O-Methylephedrine: a versatile and highly efficient ortho-directing group. Synthesis of enantiopure 1,2-disubstituted ferrocene derivatives.

O-Methylephedrine was identified as a very efficient chiral auxiliary for ortho-lithiation reactions of ferrocenes. (1R,2S)-O-Methylephedrine [CH(3)NHCH(CH(3))CH(Ph)OCH(3)] was reacted with N-ferrocenylmethyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium iodide [FcCH(2)N(CH(3))(3)I; Fc = ferrocenyl] to give (1R,2S)-N-ferrocenylmethyl-O-methylephedrine. Treatment of this compound with t-BuLi in pentane followed by quenching with the electrophiles iodine, dibromotetrafluoroethane, chlorodiphenylphosphine or benzophenone gave 2-substituted ferrocenes in 98% de and with the (R(p))-ferrocene configuration. Subsequently, the chiral auxiliary could be replaced by systems including dimethylamine, acetate, diaryl- or dialkylphosphines to give a number of enantiopure bifunctional 1,2-disubstituted ferrocene derivatives such as (R(p))-N-2-iodo- or (R(p))-N-2-bromoferrocenylmethyldimethylamine or (R(p))-2-acetoxymethyl-1-diphenylphosphinoferrocene. As an application, ferrocenyl diphosphines possessing a planar (R(p))-ferrocene configuration only [1,2-(PPh(2))FcCH(2)PR(2), R = Cy, Ph, [3,5-(CF(3))(2)Ph]] were synthesized in three steps from O-methylephedrine and N-ferrocenylmethyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium iodide in up to 77% overall yield.     

The redox chemistry of sulfenic acids

A persistent triptycenyl sulfenic acid is used as a model for cysteine-derived and other biologically relevant sulfenic acids in experiments which define their redox chemistry. EPR spectroscopy reveals that sulfinyl radicals are persistent and unreactive toward O(2), allowing the O-H bonding dissociation enthalpy (BDE) of the sulfenic acid to be readily determined by equilibration with TEMPO as 71.9 kcal/mol. The E° (RSO?/RSO(-)) and pK(a) of this sulfenic acid are also reported.     

Synthesis of enantiopure cyclobutane amino acids and amino alcohols

(−)-(1R,3S)-3-Amino-2,2-dimethylcyclobutanecarboxylic acid and (+)-(1R,3S)-3-amino-2,2-dimethylcyclobutylmethanol, which can be used to prepare enantiopure oligopeptides and cyclobutane-based carbocyclic nucleosides, were synthesized from (+)-(1R)-α-pinene.     

beta-Sulfinyl alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds from enantiomerically pure sulfenic acids.

The addition of enantiopure sulfenic acids to oxoalkynes constitutes a new and efficient methodology for the synthesis of beta-sulfinyl alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Sulfenic acids 3 and 4 were generated by thermolysis of suitable precursors and trapped in situ by oxoalkynes 5, affording (R(S),E)- and (S(S),E)-3-alkylsulfinyl-1-phenyl-2-propen-1-ones, 4-alkylsulfinyl-3-buten-2-ones, and 3-[(1S)-isoborneol-10-sulfinyl]-2-propenoates 6 and 7 in good yields and in enantiomerically pure form after simple column chromatography. (R(S),E)-3-[(1S)-isoborneol-10-sulfinyl]-1-phenyl-2-propen-1-one (6(R)a) was involved as a heterodiene in inverse-electron-demanding Diels-Alder reactions with readily available electron-rich dienophiles 14 and 15, corroborating in each case the sulfinyl auxiliary capability in controlling the stereochemical outcome of these cycloadditions. Furthermore, the addition of methylmagnesium iodide to the carbonyl moiety of 6(R)a demonstrated that the chiral sulfur atom exerts a remote stereocontrol in this reaction if assisted by the hydroxy group being part of the isoborneol substituent.     

