Thiobenzoic Acid-Catalyzed Cα-H Cross Coupling of Benzyl Alcohols with α-Ketoacid Derivatives.

The C-H alkylation of benzyl alcohols with α-ketoacid derivatives was achieved in the presence of thiobenzoic acid with or without Ru or Ir photoredox catalysts. The thiobenzoic acid serves as a photoexcited single-electron reducing reagent and a hydrogen atom transfer catalyst, while addition of the metal photoredox catalyst assists the electron transfer and improves the reaction efficiency. Various functional groups were tolerant of the reaction conditions, and sterically hindered diols were produced in good to high yield.

Asymmetric Fluorocyclization of Difluoroalkenes with Concomitant Formation of a Trifluoromethyl Group.

Asymmetric electrophilic fluorination of difluoroalkenes remains undeveloped because of the poor reactivity of difluoroalkenes with electrophiles. However, such reactions, if feasible, are expected to be useful for the synthesis of chiral heterocyclic compounds with a trifluoromethyl group at the stereogenic center. In this Letter, we disclose the first example of asymmetric fluoroamide cyclization of difluoroalkenes using our dianionic phase-transfer catalyst. This reaction provides unique chiral trifluoromethylated oxazoline derivatives at a synthetically useful level.

Simple purification of small-molecule-labelled peptides via palladium enolate formation from ß-ketoamide tags.

Palladium enolates derived from ß-ketocarbonyl compounds serve as key intermediates in various catalytic asymmetric reactions. We found that the palladium enolate formed from ß-ketoamide is stable in air and moisture and we applied this property to develop a peptide purification system using ß-ketoamide as a small affinity tag in aqueous media. A solid-supported palladium complex successfully captured ß-ketoamide-tagged molecules as palladium enolates and released them in high yield upon acid treatment. Optimum conditions for the catch and release of tagged peptides from a mixture of untagged peptides were established. To demonstrate the value of this methodology in identifying the binding site of a ligand to its target protein, we purified and identified a peptide containing the ligand-binding site from the tryptic digest of cathepsin B labelled with a covalent cathepsin B inhibitor containing a ß-ketoamide tag.

Asymmetric Fluorofunctionalizations with Carboxylate-Based Phase-Transfer Catalysts.

Fluorine is an attractive element in the field of pharmaceutical and agrochemical chemistry due to its unique properties. Considering the chiral environment in nature, where enantiomers often show different biological activities, the introduction of fluorine atom(s) into organic molecules to make chiral fluorinated compounds is an important subject. Herein, we describe the story of the development of our chiral carboxylate-based phase-transfer catalysts and their applications for asymmetric fluorocyclizations of alkenes bearing a carboxylic acid, an amide, and an oxime as an internal nucleophile with a dicationic fluorinating reagent, Selectfluor. We also describe dearomative fluorinations of indole derivatives, 2-naphthols, and resorcinols.

Structure Dependence in Asymmetric Deprotonative Fluorination and Fluorocyclization Reactions of Allylamine Derivatives with Linked Binaphthyl Dicarboxylate Phase-Transfer Catalyst.

The asymmetric fluorofunctionalization of γ,γ-disubstituted allylamine derivatives (e.g., 3, 7, and 8) was investigated using our dianionic phase-transfer catalyst. Depending on the substituents on the alkene moiety, the reaction afforded chiral allylic fluorides and fluorinated dihydrooxazines in a highly enantioselective manner (up to 99% ee). The absolute stereochemistry of these products was found to be opposite to that in our previously reported fluorocyclization of γ-monosubstituted allylic amides (e.g., 13 and 14). To probe this interesting phenomenon, we investigated the influence of the substitution pattern of the alkene moiety on the reaction by means of NMR experiments and kinetic studies. The rate laws of the deprotonative fluorination and the fluorocyclization of γ,γ-disubstituted substrates were v = k[cat]0.6, while that of the fluorocyclization of γ-monosubstituted substrates was v = k[substrate][cat]0.4. An exponent of less than 1 suggests the involvement of an aggregated state of the catalyst ion pair in the catalytic cycle. Interestingly, a positive nonlinear effect was observed in the reactions of the γ,γ-disubstituted substrates, while a negative nonlinear effect was observed in the case of the γ-monosubstituted substrates. Thus, the reaction pathway depends on the presence or absence of an alkyl substituent at the γ position of the substrates, and on the basis of our mechanistic studies we propose that the active catalytic species for γ,γ-disubstituted substrates is a catalyst ion pair aggregate, whereas that for γ-monosubstituted substrates is the more active monomeric catalyst ion pair species, even though its concentration would be low.

Design of synthetic polymer nanoparticles that inhibit glucose absorption from the intestine.

