(3+2) Annulation of 4-Acetoxy Allenoate with Aldimine Enabled by AgF-Assisted P(III)/P(V) Catalysis.

A phosphine-catalyzed (3+2) annulation of 4-acetoxy allenoate and aldimine with the assistance of AgF is described. The success of this reaction hinges on the metathesis between the enolate-phosphonium zwitterion and AgF, leading to a key intermediate comprising of silver enolate and a fluorophosphorane P(V)-moiety. The former is able to undergo a Mannich reaction with aldimine, whereas the latter initiates a cascade sequence of AcO-elimination/aza-addition, thus furnishing the P(III)/P(V) catalysis. By taking advantage of the silver enolate, a preliminary attempt at an asymmetric variant was conducted with the combination of an achiral phosphine catalyst and a chiral bis(oxazolinyl)pyridine ligand (PyBox), giving moderate enantioselectivity.

Pd(0)-Catalyzed Asymmetric 7-Endo Hydroacyloxylative Cyclization of 1,6-Enyne Enabled by an Anion Ligand-Directed Strategy.

Despite diversity in reaction mechanisms, the palladium-catalyzed cyclization of 1,6-enyne generally proceeds in a 5-exo manner. Herein, we report the development of a Pd(0)-catalyzed hydroacyloxylative cyclization of 1,6-enyne in either 7-endo-trig or 6-exo-trig fashion when paired with an appropriate dihaloacetic acid reactant, such as F2HCCO2H and Cl2HCCO2H. Using the combination of Pd2(dba)3 and a chiral phosphine ligand, the hydroacyloxylative cyclization of 1,6-enyne bearing a 1,1-disubstituted alkene moiety readily gives highly enantiopure seven-membered heterocycles while the reaction of those having a 1,2-disubstituted alkene affords six-membered rings with moderate enantioselectivity. Preliminary experimental studies suggest a reaction mechanism featuring an unusual E-to-Z vinyl-Pd(II) isomerization and alkene trans-oxypalladation, which is proven to be governed by the rationally selected carboxylate.

Pd0 -Catalyzed Asymmetric Carbonitratation Reaction Featuring an H-Bonding-Driven Alkyl-PdII -ONO2 Reductive Elimination.

Reductive elimination of alkyl-PdII -O is a synthetically useful yet underdeveloped elementary reaction. Here we report that the combination of an H-bonding donor [PyH][BF4 ] and AgNO3 additive under toluene/H2 O biphasic system can enable such elementary step to form alkyl nitrate. This results in the Pd0 -catalyzed asymmetric carbonitratations of (Z)-1-iodo-1,6-dienes with (R)-BINAP as the chiral ligand, affording alkyl nitrates up to 96 % ee. Mechanistic studies disclose that the reaction consists of oxidative addition of Pd0 catalyst to vinyl iodide, anion ligand exchange between I- and NO3 - , alkene insertion and SN 2-type alkyl-PdII -ONO2 reductive elimination. Evidences suggest that H-bonding interaction of PyH⋅⋅⋅ONO2 can facilitate dissociation of O2 NO- ligand from the alkyl-PdII -ONO2 species, thus enabling the challenging alkyl-PdII -ONO2 reductive elimination to be feasible.

LsNRL4 enhances photosynthesis and decreases leaf angles in lettuce.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most important vegetables worldwide and an ideal plant for producing protein drugs. Both well-functioning chloroplasts that perform robust photosynthesis and small leaf angles that enable dense planting are essential for high yields. In this study, we used an F2 population derived from a cross between a lettuce cultivar with pale-green leaves and large leaf angles to a cultivar with dark-green leaves and small leaf angles to clone LsNRL4, which encodes an NPH3/RPT2-Like (NRL) protein. Unlike other NRL proteins in lettuce, the LsNRL4 lacks the BTB domain. Knockout mutants engineered using CRISPR/Cas9 and transgenic lines overexpressing LsNRL4 verified that LsNRL4 contributes to chloroplast development, photosynthesis and leaf angle. The LsNRL4 gene was not present in the parent with pale-green leaves and enlarged leaf angles. Loss of LsNRL4 results in the enlargement of chloroplasts, decreases in the amount of cellular space allocated to chloroplasts and defects in secondary cell wall biosynthesis in lamina joints. Overexpressing LsNRL4 significantly improved photosynthesis and decreased leaf angles. Indeed, the plant architecture of the overexpressing lines is ideal for dense planting. In summary, we identified a novel NRL gene that enhances photosynthesis and influences plant architecture. Our study provides new approaches for the breeding of lettuce that can be grown in dense planting in the open field or in modern plant factories. LsNRL4 homologues may also be used in other crops to increase photosynthesis and improve plant architecture.

