Late-Stage Amination of Drug-Like Benzoic Acids: Access to Anilines and Drug Conjugates through Directed Iridium-Catalyzed C-H Activation

Late-stage modification of bioactive compounds: Improving druggability through efficient molecular editing

Synthetic chemistry plays an indispensable role in drug discovery, contributing to hit compounds identification, lead compounds optimization, candidate drugs preparation, and so on. As Nobel Prize laureate James Black emphasized, "the most fruitful basis for the discovery of a new drug is to start with an old drug"1. Late-stage modification or functionalization of drugs, natural products and bioactive compounds have garnered significant interest due to its ability to introduce diverse elements into bioactive compounds promptly. Such modifications alter the chemical space and physiochemical properties of these compounds, ultimately influencing their potency and druggability. To enrich a toolbox of chemical modification methods for drug discovery, this review focuses on the incorporation of halogen, oxygen, and nitrogen-the ubiquitous elements in pharmacophore components of the marketed drugs-through late-stage modification in recent two decades, and discusses the state and challenges faced in these fields. We also emphasize that increasing cooperation between chemists and pharmacists may be conducive to the rapid discovery of new activities of the functionalized molecules. Ultimately, we hope this review would serve as a valuable resource, facilitating the application of late-stage modification in the construction of novel molecules and inspiring innovative concepts for designing and building new drugs.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Aminocarbonylation with Isocyanates Through Weak Coordinating Groups

Introducing amide functional groups under mild conditions has growing importance owing to the prevalence of such moiety in biologically active molecules. Herein, we disclose a mild protocol for the directed ruthenium-catalyzed C-H aminocarbonylation with isocyanates as the amidating agents developed through high-throughput experimentation (HTE). The redox-neutral and base-free reaction is guided by weakly Lewis basic functional groups, including anilides, lactams and carbamates to access anthranilamide derivatives. The synthetic utility of this transformation is reflected by large-scale synthesis and late-stage functionalization.

Recent advances in metal directed C-H amidation/amination using sulfonyl azides and phosphoryl azides

Transition metal-catalyzed C-N bond formation reactions have gained popularity as a method for selectively transforming common C-H bonds into N-functionalized molecules. This approach is particularly useful for synthesizing aminated molecules, which require aminating reagents and amidated building blocks. Over the past two decades, significant advancements have been achieved in transition-metal-catalyzed C-H functionalization, with organic azides emerging as promising amino sources and internal oxidants. This review focuses on recent developments in utilizing sulfonyl and phosphoryl azides as building blocks for directed intra- and intermolecular C-H functionalization reactions. Specifically, it discusses methods for synthesizing sulfonamidates and phosphoramidates using sulfonyl and phosphoryl azides, respectively. The article highlights the potential of C-H functionalization reactions with organic azides for efficiently and sustainably synthesizing N-functionalized molecules, providing valuable insights into the latest advancements in this field.

Merging Directed C-H Activations with High-Throughput Experimentation: Development of Iridium-Catalyzed C-H Aminations Applicable to Late-Stage Functionalization

Herein, we report an iridium-catalyzed directed C-H amination methodology developed using a high-throughput experimentation (HTE)-based strategy, applicable for the needs of automated modern drug discovery. The informer library approach for investigating the accessible directing group chemical space, in combination with functional group tolerance screening and substrate scope investigations, allowed for the generation of reaction application guidelines to aid future users. Applicability to late-stage functionalization of complex drugs and natural products, in combination with multiple deprotection protocols leading to the desirable aniline matched pairs, serve to demonstrate the utility of the method for drug discovery. Finally, reaction miniaturization to a nanomolar range highlights the opportunities for more sustainable screening with decreased material consumption.

Transition metal catalysed direct sulfanylation of unreactive C-H bonds: an overview of the last two decades

Transition metal catalysed direct sulfanylations of unreactive C-H bonds have become a unique and straightforward synthetic strategy in late-stage C-S bond formation of relevant complex molecules. Such transformations have represented...