Multigram Quantities Research Articles

Calyciphylline B-Type Alkaloids: Total Syntheses of (-)-Daphlongamine H and (-)-Isodaphlongamine H.

The first total synthesis of the complex hexacylic Daphniphyllum alkaloid (-)-daphlongamine H has been accomplished. Key to the success of the strategy are a complexity-building Mannich reaction, efficient cyclizations, and a highly diastereoselective hydrogenation to assemble multigram quantities of the tricyclic core bearing four contiguous stereocenters. Following construction of the hydro-indene substructure by means of a Pauson-Khand reaction, endgame redox manipulations delivered the natural product. Importantly, the synthetic studies have also given access to (-)-isodaphlongamine H and led to a revision of the reported structure of deoxyisocalyciphylline B.

Stereo- and Regioselective Synthesis of Molecular Baskets.

We describe a stereoselective method for obtaining multigram quantities of molecular basket 1 syn in overall 11% yield, using inexpensive cyclopentadiene and diethyl fumarate as starting materials. First, an asymmetric synthesis of enantioenriched bromo(trimethylstannyl)alkene (-)-8 was accomplished by the stereoselective bromination of dibromonorbornene (+)-4 guided by anchimeric assistance and subsequent syn- exo-elimination of tetrabromonorbornane (-)-5a as the key steps. Subsequent Cu(I)-catalyzed cyclotrimerization of (-)-8 was optimized to give 1 syn/ anti in 85% yield and 1:1 ratio of diastereomers. Importantly, the results of our mechanistic experiments were in line with the cyclotrimerization occurring in a chain-type fashion with racemization of a Cu(I) homochiral dimeric intermediate, reducing the stereoselectivity of the transformation. Enabled by more facile access to molecular baskets of type 1 syn, a range of recognition studies can now be completed for producing novel supramolecular catalysts, organophosphorus scavengers, and nanostructured materials.

Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure 5-Substituted Piperazine-2-Acetic Acid Esters as Intermediates for Library Production.

The piperazine heterocycle is housed within a large number of FDA-approved drugs and biological probe compounds. Structurally, however, these compounds are mostly confined to substitutions on the two ring nitrogen atoms, rationalizing the expansion of piperazine chemical diversity through carbon substitutions. On the basis of the concept of systematic chemical diversity, a divergent six-step synthesis was developed in which chiral amino acids were transformed, with high diastereoselectivity, into either cis or trans 5-substituted piperazine-2-acetic acid esters that could be chromatographically rendered diastereomerically homogeneous. Starting from six commercially available amino acids or their respective amino alcohols (both antipodes), we obtained a complete set of 24 protected chiral 2,5-disubstituted piperazines, as single stereoisomers in multigram quantities. These diverse and versatile piperazines can be functionalized on either nitrogen atom, allowing them to be used as starting materials for parallel library synthesis and as intermediates for the targeted production of more complex C-substituted piperazine compounds.

Design of a Primary-Amide-Functionalized Highly Efficient and Recyclable Hydrogen-Bond-Donating Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Friedel–Crafts Alkylation of Indoles with β-Nitrostyrenes

A primary-amide-functionalized metal organic framework, {[Zn2(2-BQBG)(BDC)2]·10H2O}n (1) (in which 2-BQBG = 2,2′-(butane-1,4-diylbis((quinolin-2-ylmethyl)azanediyl))diacetamide and BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), has been found to be a highly efficient hydrogen-bond-donating (HBD) heterogeneous catalyst for the Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indole with β-nitrostyrenes under mild reaction conditions (catalyst loading: 3 mol %; reaction conditions: 12 h and 35 °C). The catalyst can be easily separated from the reaction mixture by simple filtration for its reuse in four consecutive cycles with very little loss of activity. More importantly, the one-pot room temperature synthesis of 1 from the self-assembly of Zn(OAc)2·2H2O and 2-BQBG (in CH3OH) and Na2BDC (in H2O) can be easily scaled-up for obtaining multigram quantities in few hours. In order to showcase its versatility, the substrate scope included a variety of substituted indoles and different β-nitrostyrene derivatives forming the desired products in good to high yields. For its catalytic action, a direct proof for the key step in the proposed mechanism, based on the interaction of a primary-amide group in the 2-BQBG ligand with the nitro group of β-nitrostyrene through hydrogen bonding, is provided from the enhancement in fluorescence intensity of 1 upon successive addition of β-nitrostyrene.

