Versatile one-pot reductive alkylation of lactams/amides via amide activation: application to the concise syntheses of bioactive alkaloids (±)-bgugaine, (±)-coniine, (+)-preussin, and (-)-cassine

Total synthesis of (±)-3-demethoxyerythratidinone via Tf2O-promoted cascade reaction of enaminone

The tetracyclic rings with chiral quaternary center represent a formidable synthetic challenge for Erythrina alkaloids. We present a 6-step synthesis of the Erythrina alkaloid 3-demethoxyerythratidinone with a 16% overall yield. Our synthesis highlights a cascade reaction initiated by Tf2O-induced activation of an enaminone substrate, yielding an iminium species and an enol triflate, followed by a Pictet-Spengler reaction. This method efficiently constructs the tetracyclic core skeleton, featuring an N-substituted quaternary center. It exhibits versatility across diverse (hetero)arenes and enaminone structures, providing a general strategy for the rapid synthesis of fused or spiro ring systems including the core structure of homoerythrina alkaloids.

Reshuffle Bonds by Ball Milling: A Mechanochemical Protocol for Charge-Accelerated Aza-Claisen Rearrangements

This study presents the development of a mechanochemical protocol for a charge-accelerated aza-Claisen rearrangement. The protocol waives the use of commonly applied transition metals, ligands, or pyrophoric Lewis acids, e.g., AlMe₃. Based on (heterocyclic) tertiary allylamines and acyl chlorides, the desired tertiary amides were prepared in yields ranging from 17% to 84%. Moreover, the same protocol was applied for a Belluš-Claisen-type rearrangement resulting in the synthesis of a 9-membered lactam without further optimization.

Deoxygenative Cross-Coupling of Aromatic Amides with Polyfluoroarenes

Considering the ubiquitous nature and ready synthesis of amides, and the great significance of organofluorine-containing species, the cross-coupling of amides and polyfluoroarenes, leading to new carbon-carbon bond-forming methodologies, would find useful applications in synthesis, late-stage functionalization, and rapid generation of molecular diversity. Herein, we present a novel synthesis of α-polyfluoroaryl amines via Sm/SmI₂ -mediated deoxygenative cross-coupling of aromatic amides with polyfluoroarenes through direct C-H functionalization. The structural and functional diversity of these readily available precursors provides a versatile and flexible strategy for the streamlined synthesis of α-polyfluoroaryl amines. Combining experimental and theoretical studies, a novel plausible mechanism of the α-aminocarbene-mediated C-H insertion has been revealed, which may stimulate future work for the development of novel methods in amine synthesis.

Triflic Anhydride (Tf2O)-Activated Transformations of Amides, Sulfoxides and Phosphorus Oxides via Nucleophilic Trapping

Trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (Tf2O) is utilized as a strong electrophilic activator in a wide range of applications in synthetic organic chemistry, leading to the transient generation of a triflate intermediate. This versatile triflate intermediate undergoes nucleophilic trapping with diverse nucleophiles to yield novel compounds. In this review, we describe the features and applications of triflic anhydride in organic synthesis reported in the past decade, especially in amide, sulfoxide, and phosphorus oxide chemistry through electrophilic activation. A plausible mechanistic pathway for each important reaction is also discussed.

1 Introduction

2 Amide Chemistry

2.1 Carbon Nucleophiles

2.2 Hydrogen Nucleophiles

2.3 Nitrogen Nucleophiles

2.4 Oxygen and Sulfur Nucleophiles

2.5 hosphorus Nucleophiles

2.6 A Vilsmeier-Type Reagent

2.7 Umpolung Reactivity in Amides

3 Sulfoxide Chemistry

3.1 Oxygen Nucleophiles

3.2 Carbon Nucleophiles

3.3 Nitrogen Nucleophiles

3.4 Thionium Reagents

4 Phosphorus Chemistry

4.1 Hendrickson’s Reagent

4.2 Diaryl Phosphine Oxides

4.3 Phosphonates, Phosphates and Phosphinates

5 Conclusion and Outlook

Enantioselective total syntheses of marine natural products (+)-cylindricines C, D, E and their diastereomers

On the basis of the amide strategy, we have achieved the concise enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-cylindricines D, C, and E, and their 2-epimers in seven, eight, and nine steps, respectively.

