Ni-Catalyzed Reductive Arylalkenylation of Alkynes for the Selective Synthesis of Polysubstituted Naphthalenes

A Ni-catalyzed reductive arylalkenylation of alkynes with 1-bromo-2-(2-chlorovinyl)arenes in the presence of zinc powder has been developed. This base-free cyclization provides a novel protocol for the selective synthesis of 2-trifluoromethyl naphthalenes and ethyl 2-naphthoates from simple starting materials in moderate to good yields with excellent tolerance of functional groups.

Selective DYRK1A Inhibitor for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes: Discovery of 6-Azaindole Derivative GNF2133

Autoimmune deficiency and destruction in either β-cell mass or function can cause insufficient insulin levels and, as a result, hyperglycemia and diabetes. Thus, promoting β-cell proliferation could be one approach toward diabetes intervention. In this report we describe the discovery of a potent and selective DYRK1A inhibitor GNF2133, which was identified through optimization of a 6-azaindole screening hit. In vitro, GNF2133 is able to proliferate both rodent and human β-cells. In vivo, GNF2133 demonstrated significant dose-dependent glucose disposal capacity and insulin secretion in response to glucose-potentiated arginine-induced insulin secretion (GPAIS) challenge in rat insulin promoter and diphtheria toxin A (RIP-DTA) mice. The work described here provides new avenues to disease altering therapeutic interventions in the treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Synthesis of Indoles via Electron-Catalyzed Intramolecular C-N Bond Formation

A new protocol for the preparation of N-substituted indole-3-carboxylates has been developed. The key C-N bond formation occurs under transition-metal-free conditions employing a t-BuOK/DMF system without special initiators or additives. Across a number of substrates, indoles were afforded in yields higher or comparable to those obtained under transition-metal-catalyzed conditions. While demonstrating high functional group tolerance, new conditions are particularly attractive for manufacturing halogenated indoles that cannot be made in a pure form using other metal-based catalytic methods.

Preparation of "Constrained Geometry" Titanium Complexes of [1,2]Azasilinane Framework for Ethylene/1-Octene Copolymerization

The Me₂Si-bridged ansa-Cp/amido half-metallocene, [Me₂Si(η⁵-Me₄C₅)(N^tBu)]TiCl₂, termed a "constrained-geometry catalyst (CGC)", is a representative homogeneous Ziegler catalyst. CGC derivatives with the [1,2]azasilinane framework, in which the amide alkyl substituent is joined by the Si-bridge, were prepared, and the catalytic performances of these species was studied. Me₄C₅HSi(Me)(CH₂CH=CH₂)-NH(C(R)(R')CH=CH₂) (R, R' = H or methyl; Me₄C₅H = tetramethylcyclopentadienyl) was susceptible to ring closure metathesis (RCM) when treated with Schrock's Mo-catalyst to afford -Si(Me₄C₅H)(Me)CH₂CH=CHC(R)(R')NH- containing a six-membered ring framework. Using the precursors and the products of RCM, various CGC derivatives, i.e., [-Si(η⁵-Me₄C₅)(Me)CH₂CH=CHC(R)(H)N-]TiMe₂ (13, R = H; 15, R = Me), [-Si(η⁵-Me₄C₅)(Me)CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂N]TiMe₂ (14), [(η⁵-Me₄C₅)Si(Me)(CH₂CH=CH₂)NCH₂CH=CH₂]TiMe₂ (16), [(η⁵-Me₄C₅)Si (Me)(CH=CH₂)NCH₂CH=CH₂]TiMe₂ (17), and [(η⁵-Me₄C₅)Si(Me)(CH₂CH₃)NCH₂CH₂CH₃]TiMe₂ (18), were prepared. The catalytic activity of the newly prepared complexes was lower than that of CGC when activated with [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄]/iBu₃Al. However, the catalytic activity of these species was improved by using tetrabutylaluminoxane ([iBu₂Al]₂O) instead of iBu₃Al and the activity of 14/[Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄]/[iBu₂Al]₂O was comparable to that of CGC/[Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄]/iBu₃Al (4.7 and 5.0 × 10⁶ g/mol-Ti, respectively). Advantageously, the newly prepared complexes produced higher molecular weight poly(ethylene-co-1-octene)s than CGC.