Site-Specific Cleavage of RNAs Derived from the PIM1 3'-UTR by a Metal-Free Artificial Ribonuclease.

Oligonucleotide conjugates of tris(2-aminobenzimidazole) have been reported previously to cleave complementary RNA strands with high levels of sequence and site specificity. The RNA substrates used in these studies were oligonucleotides not longer than 29-mers. Here we show that ~150–400-mer model transcripts derived from the 3′-untranslated region of the PIM1 mRNA reacted with rates and specificities comparable to those of short oligonucleotide substrates. The replacement of DNA by DNA/LNA mixmers further increased the cleavage rate. Tris(2-aminobenzimidazoles) were designed to interact with phosphates and phosphate esters. A cell, however, contains large amounts of phosphorylated species that may cause competitive inhibition of RNA cleavage. It is thus important to note that no loss in reaction rates was observed in phosphate buffer. This opens the way to in-cell applications for this type of artificial nuclease. Furthermore, we disclose a new synthetic method giving access to tris(2-aminobenzimidazoles) in multigram amounts.

Sulfuryl Fluoride Mediated Conversion of Aldehydes to Nitriles.

Aliphatic, aromatic, and heteroaromatic aldehydes were readily converted to corresponding nitriles in a one-pot reaction sequence with hydroxylamine and sulfuryl fluoride. The reaction proceeds at room temperature, does not require metal catalysts and special precautions, and produces nitriles in excellent yields. It is compatible with a variety of functional groups, can be performed in aqueous and organic solvents, and is readily scalable to multigram quantities. Mild conditions and high selectivity of the reaction enabled the construction of polyfunctional probes containing nitrile, alkyne, azide, and fluorosulfate groups for further orthogonal derivatization.

Synthesis of treprostinil: key Claisen rearrangement and catalytic Pauson-Khand reactions in continuous flow.

A new synthesis of treprostinil is described using a plug flow reactor in two of the key steps. First, a Claisen rearrangement reaction is described in scaled flow at multigram amounts. Yields and selectivity of this step are sharply improved compared to those from previous syntheses. Second, the key Pauson-Khand reaction in flow is described under catalytic conditions with 5 mol% of cobalt carbonyl and only 3 equiv. of CO. Scaling up of this reaction safely ensures a good yield of an advanced intermediate which is transformed into treprostinil in three steps. Other improvements are the introduction of the carboxymethyl chain into the phenol from the beginning to reduce the protection-deprotection steps. The synthesis is completed in 14% global yield after 12 linear steps from (S)-epichlorhydrin.

A convenient and practical synthesis of β-diketones bearing linear perfluorinated alkyl groups and a 2-thienyl moiety.

A versatile and robust synthetic protocol for the preparation of β-diketones bearing 2-thienyl and perfluorinated alkyl radicals of different length or a methyl group was developed. This protocol is suitable for the preparation of multigram quantities of diketones without cumbersome purification procedures. Moreover, the known method for purification of diketones via copper chelates was improved considerably.

Chemistry of Shape-Controlled Iron Oxide Nanocrystal Formation.

