Competing Pathways in O-Arylations with Diaryliodonium Salts: Mechanistic Insights.

A mechanistic study of arylations of aliphatic alcohols and hydroxide with diaryliodonium salts, to give alkyl aryl ethers and diaryl ethers, has been performed using experimental techniques and DFT calculations. Aryne intermediates have been trapped, and additives to avoid by-product formation originating from arynes have been found. An alcohol oxidation pathway was observed in parallel to arylation; this is suggested to proceed by an intramolecular mechanism.

Core refinement toward permeable β-secretase (BACE-1) inhibitors with low hERG activity.

By use of iterative design aided by predictive models for target affinity, brain permeability, and hERG activity, novel and diverse compounds based on cyclic amidine and guanidine cores were synthesized with the goal of finding BACE-1 inhibitors as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Since synthesis feasibility had low priority in the design of the cores, an extensive synthesis effort was needed to make the relevant compounds. Syntheses of these compounds are reported, together with physicochemical properties and structure-activity relationships based on in vitro data.

Discovery of novel pyrrolopyridazine scaffolds as transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV1) antagonists.

A novel indolizine class of compounds was identified as TRPV1 antagonist from an HTS campaign. However, this indolizine class proved to be unstable and reacted readily with glutathione when exposed to light and oxygen. Reactivity was reduced by the introduction of a nitrogen atom alpha to the indolizine nitrogen.

New aminoimidazoles as β-secretase (BACE-1) inhibitors showing amyloid-β (Aβ) lowering in brain.

Amino-2H-imidazoles are described as a new class of BACE-1 inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Synthetic methods, crystal structures, and structure-activity relationships for target activity, permeability, and hERG activity are reported and discussed. Compound (S)-1m was one of the most promising compounds in this report, with high potency in the cellular assay and a good overall profile.

Lewis acid mediated asymmetric [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic amines. Scope and mechanistic investigation.

The first asymmetric [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of achiral allylic amines has been realized by quaternization of the amines with an enantiomerically pure diazaborolidine and subsequent treatment with Et3N. The resultant homoallylic amines were obtained in good yields and excellent ee's. The observed diastereo- and enantioselectivities were rationalized by invoking a kinetically controlled process, and support for this model was obtained from an NMR spectroscopic investigation of the chiral Lewis acid-substrate complex.

Asymmetric [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic ammonium ylides.

An asymmetric Lewis acid-mediated [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic amines has been developed, affording the corresponding homoallylic amines in good yield and excellent enantioselectivities. The rearrangement proceeds by complexation of the chiral Lewis acid to the amine followed by deprotonation and rearrangement.

Lewis acid mediated [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic alpha-amino amides.

Boron trifluoride and BBr(3) mediated [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements of allylic alpha-amino amides have been developed affording secondary amines in good yields. (E)-Crotyl and (E)-cinnamyl alpha-amino amides 2b and 2c exhibit excellent syn-diastereoselectivity upon rearrangement with either Lewis acid. The allylic amine 2a forms upon treatment with BF(3) or BBr(3) a five-membered heterocylic complex in which a single halide anion has been displaced by the carbonyl oxygen atom.