TFA-Promoted Cascade Sulfonylation/Rearrangement/Cyclization of 1,5-Diynols and Sodium Sulfinates to Construct Sulfonylated Benzo[b]fluorenes.

A novel conversion of 1,5-diynols into sulfonylated benzo[b]fluorenes is reported by a TFA-promoted cascade cyclization with sodium sulfinates under mild conditions. This strategy provides an efficient and practical approach for accessing various sulfonated benzo[b]fluorenes in moderate to excellent yields under metal-free conditions. On the basis of the control experimental results and density functional theory calculations, a possible cascade transformation mechanism consisting of the dehydration of propargylic alcohols, sulfonylation, allenylation, and Schmittel-type cyclization is proposed. It is worth noting that TFA played an important role in this cascade cyclization, which promoted C-SO2R bond cleavage in a propargylic sulfone intermediate to form allenyl sulfones, followed by Schmittel-type cyclization to give the target product.

Cascade Cyclization of 1,5-Diynols and (RO)2P(O)SH to Construct Benzo[b]fluorenyl S-Alkyl Phosphorothioates under Catalyst-Free Conditions.

An efficient and practical cascade cyclization of 1,5-diynols with (RO)2P(O)SH as the acid promoter and nucleophile under mild conditions was developed. A variety of highly substituted benzo[b]fluorenyl-containing S-alkyl phosphorothioates were successfully constructed in moderate to excellent yields. Furthermore, this protocol exhibited good functional group tolerance, a broad substrate scope, and potential practical applications, with water as the only byproduct. The reaction proceeded with allenyl thiophosphate as a key intermediate, followed by a Schmittel-type cyclization process to produce the target product.

Synthesis of gem-dibromo 1,3-oxazines by NBS-mediated electrophilic cyclization of propargylic amides.

We present a highly efficient and practical method for synthesizing gem-dibromo 1,3-oxazines through 6-endo-dig cyclization of propargylic amides, using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) as an electrophilic source. The metal-free reaction can be conducted under mild conditions with good functional group compatibility, delivering excellent yields of the desired products. Mechanistic studies suggest that the reaction proceeds via a double electrophilic attack by NBS on the propargylic amide substrate.

Electrochemically enabled decyanative C(sp3)-H oxygenation of N-cyanomethylamines to formamides.

Selective oxygenation of C(sp3)-H bonds adjacent to nitrogen atoms is a highly attractive strategy for synthesizing various formamide derivatives while preserving the substrate skeletons. Herein, an environmentally benign electrochemically enabled decyanative C(sp3)-H oxygenation of N-cyanomethylamines using H2O as a carbonyl oxygen atom source is described, leading to the synthesis of a large class of formamides in good to excellent yields with a broad substrate scope under metal- and oxidant-free conditions. This electrochemical technology highlights the facile incorporation of N-formyl into some important bioactive molecules.

Synthesis of (Thio)Furan-Fused Phospholes via Phosphonation Cyclization and a Base-Promoted Phospha-Friedel-Crafts Reaction.

Herein, we developed a novel strategy for synthesizing ladder (thio)furan-fused phospholes via intermolecular phosphonation cyclization and a base-promoted phospha-Friedel-Crafts reaction under mild conditions. The starting substrates are readily available phosphinic acids and easy-to-handle alkynes. The details of the reaction mechanism were further rationalized using theoretical calculations. This protocol can be widely applied to synthesize furan- and thiofuran-fused phospholes as well as the corresponding large π-extended derivatives, which are of great interest in the domain of organic functional materials.

Feedback inhibition of bovine herpesvirus 5 replication by dual-copy bhv5-miR-B10-3p.

