On the Ability of the N-O Bond to Support a Stable Stereogenic Axis: Peptide-Catalyzed Atroposelective N-Oxidation.

During studies of atroposelective, peptide-catalyzed N-oxidations of pyridines, we observed lower-than-expected barriers to atropisomerization for these stereodynamic processes under the reaction conditions. Mechanistic studies indicate a hydrogen bond-assisted racemization mechanism intrinsic to both the starting materials and products. We also identified a protonation-dependent barrier to rotation that operates for the starting materials alone. Nonetheless, several substrates were amenable to atroposelective N-oxidations via kinetic resolution, yielding krel values of up to 12.6 and the isolation of one N-oxide with >99:1 er after recrystallization.

Catalytic Enantioselective Pyridine N-Oxidation.

The catalytic, enantioselective N-oxidation of substituted pyridines is described. The approach is predicated on a biomolecule-inspired catalytic cycle wherein high levels of asymmetric induction are provided by aspartic-acid-containing peptides as the aspartyl side chain shuttles between free acid and peracid forms. Desymmetrizations of bis(pyridine) substrates bearing a remote pro-stereogenic center substituted with a group capable of hydrogen bonding to the catalyst are demonstrated. Our approach presents a new entry into chiral pyridine frameworks in a heterocycle-rich molecular environment. Representative functionalizations of the enantioenriched pyridine N-oxides further document the utility of this approach. Demonstration of the asymmetric N-oxidation in two venerable drug-like scaffolds, Loratadine and Varenicline, show the likely generality of the method for highly variable and distinct chiral environments, while also revealing that the approach is applicable to both pyridines and 1,4-pyrazines.

Direct Access to Alkylideneoxindoles via Axially Enantioselective Knoevenagel Condensation.

The organocatalytic axially enantioselective Knoevenagel condensation between prochiral cyclohexanones and oxindoles is presented. The reaction, promoted by a primary amine, proceeded smoothly and furnished unprecedented examples of novel cyclohexylidene oxindoles displaying axial chirality.

Organocatalytic Desymmetrization Reactions for the Synthesis of Axially Chiral Compounds.

The enantioselective synthesis of atropisomers is an emerging field, that in recent years reached fundamental results and put the bases for innovative applications. Organocatalysis is playing a central role in the realization of original synthesis for novel atropisomeric scaffolds.[1] In this short review, we would like to highlight the results obtained by our group and others in the field of axially enantioselective desymmetrization reactions using organocatalysis as main strategy.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Trifluoromethyl α,ß-Unsaturated δ-Lactones via Vinylogous Aldol-Lactonization Cascade.

The novel vinylogous aldol-lactonization cascade of alkylidene oxindole with trifluoromethyl ketones is presented. The reaction, catalyzed by a bifunctional tertiary amine, provides an efficient application of the vinylogous reactivity of alkylidene oxindoles for the preparation of enantioenriched trifluoromethylated α,ß-unsaturated δ-lactones.

Quinone-Fused Pyrazoles through 1,3-Dipolar Cycloadditions: Synthesis of Tricyclic Scaffolds and in vitro Cytotoxic Activity Evaluation on Glioblastoma Cancer Cells.

A novel and straightforward synthesis of highly substituted isoquinoline-5,8-dione fused tricyclic pyrazoles is reported. The key step of the synthetic sequence is a regioselective, Ag2 CO3 promoted, 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of C-heteroaryl-N-aryl nitrilimines and substituted isoquinoline-5,8-diones. The broad functional group tolerability and mild reaction conditions were found to be suitable for the preparation of a small library of compounds. These scaffolds were designed to interact with multiple biological residues, and two of them, after brief synthetic elaborations, were analyzed by molecular docking studies as potential anticancer drugs. In vitro studies confirmed the potent anticancer effects, showing promising IC50 values as low as 2.5 µm against three different glioblastoma cell lines. Their cytotoxic activity was finally positively correlated to their ability to inhibit PI3K/mTOR kinases, which are responsible for the regulation of diverse cellular processes in human cancer cells.

Asymmetric vinylogous aldol addition of alkylidene oxindoles on trifluoromethyl-α,ß-unsaturated ketones.

A novel vinylogous aldol addition of alkylidene oxindole with 1-trifluoromethyl-3-alkylidene-propan-2-ones is presented. The reaction, catalyzed by a bifunctional tertiary amine, provides an efficient application of the vinylogous reactivity of oxindoles for the preparation of enantioenriched trifluoromethylated allylic alcohols.