Stereoselective synthesis of sugar mimetics from simple monosaccharides

A number of bicyclic imino- and carba-sugars (examples are presented in the Scheme) can be obtained from simple monosaccharides (hexoses or pentoses) by various methods.

3-Hydroxy-2-Pyrrolidinone as a Potential Bidentate Ligand for in Vivo Chelation of Uranyl with Low Cytotoxicity and Moderate Decorporation Efficacy: A Solution Thermodynamics, Structural Chemistry, and in Vivo Uranyl Removal Survey

Uranium poses a threat for severe renal and bone damage in vivo. With the rapid development of nuclear industry, it is more urgent than ever to search for potential in vivo uranium chelators. In this work, 3-hydroxy-2-pyrrolidinone (HPD) is investigated as a new potential uranium decorporation ligand. The potentiometric titration measurements were carried out, and the stability constants were determined to be log β₁₁₀ = 10.5(7), log β₁₂₀ = 20.7(9), and log β₁₃₀ = 28.2(4). The species distribution diagram shows that nearly all uranyl is complexed by HPD at pH 7.4 under the defined condition. A single crystal of uranyl and HPD complexes, [(UO₂)₃O(H₂O)₃(C₄H₆NO₂)₃]·NO₃·12H₂O (uranyl-HPD), was obtained via an evaporation method. The overall structure of uranyl-HPD is a trimer that consists of three uranyl units and three HPD ligands. The uranyl unit is equatorially coordinated by three oxygen atoms from two HPD agents, one coordinated water molecule, and one μ₃-O atom that is shared by three uranyl units. The results of the cytotoxicity assay indicate that the ligand is less toxic than the chelators used clinically (i.e., DTPA-ZnNa₃ and 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethyl-4(1 H)-pyridone (DFP)). The results of the uranium removal assay using the NRK-52E cell show that it could reduce as much as 58% of the uranium content at the cellular level. Furthermore, the in vivo uranium decorporation assays demonstrate that HPD can remove 52% of uranium deposited in the kidney but shows poor uranium removal efficacy in the bone.

Palladium-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of aniline-tethered alkylidenecyclopropanes with O2: a facile protocol to selectively synthesize 2- and 3-vinylindoles

A facile and versatile palladium catalyzed oxidative cyclization of aniline-tethered alkylidenecyclopropanes with O₂ to selectively construct important synthetic intermediates 2- and 3-vinylindoles in moderate to good yields has been developed.

Divergent synthesis of indole-fused polycycles via Rh(ii)-catalyzed intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition and C–H functionalization of indolyltriazoles

Intramolecular formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition and C–H functionalization of N-sulfonyl triazoles with indoles have been developed to synthesize potential indole-fused polycycles.

Development of Environmentally Benign Organometallic Catalysis for Drug Discovery and Its Application

We have developed a novel organometallic catalysis and applied it to drug discovery. Two new catalysts were found, ruthenium hydride with a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic carbene (A) and an organopalladium catalyst supported on a sulfur-terminated semiconductor, gallium arsenide (001) (B). Both catalysts are environmentally benign, because A can yield indole derivatives with good atom economy, and B can catalyze the Mizoroki-Heck reaction more than 10 times with only trace amounts of leached palladium (ppb level). We also describe our synthetic study of nitrogen-containing heterocycles using ring-closing metathesis (RCM), such as chiral bicyclic lactams, azacycloundecenes, axially chiral macrolactams, 1,2-dihydroquinolines and indoles, including the development of silyl-enol ether ene metathesis, selective isomerization of terminal olefin, enamide metathesis and cycloisomerization and its application to the syntheis of 4 natural products, (-)-coniceine, (S)-pyrrolam A, angustureine, and fistulosin.

1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Chemistry for the Preparation of Novel Indolizinone-Based Compounds

[Chemical reaction: See text] Starting from methyl 5-oxo-6-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy-1,2,3,5-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylate, obtained by a Rh(II)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 1-(2-benzenesulfonyl-2-diazoacetyl)pyrrolidin-2-one and methyl acrylate, several indolo- and furano-fused indolizinones were efficiently prepared. In the first case, a palladium-mediated C-N coupling of the triflate with a variety of substituted anilines provided the desired methyl 5-oxo-6-(arylamino)-1,2,3,5-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylates in high yield. Methyl 6-(2-bromophenylamino)-5-oxo-1,2,3,5-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylate as well as its decarboxylated analogue, 6-(2-bromophenylamino)-2,3-dihydro-1H-indolizin-5-one, were synthesized in excellent yield and were found to undergo an intramolecular Heck cyclization to give 1,2,3,6-tetrahydroindolizino[6,7-b]indol-5-ones. To prepare furano-fused indolizinones, methyl 6-hydroxy-5-oxo-1,2,3,5-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylate was etherified with different allyl halides, and the resultant allyl ethers were subjected to a thermal Claisen rearrangement to give the corresponding methyl 7-allyl-6-hydroxy-5-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylates. Cyclization under Wacker oxidation conditions afforded methyl 2-methyl-8-oxo-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1-oxa-7a-aza-s-indacene-4-carboxylates in near-quantitative yield.

Asymmetric synthesis of hydroxylated pyrrolizidine, indolizidine, and (+)-alpha-conhydrine via ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogenation

The enantioselective ruthenium promoted hydrogenation of beta-keto ester, derived from (S)- or (R)-proline and (S)-pipecolic acid, provided a new efficient route to hydroxylated pyrrolizidine or indolizidine ring systems in diastereomeric excesses up to 99%. A practical synthesis of (+)-alpha-conhydrine is also reported.