Modular and Stereoselective Synthesis of C-Aryl Glycosides via Catellani Reaction

Diverse Synthesis of C-Glycosides by Stereoselective Ni-Catalyzed Carboboration of Glycals

C-Glycosides are important structures that are common to natural products and pharmaceutical agents. Established methods for their synthesis involve the reaction of an activated anomeric carbon. In this study, we report a conceptually new approach that involves the stereoselective Ni-catalyzed carboboration of glycals. In these reactions, not only is a C-C bond formed at the anomeric carbon, but a synthetically useful C-B bond is also installed. Upon C-B oxidation, differentially protected C-glycosides to be formed. In addition, stereospecific manipulation of the C-B bond leads to diverse C-glycosides. Finally, we report the application of this method in the synthesis of established C-glycosides, such as C-glycosyl amino acids, as well as a strategy to make all possible diastereomers at C1 and C2.

Modular Synthesis of Polysubstituted α-Phosphorylated Arenes via the Catellani Strategy

In this paper, we described a palladium/norbornene-catalyzed ortho-C-H phosphormethylation of aryl iodides using XCH2P(O)RR', offering a reliable method for the modular synthesis of polysubstituted α-phosphorylated arenes. Alkenylation, hydrogenation, cyanation, methylation, and arylation were all viable termination steps compatible with the reaction. This method demonstrates excellent functional group tolerance and can be extended to the late-stage modification of bioactive molecules. Furthermore, the synthetic transformations of the products demonstrate the practical utility of this reaction.

Direct radical functionalization of native sugars

Naturally occurring (native) sugars and carbohydrates contain numerous hydroxyl groups of similar reactivity1,2. Chemists, therefore, rely typically on laborious, multi-step protecting-group strategies3 to convert these renewable feedstocks into reagents (glycosyl donors) to make glycans. The direct transformation of native sugars to complex saccharides remains a notable challenge. Here we describe a photoinduced approach to achieve site- and stereoselective chemical glycosylation from widely available native sugar building blocks, which through homolytic (one-electron) chemistry bypasses unnecessary hydroxyl group masking and manipulation. This process is reminiscent of nature in its regiocontrolled generation of a transient glycosyl donor, followed by radical-based cross-coupling with electrophiles on activation with light. Through selective anomeric functionalization of mono- and oligosaccharides, this protecting-group-free 'cap and glycosylate' approach offers straightforward access to a wide array of metabolically robust glycosyl compounds. Owing to its biocompatibility, the method was extended to the direct post-translational glycosylation of proteins.

Beyond Tertiary Amines: Introducing Secondary Amines by Palladium/Norbornene-Catalyzed Ortho Amination

Since the discovery of the palladium/norbornene (Pd/NBE)-catalyzed ortho amination in 2013, escaping the limitation of only yielding tertiary anilines has been a long-standing challenge. Here, we describe that, by carefully choosing the phosphine ligand and NBE mediator, the installation of a N-mono-alkylamino group becomes feasible. The reaction tolerates a wide range of aryl iodide substrates and various N-mono-tertiary alkylamine-derived electrophiles. Both ipso alkenylation and alkynylation can be realized. The synthetic utility of this method is exemplified by the formation of primary amino group via selective deprotection and streamlined access to N-heterocycles. Preliminary success of installing a bulky N-secondary alkylamino group and a mechanistic understanding of the decomposition pathways of mono N-alkylamine electrophiles have been obtained.

Stereoselective assembly of C-oligosaccharides via modular difunctionalization of glycals

C-oligosaccharides are found in natural products and drug molecules. Despite the considerable progress made during the last decades, modular and stereoselective synthesis of C-oligosaccharides continues to be challenging and underdeveloped compared to the synthesis technology of O-oligosaccharides. Herein, we design a distinct strategy for the stereoselective and efficient synthesis of C-oligosaccharides via palladium-catalyzed nondirected C1-H glycosylation/C2-alkenylation, cyanation, and alkynylation of 2-iodoglycals with glycosyl chloride donors while realizing the difunctionalization of 2-iodoglycals. The catalysis approach tolerates various functional groups, including derivatives of marketed drugs and natural products. Notably, the obtained C-oligosaccharides can be further transformed into various C-glycosides while fully conserving the stereochemistry. The results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations support oxidative addition mechanism of alkenyl-norbornyl-palladacycle (ANP) intermediate with α-mannofuranose chloride and the high stereoselectivity of glycosylation is due to steric hindrance.

