The enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-hexachlorosulfolipid, a cytotoxin found in the Adriatic mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, is described. The unique chlorinated hydrocarbon motif of the lipid is successfully furnished by a series of dichlorination reactions of chiral epoxides with chlorophosphonium reagent generated in situ from Ph3P/NCS. The present total synthesis has allowed the confirmation of the absolute configuration of the natural cytotoxic (+)-hexachlorosulfolipid originally proposed by Fattorusso, Ciminiello, and co-workers.

NiCl2-based mixed-ligand systems were shown to be very effective catalysts for the neopentylglycolborylation of aryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides bearing electron-rich and electron-deficient ortho-substituents. Although NiCl2-based single-ligand catalytic systems were able to mediate neopentylglycolborylation of selected substrates, they were not as effective for all substrates, highlighting the value of the mixed-ligand concept. Optimization of the Ni(II)-catalyzed neopentylglycolborylation of 2-iodoanisole and methyl 2-iodobenzoate demonstrated that, while the role of ligand and coligand in the conversion of Ni(II) precatalyst to Ni(0) active catalyst cannot be ignored, a mixed-ligand complex is likely present throughout the catalytic cycle. In addition, protodeborylation and hydrodehalogenation were demonstrated to be the predominant side reactions of Ni(II)-catalyzed borylation of ortho-substituted aryl halides containing the electron-deficient carboxylate substituents. Ni(II) complexes in the presence of H2O and Ni(0) are responsible for the catalysis of these side reactions.

We report the one-pot synthesis of three symmetrical macrocyclic pyridyl urea hosts. X-ray crystal studies were used to confirm the structures of the free hosts and their host·guest complexes with alkali metal ions. These solid-state studies revealed the interactions that were important for binding cations (Li+, Na+, and K+). The affinity of these hosts for alkali metal salts were evaluated in solution (CD3CN), and the stoichiometries of the solution complexes were compared with their solid-state structures. Two of these hosts showed high affinity for LiBF4, which was primarily due to strong interactions between the urea oxygens and the cations with pyridine nitrogens contributing additional stabilizing interactions.

In the Paternó−Büchi reaction of chiral p-cyanobenzoates (1) with 1,1-diphenylethene (2), we revealed that the excited charge-transfer (CT) complex formed upon selective excitation at the CT band is distinctly different in structure and reactivity from the conventional exciplex generated through the direct excitation of acceptor 1 which subsequently associates with donor 2. Thus, the favored diastereoface upon photocycloaddition, as well as the temperature- and solvent-dependent behavior of the product’s diastereoselectivity, were highly contrasting, often opposite, to each other upon direct versus CT excitation. From the activation parameters obtained by the Eyring analyses of the diastereoselectivity, we are able to infer that the conventional exciplex is relatively flexible and susceptible to the environmental variants, whereas the CT complex is better π−π stacked and more rigid in the ground state and also in the excited state, leading to the significantly smaller differential activation enthalpies and entropies. More interestingly, the signs of the differential activation parameters determined for direct and CT excitation are consistently opposite to each other and the isokinetic temperatures calculated therefrom differ significantly, unambiguously revealing the distinctly different nature in structure and reactivity of these two excited-state complex species. Thus, the combined use of irradiation wavelength, temperature, and solvent provides us with a convenient, powerful tool not only for elucidating the mechanistic details of photoreaction but also for critically controlling the stereochemical outcomes of photochirogenic reaction.

New methodology for the protecting-group-free synthesis of primary amines is presented. By optimizing the metal hydride/ammonia mediated reductive amination of aldehydes and hemiacetals, primary amines were selectively prepared with no or minimal formation of the usual secondary and tertiary amine byproduct. The methodology was performed on a range of functionalized aldehyde substrates, including in situ formed aldehydes from a Vasella reaction. These reductive amination conditions provide a valuable synthetic tool for the selective production of primary amines in fewer steps, in good yields, and without the use of protecting groups.

