Gram Scalable Method to Synthesize Biscarbodiimides and Asymmetric Monocarbodiimides: A Platform to Access an Array of Phosphaguanidines, Amidines, and Guanidines.

A mild, broadly functional group tolerant methodology has been developed to access a variety of mono- and bis-carbodiimides in good yield and high purity on multigram scale. Direct addition into these versatile motifs facilitated the rapid synthesis of a library of novel amidinines, guanidines, and phosphaguandines.

Ir-Catalyzed C-H Amidation and Borylation of Anthraquinones.

A mild, regioselective, iridium-catalyzed C-H amidation and borylation of anthraquinones to the o-sulfonamide and m-borylated products has been developed. The anthraquinone carbonyl moieties direct the C-H amidation with high selectivity to afford the ortho-substituted products in modest to high yields.

Evaluation of pentacyclic triterpenes found in Perilla frutescens for inhibition of skin tumor promotion by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

A series of pentacyclic tritperpenes found in Perilla frutescens (P. frutescens), including ursolic acid (UA), oleanolic acid (OA), corosolic acid (CA), 3-epi-corosolic acid (3-epiCA), maslinic acid (MA), and 3-epi-maslinic acid (3-epiMA) were evaluated for their effects on epidermal cell signaling, proliferation, and skin inflammation in relation to their ability to inhibit skin tumor promotion by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and compared to UA as the prototype compound. All compounds were given topically 30 min prior to each TPA application and significantly inhibited skin tumor promotion. 3-epiCA and MA were significantly more effective than UA at inhibiting tumor development. All of these compounds significantly inhibited epidermal proliferation induced by TPA, however, CA, 3-epiCA and MA were more effective than UA. All compounds also reduced skin inflammation (assessed by infiltration of mast cells and T-cells) and inflammatory gene expression induced by TPA, however, 3-epiCA and MA were again more effective than UA. The greater ability of 3-epiCA and MA to inhibit skin tumor promotion was associated with greater reduction of Cox-2 and Twist1 proteins and inhibition of activation (i.e., phosphorylation) of IGF-1R, STAT3 and Src. Further study of these compounds, especially 3-epiCA and MA, for chemopreventive activity in other cancer model systems is warranted.

Total Synthesis of Celastrol, Development of a Platform to Access Celastroid Natural Products.

Celastroid natural products, triterpenes, have been and continue to be investigated in clinical trials. Celastrol, and for that matter any member of the celastroid family, was prepared for the first time through chemical synthesis starting from 2,3-dimethylbutadiene. A triene cyclization precursor generated in 12 steps underwent a nonbiomimetic polyene cyclization mediated by ferric chloride to generate the generic celastroid pentacyclic core. In the cyclization, engagement of a tetrasubstituted olefin formed adjacent all carbon quaternary centers stereospecifically. With access to the carbocyclic core of the family of natural products, wilforic acid and wilforol A were prepared en route to racemic celastrol.

Synthesis of oxygenated oleanolic and ursolic acid derivatives with anti-inflammatory properties.

The scalable syntheses of four oxygenated triterpenes have been implemented to access substantial quantities of maslinic acid, 3-epi-maslinic acid, corosolic acid, and 3-epi-corosolic acid. Semi-syntheses proceed starting from the natural products oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. Proceeding over five steps, each of the four compounds can be synthesized on the gram scale. Divergent diastereoselective reductions of α-hydroxy ketones provided access to the four targeted diol containing compounds from two precursors of the oleanane or ursane lineage. These compounds were subsequently evaluated for their ability to inhibit inflammatory gene expression in a mouse model of chemically induced skin inflammation. All compounds possessed the ability to inhibit the expression of one or more inflammatory genes induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate in mouse skin, however, three of the compounds, corosolic acid, 3-epi-corosolic acid and maslinic acid were more effective than the others. The availability of gram quantities will allow further testing of these compounds for potential anti-inflammatory activities as well as cancer chemopreventive activity.

Computational and Experimental Studies of Phthaloyl Peroxide-Mediated Hydroxylation of Arenes Yield a More Reactive Derivative, 4,5-Dichlorophthaloyl Peroxide.

