Synthesis of 6,19-sulfamidate bridged pregnanes

Conformationally restrained substituted pregnane-20-one derivatives were obtained by an intramolecular nitrene addition onto a C-5/C-6 double bond involving a tethered C-19 sulfamoyl moiety. The resulting aziridine underwent regioselective nucleophilic ring opening at C-5 at room temperature with cyanide, fluoride, and acetate. In the isolated case of acetate, a reversal of regioselectivity was observed at higher temperatures, a result attributed to a rearrangement process involving aziridine ring opening at the C-5 position and subsequent migration of the acetyl moiety to C-6.     

Beyond the Roger Brown rearrangement: long-range atom topomerization in conjugated polyynes

Long-range carbon atom topomerization in a 1,3-diyne has been demonstrated for the first time. 1-Phenyl-4-p-tolyl-1,3-butadiyne, (13)C-enriched at C-1, was synthesized and subjected to flash vacuum pyrolysis. At 800 degrees C and 0.01 Torr, this resulted in nearly complete (13)C label equilibration between C-1 and C-2, as seen by NMR analysis. Pyrolysis at 900 degrees C further led to ca. 35% of the label migrating about equally to C-3 and C-4. These results demonstrate that both intrabond and interbond atom exchange processes are operative, with the former having a lower activation barrier. DFT and Moller-Plesset calculations support a mechanism that passes through Brown rearrangement (1,2-shift), closure to trialene (bicyclo[1.1.0]-1,3-butadiene), bond-shift isomerization to exchange C-2 and C-3, and ring opening. The resulting vinylidene can rearrange to a butadiyne with the isotopic label at C-3 or C-4. Consistent with earlier calculations, trialene is predicted to have alternating peripheral bonds, with a weak central sigma bond and significant diradical character. Trialene is predicted [(B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p)] to lie 64.6 kcal/mol above butadiyne, with barriers of 2.2 and 4.4 kcal/mol, respectively, for ring opening or bond-shift isomerization. Other potential rearrangement mechanisms which pass through tetrahedrene (E(rel) = 167.2 kcal/mol) or 1,2,3-cyclobutatriene (E(rel) = 161.1 kcal/mol) lie at much higher energies.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of potential bisubstrate inhibitors of protein farnesyltransferase. Design and synthesis of functionalized imidazoles

A novel series of compounds, derived from 2,5-functionalized imidazoles, have been synthesized as potential bisubstrate inhibitors of protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) using structure-based design. These compounds have a 1,4-diacid chain and a tripeptide connected by an imidazole ring. The synthetic strategy relies on the functionalization at the C-2 position of the heterocycle with the diacid side chain and peptide coupling at the C-5 position. Several new compounds were synthesized in good yields. Kinetic experiments on the most active compounds revealed different binding modes depending on the diacid chain length.     

Synthesis of novel 6-enaminopurines

Two different approaches have been used for the synthesis of 6-enaminopurines 6 from 5-amino-4-cyanoformimidoyl imidazoles. In the first approach imidazoles 1 were reacted with ethoxymethylenemalononitrile or ethoxymethylenecyanoacetate under mild experimental conditions and this led to 9-substituted-6-(1-amino-2,2-dicyanovinyl) purines 6a-f or 9-substituted-6-(1-amino-2-cyano-2-methoxycarbonylvinyl) purines 6g-k. These reactions are postulated to occur through an imidazo-pyrrolidine intermediate 7, which rapidly rearranges to the 6-enaminopurine 6. In the second approach 6-methoxyformimidoyl purines 3, prepared in two efficient steps from 5-amino-4-cyanoformimidoyl imidazoles 1, were reacted with malononitrile and methylcyanoacetate with a mild acid catalysis (ammonium acetate or piperidinium acetate) to give 6-enaminopurines 6a, 6d, 6f, 6g and 6k in very good yields. Only low yields were obtained for the 6-enaminopurine 6j, as competing nucleophilic attack on C-8 of either 3d or 6jcauses ring opening with formation of pyrimido-pyrimidines 11 and 10a respectively.     