The hetero-Diels−Alder (HDA) reaction of 1-(diethoxyphosphonyl)-1,3-butadiene, 1-(dibenzyloxyphosphonyl)-1,3-butadiene, and 1-(diethoxyphosphonyl)-3-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy-1,3-butadiene with various nitroso heterodienophiles has been investigated as a new synthetic route for aminophosphonic derivatives. The HDA cycloadditions regioselectively led to the proximal isomers, i.e., presenting the NR3 group in the meta position regarding the phosphonate substituent. From the resulting 6-phosphono-3,6-dihydro-1,2-oxazine cycloadducts, a limited number of chemical steps were allowed to obtain a significant variety of aminophosphonic compounds of potential interest in medicinal chemistry. This has been illustrated through the synthesis of (Z)-4-(o-tolylamino)-1-hydroxybut-2-enylphosphonic acid, diethyl 3,4-dihydroxy-1-o-tolylpyrrolidin-2-yl-2-phosphonate, 4-(o-tolylamino)-1,2,3-trihydroxybutylphosphonic acid, diethyl 3-(2-(o-tolylamino)-1-hydroxyethyl)oxiran-2-yl-2-phosphonate, and diethyl 4,5-dihydroxymorpholin-6-yl-6-phosphonate.

We have shown that a structure as simple as an ion pair of (R)- or (S)-mandelate and dimethylamminopyridinium ions possesses structural features that are sufficient for NMR enantiodiscrimination of cyanohydrins. Moreover, 1H NMR data of cyanohydrins of known configuration obtained in the presence of the mandelate−dimethylaminopyridinium ion pair point to the existence of a correlation between chemical shifts and absolute configuration of cyanohydrins. Mandelate−DMAPH+ ion pair and mandelonitrile form a 1:1 complex with an association constant of 338 M−1 (ΔG0, −3.4 kcal/mol) for the (R)-mandelonitrile/(R)-mandelate−DMAPH+ and 139 M−1 (ΔG0, −2.9 kcal/mol) for the (R)-mandelonitrile/(S)-mandelate−DMAPH+ complex. To understand the origin of enantiodiscrimination, the geometry optimization and energy minimization of the models of ternary complexes of (S)-mandelonitrile/(R)-mandelate/DMAPH+ and (S)-mandelonitrile/(S)-mandelate/DMAPH+ complexes was performed using DFT methodology (B3LYP) with the 6-31+G(d) basis set in Gaussian 3.0. Further, analysis of optimized molecular model obtained from theoretical studies suggested that (i) DMAP may be replaced with other amines, (ii) the hydroxyl group of mandelic acid is not necessary for stabilization of ternary complex and may be replaced with other groups such as methyl, (iii) the ion pair should form a stable ternary complex with any hydrogen-bond donor, provided its OH bond is sufficiently polarized, and (iv) α-H of racemic mandelic acid should also get resolved with optically pure mandelonitrile. These inferences were experimentally verified, which not only validated the proposed model but also led to development of a new chiral solvating agent for determination of ee of carboxylic acids and absolute configuration of aryl but not alkyl carboxylic acids.

Indanedioneketene, a compound resulting from the thermal degradation of the phenyliodonium ylide of lawsone, dimerizes quantitatively to a spiro-oxetanone derivative, a key compound for further transformations. A theoretical electronic structure study of this unusual for α-oxoketenes [2 + 2] cyclization reaction both in the gas phase (DFT, MP2) and in dichloromethane solution (DFT), provides support for (a) a single-step, transition-state (involving a four-membered cyclic ring) charge-controlled, concerted mechanism and (b) a [4 + 2] cyclization reaction, not observed but studied theoretically in this study. A parallel study of an open-chain α,α′-dioxoketene dimerization explains the difference in the stability and reactivity observed experimentally between the cyclic and open-chain products.