Herein, we demonstrate that meticulous and in-depth analysis of the reaction mechanisms of nanoparticle formation is rewarded by full control of the size, shape, and crystal structure of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals during synthesis. Starting from two iron sources, iron(II) and iron(III) carbonate, a strict separation of oleate formation from the generation of reactive pyrolysis products and concomitant nucleation of iron oxide nanoparticles was achieved. This protocol enabled us to analyze each step of nanoparticle formation independently in depth. The progress of the entire reaction was monitored via matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and gas chromatography, thus providing insight into the formation of various iron oleate species prior to nucleation. Interestingly, due to the intrinsic strongly reductive pyrolysis conditions of the oleate intermediates and redox process in early stages of the synthesis, pristine iron oxide nuclei were composed exclusively from wüstite irrespective of the oxidation state of the iron source. Controlling the reaction conditions provided a very broad range of size- and shape-defined monodispersed iron oxide nanoparticles. Curiously, after nucleation, star-shaped nanocrystals were obtained that underwent metamorphism toward cubic-shaped particles. Electron energy loss spectroscopy tomography revealed ex post oxidation of the primary wustite nanocrystal, providing a full 3D image of Fe2+ and Fe3+ distribution within. Overall, we developed a highly flexible synthesis, yielding multi-gram amounts of well-defined iron oxide nanocrystals of different sizes and morphologies.

An optimized method for an (2R,3S)-isocitric acid building block

An optimized method for (2R,3S)-isocitric acid lactone-2,3-dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester as an (2R,3S)-isocitric acid building block based on a fermentation solution containing both (2R,3S)-isocitric acid (ICIT) and citric acid is described. The number of operations needed until now has been reduced; some steps have been modified, making altogether the method distinctly faster. During the course of this investigation, crystal structures have been determined of (2R,3S)-isocitric acid lactone-2,3-dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester, (2R,3S)-isocitric acid lactone-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, and (2R,3S)-isocitric acid lactone-2,3-dicarboxylic acid anhydride. For the first time, full NMR data are given for ICIT trimethyl ester and ICIT lactone-2,3-dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester. The multigram amounts of the three ICIT lactone compounds open the way for the synthetic use of ICIT generated in a biotechnological process.

Unified Strategy for 1,5,9- and 1,5,7-Triols via Configuration-Encoded 1,5-Polyol Synthesis: Preparation and Coupling of C15-C25 and C26-C40 Fragments of Tetrafibricin.

Diverse classes of natural products contain chiral 1,5,9- and 1,5,7-triol stereotriads, including the novel fibrinogen receptor antagonist tetrafibricin. Biological activities associated with compounds containing these motifs warrant targeted synthetic strategies to 1,5-polyol families from cheap and easily accessible reagents while avoiding the need to determine configurations at each alcohol stereocenter. In the accompanying paper, we present a solution to these problems via an iterative configuration-encoded strategy that exploits Julia-Kocienski couplings of enantiopure α-silyloxy-γ-sulfononitrile building blocks. The stereocontrol is unambiguous, and the building blocks are available in multigram quantities via asymmetric catalysis. This approach efficiently accessed a C26-C40 subunit of tetrafibricin that contains a syn, syn-1,5,9-triol and all of the stereochemistry and functionality needed to advance toward tetrafibricin. A modification afforded the anti, syn-1,5,7-triol within the C15-C25 fragment of tetrafibricin by merging 1,5-polyol synthesis with diastereoselective intramolecular conjugate addition. The union of the C15-C25 and C26-C40 fragments was achieved via a BF3·OEt2-mediated Mukaiyama aldol construction with high 1,3- anti stereoinduction, revealing some unexpected insights on the impact of silyl protecting groups on 1,3- anti diastereocontrol by a β-siloxyaldehyde aldol acceptor. Directed 1,3- anti reduction completed the stereostructure of the C15-C40 portion of tetrafibricin, with configurations established by a combination of NMR experiments.

Unified Strategy for 1,5,9- and 1,5,7-Triols via Configuration-Encoded 1,5-Polyol Synthesis: Enantioselective Preparation of γ-Sulfonyl-α-silyloxyaldehydes and Iterative Julia-Kocienski Coupling.

