Mechanochemical Birch Reduction with Low Reactive Alkaline Earth Metals.

Birch reduction and similar dissolved metal-type transformations hold significant importance in the organic synthesis toolbox. Historically, the field has been dominated by alkali metal reductants. In this study, we report that largely neglected, low-reactive alkaline earth metals can become powerful and affordable reductants when used in a ball mill under essentially solvent-free conditions, in the presence of ethylenediamine and THF as liquid additives.

Mechanochemistry-Amended Barbier Reaction as an Expedient Alternative to Grignard Synthesis.

Organomagnesium halides (Grignard reagents) are essential carbanionic building blocks widely used in carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond-forming reactions with various electrophiles. In the Barbier variant of the Grignard synthesis, the generation of air- and moisture-sensitive Grignard reagents occurs concurrently with their reaction with an electrophile. Although operationally simpler, the classic Barbier approach suffers from low yields due to multiple side reactions, thereby limiting the scope of its application.

Stereodivergent Assembly of 2,6-- and --Tetrahydropyrans via Base-Mediated Oxa-Michael Cyclization: The Key Role of the TMEDA Additive.

The stereodivergent synthesis of - and -2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans (THPs) via sodium hexamethyldisilazide-promoted oxa-Michael cyclization of ()-ζ-hydroxy α,β-unsaturated esters is presented. The cyclization affords the kinetically favored -THPs with high stereoselectivity (dr up to 93:7) at a low temperature (-78 °C), while the room-temperature reaction does not produce the thermodynamically preferred -THPs as major products and occurs with poor stereocontrol. The addition of tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) significantly improves the stereochemical outcome of the room-temperature cyclization and allows attaining high -selectivity (dr up to 99:1).

Mechanochemical Nucleophilic Substitution of Alcohols via Isouronium Intermediates.

An expansion of the solvent-free synthetic toolbox is essential for advances in the sustainable chemical industry. Mechanochemical reactions offer a superior safety profile and reduced amount of waste compared to conventional solvent-based synthesis. Herein a new mechanochemical method was developed for nucleophilic substitution of alcohols using fluoro-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylformamidinium hexafluorophosphate (TFFH) and K HPO as an alcohol-activating reagent and a base, respectively.

Novel Analogues of the Chikungunya Virus Protease Inhibitor: Molecular Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation.

The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arbovirus belonging to the genus of the family. CHIKV is transmitted by the mosquitoes and causes Chikungunya fever. CHIKV outbreaks have occurred in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the countries of Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Generation of Mixed Anhydrides via Oxidative Fragmentation of Tertiary Cyclopropanols with Phenyliodine(III) Dicarboxylates.

Oxidative fragmentation of tertiary cyclopropanols with phenyliodine(III) dicarboxylates in aprotic solvents (dichloromethane, chloroform, toluene) produces mixed anhydrides. The fragmentation reaction is especially facile with phenyliodine(III) reagents bearing electron-withdrawing carboxylate ligands (trifluoroacetyl, 2,4,6-trichlorobenzoyl, 3-nitrobenzoyl), and affords 95-98% yields of the corresponding mixed anhydride products. The latter can be straightforwardly applied for the acylation of various nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur-centered nucleophiles (primary and secondary amines, hydroxylamines, primary alcohols, phenols, thiols).

Divergent Access to Histone Deacetylase Inhibitory Cyclopeptides via a Late-Stage Cyclopropane Ring Cleavage Strategy. Short Synthesis of Chlamydocin.

A unified step-economical strategy for accessing histone deacetylase inhibitory peptides is proposed, based on the late-stage installation of multiple zinc-binding functionalities via the cleavage of the strained cyclopropane ring in the common pluripotent cyclopropanol precursor. The efficacy of the proposed diversity-oriented approach has been validated by short stereoselective synthesis of natural product chlamydocin, containing a challenging-to-install fragment of (2,9)-2-amino-8-oxo-9,10-epoxydecanoic acid (Aoe) and a range of its analogues, derivatives of 2-amino-8-oxodecanoic and 2-aminosuberic acids.

