One-Pot Electrochemical Nickel-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Sp2-Sp3 Cross-Coupling.

A one-pot electrochemical nickel-catalyzed decarboxylative sp2-sp3 cross-coupling reaction has been developed using redox-active esters prepared in situ from alkyl carboxylates and  N-hydroxyphthalimide tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (PITU). This undivided cell one-pot method enables C-C bond formation using inexpensive, benchtop-stable reagents with isolated yields up to 95% with good functional group tolerance, which includes nitrile, ketone, ester, alkene and selectivity over other aromatic halogens.

Generation and Cross-Coupling of Organozinc Reagents in Flow.

A versatile flow synthesis method for in situ formation of organozinc reagents and subsequent cross-coupling with aryl halides and activated carboxylic acids is reported. Formation of organozinc reagents is achieved by pumping organic halides, in the presence of ZnCl2 and LiCl, through an activated Mg-packed column under flow conditions. This method provides efficient in situ formation of aryl, primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl organozinc reagents, which are subsequently telescoped downstream to a Negishi or decarboxylative Negishi cross-coupling reaction. The described method offers access to a variety of C-C bond formations with organozinc reagents that are otherwise commercially unavailable or difficult to prepare under traditional batch reaction conditions.

Tuning a Protein-Labeling Reaction to Achieve Highly Site Selective Lysine Conjugation.

Activated esters are widely used to label proteins at lysine side chains and N termini. These reagents are useful for labeling virtually any protein, but robust reactivity toward primary amines generally precludes site-selective modification. In a unique case, fluorophenyl esters are shown to preferentially label human kappa antibodies at a single lysine (Lys188) within the light-chain constant domain. Neighboring residues His189 and Asp151 contribute to the accelerated rate of labeling at Lys188 relative to the ≈40 other lysine sites. Enriched Lys188 labeling can be enhanced from 50-70 % to >95 % by any of these approaches: lowering reaction temperature, applying flow chemistry, or mutagenesis of specific residues in the surrounding protein environment. Our results demonstrated that activated esters with fluoro-substituted aromatic leaving groups, including a fluoronaphthyl ester, can be generally useful reagents for site-selective lysine labeling of antibodies and other immunoglobulin-type proteins.

A Combination of Flow and Batch Mode Processes for the Efficient Preparation of mGlu2/3 Receptor Negative Allosteric Modulators (NAMs).

Benzodiazepinones are privileged scaffolds with activity against multiple therapeutically relevant biological targets. In support of our ongoing studies around allosteric modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlus) we required the multigram synthesis of a ß-ketoester key intermediate. We report the continuous flow synthesis of tert-butyl 3-(2-cyanopyridin-4-yl)-3-oxopropanoate and its transformation to potent mGlu2/3 negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) in batch mode.

Continuous-flow synthesis of highly functionalized imidazo-oxadiazoles facilitated by microfluidic extraction.

A versatile continuous-flow synthesis of highly functionalized 1,2,4-oxadiazoles starting from carboxylic acids is reported. This process was applied to the multistep synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-2-yl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles, using a three reactor, multistep continuous-flow system without isolation of intermediates. This continuous-flow method was successfully combined with a single-step liquid-liquid microextraction unit to remove high boiling point polar solvents and impurities and provides the target compounds in high purity with excellent overall yields.

Synthesis of cyclopentenols and cyclopentenones via nickel-catalyzed reductive cycloaddition.

Strategies for the reductive cycloaddition of enals or enoates with alkynes have been developed. The enal-alkyne cycloaddition directly affords cyclopentenols, whereas the enoate-alkyne cycloaddition affords the analogous cyclopentenones. The mechanism of these processes likely involves formation and protonation of a metallacyclic intermediate. The general strategy provides a straightforward entry to five-membered ring products from simple, stable π-systems.

An Automated Process for a Sequential Heterocycle/Multicomponent Reaction: Multistep Continuous Flow Synthesis of 5-(Thiazol-2-yl)-3,4-Dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones.