Tandem Catalysis Enabled Highly Chemoselective Deoxygenative Alkynylation and Alkylation of Tertiary Amides: A Versatile Entry to Functionalized α-Substituted Amines

We report here the highly chemoseive catalytic reductive alkynylation and reductive alkylation of tertiary amides to give propargylamines and α-branched amines, respectively. The method features a tandem iridium (Vaska’s complex)-catalyzed...

Tf2O/TTBP (2,4,6-Tri-tert-butylpyrimidine): An Alternative Amide Activation System for the Direct Transformations of Both Tertiary and Secondary Amides

Ten types of Tf₂O/TTBP-mediated amide transformation reactions were investigated. The results showed that compared with pyridine derivatives 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylpyridine (DTBMP) and 2-fluoropyridine (2-F-Pyr.), TTBP can serve as an alternative amide activation system for the direct transformation of both secondary and tertiary amides. For most surveyed examples, higher or comparable yields were generally obtained. In addition, Tf₂O/TTBP combination was used to promote the condensation reactions of 2-(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)furan (TBSOF) with both tertiary and secondary amides, the one-pot reductive Bischler-Napieralski-type reaction of tertiary lactams, and Movassaghi and Hill's modern version of the Bischler-Napieralski reaction. The value of the Tf₂O/TTBP-based methodology was further demonstrated by the concise and high-yielding syntheses of several natural products.

Asymmetric Deoxygenative Alkynylation of Tertiary Amides Enabled by Iridium/Copper Bimetallic Relay Catalysis

A variety of inert tertiary amides have been successfully transformed into synthetically important chiral propargylamines in high yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities via a relayed sequence of Ir catalyzed partial reduction and Cu/GARPHOS catalyzed asymmetric alkynylation with terminal alkynes. The reaction was readily extended to some drug molecules and the transformations of representative products have been demonstrated, thus attesting the practical utilities and the robust nature of the protocol.

Chemoselektive γ-Oxidation von β,γ-ungesättigten Amiden mit TEMPO

Ein chemoselektives und robustes Protokoll zur γ‐Oxidation von β,γ‐ungesättigten Amiden wird dargelegt. Bei dieser Methode ermöglicht elektrophile Amidaktivierung eine bei ungesättigten Amiden bisher selten angewendete regioselektive Reaktion mit TEMPO, die zu γ‐aminoxylierten α,β‐ungesättigten Amiden führt. Radikalische Zyklisierungen und Oxidationen der synthetisierten Produkte untermauern die Nützlichkeit der hergestellten Verbindungen.

Merging Electron Transfer with 1,2-Metalate Rearrangement: Deoxygenative Arylation of Aromatic Amides with Arylboronic Esters

Amides are essentially inert carboxyl derivatives in many types of chemical transformations. In particular, deoxygenative C-C bond formation of amides to synthetically important amines is a long-standing challenge for synthetic chemists due to the inertness of the resonance-stabilized amide C=O bond. Herein, it is disclosed that by merging electron-transfer-induced activation with 1,2-metalate rearrangement, a wide range of aromatic amides react smoothly with arylboron reagents, affording a series of biologically relevant diarylmethylamines as deoxygenative C-C bond cross-coupling products. With its simplicity and versatility, this reaction shows great promise in the synthesis of amines from amides, which may open up new avenues in retrosynthetic planning and find widespread use in academia and industry.

Direct Synthesis of Enamides via Electrophilic Activation of Amides

A novel, one-step N-dehydrogenation of amides to enamides is reported. This reaction employs the unlikely combination of LiHMDS and triflic anhydride, which serves as both the electrophilic activator and the oxidant, and is characterized by its simple setup and broad substrate scope. The synthetic utility of the formed enamides was readily demonstrated in a range of downstream transformations.

