Regio- and stereocontrolled synthesis of borylated E-enynes, Z-enediynes and derivatives from alkenyl-1,2-bis-(boronates).

An efficient stereo-controlled synthesis of enyne and enediyne derivatives, via sequential Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions from easily prepared 1-alkene-1,2-diboronic esters and alkynyl bromides, is reported. The resulting enyne boronic esters were subjected to Borono-Mannich and Suzuki coupling reactions independently to obtain α,ß-unsaturated aminoester and tri-substituted olefin derivatives, respectively. Additionally, divergent syntheses of triazole and cyclopropylboronate derivatives are also reported.

Simmons-Smith Cyclopropanation of Alkenyl 1,2-Bis(boronates): Stereoselective Access to Functionalized Cyclopropyl Derivatives.

A Simmons-Smith stereodefined procedure for the synthesis of cyclopropyl-1,2-bis(boronates) has been developed starting from the corresponding alkenes. The resulting compounds were then subjected to regioselective Suzuki-Miyaura couplings to produce diversely tri- or tetra-substituted arylcyclopropanes in good yields. Further functionalization with 2-lithiothiophene provided 1,2-bis(aryl)cyclopropanes.

Tandem aza-Michael addition-vinylogous aldol condensation: synthesis of N-bridged pyridine fused quinolones.

Herein, we present a tandem aza-Michael addition-vinylogous aldol condensation strategy for the synthesis of N-bridged pyridine fused quinolone derivatives from quinolones and ynones. The presented tandem transformation features the construction of C-N and CC bonds in a single operation, under transition metal-free conditions. The wide substrate scope and gram scale synthesis of pyridine fused quinolone derivatives expand the synthetic value of the presented protocol.

Copper-Mediated Synthesis of (E)-1-Azido and (Z)-1,2-Diazido Alkenes from 1-Alkene-1,2-diboronic Esters: An Approach to Mono- and 1,2-Di-(1,2,3-Triazolyl)-Alkenes and Fused Bis-(1,2,3-Triazolo)-Pyrazines.

A stereoselective and convenient route has been demonstrated to access (Z)-1,2-diazido alkenes from the corresponding 1,2-diboronic esters via a copper-mediated reaction with sodium azide. Alternately, mono-functionalization was regioselectively carried out with trimethylsilyl azide as an azidation reactant. The in situ conversion of bis-azides to the corresponding bis-triazoles can be readily achieved in the presence of copper sulfate and sodium ascorbate, while the modification of the catalytic system opened a new convenient route to bis-triazolo-pyrazines, a new class of fused heterocycles.

Synthesis of Polysubstituted Isoquinolines and Related Fused Pyridines from Alkenyl Boronic Esters via a Copper-Catalyzed Azidation/Aza-Wittig Condensation Sequence.

An efficient and straightforward synthesis of isoquinolines is reported from internal alkenyl boronic esters, easily prepared from the corresponding 1,2-bis(boronates), via a sequential copper-catalyzed azidation/aza-Wittig condensation. This synthetic method has been used to synthesize quinisocaine, a topical anesthetic used for the treatment of pain and pruritus, and further extended to thieno[2,3-c]pyridines by using 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde as coupling partner in the first step.

Ruthenium catalyzed ß-C(sp3)-H functionalization on the 'privileged' piperazine nucleus.

ß-C(sp3)-H functionalization on the 'privileged' piperazine nucleus has been disclosed using ruthenium catalysis. The ruthenium catalyzed synthesis of a variety of piperazine fused indoles from ortho-piperazinyl (hetero)aryl aldehydes is presented. This transformation takes place via the dehydrogenation of piperazine followed by an intramolecular nucleophilic addition of the transient enamine moiety onto the carbonyl group and aromatization cascade.

Ruthenium Phosphine-Pyridone Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Alcohols To form α-Alkylated Ketones.

An efficient and green route to access diverse functionalized ketones via dehydrogenative-dehydrative cross-coupling of primary and secondary alcohols is demonstrated. Selective and tunable formation of ketones or alcohols is catalyzed by a recently developed proton responsive ruthenium phosphine-pyridone complex. Light alcohols such as ethanol could be used as alkylating agents in this methodology. Moreover, selective tandem double alkylation of isopropanol is achieved by sequential addition of different alcohols.

