Vinyldiazolactone as a vinylcarbene precursor: Highly selective C-H insertion and cyclopropanation reactions.

Vinylcarbenes are versatile synthetic intermediates, capable of asymmetric cyclopropanation and insertion into unactivated C-H bonds. The vinyldiazolactone precursor to the metal vinylcarbene possesses superior stability in comparison to previously known vinyldiazoacetates and, for the first time, allows the use of Z-vinylcarbenes in asymmetric C-H insertion and cyclopropanation reactions. Dirhodium azetidinone ligated compounds are optimal catalysts. Cyclopropanation coupled with the Cope rearrangement provides access to trans-3,4-disubstituted hydroazulenes.

Identification and characterization of isomeric intermediates in a catalyst formation reaction by means of speciation analysis using HPLC-ICPMS and HPLC-ESI-MS.

Information on chemical speciation is much needed in mechanistic and kinetic studies on catalyst formation processes in pharmaceutical research. Speciation analysis was applied to the identification and quantification of various rhodium species involved in a ligand exchange process leading to formation of catalyst dirhodium(II) tetrakis[methyl 2-oxopyrrolidin-5(S)-carboxylate]. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) was used as an element-specific detector following species separation by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was used for species identification and confirmation. A novel interface between the HPLC and ICPMS, which consisted of an eluent splitter, a desolvation unit, and the ICPMS built-in peristaltic pump, enabled the use of RP-HPLC with gradient elution and up to 100% organic components in the LC eluent without organic loading in the plasma. A variety of reaction intermediates were identified and quantified along the pathway to formation of the desired product, including isomeric di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted species previously believed to be absent. This has provided new insights into the mechanism and kinetics of the reaction. The combination of HPLC-ICPMS and HPLC-ESI-MS has proven to be a valuable tool for the investigation of species evolution in catalyst formation process.

Improved replicon cellular activity of non-nucleoside allosteric inhibitors of HCV NS5B polymerase: from benzimidazole to indole scaffolds.

Benzimidazole-based allosteric inhibitors of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B polymerase were diversified to a variety of topologically related scaffolds. Replacement of the polar benzimidazole core by lipophilic indoles led to inhibitors with improved potency in the cell-based subgenomic HCV replicon system. Transposing the indole scaffold into a previously described series of benzimidazole-tryptophan amides generated the most potent inhibitors of HCV RNA replication in cell culture reported to date in this series (EC(50) approximately 50 nM).

Structural and electronic characteristics of thienyl(aryl)iodonium triflates.

A general strategy toward the synthesis of aryliodonium triflate salts has been exploited to afford derivatives that incorporate thiophene and bithiophene components. Both mono- and bis(iodonium) salts have been realized, and a series of bithienyl(aryl)iodonium triflates with increasingly electron-withdrawing substituents on the aryl moiety have been synthesized. X-ray crystallographic analysis of four derivatives (4a, 4b, 6b, and 8c) demonstrates that the solid-state organization of these salts incorporates extensive networks of secondary bonding interactions between the cationic iodonium centers and the triflate counterions. UV-vis spectroscopic analysis shows that the electronic interactions between pendent aryl and heteroaryl groups across the iodonium center can be dictated by substitution. Furthermore, the energy of the HOMO-LUMO gap decreases substantially in weakly or noncoordinating solvents.