Cu-mediated fluoroalkylation reactions with iododifluoroacetamides 1 have been systematically investigated. It was found that three types of reactions may coexist in Cu-mediated reactions between iododifluoroacetamides and aryl/alkenyl iodides: cross-coupling, intramolecular cyclization, and homocoupling reactions. The selectivity among these three types of reactions could be controlled by tuning the substituents on the nitrogen atom of iododifluoroacetamides, and/or by removing the cross-coupling reaction partner (aryl/alkenyl halides). The general rule is as follows: (a) in the presence of proper aryl/alkenyl iodides, the cross-coupling products 2 (or 6) are generally formed as the major products; (b) in the absence of aryl/alkenyl iodides, and when R1 = alkyl and R2 = aryl groups, or when R1 = R2 = aryl groups, the intramolecular cyclization products 3 can be formed predominantly; and (c) in the absence of aryl/alkenyl iodides, and when R1 = R2 = alkyl groups, or when R1 = H and R2 = alkyl, aryl groups, the homocoupling products 4 can be formed dominantly. Our experimental results also indicate that in many cases when cross-coupling, homocoupling, and intramolecular cyclization reactions coexist in the Cu-mediated reaction system, the reactivity decreases in the following order: cross-coupling > intramolecular cyclization > homocoupling.

The synthesis and characterization of three bis-1,8-naphthalimide-containing Tröger’s bases 1−3, formed from the corresponding 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide precursors 7−9 in a single step, is described. The photophysical investigation of 1−3 and 7−9 was carried out in various organic solvents as well as in water and as a function of pH using UV/vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. As for their 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide precursors 7−9, both the ground-state and excited-state characteristics of 1−3 were dependent on the polarity and the hydrogen-bonding ability of the solvent medium. The DNA-binding affinities of 1−3 were also studied in aqueous solution at pH 7.4, in the presence of calf-thymus DNA (ct-DNA), using various UV/vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic methods. These molecules exhibited significant DNA-binding ability, where large binding values Kb in the range of 106 M−1 were determined. Such strong binding to ct-DNA was maintained even in competitive media (50 and 160 mM NaCl) and was also found to be irreversible regardless of the concentration of the ionic strength. Thermal denaturation experiments also demonstrated that the interaction of 1−3 with ct-DNA gave rise to significant stabilization in the double-helical structure of DNA. The binding affinity of 1−3 for ct-DNA was also compared to that of their 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide precursors 7−9, determined by fitting of data using “intrinsic” methods and ethidium bromide displacement assays. The latter method gives outstanding binding constants for 1−3 in the range of 107 M−1.

A new synthetic methodology of asymmetric epoxidation developed in our laboratories has been employed for the stereoselective synthesis of bengamide E (16) and analogues at the terminal olefinic position. In the event, the chiral sulfonium salt 30 was transformed into its corresponding sulfur ylide and reacted with aldehydes 21 and 44 to efficiently provide epoxy amides 31 and 45, respectively. To access the bengamides from these epoxy amides, we combined a synthetic strategy previously reported by us, using an olefin cross metathesis reaction to introduce various alkyl substituents at the terminal olefinic position of amide 33, with reactions mediated by palladium (Negishi or Suzuki couplings) from amide 49. This latter route of introduction of alkyl groups proved to be more efficient than the metathesis approach and allowed access to the generation of a wide array of new bengamide analogues.

Aziridinemethanol sulfonate esters react with tetrathiomolybdate 1 to give thiirane derivatives as the major product and cyclic disulfides as minor product under mild reaction conditions via an unprecedented thia-aza-Payne-type rearrangement. Interestingly, when the reaction of 1 was carried out with 2-aziridino-cyclohexanol derivatives it resulted in the formation of thia-bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane or dithia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane derivatives.

The chemoselective synthesis of the 1,7-lactones of N-acetylneuraminic acid, N-glycolylneuraminic acid, and 3-deoxy-d-glycero-d-galacto-nononic acid is accomplished in two steps: a simple treatment of the corresponding free sialic acid with benzyloxycarbonyl chloride and a successive hydrogenolysis of the formed 2-benzyloxycarbonyl 1,7-lactone. The instability of the 1,7-lactones to protic solvents has been also evidenced together with the rationalization of the mechanism of their formation under acylation conditions. The results permit to dispose of authentic 1,7-sialolactones to be used as reference standards and of a procedure useful for the preparation of their isotopologues to be used as inner standards in improved analytical procedures for the gas liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry (GLC−MS) analysis of 1,7-sialolactones in biological media.

