Synthesis of Substituted Indolines through Photocatalyzed Decarboxylative Radical Arylation.

We report a new photocatalyzed remote alkyl radical generation and cyclization to prepare substituted indolines in a green, metal-free procedure. This method complements the Fischer indolization, metal-catalyzed couplings, and photocatalyzed radical addition and cyclization. A wide range of functional groups is tolerated, including aryl halides, that would not be compatible with most existing methods. Electronic bias and substitution were studied to demonstrate complete regiocontrol and high chemocontrol in the indoline formation.

Sequential One-Pot Vilsmeier-Haack and Organocatalyzed Mannich Cyclizations to Functionalized Benzoindolizidines and Benzoquinolizidines.

The development of new one-pot sequential cyclizations involving a Vilsmeier-Haack reaction followed by an organocatalyzed Mannich reaction is reported. This synthetic strategy gives access to functionalized indolizidines and quinolizidines in one operation from readily synthesized precursors. Yields and diastereoselectivities are good to excellent when formamides are used to trigger the key step, bearing either an electron-rich aryl or a pyrrole as the nucleophilic partner in the first cyclization.

General Approach toward Aspidospermatan-Type Alkaloids Using One-Pot Vilsmeier-Haack Cyclization and Azomethine Ylide Cycloaddition.

The development of a new one-pot reaction sequence afforded the tricyclic core of several aspidospermatan-type alkaloids from a linear, densely functionalized substrate. The key sequence features a highly chemoselective formamide activation that triggered a Vilsmeier-Haack cyclization, followed by an azomethine ylide generation and intramolecular cycloaddition. The choice of nucleophile, azomethine ylide precursor, and dipolarophile was crucial to the success of the sequence.

Studies toward Total Synthesis of (±)-Caldaphnidine C via One-Pot Sequential Intramolecular Vilsmeier-Haack and Azomethine Ylide 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition.

An application of a one-pot sequential Vilsmeier-Haack cyclization and intramolecular azomethine ylide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition toward the total synthesis of (±)-caldaphnidine C is presented. It allowed an efficient formation of three cycles with perfect control of four of the five newly created stereogenic centers including one all-carbon quaternary center. Two synthetic strategies to produce the key-step precursor, the investigation and optimization of the cyclization partners (nucleophile, azomethine ylide, and dipolarophile), and further derivatization of the cycloadduct are reported.

Asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-virosine A via sequential nucleophilic cyclizations onto an activated formamide.

The first synthesis of tetracyclic alkaloid virosine A is reported. The natural alkaloid was prepared in only 13 steps, in an enantioenriched form. The azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane core was efficiently assembled using a key Vilsmeier-Haack and Mannich cyclizations sequence performed in one pot.

Functionalized Polyhydroquinolines from Amino Acids Using a Key One-Pot Cyclization Cascade and Application to the Synthesis of (±)-Δ7-Mesembrenone.

Substituted polyhydroquinolines are ubiquitous skeletal cores found in drugs and bioactive natural products. As a new route to access this motif, we successfully developed a one-pot cyclization cascade with high chemocontrol and diastereoselectivity. The sequence generates two cycles, three carbon-carbon bonds, and an all-carbon quaternary center in a highly convergent process. Functionalized polyhydroquinolines and congeners can be accessed from commercially available amino acids. This versatile and robust strategy was applied to the synthesis of (±)-Δ7-mesembrenone.

Short Approach toward the Nonracemic A,B,E Tricyclic Core of Calyciphylline B-Type Alkaloids.

A suitably functionalized tricyclic adduct containing the common A,B,E rings found in calyciphylline B-type alkaloids was obtained in nine linear steps. The key transformation features an efficient one-pot sequence of intramolecular Vilsmeier-Haack cyclization and azomethine ylide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition in which three cycles, three new carbon-carbon bonds, and three stereocenters are formed, one being fully substituted. This work also demonstrates the first use of a chiral, nonracemic cyclic enol ether as an internal carbon nucleophile.

Bis-Michael Acceptors as Novel Probes to Study the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE Pathway.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a master regulator that promotes the transcription of cytoprotective genes in response to oxidative/electrophilic stress. Various Michael-type compounds were designed and synthesized, and their potency to activate the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway was evaluated. Compounds bearing two Michael-type acceptors proved to be the most active. Tether length and rigidity between the acceptors was crucial. This study will help to understand how this feature disrupts the interaction between Keap1 and Nrf2.

Addition of tethered nonaromatic carbon nucleophiles to chemoselectively activated amides.

[reaction: see text] In an effort to develop new ways of synthesizing polycyclic alkaloids, we successfully added silyl enol ethers, allylsilanes, and enamines to iminium ions generated from amides. Because of their higher oxidation state, such iminiums show a yet unexploited advantage of potential double cyclizations over standard Mannich monocyclizations. We report herein the first example of tethered nonaromatic carbon nucleophiles adding to activated amides for the generation of enaminals of various ring sizes, with endo- or exo-cyclic nitrogen.

Preparation of conformationally restricted ß(2,2)- and ß(2,2,3)-amino esters and derivatives containing an all-carbon quaternary center.

ß-Amino acids are routinely incorporated into peptidic drugs to increase their stability and to incur conformational biases. However, the synthesis of highly substituted ß-amino acids still represents a great challenge. A new approach to their preparation is reported involving a Vilsmeier-Haack reaction with nonaromatic carbon nucleophiles. The highly challenging preparation of contiguous tertiary and all-carbon quaternary centers was successfully used to generate several ß(2,2,3)-amino esters, such as derivatives of homoproline, homoalanine, and homopipecolinic esters.

Synthesis of the tetracyclic core of daphnilactone B-type and yuzurimine-type alkaloids.

