Growing Utilization of Radical Chemistry in the Synthesis of Pharmaceuticals

Our current unhealthy lifestyle and the exponential surge in the population getting affected by a variety of diseases have made pharmaceuticals or drugs an imperative part of life, making the development of innovative strategies for drug discovery or the introduction of refined, cost-effective and modern technologies for the synthesis of clinically used drugs, a need of the hour. Ever since their discovery, free radicals and radical cations or anions as reactive intermediates have captivated the chemists, resulting in an exceptional utilization of these moieties throughout the field of chemical synthesis, owing to their unprecedented and widespread reactivity. Sticking with the idea of not judging the book by its cover, despite the conventional thought process of radicals being unstable and difficult to control entities, scientists and academicians around the globe have done an appreciable amount of work utilizing both persistent as well as transient radicals for a variety of organic transformations, exemplifying them with the synthesis of significant biologically active pharmaceutical ingredients. This review truly accounts for the organic radical transformations including radical addition, radical cascade cyclization, radical/radical cross-coupling, coupling with metal-complexes and radical cations coupling with nucleophiles, that offers fascinating and unconventional approaches towards the construction of intricate structural frameworks of marketed APIs with high atom- and step-economy; complementing the otherwise employed traditional methods. This tutorial review presents a comprehensive package of diverse methods utilized for radical generation, featuring their reactivity to form critical bonds in pharmaceutical total synthesis or in building key starting materials or intermediates of their synthetic journey, acknowledging their excellence, downsides and underlying mechanisms, which are otherwise poorly highlighted in the literature. Despite great achievements over the past few decades in this area, many challenges and obstacles are yet to be unraveled to shorten the distance between the academics and the industry, which are all discussed in summary and outlook.

Acyl-Ethynylbenziodoxolone (acyl-EBX): Access to Ketene Dithioarylacetals

We report the synthesis of ketene dithioarylacetals in 40-97% yield using thiophenols and acyl-EBXs (ethynylbenziodoxolones) generated in situ from a common hypervalent iodine precursor and alkynyl trifluoroborate salts. The products could be further modified to afford functionalized ketene dithioacetals and various S-substituted heterocycles.

Recent Advances in Alkenyl sp2 C-H and C-F Bond Functionalizations: Scope, Mechanism, and Applications

Alkenes and their derivatives are featured widely in a variety of natural products, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials. Significant efforts have been made toward the development of new and practical methods to access this important class of compounds by selectively activating the alkenyl C(sp²)-H bonds in recent years. In this comprehensive review, we describe the state-of-the-art strategies for the direct functionalization of alkenyl sp² C-H and C-F bonds until June 2022. Moreover, metal-free, photoredox, and electrochemical strategies are also covered. For clarity, this review has been divided into two parts; the first part focuses on currently available alkenyl sp² C-H functionalization methods using different alkene derivatives as the starting materials, and the second part describes the alkenyl sp² C-F bond functionalization using easily accessible gem-difluoroalkenes as the starting material. This review includes the scope, limitations, mechanistic studies, stereoselective control (using directing groups as well as metal-migration strategies), and their applications to complex molecule synthesis where appropriate. Overall, this comprehensive review aims to document the considerable advancements, current status, and emerging work by critically summarizing the contributions of researchers working in this fascinating area and is expected to stimulate novel, innovative, and broadly applicable strategies for alkenyl sp² C-H and C-F bond functionalizations in the coming years.

Visible-Light-Induced Sulfur-Alkenylation of Alkenes

A visible-light-induced intermolecular sulfur-alkenylation of alkenes, including both activated and unactivated alkenes, is described. This sulfur-alkenylation reaction proceed in a highly regio- and stereospecific manner involving the visible-light-induced conversion of a ketene dithioacetal to the thiavinyl 1,3-dipole intermediate, followed by a formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition and C-S bond cleavage. Furthermore, it is also an efficient approach for the late-stage functionalization of natural products and complex molecules, even being induced by sunlight under ambient conditions.

Transition metal free, green and facile halogenation of ketene dithioacetals using a KX–oxidant system

A facile oxidative halogenation of α-oxo ketene dithioacetals is achieved by using a potassium halide and an oxidant combination under transition metal free conditions at ambient temperature.

Photoinduced C(sp2)-H/C(sp2)-H Cross-Coupling of Alkenes: Direct Synthesis of 1,3-Dienes

A highly concise route to substituted 1,3-dienes from vinylarenes and ketene dithioacetals under photoinduced cross-coupling reaction is described. The reaction proceeded in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner and showed broad functional group tolerance. More than 35 substituted 1,3-dienes were synthesized with good to excellent yields through the construction of the Csp²-Csp² bond without using noble metal and external oxidants, and natural sunlight could also induce the reaction to afford gram-scale synthesis under ambient conditions.

Copper-Catalyzed Alkylarylation of Unactivated Alkenes: Synthesis of 3-Alkyl Indolines from N-Allyl Anilines and Alkanes

A rare example of C(sp³ )-H functionalization of simple alkanes with unactivated alkenes is presented. In the presence of a copper salt and di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP), N-allyl anilines underwent exo-selective alkylation/cyclization cascade with unactivated alkenic bonds as radical acceptors and simple alkanes as radical precursors, providing a direct access to 3-alkyl indolines. The present protocol features simple operation, broad substrate scope and great exo selectivity.

Benzylarylation of N-Allyl Anilines: Synthesis of Benzylated Indolines

An unprecedented benzylic C-H functionalization of methyl arenes across unactivated alkenes is presented. In the presence of MnCl₂·4H₂O and di- tert-butyl peroxide, N-allyl anilines underwent benzylation/cyclization cascade to give benzylated indolines, which are a previously unmet synthetic goal. This protocol features simple operation, broad substrate scope, and great exo selectivity.

Metal free, facile sulfenylation of ketene dithioacetals catalyzed by an HBr–DMSO system

A transition metal free, efficient, sulfenylation of ketene dithioacetals catalyzed by an HBr–DMSO system is achieved. This strategy employs inexpensive and readily available HBr and DMSO to provide a direct C–H bond sulfenylation with a broad range of aryl thiols. This sulfenylated product is also transformed for the synthesis of pyrazole derivatives in excellent yield.

Oxidant-controlled divergent transformations of 3-aminoindazoles for the synthesis of pyrimido[1,2-b]-indazoles and aromatic nitrile-derived dithioacetals

An oxidant-controlled divergent reactivity of 3-aminoindazoles is presented, which enables the [3 + 3] annulation and C–H arylation of ketene dithioacetals in disparate pathways to assemble pyrimido[1,2-b]-indazoles and aromatic nitrile-derived dithioacetals.

Palladium-Catalyzed C-S Bond Cleavage with Allenoates: Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted 2-Alkenylfuran Derivatives

Palladium-catalyzed C-S cleavage of tetrasubstituted internal alkene α-oxo ketene dithioacetals was realized with allenoates as the coupling partners, efficiently affording tetrasubstituted 2-alkenylfuran derivatives with excellent regioselectivity under mild conditions. Allenoates acted as C1 synthons in the desulfurative [4 + 1] annulation.

Metal-Free Vinyl C-H Sulfenylation/Alkyl Thiolation of Ketene Dithioacetals for the Synthesis of Polythiolated Alkenes

The sulfenylation of the vinyl C-H bond in ketene dithioacetals leading to the synthesis of polythiolated alkenes is achieved via the promotion of molecular iodine. In addition, alkyl thiols also exhibit tolerance to the C-H bond elaboration reaction for the synthesis of corresponding alkylthiolated ketene dithioacetals.