Electrophotochemical Synthesis Facilitated Trifluoromethylation of Arenes Using Trifluoroacetic Acid.

The trifluoromethyl (CF3) group is an essential moiety in medicinal chemistry due to its unique physicochemical properties. While trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is an inexpensive and easily accessible reagent, its use as a source of CF3 is highly challenging due to its high oxidation potential. In this study, we present a novel electrophotochemical approach that enables the use of TFA as the CF3 source for the selective, catalyst- and oxidant-free trifluoromethylation of (hetero)arenes. Key to our approach is the selective oxidation of TFA over arenes, generating CF3 radicals through oxidative decarboxylation. This strategy enables the sustainable and environmentally-friendly synthesis of CF3-, CF2H- and perfluoroalkyl-containing (hetero)arenes with a broad range of substrates. Importantly, our results demonstrate significantly improved chemoselectivity by light irradiation, opening up new possibilities for the synthetic and medicinal applications of TFA as an ideal yet underutilized CF3 source.

4'-O-substitutions determine selectivity of aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Clinical use of 2-deoxystreptamine aminoglycoside antibiotics, which target the bacterial ribosome, is compromised by adverse effects related to limited drug selectivity. Here we present a series of 4',6'-O-acetal and 4'-O-ether modifications on glucopyranosyl ring I of aminoglycosides. Chemical modifications were guided by measuring interactions between the compounds synthesized and ribosomes harbouring single point mutations in the drug-binding site, resulting in aminoglycosides that interact poorly with the drug-binding pocket of eukaryotic mitochondrial or cytosolic ribosomes. Yet, these compounds largely retain their inhibitory activity for bacterial ribosomes and show antibacterial activity. Our data indicate that 4'-O-substituted aminoglycosides possess increased selectivity towards bacterial ribosomes and little activity for any of the human drug-binding pockets.

Oxidative amination of cuprated pyrimidine and purine derivatives.

Using regioselective cuprations (via magnesiations), various primary, secondary and tertiary aminated pyrimidine and purine derivatives were prepared by the oxidative coupling of lithium amidocuprates using chloranil. DNA and RNA units such as aminated uracil or thymine, and adenine, as well as a CDK inhibitor, purvalanol A, were all obtained under mild conditions and satisfactory yields.

Ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer with strongly twisted aminobenzonitriles: 4-(di-tert-butylamino)benzonitrile and 3-(di-tert-butylamino)benzonitrile.

The newly synthesized aminobenzonitriles with two bulky amino substituents 4-(di-tert-butylamino)benzonitrile (DTABN) and 3-(di-tert-butylamino)benzonitrile (mDTABN) have strongly twisted amino groups in the ground state. From X-ray crystal analysis it is found that the amino twist angle theta of mDTABN equals 86.5 degrees , whereas a twist angle of around 75 degrees is deduced for DTABN from the extinction coefficient of its lowest-energy absorption band in n-hexane. Because of the electronic decoupling between the amino and benzonitrile groups caused by these large twist angles, the absorption of DTABN and mDTABN is relatively weak below 40000 cm-1, with extinction coefficients around 25 times smaller than those of the planar 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN). DTABN as well as mDTABN undergo efficient intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in the singlet excited state, in nonpolar (n-hexane) as well as in polar (acetonitrile) solvents. Their fluorescence spectra consist of an ICT emission band, without evidence for locally excited (LE) fluorescence. The occurrence of efficient ICT with mDTABN is different from the findings with all other N,N-dialkylaminobenzonitriles in the literature, for which ICT only appears with the para-derivative. From solvatochromic measurements, an ICT dipole moment of 17 D is determined for DTABN as well as for mDTABN, similar to that of DMABN. The picosecond fluorescence decays of DTABN (time resolution 3 ps) are effectively single exponential. Their decay time is equal to the ICT lifetime tau'0(ICT), which increases with solvent polarity from 0.86 ns in n-hexane to 3.48 ns in MeCN at 25 degrees C. The femtosecond excited-state absorption (ESA) spectra of DTABN in n-hexane and MeCN at 22 degrees C show a decay of the LE and a corresponding rise of the ICT absorption. The ICT reaction time is 70 fs in n-hexane and 60 fs in MeCN. DTABN and mDTABN may have a strongly twisted ICT state, similar to that of 6-cyanobenzoquinuclidine but different from that of DMABN.

Organosulfur compounds: electrophilic reagents in transition-metal-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions.

Transition-metal-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions are among the most powerful methods in organic synthesis and play a crucial role in modern materials science and medicinal chemistry. Recent developments in the area of ligands and additives permit the cross-coupling of a large variety of reactants, including inexpensive and readily available sulfonyl chlorides. Their desulfitative carbon-carbon cross-coupling reactions (Negishi, Stille, carbonylative Stille, Suzuki-Miyaura, and Sonogashira-Hagihara-type cross-couplings and Mizoroki-Heck-type arylations) are reviewed together with carbon-carbon cross-coupling reactions with other organosulfur compounds as electrophilic reagents.

