Unexpectedly regioselective Diels-Alder reactions of new unsymmetrical benzoquinones: A convenient synthetic entry to uniquely substituted decalins.

We report flexible synthesis of new unsymmetrically 2,6-disubstituted benzoquinones (33 examples) and a systematic study of their reactivity in the Diels-Alder reaction. The Diels-Alder reactions of selected unsymmetrical benzoquinones with seemingly similar substituents were found to proceed with high regioselectivity and the formation of selected experimentally observed main products was rationalized by theoretical (DFT) calculations. The findings can be exploited in the convenient preparation of densely substituted and stereochemically defined decalins with unique angular substituents at ring fusion. We also demonstrate the usefulness of this methodology in complex molecule synthesis through the total synthesis of a novel forskolin analog possessing an ethyl group at the fusion of the rings B and C.

Preparation of 3,4-Substituted-5-Aminopyrazoles and 4-Substituted-2-Aminothiazoles.

3,4-Substituted-5-aminopyrazoles and 4-substituted-2-aminothiazoles are frequently used intermediates in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery projects. We report an expedient flexible synthesis of 3,4-substituted-5-aminopyrazoles (35 examples), based on palladium-mediated α-arylation of ß-ketonitriles with aryl bromides. A library of 4-substituted-2-aminothiazoles (21 examples) was assembled by a sequence employing Suzuki coupling of newly prepared, properly protected pinacol ester and MIDA ester of 4-boronic acid-2-aminothiazole with (hetero)aryl halides.