Protocol for Stereoselective Construction of Highly Functionalized Dienyl Sulfonyl Fluoride Warheads

Chemoselective Reactions of Functionalized Sulfonyl Halides

Chemoselective transformations of functionalized sulfonyl fluorides and chlorides are surveyed comprehensively. It is shown that sulfonyl fluorides provide an excellent selectivity control in their reactions. Thus, numerous conditions are tolerated by the SO2 F group - from amide and ester formation to directed ortho-lithiation and transition-metal-catalyzed cross-couplings. Meanwhile, sulfur (VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) is also compatible with numerous functional groups, thus confirming its title of "another click reaction". On the contrary, with a few exceptions, most transformations of functionalized sulfonyl chlorides typically occur at the SO2 Cl moiety.

Green Synthesis of Electrophilic Alkenes Using a Magnesium Catalyst under Aqueous Conditions and Mechanistic Insights by Density Functional Theory

A green approach for the synthesis of electrophilic alkenes has been developed via Knoevenagel condensation between active methylene compounds and carbonyl compounds using Mg powder under aqueous conditions. In this strategy, Mg(OH)2 acts as a catalyst, which was generated in situ by the reaction between metallic Mg (20 mol %) and water. Mg was found to be an efficient, nontoxic, and inexpensive metal catalyst system for producing a range of electrophilic alkenes in excellent yields (≤98%). A gram-scale synthesis of electrophilic alkenes has been developed, and Mg metal was recovered and recycled up to three times without an appreciable loss of catalytic activity. A catalytic cycle was proposed, and the reaction mechanism was investigated using density functional theory. The key steps are enolization of ethyl cyanoacetate, C-C bond formation, and then regeneration of the catalyst via metathesis with H2O. The overall reaction occurs easily with a maximum ΔG°⧧ value of 7.9 kcal/mol for the rate-determining C-C bond formation step. Our protocol has several advantages and can be further extended to one-pot sequential Knoevenagel condensation and Michael addition, and one-pot sequential Knoevenagel condensation and chemoselective reduction can be used for the synthesis of valuable precursors of pharmaceutical products under green and aqueous conditions.

Discovery of (E)-2-Methoxyethene-1-sulfonyl Fluoride for the Construction of Enaminyl Sulfonyl Fluoride

A new sulfonyl fluoride reagent (E)-2-methoxyethene-1-sulfonyl fluoride (MeO-ESF) was developed and successfully applied for the construction of enaminyl sulfonyl fluoride (N-ESF). This protocol provides highly atom-economical access to diverse N-ESF and produces CH₃OH as the sole byproduct under mild and environmentally benign conditions.

A reductive dehalogenative process for chemo- and stereoselective synthesis of 1,3-dienylsulfonyl fluorides

A method for the mild and efficient synthesis of 1,3-dienylsulfonyl fluorides was developed via dehalogenation of α-halo-1,3-dienylsulfonyl fluorides in the presence of zinc powder and acetic acid, achieving exclusive chemo- and stereoselectivities. This protocol was successfully applied to the synthesis of heterocyclic dienylsulfonyl fluorides and polyene sulfonyl fluoride.

Olefination with Sulfonyl Halides and Esters: Synthesis of Unsaturated Sulfonyl Fluorides

Methanedisulfonyl fluoride, CH₂(SO₂F)₂, transforms aromatic aldehydes into β-arylethenesulfonyl fluorides, useful substrates for the SuFEx “click”-type transformations. The reaction mimics mechanism of the Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons olefination, which runs via addition of the carbanion, followed by cyclization–fragmentation of the four-membered ring intermediate. In the absence of base, electron-rich aldehydes follow an alternative pathway of the Knoevenagel condensation to provide unsaturated 1,1-disulfonyl fluorides. We demonstrate also trapping of elusive ethene-1,1-disulfonyl fluoride, CH₂=C(SO₂F)₂, with 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) that forms zwitterionic adduct, characterized with X-ray studies.

Regio- and Stereoselective Installation of Bromide onto Vinyl Sulfonyl Fluorides: Construction of a Class of Versatile Sulfur Fluoride Exchange Hubs

A convenient protocol for the exclusively regio- and stereoselective installation of a bromine atom on the 2-arylvinylsulfonyl fluorides using lithium bromide (LiBr) as the bromine source was described, providing (Z)-1-bromo-2-arylethene-1-sulfonyl fluorides (Z-BASF) with versatile reactive handles (bromide, vinyl, and sulfonyl fluoride) in ≤88% yield. Meanwhile, Z-BASF molecules displayed various reactivities in a series of chemical transformations.

