Phenyl bioisosteres in medicinal chemistry: discovery of novel γ-secretase modulators as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Phenyl rings are one of the most prevalent structural moieties in active pharmaceutical ingredients, even if they often contribute to poor physico-chemical properties. Herein, we propose the use of a bridged piperidine (BP) moiety as a phenyl bioisostere, which could also be seen as a superior phenyl alternative as it led to strongly improved drug like properties, in terms of solubility and lipophilicity. Additionally, this BP moiety compares favorably to the recently reported saturated phenyl bioisosteres. We applied this concept to our γ-secretase modulator (GSM) project for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease delivering clinical candidates.

Intramolecular Pd-catalyzed carbocyclization, Heck reactions, and aryl-radical cyclizations with planar chiral arene tricarbonyl chromium complexes.

(o-butenylhalobenzene)Cr(CO)(3) complexes were synthesized by diastereoselectve allylmetal additions to o-halo benzaldehyde complexes. The addition of allylZnBr proved particularly convenient and clean. The complexes undergo intramolecular Pd-catalyzed cyclizations (Heck reactions) without decomplexation and/or alkene isomerization. In complexes with a benzylic stereogenic center, the diastereoselectivity of the alkene carbopalladation is governed by the planar chirality of the complex rather than by the benzylic stereogenic center in the side chain. This reaction outcome can be rationalized by the geometry of the arene plane vs that of the Pd coordination plane in the transition step of the alkene carbopalladation step. An alternative cyclization procedure involves the generation of a Cr(CO)(3)-coordinated arene radical from the bromo and iodo complexes. Intramolecular aryl-radical cyclization affords indan complexes. The transition metal arene pi-bond remains intact during this process.

Synthesis of (--)-lasubine(I) via a planar chiral [(eta6-arene)Cr(CO)3] complex.

Key steps of the synthesis of the Lythracaea alkaloid (--)-lasubine(I) are the formation of an enantiopure planar chiral arylaldehyde tricarbonylchromium complex and highly diastereoselective aza-Diels-Alder cycloaddition and intramolecular radical cyclization reactions to afford a quinolizidinone intermediate. Ketone reduction, desilylation, and decomplexation yield the enantiomerically pure product.