Sequential Ugi/Heck cyclization strategies for the facile construction of highly functionalized N -heterocyclic scaffolds

Microwave-Assisted Post-Ugi Reactions for the Synthesis of Polycycles

Microwave irradiation and post-Ugi reactions own their respective advantages in comparison with other strategies. The combination of microwave irradiation and post-Ugi reactions shows paramount importance in the construction of polycycles. This minireview outlines the recent developments of microwave-assisted post-Ugi reactions for the synthesis of polycycles. Through transition metal-catalyzed or transition metal-free transformations, diverse polycycles are prepared in an efficient, rapid, and step-economical manner.

Fluorescent annulated imidazo[4,5-c]isoquinolines via a GBB-3CR/imidoylation sequence - DNA-interactions in pUC-19 gel electrophoresis mobility shift assay

Herein we report the development of a sequential synthesis route towards annulated imidazo[4,5-c]isoquinolines comprising a GBB-3CR, followed by an intramolecular imidoylative cyclisation. X-Ray crystallography revealed a flat 3D structure of the obtained polyheterocycles. Thus, we evaluated their interactions with double-stranded DNA by establishing a pUC-19 plasmid-based gel electrophoresis mobility shift assay, revealing a stabilising effect on ds-DNA against strand-break inducing conditions.

Synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyrazolo[4,3-b]indoles via intramolecular C(sp2)-N bond formation involving nitrene insertion, DFT study and their anticancer assessment

We herein report a new synthetic route for a series of unreported 1,4-dihydropyrazolo[4,3-b]indoles (6-8) via deoxygenation of o-nitrophenyl-substituted N-aryl pyrazoles and subsequent intramolecular (sp²)-N bond formation under microwave irradiation expedite modified Cadogan condition. This method allows access to NH-free as well as N-substituted fused indoles. DFT study and controlled experiments highlighted the role of nitrene insertion as one of the plausible reaction mechanisms. Furthermore, the target compounds exhibited cytotoxicity at low micromolar concentration against lung (A549), colon (HCT-116), and breast (MDA-MB-231, and MCF-7) cancer cell lines, induced the ROS generation and altered the mitochondrial membrane potential of highly aggressive MDA-MB-231 cells. Further investigations revealed that these compounds were selective Topo I (6h) or Topo II (7a, 7b) inhibitors.

Synthesis of Spiro-β-lactam-pyrroloquinolines as Fused Heterocyclic Scaffolds through Post-transformation Reactions

A sequential post-transformation of Ugi four-component reaction/nucleophilic substitution was developed for the synthesis of spiro-β-lactam-pyrroloquinolines. This method involves the Ugi-4CR of 2-chloro-3-formyl quinolines 1a-h, amines 2a-d, 2-chloroacetic acid 3, and isocyanides 4a, 4b for the synthesis of versatile precursors 5a-v. The Ugi adducts were intramolecularly cyclized under basic conditions through the sequential nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr)/second-order nucleophilic substitution (S_N2) reaction to give spiro-β-lactam-pyrroloquinoline scaffolds 6a-t. This approach is an efficient method for the synthesis of fused bioactive heterocyclic backbones containing quinoline, pyrrolidone, and β-lactam with high bond-forming efficiency.

Synthesis of Lactams via Isocyanide-Based Multicomponent Reactions

Lactams are very important heterocycles as a result of their presence in a wide range of bioactive molecules, natural products and drugs, and also due their utility as versatile synthetic intermediates. Due to these reasons, numerous efforts have focused on the development of effective and efficient methods for their synthesis. Compared to conventional two-component reactions, multicomponent reactions (MCRs), particularly isocyanide-based MCRs, are widely used for the synthesis of a range of small heterocycles including lactam analogues. Despite their numerous applications in almost every field of chemistry, as yet there is no dedicated review on isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions (IMCRs) concerning the synthesis of lactams. Therefore, this review presents strategies towards the synthesis of α-, β-, γ-, δ- and ε-lactams using IMCRs or IMCRs/post-transformation reactions reported in the literature between 2000 and 2020.