Chemoselective γ-Oxidation of β,γ-Unsaturated Amides with TEMPO

A chemoselective and robust protocol for the γ‐oxidation of β,γ‐unsaturated amides is reported. In this method, electrophilic amide activation, in a rare application to unsaturated amides, enables a regioselective reaction with TEMPO resulting in the title products. Radical cyclisation reactions and oxidation of the synthesised products highlight the synthetic utility of the products obtained.

Tailored Synthesis of Skeletally Diverse Stemona Alkaloids through Chemoselective Dyotropic Rearrangements of β-Lactones

The collective synthesis of skeletally diverse Stemona alkaloids featuring tailored dyotropic rearrangements of β-lactones as key elements is described. Specifically, three typical 5/7/5 tricyclic skeletons associated with stemoamide, tuberostemospiroline and parvistemonine were first accessed through chemoselective dyotropic rearrangements of β-lactones involving alkyl, hydrogen, and aryl migration, respectively. By the rational manipulation of substrate structures and reaction conditions, these dyotropic rearrangements proceeded with excellent efficiency, good chemoselectivity and high stereospecificity. Furthermore, several polycyclic Stemona alkaloids, including saxorumamide, isosaxorumamide, stemonine and bisdehydroneostemoninine, were obtained from the aforementioned tricyclic skeletons through late-stage derivatizations. A novel visible-light photoredox-catalyzed formal [3+2] cycloaddition was also developed, which offers a valuable tool for accessing oxaspirobutenolide and related scaffolds.

Reductive Functionalization of Amides in Synthesis and for Modification of Bioactive Compounds

In this review, applications of the amide reductive functionalization methodology for the synthesis and modification of bioactive compounds are covered. A brief summary of the different protocols is presented in the introduction, followed by the synthetic application of these in late-stage functionalization, leading to known pharmaceuticals or to their derivatives, including bioisosteres, with potential higher activity as the main axis of the article. The synthetic approach to natural products based on amide reduction is also discussed; however, this is given in a condensed form focusing on recent or as yet unexplored applications due to a number of recently published excellent reviews covering this topic. The aim of this review is to illustrate the potential of reductive functionalization of amides as an elegant and useful tool in the synthesis of bioactive compounds and inspire further work in this field.

Chemoselective α-Sulfidation of Amides Using Sulfoxide Reagents

The direct α-sulfidation of tertiary amides using sulfoxide reagents under electrophilic amide activation conditions is described. Employing convenient and readily available reagents, selective functionalization takes place to generate isolable sulfonium ions en route to α-sulfide amides. Mechanistic studies identified activated sulfoxides as promoters of the desired transformation and enabled the extension of the methodology from benzylic to aliphatic amide substrates.

Asymmetric "Clip-Cycle" Synthesis of Pyrrolidines and Spiropyrrolidines

The development of an asymmetric "clip-cycle" synthesis of 2,2- and 3,3-disubstituted pyrrolidines and spiropyrrolidines, which are increasingly important scaffolds in drug discovery programs, is reported. Cbz-protected bis-homoallylic amines were activated by "clipping" them to thioacrylate via an alkene metathesis reaction. Enantioselective intramolecular aza-Michael cyclization onto the activated alkene, catalyzed by a chiral phosphoric acid, formed a pyrrolidine. The reaction accommodated a range of substitutions to form 2,2- and 3,3-disubstituted pyrrolidines and spiropyrrolidines with high enantioselectivities. The importance of the thioester activating group was demonstrated by comparison to ketone and oxoester-containing substrates. DFT studies supported the aza-Michael cyclization as the rate- and stereochemistry-determining step and correctly predicted the formation of the major enantiomer. The catalytic asymmetric syntheses of N-methylpyrrolidine alkaloids (R)-irnidine and (R)-bgugaine, which possess DNA binding and antibacterial properties, were achieved using the "clip-cycle" methodology.