Synthesis of 1-Amino-1H-Indenes via a Sequential Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling/Petasis Condensation Sequence.

An efficient and straightforward synthesis of 1-amino-1H-indenes is reported from 1,2-bis(boronates) via a sequential Suzuki-Miyaura coupling/Petasis cyclization reaction. Starting from the same monoboronic ester intermediates, an intermolecular version of this approach also afforded (Z)-α,ß-unsaturated amino esters in moderate to good yields.

Solvent-Directed Switch of a Left-Handed 10/12-Helix into a Right-Handed 12/10-Helix in Mixed ß-Peptides.

Present study describes the synthesis and conformational analysis of ß-peptides from C-linked carbo-ß-amino acids [ß-Caa(l)] with a d-lyxo furanoside side chain and ß-hGly in 1:1 alternation. NMR and CD investigations on peptides with an (S)-ß-Caa(l) monomer at the N-terminus revealed a right-handed 10/12-mixed helix. An unprecedented solvent-directed "switch" both in helical pattern and handedness was observed when the sequence begins with a ß-hGly residue instead of a (S)-ß-Caa(l) constituent. NMR studies on these peptides in chloroform indicated a left-handed 10/12-helix, while the CD spectrum in methanol inferred a right-handed secondary structure. The NMR data for these peptides in CD3OH showed the presence of a right-handed 12/10-helix. NMR investigations in acetonitrile indicated the coexistence of both helix types. Quantum chemical studies predicted a small energy difference of 0.3 kcal/mol between the two helix types, which may explain the possibility of solvent influence. Examples for a solvent-directed switch of both the H-bonding pattern and the handedness of foldamer helices are rare so far. A comparable solvent effect was not found in the corresponding peptides with (R)-ß-Caa(l) residues, where right-handed 12/10-helices are predominating.

Synthesis of a new ß-amino acid with a 3-deoxy-L-ara furnaoside side chain: the influence of the side chain on the conformation of α/ß-peptides.

The important role of side chains in the stabilization of helical folds in peptidic foldamers containing C-linked carbo-ß-amino acids (ß-Caa), an interesting class of ß-amino acids, with carbohydrate side chains has been extensively elaborated. As a pragmatic approach to alleviate the interference of substituents in the side chains on the folding propensities of the peptides, they are often modified or removed. The present study reports the synthesis of a new ß-Caa with a 3-deoxy-L-ara furanoside side chain, [(R)-ß-Caa(da)], from D-glucose, and its use in the synthesis of α/ß-peptides in 1 : 1 alternation with D-Ala. The synthesis of peptides using (R)-ß-Caa(da), was facile unlike those from (R)-ß-Caa(a) having the L-ara furanoside side chain. The detailed NMR, molecular dynamics (MD) and CD studies on the new α/ß-peptides showed the presence of robust left-handed 11/9-mixed helices. The study demonstrates that the new (R)-ß-Caa(da), behaves differently compared to the other two related monomers, (R)-ß-Caa(x) with the D-xylo furanoside side chain and (R)-ß-Caa(a).

A Double Activation Method for the Conversion of Vinyl Epoxides into vic-Amino Alcohols and Chiral Benzoxazine/Quinoxaline Derivatives.

A new method for the synthesis of 1,2-syn-vic amino alcohols (with double inversion of configuration) from vinyl epoxides, by the amination of a π-allyl palladium-borate complex generated by using Pd(0) and phenyl-o-phenylene borate (a double activation technique), is reported. Further, this new method with broad functional group compatibility was extended to a one-pot/two-step synthesis of chiral benzoxazine and quinoxaline derivatives.

Three-residue turn in ß-peptides nucleated by a 12/10 helix.

A new three-residue turn in ß peptides nucleated by a 12/10-mixed helix is presented. In this design, ß peptides were derived from the 1:1 alternation of C-linked carbo-ß-amino acid ester [BocNH-(R)-ß-Caa(r)-OMe] (Boc=tert-butyloxycarbonyl), which consisted of a D-ribo furanoside side chain, and ß-hGly residues. The hexapeptide with (R)-ß-Caa(r) at the N terminus showed the 'turn' stabilized by a 14-membered NH(4)⋅⋅⋅CO(6) hydrogen bond at the C terminus nucleated by a robust 12/10-mixed helix, thus providing a 'helix-turn' (HT) motif. The turn and the helix were additionally stabilized by intraresidue electrostatic interaction between the furan oxygen in the carbohydrate side chain and NH in the backbone. However, the hexapeptide with a ß-hGly residue at the N terminus demonstrated the presence of a 10/12 helix through its entire length, which again showed the intraresidue interaction between NH and furan oxygen. The intraresidue NH⋅⋅⋅O-Me electrostatic interactions observed in the monomer, however, were absent in the peptides.

