Rapid phenolic O-glycosylation of small molecules and complex unprotected peptides in aqueous solvent.

Glycosylated natural products and synthetic glycopeptides represent a significant and growing source of biochemical probes and therapeutic agents. However, methods that enable the aqueous glycosylation of endogenous amino acid functionality in peptides without the use of protecting groups are scarce. Here, we report a transformation that facilitates the efficient aqueous O-glycosylation of phenolic functionality in a wide range of small molecules, unprotected tyrosine, and tyrosine residues embedded within a range of complex, fully unprotected peptides. The transformation, which uses glycosyl fluoride donors and is promoted by Ca(OH)2, proceeds rapidly at room temperature in water, with good yields and selective formation of unique anomeric products depending on the stereochemistry of the glycosyl donor. High functional group tolerance is observed, and the phenol glycosylation occurs selectively in the presence of virtually all side chains of the proteinogenic amino acids with the singular exception of Cys. This method offers a highly selective, efficient, and operationally simple approach for the protecting-group-free synthesis of O-aryl glycosides and Tyr-O-glycosylated peptides in water.

A stepwise dechlorination/cross-coupling strategy to diversify the vancomycin 'in-chloride'.

In an effort to rapidly access vancomycin analogues bearing diverse functionality at the 6c-Cl (the 'in-chloride') position, a two-step dechlorination/cross-coupling protocol was developed. Conditions for efficient cross-coupling of the relatively unreactive 6c-Cl group were found that ensure high conversion with minimal product decomposition. A set of 2c-dechloro-6c-functionalized vancomycin derivatives was prepared, and antibiotic activities of the compounds were evaluated against a panel of vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible strains. Results from biological testing further underscore the steric sensitivity of vancomycin's binding pocket.

Direct Aerobic α, ß-Dehydrogenation of Aldehydes and Ketones with a Pd(TFA)(2)/4,5-Diazafluorenone Catalyst().

The direct α, ß-dehydrogenation of aldehydes and ketones represents an efficient alternative to stepwise methods to prepare enal and enone products. Here, we describe a new Pd(TFA)(2)/4,5-diazafluorenone dehydrogenation catalyst that overcomes key limitations of previous catalyst systems. The scope includes successful reactivity with pharmaceutically important cyclopentanone and flavanone substrates, as well as acyclic ketones. Preliminary mechanistic studies compare the reactivity of this catalyst to previously reported dehydrogenation catalysts and reveal that cleavage of the α-C-H bond of the ketone is the turnover-limiting step of the catalytic mechanism.