Benzopolysulfanes, 4-CH3(OCH2CH2)3NHC(O)-C6H4-1,2-Sx (x = 3−7 and 9) were synthesized with a PEG group attached through an amide bond and examined for water solubility, antitumor activity, and propensity to equilibrate and desulfurate. LCMS and HPLC data show the PEG pentasulfane ring structure predominates, and the tri-, tetra-, hexa-, hepta-, and nonasulfanes were present at very low concentrations. The presence of the PEG group improved water solubility by 50-fold compared to the unsubstituted benzopolysulfanes, C6H4Sx (x = 3, 5, and 7), based on intrinsic solubility measurements. Polysulfur linkages in the PEG compounds decomposed in the presence of ethanethiol and hydroxide ion. The PEG pentathiepin desulfurated rapidly, and an S3 transfer reaction was observed in the presence of norbornene; no S2 transfer reaction was observed with 2,3-dimethylbutadiene. The antitumor activities of the PEG-substituted benzopolysulfane mixtures were analyzed against four human tumor cell lines PC3 (prostate), DU145 (prostate), MDA-MB-231 (breast), and Jurkat (T-cell leukemia). The PEG-conjugated polysulfanes had IC50 values 1.2−5.8 times lower than the parent “unsubstituted” benzopolysulfanes. Complete cell killing was observed for the PEG polysulfanes at 4 μM for PC3 and DU145 cells and at 12 μM for MDA-MB-231 cells. The results suggest that solubilization of the polysulfur linkage is a key parameter to the success of these compounds as drug leads.

A Rapid Injection NMR (RINMR) apparatus has been designed and constructed to allow the observation of fast chemical reactions in real time by NMR spectroscopy. The instrument was designed to allow the rapid (<2 s) injection and mixing of a metered volume of a reagent into a spinning NMR tube followed by rapid acquisition of the data resulting from the evolution of the chemical process. The various design criteria for this universal system included the ability to deliver any chemical reagent at any temperature and allow for the observation of any nucleus. The various challenges associated with the construction and implementation of this instrument are documented along with the validation of the accuracy of the apparatus with respect to volume and temperature. Finally, the ultimate validation and reproducibility of the technique is presented in the form of three case studies that used the instrument to elucidate various aspects of organic reaction mechanisms. The authors urge interested parties to not embark on the construction of their own instrument and invite those whose research problems might be amenable to this kind of analysis to contact the corresponding author for access to the apparatus described herein.

The lactonamycin model aglycon 4 was synthesized from the trihalogenated benzene derivative 10. Ethynyltetraol 6 was prepared from 10 via carbon elongations, oxidative demethylation, a cycloaddition reaction with the diene derived from homophthalic anhydride, and dihydroxylation. Final E- and F-ring constructions from 6 were realized via a palladium-catalyzed cyclization−methoxycarbonylation, a stereoselective methanol addition, and lactonization, leading to the production of 4.

Tartrate-derived boronic esters 2 can be subjected to palladium-catalyzed carbonyl allylations with SnCl2 to obtain enantiomerically pure α-substituted allylboronic esters 8 and 9. The reaction proceeds regioselectively and with high, simple diastereoselectivity to form anti-products. Their addition to aldehydes yields enantiomerically enriched homoallylic alcohols 17 and 18, respectively. Synthesis, characterization, and a mechanistic rational is presented here.

