Processes for site-selective, sequential functionalizations of carbohydrate derivatives are described. In these processes, a tricoordinate boronic ester initially serves as a protective group for a sugar-derived 1,2- or 1,3-diol motif, permitting functionalization of free OH groups. In a second step, addition of a Lewis base generates a tetracoordinate adduct, which serves as an activating group, enabling functionalization of one of the boron-bound oxygen atoms by a second electrophile. By combining an initial acylation, alkylation, or glycosylation step with an amine-mediated glycosylation of the boronic ester, a variety of selectively protected di- and trisaccharide derivatives can be accessed in an operationally simple fashion without purification of intermediates. This Lewis base-triggered switching of behavior from “latent” to “active” nucleophile is a unique feature of boronic esters relative to other protective groups for diol moieties in carbohydrate chemistry.

The right halves of halichondrins A–C were synthesized by coupling the common C20–C37 building block 9 with the C1–C19 building blocks 10a–c, respectively. Catalytic, asymmetric Ni/Cr-mediated coupling was used for three C–C bond formations. For all cases, the stereochemistry was controlled with the Cr catalyst prepared from the chiral sulfonamide identified via the toolbox approach. For (3 + 4)-, (6 + 7)-, and (9 + 10)-couplings, the stereoselectivity of 28:1, >40:1, and ∼20:1 was achieved by the Cr catalysts prepared from (S)-H, (S)-I, and (R)-L, respectively. Unlike the first and second couplings, the third coupling used the structurally complex nucleophile. It was demonstrated that the coupling efficiency was excellent even with the electrophile/nucleophile molar ratio = 1.0/1.1. In addition, the third coupling was achieved with the substrate bearing a free hydroxyl group. The products obtained in the Ni/Cr-mediated couplings were converted to the right halves of halichondrins A–C in excellent overall yields. The right halves of halichondrins A–C (1a–c) were synthesized in 28, 24, and 24 steps from commercial d-galactal in 13.4%, 21.1%, and 16.7% overall yield, respectively.

A stereocontrolled synthesis of the left halves of halichondrins was reported. An intramolecular oxy-Michael reaction under basic conditions was used to construct the [6,6]-spiroketal in a stereocontrolled manner. With this approach, the left halves of halichondrins, homohalichondrins, and norhalichondrins were synthesized.

The triple-helical structure of collagen, the most abundant protein in animal bodies, owes its stability to post-translationally installed hydroxyl groups at position 4 of prolyl residues. To shed light on the nature of this phenomenon, we have examined the influence of the 4-substituent on the amide isomerism in peptidyl-prolyl analogues. The rigid bicyclic skeleton of 2,4-methanoprolines allowed us to follow the through-bond impact of the substituent group (electronic effect) without the side-chain conformation being affected by a stereoelectronic effect. These proline analogues were prepared by [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of (2-allylamino)acrylic acid derivatives. Subsequent pKa studies demonstrated a remarkable electronic effect of the 4-fluorine substitution, while the effect of the 4-methyl group was negligible. The trans/cis amide ratio was measured in model compounds under low temperature conditions. The observed prevalence for a trans-amide is extraordinary, and in this regard, 2,4-methanoproline is closer to primary α-amino acids than to proline. At the same time the amide rotation velocities were 3−4 orders of magnitude higher when compared to N-acetylprolyl. Finally, our results indicate that the electronic effect of the 4-substituent only affects the kinetics of the amide isomerization but not the thermodynamic prevalence for the trans-rotamer.

A new class of push–pull dyes is reported based on the structures of benzoxa- and benzothiadiazole heterocycles. This new class of dyes displays red-shifted wavelengths of emission and greater sensitivity to polarity and hydrogen bonding solvents relative to previously known derivatives.

Cyclic peptoids have recently emerged as important examples of peptidomimetics for their interesting complexing properties and innate ability to permeate biological barriers. In the present contribution, experimental and theoretical data evidence the intricate conformational and stereochemical properties of five novel hexameric peptoids decorated with N-isopropyl, N-isobutyl, and N-benzyl substituents. Complexation studies by NMR, in the presence of sodium tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate (NaTFPB), theoretical calculations, and single-crystal X-ray analyses indicate that the conformationally stable host/guest metal adducts display architectural ordering comparable to that of the enniatins and beauvericin mycotoxins. Similarly to the natural depsipeptides, the synthetic oligolactam analogues show a correlation between ion transport abilities in artificial liposomes and cytotoxic activity on human cancer cell lines. The reported results demonstrate that the versatile cyclic peptoid scaffold, for its remarkable conformational and complexing properties, can morphologically mimic related natural products and elicit powerful biological activities.