Synthetic polymers prepared using several functional monomers have attracted attention as cost-effective protein affinity reagents and alternative to antibodies. We previously reported the synthesis of poly NIPAm-based nanoparticles (NPs) using several functional monomers that can capture target molecules. In this study, we designed NPs for capturing glucose and inhibiting intestinal absorption in living mice. For capturing glucose, we focused on the Maillard reaction between primary amines and aldehyde residues. We hypothesized that the primary amine-containing NPs can capture the open-chain structure of glucose via the Maillard reaction and inhibit intestinal absorption. NPs were prepared by the precipitation polymerization of NIPAm, N-tert-butylacrylamide (TBAm), trifluoroacetate-protected N-(3-aminopropyl)methacrylamide (T-APM), and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide. Then, T-APM in NPs was deprotected by NH3 (aq). The amount of glucose captured by NPs depended on the percentage of TBAm and APM in vitro. After 24 h, only 2% of orally administered NPs remained in the body after administration, suggesting that many NPs were excreted without being absorbed. The prepared NPs significantly inhibited an increase in blood glucose concentration after the oral administration of glucose and NPs, indicating that NPs capture glucose and inhibit intestinal absorption. These results show the potential of using synthetic polymer nanoparticles for inhibiting postprandial hyperglycemia.

Enhancement of target toxin neutralization effect in vivo by PEGylation of multifunctionalized lipid nanoparticles.

Protein-protein (e.g., antibody-antigen) interactions comprise multiple weak interactions. We have previously reported that lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) bind to and neutralize target toxic peptides after multifunctionalization of the LNP surface (MF-LNPs) with amino acid derivatives that induce weak interactions; however, the MF-LNPs aggregated after target capture and showed short blood circulation times. Here we optimized polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified MF-LNPs (PEG-MF-LNPs) to inhibit the aggregation and increase the blood circulation time. Melittin was used as a target toxin, and MF-LNPs were prepared with negatively charged, hydrophobic, and neutral amino-acid-derivative-conjugated functional lipids. In this study, MF-LNPs modified with only PEG5k (PEG5k-MF-LNPs) and with both PEG5k and PEG2k (PEGmix-MF-LNPs) were prepared, where PEG5k and PEG2k represent PEG with a molecular weight of 5000 and 2000, respectively. PEGylation of the MF-LNPs did not decrease the melittin neutralization ability of nonPEGylated MF-LNPs, as tested by hemolysis assay. The PEGmix-MF-LNPs showed better blood circulation characteristics than the PEG5k-MF-LNPs. Although the nonPEGylated MF-LNPs immediately aggregated when mixed with melittin, the PEGmix-MF-LNPs did not aggregate. The PEGmix-MF-LNPs dramatically increased the survival rate of melittin-treated mice, whereas the nonPEGylated MF-LNPs increased slightly. These results provide a fundamental strategy to improve the in vivo toxin neutralization ability of MF-LNPs.

Asymmetric Dearomatizing Fluoroamidation of Indole Derivatives with Dianionic Phase-Transfer Catalyst.

Asymmetric dearomatizing fluorocyclization of indole derivatives was investigated using a dicarboxylate phase-transfer catalyst. This reaction proceeds under mild reaction conditions to provide fluoropyrroloindoline derivatives in a highly enantioselective manner. Various substitution patterns on the indole ring are well tolerated. To facilitate the reaction and ensure reproducibility, the addition of water is essential, and its possible role is discussed.

Fluorofunctionalizations of C-C Multiple Bonds and C-H Bonds.

In spite of only a few naturally occurring products having one or more fluorine atoms, organofluorine compounds have been widely utilized in pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and functional material science fields due to the characteristic properties of the fluorine atom. Therefore, the development of new methods for the introduction of fluorine-containing functional groups has been a long-standing research topic. This article discusses our contributions to this area. The first topic is on the trifluoromethylations of C-C multiple bonds using Togni reagent based on our working hypothesis that hypervalent iodine could be activated by coordination of the carbonyl moiety to the Lewis acid catalyst. The second topic relates to asymmetric fluorofunctionalization of alkenes. A newly designed phase-transfer catalyst consisting of a carboxylate anion functioning as a phase-transfer agent and a primary hydroxyl group as a site that captures the anionic substrate was revealed to be an effective catalyst for asymmetric fluorolactonization. Inspired by the mechanistic studies of fluorolactonization, we produced a linked binaphthyl dicarboxylate catalyst, which catalyzes the 6-endo-fluorocyclization and the deprotonative fluorination of allylic amides in a highly enantioselective manner. The third topic is on C-H fluorofunctionalizations using either catalysis or photoactivation. Benzylic trifluoromethylation, which is still a rare reaction, using Togni reagent and aromatic C-H trifluoromethylation using Umemoto reagent under simple photoirradiation conditions were achieved. In addition, the Csp3-H fluorination of alkyl phthalimide derivatives is demonstrated.