Synthesis of enantiopure azetidine 2-carboxylic acids and their incorporation into peptides

Enantiopure azetidine 2-carboxylic acids were prepared by hydrolysis of the corresponding 2-cyano azetidines, without ring cleavage of the azetidine or epimerization. The produced amino acids, which are conformationally constrained analogues of phenylalanine, can be cleanly debenzylated and used for the synthesis of tripeptides. In the course of the synthesis of new enantiopure 2-cyano azetidines through intramolecular alkylation of a metallated amino nitrile, it was found that the involved anionic cyclisation can be thermodynamically controlled, thus enhancing its diastereoselectivity.     

Synthesis of unnatural amino acids via Suzuki cross-coupling of enantiopure vinyloxazolidine derivatives

[formula: see text] (R and S)-alpha-Amino alcohols and alpha-amino acids, including 4-methoxyhomophenylalanine, with a variety of unnatural side chains have been synthesized via palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling Suzuki reactions. The key building blocks 1 and 2, synthesized from the common achiral precursor 2-butene-1,4-diol, were made enantiopure utilizing a Pseudomonas cepacia lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution. The optimal conditions for the Suzuki cross-coupling and the subsequent oxidations of the resultant alpha-amino alcohols are described.     

The trapping of sulfenic acids from penicillin sulfoxides. Ethyl 2-mercaptoacetate

The thermolysis of trichloroethyl 6-phenoxyacetamido penicillanate sulfoxide and ethyl 2-mercaptoacetate in toluene gave the unsym-azetidinone disulfide(β,γ-isomer) in 65% yield. With added catalytic amounts of N,N-dimethylaniline the α,β-isomer was the major product (60%), along with a $\text{new}$ β-lactam cleaved product, $\text{8}$ (5–6%).     

Synthesis of enantiopure alpha,alpha-disubstituted amino acids from the asymmetric Strecker reaction products of aldehydes

Treatment of the enolates of 4 generated from the asymmetric Strecker reaction products with alkyl halides or aldehydes provided the corresponding functionalized products with high diastereoselectivity. Deprotection of these products afforded the corresponding enantiopure alpha,alpha-dialkyl amino acids.     

Synthesis and antiviral activity of scopadulcic acids analogues

The synthesis and antiviral properties of several scopadulcic acid analogues functionalized at C-6/C-7 and C-13 is reported. The preparation of advanced intermediates for the synthesis of scopadulcic acid B/scopadulciol analogues is also described. The biological study revealed the importance of polar groups at C-13, while the stereochemistry at C-8 was not critical for activity.     

Selective 1,3-cycloboronation of enantiopure 1,1,4,4-tetrasubstituted butanetetraols: versatile preparation,structural characterization,and properties of chiral cyclic boron-containing bifunctional Lewis acids

The selective cycloboronation of enantiopure 1,1,4,4-tetrasubstituted butanetetraols was investigated, and a general preparation of chiral cyclic boron-containing bifunctional Lewis acids was discovered. Compounds (2R,3R)- or (2S,3S)-1,1,4,4-tetrasubstituted butanetetraols were reacted with ArB(OH)₂ at reflux in toluene, or THF, or under solvent-free condition to furnish tricoordinated, chiral bicyclo[4.4.0]diboronic esters in high yield via selective 1,3-cycloboronation. Structural characterization and properties of the novel chiral boron compounds are also reported.     

Stereoselective synthesis of enantiopure analogues of (−)-cephalotaxine

The asymmetric total synthesis of three analogues of (?)-cephalotaxine with structural modification of the aromatic ring was achieved in 16 steps and acceptable overall yields. The procedure used was quite similar to that reported by our group for the total synthesis of (?)-cephalotaxine in 2004. The enantiopure spiranic compound 4 is a common intermediate on which various aromatic groups can be introduced. Unexpected and interesting different chemical behaviors were observed during these syntheses.     

Synthesis of archaeal bipolar lipid analogues: a way to versatile drug/gene delivery systems

A synthetic route for the preparation of symmetrical and unsymmetrical archaeal tetraether-like analogues has been described. The syntheses are based upon the elaboration of hemimacrocyclic tetraether lipid cores from versatile building blocks followed by simultaneous or sequential introduction of polar head groups. Functionalizations of the tetraether lipids with neutral lactose or phosphatidylcholine polar heads and cationic glycine betaine moieties were envisaged both to increase membrane stability and to exhibit interactions with charged nucleic acids. Additionally, mannose and lactose triantennary clusters designed as multivalent ligands for selective interaction with lectin-type receptors were also efficiently synthesized for active cell/tissue targeting.     