Diverse classes of natural products contain chiral 1,5-polyols, within which may be stereochemical triads of 1,5,9- and 1,5,7-triols. Biological activities associated with compounds containing these motifs warrant targeted synthetic strategies to access all stereoisomers of a 1,5-polyol family from cheap and easily accessible reagents while avoiding the need to determine configurations at each alcohol stereocenter. Here, we address these problems via design and implementation of an iterative configuration-encoded strategy to access 1,5-polyols with unambiguous stereocontrol; the coupling event exploits Julia-Kocienski reactions of enantiopure α-silyloxy-γ-sulfononitriles. These building blocks, bearing sulfone at one terminus and α-silyloxyaldehyde (in latent form) at the other, were prepared via asymmetric catalysis. An efficient scalable route to these building blocks was developed, leading to enantiopure samples in multigram quantities. Preliminary studies of acetals as the latent aldehyde functionality in the α-silyloxyaldehyde showed that Julia-Kocienski coupling of these building blocks was effective, but iterative application was thwarted during acetal hydrolysis, leading to use of nitrile to perform the latent aldehyde function. A variety of 1,5-polyols, including a 1,5,9,13-tetraol and a differentially protected 1,5,9-triol, were prepared, validating the approach. The accompanying paper describes the application of this configuration-encoded 1,5-polyol synthesis to 1,5,9- and 1,5,7-triols found in tetrafibricin.

Scalability of Visible-Light-Induced Nickel Negishi Reactions: A Combination of Flow Photochemistry, Use of Solid Reagents, and In-Line NMR Monitoring.

The scale up of light-induced nickel-catalyzed Negishi reactions is reported herein, with output rates reaching multigram quantities per hour. This level of throughput is suitable to support preclinical medicinal chemistry programs in late lead optimization, where tens of grams to hundreds of grams of final product is needed. Adjusting reaction times and concentrations was critical in achieving this robust output. This example demonstrates how visible photochemistry and use of solid metal reagent can be used and how the progress of the reaction can be followed by in-line NMR monitoring.

Asymmetric α-arylation of amino acids.

Quaternary amino acids, in which the α-carbon that bears the amino and carboxyl groups also carries two carbon substituents, have an important role as modifiers of peptide conformation and bioactivity and as precursors of medicinally important compounds1,2. In contrast to enantioselective alkylation at this α-carbon, for which there are several methods3-8, general enantioselective introduction of an aryl substituent at the α-carbon is synthetically challenging9. Nonetheless, the resultant α-aryl amino acids and their derivatives are valuable precursors to bioactive molecules10,11. Here we describe the synthesis of quaternary α-aryl amino acids from enantiopure amino acid precursors by α-arylation without loss of stereochemical integrity. Our approach relies on the temporary formation of a second stereogenic centre in an N'-arylurea adduct12 of an imidazolidinone derivative6 of the precursor amino acid, and uses readily available enantiopure amino acids both as a precursor and as a source of asymmetry. It avoids the use of valuable transition metals, and enables arylation with electron-rich, electron-poor and heterocyclic substituents. Either enantiomer of the product can be formed from a single amino acid precursor. The method is practical and scalable, and provides the opportunity to produce α-arylated quaternary amino acids in multi-gram quantities.

Catalytic Enantioselective Flow Processes with Solid-Supported Chiral Catalysts.

Sustainability concerns are the wind in the sails for the development of novel, more selective catalytic processes. Hence, chiral catalysts play a crucial role in the green production of enantioenriched compounds. To further increase the green profile of this approach, the use of solid-supported catalytic species is appealing due to the reduced generation of waste, as well as the possibility of reusing the precious catalyst. Even more attractive is the implementation of flow processes based on these immobilized catalysts, a flexible strategy that allows to generate from milli- to multi-gram amounts of chiral product with a reduced footprint set-up. Herein, we will present the efforts devoted in our laboratory towards the immobilization of chiral catalysts and their use in single-pass, highly enantioselective, flow processes. Proline, diarylprolinols, other aminocatalysts, squaramides, thioureas, phosphoric acids and even chiral ligands and metal-based catalysts constitute our current toolkit of supported species for enantioselective catalysis.

Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure 3-Substituted Piperazine-2-acetic Acid Esters as Intermediates for Library Production.

