Selective Functionalization of Graphene at Defect-Activated Sites by Arylazocarboxylic tert-Butyl Esters.

The development of versatile functionalization concepts for graphene is currently in the focus of research. Upon oxo-functionalization of graphite, the full surface of graphene becomes accessible for C-C bond formation to introduce out-of-plane functionality. Herein, we present the arylation of graphene with arylazocarboxylic tert-butyl esters, which generates aryl radicals after activation with an acid. Surprisingly, the degree of functionalization is related to the concentration of lattice vacancy defects in the graphene material. Consequently, graphene materials that are free from lattice defects are not reactive. The reaction can be applied to graphene dispersed in solvents and leads to bitopic functionalization as well as monotopic functionalization when the graphene is deposited on surfaces. As the arylazocarboxylic tert-butyl ester moiety can be attached to various molecules, the presented method paves the way to functional graphene derivatives, with the density of defects determining the degree of functionalization.

Zinc-Mediated Allylation and Benzylation of Phenylazocarboxylic Esters.

Allylation and benzylation of phenylazocarboxylic tert-butyl esters have been achieved under Barbier-type reaction conditions and in very short reactions times using the corresponding allyl and benzyl bromides or iodides in combination with zinc powder. Whereas all reactions occurred exclusively at the ß-nitrogen atom of the azocarboxylic esters, the linkage of allyl units was shown to depend on the substitution pattern at the double bond of the allyl halide. The hydrazines obtained are useful precursors for indoles and indazoles.

Benzyl Phenylsemicarbazides: A Chemistry-Driven Approach Leading to G Protein-Biased Dopamine D4 Receptor Agonists with High Subtype Selectivity.

Many subtype-selective dopamine receptor ligands developed for the D2-D4 family incorporate a 1-arylpiperazine-derived primary recognition motif, which is connected to a lipophilic moiety occupying an extended binding pocket (EBP) of the receptor via an aliphatic linker of variable lengths. The evaluation of a novel group of dopamine receptor ligands now showed that highly subtype-selective ligands [up to Ki(D4.4) = 0.25 nM, D2L/D4.4 = 320, D3/D4.4 = 710 for APH199 (17)] can be obtained by choosing a relatively large and conformationally flexible 1-benzyl-1-phenylsemicarbazide substructure to fill the EBP. The novel chemotype APH199 (17) was found to act as a full agonist at the D4 receptor showing significant bias toward G protein activation over ß-arrestin recruitment in comparison to quinpirole.

[18F]Fluorophenylazocarboxylates: Design and Synthesis of Potential Radioligands for Dopamine D3 and µ-Opioid Receptor.

18F-Labeled building blocks from the type of [18F]fluorophenylazocarboxylic-tert-butyl esters offer a rapid, mild, and reliable method for the 18F-fluoroarylation of biomolecules. Two series of azocarboxamides were synthesized as potential radioligands for dopamine D3 and the µ-opioid receptor, revealing compounds 3d and 3e with single-digit and sub-nanomolar affinity for the D3 receptor and compound 4c with only micromolar affinity for the µ-opioid receptor, but enhanced selectivity for the µ-subtype in comparison to the lead compound AH-7921. A "minimalist procedure" without the use of a cryptand and base for the preparation of 4-[18F]fluorophenylazocarboxylic-tert-butyl ester [18F]2a was established, together with the radiosynthesis of methyl-, methoxy-, and phenyl-substituted derivatives ([18F]2b-f). With the substituted [18F]fluorophenylazocarbylates in hand, two prototype azocarboxylates radioligands were synthesized by 18F-fluoroarylation, namely the methoxy azocarboxamide [18F]3d as the D3 receptor radioligand and [18F]4a as a prototype structure of the µ-opioid receptor radioligand. By introducing the new series of [18F]fluorophenylazocarboxylic-tert-butyl esters, the method of 18F-fluoroarylation was significantly expanded, thereby demonstrating the versatility of 18F-labeled phenylazocarboxylates for the design of potential radiotracers for positron emission tomography .

Hydrogen Peroxide Promoted Mizoroki-Heck Reactions of Phenyldiazenes with Acrylates, Acrylamides, and Styrenes.

Mizoroki-Heck reactions, which are well-known for aryldiazonium salts and which have recently been described for arylhydrazines, have now been extended to phenyldiazenes. In situ generation of phenyldiazenes from azocarboxylates allowed clean and selective reactions with styrenes, acrylates, and acrylamides using palladium(II) acetate in the presence of silver(I) acetate or hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. Hydrogen peroxide was thereby shown to be a cheap and broadly applicable alternative for the established palladium-silver(I) system.