Expanding the Potential of Heteroaryl Vinyl Sulfones.

The easily available vinyl sulfone 3 showed great potential for new applications in several fields such as organic synthesis and bioconjugate formation. This was demonstrated by performing a systematic assessment of its reactivity in Michael, radical, and cycloaddition reactions. Heteroaryl vinyl sulfone 3 presented excellent output in terms of reactivity and selectivity, proving superior to phenyl vinyl sulfone 1 and with clear advantages over bis-sulfone 2. This behavior might be due to the conformational and orbital control exerted by the tetrazole unit according to DFT calculations. Moreover, some alternative transformations to the Julia-Kocienski olefination on the obtained products are also described.

Sustainable Synthesis of Oximes, Hydrazones, and Thiosemicarbazones under Mild Organocatalyzed Reaction Conditions.

Pyrrolidine catalyzes very efficiently, presumably via iminium activation, the formation of acyloximes, acylhydrazones, and thiosemicarbazones derived from aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes using equimolar amounts of reagents and green solvents. Experimental simplicity and excellent yields after a simple filtration are the main advantages of the method, being an alternative to those currently available especially for the acyl derivatives, which do not work under uncatalyzed conditions. Its application to the synthesis of acyloximes by direct condensation between aldehydes and acylhydroxylamines is unprecedented.

A general aminocatalytic method for the synthesis of aldimines.

A general and efficient biomimetic method for the synthesis of aldimines from aldehydes and compounds bearing the NH2 group in the presence of pyrrolidine as a catalyst has been developed. These organocatalytic reactions, based on the application of the concept of nucleophilic catalysis, proceed with outstanding yields in the absence of acids and metals under simple conditions and minimum experimental manipulation. The method has been mainly applied to the synthesis of N-sulfinyl and N-sulfonyl imines, but its general validity has been proven with the preparation of representative N-phosphinoyl, N-alkyl, and N-aryl imines. These unprecedented reactions, which presumably occur via iminium activation without requiring acidic conditions, are an interesting and competitive alternative to the classical methods for preparing aldimines.

Organocatalytic Michael addition/intramolecular Julia-Kocienski olefination for the preparation of nitrocyclohexenes.

An asymmetric organocatalytic [3 + 3] annulation strategy based on a Michael addition/intramolecular Julia-Kocienski olefination sequence has been developed for the synthesis of 4-substituted-5-nitrocyclohex-1-ene compounds. The strategy is an alternative to the direct reluctant enantioselective Diels-Alder approach. The potential of the methodology has been demonstrated with a concise enantioselective formal synthesis of trandolapril.

An organocatalytic approach to enantiomerically enriched α-arylcyclohexenones and cyclohexanones.

The presence of a p-nitrophenyl group converts acetone into an excellent and versatile nucleophile in organocatalytic processes, able to react with α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes affording ß-substituted α-arylcyclohexenones via a Michael reaction/aldol reaction/dehydration sequence, which occurs in good yields, ee up to 96% and complete diastereoselectivity. The resulting compounds are excellent synthons for the diastereoselective preparation of a variety of synthetically useful polysubstituted cyclohexanones and derivatives.

Coupling of thiols and aromatic halides promoted by diboron derived super electron donors.

We have proven that pyridine-boryl complexes can be used as superelectron donors to promote the coupling of thiols and aromatic halides through a SRN1 mechanism. The reaction is efficient for a broad substrate scope, tolerating heterocycles including pyridines, enolizable or reducible functional groups. The method has been applied to intermediates in drug synthesis as well as interesting functionalized polythioethers through a controlled and consecutive intramolecular electron transfer process.

On the origin of the regioselectivity in glycosylation reactions of 1,2-diols.

The assistance of neighboring protecting groups with different orientations in 1,2-diol acceptors and the reactivity of both reaction partners, the donor and the acceptor, have been evaluated as factors that determine the regioselectivity of glycosylation reactions. It has been established, by experimental and theoretical studies, that the regioselectivity for the glycosylation of a given OH group can be considerably increased by the presence of groups able to form a hydrogen bond with that OH group. Moreover higher regioselectivities are observed when armed donor/activated acceptor combinations are avoided.