The piperazine heterocycle is broadly exploited in FDA-approved drugs and biologically active compounds, but its chemical diversity is usually limited to ring nitrogen substitutions, leaving the four carbon atoms underutilized. Using an efficient six-step synthesis, chiral amino acids were transformed into 3-substituted piperazine-2-acetic acid esters as diastereomeric mixtures whose cis and trans products (dr 0.56 → 2.2:1, respectively) could be chromatographically separated. From five amino acids (both antipodes) was obtained a complete matrix of 20 monoprotected chiral 2,3-disubstituted piperazines, each as a single absolute stereoisomer, all but one in multigram quantities. In keeping with our overall purpose of constructing more Csp3-enriched compound libraries for drug discovery, these diverse and versatile piperazines can be functionalized on either nitrogen atom, allowing them to be used as scaffolds for parallel library synthesis and as intermediates for the production of novel piperazine compounds.

Engineering a Nanoscale Primary Amide-Functionalized 2D Coordination Polymer as an Efficient and Recyclable Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Knoevenagel Condensation Reaction

This work reports the design, structural characterization, and catalytic behavior of the first example of primary amide-functionalized coordination polymers (CPs), namely, {[Cd2(2-bpbg)(fum)2(H2O)2]·8.5H2O}n (1) (where 2-bpbg = N,N′-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,4-diaminobutane-N,N′-diacetamide and fum = fumarate). CP 1 is synthesized from a one-pot self-assembly of starting materials in methanol under ambient conditions in excellent yield and purity, allowing an easy access to multigram quantities of it within few hours. As an example, CP 1 was used as a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst in the carbon–carbon bond-forming Knoevenagel condensation reaction for the conversion of benzaldehyde to benzylidene malononitrile. CP 1 possesses both Lewis acidic and Bronsted basic character for the presence of unsaturated metal sites and primary amide groups, respectively, making it a highly competent bifunctional catalyst for such type of reactions. Surprisingly, on the one hand, 100% conversion was observed using o...

Development of C2-Symmetric Chiral Bifunctional Triamines: Synthesis and Application in Asymmetric Organocatalysis.

The synthesis and application of a newly designed C2-symmetric chiral bifunctional triamine family ( C2-CBT) is reported. These enantiopure chiral triamine scaffolds can be accessed in multigram amounts from simple amino acids while avoiding chromatographic purification. As a proof of principle, C2-CBT has been studied in the aldol reaction of cyclic ketones with isatins, with the target tertiary alcohols being formed in a highly efficient manner. Catalyst recovery by simple extraction techniques and subsequent reuse has been performed.

Use of a "Shoe-Last" Solid-State Template in the Mechanochemical Synthesis of High-Porosity RHO-Zinc Imidazolate.

We report the first use of a nonionic solid (NIS) as a template in mechanosynthesis of a metal-organic framework. Through eight intermolecular C-H···O hydrogen bonds, the macrocyclic MeMeCH2 template predictably functions as a "shoe-last" for the assembly of double-eight rings in the liquid-assisted reaction of ZnO and imidazole (ImH). The resulting new form of ZnIm2 (namely xMeMeCH2@RHO-Zn16Im32) is available in multigram amounts, highly porous, and thermally stable.

Improved Synthesis of Anxiolytic, Anticonvulsant and Antinociceptive α2/α3-GABA(A)ergic Receptor Subtype Selective Ligands as Promising Agents to Treat Anxiety, Epilepsy, as well as Neuropathic Pain.

An improved synthesis of the anxiolytic, anticonvulsant and antinociceptive compounds: Hz-166, and its bioisosteres 1,2,4-oxadiazole (MP-III-080) and 1,3-oxazole (KRM-II-81) were executed in higher yields and with more facile purification methods (crystallization, etc.) in multigram quantities without column chromatography. In the synthesis of KRM-II-81, an alternative procedure was employed using the selective reducing reagent, potassium diisobutyl-t-butoxy aluminum hydride (PDBBA), to prepare the desired C(3)-aldehyde in the absence of [N(5)-C(6)] imine reduction in good yield on 20 gram scale.