Ring opening versus ring expansion in rearrangement of bicyclic cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals

Ring opening and expansion of multicyclic cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals provides an appealing method for the construction of heavily substituted ring systems in a stereocontrollable fashion. Here we conducted the first, systematic study on the regioselectivity in the rearrangement of various synthetically relevant cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals. It was found that a two-layer ONIOM method, namely ONIOM(QCISD(T)/6-311+G(2d,2p):B3LYP/6-311+G(2df,2p)), could accurately predict the free energy barriers of the ring openings of cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals with a precision of 0.3 kcal/mol. By using this powerful tool we found that the regiochemistry for the ring opening of monocyclic cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals could be easily predicted by the relative stability of the two possible carbon radical products. A linear correlation was found between the activation and reaction free energies. This observation indicated that the ring opening of cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals was strongly affected by the thermodynamic factors. On the basis of the above results we extended our study to the rearrangement of bicyclic cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals that could undergo both ring opening and expansion. It was found that for bicyclic cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals whose radical center was located at the bridge methyl group, ring expansion was the favored rearrangement pathway unless a strongly radical-stabilizing substituent was placed in the cyclobutyl ring adjacent to the bridge methyl group. On the other hand, for bicyclic cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals whose radical center was located at the 2-position, ring opening was the favored rearrangement pathway unless a strongly radical-stabilizing substituent was placed in the cyclobutyl ring at the bridge position.     

Investigation on the reactivity of isoxazol-5-ones towards 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes: new entry to variously substituted (imidazol-2-yl)acetate and 1,3-oxazin-6-one derivatives

1,2-Diaza-1,3-dienes (DDs) undergo, under neutral conditions, N-nucleophilic attack from a 4-ethoxycarbonylisoxazol-5-one derivative. The first aza-Michael addition is followed by an intramolecular second, affording a fused heterobicyclic system that, upon ring opening and decarboxylation processes, gives rise to novel substituted imidazoles with an acetate functionality in the 2-position. On the contrary, under the same reaction conditions, 3-phenylisoxazol-5-one provides a double Michael addition at two units of DD involving first the C-4 and then the N-2 of the heterocycle. The resulting diadduct spontaneously undergoes ring-opening/ring-closing process that concludes with a ring enlargement of the heterocycle providing the 1,3-oxazin-6-one derivative.     

Investigation of carbon-2 substituted imidazoles and their corresponding ionic liquids

The functionality at the C-2 position of the imidazole ring plays a key role in defining the chemical properties of the imidazoles and their corresponding ionic liquids. Imidazoles 1−6 with different C-2 functionality were synthesized and their corresponding ionic liquids were systematically investigated. Based on their physical properties the six imidazoles can be divided into three groups. (1) The imidazoles 2 and 3 are capable of self-polymerization to form poly(ionic liquid)s, and they are characterized with a strong leaving group at the C-2 position. (2) The imidazoles 4 and 5 can form ionic liquids, but they are very sensitive to moisture. (3) The imidazoles 1 and 6 can form stable ionic liquids, and their stabilities were influenced by the electronic effects of the substituents at the C-2 position.     

Remarkable proteolytic activity of imidazoles attached to cross-linked polystyrene

The insoluble resins synthesized by attaching imidazoles to poly(chloromethylstyrene-co-divinylbenzene) effectively hydrolyzed albumin with half-life as short as 20 min at pH 7 and 25 degrees C. Thus, peptide hydrolysis was accomplished with imidazole in an artificial system for the first time. The imidazole-based artificial proteinases manifested optimum activity at pH 7-8. The proteolytic activity of the imidazole-based artificial proteinases exceeded that of previously reported organic artificial proteinases including catalytic antibodies. High proteolytic activity was observed when imidazole was attached to the resin through the C-2 atom instead of the N atom. The catalytic activity was greatly reduced when the content of imidazole was lowered. This indicates catalytic cooperation of at least two proximal imidazole moieties attached to the resin. Possible mechanisms for the effective protein hydrolysis by the proximal imidazoles are presented.     

Variable and stereoselective synthesis of azasugar analogues by a ruthenium-catalyzed ring rearrangement

A novel ruthenium-catalyzed ring opening/ring closing tandem metathesis reaction with a catalytic transfer of stereocenters from a ring to an olefinic chain is described. This ring rearrangement serves as the key step in the stereoselective synthesis of the new azasugar analogues 1 and 2.     

The m/z 91 rearrangement ion in the mass spectra of some 1,4-benzodiazepines

With the aid of isotope labeling and by substituent shifts, the relatively strong m/z 91 ion in the mass spectra of 7-chloro-2-methoxy-5-phenyl-3H-1,4-benzodiazepine and related compounds was shown to contain the 5-phenyl ring and the 3-CH₂ group. Mechanisms involving the opening of the 7-membered ring and the migration of the phenyl ring from C-5 to C-3 are postulated for the formation of this ion. This rearrangement ion was also observed in the mass spectra of some 1-alkyl-7-chloro-1,3-dhydro-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-ones.     