A systematic study of the N-substitution reactions of 3-substituted pyrazoles under basic conditions has been undertaken. Regioselective N1-alkylation, -arylation, and -heteroarylation of 3-substituted pyrazoles have been achieved using K2CO3-DMSO. The regioselectivity is justified by the DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G**(d) level. A consistent steric effect on chemical shift has been observed for N-alkyl pyrazole analogues. Twenty-five X-ray crystallographic structures have been obtained to confirm the regiochemistry of the major products.

Homopropargyl alcohols react with t-BuONO to form acyloximes which can be oxidatively cyclized to yield ioxazoles. The mechanism for the initial reaction of HONO with alkynes to form acyloximes (e.g., 13c) has been explored at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) + ZPVE level of theory. The observed chemoselectivity and regioselectivity are explained via an acid-catalyzed mechanism. Furthermore, the potential energy surface revealed numerous surprising features. The addition of HONO (8) to protonated 1-phenylpropyne (18) is calculated to follow a reaction pathway involving sequential transition states (TS6 and TS8), for which reaction dynamics likely play a role. This reaction pathway can bypass the expected addition product 21 as well as transition state TS8, directly forming the rearranged product 23. Nevertheless, TS8 is key to understanding the potential energy surface; there is a low barrier for the pseudopericylic [1,3]-NO shift, calculated to be only 8.4 kcal/mol above 21. This places TS8 well below TS6, making the valley-ridge inflection point (VRI or bifurcation) and direct formation of 23 possible. The final tautomerization step to the acyloxime can be considered to be a [1,5]-proton shift. However, the rearrangement in the case of 17h to 13c is calculated to be barrierless, arguably because the pathway is pseudopericyclic and exothermic.

Tetraalkoxyphenanthrene-fused hexadecadehydro[20]- and tetracosadehydro[30]annulenes possessing octatetrayne linkages were synthesized and their properties together with those of phenanthrene-fused octadehydro[12]- and dodecadehydro[18]annulenes have been investigated. Various spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements as well as quantum chemical calculations support that planar [20]- and [30]annulenes are weakly antiaromatic and nonaromatic, respectively. The detailed concentration- and temperature-dependent 1H NMR and UV–vis data of present dehydroannulenes provided evidence for the enhancement of π–π stacking interactions by extension of the acetylenic linkages. Dehydroannulenes formed self-assembled clusters and their morphology and crystallinity proved to depend on the length of acetylenic linkages, the shape of dehydroannulene core, and the bulkiness of alkoxy groups appended to the phenanthrene moieties.

The strength of 1,3-syn-diaxial repulsion was evaluated for main types of protecting groups (alkyl, silyl, and acyl) usually used in carbohydrate chemistry. As molecular probes for this study, derivatives of isopropyl 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-d-idopyranoside bearing allyl, acetyl, and tert-butyldiphenylsilyl (TBDPS) protecting groups at O-3 were prepared from p-methoxyphenyl d-galactopyranoside. The equilibrium between OS2 and 4C1 conformations in these compounds was investigated using 3JH,H and 3JC,H coupling constants that were determined from 1D 1H NMR and 2D J-resolved HMBC spectra in various solvents. The analysis of the corresponding coupling constants calculated using DFT/B3LYP/pcJ-1 approximation applied to conformations optimized at DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G** level supported the investigation. Proportions of conformers in the equilibrium revealed the highest repulsion between the 3-allyloxy group and the isopropoxy aglycon and its dependence on the solvent polarity. Differences in the conformational behavior of 3-O-allyl and 3-O-acetyl-α-d-idopyranoside derivatives complied with the notion that higher electron density on O-3 increased 1,3-syn-diaxial repulsion. 3-O-TBDPS derivative existed mainly in 4C1 conformation. The attenuation of the 1,3-syn-diaxial repulsive interaction indicates that TBDPS has stereoelectronic properties that may have significance in context of fixing unnatural pyranoside conformation with the help of silyl groups but have been disregarded until now.

