Double conjugate addition of a nitropropionate ester to a quinone monoketal: synthesis of an advanced intermediate to (+/-)-gelsemine

A double conjugate addition between the lithium dianion of ethyl 3-nitropropionate and p-benzoquinone dimethyl ketal afforded a mixture of diastereomeric [3.2.1]bicylooctanones. These products were converted into an advanced intermediate previously carried forward to (+/-)-gelsemine by Fukuyama and Liu.     

Diastereoselective conjugate addition to chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl systems in aqueous media: an enantioselective entry to alpha- and gamma-hydroxy acids and alpha-amino acids

The stereoselectivity of the ultrasonically induced zinc--copper conjugate addition of iodides to chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl systems under aqueous conditions was studied. Alkyl iodides add diastereoselectively to methylenedioxolanone 1 and methyleneoxazolidinone 2 to afford the 1,4-addition products in good yields (38-95 %) and with high diastereomeric excess (44-90 % de). The 1,4-addition to chiral gamma,delta-dioxolanyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated esters 3-5 also proceeds with good yields (51-99 %). The diastereoselectivity is dependent on the geometry of the olefin: the Z isomer 3 gives high diastereoselectivity, while the reactions with the E isomer 4 are nonstereoselective. The reaction proceeds with excellent chemoselectivity and allows the use of iodides bearing ester, hydroxy, and amino groups. Since the 1,4-addition products can be readily hydrolyzed, this methodology constitutes a novel entry for the enantioselective synthesis of alpha- and gamma-hydroxy acids and alpha-amino acids in aqueous media. The results obtained support the radical mechanism proposed by Luche, and represent one of the few examples of a radical stereoselective conjugate addition in aqueous medium.     

Chemo-, regio- and stereospecific addition of amino acids to acylacetylenes: a facile synthesis of new N-acylvinyl derivatives of amino acids

The one-pot reaction of natural amino acids (glycine, β-alanine, γ-aminobutyric and ?-aminocapronic acids, d,l-valine, d,l-leucine, anthranilic acid) with bielectrophilic acylacetylenes proceeds chemo-, regio- and stereospecifically in the presence of NaOH (45-50 °C, 4 h, EtOH-H₂O) to give (after treatment of the reaction mixture with aqueous HCl) Z-isomers of N-acylvinyl derivatives of amino acids in 87-94% yield.     

Entry to new conformationally constrained amino acids. First synthesis of 3-unsubstituted 4-alkyl-4-carboxy-2-azetidinone derivatives via an intramolecular N(alpha)-C(alpha)-cyclization strategy

A systematic study on the base-assisted intramolecular alkylation of N-benzyl-N-chloroacetyl amino acid derivatives is described. This study resulted in the first concise and versatile route to the preparation of 3-unsubstituted 4-alkyl-4-carboxy-2-azetidinones, to be included into the scarce family of beta-lactams with quaternary centers at the C(4) position. Particularly noteworthy is that the intramolecular N(alpha)-C(alpha)-cyclization of Phe and Leu derivatives afforded the corresponding beta-lactam derivatives with moderate enantioselectivity (up to 56%). It is suggested that, in these particular cases, the cyclization reaction proceeds by way of planar enolate intermediates, which possess dynamic chirality. The described sequence of reactions, that is compatible with commonly used protecting moieties for the alpha-carboxy group, cannot be applied to dipeptides, since the cyclization to the six-membered 2,5-diketopiperazine ring occurs preferentially.     

Enantioselective synthesis of chiral sulfones by Rh-catalyzed asymmetric addition of boronic acids to alpha,beta-unsaturated 2-pyridyl sulfones

A general and efficient method for the rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective catalytic conjugate addition of organoboronic acids to alpha,beta-unsaturated sulfones is described. The success of the process relies on the use of alpha,beta-unsaturated 2-pyridyl sulfones as key metal-coordinating substrates; typical sulfones such as vinyl phenyl sulfones are inert under the reaction conditions. Among a variety of chiral ligands, Chiraphos provided the best asymmetric induction. This rhodium [Rh(acac)(C2H4)2]/Chiraphos catalyst system has a broad scope, being applicable to the addition of both aryl and alkenyl boronic acids to cis and trans alpha,beta-unsaturated 2-pyridyl sulfones. In most cases, especially in the addition of aryl boronic acids, the reactions take place cleanly and with high enantioselectivity, affording chiral beta-substituted 2-pyridyl sulfones in good yields and enantioselectivities (70-92% ee). The sense and magnitude of this enantioselectivity have been studied by DFT theoretical calculations of the aryl-rhodium insertion step. These calculations strongly support the formation of a five-membered pyridyl-rhodium chelated species as the most stable complex after the insertion into the C=C bond. These highly enantioenriched chiral sulfones are very appealing building blocks in enantioselective synthesis. For instance, the straightforward elimination of the 2-pyridylsulfonyl group by either Julia-Kociensky olefination or alkylation/desulfonylation sequences provides a variety of functionalized chiral compounds, such as allylic substituted alkenes or beta-substituted ketones and esters.     

