Recent advances in transition-metal-free carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond-forming reactions using arynes

This tutorial review is aimed at highlighting recent developments in transition-metal-free carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond-forming reactions utilizing a versatile class of reactive intermediates, viz., arynes, which hold the potential for numerous applications in organic synthesis. Key to the success of the resurgence of interest in the rich chemistry of arynes is primarily the mild condition for their generation by the fluoride-induced 1,2-elimination of 2-(trimethylsilyl)aryl triflates. Consequently, arynes have been employed for the construction of multisubstituted arenes with structural diversity and complexity. The versatile transition-metal-free applications of arynes include cycloaddition reactions, insertion reactions and multicomponent reactions. In addition, arynes have found applications in natural product synthesis. Herein, we present a concise account of the major developments that occurred in this field during the past eight years.     

Efficient synthesis of γ-keto sulfones by NHC-catalyzed intermolecular Stetter reaction

The N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed intermolecular Stetter reaction of aldehydes with α,β-unsaturated sulfones allows the atom-economic and selective formation of γ-keto sulfones in good yields. Key to the success of this unique transition-metal-free carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction is the right choice of the NHC precursor and base. The reaction tolerates a broad range of different aldehydes.     

Synthesis of novel twisted carbazole-quinoxaline derivatives with 1,3,5-benzene core: bipolar molecules as hosts for phosphorescent OLEDs

A series of carbazole/quinoxaline hybrids have been synthesized by classic Ullmann and Pd/Cu-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling reaction. Their photophysical, thermal, and electrochemical properties were investigated. The introduction of electron rich carbazole and electron deficient quinoxaline on to the 1,3,5-benzene center leads to a twisted structure with good glass forming property and imparts a bipolar character. The triplet energies in the range of 2.34-2.53 eV indicate them as potential host materials in phosphorescent OLEDs.     

Recent Advancements in Transition‐Metal‐Catalyzed One‐Pot Twofold Unsymmetrical Difunctionalization of Arenes

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed direct C?H bond activation reactions have been embraced as a powerful synthetic tool to access diverse functionalized arenes. However, site‐selective incorporation of multiple distinct functionalities in an arene has always been a formidable challenge. Recent efforts from the synthetic community have disclosed a few dynamic synthetic approaches to fabricate multifunctionalized arenes in one‐pot using a single catalytic system. These reports manifested the immense potential of such approaches to expedite contemporary organic synthesis towards building molecular complexity. In this minireview, we have illustrated the recent progress in this area, highlighting the contribution from several synthetic chemists including our group.     

Synthesis of the Immunodominant Trisaccharide Related to the Antigen From E. COLI O 126

The trisaccharide derivative methyl 2-O-[4,6-di-O-acetyl-3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-D-gal-actopyranosyl)-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-β-D-gluco-pyranosyl]-4,6-O-benzylidene-β-D-mannopyranoside (12) was obtained when 3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-D-galactopyranosyl)-4,6-di-Oacetyl-2-deoxy-2-phtha-limido-β-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (8) was allowed to react with methyl 3-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-β-D-mannopyranoside (11) in presence of trimethylsilyl triflate. Removal of protecting groups then gave the desired trisaccharide.     

Synthesis of ether-linked oligoribo- and xylonucleosides from 3,5'-ether-linked pseudosaccharides

First examples of di- and trinucleosides with ribose and xylose stereochemistry having internucleoside ether linkage were synthesized from 3,5'-ether-linked pseudosaccharides. The synthetic protocol involved removal of 1,2-isopropylidene protecting groups from the pseudosaccharides followed by acetylation and a subsequent Vorbruggen transglycosylation with uracil and N-benzoylaminopurine. The synthetic strategy is potentially important for the development of RNA analogues with internucleoside ether linkage.     

Stereoselective synthesis of sugar-based β-lactam derivatives: docking studies and its biological evaluation

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of cis-β-lactams via [2+2] cycloaddition reactions of sugar-imine derivative possessing free hydroxyl groups at C-2 and C-3 positions and ketenes is described. exo-Approach of sugar-imine with ketene leads to the stereoselective formation of cis product and it is facilitated by hydrogen bonding interaction of C2–OH with carbonyl group of ketene. Docking studies show that these derivatives are having greater affinity towards PBP and it has been validated by in vivo studies. Among the different sugar-based azetidine-2-ones, compounds 6a and 6d were superior in activity to the commercial antibiotic tetracycline.     

Quantum dot bio-conjugate: as a western blot probe for highly sensitive detection of cellular proteins

In the present study, we report a quantum dot (QD)-tailored western blot analysis for a sensitive, rapid and flexible detection of the nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. Highly luminescent CdTe and (CdTe)ZnS QDs are synthesized by aqueous method. High resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction are used to characterize the properties of the quantum dots. The QDs are functionalized with antibodies of prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases and β actin to specifically bind with the proteins localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the cells, respectively. The QD-conjugated antibodies are used to overcome the limitations of conventional western blot technique. The sensitivity and rapidity of protein detection in QD-based approach is very high, with detection limits up to 10 pg of protein. In addition, these labels provide the capability of enhanced identification and localization of marker proteins in intact cells by confocal laser scanning microscopy.     

Rapid, continuous purification of proteins in a microfluidic device using genetically-engineered partition tags

High-throughput screening assays of native and recombinant proteins are increasingly crucial in life science research, including fields such as drug screening and enzyme engineering. These assays are typically highly parallel, and require minute amounts of purified protein per assay. To address this need, we have developed a rapid, automated microscale process for isolating specific proteins from sub-microlitre volumes of E. Coli cell lysate. Recombinant proteins are genetically tagged to drive partitioning into the PEG-rich phase of a flowing aqueous two-phase system, which removes approximately 85% of contaminating proteins, as well as unwanted nucleic acids and cell debris, on a simple microfluidic device. Inclusion of the genetic tag roughly triples recovery of the autofluorescent protein AcGFP1, and also significantly improves recovery of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST), from nearly zero recovery for the wild-type enzyme, up to 40% with genetic tagging. The extraction process operates continuously, with only a single step from cell lysate to purified protein, and does not require expensive affinity reagents or troublesome chromatographic steps. The two-phase system is mild and does not disrupt protein function, as evidenced by recovery of active enzymes and functional fluorescent protein from our microfluidic process. The microfluidic aqueous two-phase extraction forms the core component of an integrated lab-on-a-chip device comprising cell culture, lysis, purification and analysis on a single device.