Quantum chemical calculations have unveiled the unexpected biradical character of titanium(IV) enolates from N-acyl oxazolidinones and thiazolidinethiones. The electronic structure of these species therefore involves a valence tautomerism consisting of an equilibrium between a closed shell (formally Ti(IV) enolates) and an open shell, biradical, singlet (formally Ti(III) enolates) electronic states, whose origin is to be basically found in changes of the Ti–O distance. Spectroscopic studies of the intermediate species lend support to such a model, which also turns out to be crucial for a better understanding of the overall reactivity of titanium(IV) enolates. In this context, a thorough computational analysis of the radical addition of titanium(IV) enolates from N-acyl oxazolidinones to TEMPO has permitted us to suggest an entire mechanism, which accounts for the experimental details and the diastereoselectivity of the process. All together, this evidence highlights the relevance of biradical intermediates from titanium(IV) enolates and may be a useful contribution to the foundations of a more insightful comprehension of the structure and reactivity of titanium(IV) enolates.

A trimeric assembly of light-harvesting antennas was prepared using a copper-catalyzed Hüisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction between a dendrimer having a zinc diethynyldiphenylporphyrin core (ZnDEDPP) with two azide terminals and two equivalents of dendrimers having a zinc tetraphenylporphyrin core (ZnTPP) with one ethynyl terminal. The absorptions of the trimer appear in a longer-wavelength region compared to monomeric references in toluene; however, there is almost no shift in wavelength in 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TCE). Fluorescence spectra of the trimer show that the singlet energy transfer from ZnTPP to ZnDEDPP takes place more effectively in toluene than in TCE. These absorption and fluorescence studies are compatible with solvent-dependent conformation; the extended forms of the trimers are favored by solvation in polar TCE, and the folded conformation is stabilized by the attractive van der Waals and dipole–dipole interactions between the dendritic chains in nonpolar toluene.

A AgOAc/ThioClickFerrophos complex-catalyzed the highly diastereo- and enantioselective reaction between 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylates (1) and acyclic α-enones (2) in MeOH, in the presence of DBU, to give the single isomer Michael adducts (3) in high yields (up to 99%) with excellent enantioselectivies (up to 99% ee). Subsequent reduction of the Michael adducts with sodium cyanoborohydride successfully produced the fused pyrrolizidine ester as an almost pure single stereoisomer.

An efficient copper(I)-catalyzed direct regioselective arylamination of various heterocyclic N-oxides was achieved successfully under redox-neutral conditions using anthranils as arylaminating reagents. The developed protocol is simple, straightforward, and economic with a broad range substrate scope. The dual functional groups in the final molecules were utilized to construct structurally and functionally diverse nitrogen-containing organic π-conjugated systems.

We have recently shown that the small proton chemical shift difference in 2-methyl-1-(methyl-d)piperidine supports a long-lived nuclear spin state. To identify additional candidate molecules with CH2D groups exhibiting accessible long-lived states, and to investigate the factors governing the magnitude of the shift differences, we report a computational and experimental investigation of methyl rotational equilibria and proton chemical shifts in a variety of 2-substituted 1-(methyl-d)piperidines. The polarity and size of the 2-substituent affect the 1,2-stereoisomeric relationship, and consequently, the strength of the rotational asymmetry within the CH2D group. Nonpolar and large 2-substituents prefer the equatorial position, and relatively large shift differences (i.e., > 13 ppb) are observed. Polar and small substituents, however, increasingly prefer the axial position, and medium to small shift differences (i.e., 0 to 9 ppb) are observed. In addition, the diastereotopic CH2D proton chemical shift difference for tricarbonyl(1-chloro-2-deuteriomethylbenzene) chromium(0) was computed, showing that reasonable predictions of these small shift differences can be extended to more complex, organometallic species.

o-Aminophenol (OAP) has been discovered as practical precursor of directing group (DG) in the palladium-catalyzed aromatic C–H arylation of benzamides. This newly identified, simple, and low cost DG has exhibited broad substrate tolerance in the rapid synthesis of various o-arylated benzamides via direct assemblies of benzoyl chlorides, aryl iodides, and different o-aminophenols in the form of step economical multicomponent reaction.

A variety of arylamines are shown to undergo oxidative C–C bond formation using quinone-based chloranil/H+ reagent as the recyclable organic (metal-free) oxidant system to afford benzidines/naphthidines. Arylamines (3°/2°) designed with various substituents were employed to understand the steric as well as electronic preferences of oxidative dimerization, and a mechanism involving amine radical cation has been proposed. The tetraphenylbenzidine derivative obtained via oxidative C–C coupling has been further converted to blue-emissive hole-transporting material via a simple chemical transformation. This study highlights the preparation of novel HTMs in a simple, economic, and efficient manner.

