Regio- and Stereoselective Functionalization Enabled by Bidentate Directing Groups.

Chelation-assisted C-H bond and alkene functionalization using bidentate directing groups offers an elegant and versatile approach to overcome regiocontrol issues by allowing the catalyst to come into close proximity with the targeted sites. In this personal account, we highlight our recent works in developing regio- and stereocontrolled functionalizations through transition-metal catalysis enabled by bidentate directing groups. We classify our results into two categories: (1) regioselective alkene functionalization using bidentate directing groups, and (2) asymmetric C-H functionalization using chiral bidentate directing groups. Furthermore, density functional theory studies to elucidate the origin of the regio- and stereoselectivity exerted by bidentate directing groups are discussed.

NiH-Catalyzed Proximal-Selective Hydroamination of Unactivated Alkenes.

Reported herein is a modular, NiH-catalyzed system capable of proximal-selective hydroamination of unactivated alkenes with diverse amine sources. The key to the successful implementation of this approach is the promotion of NiH insertion into even highly substituted olefins via coordination of the bidentate directing group to the nickel complex. A wide range of primary and secondary amines can be installed in both internal and terminal unactivated alkenes with excellent regiocontrol under the optimized reaction conditions. This protocol is flexible and general for the preparation of a variety of valuable ß- and γ-amino acid building blocks that would otherwise be difficult to synthesize. The utility of this transformation was further demonstrated by the site-selective late-stage modification of complex and medicinally relevant molecules. Combined experimental and computational studies illuminate the detailed reaction mechanism.

Visible-Light-Induced ortho-Selective Migration on Pyridyl Ring: Trifluoromethylative Pyridylation of Unactivated Alkenes.

The photocatalyzed ortho-selective migration on a pyridyl ring has been achieved for the site-selective trifluoromethylative pyridylation of unactivated alkenes. The overall process is initiated by the selective addition of a CF3 radical to the alkene to provide a nucleophilic alkyl radical intermediate, which enables an intramolecular endo addition exclusively to the ortho-position of the pyridinium salt. Both secondary and tertiary alkyl radicals are well-suited for addition to the C2-position of pyridinium salts to ultimately provide synthetically valuable C2-fluoroalkyl functionalized pyridines. Moreover, the method was successfully applied to the reaction with P-centered radicals. The utility of this transformation was further demonstrated by the late-stage functionalization of complex bioactive molecules.

Site-Selective 1,1-Difunctionalization of Unactivated Alkenes Enabled by Cationic Palladium Catalysis.

A palladium(II)-catalyzed 1,1-difunctionalization of unactivated terminal and internal alkenes via addition of two nucleophiles was developed using a cationic palladium(II) complex. The palladacycle generated in situ as a result of a regioselective addition of a nucleophile to the alkene can readily undergo regioselective ß-hydride elimination and migratory insertion with a cationic palladium catalyst. The resulting η3-π-allyl palladium(II) complex is the key intermediate that reacts with a second nucleophile to furnish the desired 1,1-difunctionalization of the alkene. Under the optimized reaction conditions, a wide range of indoles and anilines add to alkene units of 3-butenoic or 4-pentenoic acid derivatives to afford the synthetically useful γ,γ- or δ,δ-difunctionalized products with excellent regiocontrol. Furthermore, by employing internal hydroxyl or acid groups and external carbon nucleophiles, this transformation enables unsymmetric 1,1-difunctionalization to forge challenging and important oxo quaternary carbon centers. Combining experiments and DFT calculations on the mechanism of the reaction is investigated in detail.

γ-Selective C(sp3)-H amination via controlled migratory hydroamination.

Remote functionalization of alkenes via chain walking has generally been limited to C(sp3)-H bonds α and ß to polar-functional units, while γ-C(sp3)-H functionalization through controlled alkene transposition is a longstanding challenge. Herein, we describe NiH-catalyzed migratory formal hydroamination of alkenyl amides achieved via chelation-assisted control, whereby various amino groups are installed at the γ-position of aliphatic chains. By tuning olefin isomerization and migratory hydroamination through ligand and directing group optimization, γ-selective amination can be achieved via stabilization of a 6-membered nickellacycle by an 8-aminoquinoline directing group and subsequent interception by an aminating reagent. A range of amines can be installed at the γ-C(sp3)-H bond of unactivated alkenes with varying alkyl chain lengths, enabling late-stage access to value-added γ-aminated products. Moreover, by employing picolinamide-coupled alkene substrates, this approach is further extended to δ-selective amination. The chain-walking mechanism and pathway selectivity are investigated by experimental and computational methods.

Structure-Based Virtual Screening and De Novo Design of PIM1 Inhibitors with Anticancer Activity from Natural Products.

BACKGROUND: the proviral insertion site of Moloney murine leukemia (PIM) 1 kinase has served as a therapeutic target for various human cancers due to the enhancement of cell proliferation and the inhibition of apoptosis. METHODS: to identify effective PIM1 kinase inhibitors, structure-based virtual screening of natural products of plant origin and de novo design were carried out using the protein-ligand binding free energy function improved by introducing an adequate dehydration energy term. RESULTS: as a consequence of subsequent enzyme inhibition assays, four classes of PIM1 kinase inhibitors were discovered, with the biochemical potency ranging from low-micromolar to sub-micromolar levels. The results of extensive docking simulations showed that the inhibitory activity stemmed from the formation of multiple hydrogen bonds in combination with hydrophobic interactions in the ATP-binding site. Optimization of the biochemical potency by chemical modifications of the 2-benzylidenebenzofuran-3(2H)-one scaffold led to the discovery of several nanomolar inhibitors with antiproliferative activities against human breast cancer cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: these new PIM1 kinase inhibitors are anticipated to serve as a new starting point for the development of anticancer medicine.