Bovine herpesvirus 5 (BoHV-5) is a pathogen of cattle responsible for fatal meningoencephalitis. Like alpha herpesvirus subfamily members, BoHV-5 also encodes microRNA in lytic infections of epithelial cells. BoHV-5-miR-B10 was the most abundant miRNA detected in a high-throughput sequencing study. Here, we evaluated the kinetics of miR-B10 expression after BoHV-5 productive infection by stem-loop real-time quantitative PCR. miR-B10 candidate target sites in the virus were predicted, and BoHV-5 UL39 was confirmed as a target gene by dual-luciferase assay with the design of an miR-B10 tough decoy (TuD). The UL39 gene encoding ribonucleotide reductase (RR) large subunit plays an important role in the early stage of BoHV-5 lytic infection. As BoHV-5-miR-B10 is located in internal and terminal repeat regions, we generated a TuD gene-integrated BoHV-5 strain, which effectively down-regulated miR-B10-3p. Strikingly, the suppression of miR-B10-3p significantly improved BoHV-5 replication. Taking these findings together, our study established an efficient method to deliver and express TuD RNA for viral miRNA suppression, and demonstrated that virus-encoded miRNA suppresses viral-genome biogenesis with a feedback mode, which might serve as a brake for viral replication. Herpesviruses infect humans and a variety of animals. Almost all herpesviruses can encode miRNAs, but the functions of these miRNAs remain to be elucidated. Most herpesvirus-encoded miRNA harbours dual copies, which is difficult to be deleted by current genetic modulation. Here, we developed an efficient method to deliver and express TuD RNA to efficiently suppress viral miRNA with multiple copies. Using this method, we demonstrated for the first time that viral miRNA feedback regulates viral replication by suppressing the expression of RR.

An Efficient Approach to Phosphorylated Isoindoline Fused with Triazoles via Zn-Catalyzed Cascade Cyclization of 2-Propynol Benzyl Azides and Diarylphosphine Oxides.

An efficient approach for the synthesis of phosphorylated isoindoline fused with triazoles via Zn(OTf)2-catalyzed cascade cyclization of easily prepared ortho-propynol benzyl azides and diarylphosphine oxides is developed. The transformation occurred smoothly in moderate to excellent yields and tolerated various propargylic alcohol substrates.

TMSBr-Promoted Cascade Cyclization of ortho-Propynol Phenyl Azides for the Synthesis of 4-Bromo Quinolines and Its Applications.

Difficult-to-access 4-bromo quinolines are constructed directly from easily prepared ortho-propynol phenyl azides using TMSBr as acid-promoter. The cascade transformation performs smoothly to generate desired products in moderate to excellent yields with good functional groups compatibility. Notably, TMSBr not only acted as an acid-promoter to initiate the reaction, and also as a nucleophile. In addition, 4-bromo quinolines as key intermediates could further undergo the coupling reactions or nucleophilic reactions to provide a variety of functionalized compounds with molecular diversity at C4 position of quinolines.

Lewis Acid Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Coupling of Tertiary Propargylic Alcohols with Quinoline N-Oxides.

An unprecedented Lewis acid catalyzed, high-efficiency synthesis of valuable 2-(quinolin-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-ones via dehydrogenative coupling of propargylic alkynols with quinoline N-oxides is described. This protocol, which tolerates a broad range of functional groups, provides a straightforward pathway to the products 2-(quinolin-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one scaffolds in satisfactory yields. The conversion could be scaled up to gram scale efficiently, which underlines a latent application of this methodology.

Recent advances in the tandem reaction of azides with alkynes or alkynols.

Over the past few decades, the development of versatile methodologies to employ azides as aminating agents for the formation of nitrogen-containing compounds has attracted significant attention in synthetic chemistry. This review examines recent developments in the tandem reaction of azides with alkynes and alkynols, which have not been solely discussed before. The formation of diverse nitrogen-containing compounds is classified in this review according to the types of reactions.

Recent developments in the trifluoromethylation of alkynes.

In the last few years, the development of versatile methodologies to incorporate trifluoromethyl groups into organic molecules has attracted significant attention in synthetic chemistry. This review gives an overview over the development on the trifluoromethylation of alkynes, which have not been solely discussed before. Formation of diverse C(sp, sp(2) , sp(3) )-CF3 bonds are all covered in this review.

Copper-catalyzed difunctionalization of activated alkynes by radical oxidation-tandem cyclization/dearomatization to synthesize 3-trifluoromethyl spiro[4.5]trienones.

A copper-catalyzed difunctionalizing trifluoromethylation of activated alkynes with the cheap reagent sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate (NaSO2CF3 or Langlois' reagent) has been developed incorporating a tandem cyclization/dearomatization process. This strategy affords a straightforward route to synthesis of 3-(trifluoromethyl)-spiro[4.5]trienones, and presents an example of difunctionalization of alkynes for simultaneous formation of two carbon-carbon single bonds and one carbon-oxygen double bond.

Convenient and highly efficient routes to 2 H-chromene and 4-chromanone derivatives: iodine-promoted and p-toluenesulfonic acid catalyzed cascade cyclizations of propynols.

