Electrophilic Fluorination−Nucleophilic Addition Reaction Mediated by Selectfluor: Mechanistic Studies and New Applications

Theoretical study on the mechanism of selective fluorination of aromatic compounds with Selectfluor

The selective fluorination of aromatic compounds with Selectfluor has been studied theoretically. Our calculations indicate that the fluorine bond contributes to the stabilization of the π complexes, and the SET mechanism is preferred over the S_N2 mechanism.

Direct, catalytic monofluorination of sp³ C-H bonds: a radical-based mechanism with ionic selectivity

Recently, our group unveiled a system in which an unusual interplay between copper(I) and Selectfluor effects mild, catalytic sp(3) C-H fluorination. Herein, we report a detailed reaction mechanism based on exhaustive EPR, (19)F NMR, UV-vis, electrochemical, kinetic, synthetic, and computational studies that, to our surprise, was revealed to be a radical chain mechanism in which copper acts as an initiator. Furthermore, we offer an explanation for the notable but curious preference for monofluorination by ascribing an ionic character to the transition state.

Mechanism of Electrophilic Fluorination with Pd(IV): Fluoride Capture and Subsequent Oxidative Fluoride Transfer

Electrophilic fluorinating reagents derived from fluoride are desirable for the synthesis of 18F-labeled molecules for positron emission tomography (PET). Here, we study the mechanism by which a Pd(IV)-complex captures fluoride and subsequently transfers it to nucleophiles. The intermediate Pd(IV)-F is formed with high rates even at the nano- to micromolar fluoride concentrations typical for radiosyntheses with 18F due to fast formation of an outer-sphere complex between fluoride and Pd(IV). The subsequent fluorine transfer from the Pd(IV)-F complex is proposed to proceed through an unusual SET/fluoride transfer/SET mechanism. The findings detailed in this manuscript provide a theoretical foundation suitable for addressing a more general approach for electrophilic fluorination with high specific activity 18F PET imaging.

Silver-catalyzed radical phosphonofluorination of unactivated alkenes

We report herein a mild and catalytic phosphonofluorination of unactivated alkenes. With catalysis by AgNO3, the condensation of various unactivated alkenes with diethyl phosphite and Selectfluor reagent in CH2Cl2/H2O/HOAc at 40 °C led to the efficient synthesis of β-fluorinated alkylphosphonates with good stereoselectivity and wide functional group compatibility. A mechanism involving silver-catalyzed oxidative generation of phosphonyl radicals and silver-assisted fluorine atom transfer is proposed.

Fe(III)/NaBH4-mediated free radical hydrofluorination of unactivated alkenes

A powerful Fe(III)/NaBH(4)-mediated free radical hydrofluorination of unactivated alkenes is disclosed using Selectfluor reagent as a source of fluorine and resulting in exclusive Markovnikov addition. In contrast to the traditional and unmanageable free radical hydrofluorination of alkenes, the Fe(III)/NaBH(4)-mediated reaction is conducted under exceptionally mild reaction conditions (0 °C, 5 min, CH(3)CN/H(2)O). The reaction can be conducted open to the air and with water as a cosolvent and demonstrates an outstanding substrate scope and functional group tolerance.

Fluorine-directed β-galactosylation: chemical glycosylation development by molecular editing

Validation of the 2-fluoro substituent as an inert steering group to control chemical glycosylation is presented. A molecular editing study has revealed that the exceptional levels of diastereocontrol in glycosylation processes by using 2-fluoro-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (TCA) scaffolds are a consequence of the 2R,3S,4S stereotriad. This study has also revealed that epimerization at C4, results in a substantial enhancement in β-selectivity (up to β/α 300:1).

Intermolecular Ritter-type C-H amination of unactivated sp3 carbons

Intermolecular Ritter-type C-H amination of unactivated sp(3) carbons has been developed. This new reaction proceeds under mild conditions using readily available reagents and an inexpensive source of nitrogen (acetonitrile). A broad scope of substrates can be aminated with this method since many functional groups are tolerated. This reaction also allows for the direct, innate C-H amination of a variety of hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane without the need of prefunctionalization or installation of a directing group.

A fluoro analogue of UDP-α-D-glucuronic acid is an inhibitor of UDP-α-D-apiose/UDP-α-D-xylose synthase

UDP-2F-glucuronic acid was synthesized and analyzed as a mechanistic probe to investigate the ring contraction step catalyzed by UDP-d-apiose/UDP-d-xylose synthase (AXS).

Selective synthesis of α-fluoro-β-keto- and α-fluoro-β-aminophosphonates via electrophilic fluorination by selectfluor

A series of α-mono- and α,α-difluoro-β-ketophosphonates were synthesized in moderate to good yields with excellent selectivities via electrophilic fluorination by Selectfluor. Subsequently, synthetic potential of the obtained α-monofluoro-β-ketophosphonates was demonstrated by their application in synthesis of α-monofluoro-β-aminophosphonates, useful building blocks in the preparation of phosphapeptides.

Novel peptoid building blocks: synthesis of functionalized aromatic helix-inducing submonomers

Peptoids, oligo-N-substituted glycines, can fold into well-defined helical secondary structures. The design and synthesis of new peptoid building blocks that are capable of both (a) inducing a helical secondary structure and (b) decorating the helices with chemical functionalities are reported. Peptoid heptamers containing carboxamide, carboxylic acid or thiol functionalities were synthesized, and the resulting peptoids were shown to form stable helices. A thiol-containing peptoid readily formed the homodisulfide, providing a convenient route to prepare peptoid helix homodimers.