The core of daphnilactone B-type and yuzurimine-type alkaloids was synthesized in only 16 steps from a known ß-allyl-γ-butyrolactone. The key sequence of Vilsmeier-Haack cyclization and intramolecular azomethine ylide cycloaddition allowed the construction of, in a single step, three of the five rings common to all alkaloids found in both of these classes with perfect chemocontrol.

Rapid assembly of quinolizidines via consecutive nucleophilic cyclizations onto activated amides.

A new approach to the synthesis of quinolizidines involving a cascade of nucleophilic cyclizations triggered by chemoselective amide activation is reported. Particular attention was given to the effect of the nature of the tethered nucleophiles on the cascade of cyclizations. As a result, simple acyclic amides gave rapid access to functionalized quinolizidines bearing either a tertiary or quaternary center at the ring junction. Such a fused bicyclic motif is found in several alkaloids.

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of substituted pyrrolidines using a sequence of azomethine ylide cycloaddition and nucleophilic cyclization.

Although cycloadditions of azomethine ylides usually give mixtures of endo/exo adducts, we successfully tuned the mechanistic path of a new reaction cascade to afford substituted pyrrolidines in high yields and diastereomeric purity. This was achieved by forcing the demetalation of tin- or silicon-substituted iminium ions, followed by azomethine ylide cycloaddition and nucleophilic cyclization. Structural complexity is thus built rapidly in a fully controlled one-pot reaction cascade.

A versatile cascade of intramolecular Vilsmeier-Haack and azomethine ylide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition toward tricyclic cores of alkaloids.

In the pursuit of synthetic efficiency, we developed an innovative one-pot transformation of linear substrates into bi- and tricyclic adducts using a cascade of amide activation, nucleophilic cyclization, azomethine ylide generation, and subsequent inter- or intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Despite the high density and variety of functional groups on the substrates, the sequence occurred with perfect chemoselectivity with good to excellent yields.

Synthesis of the tricyclic core of alkaloid securinol B using a cascade of Vilsmeier-Haack and Mannich cyclizations.

Iminium ions generated upon amide activation were trapped sequentially with tethered nucleophiles. This cascade of cyclizations constitutes a new synthetic strategy that was applied to the construction of the tricyclic core of alkaloid securinol B.

Effect of substitution on the intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alkene tethered münchnones.

A sequence of chemoselective activation of N-acylaminoacids, münchnone generation, intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, and ring opening efficiently generated functionalized polycyclic structures such as cyclopenta[b]pyrroles or zwitterionic bicyclo[4.3.0]nonane or bicyclo[3.3.0]octanes in one operation is given. These zwitterionic species were isolated for the first time and were subsequently reduced to bicyclic aminoalcohols. The effect of the substitution of both the dipolarophile and the münchnone on the intramolecular cycloaddition outcome was examined. It was found that either nonactivated or electron-poor alkenes can react with the münchnone if these alkenes are tethered at position 4 on the münchnone (2, R2 = alkene tether), whereas only an electron-poor alkene at position 2 (2, R3 = alkene tether) could undergo successful cycloaddition. Also, münchnones substituted at position 2 with a phenyl (2, R3 = Ph) showed a dramatic increase in reactivity, whereas a phenyl at position 4 (2, R2 = Ph) had a very limited effect.

Highly chemoselective formation of aldehyde enamines under very mild reaction conditions.

Although ketone enamines are widely used in organic synthesis, aldehyde enamines are rarely employed due to the limitations of their preparation using known methods (need for acid or base, excess of amine, and/or elevated temperature). We have successfully developed rapid and particularly mild condensation conditions (1 h, 0 degrees C, 1.2 equiv of amine) leading to di- and trisubstituted enamines with excellent conversion (84-100%). Remarkably high chemoselectivity was observed with complete discrimination between aldehyde and ketone, among other functional groups positively tested.

Intramolecular additions of various pi-nucleophiles to chemoselectively activated amides and application to the synthesis of (+/-)-tashiromine.

[reaction: see text] Vilsmeier-Haack type cyclizations proved to be particularly efficient for generating parts of the polycyclic cores of many alkaloids, although only monocyclizations have so far been reported. With the goal of rapidly and efficiently constructing polycyclic alkaloids, we decided to exploit the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction by utilizing iminium ions successively generated and trapped with tethered nucleophiles. To develop such a strategy, we had to set the first cyclization. This constitutes a great challenge in itself because amide activation conditions are usually not compatible with tethered nucleophiles, except for indoles and aromatic rings which have already been reported. This paper describes the comprehensive study of intramolecular addition of silyl enol ethers, allylsilanes, and enamines to chemoselectively activated formamides, aliphatic amides, and lactams. Good to excellent yields were obtained for the 5-exo, 6-exo, and 6-endo modes of cyclization. Moreover, we demonstrated that the species in solution after the cyclization are iminium ions. This is highly encouraging for the development of bis-cyclization strategies. An expeditious total synthesis of (+/-)-tashiromine is also reported.

Competition between alkenes in intramolecular ketene-alkene [2 + 2] cycloaddition: what does it take to win?

In the course of developing a new synthetic methodology using ketenes in sequential cycloaddition steps, we were faced with a competition problem with molecules containing a ketene tethered to more than one reacting partner. To pinpoint the electronic and tethering requirements for a chemoselective reaction, we undertook a series of ketene-alkene [2 + 2] cycloaddition competition experiments. Those experiments were conducted on molecules containing either two identical alkenes having different tether lengths or two alkenes having the same tether length but being electronically different. We demonstrated that the reaction is much faster for forming five-membered rings than six-membered rings and calculated the Hammett constant rho for intramolecular ketene-alkene [2 + 2] cycloadditions to be -1.39.