Sulfonyl fluorides as targets and substrates in the development of new synthetic methods

The advent of sulfur(VI)-fluoride exchange (SuFEx) processes as transformations with click-like reactivity has invigorated research into electrophilic species featuring a sulfur-fluorine bond. Among these, sulfonyl fluorides have emerged as the workhorse functional group, with diverse applications being reported. Sulfonyl fluorides are used as electrophilic warheads by both medicinal chemists and chemical biologists. The balance of reactivity and stability that is so attractive for these applications, particularly the resistance of sulfonyl fluorides to hydrolysis under physiological conditions, has provided opportunities for synthetic chemists. New synthetic approaches that start with sulfur-containing substrates include the activation of sulfonamides using pyrilium salts, the deoxygenation of sulfonic acids, and the electrochemical oxidation of thiols. Employing non-sulfur-containing substrates has led to the development of transition-metal-catalysed processes based on palladium, copper and nickel, as well as the use of SO₂F₂ gas as an electrophilic hub. Selectively manipulating molecules that already contain a sulfonyl fluoride group has also proved to be a popular tactic, with metal-catalysed processes again at the fore. Finally, coaxing sulfonyl fluorides to engage with nucleophiles, when required, and under suitable reaction conditions, has led to new activation methods. This Review provides an overview of the challenges in the efficient synthesis and manipulation of these intriguing functional groups.

Structure-activity relationship, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of novel dienyl sulphonyl fluorides as selective BuChE inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

To discover novel scaffolds as leads against dementia, a series of δ-aryl-1,3-dienesulfonyl fluorides with α-halo, α-aryl and α-alkynyl were assayed for ChE inhibitory activity, in which compound A10 was identified as a selective BuChE inhibitor (IC50 = 0.021 μM for eqBChE, 3.62 μM for hBuChE). SAR of BuChE inhibition showed: (i) o- > m- > p-; -OCH3 > -CH3 > -Cl (-Br) for δ-aryl; (ii) α-Br > α-Cl, α-I. Compound A10 exhibited neuroprotective, BBB penetration, mixed competitive inhibitory effect on BuChE (Ki = 29 nM), and benign neural and hepatic safety. Treatment with A10 could almost entirely recover the Aβ1-42-induced cognitive dysfunction to the normal level, and the assessment of total amount of Aβ1-42 confirmed its anti-amyloidogenic profile. Therefore, the potential BuChE inhibitor A10 is a promising effective lead for the treatment of AD.

Introducing A New Class of Sulfonyl Fluoride Hubs via Radical Chloro-Fluorosulfonylation of Alkynes

Sulfonyl fluorides have widespread applications in many important fields, including ligation chemistry, chemical biology, and drug discovery. Therefore, new methods to increase the synthetic efficiency and expand the available structures of sulfonyl fluorides are highly in demand. Here, we introduce a new and powerful class of sulfonyl fluoride hubs, β-chloro alkenylsulfonyl fluorides (BCASF), which can be constructed via radical chloro-fluorosulfonyl difunctionalization of alkynes under photoredox conditions. BCASF molecules exhibit versatile reactivities and well undergo a series of transformations at the chloride site while keeping the sulfonyl fluoride group intact, including reduction, Suzuki coupling, Sonogashira coupling, as well as nucleophilic substitution with various nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur nucleophiles. By using BCASF as a synthetic hub, a wide range of sulfonyl fluorides becomes readily accessible, such as cis alkenylsulfonyl fluorides, dienylsulfonyl fluorides, and ynenylsulfonyl fluorides, which are challenging or even not possible to synthesize before with the known methods. Moreover, further application of BCASF to the late-stage modification of peptides and drugs is also demonstrated.

Palladium-catalyzed one-pot phosphorylation of phenols mediated by sulfuryl fluoride

We report a general palladium-catalyzed one-pot procedure for the synthesis of phosphonates, phosphinates and phosphine oxides from phenols mediated by sulfuryl fluoride. It features mild conditions, broad substrate scope, high functionality tolerance and water insensitivity. The utility of this procedure has been well demonstrated by gram-scale synthesis, sequential synthesis of click chemistry building blocks, late-stage decoration of drugs and natural products and on-DNA synthesis of phosphine oxide for a DNA-encoded library (DEL).