Access to indole- and pyrrole-fused diketopiperazines via tandem Ugi-4CR/intramolecular cyclization and its regioselective ring-opening by intermolecular transamidation.

An efficient approach for the synthesis of indole- and pyrrole-fused diketopiperazines has been developed. This protocol involves the Ugi four-component reaction (U-4CR) followed by an intramolecular cyclization of the Ugi products at room temperature to afford the desired products in good to excellent yields. In addition, it is interesting to report the subsequent regioselective ring-opening of diketopiperazine unit occurring via an intermolecular transamidation reaction under mild condition, resulting in the formation of highly functionalized indole-2-carboxamides and pyrrole-2-carboxamides.

Skeletal diverse synthesis of N-fused polycyclic heterocycles via the sequence of Ugi-type MCR and CuI-catalyzed coupling/tandem Pictet-Spengler reaction.

Several diversity-oriented syntheses of N-fused polycyclic heterocycles have been demonstrated but most of them are based on point diversity within the same library and usually involve time-consuming sequential multistep syntheses, which also suffer from low yields and/or poor precursor scopes. We have developed a new strategy for the syntheses of skeletal diverse N-fused polycyclic compounds via an Ugi-type MCR followed by a CuI-catalyzed coupling reaction or tandem Pictet-Spengler reaction. This two-step sequence provides eight distinct skeleton of fused {6-5-5-6}, {5-5-5-6}, {6-5-6-6}, and {5-5-6-6} ring systems that have applications in medicinal chemistry and chemical genetics too.

Antiplasmodial activity of novel keto-enamine chalcone-chloroquine based hybrid pharmacophores.

A series of novel keto-enamine chalcone-chloroquine based hybrids were synthesized following new methodology developed in our laboratory. The synthesized compounds were screened against chloroquine sensitive strain (3D7) of Plasmodium falciparum in an in vitro model. Some of the compounds were showing comparable antimalarial activity at par with chloroquine. Compounds with significant in vitro antimalarial activity were then evaluated for their in vivo efficacy in Swiss mice against Plasmodium yoelii (chloroquine resistant N-67 strain), wherein compounds 25 and 27 each showed an in vivo suppression of 99.9% parasitaemia on day 4. Biochemical studies reveal that inhibition of hemozoin formation is the primary mechanism of action of these analogues.

A ligand-free Pd-catalyzed cascade reaction: an access to the highly diverse isoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives via isocyanide and Ugi-MCR synthesized amide precursors.

A novel ligand-free palladium-catalyzed cascade reaction for the synthesis of highly diverse isoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives from isocyanide and amide precursors synthesized by Ugi-MCR has been developed. A broad variety of acids, amines, and isocyanides were used as starting materials for Ugi-MCR leading to various amide precursors, which in turn provided entry into diverse isoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives. The reaction proceeds through tandem isocyanide insertion with intramolecular cyclization followed by a Mazurciewitcz-Ganesan type sequence to provide isoquinoline-1(2H)-one derivatives in moderate to good yields.