Asymmetric hydrogenation of protected allylic amines.

A general method for the enantioselective hydrogenation of protected allylic amine derivatives is described. This procedure relies on the generation of a cationic ruthenium complex with the axially chiral ligand (-)-TMBTP. The utility is highlighted by the highly enantioselective hydrogenation of a diene substrate that can then be elaborated to prepare Telcagepant, a compound currently in Phase III clinical trials. The scope of the hydrogenation reaction was studied, and a variety of substituted allylic amine derivatives could be hydrogenated with enantiomeric ratios of 92:8 or higher.

A practical synthesis of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor MK-0633.

Practical, chromatography-free syntheses of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor MK-0633 p-toluenesulfonate (1) are described. The first route used an asymmetric zincate addition to ethyl 2,2,2-trifluoropyruvate followed by 1,3,4-oxadiazole formation and reductive amination as key steps. An improved second route features an inexpensive diastereomeric salt resolution of vinyl hydroxy-acid 22 followed by a robust end-game featuring a through-process hydrazide acylation/1,3,4-oxadiazole ring closure/salt formation sequence to afford MK-0633 p-toluenesulfonate (1).

Remote electronic control in the regioselective reduction of succinimides: a practical, scalable synthesis of Ep4 antagonist MF-310.

A practical large-scale chromatography-free synthesis of EP4 antagonist MF-310, a potential new treatment for chronic inflammation, is presented. The synthetic route provided MF-310 as its sodium salt in 10 steps and 17% overall yield from commercially available pyridine dicarboxylate 7. The key features of this sequence include a unique regioselective reduction of succinimide 2 controlled by the electronic properties of a remote pyridine ring, preparation of cyclopropane carboxylic acid 3 via a Corey-Chaykovsky cyclopropanation, and a short synthesis of sulfonamide 5.

Raney-Co mediated reductive cyclization of an alpha,beta-unsaturated nitrile.

An expedient, five step synthesis of caprolactam 1 is reported starting from natural L-homoserine. The key step is a chemoselective reductive cyclization of alpha,beta-unsaturated nitrile 10 mediated by Raney-Co type metals. This hydrogenation is extensively investigated in order to account for the observed product distribution and yields.

A novel crystallization-induced diastereomeric transformation based on a reversible carbon-sulfur bond formation. Application to the synthesis of a gamma-secretase inhibitor.

This paper describes a remarkably efficient process for the preparation of gamma-secretase inhibitor 1. The target is synthesized in only five steps with an overall yield of 58%. The key operation is a highly selective and practical, crystallization-driven transformation for the conversion of a mixture of tertiary benzylic alcohols into the desired sulfide diastereomer with 94:6 dr. This unprecedented process is based upon a reversible carbon-sulfur bond formation under acidic conditions.

One-step synthesis of alpha-chloro acetophenones from acid chlorides and aryl precursors.

A direct and efficient method was developed for the preparation of a variety of substituted acetophenone derivatives from readily available arene precursors and acid chlorides. This method has significant generality and affords access to substitution patterns on aryl rings not directly achievable by Friedel-Crafts chemistry. [reaction: see text].

Efficient access to azaindoles and indoles.

[Structure: see text] An expedient, catalytic method for the synthesis of diverse azaindoles and indoles, starting from readily available and inexpensive starting materials, is described. Conditions were developed for effective reductive alkylation of electron-deficient o-chloroarylamines, substrates previously viewed as poor partners in this reaction. The derived N-alkylated o-chloroarylamines were elaborated to N-alkylazaindoles and N-alkylindoles via a novel one-pot process comprising copper-free Sonogashira alkynylation and a base-mediated indolization reaction.

Efficient access to cyclic ureas via Pd-catalyzed cyclization.

[Structure: see text] An efficient regioselective method for the preparation of structurally diverse imidazopyridinones and benzoimidazolones starting from readily available and economical starting materials is described. High-yielding reductive alkylation of electron-deficient o-haloarylamines followed by treatment with inexpensive N-chlorosulfonyl isocyanate afforded primary ureas in good overall yields. A Pd-catalyzed urea cyclization reaction furnished imidazopyridinones and benzoimidazolones in excellent yields. Overall, the developed chemistry provides rapid access to pharmaceutically important heterocyclic compounds with high efficiency.

Controlling olefin geometry with Pd catalysis: selective formation of Z-olefins from both E- and Z-allylic carbonates.

The palladium-catalyzed formation of Z-olefins from allylic carbonates and a variety of protected dialkyl aminomalonates is reported. The reaction is selective for the Z-isomer, and either acetyl, Boc, or formyl protecting groups are tolerated. The Z-olefin product can be formed regardless of whether the E- or Z-allylic carbonate is used as starting material.

Enol tosylates as viable partners in Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.