The threading of monostoppered alkylbenzylammonium axles 7+ and 8+ with the calix[6]-wheel 3 can occur by both routes of entering the macrocycle 3 in the cone conformation: passage through the upper rim and the through the lower rim. Thus, under thermodynamic conditions, with both the axles 7+ and 8+, the two possible orientations of calix[2]pseudorotaxane, namely, endo-benzyl and endo-alkyl, are formed by a stereoselectivity controlled by the endo-alkyl rule. Interestingly, by 1H NMR monitoring of the threading process between 8+ and 3, we revealed two calix[2]pseudorotaxane isomers in which the calix-wheel adopts 1,2,3-alternate and cone conformations, which represent the kinetic and thermodynamic species, respectively. Finally, the synthesis of ammonium-based oriented calix[2]rotaxane is here described.

Recently, N-hydroxyindole derivatives have received much interest because of their unique structural motif and various biological activities. In this study, we report the first example of a Rh(III)-catalyzed reaction of arylnitrones with α-diazoketoesters or α-diazodiketones to produce N-hydroxyindole derivatives. Intriguingly, we could build the N-hydroxyindole scaffold by blocking the cleavage of the N–O bond selectively, while eliminating the acyl group of α-diazoketoesters or α-diazodiketones preferentially.

The enantioselective catalytic alkynylation of aromatic aldehydes is reported using a sterically highly hindered bis-cyclometalated rhodium-based Lewis acid catalyst featuring the octahedral metal as the only stereogenic center. Yields of 58–98% with 79–98% enantiomeric excess were achieved using 1–2 mol % of catalyst. This work complements previous work from our laboratory on the enantioselective alkynylation of 2-trifluoroacetyl imidazoles (Chem. - Eur. J. 2016, 22, 11977–11981) and trifluoromethyl ketones (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 4322–4325) using catalysts with octahedral metal-centered chirality.

A series of C3-N-substituted coumarins were synthesized in good yields directly from coumarins and azides in the presence of Pr(OTf)3 without any additives or ligands needed. The selected compounds 3a, 3c–e, 3g, 3i, 3q, 3u, and 3v exhibited good anticancer activities against MGC-803, A549, and NCI-H460 cell lines with IC50 in the range 8.75–38.54 μmol L–1.

A de novo palladium carbon-catalyzed synthesis of trisubstituted nicotinonitriles from easily synthesized homopropagylic or homoallylic aromatic alcohols in the presence of nitriles has been explored. The mechanism proceeds with an interesting generation of a Pd(II)-C palladacycle followed by an oxidative aromatization to generate the pyridine core. The pyridine core is generated with a noteworthy C–C bond cleavage in the case of the substituted nitriles. The moderate yields and easy separation of the products lend a unique importance to this one-pot methodology

A highly efficient asymmetric synthesis of the key tetrahydropyranol intermediate of DPP-4 inhibitor omarigliptin (1) is described. The successful development of a protecting-group- and precious-metal-free synthesis was achieved via the discovery of a practical asymmetric Henry reaction and the application of a one-pot nitro-Michael–lactolization–dehydration through-process. Other features of the synthesis include a highly efficient MsCl-mediated dehydration and a crystallization-induced dynamic resolution for exceptional ee and dr upgrade. The synthesis of this complex intermediate utilizes simple starting materials and proceeds in four linear steps.

Following our work on the C–H functionalization of carbohydrates by the 1,5 insertion of metal–carbenes, we report herein the robust and scalable conversion of sugar γ-lactones into highly valuable glycosides having a quaternary anomeric position substituted by an allyl chain ready for further functionalization. A divergent synthetic approach furthermore provided a straightforward access to ketopyranosides with a large chemo- and stereodiversity at position 2.

SNO-OCTs are eight-membered heterocyclic alkynes that have fast rates of reactivity with 1,3-dipoles. In contrast to many other reported cycloalkynes, SNO-OCTs contain multiple sites for derivatization, display stability under a variety of common reaction conditions, and offer the opportunity for strain-induced ring-opening following the initial reaction of the alkyne moiety. In this paper, we describe how the unique features of SNO-OCTs can be employed to modify an oxime-bearing styrene copolymer and introduce an array of polar functionalities into the polymer. This can be achieved through both the addition of SNO-OCT to the polymer, as well as in the subsequent opening of the sulfamate ring once it has been installed in the polymer.