Direct Construction of C-Alkyl Glycosides from Non-Activated Olefins via Nickel-Catalyzed C(sp3)─C(sp3) Coupling Reaction

Among C-glycosides, C-alkyl glycosides are significant building blocks for natural products and glycopeptides. However, research on efficient construction methods for C-alkyl glycosides remains relatively limited. Compared with Michael acceptors, non-activated olefins are more challenging substrates and have rarely been employed in the construction of C-glycosides. Here, a highly efficient and convenient approach for the synthesis of C-alkyl glycosides through a nickel-catalyzed C(sp3)-C(sp3) coupling reaction is presented. A distinctive feature of this method is its utilization of non-activated olefins as the anomeric radical acceptors for hydroalkylation, allowing for the direct formation of C-glycoside bonds in a single step. Furthermore, this method demonstrates excellent compatibility with a broad scope of highly reactive functional groups. Mechanistic investigations suggest that the reaction proceeds via a free radical pathway, leading predominantly to the formation of products with α-configuration. Overall, this innovative methodology offers a versatile and practical approach for the synthesis of C-alkyl glycosides, offering new avenues for the production of intricate glycosides with potential applications in drug discovery and chemical biology.

Exploiting π and Chalcogen Interactions for the β-Selective Glycosylation of Indoles through Glycal Conformational Distortion

Harnessing unconventional noncovalent interactions (NCIs) is emerging as a formidable synthetic approach in difficult-to-access glycosidic chemical space. C-Glycosylation, in particular, has gained a flurry of recent attention. However, most reported methods are restricted to the relatively facile access to α-C-glycosides. Herein, we disclose a β-stereoselective glycosylation of indoles by employing a phosphonoselenide catalyst. The robustness of this protocol is exemplified by its amenability for reaction at both the indolyl C- and N- reactivity sites. In contrast to previous reports, in which the chalcogens were solely involved in Lewis acidic activation, our mechanistic investigation unraveled that the often neglected flanking aromatic substituents of phosphonoselenides can substantially contribute to catalysis by engaging in π-interactions. Computations and NMR spectroscopy indicated that the chalcogenic and aromatic components of the catalyst can be collectively exploited to foster conformational distortion of the glycal away from the usual half-chair to the boat conformation, which liberates the convex β-face for nucleophilic attack.

On the origin of the electronic and magnetic circular dichroism of naphthyl C-glycosides: Anomeric configuration

Aryl C-glycosides, in which the glycosidic bond is changed to a carbon-carbon bond, are an important family of biologically-active compounds. They often serve as secondary metabolites or exhibit antibiotic and cytostatic activities. Their stability to hydrolysis has made them attractive targets for new drugs. Their conformational behavior often strongly influences the resulting function. Their detailed structural and conformational description is thus highly desirable. This work studies the structure of three different naphthyl C-glycosides using UV-vis absorption as well as electronic and magnetic circular dichroism. It also describes their conformational preferences using a combination of molecular dynamics and DFT calculations. The reliability of these preferences has been verified by simulations of spectral properties and a comparison with their measured spectra. In particular, ECD spectroscopy has been shown to distinguish easily between α- and β-pseudoanomers of aryl C-glycosides. Computer simulations and spectral decomposition have revealed how the resulting ECD patterns of the naphthyl glycosides studied are influenced by different conformer populations. In conclusion, reliable ECD patterns cannot be calculated by separating the naphthyl rotation from other conformational motions. MCD patterns have been similar for all the naphthyl C-glycosides studied. No clear diagnostic features have been found for either the pseudoanomeric configuration or the preferred hydroxymethyl rotamer. Nevertheless, the work has demonstrated the potential of MCD for the study of aryl glycosides interacting with proteins.

Template Synthesis to Solve the Unreachable Ortho C-H Functionalization Reaction of Aryl Iodide

This report describes the use of a simple Pd/NBE catalytic system to achieve ortho C-H oxylation and phosphonylation and other functionalizations of aryl iodide through templated conversion reactions. Dimethylamine is introduced in the ortho-site of aryl iodide through C-H amination, and aryl dimethylamine is quickly converted to methyl quaternary ammonium salt precipitation. Methyl quaternary ammonium salt avoids Hofmann elimination in subsequent functionalization. This method solves various ortho functionalization reactions of aryl iodide that have not been achieved for a long time in the field of Pd/NBE chemistry indirectly.

