Biginelli-like reaction with dialkyl acetone-1,3-dicarboxylates: a remarkable case of steric control

A Biginelli-type condensation is described using dialkyl acetone-1,3-dicarboxylates as active methylene compounds for the preparation of monastrol analogues. Unexpectedly, the reaction with salicylaldehyde formed two different products depending on the ester alkyl group. This product dichotomy was found to be caused by the steric effects exerted by the alcohol terminus of the ester group in the active methylene component. Previous controversial results as to the structure of the Biginelli product 3 are also discussed.     

Multicomponent access to novel proline/cyclized cysteine tethered monastrol conjugates as potential anticancer agents

The versatility of multicomponent Biginelli’s reaction is exploited in the development of proline and cyclized cysteine tethered conjugates of monastrol, a kinesin Eg5 inhibitor. Ten new conjugates are synthesized focusing on structural replacement of the ester moiety (C-5 position) of the monastrol backbone with amino acid based amide moieties. On cytotoxic evaluation, conjugate 24 has shown promising in vitro cytotoxic activity against leukemia. Molecular docking studies revealed that the conjugates 19 and 24 exhibit better interaction at kinesin Eg5 receptor compared to monastrol. Moreover, computational calculations and predictions of important molecular properties suggest that these new amino acid based conjugates could be further improved to provide potential anticancer agents.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of 13‐Acetyl‐9‐methyl‐11‐oxo(or thioxo)‐8‐oxa‐10,12‐diazatricyclo[7.3.1.02,7]trideca‐2,4,6‐trienes under Microwave Irradiation

Oxygen‐bridged monastrol analogs, 13‐acetyl‐9‐methyl‐11‐oxo(or thioxo)‐8‐oxa‐10,12‐diazatricyclo[7.3. 1.0^2,7]trideca‐2,4,6‐trienes, were synthesized by one‐pot three component condensation reaction of substituted salicylaldehyde, acetylacetone and urea or thiourea with nontoxic, inexpensive, and easily available NaHSO₄ as catalyst under microwave irradiation and solvent‐free conditions in short time with good yields. The structures of the products were characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR spectra, and elemental analyses.     

Small-molecule and mutational analysis of allosteric Eg5 inhibition by monastrol

Background  

A recent crystal structure of monastrol in a ternary complex with the kinesin Eg5 motor domain highlights a novel, induced-fit drug binding site at atomic resolution. Mutational obliteration of the monastrol binding site results in a monastrol-resistant, but otherwise catalytically active Eg5 motor domain. However, considering the conformational changes at this site, it is unclear what specific interactions stabilize the interaction between monastrol and the Eg5 motor domain.     

Evidence that monastrol is an allosteric inhibitor of the mitotic kinesin Eg5

Monastrol, a cell-permeable inhibitor of the kinesin Eg5, has been used to probe the dynamic organization of the mitotic spindle. The mechanism by which monastrol inhibits Eg5 function is unknown. We found that monastrol inhibits both the basal and the microtubule-stimulated ATPase activity of the Eg5 motor domain. Unlike many ATPase inhibitors, monastrol does not compete with ATP binding to Eg5. Monastrol appears to inhibit microtubule-stimulated ADP release from Eg5 but does not compete with microtubule binding, suggesting that monastrol binds a novel allosteric site in the motor domain. Finally, we established that (S)-monastrol, as compared to the (R)-enantiomer, is a more potent inhibitor of Eg5 activity in vitro and in vivo. Future structural studies should help in designing more potent Eg5 inhibitors for possible use as anticancer drugs and cell biological reagents.     

