New building blocks for fluorinated imidazole derivatives: preparation of beta-fluoro- and beta,beta-difluorohistamine

Selective Synthesis of Monofluorinated Compounds Applying Amine/HF Reagents

For nucleophilic monofluorination, amine/HF reagents such as Et3 N⋅3HF, Pyr⋅9HF (Olah's reagent) and similar combinations belong to the most frequently used fluoride sources, whereupon the selectivity of these reagents can be very different depending of its acidity, the nucleophilicity of the fluoride equivalent, and the structure of the particular substrate. These reagents can be used safely in ordinary chemistry laboratories for nucleophilic substitution reactions by fluoride at sp3 -hybridized carbon centers. For ring opening reactions of epoxides, the regio- and stereoselectivity is very much depending of the nature of the epoxide and the acidity of the HF reagent favoring either SN 1 or SN 2 type reactions. Similarly, the outcome of halofluorination and similar reactions with sulfur or seleno electrophiles can be controlled by the particular combination of the electrophile and the fluoride source. Examples for the application of these reaction types for the synthesis of fluorine-containing analogues of natural products or biologically relevant compounds are in the focus of this personal account.

Syntheses of beta,beta-difluorotryptamines

Tryptamines disubstituted at the beta-position with fluorine have been synthesized as part of our research program to study the effects of fluorine substitution on the biological activities of neuroactive amines. Treatment of N-Boc-3-azidoacetyl indoles, prepared from readily available 2-chloracetylindoles, with dimethoxyethylamino sulfurtrifluoride produced the corresponding 3-(2-azido-1,1-difluoroethyl)indoles. Reduction of the azide to amine with hydrogen over Pd-C and careful removal of the N-Boc protecting group produced beta,beta-difluorotryptamines.

Incorporation of 8-histaminyl-deoxyadenosine [8-(2-(4-imidazolyl)ethylamino)-2'-deoxyriboadenosine] into oligodeoxyribonucleotides by solid phase phosphoramidite coupling

The 3'phosphoramidite of 8-histaminyl deoxyadenosine has been prepared and successfully incorporated into a short oligodeoxyribonucleotide. The synthetic methodology leading to this preparation is given and the implications for developing new DNAzymes as well as probing unusual nucleic acid structures are discussed.

New building blocks for fluorinated bioimidazole derivatives II: preparation of beta-fluorourocanic acids

Replacement of vinyl hydrogen with fluorine is based on addition of an FBr equivalent to a double bond followed by HBr elimination. This sequence has been adapted to prepare 3-fluoro-3-imidazolyl-propenoic acids (beta-fluorourocanic acids), and the related fluorinated imidazolyl propenals and prop-2-en-1-ols, from urocanic acid. Tritylation of the imidazole nitrogen was necessary for successful addition of "FBr" to the double bond, and prior reduction of the carboxyl group to the alcohol was required to provide the desired chemoselectivity in the elimination of HX. Reoxidation and deprotection produced the fluorinated urocanic acids.

Preparation of (Fluoromethyl)- and (Difluoromethyl)imidazoles

2-(Fluoromethyl)- and 2-(difluoromethyl)imidazoles, and 4-(fluoromethyl)- and 4-(difluoromethyl)imidazoles have been prepared by deoxyfluorination of (hydroxymethyl)imidazole or formylimidazole precursors.