An efficient preparation of beta-aryl-beta-ketophosphonates by the TFAA/H3PO4-mediated acylation of arenes with phosphonoacetic acids.

Beta-aryl-beta-ketophosphonates can be efficiently prepared in good yield by using a TFAA/85% H 3PO 4-mediated acylation of electron-rich arenes with phosphonoacetic acids. The conditions offer advantages over existing methods of preparing these useful compounds by not requiring the use of strong base, cryogenics, or an anhydrous and inert atmosphere. Furthermore, some functional groups not tolerated with the reaction conditions used in existing methods are compatible with the herein described conditions.

Stereochemical features of Lewis acid-promoted glycosidations involving 4'-spiroannulated DNA building blocks.

Tin tetrachloride-catalyzed glycosidation of persilylated nucleobases with acetate donor 6 in CH(2)Cl(2) solution followed by deprotection gave rise very predominantly to alpha-spironucleosides. These stereochemical assignments stem from the determination of NOE interactions and an X-ray crystallographic analysis of the latter product. Computational studies revealed that these results are consistent with the fact that the C5' substituent shields the beta-face of the oxonium ion involved in the coupling reaction while the C3' substituent is projected away from the alpha-underside. Attack from the more open direction is therefore kinetically favored. Entirely comparable calculations suggested that donor 19 should behave comparably. Experimentation involving this donor gave results consistent with this model although more equitable alpha/beta spironucleoside product ratios were seen when acetonitrile was employed as the reaction medium.

Conformationally constrained purine mimics. Incorporation of adenine and guanine into spirocyclic nucleosides.

Directed syntheses of spirocyclic nucleosides featuring adenine and guanine as the nucleobases have been successfully developed. The key starting materials are the enantiomerically pure spiro lactones 4, 15, and 28, which have proven amenable to conversion to anomeric mixtures of chloro sugars. The latter can enter into glycosidation by SN2 displacement with the sodium salts of 6-chloropurine or 2-amino-6-chloropurine. In the saturated series, the chromatographic separation of 18 from 19 was possible. Where 33 and 34 are concerned, their relatively rapid rate of epimerization precluded this. Mimics 35-37 resisted isolation as pure anomers. The configurational assignments are based on the thermal interconversions and supporting MM3 steric energy calculations. Added corroboration was gained from a crystallographic analysis of 8. Although removal of the TBS protecting groups in all late-stage guanine intermediates proved to be problematical, the pair of hydroxyl groups in 37 could be introduced by proper recourse to the oxidation of 36 with ruthenium tetraoxide.

Conformational restriction of nucleosides by spirocyclic annulation at C4' including synthesis of the complementary dideoxy and didehydrodideoxy analogues.

The concept of spirocyclic restriction, when generically applied to nucleoside mimics, allows for the preparation of diastereomeric pairs carrying either a syn- or anti-oriented hydroxyl at C-5'. Reported herein are convenient synthetic routes to enantiomerically pure 1-oxaspiro[4.4]nonanes featuring fully dihydroxylated end products as well as congeners having dideoxy and didehydrodideoxy substitution patterns. Notable use is made of the capacity for introducing unsaturation in the furanose sector via phenylsulfenylation and the incorporation of uracil and thymine by way of their silylated derivatives under catalysis with stannic chloride.