Synthesis of Enamides via CuI-Catalyzed Reductive Acylation of Ketoximes with NaHSO3

Development of β,β-Dibrominated Secondary Enamides and Their Application to the Synthesis of 5-Br Oxazoles

Herein, we report a base promoted dibromination of enamides using CBr₄ as a bromine source to provide expedient access to β,β-dibrominated secondary enamides. Preliminary synthetic application study shows that these novel products can be readily transformed to 5-Br oxazoles via Cu(I) catalyzed intramolecular cyclization in good yields.

Rh-Catalyzed Highly Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Functionalized Olefins with Chiral Ferrocenylphosphine-Spiro Phosphonamidite Ligands

A highly efficient Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of functionalized olefins has been realized by a new family of highly rigid chiral ferrocenylphosphine-spiro phosphonamidite ligands. Excellent enantiocontrol (>99% ee in most cases) was achieved with a wide range of α-dehydroamino acid esters and α-enamides. This practicable catalytic system was further applied in the scalable synthesis of highly optically pure key intermediates of cinacalcet and d-phenylalanine.

Divergent copper-catalyzed syntheses of 3-carboxylpyrroles and 3-cyanofurans from O-acetyl oximes and β-ketoesters/nitriles

The reaction between O-acetyl oximes and β-ketoesters/nitriles catalyzed by copper generated polysubstituted pyrroles and furans, respectively, under redox–neutral reaction conditions. Using this protocol, pyrroles or furans could be obtained simply by choosing an appropriate active methylene compound. Although both transformations occur essentially under the same reaction conditions, control experiments indicated that they follow different mechanistic pathways.

A copper-catalyzed heteroannulation of O-acetyl oximes and β-ketoesters/nitriles to afford polysubstituted pyrroles and furans was successfully achieved.

Perfluorocarboxylic Anhydrides Triggered Cyclization: Access to 4-Perfluoroalkylpyridines

A double nucleophilic addition-cyclization-elimination cascade is developed, that allows various 2,6-diaryl-4-perfluoroalkylpyridines to be synthesized in one step from easily available enamides and perfluorocarboxylic anhydrides. The procedure is also operationally simple and scalable and provides access to the facial construction of 4-fluoroalkylpyridines, which are of great interest in medicinal chemistry.

Iron-Catalysed Remote C(sp3 )-H Azidation of O-Acyl Oximes and N-Acyloxy Imidates Enabled by 1,5-Hydrogen Atom Transfer of Iminyl and Imidate Radicals: Synthesis of γ-Azido Ketones and β-Azido Alcohols

In the presence of a catalytic amount of iron(III) acetylacetonate [Fe(acac)₃ ], the reaction of structurally diverse ketoxime esters with trimethylsilyl azide (TMSN₃ ) afforded γ-azido ketones in good to excellent yields. This unprecedented distal γ-C(sp³ )-H bond azidation reaction went through a sequence of reductive generation of an iminyl radical, 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer (1,5-HAT) and iron-mediated redox azido transfer to the translocated carbon radical. TMSN₃ served not only as a nitrogen source to functionalise the unactivated C(sp³ )-H bond, but also as a reductant to generate the catalytically active Fe^II species in situ. Based on the same principle, a novel β-C(sp³ )-H functionalisation of alcohols via N-acyloxy imidates was subsequently realised, leading, after hydrolysis of the resulting ester, to β-azido alcohols, which are important building blocks in organic and medicinal chemistry.

