Synthesis of enamides related to the salicylate antitumor macrolides using copper-mediated vinylic substitution

Copper/amino acid catalyzed cross-couplings of aryl and vinyl halides with nucleophiles

Copper-assisted Ullmann-type coupling reactions are valuable transformations for organic synthesis. Researchers have extensively applied these reactions in both academic and industrial settings. However, two important issues, the high reaction temperatures (normally above 150 degrees C) and the stoichiometric amounts of copper necessary, have greatly limited the reaction scope. To solve these problems, we and other groups have recently explored the use of special ligands to promote these coupling reactions. We first showed that the structure of alpha-amino acids can accelerate Cu-assisted Ullmann reactions, leading to the coupling reactions of aryl halides and alpha-amino acids at 80-90 degrees C. In response to these encouraging results, we also discovered that an l-proline ligand facilitated the following transformations: (1) coupling of aryl halides with primary amines, cyclic secondary amines, and N-containing heterocycles at 40-90 degrees C; (2) coupling of aryl halides with sulfinic acid salts at 80-95 degrees C; (3) azidation of aryl halides and vinyl halides with sodium azide at 40-95 degrees C; (4) coupling of aryl halides with activated methylene compounds at 25-50 degrees C. In addition, we found that N,N-dimethylglycine as a ligand facilitated Cu-catalyzed biaryl ether formation at 90 degrees C. Moreover, Sonogashira reactions worked in the absence of palladium and phosphine ligands, forming enamides from vinyl halides and amides at temperatures ranging from ambient temperature up to 80 degrees C. Furthermore, we discovered that an ortho-amide group can accelerate some Ullmann-type reactions. This functional group in combination with other ligand effects allowed for aryl amination or biaryl ether formation at ambient temperature. The coupling between aryl halides and activated methylene compounds even proceeded at -45 degrees C to enantioselectively form a quaternary carbon center. Taking advantage of these results, we developed several novel approaches for the synthesis of pharmaceutically important heterocycles: 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles, polysubstituted indoles, N-substituted 1,3-dihydrobenzimidazol-2-ones, and substituted 3-acyl oxindoles. Our results demonstrate that an l-proline or N,N-dimethylglycine ligand can facilitate most typical Ullmann-type reactions, with reactions occurring under relatively mild conditions and using only 2-20 mol % copper catalysts. These conveniently available and inexpensive catalytic systems not only accelerate the reactions but also tolerate many more functional groups. Thus, they should find considerable application in organic synthesis.

Copper complexes of anionic nitrogen ligands in the amidation and imidation of aryl halides

Copper(I) imidate and amidate complexes of chelating N,N-donor ligands, which are proposed intermediates in copper-catalyzed amidations of aryl halides, have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and detailed solution-phase methods. In some cases, the complexes adopt neutral, three-coordinate trigonal planar structures in the solid state, but in other cases they adopt an ionic form consisting of an L 2Cu (+) cation and a CuX 2 (-) anion. A tetraalkylammonium salt of the CuX 2 (-) anion in which X = phthalimidate was also isolated. Conductivity measurements and (1)H NMR spectra of mixtures of two complexes all indicate that the complexes exist predominantly in the ionic form in DMSO and DMF solutions. One complex was sufficiently soluble for conductance measurements in less polar solvents and was shown to adopt some degree of the ionic form in THF and predominantly the neutral form in benzene. The complexes containing dative nitrogen ligands reacted with iodoarenes and bromoarenes to form products from C-N coupling, but the ammonium salt of [Cu(phth) 2] (-) did not. Similar selectivities for stoichiometric and catalytic reactions with two different iodoarenes and faster rates for the stoichiometric reactions implied that the isolated amidate and imidate complexes are intermediates in the reactions of amides and imides with haloarenes catalyzed by copper complexes containing dative N,N ligands. These amidates and imidates reacted much more slowly with chloroarenes, including chloroarenes that possess more favorable reduction potentials than some bromoarenes and that are known to undergo fast dissociation of chloride from the chloroarene radical anion. The reaction of o-(allyloxy)iodobenzene with [(phen) 2Cu][Cu(pyrr) 2] results in formation of the C-N coupled product in high yield and no detectable amount of the 3-methyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran or 3-methylene-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran products that would be expected from a reaction that generated free radicals. These data and computed reaction barriers argue against mechanisms in which the haloarene reacts with a two-coordinate anionic copper species and mechanisms that start with electron transfer to generate a free iodoarene radical anion. Instead, these data are more consistent with mechanisms involving cleavage of the carbon-halogen bond within the coordination sphere of the metal.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity of a salicylihalamide A analogue

The synthesis of a simple analogue of salicylihalamide A with a truncated lactone ring (+/- 2) was achieved in 10 steps. Its cytotoxicity profile in the NCI 60-cell-line human tumor assay differed significantly from that of salicylihalamide A in both level and specificity.