Mild method for the synthesis of α-glycosyl chlorides: A convenient protocol for quick one-pot glycosylation

A simple and efficient protocol for the preparation of α-glycosyl chlorides within 15-30 min is described which employs a stable, cheap, and commercially available Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) as non-toxic chlorinating agent along with PPh3. This process involved a wide range of substrate scope and is well-suited with labile hydroxyl protecting groups such as benzyl, acetyl, benzoyl, isopropylidene, benzylidene, and TBDPS (tert-butyldiphenylsilyl) groups. This process is operationally simple, mild conditions and obtained good yields with excellent α selectivity. Moreover, a multi-catalyst one-pot glycosylation can be carried out to transform the glycosyl hemiacetals directly to a various O-glycosides in high overall yields without the need for separation or purification of the α-glycosyl chloride donors.

Facile and stereospecific synthesis of diverse β-N-glycosyl sulfonamide scaffolds via palladium catalysis

Glycosylation is an important strategy to improve the druggability of lead compounds. Here, we present a palladium-catalysed stereospecific N-glycosylation of sulfonamides. This approach stands out with wide substrate scope, high functional group tolerance, and easy scalability, furnishing a broad spectrum of densely functionalized β-N-glycosyl sulfonamides with good efficiency and exceptional regio-/stereoselectivity. Diverse drug-like glycosulfonamido scaffolds have been constructed via a late-stage diversification strategy and various facile synthetic transformations of the products. Collectively, the established protocol provides a valuable tool for efficiently preparing glycosyl sulfonamides to facilitate drug discovery.

Ortho-C-H methoxylation of aryl halides enabled by a polarity-reversed N-O reagent

Oxygen-substituted arenes widely exist in biologically important molecules and can serve as versatile handles to install other functional groups. However, direct and site-selective installation of oxygen groups to common aromatic compounds remains challenging, especially when additional arene functionalization is simultaneously required. Current arene C-H oxidation strategies generally require directing groups or precisely prefunctionalized substrates to control site-selectivity. While palladium/norbornene cooperative catalysis is promising for site-specific arene vicinal difunctionalization through simultaneous reactions with an electrophile and a nucleophile, the electrophile scope has been limited to species based on relatively 'soft' elements, such as carbon, nitrogen and sulfur. Here we report the development of an ortho oxygenation reaction with common aryl halides to rapidly deliver diverse aryl ethers. The coupling of the 'hard' oxygen electrophile is enabled by a stable, polarity-reversed, conformationally predistorted N-O reagent and facilitated by a C7-bromo-substituted norbornene mediator. Mechanistic studies reveal a unique SN2-type pathway between the N-O reagent as the oxygen electrophile and an electron-rich Pd(II) nucleophile.

Palladium-Catalyzed Multicomponent Assembly of (Z)-Alkenylborons via Carbopalladation/Boronation/Retro-Diels-Alder Cascade Reaction

A palladium-catalyzed multicomponent cascade reaction of aryl iodides, oxanorbornadiene, and diborns to access (Z)-alkenylborons is reported. This transformation proceeds through the sequential carbopalladation/boronation/retro-Diels-Alder domino reaction. The oxanorbornadiene used in this reaction serves as an acetylene surrogate, which is generated via a retro-Diels-Alder reaction. Such a stereoselective and scalable approach has a wide range of functional group tolerance and good substrate universality.

Construction of Indole-Fused Seven- and Eight-Membered Azaheterocycles via a Tandem Pd/NBE-Catalyzed Decarbonylation and Dual C-H Activation Sequence

Herein, we report the transformation of aromatic acids to indole-fused seven- and eight-membered azaheterocycles. Two C-C bonds are formed via the cleavage of one C-C bond and two C-H bonds. The incorporation of indole moieties into bioactive pharmaceuticals and natural products to construct a medium-sized polyfused heterocycle demonstrates the synthetic utility of the protocol.

