A Forty Year Odyssey in Metallo–Organic Chemistry

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Cephalotaxus Diterpenoids: Cephinoid P, Cephafortoid A, 14-epi-Cephafortoid A and Fortalpinoids M-N, P

The asymmetric total syntheses of cephalotaxus C19 diterpenoids, bearing a unique cycloheptene A ring with a chiral methyl group at C-12, were disclosed based on a universal strategy. Six members, including cephinoid P, cephafortoid A, 14-epi-cephafortoid A and fortalpinoids M-N, P, were accomplished for the first time. The concise approach relies on two crucial steps: (1) a Nicholas/Hosomi-Sakurai cascade reaction was developed to efficiently generate the cycloheptene ring bearing a chiral methyl group; (2) an intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction was followed to facilitate the construction of the complete skeleton of target molecules. Our studies provide a new strategy for the synthetic analysis of cephalotaxus diterpenoids and structurally related polycyclic natural products.

Synthesis of a BC-Dihydrodipyrrin Building Block of Bacteriochlorophyll a

A strategy for the synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll a relies on joining AD and BC halves that contain the requisite stereochemical configurations of the target macrocycle. The BC half (1) is a dihydrodipyrrin bearing a dimethoxymethyl group at the 1-position, a β-ketoester at the 8-position, and (R)-2-methyl and (R)-3-ethyl substituents in the pyrroline ring. An established route to AD-dihydrodipyrrins (Pd-mediated coupling of a 2-halopyrrole with a chiral 4-pentynoic acid followed by Petasis methenylation, acidic hydrolysis, Paal-Knorr ring closure, and Riley oxidation) proved to be unviable for BC-dihydrodipyrrins given the presence of the β-ketoester unit. A route presented here entails Pd-mediated coupling of a 2-halopyrrole (2) with (3R,4R)-4-ethyl-1,1-dimethoxy-3-methylhex-5-yn-2-one (3), anti-Markovnikov hydration of the alkyne to give the 1,4-diketone, and Paal-Knorr ring closure. Compound 3 was prepared by Schreiber-modified Nicholas reaction beginning with (S)-4-isopropyl-3-propionyloxazolidin-2-one and the hexacarbonyldicobalt complex of (±) 3-methoxy-1-(trimethylsilyl)pentyne followed by transformation of the aldehyde derived therefrom to the 1,1-dimethoxymethylcarbonyl motif. The absolute stereochemical configuration of the Schreiber-Nicholas alkylation product was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, whereas the BC half (1) by 1H NMR spectroscopy showed a J value of 2.9 Hz consistent with the trans-configuration. Taken together, the route provides a key chiral building block for the synthesis of photosynthetic tetrapyrroles and analogues.

Synthesis of carbohydrate–BODIPY hybrids

Owing to the relevance of fluorescently labeled carbohydrates in the study of biological processes, we have investigated several routes for the preparation of saccharides covalently linked to borondipyrromethene (BODIPY) fluorophores. We have shown that BODIPY dyes can be used as aglycons through synthetic saccharide protocols. In particular, a per-alkylated 8-(2-hydroxy-methylphenyl)-4,4′-dicyano-BODIPY derivative, which withstands glycosylation and protection/deprotection reaction conditions without decomposition, has been used in the stepwise synthesis of two fluorescently labeled trisaccharides. These saccharides displayed high water solubility and a low tendency to (H-)aggregation, a phenomenon that causes loss of photophysical efficiency in BODIPYs. Two additional synthetic strategies toward glyco-BODIPYs have also been described. The first method relies on a Ferrier-type C-glycosylation of the BODIPY core, leading to linker-free carbohydrate–BODIPY hybrids. Secondly, the application of the Nicholas propargylation reaction to 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl BODIPYs provides access to 2,6-dipropargylated BODIPYs that readily undergo CuAAC reactions with azido-containing sugars. From a photophysical standpoint, the BODIPY-labeled saccharides could be used as stable and fluorescent water-soluble chromophores, thereby addressing one of the current challenges in molecular imaging.