Terpene synthases are responsible for a large diversity of terpene carbon skeletons found in nature. The multiproduct sesquiterpene synthase MtTPS5 isolated from Medicago truncatula produces 27 products from farnesyl diphosphate (1, FDP). In this paper, we report the reaction steps involved in the formation of these products using incubation experiments with deuterium-containing substrates; we determined the absolute configuration of individual products to establish the stereochemical course of the reaction cascade and the initial conformation of the cycling substrate. Additional labeling experiments conducted with deuterium oxide showed that cadalane sesquiterpenes are mainly produced via the protonation of the neutral intermediate germacrene D (5). These findings provide an alternative route to the general accepted pathway via nerolidyl diphosphate (2, NDP) en route to sesquiterpenes with a cadalane skeleton. Mutational analysis of the enzyme demonstrated that a tyrosine residue is important for the protonation process.

An enantioselective synthesis of the antifungal natural product (+)-ambruticin S has been accomplished starting with the readily available methyl α-d-glucopyranoside, (R)-Roche ester, and (S)-glycidol as chirons, which encompassed seven of the 10 stereogenic centers of the target molecule. The remaining three centers were set by a highly diastereoselective, asymmetric cyclopropanation employing a chiral, nonracemic phosphonamide reagent. Our strategy for the construction of the dihydropyran subunit involved a highly syn-selective Lewis acid catalyzed 6-endo-trig cyclization. Other key steps in the synthesis featured an epoxide opening with a dithiane anion, two efficient phosphonamide-anion based olefinations, and a late-stage C-glycosylation.

A high-throughput screening system for homogeneous catalyst discovery has been developed by integrating a continuous-flow capillary-based microreactor with ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) for fast online analysis. Reactions are conducted in distinct and stable zones in a flow stream that allows for time and temperature regulation. UHPLC detection at high temperature allows high throughput online determination of substrate, product, and byproduct concentrations. We evaluated the efficacies of a series of soluble acid catalysts for an intramolecular Friedel−Crafts addition into an acyliminium ion intermediate within 1 day and with minimal material investment. The effects of catalyst loading, reaction time, and reaction temperature were also screened. This system exhibited high reproducibility for high-throughput catalyst screening and allowed several acid catalysts for the reaction to be identified. Major side products from the reactions were determined through off-line mass spectrometric detection. Er(OTf)3, the catalyst that showed optimal efficiency in the screening, was shown to be effective at promoting the cyclization reaction on a preparative scale.

Strategies for the production of substituted isoquinoline libraries were developed and explored. Routes involving microwave-assisted variants of the Bischler−Napieralski or Pictet−Spengler reaction allowed for cyclization of substituted β-arylethylamine derivatives. The dihydroisoquinolines and tetrahydroisoquinolines thus generated could then be oxidized to their corresponding isoquinoline analogues. An alternate strategy, however, involving the preparation and activation of isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones is demonstrated to be a more practical, rapid, and efficient route to C1- and C4-substituted isoquinoline libraries.

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of terminal alkynes with arylboronic acids has been described. In the presence of Pd(OAc)2 and Ag2O, a variety of terminal alkynes, including electron-poor terminal alkynes, smoothly underwent the reaction with numerous boronic acids to afford the corresponding internal alkynes in moderate to good yields. Moreover, this methodology was applied to the synthesis of 1H-isochromenes and diynes. It is noteworthy that the reaction proceeds under ligand-free and relative lower loading Pd conditions, and the maximal TONs (turnover numbers) of the reaction are up to 720,000.

The asymmetric catalytic aziridination reaction (AZ reaction) of imines derived from dianisylmethyl (DAM) amine and tetra-methyldianisylmethyl (MEDAM) amine were examined with boroxinate catalysts prepared from both the VANOL and VAPOL ligands. This included an evaluation of different protocols for the preparation of the catalyst. The AZ reaction of DAM and MEDAM imines prepared from nine different aryl and aliphatic aldehydes were examined. The MEDAM imines were superior to the DAM imines in the AZ reaction, giving much higher asymmetric inductions and higher overall yields of aziridines. The MEDAM imines were found to also be superior to the previously studied diphenylmethyl (benzhydryl or Bh) and tetra-tert-butyldianisylmethyl (BUDAM) imines especially for imines derived from aliphatic aldehydes. The average asymmetric induction over the nine different MEDAM imines studied was 97% ee with the VAPOL catalyst and 96% ee with the VANOL catalyst. The MEDAM imines can be deprotected to give N-H aziridines in all cases except for some electron-rich aryl aldehydes. The MEDAM imines are much more reactive than benzhydryl imines, and this was most evident when a diazoacetate ester is replaced by a diazoacetamide. The less reactive diazoacetamides give very low yields in their reactions with benzhydryl imines but high yields with MEDAM imines.

