Imidazole[1,5-a]pyridine derivatives as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors unraveled by umbrella sampling and steered molecular dynamics simulations.

Although the use of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been proved that it can save live in a cancer treatment, the currently used drugs bring in many undesirable side-effects. Therefore, the search for new drugs and an evaluation of their efficiency are intensively carried out. Recently, a series of eighteen imidazole[1,5-a]pyridine derivatives were synthetized by us, and preliminary analyses pointed out their potential to be an important platform for pharmaceutical development owing to their promising actions as anticancer agents and enzyme (kinase, HIV-protease,…) inhibitors. In the present theoretical study, we further analyzed their efficiency in using a realistic scenario of computational drug design. Our protocol has been developed to not only observe the atomistic interaction between the EGFR protein and our 18 novel compounds using both umbrella sampling and steered molecular dynamics simulations, but also determine their absolute binding free energies. Calculated properties of the 18 novel compounds were in detail compared with those of two known drugs, erlotinib and osimertinib, currently used in cancer treatment. Inspiringly the simulation results promote three imidazole[1,5-a]pyridine derivatives as promising inhibitors into a further step of clinical trials.

LiOtBu-promoted synthesis of bis(3-indolyl)methanes by the alkylation of indoles with alcohols under air.

Bis(3-indolyl)methanes (BIMs) are known for their important bioactivities, which include anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. In this study, we are disclosing a metal catalyst-free synthesis of BIMs in high yields via the alkylation reaction of indoles and alcohols in the presence of lithium tert-butoxide base. Notably, oxygen in air played an important role as an oxidant for the facilitation of this transformation. Interestingly, unactivated aliphatic alcohols could be successfully used as alkylating reagents in the alkylation reactions of indole. Especially, several chemical intermediates detected by GC-MS gave important information about the mechanism insights. This method demonstrated cost and environmental advantages for the development of green processes.

Facile access to 5H-thiazolo[2',3':2,3]imidazo[4,5-b]indole derivatives by two-fold Cu-catalysed C-N coupling reactions.

In four simple steps, a series of 5H-thiazolo[2',3':2,3]imidazo[4,5-b]indole and 11H-benzo[4',5']thiazolo[2',3':2,3]imidazo[4,5-b]indole derivatives were prepared with high yields. The key step in this procedure was demonstrated to be two-fold Cu-catalysed C-N coupling reactions of 5-bromo-6-(2-bromophenyl)imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole and 3-bromo-2-(2-bromophenyl)benzo[d]imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole with various amines.

Practical Synthesis of 1,4-Dihydropyridines on Heterogeneous Sulfonicmodified Silica (SBA-15-SO3H) Catalyst Under Mild Condition.

AIMS: Synthesis of 1,4-Dihydropyridines (1,4-DHP) using heterogeneous catalyst under mild condition. OBJECTIVE: Our objective is to explore new applications of non-metal heterogeneous catalysts in the synthesis of 1,4-DHP derivatives in a greener and more efficient approach. METHODS: A greener and more efficient method for the synthesis of 1,4-DHPs and an asymmetric 1,4-DHP (Felodipine drug) was successfully developed in high yields using a heterogeneous SBA- 15-SO3H catalyst. RESULTS: A series of symmetric 1,4-DHP and an asymmetric 1,4-DHP (Felodipine drug) were successfully prepared in high yields using a heterogeneous SBA-15-SO3H catalyst. CONCLUSION: The catalyst, SBA-15-SO3H, exhibited an efficient catalyst activity for the synthesis of 1,4-DHP derivatives in high yields from the aldehyde, ß-ketoester, and NH4OAc as a nitrogen source under mild conditions and short reaction time. Bronsted acid sites of this solid catalyst were figured out to play a key role in this transformation. Interestingly, our catalyst is air-stable and can be recycled at least 5 times without losing catalytic activity.

Facile iodine-promoted synthesis of bis(1-imidazo[1,5-a]pyridyl)arylmethanes and exploration of applications.

A practical strategy for the iodine-promoted synthesis of bis(1-imidazo[1,5-a]pyridyl)arylmethane and its derivatives has been developed. These compounds exhibit high cytotoxicity toward various cancer cell lines and moreover they are promising ligands for the Cu-catalysed synthesis of quinolines.