Synthèse de composés comportant deux hétérocycles oxygénés accoles au noyau benzénique, éthers du résorcinol

We wish to report the preparation of new bisheterocyclic compounds derived from resoreinol. We tried to sue methods during this investigation which would be selective and afford only tricyclic linear compounds. The starting material was resorcinol or the monomethylether of resorcinol. By reaction with chloroacetonitrile, acrylonitrile or ethyl chlorobutanoate, we obtained the intermediate compounds which were then cyclized by reaction with sodium acetate or polyphosphoric acid; either a catalytic reduction or treatment with zinc in presence of hydrochloric acid furnished the heterocyclic base. Another condensation followed by a cyclization and a reduction gave the desired compounds.     

Regio‐ and Enantioselective Aza‐Diels–Alder Reactions of 3‐Vinylindoles: A Concise Synthesis of the Antimalarial Spiroindolone NITD609

An asymmetric aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of 3‐vinylindoles with isatin‐derived ketimines has been developed. A series of spiroindolone derivatives were thus obtained in good to excellent yields with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 96 % yield and 99 % ee). Furthermore, the antimalarial compound NITD609 could be obtained in three steps with an overall yield of 40.6 %. Control experiments and operando IR experiments imply a concerted reaction pathway. The regioselectivity and exo selectivity result from π–π interactions between the two indoline rings of the two reactants.     

Cobalt‐Catalyzed C8‐Dienylation of Quinoline‐N‐Oxides

An efficient Cp*Co^III‐catalyzed C8‐dienylation of quinoline‐N‐oxides was achieved by employing allenes bearing leaving groups at the α‐position as the dienylating agents. The reaction proceeds by Co^III‐catalyzed C?H activation of quinoline‐N‐oxides and regioselective migratory insertion of the allene followed by a β‐oxy elimination, leading to overall dienylation. Site‐selective C?H activation was achieved with excellent selectivity under mild reaction conditions, and 30 mol % of a NaF additive was found to be crucial for the efficient dienylation. The methodology features high stereoselectivity, mild reaction conditions, and good functional‐group tolerance. C8‐alkenylation of quinoline‐N‐oxides was achieved in the case of allenes devoid of leaving groups as coupling partners. Furthermore, gram‐scale preparation and preliminary mechanistic experiments were carried out to gain insights into the reaction mechanism.     

Acetone‐induced polymerisation of 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) as revealed by NMR spectroscopy

We followed the reactivity of acetone with 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, a potential organosilane coupling agent, by ¹H, ¹³C and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy. Selective 1D and 2D‐edited NMR experiments significantly contributed to simplify the spectral complexity of reaction solution and elucidated molecular structures within progressive reaction phases. The course of the 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane reaction with acetone was shown by a progressive decrease of both reactants, and a concomitant appearance of water and methanol, due to formation of imine and hydrolysis of alkoxysilane groups, respectively. The occurrence of multiple siloxane linkages in a progressively larger cross‐linked macromolecular structure was revealed by DOSY‐NMR experiments and new signals in ²⁹Si‐NMR spectra at different reaction times. The NMR approach described here may be applied to investigate the reactivity of other γ‐aminopropylalkoxysilanes and contribute to define procedures for the preparation of silica‐based materials. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of α‐Nitro‐α‐diazocarbonyl Derivatives and Their Applications in the Cyclopropanation of Alkenes and in O?H Insertion Reactions

A facile and highly efficient method for the preparation of α‐nitro‐α‐diazocarbonyl derivatives by a diazo‐transfer reaction involving (trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl azide has been developed. These substrates undergo a rhodium‐catalyzed cyclopropanation reaction with a variety of alkenes. A systematic study of the reaction indicated that the diastereoselectivity of the cyclopropanation could be effectively controlled through the modification of the steric bulk of the diazo reagent. A novel O? H insertion reaction of the metal? carbene complex derived from the α‐nitro‐α‐diazocarbonyl reagent afforded the corresponding novel α‐nitro‐α‐alkoxy carbonyl derivatives.     