C-H Glycosylation of Native Carboxylic Acids: Discovery of Antidiabetic SGLT-2 Inhibitors

C-Glycosides are critical motifs embedded in many bioactive natural products. The inert C-glycosides are privileged structures for developing therapeutic agents owing to their high chemical and metabolic stability. Despite the comprehensive strategies and tactics established in the past few decades, highly efficient C-glycoside syntheses via C-C coupling with excellent regio-, chemo-, and stereoselectivity are still needed. Here, we report the efficient Pd-catalyzed glycosylation of C-H bonds promoted by weak coordination with native carboxylic acids without external directing groups to install various glycals to the structurally diverse aglycon parts. Mechanistic evidence points to the participation of a glycal radical donor in the C-H coupling reaction. The method has been applied to a wide range of substrates (over 60 examples), including many marketed drug molecules. Natural product- or drug-like scaffolds with compelling bioactivities have been constructed using a late-stage diversification strategy. Remarkably, a new potent sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor with antidiabetic potential has been discovered, and the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profiles of drug molecules have been changed using our C-H glycosylation approach. The method developed here provides a powerful tool for efficiently synthesizing C-glycosides to facilitate drug discovery.

Transition-Metal-Catalyzed C-H Bond Activation for the Formation of C-C Bonds in Complex Molecules

Site-predictable and chemoselective C-H bond functionalization reactions offer synthetically powerful strategies for the step-economic diversification of both feedstock and fine chemicals. Many transition-metal-catalyzed methods have emerged for the selective activation and functionalization of C-H bonds. However, challenges of regio- and chemoselectivity have emerged with application to highly complex molecules bearing significant functional group density and diversity. As molecular complexity increases within molecular structures the risks of catalyst intolerance and limited applicability grow with the number of functional groups and potentially Lewis basic heteroatoms. Given the abundance of C-H bonds within highly complex and already diversified molecules such as pharmaceuticals, natural products, and materials, design and selection of reaction conditions and tolerant catalysts has proved critical for successful direct functionalization. As such, innovations within transition-metal-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization for the direct formation of carbon-carbon bonds have been discovered and developed to overcome these challenges and limitations. This review highlights progress made for the direct metal-catalyzed C-C bond forming reactions including alkylation, methylation, arylation, and olefination of C-H bonds within complex targets.

Functionalized Cycloolefin Ligand as a Solution to Ortho-Constraint in the Catellani-Type Reaction

The Catellani reaction, i.e., the Pd/norbornene (NBE) catalysis, has been evolved into a versatile approach to multisubstituted arenes via the ortho-functionalization/ipso-termination process of a haloarene. Despite significant advances over the past 25 years, this reaction still suffered from an intrinsic limitation in the substitution pattern of haloarene, referred to as "ortho-constraint". When an ortho substituent is absent, the substrate often fails to undergo an effective mono ortho-functionalization process, and either ortho-difunctionalization products or NBE-embedded byproducts predominate. To tackle this challenge, structurally modified NBEs (smNBEs) have been developed, which were proved effective for the mono ortho-aminative, -acylative, and -arylative Catellani reactions of ortho-unsubstituted haloarenes. However, this strategy is incompetent for solving the ortho-constraint in Catellani reactions with ortho-alkylation, and to date there lacks a general solution to this challenging but synthetically useful transformation. Recently, our group developed the Pd/olefin catalysis, in which an unstrained cycloolefin ligand served as a covalent catalytic module to enable the ortho-alkylative Catellani reaction without NBE. In this work, we show that this chemistry could afford a new solution to ortho-constraint in the Catellani reaction. A functionalized cycloolefin ligand bearing an amide group as the internal base was designed, which allowed for mono ortho-alkylative Catellani reaction of iodoarenes suffering from ortho-constraint before. Mechanistic study revealed that this ligand is capable of both accelerating the C-H activation and inhibiting side reactions, which accounts for its superior performance. The present work showcased the uniqueness of the Pd/olefin catalysis as well as the power of rational ligand design in metal catalysis.

Remote C-H Glycosylation by Ruthenium(II) Catalysis: Modular Assembly of meta-C-Aryl Glycosides

The prevalence of C-aryl glycosides in biologically active natural products and approved drugs has long motivated the development of efficient strategies for their selective synthesis. Cross-couplings have been frequently used, but largely relied on palladium catalyst with prefunctionalized substrates, while ruthenium-catalyzed C-aryl glycoside preparation has thus far proven elusive. Herein, we disclose a versatile ruthenium(II)-catalyzed meta-C-H glycosylation to access meta-C-aryl glycosides from readily available glycosyl halide donors. The robustness of the ruthenium catalysis was reflected by mild reaction conditions, outstanding levels of anomeric selectivity and exclusive meta-site-selectivity.

