Conventional chemical and even electrochemical Birch-type reductions suffer from a lack of chemoselectivity due to a reliance on alkali metals or harshly reducing conditions. This study reveals that ...a simpler avenue is available for such reductions by simply altering the waveform of current delivery, namely rapid alternating polarity (rAP). The developed method solves these issues, proceeding in a protic solvent, and can be easily scaled up without any metal additives or stringently anhydrous conditions.
Cyclophane natural products comprise an intriguing class of structurally diverse compounds. As inherent for all cyclic compounds regardless of their origin, macrocyclization is naturally the most ...decisive step, which defines the overall efficiency of the synthetic pathway. Especially in small cyclophane molecules, this key step constitutes an even greater challenge. Due to the strain imparted by the macrocyclic system, free rotation of the benzene ring(s) is often restricted depending on both the constitution of the tether and the aromatic portions. Not surprisingly, the synthesis of natural cyclophanes with their often outstanding pharmaceutical activities and the inherent issues associated with their preparation has attracted much attention among the synthetic community. In particular, it stimulated the development of new strategies for the ring-closing step, as often otherwise well established and robust reactions fail to perform effectively. In this review, we describe the challenges synthetic chemists are facing during the synthesis of this small, but structurally and biologically fascinating class of natural products, concentrating on the representatives exhibiting configurational stability. The main focus will be on the different concepts for the installation of the macrocyclic system, in most cases the central problem in assembling these extremely rigid molecules.
Taxanes form a large family of terpenes comprising over 350 members, the most famous of which is Taxol (paclitaxel), a billion-dollar anticancer drug. Here, we describe the first practical and ...scalable synthetic entry to these natural products via a concise preparation of (+)-taxa-4(5),11(12)-dien-2-one, which has a suitable functional handle with which to access more oxidized members of its family. This route enables a gram-scale preparation of the 'parent' taxane--taxadiene--which is the largest quantity of this naturally occurring terpene ever isolated or prepared in pure form. The characteristic 6-8-6 tricyclic system of the taxane family, containing a bridgehead alkene, is forged via a vicinal difunctionalization/Diels-Alder strategy. Asymmetry is introduced by means of an enantioselective conjugate addition that forms an all-carbon quaternary centre, from which all other stereocentres are fixed through substrate control. This study lays a critical foundation for a planned access to minimally oxidized taxane analogues and a scalable laboratory preparation of Taxol itself.
Electrochemical reactions are shown to be effective for the CH functionalization of a number of heterocyclic substrates that are recalcitrant to conventional peroxide radical initiation conditions. ...Monitoring reaction progress under electrochemical conditions provides mechanistic insight into the CH functionalization of a series of heterocycles of interest in medicinal chemistry.
Electrochemical reactions are shown to be effective for the CH functionalization of a number of heterocyclic substrates that are recalcitrant to conventional peroxide radical initiation conditions and of interest in medicinal chemistry. Monitoring reaction progress under electrochemical conditions provides mechanistic insight into the CH functionalization process.
C–N cross-coupling is one of the most valuable and widespread transformations in organic synthesis. Largely dominated by Pd- and Cu-based catalytic systems, it has proven to be a staple ...transformation for those in both academia and industry. The current study presents the development and mechanistic understanding of an electrochemically driven, Ni-catalyzed method for achieving this reaction of high strategic importance. Through a series of electrochemical, computational, kinetic, and empirical experiments, the key mechanistic features of this reaction have been unraveled, leading to a second generation set of conditions that is applicable to a broad range of aryl halides and amine nucleophiles including complex examples on oligopeptides, medicinally relevant heterocycles, natural products, and sugars. Full disclosure of the current limitations and procedures for both batch and flow scale-ups (100 g) are also described.
One of the most oft-employed methods for C–C bond formation involving the coupling of vinyl-halides with aldehydes catalyzed by Ni and Cr (Nozaki–Hiyama–Kishi, NHK) has been rendered more practical ...using an electroreductive manifold. Although early studies pointed to the feasibility of such a process, those precedents were never applied by others due to cumbersome setups and limited scope. Here we show that a carefully optimized electroreductive procedure can enable a more sustainable approach to NHK, even in an asymmetric fashion on highly complex medicinally relevant systems. The e-NHK can even enable non-canonical substrate classes, such as redox-active esters, to participate with low loadings of Cr when conventional chemical techniques fail. A combination of detailed kinetics, cyclic voltammetry, and in situ UV–vis spectroelectrochemistry of these processes illuminates the subtle features of this mechanistically intricate process.
(Bioiso)steering in a new direction: A modular synthesis of reagents (e.g. sodium difluoroethylsulfinate) that can be used for the direct incorporation of difluoroalkyl groups onto heterocycles is ...reported. The scope and generality of the incorporation of difluoroalkyl groups is exemplified with the difluoroethyl group and a proof of principle is shown for a general synthesis of fluorinated heteroarylether bioisosteres.
Innate C-H trifluoromethylation of heterocycles Ji, Yining; Brueckl, Tobias; Baxter, Ryan D ...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS,
08/2011, Letnik:
108, Številka:
35
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Direct methods for the trifluoromethylation of heteroaromatic systems are in extremely high demand in nearly every sector of chemical industry. Here we report the discovery of a general procedure ...using a benchtop stable trifluoromethyl radical source that functions broadly on a variety of electron deficient and rich heteroaromatic systems and demonstrates high functional group tolerance. This C-H trifluoromethylation protocol is operationally simple (avoids gaseous CF3I), scalable, proceeds at ambient temperature, can be used directly on unprotected molecules, and is demonstrated to proceed at the innately reactive positions of the substrate. The unique and orthogonal reactivity of the trifluoromethyl radical relative to aryl radicals has also been investigated on both a complex natural product and a pharmaceutical agent. Finally, preliminary data suggest that the regioselectivity of C-H trifluoromethylation can be fine-tuned simply by judicious solvent choice.
N–N-linked dimeric indole alkaloids represent an unexplored class of natural products for which chemical synthesis has no practical solution. To meet this challenge, an electrochemical oxidative ...dimerization method was developed, which was applied as the pivotal step of the first total synthesis of dixiamycin B. This method is also general for N–N dimerization of substituted carbazoles and β-carbolines, providing entry into seldom explored chemical space.
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