Phenylseleno trifluoromethoxylation of alkenes.

Trifluoromethoxylated molecules and selenylated compounds find a wide range of interesting applications, but separately. In order to combine the potential of these two motifs and to propose a new class of compounds, we have developed an electrophilic phenylseleno trifluoromethoxylation of alkenes, which leads to β-selenylated trifluoromethoxylated compounds or, upon subsequent reduction, to the trifluoromethoxylated ones.

Direct Deprotonative Functionalization of α,α-Difluoromethyl Ketones using a Catalytic Organosuperbase.

The deprotonative functionalization of α,α-difluoromethyl ketones is described herein. Using a catalytic organosuperbase and a silane additive, the corresponding difluoroenolate could be generated and trapped with aldehydes to deliver various α,α-difluoro-β-hydroxy ketones in high yields. This new strategy tolerates numerous functional groups and represents the access to the difluoroenolate by direct deprotonation of the difluoromethyl unit.

Ketenimines as Intermediates To Access Difluoromethoxylated Scaffolds.

We report herein the generation of difluoromethoxylated ketenimines. This novel intermediate is readily obtained from the corresponding oxime through a Beckmann rearrangement. The reactivity potential of this species is demonstrated as it easily undergoes addition of various nucleophiles, with a great modularity of the starting oxime.

Study of Carbamoyl Fluoride: Synthesis, Properties and Applications.

Carbamoyl fluoride is a fluorinated group that, to this date, remains underexplored, probably due to the lack of data concerning its properties. In this paper, a study of carbamoyl fluoride is presented. Stability studies, in particular under physiological conditions, and lipophilicity measurement were performed.

Practical Synthesis and Application of Halogen-Doped Pyrrole Building Blocks.

A practical access to four new halogen-substituted pyrrole building blocks was realized in two to five synthetic steps from commercially available starting materials. The target compounds were prepared on a 50 mg to 1 g scale, and their conversion to nanomolar inhibitors of bacterial DNA gyrase B was demonstrated for three of the prepared building blocks to showcase the usefulness of such chemical motifs in medicinal chemistry.

Access to 12-Membered Cyclic ,-Diarylheptanoids: Total Synthesis of Actinidione via Isomyricanone.

We describe herein the first access to 12-membered cyclic[7,0],-diarylheptanoids. The key features of the synthesis include both a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling and a ring closing metathesis. Actinidione, a promising natural product, along with a bioactive tetracyclic derivative were obtained in 14 steps for the first time from cheap commercially available substrates with an overall yield of 18-21%.

Novel substituted N-benzyl(oxotriazinoindole) inhibitors of aldose reductase exploiting ALR2 unoccupied interactive pocket.

Recently we have developed novel oxotriazinoindole inhibitors (OTIs) of aldose reductase (ALR2), characterized by high efficacy and selectivity. Herein we describe novel OTI derivatives design of which is based on implementation of additional intermolecular interactions within an unoccupied pocket of the ALR2 enzyme. Four novel derivatives, OTI-(7-10), of the previously developed N-benzyl(oxotriazinoindole) inhibitor OTI-6 were synthetized and screened.

New synthesized polyoxygenated diarylheptanoids suppress lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation.

In neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, neuroinflammation induced by the microglial activation plays a crucial role. In effort to develop effective anti-neuroinflammatory compounds, different new linear polyoxygenated diarylheptanoids were synthesized. In LPS-triggered BV-2 microglial cells their ability to reduce the concentration of IL-6 and TNF-α pro-inflammatory cytokines was evaluated.

Synthesis and Use of Trifluoromethylthiolated Ketenimines.

The synthesis of trifluoromethylthiolated ketenimines is herein described. They are easily synthesized from the corresponding α-trifluoromethylthiolated oximes upon activation with triflic anhydride and a base. The presumed nitrilium ion resulting from the Beckmann rearrangement is deprotonated to lead to the key intermediate, whose stability brought by the fluorinated substituent was unforeseeable.

Development of Novel Oxotriazinoindole Inhibitors of Aldose Reductase: Isosteric Sulfur/Oxygen Replacement in the Thioxotriazinoindole Cemtirestat Markedly Improved Inhibition Selectivity.

Inhibition of aldose reductase (AR), the first enzyme of the polyol pathway, is a promising approach in treatment of diabetic complications. We proceeded with optimization of the thioxotriazinoindole scaffold of the novel AR inhibitor cemtirestat by replacement of sulfur with oxygen. A series of 2-(3-oxo-2-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-]indol-5(3)-yl)acetic acid derivatives (OTIs), designed by molecular modeling and docking, were synthesized.

Nusbiarylins, a new class of antimicrobial agents: Rational design of bacterial transcription inhibitors targeting the interaction between the NusB and NusE proteins.

Discovery of antibiotics of a novel mode of action is highly required in the fierce battlefield with multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. Previously we have validated the protein-protein interaction between bacterial NusB and NusE proteins as an unprecedented antimicrobial target and reported the identification of a first-in-class inhibitor of bacterial ribosomal RNA synthesis with antimicrobial activities. In this paper, derivatives of the hit compound were rationally designed based on the pharmacophore model for chemical synthesis, followed by biological evaluations.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of antimicrobial diarylimine and -amine compounds targeting the interaction between the bacterial NusB and NusE proteins.