Asymmetric Dearomative Fluorination of 2-Naphthols with a Dicarboxylate Phase-Transfer Catalyst.

A linked dicarboxylate phase-transfer catalyst enables smooth asymmetric dearomative fluorination of 2-naphthols with Selectfluor under mild conditions to give the corresponding 1-fluoronaphthalenone derivatives in a highly enantioselective manner. This reaction, which is compatible with a range of functional groups, is the first example of catalytic asymmetric fluorination of 2-naphthols, and is expected to be useful in the synthesis of bioactive molecules.

18F-Labeled dihydromethidine: positron emission tomography radiotracer for imaging of reactive oxygen species in intact brain.

Dihydromethidine (DHM) labeled with 18F at the para position of the peripheral benzene ring was designed as a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer for non-invasive imaging of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This compound readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and is oxidized by ROS, and the oxidation product is retained intracellularly. PET imaging of ROS-producing rat brain microinfused with sodium nitroprusside identified specific brain regions with high ROS concentrations. This tracer should be useful for studies of the pathophysiological roles of ROS, and in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.

Enantioselective 5-exo-Fluorocyclization of Ene-Oximes.

The enantioselective 5-exo-fluorocyclization of ene-oxime compounds was demonstrated under phase-transfer catalysis. Although deprotonative fluorinations competed, the chemical yields and the ee values of the desired isoxazoline products were generally moderate to good. The absolute stereochemistry of the major isomer was determined to be S by comparison with the literature after transformation of the product to the corresponding iodinated isoxazoline.

Thiocyanation of Aromatic and Heteroaromatic Compounds with 1-Chloro-1,2-benziodoxol-3-(1H)-one and (Trimethylsilyl)isothiocyanate.

Thiocyanation of aromatic compounds has been investigated using the combination of 1-chloro-1,2-benziodoxol-3-(1H)-one (1) and (trimethylsilyl)isothiocyanate (TMSNCS). The reaction with electron rich aromatic compounds proceeded smoothly to provide the thiocyanated products in high yield, while electron deficient heteroaromatic compounds were not suitable for this reaction. In these reactions, the regioselectivity was generally high. Transformations of the products were also investigated to demonstrate the utility of the reaction. Based on NMR experiments, we propose that thiocyanogen chloride is generated in situ as an active species.

Design of Synthetic Polymer Nanoparticles Specifically Capturing Indole, a Small Toxic Molecule.

Synthetic polymers are of interest as stable and cost-effective biomolecule-affinity reagents, since these polymers interact with target biomolecules both in vitro and in the bloodstream. However, little has been reported about orally administered polymers capable of capturing a target molecule and inhibiting its intestinal absorption. Here, we describe the design of synthetic polymer nanoparticles (NPs) specifically capturing indole, a major factor exacerbating chronic kidney disease, in the intestine. N-isopropylacrylamide-based NPs were prepared with various hydrophobic monomers. The amounts of indole captured by NPs depended on the structures and feed ratios of the hydrophobic monomers and the polymer density but not on the particle size. The combination of hydrophobic and quadrupole interaction was effective to enhance the affinity and specificity of NPs for indole. The optimized NPs specifically inhibited intestinal absorption of orally administered indole in mice. These results showed the potential of synthetic polymer NPs for inhibiting the intestinal absorption of a target molecule.

Rigorous control of vesicle-forming lipid pKa by fluorine-conjugated bioisosteres for gene-silencing with siRNA.

While the influence of pKa provided by amine-containing materials in siRNA delivery vectors for use in gene-silencing has been widely studied, there are little reports in which amine pKa is controlled rigorously by using bioisosteres and its effect on gene-silencing. Here, we report that amine pKa could be rigorously controlled by replacement of hydrogen atom(s) with fluorine atom(s). A series of mono- and di-amine lipids with a different number of fluorine atoms were synthesized. The pKa of the polyamine lipids was shifted to a lower value with an increase in the number of fluorine atoms. The optimal pKa for high gene-silencing efficiency varied according to the number of amine residues in the polyamine lipid. Whereas the endosomal escape ability of mono-amine lipid-containing lipid vesicles (LVs) depended on the pKa, that of all tested di-amine lipid-containing LVs showed equal membrane-destabilizing activity. LVs showing moderately weak interactions with siRNA facilitated cytoplasmic release of siRNA, resulting in strong gene-silencing. These findings indicate that appropriate amine pKa engineering depending on the number of amines is important for the induction of effective RNA interference.

Practical and Scalable Organic Reactions with Flow Microwave Apparatus.