1 Introduction

2 Developments in Lactam Synthesis

2.1 α-Lactams

2.2 β-Lactams

2.3 γ-Lactams

2.3.1 General γ-Lactams

2.3.2 Benzo-Fused γ-Lactams

2.3.3 Spiro γ-Lactams

2.3.4 α,β-Unsaturated γ-Lactams

2.3.5 Polycyclic Fused γ-Lactams

2.4 δ-Lactams

2.5 ε-Lactams

3 Conclusions

α-Amino Acids as Synthons in the Ugi-5-Centers-4-Components Reaction: Chemistry and Applications

Since the first reports, the Ugi four-component reaction (U-4CR) has been recognized as a keystone transformation enabling the synthesis of peptide mimetics in a single step and with high atom economy. In recent decades, the U-4CR has been a source of inspiration for many chemists fascinated by the possibility of identifying new efficient organic reactions by simply changing one of the components or by coupling in tandem the multicomponent process with a huge variety of organic transformations. Herein we review the synthetic potentialities, the boundaries, and the applications of the U-4CR involving α-amino acids, where the presence of two functional groups—the amino and the carboxylic acids—allowed a 5-center 4-component Ugi-like reaction, a powerful tool to gain access to drug-like multi-functionalized scaffolds.

Metal-mediated post-Ugi transformations for the construction of diverse heterocyclic scaffolds

The Ugi-4CR is by far one of the most successful multicomponent reactions leading to high structural diversity and molecular complexity. However, the reaction mostly affords a linear peptide backbone, enabling post-Ugi transformations as the only solution to rigidify the Ugi-adduct into more drug like species. Not surprisingly, the development of these transformations, leading to new structural frameworks, has expanded rapidly over the last few years. As expected, palladium-catalyzed reactions have received the foremost attention, yet other metals, particularly gold complexes, are fast catching up. This tutorial review outlines the developments achieved in the past decade, highlighting the modifications that are performed in a sequential or domino fashion with emphasis on major concepts, synthetic applications of the derived products as well as mechanistic aspects.

Diversity-oriented reconstruction of primitive diketopiperazine-fused tetrahydro-β-carboline ring systems via Pictet–Spengler/Ugi-4CR/deprotection-cyclization reactions

An expedient construction of tetrahydro-β-carbolinediketopiperazine ring systems, which are present in various indole alkaloids, is documented.

Diversity-oriented synthesis of intensively blue emissive 3-hydroxyisoquinolines by sequential Ugi four-component reaction/reductive Heck cyclization

A convergent approach to highly functionalized 3-hydroxyisoquinolines is reported. The key steps are an Ugi multicomponent reaction and a subsequent intramolecular reductive Heck reaction; these can also be performed as a one-pot procedure. The structures display very interesting properties as blue-fluorescence emitters. Photophysical studies on the absorption and static fluorescence indicate that the substitution pattern on the pyridyl part influences the optical properties only to a minor extent, unless the amide substituent becomes sterically demanding and leads to significant nonradiative deactivation. The donor substitution on the benzo core considerably enhances the fluorescence quantum yields and trimethoxy substitution causes a pronounced redshift of the emission bands. Protonation of the isoquinolyl nitrogen atom causes efficient static quenching of the fluorescence.

Rapid generation of privileged substructure-based compound libraries with structural diversity and drug-likeness

A library of privileged-substructure-based, heterocyclic compounds was constructed by a sequence of Ugi four-component reactions incorporating the indole motif and microwave-assisted cyclizations in branched pathways. Cheminformatic analysis confirmed that the library exhibited a high degree of structural diversity and good drug-likeness.

Construction of functionalized tricyclic dihydropyrazino-quinazolinedione chemotypes via an Ugi/N-acyliminium ion cyclization cascade

Dihydropyrazino-quinazolinedione chemotypes are complex and structurally challenging structures of biological interest, being found in the marine alkaloids such as brevianamide M-N and fumiquinazolines A-C. Herein we report the synthesis of this tricyclic system in three synthetic operations by means of an Ugi multi-component reaction (MCR) followed by a tandem N-acyliminium ion cyclization-intramolecular nucleophilic addition reaction sequence. Additional structural diversification for further library enrichment was also accomplished via sequential N-alkylation and N-acylation/sulfonation.

Skeletal diverse synthesis of N-fused polycyclic heterocycles via the sequence of Ugi-type MCR and CuI-catalyzed coupling/tandem Pictet-Spengler reaction

Several diversity-oriented syntheses of N-fused polycyclic heterocycles have been demonstrated but most of them are based on point diversity within the same library and usually involve time-consuming sequential multistep syntheses, which also suffer from low yields and/or poor precursor scopes. We have developed a new strategy for the syntheses of skeletal diverse N-fused polycyclic compounds via an Ugi-type MCR followed by a CuI-catalyzed coupling reaction or tandem Pictet-Spengler reaction. This two-step sequence provides eight distinct skeleton of fused {6-5-5-6}, {5-5-5-6}, {6-5-6-6}, and {5-5-6-6} ring systems that have applications in medicinal chemistry and chemical genetics too.