Access to 2,6-Dipropargylated BODIPYs as "Clickable" Congeners of Pyrromethene-567 Dye: Photostability and Synthetic Versatility

Hitherto unreported 2,6-dipropargyl-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl BODIPYs can be efficiently prepared by a Nicholas reaction/decomplexation protocol from 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl BODIPYs. The title compounds, which improve the BODIPY photostability by retaining their inherent photophysical and photochemical properties, can be engaged in efficient copper(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) “click-type” reactions with azido derivatives to provide all-BODIPY-triads or conjugated BODIPYs.

Synthesis of AD-Dihydrodipyrrins Equipped with Latent Substituents of Native Chlorophylls and Bacteriochlorophylls

Native chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls share a common trans-substituted pyrroline ring D (17-propionic acid, 18-methyl), whereas diversity occurs in ring A particularly at the 3-position. Two dihydrodipyrrins equipped with native-like D-ring substituents and tailorable A-ring substituents have been synthesized. The synthesis relies on a Schreiber-modified Nicholas reaction to construct the stereochemically defined precursor to ring D, a dialkyl-substituted pent-4-ynoic acid. The carboxylic acid group of the intact propionic acid proved unworkable, whereupon protected propionate (-CO₂^tBu) and several latent propyl ethers were examined. The tert-butyldiphenylsilyl-protected propanol substituent proved satisfactory for reaction of the chiral N-acylated oxazolidinone, affording (2S,3S)-2-(3-((tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)oxy)propyl)-3-methylpent-4-ynoic acid in ∼30% yield over 8 steps. Two variants for ring A, 2-tert-butoxycarbonyl-3-Br/H-5-iodo-4-methylpyrrole, were prepared via the Barton-Zard route. Dihydrodipyrrin formation from the pyrrole and pentynoic acid entailed Jacobi Pd-mediated lactone formation, Petasis methenylation, and Paal-Knorr-type pyrroline formation. The two AD-dihydrodipyrrins bear the D-ring methyl and protected propanol groups with a stereochemical configuration identical to that of native (bacterio)chlorophylls, and a bromine or no substitution in ring A corresponding to the 3-position of (bacterio)chlorophylls. The analogous β-position of a lactone-pyrrole intermediate on the path to the dihydrodipyrrin also was successfully brominated, opening opportunities for late-stage diversification in the synthesis of (bacterio)chlorophylls.

[Synthesis of Cyclic Compounds Containing Aminobenzenesulfonamide]

This review, based on my research work, introduces and summarizes the synthesis and characterization of novel cyclic compounds containing aminobenzenesulfonamide. The review discusses the (1) development of sequential Nicholas and Pauson-Khand reactions for the synthesis of unique polyheterocyclic compounds, (2) production of 2-aminobenzenesulfonamide-containing cyclononyne (ABSACN) as a multifunctional click cycloalkyne agent, and (3) improvement of the intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction of the nitroarene-enyne substrate for the synthesis of cyclopenta[c]piperidine alkaloids. This research work will facilitate the discovery of sulfonamide or sultam-based functional molecules and pharmaceuticals. Thus, I believe that aminobenzenesulfonamide derivatives are versatile and valuable chemical moieties not only in organic syntheses but also in the pharmaceutical industry. If you are interested in the details of this topic, please refer to the original papers.

Spectroscopic and Structural Study of Some Oligosilanylalkyne Complexes of Cobalt, Molybdenum and Nickel

Metal induced stabilization of α-carbocations is well known for cobalt- and molybdenum complexed propargyl cations. The same principle also allows access to reactivity enhancement of metal coordinated halo- and hydrosilylalkynes. In a previous study, we have shown that coordination of oligosilanylalkynes to the dicobalthexacarbonyl fragment induces striking reactivity to the oligosilanyl part. The current paper extends this set of oligosilanylalkyne complexes to a number of new dicobalthexacarbonyl complexes but also to 1,2-bis(cyclopentadienyl)tetracarbonyldimolybdenum and (dippe)Ni complexes. NMR-Spectroscopic and crystallographic analysis of the obtained complexes clearly show that the dimetallic cobalt and molybdenum complexes cause rehybridization of the alkyne carbon atoms to sp³, while in the nickel complexes one π-bond of the alkyne is retained. For the dicobalt and dimolybdenum complexes, strongly deshielded ²⁹Si NMR resonances of the attached silicon atoms indicate enhanced reactivity, whereas the ²⁹Si NMR shifts of the respective nickel complexes are similar to that of respective vinylsilanes.