The first example of a sequential heterocycle formation/multicomponent reaction using an automated continuous flow microreactor assembly is reported. Consecutive Hantzsch thiazole synthesis, deketalization, and Biginelli multicomponent reaction provides rapid and efficient access to highly functionalized, pharmacologically significant 5-(thiazol-2-yl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones without isolation of intermediates. These complex small molecules are generated in reaction times less than 15 min and in high yields (39-46%) over three continuous chemical steps.

Design and synthesis of an orally active metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype-2 (mGluR2) positive allosteric modulator (PAM) that decreases cocaine self-administration in rats.

The modification of 3'-((2-cyclopentyl-6,7-dimethyl-1-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yloxy)methyl)biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BINA, 1) by incorporating heteroatoms into the structure and replacing the cyclopentyl moiety led to the development of new mGluR2 positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) with optimized potency and superior druglike properties. These analogues are more potent than 1 in vitro and are highly selective for mGluR2 vs other mGluR subtypes. They have significantly improved pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, with excellent oral bioavailability and brain penetration. The benzisothiazol-3-one derivative 14 decreased cocaine self-administration in rats, providing proof-of-concept for the use of mGluR2 PAMs for the treatment of cocaine dependence.

One-step continuous flow synthesis of highly substituted pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid derivatives via in situ hydrolysis of tert-butyl esters.

The first one-step, continuous flow synthesis of pyrrole-3-carboxylic acids directly from tert-butyl acetoacetates, amines, and 2-bromoketones is reported. The HBr generated as a byproduct in the Hantzsch reaction was utilized in the flow method to hydrolyze the t-butyl esters in situ to provide the corresponding acids in a single microreactor. The protocol was used in the multistep synthesis of pyrrole-3-carboxamides, including two CB1 inverse agonists, directly from commercially available starting materials in a single continuous process.

Fully automated continuous flow synthesis of highly functionalized imidazo[1,2-a] heterocycles.

The first continuous flow synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-2-carboxylic acids directly from 2-aminopyridines and bromopyruvic acid has been developed, representing a significant advance over the corresponding in-flask method. The process was applied to the multistep synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-2-carboxamides, including a Mur ligase inhibitor, using a two microreactor, multistep continuous flow process without isolation of intermediates.

Evolution of efficient strategies for enone-alkyne and enal-alkyne reductive couplings.

Strategies for the reductive coupling of enones or enals with alkynes have been developed. The reducing agents employed include organozincs, organoboranes, organosilanes, and methanol. The latter of these strategies is simple, cost-effective, and tolerant of many functional groups. Isotopic labeling strategies have provided supporting evidence for the mechanistic proposals.

Structure-activity relationship and improved hydrolytic stability of pyrazole derivatives that are allosteric inhibitors of West Nile Virus NS2B-NS3 proteinase.

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a potentially deadly mosquito-borne flavivirus which has spread rapidly throughout the world. Currently there is no effective vaccine against flaviviral infections. We previously reported the identification of pyrazole ester derivatives as allosteric inhibitors of WNV NS2B-NS3 proteinase. These compounds degrade rapidly in pH 8 buffer with a half life of 1-2h. We now report the design, synthesis and in vitro evaluation of pyrazole derivatives that are inhibitors of WNV NS2B-NS3 proteinase with greatly improved stability in the assay medium.

Highly chemoselective and stereoselective synthesis of z-enol silanes.

Three-component nickel-catalyzed couplings of enals, alkynes, and silanes have been developed as a new entry to enol silanes. The enol silane and a trisubstituted alkene are both formed with >98:2 stereoselectivity, and the reaction tolerates a broad range of functionality including aldehydes, ketones, esters, free hydroxyls, and basic secondary amines. A mechanistic pathway involving the formation of a metallacycle that possesses an eta1 nickel O-enolate motif explains the high level of stereoselection.

Catalytic intermolecular enal-alkyne [3 + 2] reductive cycloadditions.

A catalytic, intermolecular [3 + 2] reductive cycloaddition of enals and alkynes has been developed. The method provides a nickel-catalyzed strategy for combining two simple acyclic pi-systems into a five-membered ring product by effecting a net two-electron reduction of the starting materials mediated by triethylborane as the reducing agent. The use of a protic solvent is a key feature of the process.