Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Electrophile Reductive Couplings of Neopentyl Bromides with Aryl Bromides.

5-Cyanoimidazole was identified as an inexpensive ligand for nickel-catalyzed cross-electrophile couplings by screening a diverse set of pharmaceutical compound library. A strategic screening approach led to the discovery of this novel ligand, which was successfully applied in the preparation of various alkylated arene products with good to high yields. Furthermore, the properties of this ligand allowed expanding the scope of reductive couplings to challenging substrates, such as sterically hindered neopentyl halides, which are known to generate motifs that are prevalent in biologically active molecules.

Sulfone-Mediated SNAr Reaction as a Powerful Tool for the Synthesis of 4-Quinolinyl Ethers and More-Application to the Synthesis of HCV NS3/4a Protease Inhibitor BI 201420.

An efficient general methodology for the synthesis of 4-quinolinyl ethers is demonstrated via a highly reactive SNAr reaction of 4-quinolinyl sulfones with a range of structurally diversified 1°, 2°, and 3° alcohols with a wide substrate scope and high yields. By adapting this methodology, a convergent synthesis of a complex target of HCV NS3/4a protease inhibitor BI 201420 was accomplished.

Synthesis of stable isotope-labelled firocoxib.

Firocoxib (ML-1,785,713) is a nonsteroidal, potent, and selective COX-2 inhibitor, approved for the control of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in dogs and horses, as well as to control postoperative pain and inflammation in dogs. We employed a six-step synthesis to prepare firocoxib-[13 C6 ] in an overall yield of 35% from the commercially available bromobenzene-[13 C6 ]. The synthetic route involved the preparation of the key intermediate phenyl-13 C6 -methyl sulfide using cesium carbonate and S-methylthiourea sulfate under transition-metal free conditions. A two-step preparation of firocoxib-[13 C,2 H3 ] via the sulfinic acid derivative of firocoxib and methyl iodide-[13 C,2 H3 ] using the procedure of Gauthier and Yoshikawa was first undertaken. However, the deuterium atoms of the methyl sulfone undergo extensive exchange in aqueous media even at neutral pH. The isotope-labelled firocoxib is intended as an internal standard for bioanalyses of firocoxib from biological matrices.

Rational Design of New Dihydrobenzooxophosphole-Based Lewis Base Organocatalysts.

A series of new dihydrobenzooxophosphole-based Lewis Base organocatalysts were designed and synthesized. They are demonstrated effective in trichlorosilane-mediated stereoselective conjugate reductions of C=C bonds. DFT calculations reveal that the strong hydrogen bond between the amide linker and the chloride on silicon in the transition state contributes to the high reactivity of the catalyst 3a.

Application of a Preformed Pd-BIDIME Precatalyst to Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reaction in Flow.

The application of a Buchwald's third generation palladacycle containing a dihydrobenzooxaphosphole-based ligand (e.g., BIDIME) was reported in the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. Using flow technology, high yield and reproducible Suzuki cross-coupling reaction for one of our key intermediates was achieved with Pd loadings as low as 0.5 mol %. This continuous flow approach overcomes catalyst deactivation and scale dependence issues that can be a problem in some traditional batch-mode operations and responds to the challenge of improving process greenness.

Copper-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of 2-substituted ketones via dynamic kinetic resolution.

A new class of tunable heterophosphole dimeric ligands have been designed and synthesized. These ligands have enabled the first examples of Cu-catalyzed hydrogenation of 2-substituted-1-tetralones and related heteroaryl ketones via dynamic kinetic resolution, simultaneously creating two contiguous stereogenic centers with up to >99 : 1 dr and 98 : 2 er. The ligand-Cu complexes were isolated and characterized by single crystal X-ray, and DFT calculations revealed a novel heteroligated dimeric copper hydride transition state.

BABIPhos Family of Biaryl Dihydrobenzooxaphosphole Ligands for Asymmetric Hydrogenation.

Novel bidentate phosphine ligands BABIPhos featuring a biaryl bis-dihydrobenzooxaphosphole core are presented. Their synthesis was achieved via Pd-catalyzed reductive homocoupling of dihydrobenzooxaphosphole aryl triflates. An efficient route toward various analogues was also established, giving access to phosphines with different electronic and steric properties. The newly obtained ligands demonstrated high efficiency and selectivity in Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of di- and trisubstituted enamides. This new class of ligands is complementary to previously described bidentate benzooxaphosphole ligands BIBOP.