Unexpected Spiroproducts from the Reaction of N‐Benzoylglycine with Ortho‐Formylbenzoic Acids −3,5′‐Dioxo‐2′‐Phenyl‐1,3‐Dihydrospiro[Indene‐2,4′‐[1,3]Oxazol]‐1‐yl Acetates: Establishments of Their Structure

This paper describes a method of preparation of new 3,5′‐dioxo‐2′‐phenyl‐1,3‐dihydrospiro[indene‐2,4′‐[1,3]oxazol]‐1‐yl acetate and its 5‐chloro‐ and bromoderivatives as products of interaction of N‐benzoylglycine (hippuric acid) with corresponding ortho‐formylbenzoic acids. The reaction carried out in acetic anhydride media in the presence of piperidine as catalyst. The novel spirocompounds were purified by column chromatography from multicomponent reaction mixtures. The composition of the spiro‐products was confirmed by C, H, N element analysis. The structure was established by IR, MS, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR analysis including COSY ¹H‐¹³C experiments.     

Platinum‐Catalyzed Cascade Rearrangement Reaction of 1,5‐Diynyl Esters: Unusual Regioselective 1,5‐Hydride Migration

A highly regioselective sequential 1,3‐acyloxy migration/pentannulation/1,5‐hydride migration reaction is disclosed which provides an efficient access to (E)‐2‐vinyl‐3‐oxo‐1‐methyleneindenes under neutral and mild reaction conditions. The migrated hydrogen atom was derived from an unactivated alkyl group, and the long‐range 1,5‐H shift was confirmed through related deuterium experiments.     

Synthesis of highly 1,3-proton shift transferable N-benzyl imines of trifluoroacetophenone under the “low-basicity” reaction conditions

The standard reaction conditions commonly used for the condensation of carbonyl compounds with amines were found to be synthetically inefficient for preparation of the imines derived from trifluoroacetophenone and benzylamines owing to the susceptibility of these imines to 1,3-proton shift. Application of a “low-basicity” method, using instead of free benzylamines their salts formed from acetic acid (AA), allowed synthesis of the target compounds in chemically pure form and excellent chemical yields.     

An expedient ‘click’ approach for the synthetic evaluation of ester‐triazole‐tethered organosilica conjugates

The present work articulates the synthesis of a new series of organo‐functionalized triethoxysilanes derived from versatile carboxylic acids and 3‐azidopropyltriethoxysilane in excellent yields. A proficient and convenient route implicating the Cu(I)‐catalysed 1,3‐cycloaddition of organic azide with terminal alkynes, labelled as click silylation, has been developed for the generation of ester‐triazole‐linked alkoxysilanyl scaffolds ( 4a – f ). All the synthesized compounds have been thoroughly characterized using elemental analysis and Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic techniques. Importantly, the fabricated alkoxysilanes are potentially amenable for an in situ sol–gel condensation reaction with silica nanospheres leading to the incorporation of organic functionality via covalent grafting onto the nanostructured particle system. As a proof of concept, a one‐pot preparation of organic–inorganic hybrid nanoparticles is presented using bis‐silane 4 f . The efficiency and selectivity of the prepared nanocomposite towards metal ions is highlighted using adsorption experiments, and the immobilized nanoparticles present a high sensing efficiency towards Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions while demonstrating better response than that of the bulk material.     

Stopped‐flow investigation of the reaction of hexabromoiridate(III) with bromine in aqueous solution

The reaction of hexabromoiridate(III) with bromine to form hexabromoiridate(IV) and bromide ion was studied using a Durrum stopped‐flow spectrophotometer. Special precautions were taken while studying this reaction. All of the experiments were carried out within 3 min after preparation of the hexabromoiridate solution throughout this investigation in order to limit the amount of conversion of hexabromoiridate(III) to aquapentabromoiridate(III) before reaction with bromine. Very dilute solutions were used because of the rapidity of the reaction. The rate constant for the reaction at 24 ± 1°C was determined to be (3.2 ± 0.4) × 10³ L mol^?1 s^?1. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 623–626, 2004     

Synthesis of Sulfamate‐Fused 2‐Aminopyrroles via an Isocyanide‐Based Three Component [1+2+2] Annulation

An efficient preparation of sulfamate‐fused 2‐aminopyrroles was achieved through an isocyanide‐based three‐component [1+2+2] annulation of isocyanides, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates, and sulfamate‐derived cyclic imines in good to excellent yields (up to 99 %). This reaction proceeds smoothly without any activation or modification of substances under neutral and metal‐free conditions. The reaction could also be conveniently performed on a gram scale.     

