Directed Zincation with TMPZnCl·LiCl and Further Functionalization of the Tropolone Scaffold

Pd-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings: On the Importance of the Catalyst Quantity Descriptors, mol % and ppm

This Review examines parts per million (ppm) palladium concentrations in catalytic cross-coupling reactions and their relationship with mole percentage (mol %). Most studies in catalytic cross-coupling chemistry have historically focused on the concentration ratio between (pre)catalyst and the limiting reagent (substrate), expressed as mol %. Several recent papers have outlined the use of “ppm level” palladium as an alternative means of describing catalytic cross-coupling reaction systems. This led us to delve deeper into the literature to assess whether “ppm level” palladium is a practically useful descriptor of catalyst quantities in palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Indeed, we conjectured that many reactions could, unknowingly, have employed low “ppm levels” of palladium (pre)catalyst, and generally, what would the spread of ppm palladium look like across a selection of studies reported across the vast array of the cross-coupling chemistry literature. In a few selected examples, we have examined other metal catalyst systems for comparison with palladium.

Novel Cinnamic Acid Analogues: Synthesis of Aminotroponyl Acrylates by Pd(II)-Catalysed C(sp2)-H Olefination

Cinnamic acid, benzenoid scaffold, is a building block of various natural products. This report describes the synthesis of new non-benzenoid cinnamate analogs 3-(6-amino-7-oxocyclohepta-1,3,5-trien-1-yl)acrylates, obtained through Pd(II)-catalyzed C7-H olefination of 2-aminotropones...

A Predictive Model Towards Site-Selective Metalations of Functionalized Heterocycles, Arenes, Olefins, and Alkanes using TMPZnCl⋅LiCl

The development of a predictive model towards site-selective deprotometalation reactions using TMPZnCl⋅LiCl is reported (TMP=2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl). The pKa values of functionalized N-, S-, and O-heterocycles, arenes, alkenes, or alkanes were calculated and compared to the experimental deprotonation sites. Large overlap (>80 %) between the calculated and empirical deprotonation sites was observed, showing that thermodynamic factors strongly govern the metalation regioselectivity. In the case of olefins, calculated frozen state energies of the deprotonated substrates allowed a more accurate prediction. Additionally, various new N-heterocycles were analyzed and the metalation regioselectivities rationalized using the predictive model.

Abnormal Nucleophilic Substitution on Methoxytropone Derivatives: Steric Strategy to Synthesize 5-Substituted Azulenes

Azulene is a non-alternant non-benzenoid aromatic system, and in turn, it possesses unusual photophysical properties. Azulene-based conjugated systems have received increasing interest in recent years as optoelectronic materials. Despite the routes available for the preparation of substituted azulene derivatives, there remain few methods that allow regioselective substitution on the seven-membered ring of azulenes due to the subtle reactivity difference among the various positions. This report explores the reactivity of substituted tropolones as the azulene precursors and also provides a new method to create 5-substituted azulenes. The reaction of cyanoacetate enolate with unsubstituted 2-methoxytropone affords azulene through the attack of the nucleophile on the C-2 center (normal pathway). We have observed that 3-substituted 2-methoxytropones undergo steric-guided nucleophilic addition at the C-7 center (abnormal pathway) to afford 5-substituted azulene derivatives. Based on this observation and DFT calculation, a new synthetic strategy is devised for the regioselective synthesis of 5-substituted multifunctional azulenes, which cannot be accessed by any other method.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Troponoids as a New Class of Antibiotics

Novel antibiotics are urgently needed. The troponoids [tropones, tropolones, and α-hydroxytropolones (α-HT)] can have anti-bacterial activity. We synthesized or purchased 92 troponoids and evaluated their antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Preliminary hits were assessed for minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC₈₀) and cytotoxicity (CC₅₀) against human hepatoma cells. Sixteen troponoids inhibited S. aureus/E. coli/A. baumannii growth by ≥80% growth at <30 μM with CC₅₀ values >50 μM. Two selected tropolones (63 and 285) inhibited 18 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains with similar MIC₈₀ values as against a reference strain. Two selected thiotropolones (284 and 363) inhibited multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli with MIC₈₀ ≤30 μM. One α-HT (261) inhibited MDR-A. baumannii with MIC₈₀ ≤30 μM. This study opens new avenues for development of novel troponoid antibiotics to address the critical need to combat MDR bacterial infections.

Mechanochemical Activation of Zinc and Application to Negishi Cross-Coupling

A form independent activation of zinc, concomitant generation of organozinc species and engagement in a Negishi cross-coupling reaction via mechanochemical methods is reported. The reported method exhibits a broad substrate scope for both C(sp3 )-C(sp2 ) and C(sp2 )-C(sp2 ) couplings and is tolerant to many important functional groups. The method may offer broad reaching opportunities for the in situ generation organometallic compounds from base metals and their concomitant engagement in synthetic reactions via mechanochemical methods.

Directed Zincation or Magnesiation of the 2-Pyridone and 2,7-Naphthyridone Scaffold Using TMP Bases

A regioselective zincation of the 2-pyridone and 2,7-naphthyridone scaffolds has been developed. Zincations of the methoxyethoxymethyl (MEM)-protected compounds using TMP₂Zn·2MgCl₂·2LiCl (TMP = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidyl) followed by trapping with electrophiles provided functionalized 2-pyridones and 2,7-naphthyridones. I/Mg exchange of iodinated 2-pyridone and 2,7-naphthyridone using i-PrMgCl·LiCl afforded magnesiated intermediates that reacted with electrophiles. A second magnesiation of the 2-pyridone scaffold was achieved by using TMPMgCl·LiCl. Additionally, we report CoCl₂-catalyzed cross-couplings of the 1-chloro-2,7-naphthyridines with arylzinc halides.