Catalytic Asymmetric Additions of Enol Silanes to In Situ Generated Cyclic, Aliphatic N-Acyliminium Ions.

Strong and confined imidodiphosphorimidate (IDPi) catalysts enable highly enantioselective substitutions of cyclic, aliphatic hemiaminal ethers with enol silanes. 2-Substituted pyrrolidines, piperidines, and azepanes are obtained with high enantioselectivities, and the method displays a broad tolerance of various enol silane nucleophiles. Several natural products can be accessed using this methodology. Mechanistic studies support the intermediacy of non-stabilized, cyclic N-(exo-acyl)iminium ions, paired with the confined chiral counteranion. Computational studies suggest transition states that explain the observed enantioselectivity.

Direct and Catalytic C-Glycosylation of Arenes: Expeditious Synthesis of the Remdesivir Nucleoside.

Since early 2020, scientists have strived to find an effective solution to fight SARS-CoV-2, in particular by developing reliable vaccines that inhibit the spread of the disease and repurposing drugs for combatting its effects on the human body. The antiviral prodrug Remdesivir is still the most widely used therapeutic during the early stages of the infection. However, the current synthetic routes rely on the use of protecting groups, air-sensitive reagents, and cryogenic conditions, thus impeding a cost-efficient supply to patients. We have, therefore, focused on the development of a straightforward, direct addition of (hetero)arenes to unprotected sugars. Here we report a silylium-catalyzed and completely stereoselective C-glycosylation that initially yields the open-chain polyols, which can be selectively cyclized to provide either the kinetic α-furanose or the thermodynamically favored ß-anomer. The method significantly expedites the synthesis of Remdesivir precursor GS-441524 after a subsequent Mn-catalyzed C-H oxidation and deoxycyanation.

An Interrupted Pummerer/Nickel-Catalysed Cross-Coupling Sequence.

An interrupted Pummerer/nickel-catalysed cross-coupling strategy has been developed and used in the elaboration of styrenes. The operationally simple method can be carried out as a one-pot process, involves the direct formation of stable alkenyl sulfonium salt intermediates, utilises a commercially available sulfoxide, catalyst, and ligand, operates at ambient temperature, accommodates sp-, sp2 -, and sp3 -hybridised organozinc coupling partners, and delivers functionalised styrene products in high yields over two steps. An interrupted Pummerer/cyclisation approach has also been used to access carbo- and heterocyclic alkenyl sulfonium salts for cross-coupling.

Iron-mediated oxidative C-H coupling of arenes and alkenes directed by sulfur: an expedient route to dihydrobenzofurans.

A novel route to medicinally-relevant dihydrobenzofurans utilises a sulfur-directed C-H ortho-coupling of arenes and unactivated terminal alkenes mediated by iron, and a palladium-catalysed deallylation/heterocyclisation sequence. The iron-mediated coupling affords linear products of alkene chloroarylation in good yield and with complete regioselectivity. The coupling likely proceeds by redox-activation of the arene partner by iron(iii) and alkene addition to the resultant radical cation.

Iron-mediated C-H coupling of arenes and unactivated terminal alkenes directed by sulfur.

A sulfur-directed Fe(iii)-mediated ortho C-H coupling of arenes with unactivated terminal alkenes gives products of regioselective alkene chloroarylation. The novel mechanism involves redox-activation of the arene partner and alkene addition to the resultant aryl radical cation.