Advances in Synthesis of π-Extended Benzosilole Derivatives and Their Analogs.

Benzosiloles and their π-extended derivatives are present in many important advanced materials due to their excellent physical properties. Especially, they have found many potential applications in the development of novel electronic materials such as OLEDs, semiconductors and solar cells. In this review, we have summarized several main approaches to construct (di)benzosilole derivatives and (benzo)siloles fused to aromatic five- and six-membered heterocycles.

Efficient [Cu(NHC)]-Catalyzed Multicomponent Synthesis of Pyrroles.

Efficient [Cu(NHC)]-catalyzed syntheses of pyrroles via two and three-component coupling methods are described. Various 1,2-, 1,2,3-, 1,2,3,5- and fully substituted pyrroles were readily accessible through a suitable choice of ketone, primary amine and diol in a three-component reaction. The N-unsubstituted pyrrole formation is also feasible through a two-component reaction involving a ß-amino alcohol and a ketone.

Pd(0)-catalyzed domino C-N coupling/hydroamination/C-H arylation reactions: efficient synthesis and photophysical properties of azaindolo[1,2-f]phenanthridines.

A series of new 7- and 4-azaindolo[1,2-f]phenanthridines were synthesized by a domino Pd(0)-catalyzed reaction, which involves three sequential steps: C-N coupling, hydroamination, and intramolecular C-H arylation. The products show promising fluorescence properties with high quantum yields (12-65%).

Efficient one-pot synthesis of 5-perfluoroalkylpyrazoles by cyclization of hydrazone dianions.

A highly selective and efficient method for the synthesis of 5-trifluoromethylated and 5-perfluoroalkylated pyrazoles has been developed which relies on the cyclization of hydrazine dianions with ethyl perfluorocarboxylates. The pyrazoles prepared were evaluated as potential inhibitors of alkaline phosphatases, namely human tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (h-TNAP) and tissue specific intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP). Most pyrazole derivatives inhibited h-IAP more markedly than h-TNAP and had minor effects on nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterases. Therefore, the compounds appear as potential selective inhibitors of h-IAP.

Synthesis of indolo[1,2-f]phenanthridines by Pd-catalyzed domino C-N coupling/hydroamination/C-H arylation reactions.

A new and convenient method for the synthesis of indolo[1,2-f]phenanthridines via palladium-catalyzed domino C-N coupling/hydroamination/C-H arylation reactions was developed. The reactions allow for the synthesis of various phenanthridines in good yields from easily accessible starting materials using a single palladium catalyst.

Efficient synthesis of α- and δ-carbolines by sequential Pd-catalyzed site-selective C-C and twofold C-N coupling reactions.

Two concise and efficient approaches were developed for the synthesis of α- and δ-carboline derivatives. The success of the synthesis relies on site-selective Suzuki-Miyaura reactions of 1-chloro-2-bromopyridine or 2,3-dibromopyridine with 2-bromophenylboronic acid and subsequent cyclization with amines which proceeds by twofold Pd-catalyzed C-N coupling reactions.

Novel synthesis of 5-methyl-5,10-dihydroindolo[3,2-b]indoles by Pd-catalyzed C-C and two-fold C-N coupling reactions.

A series of 5,10-dihydroindolo[3,2-b]indoles was successfully prepared by an efficient two-step strategy based on site-selective Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with N-methyl-2,3-dibromoindole and subsequent cyclization by two-fold Pd-catalyzed C-N coupling with amines. The products show a strong fluorescence.

Palladium catalyzed synthesis and physical properties of indolo[2,3-b]quinoxalines.

A series of indolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline derivatives were efficiently synthesized from 2,3-dibromoquinoxaline by two pathways. A one-pot approach using Pd-catalyzed two-fold C-N coupling and C-H activation reactions gave indolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline derivatives in good yields, but with limited substrate scope. In addition, a two-step approach to indolo[2,3-b]quinoxalines was developed which is based on Pd-catalyzed Suzuki coupling reactions and subsequent annulation by Pd-catalyzed two-fold C-N coupling with aromatic and aliphatic amines. The electrochemical and photochemical properties of indolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline derivatives were investigated. These studies show that 6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline showed the highest HOMO energy level and lowest band gap.

Efficient synthesis of biscarbazoles by palladium-catalyzed twofold C-N coupling and C-H activation reactions.