Site-Selective and Stereoselective C-H Functionalization of N-Cyclopropylamides via a Directed Remote Metalation Strategy.

A new methodology for site-selective and stereoselective C-H functionalization of aminocyclopropanes via directed remote lithiation has been developed. Treatment of N-directing group (DG = pivaloyl, tetramethylsuccinimidoyl) arylcyclopropanes with t-BuLi results in a clean β-lithiation and, following quench with electrophiles, leads to a range of cyclopropane derivatives. Sequential double lithiation-methylation to give a dimethylated cyclopropane has been achieved.

Synthesis of γ-keto sulfones by copper-catalyzed oxidative sulfonylation of tertiary cyclopropanols.

Tertiary cyclopropanols undergo ring-opening oxidative sulfonylation to afford γ-keto sulfones when reacting with sulfinate salts in the presence of a copper(ii) acetate catalyst and an oxidant (tert-butyl hydroperoxide or atmospheric oxygen). Various fluoroalkyl, aryl and alkyl sulfinate salts are successfully employed as sulfonylation reagents, affording the corresponding sulfones in up to 94% yields. The experimental protocol is mild and tolerates a number of functionalities in the cyclopropanol substrate.

Enantioselective One-Pot Synthesis of α,β-Epoxy Ketones via Aerobic Oxidation of Cyclopropanols.

An efficient, mild, and environmentally benign method was developed for the asymmetric synthesis of 2-oxyranyl ketones from easily available tertiary cyclopropanols. The one-pot protocol includes the aerobic oxidation of cyclopropanol derivatives catalyzed by Mn(III) complexes followed by the poly-l-leucine-assisted stereoselective elimination of water from the intermediate peroxides with DBU to afford the corresponding epoxy ketones in high yields and good-to-excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97%).

Two-step conversion of carboxylic esters into distally fluorinated ketones via ring cleavage of cyclopropanol intermediates: application of sulfinate salts as fluoroalkylating reagents.

Tertiary cyclopropanols easily available from carboxylic esters have been used in the synthesis of distally fluorinated ketones. Cyclopropane ring cleavage reactions in methanol with aqueous tert-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of a copper(ii) acetate catalyst and sodium triflinate (Langlois reagent) afford β-trifluoromethyl ketones in 16-74% isolated yields. Sodium triflinate serves as a precursor of reactive trifluoromethyl copper species, enabling ring-opening trifluoromethylation, as evidenced by mechanistic studies.

Design and Validation of Novel Chikungunya Virus Protease Inhibitors.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV; genus Alphavirus) is the causative agent of chikungunya fever. CHIKV replication can be inhibited by some broad-spectrum antiviral compounds; in contrast, there is very little information about compounds specifically inhibiting the enzymatic activities of CHIKV replication proteins. These proteins are translated in the form of a nonstructural (ns) P1234 polyprotein precursor from the CHIKV positive-strand RNA genome.

Simple access to β-trifluoromethyl-substituted ketones via copper-catalyzed ring-opening trifluoromethylation of substituted cyclopropanols.

Tertiary cyclopropanols react rapidly with Togni reagent in methanol at room temperature in the presence of catalytic amounts (3 mol%) of CuCl affording β-trifluoromethyl ketones in 65-73% isolated yields. Ring opening in 1,2-dialkylsubstituted cyclopropanols gives a mixture of isomeric β-trifluoromethyl ketones in about 50% combined yield.

A general approach to the synthesis of 5-S-functionalized pyrimidine nucleosides and their analogues.

A general and efficient approach was developed for the introduction of S-functionality at the C-5 position of cytosine and uracil nucleosides and their analogues. The key step is a palladium-catalyzed C-S coupling of the corresponding 5-bromo nucleoside derivative and alkyl thiol. The butyl 3-mercaptopropionate coupling products were further converted to the corresponding disulphides, the stable precursors of 5-mercaptopyrimidine nucleosides.