Heck-type coupling vs. conjugate addition in phosphine-rhodium catalyzed reactions of aryl boronic acids with alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds: a systematic investigation

The competition between Heck-type coupling and conjugate addition in phosphine-rhodium catalyzed reactions of aryl boronic acids with alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyls has been systematically investigated in a toluene-H(2)O biphasic system. Aside from the intrinsic nature of rhodium and the enolization of carbonyls, the phosphine supporting ligand on rhodium, the ratio of aryl boronic acid to alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl and the pH value of the aqueous phase were found to affect the competition significantly. Highly selective rhodium-based catalyst systems have therefore been developed for both Heck-type coupling and conjugate addition by synergistically tuning the supporting ligand, the boronic acid to olefin ratio and other reaction conditions. Conjugate addition with selectivity >99% and Heck-type coupling with selectivity of up to 100%, 98% and 84% for acrylates, acrylamides and methyl vinyl ketone, respectively, could be achieved in the rhodium-catalyzed reactions of aryl boronic acids with alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyls using the corresponding optimized rhodium-based catalyst systems.     

Highly enantio- and diastereoselective mannich reactions of chiral Ni(II) glycinates with amino sulfones. Efficient asymmetric synthesis of aromatic alpha,beta-diamino acids

This paper describes a practical, enantio- and diastereoselective Mannich reaction between a chiral Ni(II) complex of glycine 1 and alpha-amino sulfones 2, involving the creation of a carbon-carbon bond and two stereogenic centers in a single operation; it represents an attractive route to the synthesis alpha,beta-diamino acids.     

Combining flavin photocatalysis with parallel synthesis: a general platform to optimize peptides with non-proteinogenic amino acids

Most peptide drugs contain non-proteinogenic amino acids (NPAAs), born out through extensive structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies using solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Synthetically laborious and expensive to manufacture, NPAAs also can have poor coupling efficiencies allowing only a small fraction to be sampled by conventional SPPS. To gain general access to NPAA-containing peptides, we developed a first-generation platform that merges contemporary flavin photocatalysis with parallel synthesis to simultaneously make, purify, quantify, and even test up to 96 single-NPAA peptide variants via the unique combination of boronic acids and a dehydroalanine residue in a peptide. We showcase the power of our newly minted platform to introduce NPAAs of diverse chemotypes-aliphatic, aromatic, heteroaromatic-directly into peptides, including 15 entirely new residues, and to evolve a simple proteinogenic peptide into an unnatural inhibitor of thrombin by non-classical peptide SAR.

We report a non-classical approach to interrogate peptides with non-proteinogenic amino acids via flavin photocatalysis. We establish a new platform to make, purify, quantify, and biochemically test up to 96 peptide variants in batch.     

SmI(2)-promoted radical addition of nitrones to alpha,beta-unsaturated amides and esters: synthesis of gamma-amino acids via a nitrogen equivalent to the ketyl radical

[reaction: see text] Alkyl nitrones undergo radical addition reactions to a series of alpha,beta-unsaturated amides and esters when subjected to samarium diiodide via a nitrogen equivalent to a ketyl radical anion. This reaction conveniently provides access to a variety of functionalized gamma-amino acids. The methodology was extended to the asymmetric synthesis of 4-substituted gamma-amino acids, via the nitrone radical addition reaction to acrylates/amides possessing a chiral auxiliary.     

Isocyanates of N alpha-[(9-fluorenylmethyl)oxy]carbonyl amino acids: synthesis,isolation, characterization,and application to the efficient synthesis of urea peptidomimetics

The Curtius rearrangement of Fmoc-amino acid azides 1 was carried out in toluene by refluxing the solution for 30 min. The resulting isocyanates 2 have been isolated as crystalline solids and are fully characterized by IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and mass spectra. They are found to be stable for several months when stored at 4 degrees C. The acyl azides of Asp, Glu, Ser, Tyr, and Lys with side-chain protection having tert-butyl, benzyl, and Boc groups were also converted to the corresponding isocyanates 2h-m. The rearrangement of Fmoc-amino acid azides in toluene to isocyanates 2 under microwave irradiation was also accomplished. The direct exposure of solid azides to microwaves for 60 s led to the completion of the rearrangement. The resulting isocyanates, after recrystallization, were found to be analytically pure. The scale-up of the rearrangement, under microwave irradiation as tested up to 0.75 mol, posed no problems and led to the isolation of the isocyanates in 91-96% yield. The utility of isocyanates as building blocks in the synthesis of urea peptides 4 is demonstrated. Further, the coupling of isocyantes 2 directly with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl) derivatives of amino acids 6 resulted in urea peptide acids 7 with good yield in high purity. Thus, the synthesis of urea peptide acids 7d-g containing Asp, Glu, Ser, and Tyr with a free side-chain functional group have been carried out.     