Design and synthesis of peptides with hybrid helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif and their conformational study.

The present study is aimed at the design and synthesis of peptides with hybrid helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif and their conformational analysis (NMR, MD, and CD studies). The requisite peptides with heterogeneous backbones were prepared from ß-, γ-, and δ-amino acids with carbohydrate side chains and α-amino acid, L-Ala. The α/ß-peptides were prepared from (S)-ß-Caa(l) (C-linked carbo-ß-amino acid with D-lyxo furanoside side chain) and L-Ala with a 1:1 alternation. The α/ß-peptides with "helix-turn" motif displayed a 11/9-helix nucleating a 13-atom H-bonding turn. The α/ß-octapeptides showed the presence of HTH structures with bifurcated 11/15-H-bonded turn. Further, the α/ß-hexapeptide with HT motif, independently on coupling with γ/α/γ/α- and δ/α/δ/α-tetrapeptides at the C-terminus provided access to the decapeptides with "hybrid HTH" motifs. The decapeptide ("α-ß-α-ß-α-ß-γ-α-γ-α") showed a hybrid HTH with "11/9/11/9/11/16/9/12/10" H-bonding, while the decapeptide ("α-ß-α-ß-α-ß-δ-α-δ-α") revealed the presence of a "11/9/11/9/11/17/9/13/11" helical pattern. The above peptides thus have shown compatibility between different types of helices and serendipitous bifurcated 11/16- and 11/17-turns. The present study thus provided the first opportunity for the design and study of "hybrid HTH" motifs with more than one kind of helical structures in them.

New helical folds in α-peptides with alternating chirality.

In α-peptides, the 8/10 helix is theoretically predicted to be energetically unstable and has not been experimentally observed so far. Based on our earlier studies on 'helical induction' and 'hybrid helices', we have adopted the 'end-capping' strategy to induce the 8/10 helix in α-peptides by using short α/ß-peptides. Thus, α-peptides containing a regular string of α-amino acids with alternating chirality were end capped by α/ß-peptides with 11/9-helical motifs at the termini. Extensive NMR spectroscopy studies of these peptides revealed the presence of a hitherto unknown 8/10-helical pattern; the H-bonds in the shorter pseudorings were rather weak. The approach of using short helical motifs to induce new mixed helices in α-peptides could provide avenues for more versatile design strategies.

Synthesis of new ß(2,2)-amino acids with carbohydrate side chains: impact on the synthesis of peptides.

The study describes the synthesis of new geminally disubstituted C-linked carbo-ß(2,2)-amino acids (ß(2,2)-Caas) with different carbohydrate side chains, and their use in the synthesis of ß(2,2)-peptides. The study infers that the side chain has an influence on the synthesis of peptides and their conformational behaviour.

Regio- and stereocontrolled access to γ-boronated unsaturated amino esters and derivatives from (Z)-alkenyl 1,2-bis(boronates).

The Borono-Mannich reaction of (Z)-1-alkene-1,2-diboronic esters proceeded regioselectively at the terminal C-B bond to afford (E)-γ-boronated unsaturated amino esters in good yields. These compounds were then subjected to Suzuki couplings for the creation of diversely substituted olefinic amino acid systems. Several other functional transformations were also carried out to illustrate the synthetic utility of the Petasis products.

Chirality and template-mediated induction of helical preferences in achiral ß-peptides.

