Synthesis of new thienyl ring containing HIV-1 protease inhibitors: promising preliminary pharmacological evaluation against recombinant HIV-1 proteases.

A series of new thienyl ring containing analogues of nelfinavir and saquinavir with different substitution patterns were synthesized from suitable enantiopure diols. Their inhibitory activity against wild type recombinant HIV-1 protease was evaluated. In general thienyl groups spaced from the core by a methylene group gave products showing IC(50) in the nanomolar range, irrespective of the type and the substitution pattern of the heterocycle. The range of activity of the two most active compounds is substantially maintained or even increased against two commonly selected mutants, under drug pressure, such as V32I and V82A.

Novel chiral calix[4]arenes by direct asymmetric epoxidation reaction.

We report the first asymmetric synthesis of trans optically active (+) C 2 1,3-bisarylepoxide of calix[4]arene in excellent chemical yield and >99% ee, and its enantiospecific conversion to the corresponding bis-dioxolane.

Stereocontrolled synthesis and biological activity of two diastereoisomers of the potent HIV-1 protease inhibitor saquinavir.

A general enantioselective synthesis of new syn-hydroxyethylamine isosteres has been developed. The approach, based on the controlled opening of functionalized optically active 2,3-epoxy amines, can be conveniently used for the preparation of new peptidomimetics with various residues. Finally the total synthesis of two diastereoisomer analogues of HIV-Protease inhibitor Saquinavir has been achieved and their biological activity evaluated.

New aniline-containing amino alcohols from trans-(R,R)-2-(2-nitrophenyl)-3-phenyloxirane as useful intermediates for the synthesis of chiral ligands, bases, and benzoxazine nucleus.

New enantiopure aniline-containing amino alcohols are directly derived from trans-(R,R)-2-(2-nitrophenyl)-3-phenyloxirane, by alternative regioselective double reductions. Subsequent selective alkylation procedures and derivatizations provide a rapid and high-yielding access to different chiral ligands, bases, and benzoxazines, without loss of optical purity.

Synthesis of heteroaryl imines: theoretical and experimental approach to the determination of the configuration of C=N double bond.

The reaction between an iminophosphorane with furan-2-carbaldehyde, thiophene-2-carbaldehyde, furan-3-carbaldehyde, and thiophene-3-carbaldehyde at 60 degrees C gives the corresponding trans imines in 53-84% yields, while the same reaction at 100 degrees C gives a mixture of the corresponding trans and cis imines. Whether the iminophosphorane reacted with 5-nitrofuran-2-carbaldehyde or 5-nitrothiophene-2-carbaldehyde only the trans imines were obtained in 85-89% yields. The irradiation of the imines obtained from thiophene-2-carbaldehyde and thiophene-3-carbaldehyde gave the corresponding photocyclization products. Cis/trans stereochemistry of the imines can be assigned simulating the UV-vis spectra. In the case of the imine from furan-2-carbaldehyde the computed spectra are characterized by an intense absorption at 361 and 357 nm respectively for the trans-1 and trans-2 structures. No other absorptions of comparable intensity have been predicted: the agreement with the experimental spectrum can be considered good. Furthermore, the experimental weak peaks at 280 and 270 nm can be associated to the computed transitions at 278 and 260 nm for the trans-1 isomer. Several minima of the energy surface can be assigned to the cis isomer, and they all present a very similar energy. The structures of the cis-1 and cis-2 isomers present quite coincident computed electronic spectra. In both cases, the computed spectrum shows two principal features. For the cis-1 structure, the first characteristic absorption is located at 414 nm and the second one at 284 nm. For the cis-2 structure, the first feature is located at 412 nm and the second one at 286 nm. The second transition is computed somewhat more intense. The experimental spectrum could be the consequence of similar populations of the planar cis structure (cis-3) and nonplanar cis structures (cis-1, cis-2, and their enantiomers).

Regio- and stereoselective ring opening of 2,3-diaryl oxiranes by LiBr/Amberlyst 15: a new stereocontrolled access to 1,2-diaryl-2-bromo alcohols.

Both symmetrical and nonsymmetrical trans-2,3-diaryloxiranes are regio- and stereoselectively opened by the LiBr/Amberlyst 15 system. In the case of symmetrical trans-stilbene oxide, the syn- versus anti-bromohydrins ratio ranged between 88/12 and 30/70, by varying the reaction temperature from 20 to -30 degrees C. In the case of nonsymmetrical para-substituted trans-2,3-diaryloxiranes, the regioselectivity is determined by electronic effects. If one phenyl bears a strong electron-withdrawing group (as NO2 or CF3), the nucleophilic attack is totally on the beta-carbon with respect to the substituted phenyl ring. With one phenyl bearing a strong electron-releasing group (OCH3), the regioselectivity is reversed. Ab initio calculation at the DFT/B3LYP/6-31G level, run on protonated epoxide structures, supports the formation of a cationic acyclic intermediate. Application of the method on ortho-methoxy and ortho-nitro 2,3-diaryloxiranes afforded the syn-bromohydrins in excellent yield, via regio- and stereoselective opening at either alpha- or beta-carbon, respectively.

