Facile modular synthesis of jasmonoyl-l-isoleucine analogs possessing a pyrazolidin-3-one core.

A short and flexible route to pyrazolidin-3-one analogs of the phytohormone (+)-7-iso-jasmonoyl-l-isoleucine is presented. The compounds were assembled from four basic building blocks, namely a pyrazolidin-3-one core, alkyl chain, linker and amino ester or acid. The efficacy of this approach was demonstrated in the synthesis of 11 analogs with variations in all parts of the molecule.

Biological activities of 4H-thiochromen-4-one 1,1-dioxide derivatives against tropical disease parasites: A target-based drug design approach.

A promising strategy for developing novel therapies against tropical diseases, including malaria, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis, is to detect biological targets such as trypanothione reductase, a vital parasite enzyme that regulates oxidative stress. This enzyme is highly selective and conserved in the Trypanosotidae family and has an ortholog in the Plasmodium genus. Previous studies have established that an isosteric replacement of naphthoquinone's carbonyl group with a sulfone group leads to compounds with high bioactivity and selectivity (half-maximal inhibitory concentration = 3 µM against intracellular amastigotes of L. panamensis, selectivity index = 153 over monocytes U-937). In this study, we analyzed the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of parasites through indirect measurements of the tryparedoxin system after treatment with these isosteric compounds. This strategy proved that a significant increase in the ROS levels and strong mitochondrial perturbation led to the death of parasites due to cell homeostatic imbalance, confirming the compounds' effectiveness in disrupting this important metabolic pathway. To improve understanding of the parasite-molecule interaction, 27 new compounds were synthesized and assessed against parasites of the three principal tropical diseases (malaria, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis), displaying an EC50 below 10 µM and good correlation with in-silico studies, indicating that the 4H-thiochromen-4-one 1,1-dioxide core is a special allosteric modulator. It can interact in the binding pocket through key amino acids like Ser-14, Leu-17, Trp-21, Ser-109, Tyr-110, and Met-113, leading to interhelical disruption.

The Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Bisquinolizidine Alkaloids: A Modular "Inside-Out" Approach.

Bisquinolizidine alkaloids are characterized by a chiral bispidine core (3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane) to which combinations of an α,N-fused 2-pyridone, an endo- or exo-α,N-annulated piperidin(on)e, and an exo-allyl substituent are attached. We developed a modular "inside-out" approach that permits access to most members of this class. Its applicability was proven in the asymmetric synthesis of 21 natural bisquinolizidine alkaloids, among them more than ten first enantioselective total syntheses. Key steps are the first successful preparation of both enantiomers of C2 -symmetric 2,6-dioxobispidine by desymmetrization of a 2,4,6,8-tetraoxo precursor, the construction of the α,N-fused 2-pyridone by using an enamine-bromoacrylic acid strategy, and the installation of endo- or, optionally, exo-annulated piperidin(on)es.

The First Modular Route to Core-Chiral Bispidine Ligands and Their Application in Enantioselective Copper(II)-Catalyzed Henry Reactions.

The first modular and flexible synthesis of core-chiral bispidines was achieved by using an "inside-out" strategy. The key intermediate, a NBoc-activated bispidine lactam, was constructed in enantiomerically pure form from a chirally modified ß-amino acid and 2-(acetoxymethyl)acrylonitrile in just five steps and good 48% yield. A simple addition-reduction protocol permitted a highly endo-selective introduction of substituents and, thus, a fast and variable access to 2-endo-substituted and 2-endo,N-fused bi- and tricyclic bispidines. The new diamines were evaluated as the chiral ligands in asymmetric Henry reactions. Excellent enantioselectivities of up to 99% ee and good diastereomeric ratios of up to 86:14 were reached with a copper(II) complex modified by a 2-endo,N-(3,3-dimethylpyrrolidine)-annelated bispidine. Its performance is superior to that of the well-known bispidines (-)-sparteine and the (+)-sparteine surrogate.

(2S,5R)-2-Methylaminomethyl-1-methyl-5-phenylpyrrolidine, a chiral diamine ligand for copper(II)-catalysed Henry reactions with superb enantiocontrol.

A cis-2-aminomethyl-5-phenylpyrrolidine, which is easily available from methyl Boc-L-pyroglutamate, was found to be a highly efficient chiral ligand for Cu(II)-catalysed Henry reactions. Excellent yields (>90%) and superb levels of enantiocontrol (98.5-99.6% ee) were reached with aromatic, heteroaromatic, vinylic, and aliphatic aldehydes (36 examples).