Visible-Light-Induced Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric C(sp3)-C(sp3)-H Glycosylation: Access to C-Glycopeptides

Herein, a practical and highly efficient method for visible-light-induced copper-catalyzed N-aminoquinoline-directed asymmetric C(sp³)-C(sp³)-H glycosylation was reported. At the same time, C(sp³)-C(sp³)-H glycosylation of nondeoxysugars with amino acids to construct C-glycopeptides was achieved. This approach promoted the synthesis of various C-glycopeptides and provided a new model for the synthesis of C-glycoamino acids.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Pyridine-Directed Aryl C-H Glycosylation with Glycosyl Chlorides

Metal-catalyzed C-H glycosylation reactions with glycosyl chloride donors have emerged as a useful strategy for the synthesis of C-glycosides. Previously, palladium and nickel complexes were reported to catalyze C-H glycosylation reactions using amide-linked bidentate auxiliaries. Herein, a ruthenium-catalyzed ortho C-H glycosylation reaction of arenes with various glycosyl chloride donors using a monodentate pyridine directing group is developed. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that two-electron oxidative addition and reductive elimination of ruthenocycle intermediate led to the glycosylation products.

Synthesis of C8-Aminated Pyrrolo-Phenanthridines or -Indoles via Series C(sp2 or sp3)-H Activation and Fluorescence Study

This report developed a method for the synthesis of C8-aminated pyrrolo-phenanthridines or -indoles by series ortho C(sp²)-H amination/ipso C(sp²)-H or C(sp³)-H arylation. N-benzoyloxyamines, as electrophilic amination reagents, did not undergo an electrophilic substitution reaction with the pyrrole side, but they did undergo a site-selective C-H amination reaction with the benzene side via Pd/NBE catalysis. The C8-aminated pyrrolo-phenanthridines have strong fluorescence in solution and solid state. X-ray single crystal diffraction shows that the steric hindrance of amino and ortho benzene ring may inhibit aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ).

Synthesis of C-Oligosaccharides through Versatile C(sp3 )-H Glycosylation of Glycosides

C‐oligosaccharides are pharmacologically relevant because they are more hydrolysis‐resistant than O‐oligosaccharides. Despite indisputable advances, C‐oligosaccharides continue to be underdeveloped, likely due to a lack of efficient and selective strategies for the assembly of the interglycosidic C−C linkages. In contrast, we, herein, report a versatile and robust strategy for the synthesis of structurally complex C‐oligosaccharides via catalyzed C(sp³)−H activations. Thus, a wealth of complex interglycosidic (2→1)‐ and (1→1)‐C‐oligosaccharides becomes readily available by palladium‐catalyzed C(sp³)−H glycoside glycosylation. The isolation of key palladacycle intermediates and experiments with isotopically‐labeled compounds identified a trans‐stereoselectivity for the C(sp³)−H glycosylation. The glycoside C(sp³)−H activation manifold was likewise exploited for the diversification of furanoses, pyranoses and disaccharides.

Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of Fluoromethylated Arenes via Palladium-Catalyzed C-H Fluoromethylation of Aryl Iodides

Herein we report the first versatile and expeditious method for the site-selective C-H fluoromethylation of aryl iodides via Pd/norbornene cooperative catalysis, which could work as a robust toolbox for the diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) of fluoromethylated arenes. This methodology features the use of the low-cost industrial raw material CH₂IF as the fluoromethyl source, an excellent functional group tolerance, and a broad ipso termination scope and can be expanded to the late-stage modification of biorelevant molecules.

Stereoselective gem-C,B-Glycosylation via 1,2-Boronate Migration

A novel protocol is established for the long-standing challenge of stereoselective geminal bisglycosylations of saccharides. The merger of PPh₃ as a traceless glycosidic leaving group and 1,2-boronate migration enables the simultaneous introduction of C-C and C-B bonds at the anomeric stereogenic center of furanoses and pyranoses. The power of this method is showcased by a set of site-selective modifications of glycosylation products for the construction of bioactive conjugates and skeletons. A scarce metal-free 1,1-difunctionalization process of alkenes is also concomitantly demonstrated.