Convergent highly stereoselective preparation of the C12-C24 fragment of macrolactin A.

The convergent synthesis of the C12-C24 fragment (lower part) of macrolactin A is described. The adapted strategy allowed building up the lower moiety by the assembly of three key intermediates via organometallic addition. One hydroxylic stereogenic center was introduced by the application of chiral sulfoxides methodology on fragment C19-C24. The preparation of the versatile 1,3-anti diol synthon C12-C16 was achieved via opening of chiral epoxide and subsequent oxidation to a hydroxy ketone. Finally, reductive elimination of the appropriate allylic dibenzoate with Na/Hg introduced directly the C16-C19 (E,E)-diene unit, in a highly efficient stereoselective fashion.

A first theoretical study on the origin of the metal-mediated regioselective opening of 2,3-epoxy alcohols.

Hybrid density functional theory (B3LYP) method allows the study of the role of metal ions (Li(+)) in the regioselective opening of 2,3-epoxy alcohols with lithium halides (Cl, Br, I) to the corresponding halohydrins. The theoretical results largely confirm the experimental results, especially with regards to the regioselectivity observed in the opening of the oxirane ring. The C3 halogen attack is always preferred to the C2 attack, with a significant difference in the TS structures with the reaction pathway under kinetic control. The central role of the lithium cation, linked to the oxygen atoms of the epoxy alcohol, is well documented in the reaction mechanisms presented. The energy differences between the two structures of the proposed TS appear to be ascribed to the different contribution of the X-H-O hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl groups of the reactant and the incoming halogen nucleophile.

Single route to chiral syn- and anti-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethanols via a new stereodivergent opening of trans-1,2-diphenyloxirane.

Oxiranyl ring opening of trans-stilbene oxide gave rise to anti- or syn-2-bromo-1,2-diphenylethanols, using either MgBr(2).Et(2)O or MgBr(2).Et(2)O, NaBr, and KBr with Amberlyst 15, respectively. Starting from optically pure (R,R)-trans-stilbene oxide, (1R,2R)- and (1R,2S)-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethanols were obtained in high yield and ee.

Singlet oxygen mediated degradation of lignin--a kinetic study.

Singlet oxygen mediated degradation was carried out on lignin from steam-exploded straw, organosolv lignin and alkali lignin. The lignins were characterized by elemental analysis, UV, FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR, gel permeation chromatography, and thioacidolysis. The kinetics of singlet oxygen degradation were obtained by following the gel permeation chromatograms in the presence of an external standard. This procedure cannot be used for alkali lignin. In the case of steam-exploded and organosolv lignins, the reactions follow zero-order kinetics for the first 4-8 hours; thereafter, the reactions slow down and follow slower zero-order kinetics This behaviour can be explained assuming that easily degradable structures in the outer sphere of lignins are degraded in the first period, while the core lignin is degraded in the second one. The degradation in organosolv lignin is faster than in steam-exploded lignin. Molecular weight distribution and the absence ofguaiacyl units in steam-exploded lignin can give rise to this behaviour. Similar behaviour was obtained in the singlet oxygen degradation of the pulp of steam-exploded straw.

Singlet oxygen mediated degradation of lignin--isolation of oxidation products from steam-exploded lignin from pine.

Lignin obtained from steam explosion of pine was fully characterized. Elemental analysis, GPC, and ultraviolet and 1H and 13C NMR spectra revealed that the obtained lignin contains both guaiacyl and syringyl units. Lignin was dissolved in acetonitrile-ethanol and treated with visible light in the presence of both oxygen and Rose Bengal for different irradiation times. Column chromatography of the residue showed the presence of six compounds: trans-sinapyl alcohol, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenylacetone, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, cis-sinapyl alcohol, and sinapyl aldehyde. The total amount of fine chemicals increases with the irradiation time. However, it increases rapidly during the first eight hours, but increases slowly after this period. The most important compounds obtained were sinapyl alcohol and 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, but sinapyl alcohol was obtained in the highest amounts after eight hours' irradiation, while the highest amounts of 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde were obtained after irradiation for 4 h. After 48 h irradiation comparable amounts of sinapyl aldehyde were obtained. We obtained only compounds derived from the syringyl units in lignin in agreement with the hypothesis that the guaiacyl units are more easily oxidised.

First Stereocontrolled Synthesis of the (3S,5R,7R,10R,11R)-C1-C13 Fragment of Nystatin A(1).

A convergent stereoselective synthesis of the (3S,5R,7R,10R,11R)-C1-C13 fragment of Nystatin A(1) is reported in this paper. This fragment contains an all-syn-1,3,5-triol subunit and a syn-1,2-diol moiety. The main features of the synthesis are the enzymatic desymmetrization of a meso diol to obtain an enantiomerically pure syn-4,6-dihydroxy-2-keto-phosphonate, chiral sulfoxide chemistry to prepare an alpha-(R)-hydroxyaldehyde and 2-trimethylsilyl thiazole reagent to synthesize a syn-alpha,beta-(R,S)-dihydroxy aldehyde.