N-Fluoro Ammonium Salts of Cinchona Alkaloids in Enantioselective Electrophilic Fluorination

From 2000, our two research groups independently and simultaneously designed and developed a novel family of electrophilic fluorinating reagents based on the use of Cinchona alkaloids. The chiral N-fluoro ammonium salts demonstrated the highest efficiency compared to prior art in enantioselective electrophilic fluorination for a wide range of substrates. In this account, we tell our respective stories, how the same idea germinated in our laboratories, the characterization of the chiral reagents, the use in stoichiometric quantity then the development of a catalytic version, the application to the synthesis of chiral fluorinated molecules of pharmaceutical interest, and finally the exploitation of our reagents by other teams and for other applications.

Synthesis of New 2,3-Dihydroindole Derivatives and Evaluation of Their Melatonin Receptor Binding Affinity

2,3-Dihydroindoles are promising agents for the synthesis of new compounds with neuroprotective and antioxidant properties. Usually, these compounds are obtained by direct reduction of the corresponding indoles containing acceptor groups in the indole ring for its activation. In this work, we propose a synthetic strategy to obtain new 2,3-dihydroindole derivatives from the corresponding polyfunctional 2-oxindoles. Three methods were proposed for reduction of functional groups in the 2-oxindole and 2-chloroindole molecules using various boron hydrides. The possibility of chemoselective reduction of the nitrile group in the presence of an amide was shown. The proposed synthetic strategy can be used, for example, for the synthesis of new analogs of the endogenous hormone melatonin and other compounds with neuroprotective properties.

Electrochemical Umpolung C-H Functionalization of Oxindoles

Herein, we present a general electrochemical method to access unsymmetrical 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles by direct C–H functionalization where the oxindole fragment behaves as an electrophile. This Umpolung approach does not rely on stoichiometric oxidants and proceeds under mild, environmentally benign conditions. Importantly, it enables the functionalization of these scaffolds through C–O, and by extension to C–C or even C–N bond formation.

Synthesis of Fluorinated 3,6-Dihydropyridines and 2-(Fluoromethyl)pyridines by Electrophilic Fluorination of 1,2-Dihydropyridines with Selectfluor®

New fluorinated 3,6-dihydropyridines were obtained by the electrophilic fluorination of 1,2-dihydropyridines with Selectfluor®. These 3-fluoro-3,6-dihydropyridines were easily converted to corresponding pyridines by the elimination of hydrogen fluoride under mild conditions. A new approach to the synthesis of methyl 2-(fluoromethyl)-5-nitro-6-arylnicotinates by the fluorination of 3-fluoro-2-methyl-5-nitro-3,6-dihydropyridines or 1,2-dihydropyridines with Selectfluor® has been developed.