Recent advances in palladium-catalyzed C(sp3)/C(sp2)-H bond functionalizations: access to C-branched glycosides

Over the recent decades, tremendous interest has developed in the transformation of complex substrates by C-H activation and functionalization. In particular, palladium-catalyzed directing and non-directing group-assisted C-H functionalization has emerged as a powerful avenue to access C-branched glycosides. Due to the extreme complexity, delicate functionalities, and high stability of C-H bonds, site-selective functionalization of carbohydrate under mild conditions is highly desirable. The purpose of this review is to cover most of the recent advances in palladium-catalyzed C(sp³) and C(sp²)-H bond functionalizations for the synthesis of C-branched glycosides along with future directions.

Chemoselective and Diastereoselective Synthesis of C-Aryl Nucleoside Analogues by Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Furanosyl Acetates with Aryl Iodides

Canonical nucleosides are vulnerable to enzymatic and chemical degradation, yet their stable mimics-C-aryl nucleosides-have demonstrated potential utility in medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and synthetic biology, although current synthetic methods remain limited in terms of scope and selectivity. Herein, we report a cross-electrophile coupling to prepare C-aryl nucleoside analogues from readily available furanosyl acetates and aryl iodides. This nickel-catalyzed modular approach is characterized by mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope, excellent β-selectivity, and high functional-group compatibility. The exclusive chemoselectivity with respect to the aryl iodide enables efficient preparation of a variety of C-aryl halide furanosides suitable for various downstream transformations. The practicality of this transformation is demonstrated through the synthesis of a potent analogue of a naturally occurring NF-κB activator.

Palladium/Norbornene-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Difunctionalization of Thioesters

The transition-metal-catalyzed decarboxylation of aryl carboxylic acids has drawn significant attention as an efficient and practical tool for the synthesis of substituted arenes. However, the decarboxylative construction of polysubstituted arenes with different contiguous substituents has not been widely reported. Herein, we describe a novel decarbonylative Catellani reaction via palladium-catalyzed, norbornene (NBE)-mediated polyfunctionalization of aromatic thioesters, which serve as readily available carboxylic acid derivatives. A variety of alkenyl, alkyl, aryl, and sulfur moieties could be conveniently introduced into the ipso-positions of the aromatic thioesters. By combining carboxyl-directed C-H functionalization and the classical Catellani reaction, our protocol allows for the construction of 1,2,3-trisubstituted and 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted arenes from simple aromatic acids. Furthermore, the late-stage functionalization of a series of drug molecules highlights the potential utility of the reaction.

Palladium-catalyzed C-H glycosylation and retro Diels-Alder tandem reaction via structurally modified norbornadienes (smNBDs)

This report describes palladium-catalyzed C–H glycosylation and retro Diels–Alder tandem reaction via structurally modified norbornadienes (smNBDs). smNBDs were proposed to regulate the reactivity of the aryl-norbornadiene-palladacycle (ANP), including its high chemoselectivity and regioselectivity, which were the key to constructing C2 and C3 unsubstituted C4-glycosidic indoles. The scope of this substrate is extensive; the halogenated six-membered and five-membered glycosides were applied to the reaction smoothly, and N-alkyl (primary, secondary and tertiary) C4-glycosidic indoles can also be obtained by this method. In terms of mechanism, the key ANP intermediates characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction and further controlled experiments proved that the migration-insertion of smNBDs with phenylpalladium intermediate endows them with high chemo- and regioselectivity. Finally, density functional theory (DFT) calculation further verified the rationality of the mechanism.

This report describes palladium-catalyzed C–H glycosylation and retro Diels–Alder tandem reaction via structurally modified norbornadienes (smNBDs).

Stereoselective Synthesis of C-Vinyl Glycosides via Palladium-Catalyzed C-H Glycosylation of Alkenes

C-vinyl glycosides are an important class of carbohydrates and pose a unique synthetic challenge. A new strategy has been developed for stereoselective synthesis of C-vinyl glycosides via Pd-catalyzed directed C-H glycosylation of alkenes with glycosyl chloride donors using an easily removable bidentate auxiliary. Both the γ C-H bond of allylamines and the δ C-H bond of homoallyl amine substrates can be glycosylated in high efficiency and with excellent regio- and stereoselectivity. The resulting C-vinyl glycosides can be further converted to a variety of C-alkyl glycosides with high stereospecificity. These reactions offer a broadly applicable method to streamline the synthesis of complex C-vinyl glycosides from easily accessible starting materials.