9-Deaza-2′-deoxyguanosine (CdG) is a C-nucleoside and an analogue of the abundant promutagen 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (OdG). Like 2′-deoxyguanosine (dG), CdG should form a stable base pair with dC, but similar to OdG, CdG contains an N7-hydrogen that should allow it to also form a relatively stable base pair with dA. In order to further investigate the base pairing of CdG, it was incorporated into DNA and paired with either dC or dA. Melting studies revealed CdG:dC base pairs are less stable than dG:dC base pairs, while CdG:dA base pairs are less stable than OdG:dA base pairs. In order to gain a deeper understanding of these results, quantum studies on model structures of nucleoside monomers and base pairs were performed, the results of which indicate that (i) CdG:dC base pairs are likely destabilized relative to dG:dC as a result of structural constraints imposed by the C-nucleotide character of CdG, and (ii) CdG:dA base pairs may be less stable than OdG:dA base pairs, at least in part, because of a third long-range interaction that is possible in OdG:dA but not in CdG:dA.

Highly substituted dihalogenated dihydrofurans, dihydropyrroles, and dihydro-2H-pyrans bearing alkyl, vinyl, aryl, and heteroaryl moieties can be prepared in good to excellent yields (up to 99%) by allowing 1,4-butyne-diol, 4-aminobut-2-yn-1-ol, and pent-2-yne-1,5-diol derivatives to react with different electrophiles (I2, IBr, and ICl) at room temperature. Both halogen atoms generated from electrophiles were used effectively. The resulting halides can be further exploited by using palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions. The presence of trace amount of water is essential for this electrophilic cyclization.

The reaction of β-halogeno-β-polyfluoromethylstyrenes with N,N- or N,O-binucleophiles leads to unexpected fragmentation products (imidazolines) or to heterocyclization giving CF3-substituted imidazolidines (N,N-) and oxazolidines (N,O-) depending on aryl substituent. The scope and the reaction mechanism are discussed.

The synthesis of precursors to π-conjugated cyclopropenium polymers is described. Monomers for chemical and electrochemical manipulation are easily prepared through electrophilic substitution of in situ generated cyclopropenium cations that are then hydrolyzed to the respective cyclopropenones. The unusually strong dipole moment associated with the cyclopropenone renders this core formally aromatic, an electronic structure that becomes more important within individual monomers upon protonation of the carbonyl function with trifluoroacetic acid or alkylation with triethyloxonium salts. The electronic properties of cyclopropenone polymers in their pristine states and after acidification are discussed along with conjugated carbonyl-containing polymers that are also acid sensitive but without the added element of aromaticity. We find that the increased contributions of cyclopropenium cation aromaticity restrict the quinoidal charge carriers due to the energetically less favorable proposition of disrupting the local aromatic stabilization.

Stabilization energies (SEH) of carbon radicals (R•) are traditionally defined as the difference between the bond dissociation energy (BDE) of CH3−H, as a reference point, and of R−H. The term “stabilization energy” implies that it is an intrinsic property of the radical and a quantitative measure of stability. Applicable only to carbon-centered radicals, SEH stabilization energies are not transferable and cannot be used to estimate carbon−carbon BDE[R−R′], symmetrical BDE[R−R], or any other BDE[R−X]. SEH values by themselves are neither an intrinsic property nor a quantitative measure of stability. There is available an alternative that is not limited only to carbon−carbon and carbon−hydrogen bonds, does not depend on any one particular molecule or BDE as a reference point, and is accurate with several hundred different types of bonds.