Synthesis of enantiopure structured triacylglycerols

The synthesis of nine enantiopure structured triacylglycerols (TAGs) of the AAB type is described, all possessing the (S)-absolute configuration. Six of them possess one saturated and two identical unsaturated fatty acyl chains, whereas the remaining three possess two identical saturated fatty acids along with one unsaturated fatty acid. The former group was synthesized by a five-step chemoenzymatic route involving a highly regioselective immobilized Candida antarctica lipase, starting from enantiopure (R)-solketal. The second group was prepared by a fully chemical five-step approach based on the same chiral precursor. Such enantiopure TAGs are strongly required as standards for the enantiospecific analysis of intact TAGs in fats and oils.     

Synthesis of a versatile metacyclophane macrolactam

As Hsp90 has emerged as a promising target for the development of cancer chemotherapeutics, so has the need for systematic evaluation of structure-activity relationships between natural product inhibitors and this molecular chaperone. Utilizing our chimera approach, which encompasses the quinone moiety of geldanamycin and the resorcinol moiety of radicicol, molecules have been produced that are highly effective inhibitors of the Hsp90 protein folding machinery. These chimeric inhibitors contain metacyclophane macrolactams that are difficult to cyclize and modify for incorporation of functional diversity. To circumvent this problem, a highly diversifiable α-bromo-α,β-unsaturated ester has been prepared, which allows for the introduction of various functionalities that enable elucidation of structure-activity relationships between chimeric compounds and Hsp90. The rationale, synthesis, and optimization for such a molecule is reported herein.     

Stereoisomeric sugar-derived indolizines as versatile building blocks: synthesis of enantiopure di- and tetrahydroxyindolizidines.

The synthesis of the sugar-derived (1S,2R,8aR)-1,2-di-O-isopropylidene-1,2,3,5,6,8a-hexahydro-5-oxoindolizine (8) and by analogy of the corresponding stereoisomers ent-8 and ent-7, an epimer at C2 of ent-8, has been accomplished in a straightforward manner. The carbon-carbon double bond and the carbonyl functionalities on the six-membered ring make these nitrogen-containing heterocycles useful building blocks for the efficient preparation of a variety of enantiopure polyhydroxylated indolizidines of interest for their glycosidase inhibitory activity. We report here the synthesis of 2,8a-diepilentiginosine 12 from 8 and the preparation of stereoisomeric 1,2,7,8-tetrahydroxyindolizidines 9-11 performed by OsO4-catalyzed double bond syn dihydroxylation of 7 and 8, followed by deoxygenation of the amide group.     

Synthesis of imidazole phosphinic acids as I4AA analogues

The GABA_C receptor has been identified as a potentially attractive target involved in a number of eye diseases. TPMPA is the best antagonist reported so far. The synthesis of two new pharmacophores based on imidazole phosphinic acid core structure will be presented.     

Study of the temperature effect on IR spectra of crystalline amino acids,dipeptides, and polyamino acids. IV. L-cysteine and DL-cysteine

A study of the IR spectra of L- and DL-cysteine is carried out in a range of frequencies from 4000 cm^?1 to 600 cm^?1 and temperatures from 333 K to 83 K. Changes in the spectra of L- and DL-cysteine (NH ₃ ⁺ CH(CH₂SH)-COO^?) on cooling are analyzed in comparison with the spectra of L- and DL-serine (NH ₃ ⁺ CH(CH₂OH)-COO^?) and three polymorphs of glycine (NH ₃ ⁺ CH₂-COO^?) previously studied under temperature variation. Changes in the IR spectra at variable temperatures are correlated with previously obtained diffraction data on anisotropic compression of the structure and changes in the geometric parameters of hydrogen bonds. Special attention is paid to temperature regions in which anomalies were detected by vibrational spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and calorimetry.