Total synthesis of the tricyclic marine alkaloids (-)-lepadiformine, (+)-cylindricine c, and (-)-fasicularin via a common intermediate formed by formic acid-induced intramolecular conjugate azaspirocyclization

A very short and efficient enantioselective total synthesis of the tricyclic marine alkaloids (-)-lepadiformine (3), (+)-cylindricine C (1c), and (-)-fasicularin (4) has been developed utilizing the formyloxy 1-azaspiro[4.5]decane 5 as a common intermediate. The key strategic element for the synthesis was the formic acid-induced intramolecular conjugate azaspirocyclization, which proved to be a highly efficient and stereoselective way to rapid construction of the 1-azaspirocyclic substructure of these natural products in a single operation. Thus, the common intermediate 5, synthesized in two steps with 70% overall yield starting from the known (S)-N-Boc-2-pyrrolidinone 7 via the conjugate spirocyclization using an acyclic ketoamide 6, was utilized for the concise and stereoselective total synthesis of (-)-lepadiformine (3), which was accomplished in seven steps with 45% overall yield from 5 (31% yield from 7). The developed strategy based on the conjugate spirocyclization was also applied to the stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-cylindricine C (1c), which was achieved in 10 steps from 5 in 18% overall yield (12% yield from 7). Further application of this approach using 5 led to the synthesis of (-)-fasicularin (4), wherein an extremely efficient method for the introduction of the thiocyanato group via an aziridinium intermediate at the last step was developed. Thus, the highly efficient first enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-fasicularin was accomplished in nine steps with an overall yield of 41% from 5 (28% yield from 7).     

Steroidal analogues of unnatural configuration—VII : Total synthesis of 17β-hydroxy-9-methyl-9β, 10α-oestr-4-en-3-one,a novel retrotestosterone isomer

Conjugate methylation of 17β-hydroxy-des-a-oestr-9-en-5-one (1) and the derived 4,5-seco-steroid (6b) afforded the respective 9β-methyl compounds. Base-catalysed alkylation of 17β-hydroxy-9-methyl-des-a-9/gb-oestran-5-one (3a) resulted in attack at C(6); this result was used to prepare the anthrasteroid (5). Ring closure of the 9β-methyl-4,5-seco-steroid (8) derived from 6b afforded 17β-hydroxy-9-methyl-9β,10α-oestr-4-en-3-one (9a). Conjugate methylation of 17β-hydroxyoestra-4,9-dien-3-one (11) resulted in 1,4-addition to the dienone system.     

Substituent directive effects in 1,2-benzodiazepine synthesis via electrocyclic aromatic substitution by the diazo-group: a rearrangement of 9- to 7-substituted 3H-1,2-benzodiazepines

The directive effect of aryl-substituents on the site of ring closure in the electrocyclisation of 1-aryl-3-diazoalkenes has been investigated. At 80°C the product ratio is determined by kinetic control but for some substituents the kinetically favoured 9-substituted 3$\text{H}$-1,2-benzodiazepines undergo a new rearrangement to their more stable 7-substituted isomers.     

A multistage,one-pot procedure mediated by a single catalyst: a new approach to the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of beta-amino acids

A catalytic asymmetric procedure for the preparation of beta-amino acids (specifically beta-substituted aspartic acid derivatives) is reported. The cinchona alkaloid catalyst benzoylquinine (BQ) mediates up to five distinct steps of a reaction pathway, all in one reaction vessel. The products of this reaction, highly optically enriched beta-substituted aspartic acid derivatives, were prepared from N-acyl-alpha-chloroglycine esters and acid chlorides in the presence of the catalyst. This approach was also amenable to the synthesis of small polypeptides containing beta-substituted aspartic acid units, including a non-natural fragment of the antibiotic lysobactin. The addition of Lewis acids to this system was found to accelerate the rate of specific steps in the reaction pathway. Mechanistic aspects of this reaction, such as imine formation and Lewis acid chelation to the beta-lactam intermediate, were investigated through comparison of IR, NMR, and other physical data.     

A green Hunsdiecker reaction: synthesis of beta-bromostyrenes from the reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated aromatic carboxylic acids with KBr and H2O2 catalysed by Na2MoO4.2H2O in aqueous medium

Reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated aromatic carboxylic acids with KBr and H2O2 in the presence of Na2MoO4.2H2O in aqueous medium affords beta-bromo alkenes in high yield.     