Palladium-catalyzed desulfitative Mizoroki-Heck couplings of sulfonyl chlorides with mono- and disubstituted olefins: rhodium-catalyzed desulfitative heck-type reactions under phosphine- and base-free conditions.

New conditions have been found for the desulfitative Mizoroki-Heck arylation and trifluoromethylation of mono- and disubustituted olefins with arenesulfonyl and trifluoromethanesulfonyl chlorides. Thus (E)-1,2-disubstituted alkenes with high stereoselectivity and 1,1,2-disubstituted alkenes with 12:1 to 21:1 E/Z steroselectivity can be obtained. Herrmann's palladacycle at 0.1 mol % is sufficient to catalyze these reactions, for which electron-rich or electron-poor sulfonyl chlorides and alkenes are suitable. If phosphine- and base-free conditions are required, 1 mol % [RhCl(C(2)H(4))(2)] catalyzes the desulfitative cross-coupling reactions. Contrary to results reported for [RuCl(2)(PPh(3))(2)]-catalyzed coupling reactions with sulfonyl chlorides, the palladium and rhodium desulfitative Mizoroki-Heck coupling reactions are not inhibited by radical scavenging agents. Possible sulfones arising from the sulfonylation of alkenes at 60 degrees C are not desulfitated at higher temperatures in the presence of the Pd or Rh catalysts.

Sulfur dioxide mediated one-pot, three- and four-component syntheses of polyfunctional sulfonamides and sulfonic esters: study of the stereoselectivity of the ene reaction of sulfur dioxide.

The ene reaction of sulfur dioxide with enoxysilanes or with allylsilanes generates silyl sulfinates that can be brominated (Br(2) or NBS) or chlorinated (NCS or Cl(2)) to produce the corresponding sulfonyl halides. They react with primary and secondary amines or alcohols to give the corresponding sulfonamides and sulfonic esters, respectively. The hetero-Diels-Alder addition of sulfur dioxide to 1-oxy- or 1,3-dioxy-1,3-dienes generates zwitterions that add to enoxysilanes or allylsilanes giving silyl sulfinates that can be converted in situ into polyfunctional sulfonamides or sulfonic esters. This realizes quick access to libraries of complicated sulfonamides and sulfonic esters applying one-pot, three- and four-component methods.

Palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings of sulfonyl chlorides and boronic acids.

[reaction: see text] R = tolyl, phenyl, 4-halophenyl, 1-naphthyl, 2-nitrophenyl, benzyl, methallyl, r1 = aryl, heteroaryl, alkenyl. Arene-, arylmethane, and alk-2-ene-1-sulfonyl chlorides undergo Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling with arene-, heteroarene-, and alkeneboronic acids in THF at reflux. The reactivity order is ArI > ArSO(2)Cl > ArBr >> ArCl.

Palladium-catalyzed Stille cross-couplings of sulfonyl chlorides and organostannanes.

Arene and phenylmethanesulfonyl chlorides can be cross-coupled with aryl, heteroaryl, and alkenylstannanes with desulfitation in the presence of 10 mol % CuBr.Me2S, 1.5 mol % Pd2dba3, and 5 mol % tri-2-furylphosphine in tetrahydrofuran or toluene under reflux. This extension of the Stille cross-coupling reaction realizes a new and economical method for the generation of C-C bonds. The palladium-catalyzed carbonylative Stille cross-coupling reactions of arenesulfonyl chlorides and organostannanes in the presence of CO (60 bar) at 110 degrees C in toluene generate the corresponding ketones. Arenesulfonyl chlorides are more reactive than aryl chlorides and aryl bromides in their Stille cross-coupling with organostannanes but less reactive than aryl iodides. The new methods disclosed for the generation of C-C bonds open new possibilities for medicinal chemistry and material sciences.

Scope and limitations of the double [4+3]-cycloadditions of 2-oxyallyl cations to 2,2'-methylenedifuran and derivatives.

The reactivity of various 2-oxyallyl cations toward 2,2'-methylenedifuran (1b), 2,2'-(hydroxymethyl)difuran (1c), 2,2'-(trimethylsilylmethylene)difuran (1d), and di(2-furyl)methanone (1e) has been explored. Difuryl derivatives 1c, 1d, and 1e refused to undergo formal double [4+3]-cycloadditions. Conditions have been found to convert 1b into meso-1,1'-methylenedi[(1R,1'S,5S,5'R)- (3) and (+/-)-1,1'-methylenedi[(1RS,1'SR,5SR,5'RS)-8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-6-en-3-one] (4) that do not require CF(3)CH(OH)CF(3) as solvent. High yields of meso-1,1'-methylenedi[(1R,1'S,2S,2'R,4R,4'S,5S,5'R)- (5) and (+/-)-1,1'-methylenedi[(1RS,1'RS,2SR,2'SR,4RS,4'RS,5SR,5'SR)-2,4-dimethyl-8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-6-en-3-one] (6) have been obtained when 1b was reacted with 2,4-dibromopentan-3-one (7h) and NaI/Cu.