Pd/Pivalic Acid Mediated Direct Arylation of 2-Pyrones and Related Heterocycles

Rh(iii)-catalyzed highly site- and regio-selective alkenyl C-H activation/annulation of 4-amino-2-quinolones with alkynes via reversible alkyne insertion

3,4-Fused 2-quinolone frameworks are important structural motifs found in natural products and biologically active compounds. Intermolecular alkenyl C-H activation/annulation of 4-amino-2-quinolone substrates with alkynes is one of the most efficient methods for accessing such structural motifs. However, this is a formidable challenge because 4-amino-2-quinolones have two cleavable C-H bonds: an alkenyl C-H bond at the C3-position and an aromatic C-H bond at the C5-position. Herein, we report the Rh(iii)-catalyzed highly site-selective alkenyl C-H functionalization of 4-amino-2-quinolones to afford 3,4-fused 2-quinolones. This method has a wide substrate scope, including unsymmetrical internal alkynes, with complete regioselectivity. Several control experiments using an isolated key intermediate analog suggested that the annulation reaction proceeds via reversible alkyne insertion involving a binuclear Rh complex although alkyne insertion is generally recognized as an irreversible process due to the high activation barrier of the reverse process.

Synthesis, In Silico and In Vivo Toxicity Assessment of Functionalized Pyridophenanthridinones via Sequential MW-Assisted Intramolecular Friedel-Crafts Alkylation and Direct C-H Arylation

A rapid, efficient, and original synthesis of novel pyrido[3,2,1-de]phenanthridin-6-ones is reported. First, the key cinnamamide intermediates 8a-f were easily prepared from commercial substituted anilines, cinnamic acid, and 2-bromobenzylbromide in a tandem amidation and N-alkylation protocol. Then, these N-aryl-N-(2-bromobenzyl) cinnamamides 8a-f were subjected to a TFA-mediated intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation followed by a Pd-catalyzed direct C-H arylation to obtain a series of potentially bioactive 4-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-6H,8H-pyrido[3,2,1-de]phenanthridin-6-one derivatives 4a-f in good yields. Finally, the toxicological profile of the prepared final compounds, including their corresponding intermediates, was explored through in silico computational methods, while the acute toxicity toward zebrafish embryos (96 hpf-LC₅₀, 50% lethal concentration) was also determined in the present study.

Transition metal-catalyzed coupling of heterocyclic alkenes via C–H functionalization: recent trends and applications

Heterocyclic alkenes and their derivatives are an important class of reactive feedstock and valuable synthons. This review highlights the transition-metal-catalyzed coupling of heterocyclic alkenes via a C–H functionalization strategy.

Palladium-Catalysed Synthesis and Transformation of Quinolones

Palladium-catalysed reactions have had a large impact on synthetic organic chemistry and have found many applications in target-oriented synthesis. Their widespread use in organic synthesis is due to the mild conditions associated with the reactions together with their tolerance of a wide range of functional groups. Moreover, these types of reactions allow the rapid construction of complex molecules through multiple bond-forming reactions in a single step, the so-called tandem processes. Pd-catalysed reactions have been applied to the synthesis of a large number of natural products and bioactive compounds, some of them of complex molecular structures. This review article aims to present an overview of the most important Pd-catalysed reactions employed in the synthesis and transformations of quinolin-2(1H)-ones and quinolin-4(1H)-ones. These compounds are widely recognized by their diverse bioactivity, being privileged structures in medicinal chemistry and useful structural moieties for the development of new drug candidates. Furthermore, they hold significant interest due to their host⁻guest chemistry; applications in chemical, biochemical and environmental analyses and use in the development of new synthetic methods. In some cases, the quinolone formation step cannot be ascribed to a claimed Pd-catalysed reaction but this reaction is crucial to get the appropriate substrate for cyclization into the quinolone. Herein we present and discuss different economical, efficient and selective synthetic strategies to access quinolone-type compounds.

The vinylogous Catellani reaction: a combined computational and experimental study

In the presence of 5 mol% Pd(OAc)₂, 1 equiv. of norbornene, and K₂CO₃, the reaction of 4-iodo-2-quinolones with tertiary o-bromobenzylic alcohols produced the desired benzopyran-fused 2-quinolones in moderate to high yields.

In the presence of 5 mol% Pd(OAc)₂, 1 equiv. of norbornene, and K₂CO₃, the reaction of 4-iodo-2-quinolones with tertiary o-bromobenzylic alcohols produced the desired benzopyran-fused 2-quinolones in moderate to high yields. A Catellani-type mechanism involving vinylic C–H cleavage is proposed based on the results of control experiments and density functional theory calculations.

A Novel Non-Peptidic Agonist of the Ghrelin Receptor with Orexigenic Activity In vivo

Loss of appetite in the medically ill and ageing populations is a major health problem and a significant symptom in cachexia syndromes, which is the loss of muscle and fat mass. Ghrelin is a gut-derived hormone which can stimulate appetite. Herein we describe a novel, simple, non-peptidic, 2-pyridone which acts as a selective agonist for the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a). The small 2-pyridone demonstrated clear agonistic activity in both transfected human cells and mouse hypothalamic cells with endogenous GHS-R1a receptor expression. In vivo tests with the hit compound showed significant increased food intake following peripheral administration, which highlights the potent orexigenic effect of this novel GHS-R1a receptor ligand.

Palladium-catalyzed direct C–H arylation of ferrocenecarboxamides with aryl halides

A simple and facile protocol for palladium-catalyzed ortho-arylation of ferrocenecarboxamides with aryl halides was developed with the assistance of the bidentate directing group.

Palladium-catalyzed direct alkenylation of 4-hydroxy-2-pyridones

The first direct 3-alkenylation of N-substituted 4-hydroxy-2-pyridones with unactivated alkenes is reported through a palladium acetate catalyzed, oxidative coupling.