Discovery of antimicrobial agents with a novel model of action is in urgent need for the clinical management of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Recently, we reported the identification of a first-in-class bacterial ribosomal RNA synthesis inhibitor, which interrupted the interaction between the bacterial transcription factor NusB and NusE. In this study, a series of diaryl derivatives were rationally designed and synthesized based on the previously established pharmacophore model.

Access towards enantiopure α,α-difluoromethyl alcohols by means of sulfoxides as traceless chiral auxiliaries.

A new methodology to access enantiopure α,α-difluoromethyl alcohols is hereby being described. The strategy relies on the use of an enantiopure aryl α,α-difluoromethyl sulfoxide employed as chiral and removable auxiliary for the stereoselective difluoromethylation of carbonyl derivatives. The obtained α,α-difluoro-β-hydroxysulfoxides displayed unprecedented diastereomeric ratios.

Access to Wieland-Miescher Diketone-Derived Building Blocks by Stereoselective Construction of the C-9 Quaternary Carbon Center Using the Mukaiyama Aldol Reaction.

The Mukaiyama aldol reaction has been used to efficiently install a lateral chain at the C-9 position of the Wieland-Miescher ketone derivative 3 within two steps, representing a shortcut compared to that of the classical sequences. The treatment of the silylated enol ether 8 with a wide range of acetals in the presence of tin tetrachloride led to a the diastereoselective construction of the C-9 quaternary center of 33 new building blocks derived from the Wieland-Miescher ketone derivative 3.

Switchable Diastereoselectivity in the Fluoride-Promoted Vinylogous Mukaiyama-Michael Reaction of 2-[(Trimethylsilyl)oxy]furan Catalyzed by Crown Ethers.

The fluoride-promoted vinylogous Mukaiyama-Michael reaction of 2-[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]furan with diverse α,β-unsaturated ketones is described. The TBAF-catalyzed VMMR afforded high anti-diastereoselectivity irrespective of the solvents used. The KF/crown ethers catalytic systems proved to be highly efficient in terms of yields and resulted in a highly diastereoselective unprecedented solvent/catalyst switchable reaction.

Novel CLK1 inhibitors based on N-aryloxazol-2-amine skeleton - A possible way to dual VEGFR2 TK/CLK ligands.

Background: Inhibitors of CLK protein kinases suppress cell growth and induce apoptosis by modulating pre-mRNA splicing in cancer. CLK family kinases are also involved in alternative splicing and RNA processing in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer's disease, HIV-1, and influenza virus. Small inhibitors are valuable tools for better understanding the molecular mechanisms of splicing and may serve as seeds for a novel class of therapeutics.

Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modeling studies on novel quinonoid inhibitors of CDC25 phosphatases.

The cell division cycle 25 phosphatases (CDC25A, B, and C; E.C. 3.

Quinoides and VEGFR2 TKIs influence the fate of hepatocellular carcinoma and its cancer stem cells.

Bioactivities of quinoides and VEGFR2 TKIs in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and cancer stem cells (HCSCs) were studied. The compounds exhibited IC values in μM concentrations in HCC cells. Quinoide was able to eradicate cancer stem cells, similar to the action of the stem cell inhibitor .

New Insights into the Synthesis and Biological Activity of the Pamamycin Macrodiolides.

After a brief account of the biological properties of pamamycins, this review highlights the latest developments on the total synthesis and the biosynthesis of these macrodiolides.

Ynamide Click chemistry in development of triazole VEGFR2 TK modulators.

Structure novelty, chemical stability and synthetic feasibility attracted us to design 1,2,3-triazole compounds as potential inhibitors of VEGFR2 tyrosine kinase. Novel triazoles T1-T7 were proposed by oxazole (AAZ from PDB: 1Y6A)/1,2,3-triazole isosteric replacement, molecular modelling and docking. In order to enable synthesis of T1-T7 we developed a methodology for preparation of ynamide 22.

Isolation, structural determination and synthetic approaches toward amphidinol 3.

This review highlights the isolation and the structural determination of amphidinol 3 (AM3), as well as the synthetic efforts to its preparation. The mechanism of action of AM3 will not be developed herein.

Diastereoselective synthesis of the C14–C29 fragment of amphidinol.

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of the C14–C29 fragment highlighting a coupling reaction between a 1,3-dithiane derivative and an α-branched aldehyde was realized. This highly convergent synthesis involved two chiral pools, L-malic acid and (+)-camphorsulfonic acid, which are the starting compounds to control the six stereogenic centers present in the C14–C29 fragment of amphidinol 3.

Diastereoselective synthesis of the C17-C30 fragment of amphidinol 3.

The diastereoselective synthesis of the C17-C30 fragment of amphidinol 3 (AM3) 1 was achieved from the enantio-enriched aldehyde 20, Weinreb amide 14 and 2-bromo-3-(trimethylsilyl)propene, which was used as a bifunctional conjunctive reagent. The absolute configuration of the stereogenic centers, in both aldehyde 20 and Weinreb amide 14, were efficiently controlled by using (+)-(R)-methyl-p-tolylsulfoxide as the unique source of chirality.