The preparation of 2-iodoamides from glucals and their further transformations into oxazolines

Synthesis and Antiproliferative Evaluation of 2-Deoxy-N-glycosylbenzotriazoles/imidazoles

A series of 2-deoxy-2-iodo-α-d-mannopyranosylbenzotriazoles was synthesized using the benzyl, 4,6-benzylidene and acetyl protected D-glucal in the presence of N-iodosuccinimide (NIS). Subsequent removal of the iodine at the C-2 position using tributyltin hydride under free radical conditions afforded the 2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosylbenzotriazoles in moderate to high yields. This method was extended to the preparation of substituted 2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosylimidazoles as well. The stereoselectivity of the addition reaction and the effect of the protecting group and temperature on anomer distribution of the benzotriazole series were also investigated. The anticancer properties of the newly synthesized compounds were evaluated in a series of viability studies using HeLa (human cervical adenocarcinoma), human breast and lung cancer cell lines. The N-[3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl]-1H-benzotriazole and the N-[3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl]-2H-benzotriazole were found to be the most potent cancer cell inhibitors at 20 µM concentrations across all four cell lines.

Synthesis of D-fructose-derived spirocyclic 2-substituted-2-oxazoline ribosides

The TMSOTf-mediated synthesis of β-configured spirocyclic 2-substituted-2-oxazoline ribosides was achieved using a “Ritter-like” reaction in toluene through nucleophilic addition of electron-rich nitriles to the oxacarbenium ion intermediate of 1,2;3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-β-D-psicofuranose derivatives with concomitant intramolecular trapping of the C2 hydroxymethyl group on the electrophilic nitrilium carbon. These carbohydrate-derived spirooxazolines are stable and were obtained in good yield with high stereoselectivity due to the conformational rigidity imparted by the 3,4-isopropylidene group.

From glycals to aminosugars: a challenging test for new stereoselective aminohydroxylation and related methodologies

The most relevant methods to access 1-, 2-, 3-amino or 1,2-diaminosugars starting from unsaturated carbohydrates are concisely reviewed; the given examples illustrate the great challenges offered to several stereoselective strategies.

Utilization of N-X bonds in the synthesis of N-heterocycles

Nitrogen-containing heterocycles--such as aziridines, pyrrolidines, piperidines, and oxazolines--frequently show up as substructures in natural products. In addition, some of these species show potent biological activities. Therefore, researchers would like to develop practical and convenient methods for constructing these heterocycles. Among the available methods, the transfer of N(1) units to organic molecules, especially olefins, is a versatile method for the synthesis of N-heterocycles. This Account reviews some of our recent work on the synthesis of N-heterocycles using the N-X bond. A nitrogen-halogen bond bearing an electron-withdrawing group on the nitrogen can be converted to a halonium ion. In the presence of C-C double bonds, these species produce three-membered cyclic halonium intermediates, which can be strong electrophiles and can produce stereocontrolled products. N-Halosuccinimides are representative sources of halonium ions, and the nitrogen of succinimide is rarely used in organic synthesis. If the nitrogen could act as a nucleophile, after releasing halonium ions to C-C double bonds, we expect great advances would be possible in the stereoselective functionalization of olefins. We chose N-chloro-N-sodio-p-toluenesulfonamide (chloramine-T, CT), an inexpensive and commercially available reagent, as our desired reactant. In the presence of a catalytic amount of CuCl or I(2) and AgNO(3), we achieved the direct aziridination of olefins with CT. The reaction catalyzed by I(2) could be carried out in water or silica-water as a green process. The reaction of iodoolefins with CT gave pyrrolidine derivatives under extremely mild conditions with complete stereoselectivity. We also extended the utility of the N-chloro-N-metallo reagent, which is often unstable and difficult to work with. Although CT does not react with electron-deficient olefins without a metal catalyst or an additive, we found that N-chloro-N-sodiocarbamates react with electron-deficient olefins in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst to give the corresponding aziridines. We also used this method to synthesize asymmetric aziridines using quaternary cinchona alkaloid catalysts. We also developed a facile synthetic method for preparing N-heterocycles that involves the in situ generation of an N-X bond using tert-butyl hypochlorite or tert-butyl hypoiodite (tert-BuOI). Treatment of alkenylamides containing an active hydrogen on the nitrogen with tert-BuOI led to the production of various N-heterocycles via intramolecular cyclization. Iodination of readily available sulfonamides or carboxamides with tert-BuOI generated reactive N-iodinated amides, which smoothly reacted with olefins to give aziridines or oxazolines. The reaction of fullerene, C(60), with CT also led to aziridination: the resulting aziridinofullerene underwent a unique rearrangement to an azafulleroid. Chlorination of readily available amide derivatives with tert-BuOCl, followed by a reaction with C(60) in the presence of an organic base, afforded aziridinofullerenes with various substituents on the nitrogen. The results in this Account contribute to the development of convenient methods for constructing simple and useful heterocycles.

Synthesis of α- and β-Glycosyl Isothiocyanates via Oxazoline Intermediates

A practical synthesis of acylated glycosyl isothiocyanates from sugar oxazolines, by reaction with thiophosgene, is reported. In the absence of any additive, the reaction is governed by the reverse anomeric effect, leading to the equatorially oriented isothiocyanate. However, in the presence of copper(II) chloride, the reaction proceeds preferentially with retention of the configuration at the anomeric center, providing the axial anomer as the major product. Noteworthy, this strategy allows accessing per-O-acetylated glycopyranosyl isothiocyanates with 1,2-cis relative configuration (e.g., the alpha-anomer in the D-gluco and D-galacto series), a problem that was outside the scope of previous methodologies.