Enantioselective Synthesis of α-(Hetero)aryl Piperidines through Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Pyridinium Salts and Its Mechanistic Insights.

Enantioselective synthesis of α-aryl and α-heteroaryl piperidines is reported. The key step is an iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of substituted N-benzylpyridinium salts. High levels of enantioselectivity up to 99.3:0.7 er were obtained for a range of α-heteroaryl piperidines. DFT calculations support an outersphere dissociative mechanism for the pyridinium reduction. Notably, initial protonation of the final enamine intermediate determines the stereochemical outcome of the transformation rather than hydride reduction of the resultant iminium intermediate.

Development of a Scalable, Chromatography-Free Synthesis of t-Bu-SMS-Phos and Application to the Synthesis of an Important Chiral CF3-Alcohol Derivative with High Enantioselectivity Using Rh-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation.

A chromatography-free, asymmetric synthesis of the C2-symmetric P-chiral diphosphine t-Bu-SMS-Phos was developed using a chiral auxiliary-based approach in five steps from the chiral auxiliary in 36% overall yield. Separtion and recovery of the auxiliary were achieved with good yield (97%) to enable recycling of the chiral auxiliary. An air-stable crystalline form of the final ligand was identified to enable isolation of the final ligand by crystallization to avoid chromatography. This synthetic route was applied to prepare up to 4 kg of the final ligand. The utility of this material was demonstrated in the asymmetric hydrogenation of trifluoromethyl vinyl acetate at 0.1 mol % Rh loading to access a surrogate for the pharmaceutically relavent chiral trifluoroisopropanol fragment in excellent yield and enantiomeric excess (98.6%).

Enantioselective Nickel-Catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck Cyclizations To Generate Quaternary Stereocenters.

The development of enantioselective carbon-carbon bond couplings catalyzed by nonprecious metals is highly desirable in terms of cost efficiency and sustainability. The first nickel-catalyzed enantioselective Mizoroki-Heck coupling is reported. This transformation is accomplished via mild reaction conditions, leveraging on QuinoxP* as a chiral ligand to afford oxindoles containing quaternary stereocenters. Good reactivity and selectivity are observed in the presence of various functional groups. Computational studies suggest that the oxidative addition assembles an atropisomeric intermediate responsible for the facial selectivity of the insertion step.

Synthesis of P-Chiral Dihydrobenzooxaphosphole Core for BI Ligands in Asymmetric Transformations.

An efficient and practical synthesis of enantiomerically pure P-chiral dihydrobenzooxaphosphole (BOP) core 1 is developed that is amenable to large scale preparation of the related ligand series. The unique epimerization of the P-chiral center of the undesired (R,R)-diastereomeric phosphine oxide 19 through chlorination followed by crystallization makes this chemical resolution method achieve 65% yield of desired (R,S)-diastereomer 12.

Sequential C-H Arylation and Enantioselective Hydrogenation Enables Ideal Asymmetric Entry to the Indenopiperidine Core of an 11ß-HSD-1 Inhibitor.

A concise asymmetric synthesis of an 11ß-HSD-1 inhibitor has been achieved using inexpensive starting materials with excellent step-economy at low catalyst loadings. The catalytic enantioselective total synthesis of 1 was accomplished in 7 steps and 38% overall yield aided by the development of an innovative, sequential strategy involving Pd-catalyzed pyridinium C-H arylation and Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of the resulting fused tricyclic indenopyridinium salt highlighted by the use of a unique P,N-ligand (MeO-BoQPhos) with 1000 ppm of [Ir(COD)Cl]2.

Synthesis of Enantioenriched 2-Alkyl Piperidine Derivatives through Asymmetric Reduction of Pyridinium Salts.

An Ir-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of 2-alkyl-pyridines has been developed using ligand MeO-BoQPhos. High levels of enantioselectivities up to 93:7 er were obtained. The resulting enantioenriched piperidines can be readily converted into biologically interesting molecules such as the fused tricyclic structures 5, 6, and 7 in 99:1 er, providing a novel, concise synthetic route to this family of chiral piperidine-containing compounds.