The oxidation of arenes by the reagent phthaloyl peroxide provides a new method for the synthesis of phenols. A new, more reactive arene oxidizing reagent, 4,5-dichlorophthaloyl peroxide, computationally predicted and experimentally determined to possess enhanced reactivity, has expanded the scope of the reaction while maintaining a high level of tolerance for diverse functional groups. The reaction proceeds through a novel "reverse-rebound" mechanism with diradical intermediates. Mechanistic insight was achieved through isolation and characterization of minor byproducts, determination of linear free energy correlations, and computational analysis of substituent effects of arenes, each of which provided additional support for the reaction proceeding through the diradical pathway.

Preparation of phenols by phthaloyl peroxide-mediated oxidation of arenes.

This protocol describes an approach to installing hydroxyls into arenes through the direct replacement of C-H bonds with C-O bonds. This direct oxidation avoids the need to prefunctionalize the substrate, use precious metals, introduce directing groups, or use strong Brønsted or Lewis acids. Phthaloyl peroxide, the sole reagent used for this transformation, can be prepared readily from the commodity chemicals phthaloyl chloride and sodium percarbonate. Phthaloyl peroxide oxidizes a diverse range of arenes, and the reactions that involve its use are characterized by high functional group compatibility, which enables the hydroxylation of simple arenes, advanced synthetic intermediates, natural products and other drug-like molecules forming the corresponding phenolic compounds. Notably, the reaction is operationally straightforward and has no special requirements for the exclusion of oxygen and water. The synthesis of phthaloyl peroxide takes 4 h and the subsequent hydroxylation of mesitylene takes 21 h.

Neuronal growth promoting sesquiterpene-neolignans; syntheses and biological studies.

The use of small molecules that can promote neuronal growth represents a promising approach to regenerative science. Along these lines we have developed separate short or modular syntheses of the natural products caryolanemagnolol and clovanemagnolol, small molecules previously shown to promote neuronal growth and induce choline acetyltransferase activity. The postulated biosynthetic pathways, potentially leading to the assembly of these molecules in nature, have guided the laboratory syntheses, allowing the preparation of both natural products in as few as two steps. With synthetic access to the compounds as single enantiomers we have examined clovanemagnolol's ability to promote the growth of embryonic hippocampal and cortical neurons. Clovanemagnolol has been shown to be a potent neurotrophic agent, promoting neuronal growth at concentrations of 10 nM.

Hippocampal and cortical neuronal growth mediated by the small molecule natural product clovanemagnolol.

The use of small molecule surrogates of growth factors that directly or indirectly promote growth represents an attractive approach to regenerative medicine. With synthetic access to clovanemagnolol, a small molecule initially isolated from the bark of the Bigleaf Magnolia tree, we have examined the small molecule's ability to promote growth of embryonic hippocampal and cortical neurons in serum-free medium. Comparisons with magnolol, a known promoter of growth, reveals that clovanmagnolol is a potent neurotrophic agent, promoting neuronal growth at concentrations of 10 nM. In addition, both clovanemagnolol and magnolol promote growth through a biphasic dose response.

Hydroxyl-directed cyclizations of 1,6-enynes.

The palladium-catalyzed, hydroxyl-directed cyclization reactions of 1,6-enynes provide a highly diastereoselective process for the syntheses of stereochemically defined cyclopentanes. Consistently high levels of cis-selectivity are possible using homopropargyl alcohols in contrast to the corresponding propargyl alcohols. Hydroborylative enyne cyclizations coupled with this directing group effect provide a useful method for the syntheses of multifaceted compounds bearing all carbon quaternary centers.

A general and efficient catalyst system for a Wacker-type oxidation using TBHP as the terminal oxidant: application to classically challenging substrates.

Utilizing the rapidly synthesized Quinox ligand and commercially available aqueous TBHP, a Wacker-type oxidation has been developed, which efficiently converts the traditionally challenging substrate class of protected allylic alcohols to the corresponding acyloin products. Additionally, the catalytic system is general for several other substrate classes, converting terminal olefins to methyl ketones, with short reaction times. The system is scalable (20 mmol) and can be performed with a reduced catalyst loading of 1 mol%. Enantioenriched substrates undergo oxidation with complete retention of enantiomeric excess.