[reaction: see text] Herein we demonstrate functionalized enol tosylates to be robust substrates that undergo Suzuki-Miyaura, Sonogashira, and Stille cross-coupling reactions to provide stereodefined trisubstituted unsaturated esters.

Stereoselective synthesis of an anti-HIV drug candidate.

The asymmetric synthesis of a Merck anti-HIV drug candidate is described. The target molecule contains four stereogenic centers, three of which are located in a highly functionalized cyclopentane unit. The convergent synthesis involves the preparation of two key advanced intermediates: the cyclopentane unit and a substituted pyrazole unit. The cyclopentane unit was prepared via two different procedures; a highly diastereoselective Diels-Alder reaction with a chiral oxazolidinone auxiliary and a sequence that incorporated a molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reaction to set the stereocenters. The other key step was a highly diastereoselective hydroxyl-directed reductive amination. The overall yield for the 16-step synthesis was 10%.

Stereoselective enol tosylation: preparation of trisubstituted alpha,beta-unsaturated esters.

[Reaction: see text] The stereoselective preparation of (E)- or (Z)-trisubstituted alpha,beta-unsaturated esters in three steps from N-protected glycine is presented. The key step in the synthesis is the highly selective enol tosylation of gamma-amino beta-keto esters. The enol tosylates are stable, crystalline compounds that undergo smooth and effective Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction with a variety of aryl boronic acids.

Methods for the synthesis of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1,8-naphthyridine fragments for alphaVbeta3 integrin antagonists.

The preparation of 3-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1,8-naphthyridin-2-yl)propan-1-amine 2a and 3-[(7R)-7-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1,8-naphthyridin-2-yl]propan-1-amine 2b, key intermediates in the synthesis of alpha(V)beta(3) antagonists, is described. The syntheses rely on the efficient double Sonogashira reactions of 2,5-dibromopyridine 3 with acetylenic alcohols 4a/4b and protected propargylamines 10a-e followed by Chichibabin cyclizations of 3,3'-pyridine-2,5-diyldipropan-1-amines 9a/9b.

An efficient synthesis of an alphavbeta3 antagonist.

A practical preparation of an alpha(v)beta(3) antagonist is reported. The antagonist consists of three key components, a tetrahydronaphthyridine moiety, a beta-alanine moiety, and a central imidazolidone moiety. The tetrahydronaphthyridine component was prepared using two different methods, both of which relied on variations of the Friedländer reaction to establish the desired regiochemistry. The beta-alanine component was prepared using Davies' asymmetric 1,4-addition methodology as the key stereo-defining step. The central imidazolidone portion was created from these two components using an effective three-step cyclization protocol. Thus, a highly convergent process for the drug candidate was defined.

Development of a new and practical route to chiral 3,4-disubstituted cyclopentanones: asymmetric alkylation and intramolecular cyclopropanation as key C-C bond-forming steps.

An efficient and practical asymmetric synthesis of (+)-trans-3-hydroxymethyl-4-(3-fluorophenyl)cyclopentanone (1) is described. An asymmetric Mo-catalyzed alkylation reaction was used to establish the first stereocenter and a Cu-catalyzed intramolecular diastereoselective cyclopropanation reaction was used to set the second stereocenter. The last step involved a one-pot ring-opening/deprotection/hydrolysis/decarboxylation sequence that furnished the desired product in good yield.

Solvent-dependent dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation/kinetic resolution in molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations.

Catalytic asymmetric alkylation reactions of branched racemic carbonates 1a and 1b with sodium dimethyl malonate, promoted by molybdenum and ligand 5, proceed by a kinetic resolution in toluene, THF, tetrahydropyran, i-PrOAc, 1,2-dichloroethane, and MeCN with k(rel) of 7-16. In THF, MeCN, tetrahydropyran, and i-PrOAc using the (S,S)-5 ligand, the fast reacting (S)-carbonate enantiomer provides the branched product with high ee (97-99.5%) and branched/linear selectivity, but the ee erodes as the reaction of the slow-reacting (R)-enantiomer takes place. This implies that the rate of equilibration of the oxidative addition complexes in these solvents is competitive with the subsequent malonate displacement step. In toluene and dichloroethane, the ee and branched/linear ratios diminish during the reaction of the slow-reacting (R)-isomer, but not nearly as much as in the other solvents. This is most likely due to either an increase in the rate of equilibration of the oxidative addition complexes relative to the malonate displacement step, or vice versa. Because of the minimal stereochemical memory effect in toluene and 1,2-dichloroethane, the reactions in these solvents can be carried to completion (dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation) and still provide product with excellent ee (>95%). The anion of dimethyl methylmalonate also reacts via a kinetic resolution, although the ee's, rates, and k(rel) values differ from those of the reactions with dimethyl malonate.