A Study of Graphene-Based Copper Catalysts: Copper(I) Nanoplatelets for Batch and Continuous-Flow Applications.

The use of graphene derivatives as supports improves the properties of heterogeneous catalysts, with graphene oxide (GO) being the most frequently employed. To explore greener possibilities as well as to get some insights into the role of the different graphenic supports (GO, rGO, carbon black, and graphite nanoplatelets), we prepared, under the same standard conditions, a variety of heterogeneous Cu catalysts and systematically evaluated their composition and catalytic activity in azide-alkyne cycloadditions as a model reaction. The use of sustainable graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) afforded a stable CuI catalyst with good recyclability properties, which are compatible with flow conditions, and able to catalyze other reactions such as the regio- and stereoselective sulfonylation of alkynes (addition reaction) and the Meerwein arylation (single electron transfer process).

A Protocol To Transform Sulfones into Nitrones and Aldehydes.

A simple method to transform sulfones into nitrones and therefore into the corresponding carbonyl derivatives has been developed. Some examples demonstrate that it is a new reliable and versatile reaction in the toolbox of sulfones that has great synthetic potential. NMR and computational studies were used to elucidate the mechanism.

Asymmetric aza-Henry reactions from N-p-tolylsulfinylimines.

[reaction: see text] N-Sulfinylimines derived from aromatic or aliphatic aldehydes and ketones react with nitromethane and NaOH in a highly diastereoselective manner under mild conditions. In the presence of TBAF, the reaction rates are strongly increased and the stereoselectivity is inverted. This method provides enantiomerically pure beta-nitroamines derived from enolizable aldimines and ketimines, which so far are hardly accessible by aza-Henry reactions.

Synthesis of fagopyritols A1 and B1 from D-chiro-inositol.

Fagopyritol A1 (3-O-alpha-d-galactopyranosyl-d-chiro-inositol) and fagopyritol B1 (2-O-alpha-d-galactopyranosyl-d-chiro-inositol) have been synthesized by glycosylation of the diequatorial diol 1,4,5,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-d-chiro-inositol, readily obtained from d-chiro-inositol, with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-d-galactopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate.

Reduced graphene oxide supported piperazine in aminocatalysis.

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been used as a support for piperazine to provide a heterogeneous bifunctional organocatalyst (rGO-NH) that is able to efficiently promote vintage organic transformations such as Knoevenagel, Michael and aldol reactions. The obtained results suggest a significant role of the support in the course of these reactions.

Role of quaternary ammonium salts as new additives in the enantioselective organocatalytic ß-benzylation of enals.

We report herein the efficiency of quaternary ammonium salts as co-catalysts in organocatalytic Michael reactions involving iminium activation of α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes. The enantioselective formal benzylation of these substrates has been optimized and used to rationalize the role of the ammonium salts in these processes.

Enantioselective organocatalytic formal allylation of α-branched aldehydes.

Heteroarylvinyl sulfone 1 has been successfully used as a new sulfonyl Michael acceptor in aminocatalytic reactions with branched aldehydes. Subsequent one-pot Julia-Kocienski olefination allows the challenging preparation of enantiomerically pure α-allylated aldehydes bearing C-α quaternary carbons.

Nitrophenylacetonitriles as versatile nucleophiles in enantioselective organocatalytic conjugate additions.

Arylacetonitriles are able to participate in organocatalytic Michael additions to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes by incorporating a nitro group at the phenyl ring, which acts as a temporary activating group in a remote position and allows further transformations. The sequential protocol Michael addition/NaBH(4) reduction/lactonization allows the synthesis of diastereomerically pure disubstituted lactones in high yield and optical purity.

An efficient method for the synthesis of nitropiperidones.