Preparation of dihydrotetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives from Biginelli 3,4-dihydropyrimidine-2-thiones

Dihydropyrimidines (DHPM) with a fused tetrazole ring have been synthesized via a smooth and efficient three-step protocol involving N,S-dimethylated and 2-hydrazinyl-dihydropyrimidine intermediates, respectively. The described protocol is applicable to electron rich and electron poor DHPM precursors as well. The insertion of tetrazole ring in monastrol type dihydropyrimidines makes it interesting for pharmacological investigations.     

Cobalt perchlorate hexahydrate catalyzed one-pot synthesis of dihydropyrimidin-ones/-thiones through sonochemistry and its mechanistic study using density functional theory calculations

A cobalt(II) perchlorate hexahydrate coordinated synthesis of dihydropyrimidin-ones and -thiones through sonochemistry is developed. Herein, the reaction was demonstrated as a simple, efficient, and one-pot method for synthesizing a series of interesting 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones. Further, the reaction mechanism was investigated using mass spectrometry and density functional theory calculations suggesting that a Lewis acid character of cobalt(II) perchlorate hexahydrate plays a crucial role in coordinating carbonyl functionalities and stabilizing the polar intermediates like imine–enamine which further led to cyclized dihydropyrimidin-ones and -thiones. This methodology was further explored to synthesize a gram-scale synthesis of monastrol drug, a kinase inhibitor.     

Comparative simulation study of chemical synthesis of energetic (R)‐1,2,4‐butanetriol trinitrate plasticizer

A chemical synthesis method that involved aldol condensation and betenediol epoxidation was designed with the aid of Gaussian 09 and Materials Studio 6.0 software to accomplish simulation of the corresponding preparation processes of (R)‐1,2,4‐butanetriol trinitrate (BTTN) and its crucial (R)‐1,2,4‐butanetriol (BT) precursor. The aim of this work was to construct a comparative model that closely approached the real reaction environment. By regulation of the reaction temperature and reagent concentration, and employing detailed kinetics analysis and thermodynamic equilibrium computation, we aimed to explore potential reaction routes and enhance the production yield. The simulation reaction used ethanal and glyoxal as starting materials to obtain (R)‐BTTN, and the computational results revealed that with an increase in reaction temperature, a regular trend of a decrease in the overall energy barrier was observed. For the reaction process of BT preparation via 3‐butene‐1,2‐diol epoxidation, including all exothermic elementary reaction steps, the activation energy of each stage decreased in a stepwise manner, with a simultaneous lowering of the temperature. In summary, controlling the reagent at a concentration of 0.25 M and the reaction temperature at 283 K promoted rapid reaction and a high product yield. The results of this study could be used as a reference when performing laboratory experiments.     

Transition‐Metal‐Free Reductive Hydroxymethylation of Isoquinolines

A transition‐metal‐free reductive hydroxymethylation reaction has been developed, enabling the preparation of tetrahydroisoquinolines bearing C4‐quaternary centers from the corresponding isoquinolines. Deuterium labelling studies and control experiments enable a potential mechanism to be elucidated which features a key Cannizzaro‐type reduction followed by an Evans–Tishchenko reaction. When isoquinolines featuring a proton at the 4‐position are used, a tandem methylation‐hydroxymethylation occurs, leading to the formation of 2 new C?C bonds in one pot.