Highly regioselective and stereoselective synthesis of C-Aryl glycosides via nickel-catalyzed ortho-C-H glycosylation of 8-aminoquinoline benzamides

C-Aryl glycosides are of high value as drug candidates. Here a novel and cost-effective nickel catalyzed ortho-CAr-H glycosylation reaction with high regioselectivity and excellent α-selectivity is described. This method shows great functional group compatibility with various glycosides, showing its synthetic potential. Mechanistic studies indicate that C-H activation could be the rate-determining step.

Facile access to C-glycosyl amino acids and peptides via Ni-catalyzed reductive hydroglycosylation of alkynes

C-Glycosyl peptides/proteins are metabolically stable mimics of the native glycopeptides/proteins bearing O/N-glycosidic linkages, and are thus of great therapeutical potential. Herein, we disclose a protocol for the syntheses of vinyl C-glycosyl amino acids and peptides, employing a nickel-catalyzed reductive hydroglycosylation reaction of alkyne derivatives of amino acids and peptides with common glycosyl bromides. It accommodates a wide scope of the coupling partners, including complex oligosaccharide and peptide substrates. The resultant vinyl C-glycosyl amino acids and peptides, which bear common O/N-protecting groups, are amenable to further transformations, including elongation of the peptide and saccharide chains.

C-Glycosyl peptides/proteins are metabolically stable mimics of the native glycopeptides/proteins of great therapeutic potential, but their chemical synthesis is challenging. Here, the authors report a protocol for the synthesis of vinyl C-glycosyl amino acids and peptides, via a Ni-catalyzed reductive hydroglycosylation reaction of alkyne derivatives of amino acids and peptides with glycosyl bromides.

Late-stage C–H functionalization offers new opportunities in drug discovery

Over the past decade, the landscape of molecular synthesis has gained major impetus by the introduction of late-stage functionalization (LSF) methodologies. C-H functionalization approaches, particularly, set the stage for new retrosynthetic disconnections, while leading to improvements in resource economy. A variety of innovative techniques have been successfully applied to the C-H diversification of pharmaceuticals, and these key developments have enabled medicinal chemists to integrate LSF strategies in their drug discovery programmes. This Review highlights the significant advances achieved in the late-stage C-H functionalization of drugs and drug-like compounds, and showcases how the implementation of these modern strategies allows increased efficiency in the drug discovery process. Representative examples are examined and classified by mechanistic patterns involving directed or innate C-H functionalization, as well as emerging reaction manifolds, such as electrosynthesis and biocatalysis, among others. Structurally complex bioactive entities beyond small molecules are also covered, including diversification in the new modalities sphere. The challenges and limitations of current LSF methods are critically assessed, and avenues for future improvements of this rapidly expanding field are discussed. We, hereby, aim to provide a toolbox for chemists in academia as well as industrial practitioners, and introduce guiding principles for the application of LSF strategies to access new molecules of interest.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Aryl C-Glycosides from Glycosyl Esters via C-O Bond Homolysis

C-aryl glycosyl compounds offer better in vivo stability relative to O- and N-glycoside analogues. C-aryl glycosides are extensively investigated as drug candidates and applied to chemical biology studies. Previously, C-aryl glycosides were derived from lactones, glycals, glycosyl stannanes, and halides, via methods displaying various limitations with respect to the scope, functional-group compatibility, and practicality. Challenges remain in the synthesis of C-aryl nucleosides and 2-deoxysugars from easily accessible carbohydrate precursors. Herein, we report a cross-coupling method to prepare C-aryl and heteroaryl glycosides, including nucleosides and 2-deoxysugars, from glycosyl esters and bromoarenes. Activation of the carbohydrate substrates leverages dihydropyridine (DHP) as an activating group followed by decarboxylation to generate a glycosyl radical via C-O bond homolysis. This strategy represents a new means to activate alcohols as a cross-coupling partner. The convenient preparation of glycosyl esters and their stability exemplifies the potential of this method in medicinal chemistry.

Alkylation-Terminated Catellani Reactions by Cyclobutanol C-C Cleavage

This report describes the first application of a cyclobutanol ring-opening procedure in the Catellani termination reaction, which includes two β-carbon elimination processes. This tandem reaction features mild conditions, high yields, good functional group tolerance, and a broad substrate scope. Meanwhile, four types of electrophiles (N-benzoyloxyamines, alkyl iodides, aryl bromides, and benzyl chlorides) are quite compatible with this termination reaction for the construction of various types of polysubstituted aromatic hydrocarbons.