A general synthesis of 3-chalcogen benzo[b]furans from the readily available 2-alkynylanisoles, via FeCl3/diorganyl dichalcogenides intramolecular cyclization, has been developed. Aryl and alkyl groups directly bonded to the chalcogen atom were used as cycling agents. The results revealed that the reaction significantly depends on the electronic effects of substituents in the aromatic ring bonded to the selenium atom of the diselenide species. We observed that the pathway of reaction was not sensitive to the nature of substituents in the aromatic ring of anisole since both the electron-donating and the electron-withdrawing groups delivered the products in similar yields. In addition, the obtained heterocycles were readily transformed to more complex products by using a chalcogen/lithium exchange reaction with n-BuLi followed by trapping of the lithium intermediate with aldehydes, furnishing the desired secondary alcohols in good yields.

Reversal of enantioselectivity in a Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition reaction of dialkylzinc to cyclic enone with use of the same chiral ligand was successfully achieved. The reaction of 2-cyclohexen-1-one (30) with Et2Zn catalyzed by Cu(OTf)2 in the presence of an azolium salt derived from a chiral β-amino alcohol gave (S)-3-ethylcyclohexanone (31) in good enantioselectivity. Among a series of chiral azolium compounds examined, the benzimidazolium salt (10) having both a tert-butyl group at the stereogenic center and a benzyl substituent at the azolium ring was found to be the best choice of ligand in the Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed reaction. Good enantioselectivity was observed when the reaction was conducted by employing a benzimidazolium derivative rather than an imidazolium derivative. The influence of the substituent at the azolium ring on the stereoselectivity of the reaction was also examined. In addition, from the results of the reaction catalyzed by Cu(OTf)2 combined with an azolium compound derived from (S)-leucine methyl ester, it was found that the hydroxy side chain in the chiral ligand is probably crucial for the enantiocontrol of the conjugate addition reaction. On the other hand, it was discovered from a screening test of copper species that the reversal of enantioselectivity was realized by allowing 30 to react with Et2Zn in the presence of Cu(acac)2 combined with the same ligand precursor to afford (R)-31 as a major product. The influence of the stereodirecting group at the chiral ligand on the stereoselectivity in the Cu(acac)2-catalyzed reaction differed completely from that observed in the Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed reaction. Reaction with a cyclic enone consisting of a seven-membered ring such as 2-cyclohepten-1-one (40) resulted in increasing the enantioselectivity of the reaction. Thus, treatment of 40 with Et2Zn catalyzed by Cu(OTf)2 combined with a benzimidazolium salt produced the corresponding (S)-conjugate adduct in a 92:8 enantiomer ratio (er), while the Cu(acac)2-catalyzed reaction with the same ligand afforded (R)-product in a 9:91 er.

Experimental investigations as well as high-level quantum chemical calculations are performed on the two epimeric pairs of complexes 4·2 and 6·2 obtained by lithiation of cinnamyl carbamate (1) and 1-naphthyl derivative 5 in the presence of BOX ligands (S,S)- and (R,R)-2. Indeed, in the case of configurationally labile complexes and a dynamic thermodynamic resolution, which is found to take place, one of both epimers is energetically favored. The quantum chemical computations allow the prediction of the enantiomeric excess that can be expected.

We report a new route to tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) alkaloids involving the alkylation of α-aminonitrile 2 as a key step. The latter compound was prepared by anodic cyanation of the corresponding tertiary amine 1. Reductive decyanation of α-aminonitriles 6a−c proceeded diastereoselectively (up to 95% de) to deliver the C1-substituted alkaloids precursors 9a−c. The syntheses of (±)-carnegine, (±)-norlaudanosine, and (±)-O,O-dimethylcoclaurine have been achieved.

Mangiferin, isomangiferin, and homomangiferin, the xanthone C-glycosides with a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects, were synthesized concisely, featuring a C-glycosylation of a xanthene derivative with perbenzylglucopyranosyl N-phenyltrifluoroacetimidate.