A new and efficient strategy for the synthesis of 3,9'- and 2,9'-biscarbazoles was developed. Our strategy relies on the cyclization of 1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-diyl bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate) with 4- or 3-anisidine, transformation of the methoxy to a triflate group and subsequent oxidative Pd-catalyzed cyclization with various anilines.

Efficient synthesis of thieno[3,2-b:4,5-b']diindoles and benzothieno[3,2-b]indoles by Pd-catalyzed site-selective C-C and C-N coupling reactions.

Heteroacenes (thieno[3,2-b:4,5-b']diindoles and benzothieno[3,2-b]indoles) were efficiently synthesized from tetrabromothiophene and 2,3-dibromobenzothiophene in two steps, respectively. In the first step, a site-selective Pd-catalyzed C-C coupling is carried out, followed by a two-fold C-N coupling with aromatic and aliphatic amines.

Hidden Brønsted acid catalysis: pathways of accidental or deliberate generation of triflic acid from metal triflates.

The generation of a hidden Brønsted acid as a true catalytic species in hydroalkoxylation reactions from metal precatalysts has been clarified in case studies. The mechanism of triflic acid (CF(3)SO(3)H or HOTf) generation starting either from AgOTf in 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) or from a Cp*RuCl(2)/AgOTf/phosphane combination in toluene has been elucidated. The deliberate and controlled generation of HOTf from AgOTf and cocatalytic amounts of tert-butyl chloride in the cold or from AgOTf in DCE at elevated temperatures results in a hidden Brønsted acid catalyst useful for mechanistic control experiments or for synthetic applications.

The AZARYPHOS family of ligands for ambifunctional catalysis: syntheses and use in ruthenium-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes.

The family of AZARYPHOS (aza-aryl-phosphane) phosphane ligands, containing a phosphine unit and sterically shielded nitrogen lone pairs in the ligand periphery, is introduced as a tool for developing ambifunctional catalysis by the metal center and nitrogen lone pairs in the ligand sphere. General synthetic strategies have been developed to synthesize over 25 examples of structurally diverse (6-aryl-2-pyridyl)phosphanes (ARPYPHOS), (6-alkyl-2-pyridyl)phosphanes (ALPYPHOS), 4,6-disubsituted 1,3-diazin-2-ylphosphanes or 1,3,5-triazin-2-ylphosphanes, quinazolinylphosphanes, quinolinylphosphanes, and others. The scalable syntheses proceed in a few steps. The incorporation of AZARYPHOS ligands (L) into complexes [RuCp(L)(2)(MeCN)][PF(6)] (Cp = cyclopentadienyl) gives catalysts for the anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes of the highest known activities. Electronic and steric ligand effects modulate the reaction kinetics over a range of two orders of magnitude. These results highlight the importance of using structurally diverse ligand families in the process of developing cooperative ambifunctional catalysis by a metal and its ligand.

Synthesis of dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-ones based on [3 + 3] cyclizations of 1,3-bis(silyl enol ethers) with 3-silyloxy-2-en-1-ones.

Functionalized dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-ones were prepared by formal [3 + 3] cyclization of 1,3-bis(silyl enol ethers) with 3-silyloxy-2-en-1-ones or 1,1-diacetylcyclopropane to give functionalized salicylates, Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of the corresponding triflates, and subsequent BBr3-mediated lactonization. A second approach to dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-ones relies on the [3 + 3] cyclization of 1,3-bis(silyl enol ethers) with 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-(trimethylsilyloxy)alk-1-en-3-ones and subsequent BBr3-mediated lactonization.

One-pot cyclizations of dilithiated oximes and hydrazones with epibromohydrin. Efficient synthesis of 6-hydroxymethyl-5,6-dihydro-4H-1,2-oxazines and oxazolo[3,4-b]pyridazin-7-ones.

The one-pot cyclization of dilithiated oximes with epibromohydrin provided a convenient and regioselective approach to 6-hydroxymethyl-5,6-dihydro-4H-1,2-oxazines. The reaction of the latter with phosphorus tribromide resulted in a Beckmann rearrangement and formation of 5-bromomethyl-2-iminotetrahydrofurans. The reaction of dilithiated hydrazones with epibromohydrin afforded oxazolo[3,4-b]pyridazin-7-ones, which were formed by a novel domino cyclization.