The first example of the copper-catalyzed cyclization of 4-(phenylamino)-2H-chromen-2-ones employing the N-methyl moiety of DMF as the source of the methine (CH) group has been developed, providing an efficient synthetic pathway to access novel functionalized 6H-chromeno[4,3-b]quinolin-6-ones in moderate to good yields.

The direct irradiation of diphenyl sulfide and p-substituted thioanisoles in the presence of oxygen was investigated by means of both steady state and laser flash photolysis experiments. Two competitive pathways took place from the triplet excited state of thioanisoles, C–S bond cleavage, finally leading to aryl sulfinic acid and sensitized oxidation leading to S-oxidation. Co-oxidation of dodecyl methyl sulfide occurred efficiently implying that an S-persulfoxide intermediate is involved during the sensitized oxidation. On the other hand, triplet state of diphenyl sulfide also showed competitive C–S bond cleavage giving phenyl sulfinic acid and ionization to diphenyl sulfide radical cation that in turn led to diphenyl sulfoxide. The rate constants of the above reactions were determined by time-resolved experiments.

A unique approach to biaryls was developed on the basis of propargyl vinyl ethers and dienophiles substrates via a gold(I)-initiated cycloisomerization/Diels–Alder/retro-Diels–Alder cascade reaction. The scope and mechanism of the reaction were investigated on the basis of a series of synthetic substrates, control experiments, and DFT calculations.

A series of 7-hydroxy-2-methylidene-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones with 2-pyrrolyl (3), 4-dimethylaminophenyl (4), 4-nitrophenyl (5), and carboxyl group (6) as substituents at the exocyclic double bond was synthesized in the form of the E-isomers (4–6) or predominantly as the Z-isomer (3) which in solution is converted to the E-isomer. The synthesized compounds and their model analogues were studied by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray analysis, and MP2 theoretical calculations. The E-isomers having intramolecular O–H···O═C hydrogen bond are converted by UV irradiation to the Z-isomers having bifurcated O–H···O···H–X hydrogen bond. Unexpected shortening (and, thus, strengthening) of the O–H···O═C component of the bifurcated hydrogen bond upon the formation of the C═O···H–X hydrogen bond was found experimentally, proved theoretically (MP2), and explained by a roundabout interaction of the H-donor (HX) and H-acceptor (C═O) via the system of conjugated bonds.

The couplings of carboxylic acids and amines promoted by dichlorosilane derivatives provide a promising tool for amide synthesis and peptide coupling, in which an unprecedented mechanism was proposed for the amide bond formation process. To investigate this mechanistic proposal and enrich the understanding of this novel reaction, a theoretical study was conducted herein. The formation and interconversion of silylamine and silyl ester intermediates were calculated to be kinetically feasible under the experiment conditions. However, the subsequent amidation via direct elimination on the AcO-Si(L)(L′)-NHMe intermediate was found to involve a high energy barrier due to the formation of an unstable silanone. By contrast, the in situ generated salts can promote the amidation process by generating a silanol as the temporary product. Similarly, the anhydride formation mechanism can proceed via direct elimination or salt-assisted elimination on the AcO-Si(L)(L′)-OAc intermediate but is less favorable. Finally, we found that the intermolecular nucleophilic addition on the AcO-Si(L)(L′)-Cl intermediate is the most favorable mechanism among all the candidates considered. In this mechanism, carboxylic acids or bases can act as self-catalysts to promote the amide bond formation via hydrogen bonding, and the formation of the unstable silanone or anhydride is avoided.

De novo synthesis of possible candidates for the Inagami–Tamura endogenous digitalis-like factor (EDLF) was achieved to validate a previously proposed structure. Our synthetic approach involves a highly regio- and diastereoselective Mizoroki–Heck reaction and a Friedel–Crafts-type cyclodehydration to construct steroidal tetracycle 14 as a versatile common intermediate leading to seven 2,14β-dihydroxyestradiol analogues 1a–c, 2a–c, and 3 as possible candidates. By comparing the potency of inhibitory activity against Na+/K+-ATPase between the synthesized candidates and the EDLF, it was found that the proposed structure is not likely to be a true structure of the Inagami–Tamura EDLF.