Highly diastereoselective formation of 1,2,3-trisubstituted cyclopropane derivatives

A highly diastereoselective formation of cyclopropane derivatives was reported. When the chiral phenylvinyl epoxide reacted with lithiated 2-alkyl-1,3-dithiane or lithiated alkyl carbonanion in the presence of HMPA, cyclopropanes bearing stereochemistry at all three positions on the ring were readily obtained in high yields of 80-97% and high dr values of 68:32-99:1. This reaction was supposed to be a tandem conjugation addition-epoxide opening sequence. [reaction: see text]     

Synthesis of the macrolactone core of (+)-neopeltolide by transannular cyclization

The synthesis of the macrolactone core of (+)-neopeltolide has been achieved. The key synthetic strategy involves the highly diastereoselective synthesis of the 2,6-cis-disubstituted tetrahydropyran ring by a transannular cyclization of δ-hydroxy alkene using mercuric trifluoroacetate. Two of the six stereocenters C-5 and C-11 were realized from L-malic acid, while the remaining stereocenters C-3 (Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation), C-7 (transannular cyclization), C-9 (regioselective epoxide opening) and C-13 (chelation controlled reduction) were derived by asymmetric synthesis. The macrolactone ring was synthesized by macrocyclization using a RCM protocol.     

Reactions of heterocumulenes with organometallic reagents: XVII. One-pot synthesis of alkoxy and (alkylsulfanyl)-substituted pyrroles and 2,3-dihydropyridines from aliphatic isothiocyanates and lithiated alkoxyallenes

A fundamentally new approach was developed to designing pyrrole and dihydropyridine rings from available allenes and isothiocyanates involving a single preparative stage. Applying the reaction of lithiated alkoxyallenes with aliphatic isothiocyanates we have synthesized previously unknown 1-alkyl(cycloalkyl) pyrroles and 2,3-dihydropyridines with rare alkoxy- and alkylsulfanyl substituents. It was proved that the five- and six-membered azaheterocycles formed as a result of competing reactions of direct intramolecular cyclization of S-alkylated adducts of lithiated alkoxyallenes with isothiocyanates (1-aza-1,3,4-trienes) into pyrroles and of [1,5]-sigmatropic rearrangement into conjugated 2-aza-1,3,5-trienes with subsequent closure into dihydropyridine ring (through 6π-electrocyclization).     

The extent of electron-impact-induced ring contraction in the formation of [M − CH3] fragments from N-acetylpiperidine

In N-acetylpiperidine, α-carbon atoms (C-2 or C-6) of the ring have been recently identified as a source of loss of CH₃ radicals from the molecular ion in addition to β-carbon atoms (C-3 or C-5) and the acyl substituent (C-8). Skeletal rearrangement by ring contraction to a five-membered cyclic intermediate was invoked to be responsible for the expulsion of C-2 or C-6. Deuterium labelling suggested major and approximately equal contributions from the two losses of ring atoms as compared to an only minor contribution from loss of C-8. ¹³C-labelling of the latter now establishes the correctness of this inference, demonstrating that only 17% of the total loss of methyl arise from this position. Together with results of previous deuterium labelling this figure indicates that ring contraction contributes to the formation of [M ? CH₃] fragments to an extent of approximately 40%.     

2H NMR spectra of 2-(p-heptylbenzoyloxy)-5-(p-heptylbenzenazo)tropone. A new sigmatropic liquid crystal

Liquid crystals incorporating in their molecular framework a seven-membered ring are still relatively rare [1]. Recently the synthesis and thermal behaviour of a series of liquid crystal materials having a tropone moiety in their mesogenic core have been reported [2-4]. These mesogens, based on a 2-(acyloxy)tropone core structure, show intramolecular migration of the acyl substituents between the two oxygen atoms at C-1 and C-2, an effect already known for simple 2-(acyloxy)tropones in their isotropic solutions [5]. This migration involves a concerted [1, 9]-sigmatropic rearrangement [2]. This rearrangement could play a major role in determining the properties of the mesophases: it has been suggested in fact that, because of this rearrangement, the mesogenic molecules acquire a mean rod-like shape which can sustain the mesophase formation [2].     

Synthesis and bioactivities of paclitaxel analogs with a cyclopropanated side-chain

Four paclitaxel analogs with a cyclopropanated side-chain were synthesized by coupling of the spirocyclopropanated oxazoline-5-carboxylic acid 4 with 7-TES-baccatin III, followed by hydrolytic ring opening and rearrangement. The absolute configuration of the 2′-position was determined by NMR analysis of the corresponding Mosher esters. The two new paclitaxel analogs with the R configuration at C-2′ were both active in the A2780 mammalian cell line cytotoxicity assay, but much less than paclitaxel itself.     

