Triorganoindium Reagents in Rh-Catalyzed C⁻H Activation/C⁻C Cross-Coupling Reactions of 2-Arylpyridines.

The activation of C⁻H bonds through catalytic reactions using transition metals is an important challenge in organic chemistry in which the intermediates are related to those produced in the classical cross-coupling reactions. As part of our research program devoted to the development of metal-catalyzed reactions using indium organometallics, a protocol for the C⁻H activation and C⁻C coupling of 2-arylpyridines with triorganoindium reagents under Rh(I) catalysis is reported. Under the optimized conditions, we found that Me3In and Ar3In reagents reacted with 2-arylpyridines and related compounds in the presence of Rh(PPh3)3Cl, in PhCl/THF (9:1), at 120 °C for 48 h, to afford the ortho-coupling products in moderate to good yields. The nitrogen atom in the pyridine ring acts as a directing group to assist the functionalization at the ortho position of the aryl group forming a new C⁻C bond at this position.

Cross-coupling reactions of indium organometallics with 2,5-dihalopyrimidines: synthesis of hyrtinadine A.

The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of triorganoindium reagents (R3In) with 5-bromo-2-chloropyrimidine proceeds chemoselectively, in good yields, to give 5-substituted-2-chloropyrimidines or 2,5-disubstituted pyrimidines using 40 or 100 mol % of R3In, respectively. Sequential cross-couplings are also performed, in one pot, using two different R3In. This method was used to achieve the first synthesis of the alkaloid hyrtinadine A. The key step was a two-fold cross-coupling reaction between a tri(3-indolyl)indium reagent and 5-bromo-2-chloropyrimidine.

Synthesis and conformational analysis of 17alpha,21-cyclo-22-unsaturated analogues of calcitriol.

Six new calcitriol analogues, conformationally restricted at their side chain by the introduction of both a cyclopropane ring at C17-C20 and a double or triple bond at C22, were synthesized using the Wittig-Horner approach to construct the triene system. The six CD-ring and side-chain bearing fragments were prepared from ketone 14 by a divergent route to generate both series of epimers at C20, followed by stereoselective cyclopropanation. The (E)-alkenyl side chain was synthesized by means of a Wittig reaction. The alkynyl side chain was prepared by Corey-Fuchs homologation, followed by alkylation. The (Z)-alkenyl side chain was prepared from the previous alkyne by partial hydrogenation. The 20-epi analogues bind more strongly to VDR than the corresponding analogues with the C20 natural stereochemistry. These results can be reasoned by conformational analysis and hydrophobic interactions with the VDR ligand-binding domain.

Synthesis of two carboxylic haptens for raising antibodies to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

Hapten derivatives of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) and 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) were synthesized using the Wittig-Horner approach. Both haptens bearing a carboxylic group at the side chain that can be linked to a protein for raising antibodies of potential utility for the determination of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3), 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) and 1alpha-hydroxylated vitamin D(3) analogues.

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of triorganoindium reagents with propargylic esters.

[reaction: see text] Triorganoindium reagents (R(3)In) react with propargylic esters under palladium catalysis via an S(N)2' rearrangement to afford allenes in good yields and with high regioselectivity. The reaction proceeds smoothly at room temperature with a variety of R(3)In (aryl, alkenyl, alkynyl, and methyl). When chiral, nonracemic propargylic esters are employed, the reaction takes place with high anti-stereoselectivity providing allenes with high enantiomeric excess.

Total syntheses of amphidinolide T1, T3, T4, and T5.

A concise, flexible, and high yielding entry into the family of amphidinolide T macrolides, a series of cytotoxic natural products of marine origin, has been developed. All individual members, except amphidinolide T3 (3), derive from compound 39 as a common synthetic intermediate which is formed from three building blocks of similar size and complexity. The fragment coupling steps involve a highly diastereoselective SnCl(4) mediated reaction of the furanosyl sulfone derivative 11 with the silyl enol ether 18 and a palladium-catalyzed Negishi type coupling reaction between the polyfunctional organozinc reagent derived from iodide 32a and the enantiopure acid chloride 24b. The 19-membered macrocyclic ring is then formed by a high yielding ring closing metathesis (RCM) reaction of diene 33 catalyzed by the "second generation" ruthenium carbene complex 34. The efficiency of the RCM transformation stems, to a large extent, from the conformational bias introduced by the syn-syn-configured stereotriad at C12-C14 of the substrate which constitutes a key design element of the synthesis plan. The use of Nysted's reagent 38 in combination with TiCl(4) was required for the olefination of the sterically hindered ketone group in 36, whereas more conventional alkene formations were unsuccessful for this elaboration. Finally, it is shown that the inversion of a single and seemingly remote stereocenter (C12) in one of the building blocks not only affects the efficiency and stereochemical outcome of the RCM step but also exerts a significant influence on the course of the acyl-Negishi reaction, allowing a radical manifold to compete with productive cross coupling.