A directing-group-controlled, copper-catalyzed divergent approach to indoles and oxazoles from enamides has been developed. The picolinamide-derived enamides undergo the intramolecular aromatic C–H amination in the presence of a Cu(OPiv)2 catalyst and an MnO2 oxidant to form the corresponding indoles in good yields. On the other hand, simpler aryl- or alkyl-substituted enamides are converted to the 2,4,5-trisubstituted oxazole frameworks via vinylic C–H alkoxylation under identical conditions. The copper catalysis can provide uniquely divergent access to indole and oxazole heteroaromatic cores of great importance in medicinal and material chemistry.

A concise and flexible synthesis of α,β-unsaturated amidines via gold-catalyzed intermolecular ynamide amination/carbene 1,2-shift between ynamides and benzylic azides has been developed. Under mild reaction conditions, various α,β-unsaturated amidines were obtained in mostly good yields, thus providing an efficient and atom-economic way for the construction of valuable α,β-unsaturated amidines.

The polyhydroxylated 18-membered lichen macrolide (+)-aspicilin was synthesized in 12 steps and 17% yield (longest linear sequence) starting from d-mannose and (S)-propylene oxide as the source of the stereogenic centers. Key steps were a palladium-catalyzed Csp3X–Csp3ZnX Negishi cross-coupling affording an ω-hydroxy hemiacetal which was macrocyclized via a domino addition–Wittig olefination reaction with the cumulated ylide Ph3PCCO. This synthetic approach also allowed a regioselective glycosylation of 6-OH of aspicilin with d-desosamine, a quick entry to chimeric macrolides with potential antibiotic activity.

Herein, we disclose a new and efficient synthetic approach to triphenylene-based polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from ring-fused benzocyclobutenols (RBCBs) through the cleavage of the C–C σ-bond. Two key transformations are involved: (a) palladium-catalyzed C–C bond (hetero)arylation of RBCBs; and (b) Lewis acid-promoted intramolecular annulation leading to complex polycyclic compounds. A variety of multiply substituted triphenylenes and derivatives are obtained in synthetically useful yields.

An efficient Ag-catalyzed three-component reaction of amidines, ynals, and alcohols, phenols, or water has been developed. This strategy provides a wide range of substrates and represents a simple process for the preparation of different imidazole derivatives in good yields with high regioselectivities.

Herein, we describe an approach to quantifying and comparing functional group (FG) tolerance of synthetic reactions. Additive-based reaction screening is utilized as a tool for the objective comparison of reaction conditions as demonstrated in four case studies. This contributes to an understanding of factors limiting a reaction’s FG tolerance and the identification of truly mild reactions.

A new enantioselective catalysis has been developed for the one-step construction of methylene-bridged chiral modules of 1,2- and 1,3-OH and/or NH function(s) from δ- or λ-OH/NHBoc-substituted allylic alcohols and “H2C═O”/“H2C═NBoc”. A protonic nucleophile, either in situ-generated CH2OH or CH2NHBoc, is intramolecularly allylated to furnish eight possible 1,2- or 1,3-O,O, -O,N, -N,O, and -N,N chiral modules equipped with an ethenyl group in high yields and enantioselectivities. The utility of this method has been demonstrated in the five-step synthesis of sphingosine.

A highly efficient synthesis of α-diazoketone was achieved by simply stirring the mixture of 1,3-diketone, TsN3, and MeNH2 in EtOH. It was a tandem reaction including a novel primary amine-catalyzed Regitz diazo transfer of 1,3-diketone and a novel primary amine-mediated C–C bond cleavage of 2-diazo-1,3-diketone.

A new transition-metal-free route for the direct trifluoromethylthiolation and trifluoromethylsulfoxidation of electron-rich aromatics with CF3SO2Na in the presence of PCl3 was developed. Notably, PCl3 was used as a reducing and chlorination reagent. The transition-metal-free protocol utilized cheap and readily available reagents and exhibited good atom economy; therefore, it will serve as an alternative and practical strategy for the trifluoromethylthiolation and trifluoromethylsulfoxidation of electron-rich aromatics.

A novel, organobase-catalyzed and highly chemoselective Michael–Michael-acetalization cascade is presented for the efficient synthesis of spiro-indandione skeletons. Following this very simple protocol, a broad range of products was obtained in good yields with excellent diastereocontrol. The role of steric factors in the acetalization step was evaluated.

