Moderately Oxidizing Thioxanthylium Organophotoredox Catalysts for Radical-Cation Diels-Alder Reactions.

Moderately oxidizing thioxanthylium photoredox catalysts that operate under irradiation with green light have been developed. These catalysts exhibit relatively moderate excited-state reduction potentials [E1/2(C*/C•-) = 1.75-1.94 V vs saturated calomel electrode (SCE)] and can efficiently promote radical-cation Diels-Alder reactions under irradiation with green light. Interestingly, ß-halogenostyrenes (Ep/2 = 1.57-1.61 V vs SCE) are well tolerated, affording synthetically useful halocyclohexenes.

A new cycloaddition profile for ortho-quinone methides: photoredox-catalyzed [6+4] cycloadditions for synthesis of benzo[b]cyclopenta[e]oxepines.

Visible-light-induced [6+4] cycloaddition reactions of ortho-quinone methides have been developed. The reaction of ortho-quinone methides with pentafulvenes in the presence of a thioxanthylium photoredox catalyst afforded benzo[b]cyclopenta[e]oxepines. The present reaction represents a promising tool for the synthesis of natural products and bioactive compounds that contain a benzoxepine structure.

Visible-light-induced [4 + 2] cycloaddition of pentafulvenes by organic photoredox catalysis.

We have developed thioxanthylium photoredox catalyzed [4 + 2] cycloaddition of pentafulvenes at room temperature under green light irradiation, which affords tetrahydrocyclopenta[b]chromenes with high regioselectivities. The present reaction provides a sustainable approach to carry out the cycloaddition of pentafulvenes without the use of transition metal catalysts or high-temperature conditions. This procedure enables a mild and straightforward access to 1,3a,9,9a-tetrahydrocyclopenta[b]chromenes. The quantum yield of the reaction (Φ = 0.15) indicates that the reaction would mainly proceed via photocatalytic pathways.

Redox Potential Controlled Selective Oxidation of Styrenes for Regio- and Stereoselective Crossed Intermolecular [2 + 2] Cycloaddition via Organophotoredox Catalysis.

A redox potential controlled intermolecular [2 + 2] cross-cycloaddition has been developed in the presence of a thioxanthylium photoredox catalyst. Electron-rich styrenes such as ß-bromostyrene (Ep/2 = +1.61 V vs SCE) were selectively oxidized by a thioxanthylium photoredox catalyst (E1/2 (C*/C•-) = +1.76 V vs SCE) to styryl radical cations and reacted with styrene (Ep/2 = +1.97 V vs SCE) to furnish polysubstituted cyclobutanes in high yields. The present reaction can be successfully applied to intermolecular [2 + 2] cross-cycloaddition of ß-halogenostyrenes, which cannot be effectively achieved by the hitherto reported representative organophotoredox catalysts.

Access to Electron-Deficient 2,2-Disubstituted Chromanes: A Highly Regioselective One-Pot Synthesis via an Inverse-Electron-Demand [4 + 2] Cycloaddition of ortho-Quinone Methides.

We report the one-pot synthesis of 2,2-disubstituted chromanes with electron-withdrawing substituents. This reaction provides a simple yet efficient route to a wide range of electron-deficient chromanes in high yield and excellent regioselectivity. The reaction of salicylaldehyde with 1,1-disubstituted ethylenes smoothly furnishes these electron-deficient chromanes, which can be further transformed into functionalized chromanes or chromene. For example, BW683C was effectively synthesized from 5-chlorosalicylaldehyde with 4-chlorostyrene in two steps in excellent yield. The present reaction thus provides versatile access to functionalized electron-deficient chromanes and chromenes and therefore constitutes a promising tool for the synthesis of biologically and photochemically active molecules.

Friedel-Crafts approach to the one-pot synthesis of methoxy-substituted thioxanthylium salts.

An efficient synthesis of methoxy-substituted thioxanthylium salts has been developed. The reaction of diaryl sulfides with benzoyl chlorides in the presence of TfOH smoothly proceeded to give the desired thioxanthylium salts in good yields. In their UV-vis spectra, the maximum absorption wavelengths of methoxy-functionalized thioxanthylium salts were observed at around 460 nm, which show a drastic red shift compared to the parent thioxanthylium salts. The present reaction provides a versatile access to functionalized thioxanthylium salts, and therefore it constitutes a promising tool for the synthesis of biologically and photochemically active molecules.

Organophotoredox-Catalyzed Intermolecular Oxa-[4+2] Cycloaddition Reactions.