On the industrial applications of MCRs: molecular diversity in drug discovery and generic drug synthesis

During the last decades, multicomponent chemistry has gained much attention in pharmaceutical research, especially in the context of lead finding and optimization. Here, in particular, the main advantages of multicomponent reactions (MCRs) like ease of automation and high diversity generation were utilized. In consequence of these beneficial properties, a plethora of new MCRs combined with appropriate classical reaction sequences have been published, the accessible chemical space was extended steadily. In the meantime, the desired high diversity became a challenge itself, because by now the systematic use of this huge and unmanageable space for drug discovery was limited by the lack of suitable computational tools. Therefore, this article provides an insight for the rational use of this enormous chemical space in drug discovery and generic drug synthesis. In this context, a short overview of the applied chemo informatics, necessary for the virtual screening of the biggest available chemical space, is given. Furthermore, some examples for recently developed multicomponent sequences are presented.

Applications of multicomponent reactions to the synthesis of diverse heterocyclic scaffolds

The sequencing of multicomponent reactions (MCRs) and subsequent cyclization reactions is a powerful stratagem for the rapid synthesis of diverse heterocyclic scaffolds. The optimal MCR is sufficiently flexible that it can be employed to generate adducts bearing a variety of functional groups that may then be selectively paired to enable different cyclization manifolds, thereby leading to a diverse collection of products. The growing interest in diversity-oriented synthesis has led to increased attention to this paradigm for library synthesis, which has inspired many advances in the design and implementation of MCRs for the construction of diverse heterocyclic scaffolds.

Concise construction of novel bridged bicyclic lactams by sequenced Ugi/RCM/Heck reactions

Herein we report a concise protocol for the diastereoselective synthesis of novel bridged bicyclic lactams from commercially available components by the sequence of Ugi, ring-closing metathesis (RCM), and Heck reactions. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the bicyclic products contain varying degrees of pyramidalization of the bridgehead nitrogen atom.

Topography-biased compound library design: the shape of things to come?

The design and synthesis of quality compound libraries is of critical importance to any pharmaceutical company that relies on high throughput screening efforts for the identification of lead compounds. In this perspective, we use a moment of inertia derived shape analysis to interrogate potential libraries for chemical synthesis. An analysis of known 'Rule of Five' compliant drug shapes using this methodology clearly highlights compound libraries that may be reasonably expected, shape wise, to interact with biologically relevant protein active site topography and those that, although being structurally diverse in shape, have little chance of being pharmacologically productive. The use of multicomponent reactions as a means of producing structurally novel, bioactive compounds in a synthetically expeditious manner is also highlighted.

Applications of Multicomponent Reactions for the Synthesis of Diverse Heterocyclic Scaffolds

A four-component coupling process involving sequential reactions of aldehydes, primary amines, acid chlorides, and nucleophiles has been developed to prepare multifunctional substrates that may be employed in subsequent ring-forming reactions to generate a diverse array of functionalized heterocyclic scaffolds. This new approach to diversity-oriented synthesis was then applied to the first total synthesis of the isopavine alkaloid (+/-)-roelactamine.

Rapid access to oxindoles by the combined use of an Ugi four-component reaction and a microwave-assisted intramolecular Buchwald-Hartwig amidation reaction

A two-step sequence involving an Ugi four-component reaction (Ugi-4CR) and a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular amidation of aryl iodide has been developed for rapid access to functionalized oxindole (1). Microwave heating was used to accelerate and to improve the efficiency of the intramolecular Buchwald-Hartwig reaction.

Synthesis of novel and uniquely shaped 3-azabicyclo[4.2.0]octan-4-one derivatives by sequential Ugi/[2+2] ene-enone photocycloadditions

[structure: see text]. We report a new methodology for the construction of novel and uniquely shaped 3-azabicyclo[4.2.0]octan-4-one derivatives by combining the Ugi multicomponent reaction with [2+2] enone-olefin photochemical transformations. The overall sequence is capable of creating up to five stereocenters; however, in most cases, only two diastereomers are observed.

Synthesis of fused bicyclic imidazoles by sequential van Leusen/ring-closing metathesis reactions

[reaction: see text]. A new strategy employing the van Leusen three-component reaction and the ring-closing metathesis reaction in a sequential fashion to access fused bicyclic imidazole rings is reported. The two-step sequence generated compounds of significant molecular complexity from simple starting materials in an expedient fashion with excellent yields.