This study describes chirality- or template-mediated helical induction in achiral ß-peptides for the first time. A strategy of end capping ß-peptides derived from ß-hGly (the smallest achiral ß-amino acid) with a chiral ß-amino acid that possesses a carbohydrate side chain (ß-Caa; C-linked carbo ß-amino acid) or a small, robust helical template derived from ß-Caas, was adopted to investigate folding propensity. A single chiral (R)-ß-Caa residue at the C- or N-terminus in these oligomers led to a preponderance of right-handed 12/10-helical folds, which was reiterated more strongly in peptides capped at both the C- and N-terminus. Likewise, the presence of a template (a 12/10-helical trimer) at both the C- and N-terminus resulted in a very robust helix. The propagation of the helical fold and its sustenance was found in a homo-oligomeric sequence with as many as seven ß-hGly residues. In both cases, the induction of helicity was stronger from the N terminus, whereas an anchor at the C terminus resulted in reduced helical propensity. Although these oligomers have been theoretically predicted to favor a 12/10-mixed helix in apolar solvents, this study provides the first experimental evidence for their existence. Diastereotopicity was found in both the methylene groups of the ß-hGly moieties due to chirality. Additionally, the ß-hGly units have shown split behavior in the conformational space to accommodate the 12/10-helix. Thus, end capping to assist chiralty- or template-mediated helical induction and stabilization in achiral ß-peptides is a very attractive strategy.

Synthesis of C-linked carbo-ß2-amino acids and ß2-peptides: design of new motifs for left-handed 12/10- and 10/12-mixed helices.

C-linked carbo-ß(2)-amino acids (ß(2)-Caa), a new class of ß-amino acid with a carbohydrate side chain having d-xylo configuration, were prepared from d-glucose. The main idea behind the design of the new ß-amino acids was to move the steric strain of the bulky carbohydrate side chain from the Cß- to the Cα-carbon atom and to explore its influence on the folding propensities in peptides with alternating (R)- and (S)-ß(2)-Caas. The tetra- and hexapeptides derived were studied employing NMR (in CDCl(3)), CD, and molecular dynamics simulations. The ß(2)-peptides of the present study form left-handed 12/10- and 10/12-mixed helices independent of the order of the alternating chiral amino acids in the sequence and result in a new motif. These results differ from earlier findings on ß(3)-peptides of the same design, containing a carbohydrate side chain with d-xylo configuration, which form exclusively right-handed 12/10-mixed helices. Quantum chemical calculations employing ab initio MO theory suggest the side chain chirality as an important factor for the observed definite left- or right-handedness of the helices in the ß(2)- and ß(3)-peptides.

Stereoselective total synthesis of dinemasone A by double intramolecular hetero-Michael addition (DIHMA).

The first total synthesis of dinemasone A, a bioactive metabolite with a spiroketal moiety, is described. The main strategy for the construction of the spiroketal unit involves a double intramolecular hetero-Michael addition (DIHMA) of an ynone moiety. The thus obtained axial-equatorial mono anomeric spiroketal, on spiroepimerization with ZnBr(2), was converted into the requisite axial-axial double anomeric spiroketal. The ynone moiety with four stereocentres, was prepared from a chiral propargylic alcohol (C5-C11 fragment) and a dihydroxy aldehyde (C1-C4 fragment), which in turn were obtained from D-mannitol and crotyl alcohol respectively.

Design of ß-amino acid with backbone-side chain interactions: stabilization of 14/15-helix in α/ß-peptides.

A new C-linked carbo-ß-amino acid, (R)-ß-Caa((r)), having a carbohydrate side chain with D-ribo configuration, was prepared from D-glucose by inverting the C-3 stereocenter to introduce constraints/interactions. From the NMR studies it was inferred that the new monomer may participate in additional electrostatic interactions, facilitating and enhancing novel folds in oligomeric peptides derived from it. The α/ß-peptides, synthesized from alternating L-Ala and (R)-ß-Caa((r)), have shown the presence of 14/15-helix by NMR (in CDCl(3), methanol-d(3) and CD(3)CN), CD and MD calculations. The hybrid peptides showed the presence of electrostatic interactions involving the intraresidue amide proton and the C3-OMe, which helped in the stabilization of the NH(i)···CO(i-4) H-bonds and adoption of 14/15-helix. The importance of such additional interactions has been well defined in recent times to stabilize the folding in a variety of peptidic foldamers. These observations suggest and emphasize that the side chain-backbone interactions are crucial in the stabilization of the desired folding propensity. The designed monomer thus enlarges the opportunities for the synthesis of peptides with novel conformations and expands the repertoire of the foldamers.