Construction of Quaternary Stereocenters by Nickel-Catalyzed Heck Cyclization Reactions.

A nickel-catalyzed Heck cyclization for the construction of quaternary stereocenters is reported. This transformation is demonstrated in the synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles, which are prevalent motifs seen in numerous biologically active molecules. The method shows broad scope, proceeds in synthetically useful yields, and provides a rare means to construct stereochemically complex frameworks by nonprecious-metal catalysis.

Ligand-Accelerated Stereoretentive Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling of Unprotected 3,3'-Dibromo-BINOL.

An efficient synthesis of the enantiomerically pure 3,3'-bis-arylated BINOL derivatives is accomplished through the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of the unprotected 3,3'-dibromo-BINOL with complete retention of enantiopurity. The active catalyst system Pd(OAc)2/BI-DIME has enabled mild reaction conditions at palladium loads as low as 500 ppm.

Synthesis of P-Chiral Dihydrobenzooxaphospholes Through Negishi Cross-Coupling.

An efficient Negishi cross-coupling was developed for the synthesis of the biaryl axes present in useful P-chiral dihydrobenzooxaphosphole ligands. This approach has allowed for the synthesis of new derivatives of these ligands that were not accessible by the previous route employing Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling. The use of Pd2(dba)3/BI-DIME as the catalyst system affords the desired biaryl compounds in good yields with excellent rates and with catalyst loadings as low as 0.25 mol %.

Nickel-Catalyzed C-3 Direct Arylation of Pyridinium Ions for the Synthesis of 1-Azafluorenes.

The direct arylation of pyridine substrates using non-precious catalysts is underdeveloped but highly desirable due to its efficiency to access important motifs while being extremely cost-effective. The first nickel-catalyzed C-3 direct arylation of pyridine derivatives to provide a new approach to valuable 1-azafluorene pharmacophore frameworks was developed. This transformation is accomplished using air-stable nickel catalyst precursors combined with phenanthroline ligands and tolerates a variety of substituents. Computational studies suggest facile oxidative addition via the pyridinium form, deprotonation, and a subsequent carbo-nickelation cyclization. Nickel homolysis/recombination permits isomerization to the stereochemical array needed for the final elimination.

Concise and Practical Asymmetric Synthesis of a Challenging Atropisomeric HIV Integrase Inhibitor.

A practical and efficient synthesis of a complex chiral atropisomeric HIV integrase inhibitor has been accomplished. The combination of a copper-catalyzed acylation along with the implementation of the BI-DIME ligands for a ligand-controlled Suzuki cross-coupling and an unprecedented bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide-catalyzed tert-butylation renders the synthesis of this complex molecule robust, safe, and economical. Furthermore, the overall synthesis was conducted in an asymmetric and diastereoselective fashion with respect to the imbedded atropisomer.

Efficient asymmetric synthesis of structurally diverse P-stereogenic phosphinamides for catalyst design.

The use of chiral phosphinamides is relatively unexplored because of the lack of a general method for the synthesis. Reported herein is the development of a general, efficient, and highly enantioselective method for the synthesis of structurally diverse P-stereogenic phosphinamides. The method relies on nucleophilic substitution of a chiral phosphinate derived from the versatile chiral phosphinyl transfer agent 1,3,2-benzoxazaphosphinine-2-oxide. These chiral phosphinamides were utilized for the first synthesis of readily tunable P-stereogenic Lewis base organocatalysts, which were used successfully for highly enantioselective catalysis.

Development of an asymmetric synthesis of a chiral quaternary FLAP inhibitor.

A practical sequence involving a noncryogenic stereospecific boronate rearrangement followed by a robust formylation with an in situ generated DCM anion has been developed for the asymmetric construction of an all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center of a FLAP inhibitor. The key boronate rearrangement was rendered noncryogenic and robust by using LDA as the base and instituting an in situ trapping of the unstable lithiated benzylic carbamate with the boronic ester. A similar strategy was implemented for the DCM formylation reaction. It was found that the 1,2-boronate rearrangement for the formylation reaction could be temperature-controlled, thus preventing overaddition of the DCM anion and rendering the process reproducible. The robust stereospecific boronate rearrangement and formylation were utilized for the practical asymmetric synthesis of a chiral quaternary FLAP inhibitor.