Directed ortho-lithiation of chloroquinolines. Application to synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted quinolines

2-, 3- and 4-Chloroquinolines were selectively lithiated at low temperature by lithium diisopropylamide at the more acidic C-3, C-4 and C-3 positions respectively. Reaction of 2-chloro-3-lithioquinoline with electrophiles led to various 2,3-disubsthuted quinolines. The versatility of this functionalization methodology is enhanced by the C-2 halogen reactivity towards oxygen or nitrogen nucleophiles. So, a great variety of 2,3-di-substituted quinolines were synthesized, such as 2-chloro, 2-alkoxy, 2-aminoquinolines or 2-quinolones bearing an hydroxy, carbonyl (aldehyde, ketone or carboxylic acid), iodo, trimethylsilyl or boronic acid moiety at the C-3. Some of the resulting 2,3-disubstituted synthons were annelated to tetracyclic polyaromatics, which possess the xanthone or indole structure. This could be achieved via further functionalization of the quinoline ring either by SNAr2 or heteroaromatic cross-coupling reactions, after the first directed-lithiation step.     

Synthesis of 2-hydroxy-3-indolinones and 3-hydroxy-2-indolinones by anionic cyclization, in situ oxidation and rearrangement

Lithiation with butyllithium of 2-(benzylamino)benzamides (N-benzyl anthranilamides) occurs at the benzylic position to give an α-amino-organolithium that cyclizes to the 3-indolinone (indoxyl) ring (similar to a Parham cyclization). Autoxidation in air gives 2-hydroxy-3-indolinones. In the absence of a proton source, rearrangement of the aryl group from C-2 to C-3 occurs to give the 3-hydroxy-2-indolinone (oxindole) ring.     

Effects of solvents and water in Ti(III)-mediated radical cyclizations of epoxygermacrolides. Straightforward synthesis and absolute stereochemistry of (+)-3alpha-hydroxyreynosin and related eudesmanolides

The Cp(2)TiCl-mediated rearrangement of 1,10-epoxy-11beta,13-dihydrocostunolide (4) was carried out using different solvents and additives to develop an expeditious procedure for the synthesis of natural eudesmanolides via free-radical chemistry. In the nonhalogenated solvents THF, benzene, and toluene the transannular cyclization, initiated by the homolytic opening of the oxirane ring, selectively led to the desired exocyclic alkene 5. When water was added to THF, however, the main product was reduced eudesmanolide 8. Experiments with D(2)O confirmed that the H-4 of 8 comes from water. To rationalize these results, a mechanistic hypothesis based on a water-solvated Cp(2)TiCl complex is proposed. Finally, the usefulness of Cp(2)TiCl for the synthesis of natural eudesmanolides has been proved using this reagent in the key step for the chemical preparation of (+)-3alpha-hydroxyreynosin (1) and (+)-reynosin (17). These syntheses confirmed the chemical structure of 1 and established the absolute stereochemistry of the natural products 1 and 17. The results obtained suggest that the combination of the biomimetic strategy employed, with Ti(III)-mediated free-radical chemistry, may come to represent a general method for the enantiospecific synthesis of more than 170 natural eudesmanolides containing an exocyclic double bond between C-4 and C-15.     

Diastereoselective reactions at enantiomerically pure, sterically congested cyclohexanes as an entry to wailupemycins A and B: total synthesis of (+)-wailupemycin B

Wailupemycin A (1) and B (2) are polyketide natural products with a highly substituted cyclohexanone core. Three different routes for the syntheses of these compounds were pursued, which commenced from either (R)-(-)-carvone (ent-5) or (S)-(+)-carvone (5). In the first approach it was attempted to construct the skeleton of wailupemycin A from triol 19 (nine steps from ent-5; 19 % yield) by a sequence of diastereoselective epoxidation, nucleophilic ring opening at C-13 and carbonyl addition at C-5. The synthetic plan failed at the stage of the carbonyl addition to aldehyde 27, which had been obtained in seven steps (18 % yield) from triol 19. The second route included an epoxide ring opening at C-13 and a carbonyl addition at C-7 as key steps. It could have led to either wailupemycin A or B depending on the diastereoselectivity of the addition step. Starting from allylic alcohol 30 (six steps from ent-5; 59 % yield) the cyclohexanone 28 was obtained in five steps (54 % yield). Unfortunately, the carbonyl addition failed also in this instance. In the eventually successful third attempt the skeleton of wailupemycin B was built from cyclohexanone 43 (eight steps from 5; 53 % yield) by highly diastereoselective carbonyl addition reactions at C-7 and C-12. The phenyl group at C-14 was introduced at a late stage of the synthetic sequence. Careful protecting group manipulation finally allowed for the total synthesis of (+)-wailupemycin B. The absolute and relative configuration of the natural product was unambiguously confirmed. The total yield of wailupemycin B amounted to 6 % over 23 steps starting from (S)-(+)-carvone (5).