A three step efficient strategy for the synthesis of substituted 5-nitropiperidones in high de, employing Michael addition of N-p-tolylsulfinyl beta-nitroamines to alpha,beta-unsaturated esters, hydrolysis of the sulfinyl group, and cyclization of the resulting free amines, has been developed. A very simple experimental procedure involving mild conditions and only one chromatographic purification are the main features of the process.

Intriguing behavior of cinchona alkaloids in the enantioselective organocatalytic hydroxyamination of alpha-substituted-alpha-cyanoacetates.

The cinchona alkaloid quinine promotes the enantioselective nitroso-aldol reaction between alpha-aryl-alpha-cyanoacetates and nitrosobenzene to give the hydroxyamination products with total chemoselectivity. Treatment of the reaction mixture with Zn/AcOH affords the corresponding amines in high yield and moderate enantioselectivity. An unusual effect on the enantioselectivity was observed with the catalyst loading and solvent. A reductive protocol allows the construction of an optically active 1,2-diamine moiety bearing a quaternary center.

Phospholipase cleavage of D- and L-chiro-glycosylphosphoinositides asymmetrically incorporated into liposomal membranes.

The nature of chiro-inositol-containing inositolphosphoglycans (IPGs), reported to be putative insulin mediators, was studied by examination of the substrate specificities of the phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) and the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD) by using a series of synthetic D- and L-chiro-glycosylphosphoinositides. 3-O-alpha-D-Glucosaminyl- (3) and -galactosaminyl-2-phosphatidyl-L-chiro-inositol (4), which show the maximum stereochemical similarity to the 6-O-alpha-D-glucosaminylphosphatidylinositol pseudodisaccharide motifs of GPI anchors, were synthesized and asymmetrically incorporated into phospholipid bilayers in the form of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs). Similarly, 2-O-alpha-D-glucosaminyl- (5) and -galactosaminyl-1-phosphatidyl-D-chiro-inositol (6), which differ from the corresponding pseudodisaccharide motif of the GPI anchors only in the axial orientation of the phosphatidyl moiety, were also synthesized and asymmetrically inserted into LUVs. The cleavage of these synthetic molecules in the liposomal constructs by PI-PLC from Bacillus cereus and by GPI-PLD from bovine serum was studied with the use of 6-O-alpha-D-glucosaminylphosphatidylinositol (7) and the conserved GPI anchor structure (8) as positive controls. Although PI-PLC cleaved 3 and 4 with about the same efficiency as 7 and 8, this enzyme did not accept 5 or 6. GPI-PLD accepted both the L-chiro- (3 and 4) and the D-chiro- (5 and 6) glycosylinositolphosphoinositides. Therefore, IPGs containing L-chiro-inositol only are expected to be released from chiro-inositol-containing GPIs if the cleavage is effected by a PI-PLC, whereas GPI-PLD cleavage could result in both L-chiro- and D-chiro-inositol-containing IPGs.

A study on the influence of the structure of the glycosyl acceptors on the stereochemistry of the glycosylation reactions with 2-azido-2-deoxy-hexopyranosyl trichloroacetimidates.

The stereochemical outcome of glycosylations with 2-azido-2-deoxy-D-gluco- and D-galactopyranosyl trichloroacetimidates as glycosyl donors has been investigated by using a series of chiro-inositol derivatives as glycosyl acceptors. The influence of the absolute configuration, the conformation and the conformational flexibility of the glycosyl acceptor has been studied by using different glycosyl donors under similar pre-established experimental conditions. Although the structure of the acceptor may play a role in governing the stereochemistry of these glycosylations, the results show that, in general terms, the relative influence of these factors is difficult to evaluate. For a given set of experimental conditions, the stereochemical course of these glycosylations depends on structural features of both glycosyl donor and glycosyl acceptor. It is a balance of these factors, where the structure of the glycosyl donor always plays a major role, which determines the stereochemistry of the coupling reaction. Therefore, the examples reported in the literature in which the structure of the glycosyl acceptor appears to be crucial in determining the stereochemistry of the reaction constitute particularly favorable cases which do not presently allow any further generalization.