Cu-Catalyzed Tandem C−N Bond Formation for the Synthesis of Pyrroles and Heteroarylpyrroles

A highly efficient Cu-catalyzed tandem C-N bond-forming reaction of 1,4-dihalo-1,3-dienes has been developed. The transformation allows the synthesis of pyrroles and heteroarylpyrroles with a wide variety of functional groups and substitution patterns from readily available precursors.

Formal Total Synthesis of (−)-Apicularen A by a Strategy Based on Ring-Closing Metathesis and Transannular Cyclization

A formal synthesis of (-)-apicularen A, a potent antitumor agent with unique biological properties, has been completed in a 15-step sequence starting from a known, enantiomerically pure hydroxyepoxide, which was generated by using the Jacobsen hydrolytic-kinetic-resolution methodology. The 12-membered macrocyclic lactone in the target was constructed by ring-closing metathesis, and the trans-tetrahydropyran ring system was created through the transannular etherification of a hydroxyalkene.

Direct N-Acetyl Enamine Formation: Lithium Bromide Mediated Addition of Methyllithium to Nitriles

An improved protocol for N-acetyl enamine formation is disclosed which involves LiBr-mediated addition of MeLi to substituted nitriles. The resulting enamides are isolated in high yields and excellent purity which permits subsequent hydrogenation at very low catalyst loading.

Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of N-vinyl pyrroles and indoles

A stereospecific palladium-catalyzed N-vinylation of azaheterocycles with vinyl triflates is described. Cyclic and acyclic vinyl triflates along with nonnucleophilic azaheterocycles were found to be substrates for this palladium-catalyzed synthesis of N-vinyl pyrrole and indole derivatives.

Preparation of enamides via palladium-catalyzed amidation of enol tosylates

[reaction: see text] A Pd-catalyzed coupling of enol tosylates and amides has been developed. Ligand screening revealed dipf as the most general ligand for this transformation. A variety of enol tosylates were coupled to an array of enamides in 58-97% yield.

Synthesis of Allenamides by Copper-Catalyzed Coupling of Allenyl Halides with Amides, Carbamates, and Ureas

[reaction: see text]. A variety of N-substituted allenes have been synthesized by the copper-catalyzed coupling reaction between allenyl halides and amides, carbamates, and ureas. The reactions proceed in good to excellent yield using 7 mol % copper thiophenecarboxylate and 15 mol % of a diamine catalyst.

Synthesis of Lactams via Copper-Catalyzed Intramolecular Vinylation of Amides

Copper-catalyzed intramolecular vinylation of iodoenamides were investigated for the first time. With CuI as the catalyst and N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine as the ligand, a number of iodoenamides underwent cyclization in dioxane leading to the formations of five- to seven-membered lactams in moderate to excellent yields.

Synthesis of Photoactivatable Acyclic Analogues of the Lobatamides

[structure: see text] The lobatamides and related salicylate enamide natural products are potent mammalian V-ATPase inhibitors. To probe details of binding of the lobatamides to mammalian V-ATPase, three photoactivatable analogues bearing benzophenone photoaffinity labels have been prepared. The analogues were designed on the basis of a simplified acyclic analogue 2. Late-stage installation of the enamide side chain and tandem deallylation/amidation were employed in synthetic routes to these derivatives. Simplified analogue 2 showed strong inhibition against bovine clathrin-coated vesicle V-ATPase (10 nM). Analogues 3-5 were also evaluated for inhibition of bovine V-ATPase in order to select a suitable candidate for future photoaffinity labeling studies.

l-Proline promoted Ullmann-type reaction of vinyl bromides with imidazoles in ionic liquids

The Ullmann-type coupling reaction of vinyl bromides and imidazoles in ILs at 90-110 degrees C gave the corresponding N-vinylimidazoles in good to excellent yields by using L-proline as the ligand; the double bond geometry of the vinyl bromides was retained under the reaction conditions.