Alternative splicing triggered by the insertion of a CACTA transposon attenuates LsGLK and leads to the development of pale-green leaves in lettuce.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most important vegetable crops in the world. As a leafy vegetable, the polymorphism of lettuce leaves from dark to pale green is an important trait. However, the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying such variations remain poorly understood. In this study, one major locus controlling the polymorphism of dark- and pale-green leaves in lettuce was identified using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). This locus was then fine mapped to an interval of 5375 bp on chromosome 4 using a segregating population containing 2480 progeny. Only one gene, homologous to the GLK genes in Arabidopsis and other plants, is present in the candidate region. A complementation test confirmed that the candidate gene, LsGLK, contributes to the variation of dark- and pale-green leaves. Sequence analysis showed that a CACTA transposon of 7434 bp was inserted 10 bp downstream of the stop codon of LsGLK, followed by a duplication of a 1826-bp fragment covering exons 3-6 of the LsGLK gene. The transposon insertion did not change the expression level of the LsGLK gene. However, because of alternative splicing, only 6% of the transcripts produced from the transposon insertion were wild-type transcripts, which led to the production of pale-green leaves. An evolutionary analysis revealed that the insertion of the CACTA transposon occurred in cultivated lettuce and might have been selected in particular cultivars to satisfy the diverse demands of consumers. In this study, we demonstrated that a transposon insertion near a gene may affect its splicing and consequently generate phenotypic variations.

Enantioselective Construction of Axially Chiral Azepine-Containing P,N-Ligands from l-Alanine.

A family of axially chiral azepine-containing seven-membered cyclic P,N-ligands (named Indole-azepinap) have been prepared by using l-alanine as an original chirality source. The direct chromatographic separation of two diastereomeric phosphine oxides on silica gel enabled these ligands to be easy available, allowing further structural and electronic modifications. Preliminary application of these Indole-azepinaps has been demonstrated in a Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation with high yields and moderate enantioselectivities.

Enantioselective Construction of Quinoxaline-Based Heterobiaryls and P,N-Ligands via Chirality Transfer Strategy.

Central-to-axial chirality transfer via C-N single bond oxidation was first achieved as a versatile and conceptually distinct strategy to prepare a new family of axially chiral heteroaromatic biaryl backbones and P,N-ligands (named as Quinoxalinaps) in gram scale. Two atropisomers of Quinoxalinaps (ee >99%) were readily accessed from the same precursor enantiomer by a simple dehydrogenative oxidation with MnO2 and t-BuOOH under mild conditions. Phosphine could be introduced into the ligands before or after the chirality control process. Moreover, these Quinoxalinap P,N-ligands performed well for both asymmetric reactions of the CuBr-catalyzed alkyne conjugate addition with up to -94% ee and AgOAc-catalyzed glycinate imine [3 + 2] annulation with 90% ee, respectively.

High Chemo-/Stereoselectivity for Synthesis of Polysubstituted Monofluorinated Pyrimidyl Enol Ether Derivatives.

A novel intramolecular Smiles rearrangement of α-fluoro-ß-keto-pyrimidylsulfones (usually used as a carbon nucleophile) was developed, providing a versatile avenue for synthesis of tri/tetra-substituted monofluorinated pyrimidyl enol ethers. Among these, diverse (Z)-monofluorovinylsulfones and sulfinates were efficiently assembled by adding extra electrophile and fine-tuning reaction conditions. The process is triggered by a keto-enol tautomerism from enol oxyanion to pyrimidine 2-carbon, completely different from the classical carbon nucleophilic addition reaction approach.

