Disconnecting the Estrogen Receptor Binding Properties and Antimicrobial Properties of Parabens through 3,5-Substitution.

Commercially utilized parabens are employed for their antimicrobial properties, but a weak binding to the estrogen receptor alpha (ER) may lead to breast cancer in some applications. Modification of the paraben scaffold should allow for a disconnection of these observed properties. Toward this goal, various 3,5-substituted parabens were synthesized and assessed for antimicrobial properties against as well as competitive binding to the ER.

Decarboxylative Generation of 2-Azaallyl Anions: 2-Iminoalcohols via a Decarboxylative Erlenmeyer Reaction.

Condensation between the tetrabutylammonium salt of 2,2-diphenylglycine and aldehydes results in a decarboxylative Erlenmeyer reaction, affording 1,2-diaryl-2-iminoalcohols as a mixture of diastereomers in good yields. The diastereomeric ratio shifts over time, with the anti diastereomer and the syn oxazolidine tautomer serving as the kinetic and thermodynamic products, respectively. Addition of Lewis acids can catalyze the rates of reaction and product equilibration.

Palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative generation and asymmetric allylation of α-imino anions.

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric decarboxylative allylic alkylation of allyl 2,2-diphenylglycinate imines using (S,S)-f-binaphane as a chiral supporting ligand has been developed. This transformation allows for decarboxylative generation and enantioselective allylation of nonenolate α-imino (2-azaallyl anions) to afford α-aryl homoallylic imines.

A flexible approach to 1,4-di-substituted 2-aminoimidazoles that inhibit and disperse biofilms and potentiate the effects of β-lactams against multi-drug resistant bacteria.

The pyrrole-imidazole alkaloids are a 2-aminoimidazoles containing family of natural products that possess anti-biofilm activity. A library of 1,4-di-substituted 2-aminoimidazole/triazoles (2-AITs) was synthesized, and its anti-biofilm activity as well as oxacillin resensitization efficacy toward methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was investigated. These 2-AITs were found to inhibit biofilm formation by MRSA with low micromolar IC50 values.

N-substituted 2-aminoimidazole inhibitors of MRSA biofilm formation accessed through direct 1,3-bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl)guanidine cyclization.

Antibiotic resistance is a significant problem and is compounded by the ability of many pathogenic bacteria to form biofilms. A library of N-substituted derivatives of a previously reported 2-aminoimidazole/triazole (2-AIT) biofilm modulator was constructed via α-bromoketone cyclization with 1,3-bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl)guanidine, followed by selective substitution. Several compounds exhibited the ability to inhibit biofilm formation by three strong biofilm forming strains of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Structural studies on 4,5-disubstituted 2-aminoimidazole-based biofilm modulators that suppress bacterial resistance to β-lactams.

A library of 4,5-disubstituted 2-aminoimidazole triazole amide (2-AITA) conjugates has been successfully assembled. Upon biological screening, this class of small molecules was discovered as enhanced biofilm regulators through non-microbicidal mechanisms against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB), with active concentrations in the low micromolar range. The library was also subjected to synergism and resensitization studies with β-lactam antibiotics against MRSA.

Mechanism of the Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation of α-imino esters: decarboxylation via free carboxylate ion.

The Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation of α-(diphenylmethylene)imino esters (1) or allyl diphenylglycinate imines (2) is an efficient method to construct new C(sp(3))-C(sp(3)) bonds. The detailed mechanism of this reaction was studied by theoretical calculations [ONIOM(B3LYP/LANL2DZ+p:PM6)] combined with experimental observations. The overall catalytic cycle was found to consist of three steps: oxidative addition, decarboxylation, and reductive allylation.

Tandem C-C bond-forming processes: interception of the pd-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation of allyl diphenylglycinate imines with activated olefins.

Interception of the Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation of allyl diphenylglycinate imines with appropriately functionalized Michael acceptors, followed by Heck cyclization, allows for the efficient construction of relatively complex organoamine frameworks in one reaction vessel. The initial intercepted decarboxylative allylation is remarkably insensitive toward solvent and catalyst, typically proceeding under ambient conditions.

C-C bond-forming reactions via Pd-mediated decarboxylative alpha-imino anion generation.

Alpha-imino anions are generated under neutral reaction conditions via a Pd-mediated decarboxylation of allyl diphenylglycinate imines with concomitant formation of a pi-allylpalladium species. The resulting delocalized anion can attack the pi-allyl-Pd(II) species or be intercepted by aldehydes to afford homoallylic amines or protected 1,2-amino alcohols, respectively.