Organoindium Reagents: The Preparation and Application in Organic Synthesis

One-pot functionalisation of N-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines by photooxidation and tunable organometallic trapping of iminium intermediates

Nucleophilic trapping of iminium salts generated via oxidative functionalisation of tertiary amines is well established with stabilised carbon nucleophiles. The few reports of organometallic additions have limited scope of substrate and organometallic nucleophile. We report a novel, one-pot methodology that functionalises N-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines by visible light-assisted photooxidation, followed by trapping of the resultant iminium ions with organometallic nucleophiles. This affords 1,2-disubstituted tetrahydroisoquinolines in moderate to excellent yields.

Indium-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation of aryl propargyl ethers

Indium(iii) halides are efficient and selective catalysts for the intramolecular hydroarylation of aryl propargyl ethers.

Indium-catalyzed C(sp3)–H functionalization of 2-methylazaarenes through direct benzylic addition to trifluoromethyl ketones

The application of InCl₃ for the catalytic C(sp³)–H functionalization of 2-methylazaarenes leading to trifluoromethylated alcohols in up to 99% yield.

Copper-catalysed cross-coupling: an untapped potential

Copper is emerging as a viable catalytic metal for cross-coupling reactions to construct carbon–carbon (C–C) bonds.

Preparation of indium nitronates and their Henry reactions

Indium nitronates were readily prepared from commercially available nitroalkanes by transmetallation of the corresponding lithium nitronates with indium salts. The Henry reaction of this indium organometallics with aldehydes afforded β-nitroalkanols in moderate to high yields. The use of chiral sugar aldehydes furnished the corresponding carbohydrate-derived β-nitroalkanols with excellent stereoselectivity.

Axinellamines as broad-spectrum antibacterial agents: scalable synthesis and biology

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria present an ongoing challenge to both chemists and biologists as they seek novel compounds and modes of action to out-maneuver continually evolving resistance pathways, especially against Gram-negative strains. The dimeric pyrrole-imidazole alkaloids represent a unique marine natural product class with diverse primary biological activity and chemical architecture. This full account traces the strategy used to develop a second-generation route to key spirocycle 9, culminating in a practical synthesis of the axinellamines and enabling their discovery as broad-spectrum antibacterial agents, with promising activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. While their detailed mode of antibacterial action remains unclear, the axinellamines appear to cause secondary membrane destabilization and impart an aberrant cellular morphology consistent with the inhibition of normal septum formation. This study serves as a rare example of a natural product initially reported to be devoid of biological activity surfacing as an active antibacterial agent with an intriguing mode of action.

The Barbier-Grignard-type arylation of aldehydes using unactivated aryl iodides in water

Carbon-carbon bond formation is the essence of organic synthesis. One of the most important methods for forming carbon-carbon bonds is the Barbier-Grignard-type reaction, which was discovered over a century ago. However, it is still highly desirable to further improve this process. In this article, we describe a Barbier-Grignard-type direct arylation of aldehydes by using unactivated iodides mediated by zinc and catalysed by rhodium in water. This method bypasses a number of challenges encountered by the conventional Barbier-Grignard reaction, such as strict exclusion of moisture and air, protection-deprotection of various acidic hydrogens in the substrates, and so forth. It thereby creates a safer, more convenient and more environmentally benign strategy to access the diarylmethanols and aryl alkyl alcohols, ubiquitous skeletons found in fine chemicals, biologically active molecules and pharmaceuticals. Importantly, the same reaction performed in an organic solvent proceeded sluggishly to give much inferior yields.

Solvent-free and catalysts-free chemistry: a benign pathway to sustainability

In the past decade, alternative benign organic methodologies have become an imperative part of organic syntheses and chemical reactions. The various new and innovative sustainable organic reactions and methodologies using no solvents or catalysts and employing alternative energy inputs such as microwaves, sonication, conventional and room temperature heating conditions, mechanochemical mixing, and high-speed ball milling are discussed in detail. Environmentally benign and pharmaceutically important reactions such as multicomponent, condensation, and Michael addition reactions; ring opening of epoxides; and oxidation and other significant organic reactions are discussed. An overview of benign reactions through solvent- and catalyst-free (SF-CF) chemistry and a critical perspective on emerging synergies between SF-CF organic reactions are discussed.

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of doxycycline neoglycosides

A set of 37 doxycycline neoglycosides were prepared, mediated via a C-9 alkoxyamino-glycyl-based spacer reminiscent of that of tigecycline. Subsequent in vitro antibacterial assays against representative drug-resistant Gram negative and Gram positive strains revealed a sugar-dependent activity profile and one doxycycline neoglycoside, the 2'-amino-α-D-glucoside conjugate, to rival that of the parent pharmacophore. In contrast, the representative tetracycline-susceptible strain E. coli 25922 was found to be relatively responsive to a range of doxycycline neoglycosides. This study also extends the use of aminosugars in the context of neoglycosylation via a simple two-step strategy anticipated to be broadly applicable for neoglycorandomization.

Selective formation of adjacent stereocenters by allylboration of ketones under mild neutral conditions

Allylboronic acids readily react with a broad variety of ketones, affording homoallylic alcohols with adjacent quaternary and tertiary stereocenters. The reaction proceeds with very high anti stereoselectivity even if the substituents of the keto group have a similar size. α-Keto acids react with syn stereoselectivity probably due to the formation of acyl boronate intermediates. The allylation reactions proceed without added acids/bases under mild conditions. Because of this, many functionalities are tolerated even with in situ generated allylboronic acids.

D-Glucosamine-derived synthons for assembly of L-threo-sphingoid bases. Total synthesis of rhizochalinin C

A five-step transformation of D-glucosamine, commencing with indium-mediated Barbier reaction without isolation of intermediates, into (R,R)-2-aminohex-5-ene-1,3-diol in 45-51% is described. The latter is a useful synthon for assembly of L-threo-sphingoid bases: long-chain aminoalkanols and aminoalkanediols with configurations antipodal to that found in mammalian D-erythro-sphingosine but prevalent among invertebrate-derived sphingolipids. The utility of the method is demonstrated by the first total synthesis of rhizochalinin C, the long-chain, "two-headed" sphingoid base aglycon of the natural product rhizochalin C from the marine sponge Rhizochalina incrustata.