Transition-Metal-Free Reductive Functionalization of Tertiary Carboxamides and Lactams for α-Branched Amine Synthesis

A new method for the synthesis of α-branched amines by reductive functionalization of tertiary carboxamides and lactams is described. The process relies on the efficient and controlled reduction of tertiary amides by a sodium hydride/sodium iodide composite, in situ treatment of the resulting anionic hemiaminal with trimethylsilyl chloride and subsequent coupling with nucleophilic reagents including Grignard reagents and tetrabutylammonium cyanide. The new method exhibits broad functional-group compatibility, operates under transition-metal-free reaction conditions, and is suitable for various synthetic applications on both sub-millimole and on multigram scales.

Chemodivergent transformations of amides using gem-diborylalkanes as pro-nucleophiles

Amides are versatile synthetic building blocks and their selective transformations into highly valuable functionalities are much desirable in the chemical world. However, the diverse structure and generally high stability of amides make their selective transformations challenging. Here we disclose a chemodivergent transformation of primary, secondary and tertiary amides by using 1,1-diborylalkanes as pro-nucleophiles. In general, selective B-O elimination occurs for primary, secondary amides and tertiary lactams to generate enamine intermediate, while tertiary amides undergo B-N elimination to generate enolate intermediate. Various in situ electrophilic trapping of those intermediates allows the chemoselective synthesis of α-functionalized ketones, β-aminoketones, enamides, β-ketoamides, γ-aminoketones, and cyclic amines from primary, secondary, tertiary amides and lactams. The key for these transformations is the enolization effect after the addition of α-boryl carbanion to amides.

Amides are versatile synthetic building blocks, however the general stability of the amide bond makes its selective transformation challenging. Here, the authors report a chemodivergent transformation of primary, secondary and tertiary amides by using 1,1-diborylalkanes as pro-nucleophiles.

Tf2O-Mediated Cyclization of α-Acyl-β-(2-aminopyridinyl)acrylamides: Access to N-Substituted 4H-Pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-imines

A facile and efficient direct synthesis of N-substituted 4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-imines is developed from α-acyl-β-(2-aminopyridinyl)acrylamides mediated by triflic anhydride (Tf₂O) in the presence of 2-chloropyridine. This amide activation protocol features mild reaction conditions, simple execution, excellent yields, and high chemoselectivity, and is also applied to the synthesis of substituted 4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones via a practical one-pot procedure.

Alkoxyallene-based syntheses of preussin and its analogs and their cytotoxicity

Short syntheses of oxa-preussin, racemic preussin and (-)-preussin are reported. Starting from a racemic 3-nonyl-substituted methoxyallene derivative, its lithiation and addition to phenylethanal provided the corresponding allenyl alcohol that was converted into two diastereomeric dihydrofuran derivatives by silver nitrate-catalyzed 5-endo-trig cyclization. The acid hydrolysis of the enol ether moiety gave heterocyclic ketones and subsequent highly stereoselective reductions with l-selectride furnished 2-benzyl-5-nonylfuran-3-ol derivatives in good overall yield. The major all-cis-diastereomer has the skeleton and relative configuration of preussin and is hence called oxa-preussin. An analogous sequence with the same allene, but an N-sulfonyl imine as the electrophile, finally led to racemic preussin. The stereoselectivities of the individual steps are discussed in detail. With an enantiopure 2-benzyl-5-nonylpyrrolidin-3-one intermediate the preparation of (-)-preussin with an enantiomeric ratio of >95 : 5 could be accomplished in a few steps. The sign of the optical rotation of this product finally proved the absolute configurations of its precursors and demonstrated that our chiral auxiliary-based route led to the antipode of the natural product. The cytotoxicity of several of the prepared heterocycles against MCF-7 tumor cells was investigated and five compounds, including racemic and enantiopure (-)-preussin, were identified as highly cytotoxic with IC50 values in the range of 3-6 μM.

Amide activation: an emerging tool for chemoselective synthesis

It is textbook knowledge that carboxamides benefit from increased stabilisation of the electrophilic carbonyl carbon when compared to other carbonyl and carboxyl derivatives. This results in a considerably reduced reactivity towards nucleophiles. Accordingly, a perception has been developed of amides as significantly less useful functional handles than their ester and acid chloride counterparts. However, a significant body of research on the selective activation of amides to achieve powerful transformations under mild conditions has emerged over the past decades. This review article aims at placing electrophilic amide activation in both a historical context and in that of natural product synthesis, highlighting the synthetic applications and the potential of this approach.