Microwave irradiation has been used for accelerating organic reactions as a heating method and has been proven to be useful in laboratory scale organic synthesis. The major drawback of microwave chemistry is the difficulty in scaling up, mainly because of the low penetration depth of microwaves. The combination of microwave chemistry and flow chemistry is considered to overcome the problem in scaling up of microwave-assisted organic reactions, and some flow microwave systems have been developed in both academic and industrial communities. In this context, we have demonstrated the scale-up of fundamental organic reactions using a novel flow microwave system developed by the academic-industrial alliance between the University of Shizuoka, Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and SAIDA FDS. In this Personal Account, we summarize the recent progress of our scalable microwave-assisted continuous synthesis using the SAIDA flow microwave apparatus.

Sequestering and inhibiting a vascular endothelial growth factor in vivo by systemic administration of a synthetic polymer nanoparticle.

Protein affinity reagents (PARs), frequently antibodies, are essential tools for basic research, diagnostics, separations and for clinical applications. However, there is growing concern about the reproducibility, quality and cost of recombinant and animal-derived antibodies. This has prompted the development of alternatives that could offer economic, and time-saving advantages without the use of living organisms. Synthetic copolymer nanoparticles (NPs), engineered with affinity for specific protein targets, are potential alternatives to PARs. Although there are now a number of examples of abiotic protein affinity reagents (APARs), most have been evaluated in vitro limiting a realistic assessment of their potential for more demanding, practical in vivo applications. We demonstrate for the first time that an abiotic copolymer hydrogel nanoparticle (NP1) engineered to bind a key signaling protein, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165), functions in vivo to suppress tumor growth by regulating angiogenesis. Lightly cross-linked N-isopropylacrylamide based NPs that incorporate both sulfated N-acetylglucosamine and hydrophobic monomers were optimized by dynamic chemical evolution for VEGF165 affinity. NP1 efficacy in vivo was evaluated by systemic administration to tumor-bearing mice. The study found that NP1 suppresses tumor growth and reduces tumor vasculature density. Combination therapy with doxorubicin resulted in increased doxorubicin concentration in the tumor and dramatic inhibition of tumor growth. NP1 treatment did not show off target anti-coagulant activity. In addition, >97% of injected NPs are rapidly excreted from the body following IV injection. These results establish the use of APARs as inhibitors of protein-protein interactions in vivo and may point the way to their broader use as abiotic, cost effective protein affinity reagents for the treatment of certain cancers and more broadly for regulating signal transduction.

Regio- and chemoselective Csp3-H arylation of benzylamines by single electron transfer/hydrogen atom transfer synergistic catalysis.

We present a highly regio- and chemoselective Csp3-H arylation of benzylamines mediated by synergy of single electron transfer (SET) and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalysis. Under well precedented SET catalysis alone, the arylation reaction of N,N-dimethylbenzylamine proceeded via aminium radical cation formation and selectively targeted the N-methyl group. In contrast, addition of PhC(O)SH as a HAT catalyst precursor completely switched the regioselectivity to Csp3-H arylation at the N-benzylic position. Measurement of oxidation potentials indicated that the conjugate base of PhC(O)SH is oxidized in preference to the substrate amine. The discovery of the thiocarboxylate as a novel HAT catalyst allowed for the selective generation of the sulfur-centered radical, so that the N-benzyl selectivity was achieved by overriding the inherent N-methyl and/or N-methylene selectivity under SET catalysis conditions. While visible light-driven α-C-H functionalization of amines has mostly been demonstrated with aniline derivatives and tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs), our method is applicable to a variety of primary, secondary and tertiary benzylamines for efficient N-benzylic C-H arylation. Functional group tolerance was high, and various 1,1-diarylmethylamines, including an α,α,α-trisubstituted amine, were obtained in good to excellent yield (up to 98%). Importantly, the reaction is applicable to late-stage functionalization of pharmaceuticals.

Asymmetric Fluorination of Cyclic Tetrasubstituted Alkenes with a Pendant Amide Groups under Dianionic Phase-Transfer Catalysis.

Asymmetric fluorination of cyclic tetrasubstituted alkenes with a pendant amide group was investigated under dianionic phase-transfer catalysis. Fluorination proceeded with high face selectivity, affording the corresponding allylic fluorides with a chiral tetrasubstituted carbon center with up to 97% enantiomeric excess (ee). It should be noted that deprotonative fluorination occurred mainly in preference to intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the amide group.

C-Alkylation of N-alkylamides with styrenes in air and scale-up using a microwave flow reactor.

C-Alkylation of N-alkylamides with styrenes is reported, proceeding in ambient air/moisture to give arylbutanamides and pharmaceutically-relevant scaffolds in excellent mass balance. Various amide and styrene derivatives were tolerated, rapidly affording molecular complexity in a single step; thus highlighting the future utility of this transformation in the synthetic chemistry toolbox. Reaction scalability (up to 65 g h-1 product) was demonstrated using a Microwave Flow reactor, as the first example of a C-alkylation reaction using styrenes in continuous flow.