Enantioselective Construction of C-C Axially Chiral Quinazolinones via Chirality Exchange and Phase-Transfer Catalysis.

A family of axially chiral quinazolinone-based heterobiaryls were constructed with high levels of enantiocontrol (up to 94% ee). Convergently, three different synthetic methods have been realized to prepare these valuable compounds including central-to-axial chirality transfer, dynamic kinetic resolution, and phase-transfer catalysis. Importantly, novel P,N-ligands with a π-π stacking can be derived from heterobiaryls by chirality exchange strategy or synthesized directly from complementary phase-transfer catalysis by using the inexpensive chiral quaternary ammonium salt.

Grignard-Reagent-Promoted Desulfonylation/Intramolecular Coupling for the Synthesis of 2-(1-Fluorovinyl)pyridines.

A novel process involving Grignard-reagent-promoted desulfonylation/intramolecular coupling of readily available α-fluoro-α,ß-unsaturated-(2-pyridyl)sulfones was realized that provided a series of polysubstituted 2-(1-fluorovinyl)pyridines in good yields. The intrinsic coordination between pyridine and Mg(II) along with the "negative fluorine effect" of the substrates should play the key role for the smooth transformation in the absence of transition-metal catalysts.

Chiral Brønsted acid-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution of atropisomeric ortho-formyl naphthamides.

Despite the widespread use of naphthamide atropisomers in biologically active compounds and asymmetric catalysis, few catalytic methods have succeeded in the enantioselective synthesis of these compounds. Herein, a chiral Brønsted acid (CBA) catalysis strategy was developed for readily scalable dynamic kinetic resolution of challenging ortho-formyl naphthamides with pyrrolylanilines. The chiral axis of the atropisomeric amide and a stereogenic center were simultaneously established for a new family of potential biologically active pyrrolopyrazine compounds with high enantio- and diastereoselectivities (up to >20 : 1 d.r. and 98 : 2 e.r.). Epimerization experiments of its derivatives reveal that the N-substitution of the nearby stereogenic center could affect the configurational stability of the axially chiral aromatic amides. These results might be useful for the construction of other kinds of novel axially chiral molecules with a low rotational barrier.

Controlled chemoselective defluorination and non-defluorination for [5 + 1] aromatic annulation via Meisenheimer-type nitrogen anion and radical intermediates.

Reported is a unique chemoselectivity approach to base-promoted defluorinative and Cu(i)-catalyzed aerobic oxidative non-defluorinative [5 + 1] condensation aromatizations of simple unsaturated ketones with ammonium salts via Meisenheimer-type nitrogen anion and radical intermediates. The CuBr/O2 catalysis provides a straightforward approach to diverse 3-fluoropyridines in high yields. The synthetic utility of the strategy is highlighted by the concise synthesis of several F-modified bioactive compounds.

Direct Trifluoromethylthiolation and Perfluoroalkylthiolation of C(sp(2))-H Bonds with CF3SO2Na and RfSO2Na.

A new method for CF3SO2Na-based direct trifluoromethylthiolation of C(sp(2))-H bonds has been developed. CF3SSCF3 is generated in situ from cheap and easy-to-handle CF3SO2Na, and in the presence of CuCl can be used for electrophilic trifluoromethylthiolation of indoles, pyrroles, and enamines. The method has been extended to perfluoroalkylthiolation reactions using RfSO2Na.

One-pot synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted and polysubstituted phenols from acyclic precursors.

A new strategy for the synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted phenols is established through one-pot Robinson annulation of α,ß-unsaturated ketones with α-fluoro-ß-ketoesters followed by in situ dehydrofluorination and tautomerization. This method has been extended to the synthesis of polysubstituted phenols and applied in the preparation of biologically active compounds.