D-glucose- and D-mannose-based antimetabolites. Part 2. Facile synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-halo-D-glucoses and -D-mannoses

Modified D-glucose and D-mannose analogs are potentially clinically useful metabolic inhibitors. Biological evaluation of 2-deoxy-2-halo analogs has been impaired by limited availability and lack of efficient methods for their preparation. We have developed practical synthetic approaches to 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-, 2-chloro-2-deoxy-, 2-bromo-2-deoxy-, and 2-deoxy-2-iodo derivatives of D-glucose and D-mannose that exploit electrophilic addition reactions to a commercially available 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-D-glucal.

Non-Stick Sugars: Synthesis of Difluorosugar Fluorides as Potential Glycosidase Inactivators

Four new difluorosugar fluorides, 2-deoxy-2,5-difluoro-α-l-idopyranosyl fluoride, 1,5-difluoro-d-glucopyranosyl fluoride, 1,5-difluoro-l-idopyranosyl fluoride, and 2-deoxy-1,2-difluoro-d-glucopyranosyl fluoride, were synthesized from known precursors by a radical bromination/fluoride displacement sequence, followed by deprotection. The compounds were tested as time-dependent inactivators of the β-glucosidase from Agrobacterium sp. (Abg, EC 3.2.1.21) and, while they were shown to bind to the enzyme active site as reversible competitive inhibitors, the only time-dependent inactivation observed was traced to the presence of an extremely small amount (<0.1%) of a highly reactive contaminating impurity.

Stereoselective glycal fluorophosphorylation: synthesis of ADP-2-fluoroheptose, an inhibitor of the LPS biosynthesis

Heptosides are found in important bacterial glycolipids such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the biosynthesis of which is targeted for the development of novel antibacterial agents. This work describes the synthesis of a fluorinated analogue of ADP-L-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranose, the donor substrate of the heptosyl transferase WaaC, which catalyzes the incorporation of this carbohydrate into LPS. Synthetically, the key step for the preparation of ADP-2F-heptose is the simultaneous and stereoselective installation of both the fluorine atom at C-2 and the phosphoryl group at C-1 through a selectfluor-mediated (selectfluor=1-chloromethyl-4-fluorodiazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bis(triflate)) electrophilic addition/nucleophilic substitution involving a heptosylglycal. Therefore, we detail in this article 1) the stereoselective preparation of the key intermediates heptosylglycals, 2) the development of a new fluorophosphorylation procedure allowing an excellent beta-gluco stereoselectivity with "all-equatorial" glycals, 3) the synthesis of the target ADP-2F-heptose, and 4) some comments on the contacts observed between the fluorine atom of the final molecule and the protein in the crystallographic structure of heptosyltransferase WaaC.

Fragmentation of carbohydrate anomeric alkoxyl radicals: new synthesis of chiral 1-fluoro-1-halo-1-iodoalditols

A new general methodology for the synthesis of 1,1,1-trihaloalditols by starting from 1,5-anhydro-2-deoxy-hex-1-enitol derivatives (glycals) is described. The halogens are introduced sequentially in each of the three different steps of the process. The fluorine is introduced in the first step by electrophilic fluorination of the starting glycal; next, hydroxyhalogenation of the resulting vinyl fluoride allows the addition of any halogen (F, Cl, Br or I) at will, and finally, an iodine atom is inserted through an alkoxyl radical fragmentation reaction. This methodology allows the preparation of diverse types of 1,1,1-trihalogenated compounds (R--CF(2)I, R--CFI(2), R--CFClI and R--CFBrI) under mild conditions compatible with sensitive substituents. In some cases, the diastereomeric mixtures generated from R--CFClI and R--CFBrI can be chromatographically separated, and their configuration determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The synthetic usefulness of these compounds has been preliminarily assessed by examining the reactivity of the fluorinated radical generated by rupture of the C--I bond.

A new methodology for the synthesis of fluorinated exo-glycals and their time-dependent inhibition of UDP-galactopyranose mutase

Fluorinated carbohydrates constitute a very important class of mechanistic probes for glycosyl-processing enzymes. In this study, we describe the first synthesis of fluorinated and phosphonylated exo-glycals and their corresponding nucleotide sugars in the galactofuranose series. The synthetic protocol that we have developed is a Selectfluor-mediated fluorination/elimination sequence on phosphonylated exo-glycals, and it offers a new entry into fluorinated carbohydrate chemistry. The challenging E/Z stereochemical assignment of the resulting tetrasubstituted alkenes, which bear an alkoxy, an alkyl, a fluoro, and a phosphonyl group, has been achieved through NMR experiments. The corresponding (E)- and (Z)-nucleotide fluorosugars have been prepared and tested as inhibitors of UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM). UGM is a flavoenzyme that catalyzes the isomerization of uridine diphosphate(UDP)-galactopyranose into UDP-galactofuranose, a key step of the biosynthesis of important mycobacterial cell-wall glycoconjugates. The two diastereomeric molecules were found to display time-dependent inactivation of UGM, as expected from preliminary results using non-fluorinated exo-glycal nucleotides. The inhibitory properties of the two fluorinated molecules led us to suggest that the inactivation mechanism proceeds through two-electron processes, despite the presence of the flavin cofactor within the UGM catalytic site.

Investigation of radical cation in electrophilic fluorination by ESI-MS

Reaction solutions of selectfluor (1) with triphenylethylene (4a) and tetraphenylethylene (4b) were monitored by ESI-MS and ESI-MS/MS. Detection and characterization of the key radical cationic intermediates 5a.+ and 5b.+) fully supports the SET mechanism in electrophilic fluorination as depicted above. [reaction: see text]