Alpha,alpha'-annulation of 2,6-prenyl-substituted cyclohexanone derivatives with malonyl chloride: application to a short synthesis of (+/-)-clusianone. Formation and rearrangement of a biogenetic-like intermediate

Conditions were found for the successful Effenberger alpha,alpha'-annulation of 3,3-dimethyl-2,4,6-triprenyl cyclohexanone silyl enol ethers with malonyl chloride to give the corresponding bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-trione in 35% yield, this result allowing a short synthesis of (+/-)-clusianone. An isomeric rearranged bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-trione was also isolated in 25% yield, and changing the Lewis acid resulted in formation of a lavandulyl-substituted phloroglucinol derivative in 38% yield. The mechanism of formation of these two last products mimics the biogenetic pathway to PPAPs. [reaction: see text].     

Design and synthesis of a hydrophilic fluorescent derivatization reagent for carboxylic acids, 4-N-(4-N-aminoethyl)piperazino-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-PZ-NH2), and its application to capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

A hydrophilic fluorescent derivatization reagent for fatty acids, 4-N-(4-N-aminoethyl)piperazino-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-PZ-NH(2)), was designed and synthesized. NBD-PZ-NH(2) possesses not only a fluorophore and a reacting group but also a positive charge group and, thus, was hydrophilic and suitable for application to capillary electrophoresis. NBD-PZ-NH(2) reacted with fatty acids in the presence of triphenylphosphine (TPP) and 2,2'-dipyridyl disulfide (DPDS) at room temperature within 10 min. The derivatives were strongly fluoresced and were positively charged at pH below 3. The derivatives of C4-C20 fatty acids were separated within 10 min in 50% acetonitrile in water containing 30 mM ammonium acetate and 1.0 M acetic acid by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) detection. The detection limits attained were 6.5 nM (signal-to-noise ratio of 3). It is proposed that NBD-PZ-NH(2) is a prominent derivatization reagent for fatty acids which is suitable for CE-LIF application.     

R(-)-4-(3-Isothiocyanatopyrrolidin-1-yl)-7-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole, a fluorescent chiral tagging reagent: sensitive resolution of chiral amines and amino acids by reversed-phase liquid chromatography

The usefulness of R(-)-4-(3-isothiocyanatopyrrolidin-1-yl)-7-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole [R(-)-DBD-PyNCS], a fluorescent chiral tagging reagent, for the determination of racemic amines and amino acids, was studied. The reagent reacted with beta-blockers selected as representative secondary amines to produce corresponding fluorescent diastereomers (excitation at 460 nm and emission at 550 nm). The yields of the derivatization reaction were dependent on the stereostructure arround the NH group in beta-blockers. The resulting diastereomers were completely separated with single chromatographic run using linear gradient elutions by reversed-phase chromatography. R(-)-DBD-PyNCS was also applied to the determination of DL-amino acid, considered to be one of the primary amines, in human urine and foodstuffs. DL-amino acids tested equally reacted with the reagent, and the thiocarbamoyl derivatives were separated with an ODS column. The epimerization during the derivatization reaction was negligible judging from the resolution of opposite diastereomers on the chromatogram. The occurence of D-amino acids (D-Ala, D-Ser, D-Asp and/or D-Glu) was identified in the samples tested. The structures and the purities were elucidated with on-line HPLC-MS. The chiral reagent possessing an isothiocyanate group (-NCS) in the structure seems to be applicable to continuous sequential analysis of peptides containing D-amino acids. The thiocarbamoyl derivatives obtained from the reaction with DL-amino acids were converted to thiohydantoins via thiazolinones in acidic medium. The thiohydantoins produced from acidic, basic, neutral, hydroxyl and aromatic amino acids were completely separated with isocratic elutions using acidic mobile phase containing 0.1% TFA. The separations were sufficient for the identification of DL-amino acid in peptide sequences. Although the epimerization during the conversion reaction to thiohydantoins was not avoidable, the descrimination of D- and L-configuration was demonstrated with some commercially available peptides such as beta-lipotropin and [D-Ala2]-deltorphin II. The Edman degaradation method using R(-)-DBD-PyNCS was also adopted to autoanlaysis by gas-phase sequencer. The separation and the detection (UV 254 nm) conditions of the derivatives were used without any change from those for the Edman degradation method using PITC as the tagging reagent. The three DL-amino acid residues (Tyr, Ala and Gly) in [L-Ala2]-leucine-enkephalin and [D-Ala2]-leucine-enkephalin were perfectly identidied with the autoanalysis.