Rapid Generation of Molecular Complexity by Chemical Synthesis: Highly Efficient Total Synthesis of Hexacyclic Alkaloid (-)-Chaetominine and Its Biosynthetic Implications

The efficiency becomes a key issue in today's natural product total synthesis. While biomimetic synthesis is one of the most elegant strategies to achieve synthetic efficiency and thus to approach the ideal synthesis, most biogenetic pathways are unknown or unconfirmed. In this account, we demonstrate, through the shortest and also the most efficient asymmetric total syntheses of the hexacyclic alkaloid (-)-chaetominine to date, that on the basis of biogenetic thinking, one can develop quite efficient bio-inspired total synthesis, which in turn serves to suggest and chemically validate plausible biosynthetic routes for the natural product. The synthetic strategy thus developed is also inspiring for the development of other synthetic methods and efficient total synthesis of other natural products.

Total synthesis of complex alkaloids by nucleophilic addition to amides

This mini review focuses on the recent progress of total synthesis of complex alkaloids based on the nucleophilic additions toN-alkoxyamides, tertiary amides and secondary amides.

Recent advances on the total synthesis of alkaloids in mainland China

Alkaloids are a large family of natural products that mostly contain basic nitrogen atoms. Because of their intriguing structures and important functions, they have long been popular targets for synthetic organic chemists. China's chemists have made significant progress in the area of alkaloid synthesis over past decades. In this article, selected total syntheses of alkaloids from research groups in mainland China during the period 2011–16 are highlighted.

Stereoselective strategies for the construction of polysubstituted piperidinic compounds and their applications in natural products’ synthesis

An abridged and far-reaching review communication on the construction of the polysubstituted piperidinic core using diverse methodologies for the benefit of organic chemists interested in the total synthesis of biologically active compounds.

Evidence and isolation of tetrahedral intermediates formed upon the addition of lithium carbenoids to Weinreb amides and N-acylpyrroles

Trapping tetrahedral intermediates from Weinreb amides andN-acylpyrroles.

An efficient approach to trans-4-hydroxy-5-substituted 2-pyrrolidinones through a stereoselective tandem Barbier process: divergent syntheses of (3R,4S)-statines, (+)-preussin and (−)-hapalosin

Natural products of (+)-preussin and (−)-hapalosin have been asymmetrically synthesized through the stereoselective tandem Barbier process.

Direct synthesis of γ-pyrones by electrophilic condensation of β-ketoesters

Condensation of β-ketoesters into γ-pyrones mediated by triflic anhydride is presented. Mechanistic studies were performed to rationalize this transformation.

Chemoselective Schwartz Reagent Mediated Reduction of Isocyanates to Formamides

Addition of the in situ generated Schwartz reagent to widely available isocyanates constitutes a chemoselective, high-yielding, and versatile approach to the synthesis of variously functionalized formamides. Steric and electronic factors or the presence of sensitive functionalities (esters, nitro groups, nitriles, alkenes) do not compromise the potential of the method. Full preservation of the stereochemical information contained in the starting materials is observed. The use of formamides in the nucleophilic addition of organometallic reagents (Chida-Sato allylation, Charette-Huang addition to imidoyl triflate activated amides, Matteson homologation of boronic esters) is briefly investigated.

Making the Least Reactive Electrophile the First in Class: Domino Electrophilic Activation of Amides

The electrophilic activation of amides, especially by the action of trifluoromethanesulfonic (triflic) anhydride, enables the formation of highly electrophilic and reactive intermediates, lending themselves to diverse reaction pathways. This synopsis sets out to highlight recent advances in the field of amide activation, focused on the use of triflic anhydride, and the myriad of transformations that can ensue upon addition of several classes of electrophiles to the intermittently generated high energy intermediates.