One-pot construction of sterically challenging and diverse polyarylphenols via transition-metal-free benzannulation and their potent in vitro antioxidant activity

One pot novel synthesis of highly functionalized polyarylphenols via benzannulation under transition-metal-free conditions and their antioxidant activities are described.

A practical synthesis of indoles via a Pd-catalyzed C-N ring formation

A method for the synthesis of N-functionalized C2-/C3-substituted indoles via Pd-catalyzed C-N bond coupling of halo-aryl enamines is described. The general strategy utilizes a variety of amines and β-keto esters which are elaborated into halo-aryl enamines as latent precursors to indoles. The preferred conditions comprising the RuPhos precatalyst and RuPhos in the presence of NaOMe in 1,4-dioxane tolerate a variety of substituents and are scalable for the construction of indoles in multigram quantities.

Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of N-tert-prenylindoles

Palladium-catalyzed N-tert-prenylations of indoles, tricarbonylchromium-activated indoles, and indolines that occur in high yields (up to 94%) with high tert-prenyl-to-n-prenyl selectivity (up to 12:1) are reported.

Palladium- and copper-mediated N-aryl bond formation reactions for the synthesis of biological active compounds

N-Arylated aliphatic and aromatic amines are important substituents in many biologically active compounds. In the last few years, transition-metal-mediated N-aryl bond formation has become a standard procedure for the introduction of amines into aromatic systems. While N-arylation of simple aromatic halides by simple amines works with many of the described methods in high yield, the reactions may require detailed optimization if applied to the synthesis of complex molecules with additional functional groups, such as natural products or drugs. We discuss and compare in this review the three main N-arylation methods in their application to the synthesis of biologically active compounds: Palladium-catalysed Buchwald-Hartwig-type reactions, copper-mediated Ullmann-type and Chan-Lam-type N-arylation reactions. The discussed examples show that palladium-catalysed reactions are favoured for large-scale applications and tolerate sterically demanding substituents on the coupling partners better than Chan-Lam reactions. Chan-Lam N-arylations are particularly mild and do not require additional ligands, which facilitates the work-up. However, reaction times can be very long. Ullmann- and Buchwald-Hartwig-type methods have been used in intramolecular reactions, giving access to complex ring structures. All three N-arylation methods have specific advantages and disadvantages that should be considered when selecting the reaction conditions for a desired C-N bond formation in the course of a total synthesis or drug synthesis.

Indole prenylation in alkaloid synthesis

Important biologically active indole alkaloids are decorated with prenyl (3,3-dimethylallyl) and tert-prenyl (1,1-dimethylallyl) groups. Covering the literature until the end of 2010, this review article comprehensively summarises and discusses the currently available technologies of prenylation and tert-prenylation of indoles, which have been applied in natural products total syntheses or could be applied there in the near future. We focus on those procedures which introduce the C(5) units in one step, organised according to the indole position to be functionalised. Key strategies include electrophilic and nucleophilic prenylation and tert-prenylation, prenyl and tert-prenyl rearrangements, transition metal-mediated reactions and enzymatic methods.

Electrophilic aromatic substitution of a BN indole

We report the first examples of a "BN-fused" indole, and we demonstrate that this new family of unnatural indole derivatives undergoes electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS) reactions with the same regioselectivity as its organic analogue. Competition experiments reveal that N-t-Bu-BN-indole is more nucleophilic in EAS reactions than its carbonaceous counterpart. X-ray structural analysis between BN indole and classic indole highlights significant differences in bond distances, in particular for bonds associated with the boron atom.

Diamine Ligands in Copper-Catalyzed Reactions

The utility of copper-mediated cross-coupling reactions has been significantly increased by the development of mild reaction conditions and the ability to employ catalytic amounts of copper. The use of diamine-based ligands has been important in these advances and in this review we discuss these systems, including the choice of reaction conditions and applications in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, natural products and designed materials.