Structure-activity relationships, biological evaluation and structural studies of novel pyrrolonaphthoxazepines as antitumor agents

Microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs) are a class of clinically successful anti-cancer drugs. The emergence of multidrug resistance to MTAs imposes the need for developing new MTAs endowed with diverse mechanistic properties. Benzoxazepines were recently identified as a novel class of MTAs. These anticancer agents were thoroughly characterized for their antitumor activity, although, their exact mechanism of action remained elusive. Combining chemical, biochemical, cellular, bioinformatics and structural efforts we developed improved pyrrolonaphthoxazepines antitumor agents and their mode of action at the molecular level was elucidated. Compound 6j, one of the most potent analogues, was confirmed by X-ray as a colchicine-site MTA. A comprehensive structural investigation was performed for a complete elucidation of the structure-activity relationships. Selected pyrrolonaphthoxazepines were evaluated for their effects on cell cycle, apoptosis and differentiation in a variety of cancer cells, including multidrug resistant cell lines. Our results define compound 6j as a potentially useful optimized hit for the development of effective compounds for treating drug-resistant tumors.

A redox-economical synthesis of trifluoromethylated enamides with the Langlois reagent

A redox-economical strategy for the synthesis of trifluoromethylated enamides using copper catalysis is reported. The reaction employs the inexpensive Langlois reagent (CF₃SO₂Na) and takes place without the need of an external oxidant. The trifluoromethylated enamide products can easily be converted into the corresponding ketone, saturated amide or oxazole.

An Efficient Protocol to Synthesize N-Acyl-enamides and -Imines by Pd-Catalyzed Carbonylations

For the first time, the bidentate phosphinite ligand 1,2-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinoxy)ethane (tBu₂ POCH₂ CH₂ OPtBu₂ ) was synthesized. In the presence of this ligand, various N-acyl enamides were obtained in good yields and chemoselectivity by Pd-catalyzed carbonylation reaction of imines containing α-H. Meanwhile, imines without α-H could be transformed to N-acyl imines, which form highly hindered amides by straightforward addition of Grignard reagents.

Transition-metal-free, visible-light-induced oxidative cross-coupling for constructing β-acetylamino acrylosulfones from sodium sulfinates and enamides

A visible-light-induced, Rose Bengal catalyzed photoredox process for synthesizing β-acetylamino acrylosulfones has been discovered.

Metal-Involving Synthesis and Reactions of Oximes

This review classifies and summarizes the past 10-15 years of advancements in the field of metal-involving (i.e., metal-mediated and metal-catalyzed) reactions of oximes. These reactions are diverse in nature and have been employed for syntheses of oxime-based metal complexes and cage-compounds, oxime functionalizations, and the preparation of new classes of organic species, in particular, a wide variety of heterocyclic systems spanning small 3-membered ring systems to macroheterocycles. This consideration gives a general outlook of reaction routes, mechanisms, and driving forces and underlines the potential of metal-involving conversions of oxime species for application in various fields of chemistry and draws attention to the emerging putative targets.

Palladium-catalyzed β-selective C(sp2)–H carboxamidation of enamides by isocyanide insertion: synthesis of N-acyl enamine amides

An efficient synthesis of N-acyl enamine amides via palladium-catalyzed alkene C–H activation and isocyanide insertion has been developed.

Synthesis of tetrasubstituted symmetrical pyridines by iron-catalyzed cyclization of ketoxime acetates

A novel Fe-catalyzed cyclization of ketoxime carboxylates and methyl carbon on N,N-dimethylaniline for the synthesis of 2,3,5,6-tetrasubstituted symmetrical pyridines was developed.

CuI-catalyzed oxidative cross coupling of oximes with tetrahydrofuran: a direct access to O-tetrahydrofuran-2-yl oxime ethers

A CuI-catalyzed oxidative cross coupling of oximes with tetrahydrofuran for the synthesis of O-tetrahydrofuran-2-yl oxime ethers has been developed.

Novel and efficient transformation of enamides into α-acyloxy ketones via an acyl intramolecular migration process

Hydrogen peroxide and anhydride mediated transformation of enamides to afford substituted α-acyloxy ketones is described.

A facile and efficient method for the synthesis of 1,2,4-trisubstituted imidazoles with enamides and benzylamines

A novel and practical method for the construction of 1,2,4-trisubstituted imidazoles with enamides and benzylamines catalysed by CuBr and I₂ has been developed.