Copper(II)-photocatalyzed decarboxylative oxygenation of carboxylic acids.

Showcasing the concept of light-induced homolysis for the generation of radicals, the CuII-photocatalyzed decarboxylative oxygenation of carboxylic acids with molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant is described. Two CuII-carboxylate complexes with different coordination geometries were synthesized and characterized by X-ray analysis, correlating their structure with their ability to initiate light-induced decarboxylations.

Diels-Alder reactions and electrophilic substitutions with atypical regioselectivity enable functionalization of terminal rings of anthracene.

Reversing the regioselectivity of the renowned Diels-Alder reaction by overriding the usual thermodynamic and kinetic governing factors has always been a formidable challenge to synthetic organic chemists. Anthracenes are well-known to undergo [4 + 2]-cycloadditions with dienophiles at their 9,10-positions (central ring) over 1,4-positions (terminal ring) guided by the relative aromatic stabilization energy of the two possible products, and also by harboring the largest orbital coefficients of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) at the 9,10-positions. We, herein, report a 1,4-selective [4 + 2]-cycloaddition strategy of 9,10-unsubstituted anthracenes by installing electron-donating substituents on the terminal rings which is heretofore unprecedented to the best of our knowledge. The developed synthetic strategy does not require any premeditated engagement of the 9,10-positions either with any sterically bulky or electron-withdrawing substituents and allows delicate calibration of the regioselectivity by modulating the electron-donating strength of the substituents on the terminal rings. Likewise, the regioselective functionalization of the terminal anthracene ring in electrophilic substitution reactions is demonstrated. A mechanistic rationale is offered with the aid of detailed computational studies, and finally, synthetic applications are presented.

Bromo- or Methoxy-Group-Promoted Umpolung Electron Transfer Enabled, Visible-Light-Mediated Synthesis of 2-Substituted Indole-3-glyoxylates.

A visible-light-mediated radical tandem cyclization of ortho-isocyano-α-bromo cinnamates to 2-substituted indole-3-glyoxylates is achieved by formation of both C-C/C-S and C-O bonds. The reaction proceeds through a hitherto unprecedented bromine- or methoxy-group-promoted umpolung back electron transfer from an α-carbonyl radical to the photocatalyst. This method allows preparation of diverse 2-arylated or 2-thioarylated indole-3-glyoxylates. The glyoxylate group installed in the products can be utilized for several biologically relevant manipulations.

Visible-Light-Promoted Generation of α-Ketoradicals from Vinyl-bromides and Molecular Oxygen: Synthesis of Indenones and Dihydroindeno[1,2-c]chromenes.

Ortho-alkynylated α-bromocinnamates can be converted by a visible-light-mediated photocascade reaction with molecular oxygen into either indenones or dihydroindeno[1,2-c]chromenes. The one-step process features key photochemical steps, that is, the initial activation of vinyl bromides through energy transfer to give α-ketoradicals in a reaction with molecular oxygen, followed by α-oxidation of an arene moiety by 6-π electrocyclization, and subsequent hydroxylation by an electron-transfer process from the same photocatalyst leads to the dihydroindeno[1,2-c]chromenes.

Visible light photoredox-catalyzed deoxygenation of alcohols.

Carbon-oxygen single bonds are ubiquitous in natural products whereas efficient methods for their reductive defunctionalization are rare. In this work an environmentally benign protocol for the activation of carbon-oxygen single bonds of alcohols towards a reductive bond cleavage under visible light photocatalysis was developed. Alcohols were activated as 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)-substituted benzoates and irradiation with blue light in the presence of [Ir(ppy)2(dtb-bpy)](PF6) as visible light photocatalyst and Hünig's base as sacrificial electron donor in an acetonitrile/water mixture generally gave good to excellent yields of the desired defunctionalized compounds. Functional group tolerance is high but the protocol developed is limited to benzylic, α-carbonyl, and α-cyanoalcohols; with other alcohols a slow partial C-F bond reduction in the 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzoate moiety occurs.

Enantioselective synthesis of 4-heterosubstituted cyclopentenones.

Racemic 4-hydroxycyclopentenone, readily derived from furfuryl alcohol, can be transformed via its O-Boc derivative to 4-acyloxy, 4-aryloxy-, 4-amino-, or 4-thio-substituted cyclopentenones with high enantioselectivity by palladium-catalyzed kinetic resolution via nucleophilic allylic substitutions. Applying this methodology, a short formal synthesis of ent-noraristeromycin was readily accomplished.

Application of metal-based reagents and catalysts in microstructured flow devices.

Over the years, organic synthesis has witnessed several improvements through the development of new chemical transformations or more efficient reagents for known processes. Likewise, technological advances, aiming at speeding up reactions and facilitating their work-up, have established themselves in academic as well as in industrial laboratories. In this Minireview, we highlight very recent developments in flow chemistry, focusing on organometallic reagents and catalysts. First, we describe reactions with homogeneous catalysts immobilized on different support materials using the concept of packed bed reactors. In the last chapter, we will discuss applications that utilize organometallic reagents.

Cytotoxic steroidal saponins from the rhizomes of Tacca integrifolia.

Three new steroid saponins (3beta,25R)-spirost-5-en-3-yl 6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), (3beta,22R,25R)-26-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-22-hydroxyfurost-5-en-3-yl 6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), and (3beta,22R,25R)-26-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-22-hydroxyfurost-5-en-3-yl 6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), as well as the new pregnane glycoside (3beta,16beta)-3-{[6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]oxy}-20-oxopregn-5-en-16-yl (4R)-5-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-4-methylpentanoate (6), were isolated from the rhizomes of Tacca integrifolia together with two known (25R) configurated steroid saponins (3beta,25R)-spirost-5-en-3-yl 6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2) and (3beta,22R,25R)-26-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-22-methoxyfurost-5-en-3-yl 6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4). The cytotoxic activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated in HeLa cells and showed the highest cytotoxicity value for compound 2 with an IC(50) of 1.2+/-0.4 muM. Intriguingly, while compounds 1-5 exhibited similar cytotoxic properties between 1.2+/-0.4 (2) and 4.0+/-0.6 muM (5), only compound 2 showed a significant microtubule-stabilizing activity in vitro.