Silylene transfer to allylic sulfides results in a formal 1,2-sulfide migration. The rearrangement yields substituted silacyclobutanes, not the expected silacyclopropanes. The silacyclobutanes were elaborated by insertions of carbonyl compounds selectively into one carbon−silicon bond. A mechanism for the 1,2-sulfide migration is proposed involving an episulfonium ion intermediate.

Phosphitylation of the side chain hydroxyl function of Fmoc protected tyrosine with 5′-phosphoramidites of suitably protected cytidine, adenosine, and guanosine, followed by oxidation gave three novel nucleotidylated amino acid building blocks. After protective group manipulation, these building blocks were used in a solid phase peptide synthesis to afford the nucleotidylated poliovirus proteins VPgpC, VPgpA, and VPgpG.

Preparatively useful conjugate addition of lithiated methyl pyridines to cyclic and acyclic enones is reported. Addition of 2-picoline to 3-penten-2-one led to a concise synthesis of the alkaloids (±)-senepodine G and (±)-cermizine C.

Household fluorescent light activates a diruthenium complex to generate catalytic species highly active for the racemization of secondary alcohols under ambient conditions. This catalyst system is applicable for the chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols to give optically pure acetates under mild conditions.

A series of 4-arylsulfonylimino-4,5-dihydrofurans (14 examples) were efficiently synthesized in good to excellent yields by using the copper-catalyzed three-component reaction between sulfonyl azides, phenylacetylene, and β-ketoesters in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 40 °C for 8 h in the presence of triethylamine (TEA). A plausible mechanism for this process is proposed.

An efficient strategy to synthesize tartaric acid building blocks for totally regioselective transformations or derivatizations was disclosed. Starting from l-tartaric acid or l-dimethyl tartrate, respectively, we obtained type I and II building blocks with orthogonal sets of protecing groups (4−8 steps, 38−56% overall yield).

3,4,5-Trimethyl-2(5H)-furanone, a new seed germination inhibitor with very promising agrochemical applications, was efficiently synthesized from 2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride via nucleophilic addition of methyllithium followed by reduction using sodium borohydride. This two-step synthesis is straightforward and high-yielding and permits the large-scale preparation of the seed germination inhibitor.

A facile stereoselective total synthesis of cleistenolide (1) from the natural chiral template d-arabinose has been achieved in eight steps and 49% overall yield, employing key steps including Wittig olefination, selective 1,3-trans-acetal formation, and modified Yamaguchi esterification.

Five Boc-protected aminooxy and N-alkylaminooxy amines have been synthesized in 60−95% overall yield using a common synthetic strategy from readily available two- and three-carbon Cbz-protected amino alcohols. The amines can be linked to biomolecules via amide formation and incorporated directly into peptoids via submonomer synthesis. Subsequent deprotection of the aminooxy and N-alkylaminooxy groups enables conjugation with desired target molecules via established chemoselective ligation methods. The range of derivatives synthesized allows different distances to be established between the conjugated molecules.

A practical methodology to obtain α-diazoketones through an improved Arndt−Eistert synthesis is described. The method allows the efficient transformation of acid halides using a stoichiometric amount of diazomethane in the presence of calcium oxide, without concomitant ketene or haloketone formation. The obtained α′-brominated-α-diazoketones were employed as suitable substrates for the synthesis of interesting α-arylamino-α′-halomethylketones.

The total synthesis of batatoside L (1), a resin glycoside possessing cytotoxicity against laryngeal carcinoma cells, has been completed in a highly convergent manner. The most crucial step in this total synthesis was the efficient construction of the 18-membered macrolactone framework through the Corey−Nicolaou macrolactonization approach.

A copper-catalyzed cascade method has been developed to synthesize the 2H-benzo[b][1,4]thiazin-3(4H)-ones from 2-halo-N-(2-halophenyl)-acetamides 1 and AcSH via the SN2/deacetylation/coupling process, and to synthesize the quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones from 1 and TsNH2 via the SN2/coupling/desulfonation process. The target products were obtained with diversity at three positions on their scaffolds.