Chiral 2-endo-substituted 9-oxabispidines: novel ligands for enantioselective copper(II)-catalyzed Henry reactions.

A flexible approach, applicable on a gram scale, to chiral 2-endo-substituted 9-oxabispidines was developed. The key intermediate, a cis-configured 6-aminomethylmorpholine-2-carbonitrile, was prepared from (R)-3-aminopropane-1,2-diol and 2-chloroacrylonitrile. The 2-endo substituent was introduced by Grignard addition, cyclization, and exo-selective reduction, thus furnishing the enantiomerically pure bi- and tricyclic 9-oxabispidines in 19-59 % yield. The CuCl(2) complex of the tricyclic 9-oxabispidine, which carries an 2-endo,N-anellated piperidine ring, is an excellent catalyst for enantioselective Henry reactions giving the S-configured beta-nitro alcohols in 91-98 % ee (13 examples). Surprisingly, the analogous copper complexes of the bicyclic 9-oxabispidines delivered the enantiocomplementary R-configured products in 33-57 % ee. The respective transition states were discussed.

A novel one-pot procedure for the stereoselective synthesis of alpha-hydroxy esters from ortho esters.

A novel one-pot procedure for the stereoselective synthesis of alpha-hydroxy esters from ortho esters was developed. Key steps were multi-heteroatom Cope rearrangements of O-acylated N-hydroxy-l-tert-leucinol-derived oxazoline N-oxides leading to alpha-acyloxy oxazolines and, after methanolysis, to the target molecules in 67-80% yield and 94-98% ee.

A flexible route to chiral 2-endo-substituted 9-oxabispidines and their application in the enantioselective oxidation of secondary alcohols.

A new and flexible route to enantiomerically pure bi- and tricyclic 9-oxabispidines has been developed with use of (1R,5S)-7-methyl-2-oxo-9-oxa-3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-3-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester as the common late-stage intermediate. The 9-oxabispidines synthesized were evaluated as the chiral ligands in the Pd(II)-catalyzed oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols giving good to excellent selectivity factors of up to 19.

Enantioselective synthesis of tricyclic amino acid derivatives based on a rigid 4-azatricyclo[5.2.1.0]decane skeleton.

An enantioselective route to four tricyclic amino acids and N-tosylamides, composed of a central norbornane framework with a 2-endo,3-endo-annelated pyrrolidine ring and a 5-endo-C1 or -C2 side chain, has been developed. A key intermediate was the chiral, N-Boc-protected ketone (1R,2S,6S,7R)-4-azatricyclo[5.2.1.0²,6]decan-8-one, available from inexpensive endo-carbic anhydride in five steps and 47% yield. The rigid scaffold makes these amino acid derivatives promising candidates for beta-turn-inducing building blocks in peptidomimetics and for chiral auxiliaries in asymmetric organocatalysis.

Atroposelective synthesis of axially chiral biaryl compounds.

A rotationally hindered and thus stereogenic biaryl axis is the structurally and stereochemically decisive element of a steadily growing number of natural products, chiral auxiliaries, and catalysts. Thus, it is not surprising that significant advances have been made in the asymmetric synthesis of axially chiral biaryl compounds over the past decade. In addition to the classic approach (direct stereoselective aryl-aryl coupling), innovative concepts have been developed in which the asymmetric information is introduced into a preformed, but achiral-that is, symmetric or configurationally labile-biaryl compound, or in which an aryl--C single bond is stereoselectively transformed into an axis. This Review classifies these strategies according to their underlying concepts and critically evaluates their scope and limitations with reference to selected model reactions and applications. Furthermore, the preconditions required for the existence of axial chirality in biaryl compounds are discussed.

Synthesis of enantiopure axially chiral C3-symmetric tripodal ligands and their application as catalysts in the asymmetric addition of dialkylzinc to aldehydes.

The enantioselective synthesis of a novel-type C(3)-symmetric tripodal ligand that is composed of a central mesitylene-derived core and three functionalized, axially chiral biaryl subunits is described. The triol (M,M,M)-3 is a suitable catalyst for the enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc to various aromatic aldehydes with asymmetric inductions of up to 98% ee.