Palladium catalyzed alkenyl amination: from enamines to heterocyclic synthesis

The most recent advances in the Pd catalyzed amination of alkenyl halides directed towards the synthesis of imines and enamines are reviewed. The application of this cross-coupling reaction in the synthesis of heterocycles appears to be a potentially powerful methodology. The few examples already available are also discussed.

CuI-catalyzed intramolecular O-vinylation of carbonyl compounds

The first copper-catalyzed intramolecular O-vinylation of carbonyl compounds with vinyl bromides was reported, among which the efficient formation of 5-, 6- and even 7-membered cyclic alkenyl ethers was achieved with beta-ketoesters as nucleophiles.

Synthesis of enamines, enol ethers and related compounds by cross-coupling reactions

For several decades, enamines and related compounds have been used as intermediates in organic synthesis and many methods are known for their preparation. Most of the synthetic protocols, however, require harsh reaction conditions. Recently, a new approach has emerged, inspired by the analogous arylation of amines catalysed by palladium or copper complexes (Buchwald-Hartwig reaction). Simultaneous and independent work from several research groups has led to the development of very powerful protocols for the preparation of enamines and their derivatives that require only readily available starting materials and proceed under very mild reaction conditions. Noteworthy is the fact that in less than five years an almost unknown reaction has reached such a high level of scope and generality that it is now very frequently applied in total syntheses of natural products.

Copper-mediated synthesis of N-acyl vinylogous carbamic acids and derivatives: synthesis of the antibiotic CJ-15,801

[reaction: see text] Copper(I)-mediated C-N bond formation has been employed to prepare both N-acyl vinylogous carbamic acids and ureas. The novel N-acyl vinylogous carbamic acid antibiotic, CJ-15,801, was synthesized using this methodology.

Synthetic studies of roquefortine C: synthesis of isoroquefortine C and a heterocycle

The syntheses of isoroquefortine C and a related heterocycle were achieved by implementation of both intra- and intermolecular vinyl amidation reactions. These accomplishments represent a significant advance in the use of these strategies in the generation of complex molecules.

Total synthesis of TMC-95A and -B via a new reaction leading to Z-enamides. Some preliminary findings as to SAR

A full account of the total syntheses of proteasome inhibitors TMC-95A and -B is provided. A key feature of the syntheses involved installation of a cis-propenylamide moiety by a thermal rearrangement of an alpha-silylallyl amide. The scope and mechanism of the enamide-forming reaction are discussed. Also provided are some preliminary results from SAR studies. It was found that simplified analogues can retain the full potency of proteasome inhibition.

CuI/N,N-Dimethylglycine-Catalyzed Coupling of Vinyl Halides with Amides or Carbamates

The CuI-catalyzed coupling reaction of vinyl halides with amides or carbamates proceeds well at room temperature to 80 degrees C in dioxane to give enamides using N,N-dimethylglycine as the promoter and Cs(2)CO(3) as the base. The geometry of the C-C double bond is retained during the reaction course. [reaction: see text]

Highly functionalized organomagnesium reagents prepared through halogen-metal exchange

Organomagnesium reagents occupy a central position in synthetic organic and organometallic chemistry. Recently, the halogen-magnesium exchange has considerably extended the range of functionalized Grignard reagents available for synthetic purposes. Functional groups such as esters, nitriles, iodides, imines, or even nitro groups can be present in a wide range of aromatic and heterocyclic organomagnesium reagents. Also various highly functionalized alkenyl magnesium species can be prepared. These recent developments as well as new applications of organomagnesium reagents in cross-coupling reactions and amination reactions will be covered in this Review.

Total Synthesis of (−)-Apicularen A

Complete details of an asymmetric synthesis of apicularen (1) are described. The synthesis has been accomplished using a highly diastereo- and enantioselective [4 + 2] annulation for the assembly of the functionalized pyran core. An underdeveloped lactonization method involving an NaH promoted transesterification of an advanced intermediate bearing an aryl cyanomethyl ester was used for the macrolactonization step.