenophen‐2‐yl)ethanone oxime ( 9 ) was the most potent antioxidant and the most cytotoxic compound as well.     

Synthesis and NMR‐Spectroscopic Investigations with 4‐Chloroacyl‐1‐phenylpyrazolin‐5‐ones

The synthesis of various 4‐acylpyrazolones bearing in the acyl moiety either a terminal chloro‐substituent or a terminal ortho‐chlorophenyl group was achieved by reaction of 3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐2‐pyrazolin‐5‐one (tautomer to 3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐5‐ol) with the corresponding acid chloride using calcium hydroxide / 1,4‐dioxane. In one case (reaction with chlorobutanoyl chloride) a spontaneous cyclization occurred leading to the corresponding oxepino[2,3‐c]pyrazole. Detailed NMR spectroscopic investigations with all prepared compounds were performed.     

Preparation of 1,6‐naphthyridine‐2,5(1H,6H)‐diones

Novel method for the synthesis of 3‐acyl‐1,6‐dialkyl‐7‐methyl‐1,6‐naphthyridine‐2,5(1H,6H)‐diones (2) was developed. The reaction of 2‐acyl‐1‐alkylamino‐1‐ethoxyethylenes (1) with acetyl chloride or β‐keto amide 3 with acetyl chloride in the presence of p‐toluenesulfonic acid gave 2 in moderate yield (14‐59% yield).     

One‐pot‐one‐step,microwave‐assisted Fischer indole synthesis

The Fischer indole synthesis was carried out using microwaves instead of conventional heating procedures. When the mixture of phenylhydrazine, cyclohexanone and zinc chloride was irradiated at 600 W for 3 min, 76% of 1,2,3,4‐tetrahydrocarbazole was obtained. However, when zinc chloride was replaced with p‐toluenesulfonic acid (p‐TSA), the reaction yielded 91% of 1,2,3,4‐tetrahydrocarbazole. Thus, a series of indoles were prepared using microwaves in the presence of p‐TSA catalyst. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

A novel and facile one‐pot synthesis of pyridylselenium compounds through selective bromine–magnesium exchange with isopropylmagnesium halide

One‐pot synthesis of various unsymmetrical 2‐bromo‐5‐pyridylselenium compounds has been carried out under non‐cryogenic conditions by selective single bromine–magnesium exchange of 2,5‐dibromopyridine using isopropylmagnesium chloride. This exchange gives 2‐bromo‐5‐pyridylmagnesium chloride, which upon the insertion of elemental selenium followed by the treatment with alkyl halide gives the title compounds in good yield. This exchange has also been extended towards bromine–magnesium exchange of 2‐bromopyridine for the improved synthesis of 2‐pyridylselenium compounds. The molecular structure of 2‐bromo‐5‐selenopyridyltribromomethane has been examined by single crystal X‐ray diffraction. This compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n. From the molecular structure it was found that intermolecular BrBr, NSe and SeBr interactions control its crystal packing. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phenylene‐Bridged Core‐Modified Planar Aromatic Octaphyrin: Aromaticity,Photophysical and Anion Receptor Properties

The synthesis of a planar expanded meso porphyrin with an intramolecular para‐phenylene‐bridged core is reported. The planarity of the octaphyrin macrocycle was confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray structural analysis, in which the bridged para‐phenylene unit deviated by 27° from the mean macrocyclic plane. Spectroscopic analyses and theoretical calculations suggested that the macrocycle was Hückel aromatic and followed a major [34 π] single‐conjugation pathway, which indicated that the bridging para‐phenylene unit was not involved in the macrocyclic conjugation. Analysis of the photophysical properties of this system by steady‐state absorption/fluorescence spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy revealed moderate enhancement in the parameters of the octaphyrin as compared to its non‐bridged octaphyrin congeners, which was attributed to the planarity and rigidity of the macrocycle as imposed by the bridging para‐phenylene unit. Preliminary anion‐binding studies revealed that the protonated macrocycle bound selectively with chloride ions through N?H???Cl hydrogen‐bonding interactions.