An intermolecular oxa-[4+2] cycloaddition reaction promoted by a thioxanthylium photoredox catalyst under irradiation with green light has been developed. The reaction of ortho-quinone methides with styrenes smoothly affords the desired cycloadducts. Especially styrenes bearing electron-donating groups are efficiently transformed in this reaction. This method represents a sustainable way to carry out oxa-[4+2] cycloaddition reactions using only a catalytic amount of a photocatalyst and visible light.

Treatment of oral cancer using magnetized paclitaxel.

N,N'-Bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine iron (Fe(Salen)) is an anti-cancer agent with intrinsic magnetic property. Here, we covalently linked Fe(Salen) to paclitaxel (PTX), a widely used anti-cancer drug, to obtain a magnetized paclitaxel conjugate (M-PTX), which exhibited magnetic characteristics for magnet-guided drug delivery and MRI visualization. M-PTX increased apoptosis and G2/M arrest of cultured human oral cancer cell lines in the same manner as PTX. Furthermore, marked contrast intensity was obtained in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of M-PTX. In a mouse oral cancer model, a permanent magnet placed on the body surface adjacent to the tumor resulted in distinct accumulation of M-PTX, and the anti-cancer effect was greater than that of M-PTX without the magnet. We believe that this strategy may improve future cancer chemotherapy by providing conventional anti-cancer drugs with novel functionalities such as magnet-guided drug delivery or MRI-based visualization/quantitation of drug distribution.

The iron chelating agent, deferoxamine detoxifies Fe(Salen)-induced cytotoxicity.

Iron-salen, i.e., µ-oxo-N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine iron (Fe(Salen)) was a recently identified as a new anti-cancer compound with intrinsic magnetic properties. Chelation therapy has been widely used in management of metallic poisoning, because an administration of agents that bind metals can prevent potential lethal effects of particular metal. In this study, we confirmed the therapeutic effect of deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) chelation against Fe(Salen) as part of the chelator antidote efficacy. DFO administration resulted in reduced cytotoxicity and ROS generation by Fe(Salen) in cancer cells. DFO (25 mg/kg) reduced the onset of Fe(Salen) (25 mg/kg)-induced acute liver and renal dysfunction. DFO (300 mg/kg) improves survival rate after systematic injection of a fatal dose of Fe(Salen) (200 mg/kg) in mice. DFO enables the use of higher Fe(Salen) doses to treat progressive states of cancer, and it also appears to decrease the acute side effects of Fe(Salen). This makes DFO a potential antidote candidate for Fe(Salen)-based cancer treatments, and this novel strategy could be widely used in minimally-invasive clinical settings.

Tandem Brook Rearrangement/Silicon Polonovski Reaction via Oxidative Generation of Ammonium Ylides.

A tandem Brook rearrangement/silicon Polonovski reaction has been achieved by in situ generation of ammonium ylides via the oxidation of α-silyl-tertiary amines. Furthermore, we found that the oxidation of N-(1-cyano-1-silyl)methyl-tertiary amines with peracids induced the tandem Brook rearrangement/silicon Polonovski reaction/fragmentation to give formamide derivatives in moderate yields.

Hyperthermia and chemotherapy using Fe(Salen) nanoparticles might impact glioblastoma treatment.

We previously reported that µ-oxo N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine iron [Fe(Salen)], a magnetic organic compound, has direct anti-tumor activity, and generates heat in an alternating magnetic field (AMF). We showed that Fe(Salen) nanoparticles are useful for combined hyperthermia-chemotherapy of tongue cancer. Here, we have examined the effect of Fe(Salen) on human glioblastoma (GB). Fe(Salen) showed in vitro anti-tumor activity towards several human GB cell lines. It inhibited cell proliferation, and its apoptosis-inducing activity was greater than that of clinically used drugs. Fe(Salen) also showed in vivo anti-tumor activity in the mouse brain. We evaluated the drug distribution and systemic side effects of intracerebrally injected Fe(Salen) nanoparticles in rats. Further, to examine whether hyperthermia, which was induced by exposing Fe(Salen) nanoparticles to AMF, enhanced the intrinsic anti-tumor effect of Fe(Salen), we used a mouse model grafted with U251 cells on the left leg. Fe(Salen), BCNU, or normal saline was injected into the tumor in the presence or absence of AMF exposure. The combination of Fe(Salen) injection and AMF exposure showed a greater anti-tumor effect than did either Fe(Salen) or BCNU alone. Our results indicate that hyperthermia and chemotherapy with single-drug nanoparticles could be done for GB treatment.