The total synthesis and structural revision of (+)-cryptoconcatone H are described. Guided by computational studies for the final structure assignment, the stereogenic centers at the tetrahydropyran moiety of (+)-cryptoconcatone H were assembled through catalytic asymmetric methodologies: Krische allylation, cross-metathesis reaction, and THP formation via Pd(II)-catalyzed cyclization. Finally, a Krische allylation reaction established the last stereocenter, and the lactone moiety was formed by ring-closing metathesis.

A copper-catalyzed three-component reaction of methyl ketones, organic azides, and various one-carbon (C1) donors was developed that provides 4-acyl-1,2,3-triazoles in moderate to good yields. While DMF, DMA, TMEDA, or DMSO can serve as the C1 donor, best yields were obtained using DMF. The transformation is proposed to proceed via an oxidative C–H/C–H cross-dehydrogenative coupling followed by an oxidative 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition.

A palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of aryl iodides with cyclic vinyldiazo ester was developed. The reaction provides various 3-aryl-2-pyrones in good yields with high functional group tolerance. The synthetic application of the resulting 3-aryl-2-pyrones as the diene component in a Diels–Alder reaction was also described.

A practicable quinoline synthesis from aniline and two amino acids was developed for generating a wide range of quinolines with high efficiency and diversity. Thus, it facilitated the creations of pharmaceutical derivatives, photochemical active compounds, and challenging scaffolds. The concept of using two amino acids as heterocyclic precursors has been raised for the first time. Mechanistic studies revealed that I2 enabled decarboxylation, oxidative deamination, and selective reconstruction of new C–N and C–C bonds processes.

Nannocystin A is a novel 21-membered macrolactone isolated from myxobacterium Nanocystis sp. It is a potent elongation factor 1 inhibitor and inhibits cancer cell line growth at nanomolar concentrations. In this work, a concise asymmetric total synthesis of nannocystin A has been developed, which features Sharpless epoxidation, Stille coupling, and final macrolactamization.

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed intramolecular aldol lactonization of readily available ketoacids leading to the enantioselective synthesis of cyclopentane-fused β-lactones is presented. The reaction proceeds via the generation of NHC-bound enolate intermediates formed from the ketoacids in the presence of the peptide coupling reagent HATU and NHC generated from the chiral triazolium salt. The functionalized β-lactones are formed under mild conditions in high yields and enantioselectivities.

Regioselective bromination of thieno[2′,3′:4,5]pyrrolo[1,2-d][1,2,4]triazin-8(7H)-one at the 2- or 9-position was achieved by modulating the basicity of the reaction conditions. An anion-directed site-specific bromination mechanism was proposed. In addition, a one-pot bromination–Suzuki coupling protocol was developed for quick access of analogues at the 9-position.

A synthetic procedure to access 2-unsubstituted pyrrolidines and piperidines is presented. In the presence of MgI2 as Lewis acid, donor–acceptor cyclopropanes or corresponding cyclobutanes were treated with 1,3,5-triazinanes, leading to the five- or six-membered ring systems under mild conditions in yields up to 93%. This protocol tolerates a great variety of functional groups and thus provides an efficient entry to this class of pyrrolidines and piperidines.

Herein, we report a Rh(I)/bisphosphine/K3PO4 catalytic system allowing for the first time the selective branched C–H alkylation of benzimidazoles with Michael acceptors. Branched alkylation with N,N-dimethyl acrylamide was successfully applied to the alkylation of a broad range of benzimidazoles incorporating a variety of N-substituents and with both electron-rich and -poor functionality displayed at different sites of the arene. Moreover, the introduction of a quaternary carbon was achieved by alkylation with ethyl methacrylate. The method was also shown to be applicable to the C2-selective branched alkylation of azabenzimidazoles.

The C70 δ-adducts with closed [5,6]-ring fusion are an important type of compound in classifying bond delocalization in the equatorial belt of C70. However, the formation of such compounds is severely restricted due to the low reactivity of the carbon atoms in the flat equatorial region. Such a restriction is lifted when reduced anionic C70 species are used, where the inert equatorial carbon atoms are activated.

The ortho, meta, and para isomers of 9,10-dipyridylanthracene 1 have been synthesized and converted into their endoperoxides 1-O2 upon oxidation with singlet oxygen. The kinetics of this reaction can be controlled by the substitution pattern and the solvent: in highly polar solvents, the meta isomer is the most reactive, whereas the ortho isomer is oxidized fastest in nonpolar solvents. Heating of the endoperoxides affords the parent anthracenes by release of singlet oxygen.