A convenient strategy is presented for the easy preparation of a series of 2 H-chromenes under mild conditions through iodocyclization of readily accessible propynols. In addition, various 4-chromanones can be synthesized through a p-toluenesulfonic acid catalyzed cascade cyclization with high efficiency (yields up to 99 %). Our developed reaction systems are proven to have good functional-group applicability and can be scaled up to gram quantities in satisfactory yields. These systems also provide a new synthetic strategy for two types of important flavonoid skeleton without using costly and toxic metal catalysts. Additionally, the resulting halides could be further exploited in subsequent palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions, so these compounds could act as potential intermediates for the construction of some valuable drug molecules.

Lewis Acid Mediated Tandem Reaction of Propargylic Alcohols with Hydroxylamine Hydrochloride To Give α,ß-Unsaturated Amides and Alkenyl Nitriles.

We have developed a highly selective method for the synthesis of α,ß-unsaturated amides and alkenyl nitriles from readily available propargylic alcohols. The reaction proceeded smoothly under the neutral conditions with hydroxylamine hydrochloride (NH2OH·HCl) as the nitrogen source. The development of these new strategies has significantly extended the application of hydroxylamine hydrochloride to the chemistry of propargylic alcohols. Moreover, both secondary and tertiary alcohols have been highly regioselectively transformed to the desired products with good functional group compatibility.

BF3·Et2O-promoted cleavage of the Csp-Csp2 bond of 2-propynolphenols/anilines: route to C2-alkenylated benzoxazoles and benzimidazoles.

A novel BF3·Et2O-promoted tandem reaction of easily prepared 2-propynolphenols/anilines and trimethylsilyl azide is developed to give C2-alkenylated benzoxazoles and benzimidazoles in moderate to good yields. Most reactions could be accomplished in 30 min at room temperature. This tandem process involves a Csp-Csp2 bond cleavage and a C-N bond formation. Moreover, both tertiary and secondary propargylic alcohols with diverse functional groups were tolerated under the mild conditions.

Palladium-catalyzed C-H activation and intermolecular annulation with allenes.

A new and efficient Pd(II) -catalyzed intermolecular annulation of N-benzoylsulfonamide with allenes for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1(2H)-ones is reported. This CH functionalization is compatible with ambient air and moisture, and it can be applied to terminal or internal allenes with different synthetically attractive functional groups. Control experiments and a kinetic isotope effect study are conducted and a plausible mechanism is proposed.

Lewis acid mediated tandem reaction of propargylic alcohols to tetrazoles involving C-O- and C-C-bond cleavage reactions and a C-N-bond formation.

A novel and direct synthesis of 1-aryl-5-arylvinyl-tetrazoles from easily prepared propargylic alcohols and TMSN3 is developed in the presence of TMSCl under mild conditions (TMS = trimethylsilyl). The process involves an allenylazide intermediate, followed by a C-C-bond cleavage and C-N-bond formation to afford the desired products. Moreover, this method offers a good functional-group applicability and can be scaled-up to grams (yield up to 85 %).

Zinc-catalyzed [4+3] cycloaddition with concomitant furan annulation: formation of cyclohepta[b]furans.

A convenient zinc-promoted [4+3] cycloaddition of a carbonyl ene-yne with simple dienes was first achieved. This reaction provided an efficient strategy to prepare various cyclohepta[b]furan rings by cascade cycloadditions. Additionally, a multicomponent reaction of dione, alkynal, and diene was also reported, which exhibited a novel strategy for selective creations of C-O bonds and C-C bonds.

TMSCl-mediated synthesis of α,ß-unsaturated amides via C-C bond cleavage and C-N bond formation of propargyl alcohols with trimethylsilyl azide.

A new method with high efficiency for the synthesis of α,ß-unsaturated amides from the easily prepared propargyl alcohols and TMSN3 using TMSCl as an acid promoter is developed. A wide variety of α,ß-unsaturated amides were produced in moderate to excellent yields. Mechanistic studies indicate that this transformation involves TMSCl-mediated allenylazide intermediate formation, C-C bond cleavage, and C-N bond formation. Significantly, this reaction shows good functional group compatibility and high regioselectivity, with a relatively short reaction time and inexpensive reagents.

Copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylation-cyclization of enynes: highly regioselective construction of trifluoromethylated carbocycles and heterocycles.

Regioselective trifluoromethylation-cyclization: A method for copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylation-cyclization of simple enynes using the CC triple bond as a nucleophile is reported for the first time. The reaction proceeds efficiently in a highly regioselective manner to give various 5- or 6-exo-dig carbocycles and heterocycles in moderate to high yields.