A base-mediated self-propagative Lossen rearrangement of hydroxamic acids for the efficient and facile synthesis of aromatic and aliphatic primary amines.

A variety of aromatic and aliphatic hydroxamic acids were converted to the corresponding primary amines via base-mediated rearrangement. This rearrangement could proceed with less than 1 equiv. of K2CO3 in polar solvents under thermal conditions with no external reagents. This rearrangement has several features including no external activating agents needed for promoting the rearrangement, less than one equivalent of a base is sufficient for the reaction, and a clean reaction in which only carbon dioxide is produced as a by-product. A self-propagating mechanism via an isocyanate intermediate is proposed and elementary reaction steps, namely, chain propagation reactions are supported by experiments.

Simultaneous hyperthermia-chemotherapy with controlled drug delivery using single-drug nanoparticles.

We previously investigated the utility of µ-oxo N,N'- bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine iron (Fe(Salen)) nanoparticles as a new anti-cancer agent for magnet-guided delivery with anti-cancer activity. Fe(Salen) nanoparticles should rapidly heat up in an alternating magnetic field (AMF), and we hypothesized that these single-drug nanoparticles would be effective for combined hyperthermia-chemotherapy. Conventional hyperthermic particles are usually made of iron oxide, and thus cannot exhibit anti-cancer activity in the absence of an AMF. We found that Fe(Salen) nanoparticles induced apoptosis in cultured cancer cells, and that AMF exposure enhanced the apoptotic effect. Therefore, we evaluated the combined three-fold strategy, i.e., chemotherapy with Fe(Salen) nanoparticles, magnetically guided delivery of the nanoparticles to the tumor, and AMF-induced heating of the nanoparticles to induce local hyperthermia, in a rabbit model of tongue cancer. Intravenous administration of Fe(Salen) nanoparticles per se inhibited tumor growth before the other two modalities were applied. This inhibition was enhanced when a magnet was used to accumulate Fe(Salen) nanoparticles at the tongue. When an AMF was further applied (magnet-guided chemotherapy plus hyperthermia), the tumor masses were dramatically reduced. These results indicate that our strategy of combined hyperthermia-chemotherapy using Fe(Salen) nanoparticles specifically delivered with magnetic guidance represents a powerful new approach for cancer treatment.

A magnetic anti-cancer compound for magnet-guided delivery and magnetic resonance imaging.

Research on controlled drug delivery for cancer chemotherapy has focused mainly on ways to deliver existing anti-cancer drug compounds to specified targets, e.g., by conjugating them with magnetic particles or encapsulating them in micelles. Here, we show that an iron-salen, i.e., µ-oxo N,N'- bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine iron (Fe(Salen)), but not other metal salen derivatives, intrinsically exhibits both magnetic character and anti-cancer activity. X-Ray crystallographic analysis and first principles calculations based on the measured structure support this. It promoted apoptosis of various cancer cell lines, likely, via production of reactive oxygen species. In mouse leg tumor and tail melanoma models, Fe(Salen) delivery with magnet caused a robust decrease in tumor size, and the accumulation of Fe(Salen) was visualized by magnetic resonance imaging. Fe(Salen) is an anti-cancer compound with magnetic property, which is suitable for drug delivery and imaging. We believe such magnetic anti-cancer drugs have the potential to greatly advance cancer chemotherapy for new theranostics and drug-delivery strategies.

Stereoselective synthesis of bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane derivatives via intramolecular photocycloaddition reaction.

Optically active 1,3-bridged cyclobutanes 10 of the bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane ring system and 1,2-bridged cyclobutanes 11 of the bicyclo[3.2.0]heptane ring system were produced by UV irradiation of alpha,beta,gamma,delta-unsaturated esters 9a and 9c-f. The preference of endo-stereochemistry at C-6 bridged head was observed in cross-adducts 10. On the other hand, irradiation of conjugated dienol 9b led via only parallel cycloaddition to 1,2-bridged cyclobutane 11.

Base-mediated rearrangement of free aromatic hydroxamic acids (ArCO-NHOH) to anilines.

Without using activating agents, a variety of free aromatic hydroxamic acids could be rearranged to aromatic amines in the presence of base alone.

Synthesis of tricyclic pyrano[2,3-e]isoindolin-3-ones as the core structure of stachybotrin A, B, and C.

The substituted tricyclic pyrano[2,3-e]isoindolin-3-ones and , as the core structure of stachybotrin A, B, and C (), have been regioselectively synthesized for the first time by a short route which involved Mannich reaction and Claisen rearrangement.