Diverse Catalytic Reactions for the Stereoselective Synthesis of Cyclic Dinucleotide MK-1454.

As practitioners of organic chemistry strive to deliver efficient syntheses of the most complex natural products and drug candidates, further innovations in synthetic strategies are required to facilitate their efficient construction. These aspirational breakthroughs often go hand-in-hand with considerable reductions in cost and environmental impact. Enzyme-catalyzed reactions have become an impressive and necessary tool that offers benefits such as increased selectivity and waste limitation. These benefits are amplified when enzymatic processes are conducted in a cascade in combination with novel bond-forming strategies. In this article, we report a highly diastereoselective synthesis of MK-1454, a potent agonist of the stimulator of interferon gene (STING) signaling pathway. The synthesis begins with the asymmetric construction of two fluoride-bearing deoxynucleotides. The routes were designed for maximum convergency and selectivity, relying on the same benign electrophilic fluorinating reagent. From these complex subunits, four enzymes are used to construct the two bridging thiophosphates in a highly selective, high yielding cascade process. Critical to the success of this reaction was a thorough understanding of the role transition metals play in bond formation.

New Mechanism for Cinchona Alkaloid-Catalysis Allows for an Efficient Thiophosphorylation Reaction.

An efficient synthesis of nucleoside 5'-monothiophosphates under mild reaction conditions using commercially available thiophosphoryl chloride was achieved with a cinchona alkaloid catalyst. A detailed mechanistic study of the reaction was undertaken, employing a combination of reaction kinetics, NMR spectroscopy, and computational modeling, to better understand the observed reactivity. Taken collectively, the results support an unprecedented mechanism for this class of organocatalyst.

Oxyfunctionalization of the Remote C-H Bonds of Aliphatic Amines by Decatungstate Photocatalysis.

Aliphatic amines, oxygenated at remote positions within the molecule, represent an important class of synthetic building blocks to which there are currently no direct means of access. Reported herein is an efficient and scalable solution that relies upon decatungstate photocatalysis under acidic conditions using either H2 O2 or O2 as the terminal oxidant. By using these reaction conditions a series of simple and unbiased aliphatic amine starting materials can be oxidized to value-added ketone products. Lastly, NMR spectroscopy using in situ LED-irradiated samples was utilized to monitor the kinetics of the reaction, thus enabling direct translation of the reaction into flow.

Unusual (+/-)-electrospray ionization induced fragmentation: Structural elucidation of an in-process synthetic intermediate of doravirine (MK-1439) using liquid chromatography/high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance.

RATIONALE: During the development of a novel synthetic route to doravirine (1), a human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1) nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), an unanticipated reaction intermediate, methyl (Z)-2-(3-chloro-5-cyanophenoxy)-5-(3-(3-chloro-5-cyanophenoxy)-2-oxo-4-(trifluoromethyl)pyridin-1(2H)-yl)-5-ethoxy-3-(trifluoromethyl)pent-2-enoate (2), was isolated. Moreover, an unusual electrospray ionization (ESI)-induced fragmentation was observed for 2. Hence, efforts were made towards the understanding of the structure of 2, which was crucial for the understanding of the reaction mechanism. METHODS: The isolated impurity was fully characterized by liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC/HRMS/MS), hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange, and an ensemble of two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D-NMR) techniques. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also conducted. RESULTS: An unusual ESI-induced fragmentation was observed for intermediate 2, giving an ion for half of the molecule in the positive ion mode, with the other half of the molecule affording an ion in the negative ion mode. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this unique ESI-induced fragmentation has not been previously reported in the literature. The underlying mechanism was explored and is supported by DFT calculations, which could greatly help the structural characterization of unknown impurities with similar structural features using ESI-MS in the future. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Highly efficient synthesis of HIV NNRTI doravirine.

The development of an efficient and robust process for the production of HIV NNRTI doravirine is described. The synthesis features a continuous aldol reaction as part of a de novo synthesis of the key pyridone fragment. Conditions for the continuous flow aldol reaction were derived using microbatch snapshots of the flow process.

Enantioselective synthesis of an HCV NS5a antagonist.

A concise, enantioselective synthesis of the HCV NS5a inhibitor MK-8742 (1) is reported. The features of the synthesis include a highly enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of an NH imine and a dynamic diastereoselective transformation. The synthesis of this complex target requires simple starting materials and nine linear steps for completion.

Enantioselective synthesis of a dual orexin receptor antagonist.

A concise, enantioselective synthesis of the potent dual orexin inhibitor suvorexant (1) is reported. Key features of the synthesis include a mild copper-catalyzed amination, a highly chemoselective conjugate addition, and a tandem enantioselective transamination/seven-membered ring annulation. The synthesis requires inexpensive starting materials and only four linear steps for completion.

Iron-catalyzed addition of Grignard reagents to activated vinyl cyclopropanes.

A highly regioselective iron-catalyzed addition of branched primary, secondary or tertiary alkyl Grignard reagents to activated vinyl cyclopropanes is described, which likely proceeds by a direct addition mechanism as opposed to single electron transfer or an iron-allyl based process.

The promise and challenge of iron-catalyzed cross coupling.

Transition metal catalysts, particularly those derived from the group VIII-X metals, display remarkable efficiency for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds through the reactions of suitable nucleophiles with organic electrophilic partners. Within this subset of the periodic table, palladium and nickel complexes offer the broadest utility, while additionally providing the deepest mechanistic insight into thus-termed "cross-coupling reactions". The mammoth effort devoted to palladium and nickel catalysts over the past 30 years has somewhat obscured reports of alternative metal complexes in this arena. As cross-coupling reactions have evolved into a critical support for modern synthetic chemistry, the search for alternative catalysts has been taken up with renewed vigor.When the current generation of synthetic chemists reflects back to the origins of cross coupling for inspiration, the well-documented effect of iron salts on the reactivity of Grignard reagents with organic electrophiles surfaces as a fertile ground for alternative catalyst development. Iron possesses the practical benefits more befitting an alkali or alkaline earth metal, while displaying the unique reactivity of a d-block element. Therefore the search for broadly applicable iron catalysts for cross coupling is an increasingly important goal in modern synthetic organic chemistry.This Account describes the evolution of iron-catalyzed cross coupling from its inception in the work of Kochi to the present. Specific emphasis is placed on reactivity and synthetic applications, with selected examples from acyl-, alkenyl-, aryl-, and alkyl halide/pseudohalide cross coupling included. The typical reaction partners are Grignard reagents, though organomanganese, -copper, and -zinc derivatives have also been used in certain cases. Such iron-catalyzed processes occur very rapidly even at low temperature and therefore are distinguished by broad functional group compatibility. Furthermore, recent advances in carbon-heteroatom bond formation and studies relevant to the general reactivity of in situ generated and structurally defined "low-valent" iron catalysts are presented.The preparative aspects of iron-catalyzed cross coupling are encouraging, but the inclination to classify these processes within the characteristic reaction manifold is premature, as mechanistic studies have evolved at a comparatively slow pace. A typical protocol for cross coupling employs an Fe(+2) or Fe(+3) precatalyst, which is reduced in situ by the organometallic nucleophile. The nature of the resulting active component(s) is still best described, more than 30 years later, in Kochi's original terms as a "reduced form of soluble iron". Despite huge gaps in our current knowledge, three distinct mechanisms have been formulated, largely based on empirical evidence: a "canonical" cross-coupling process, a manifold wherein alkylation of an organoiron intermediate replaces transmetalation as a key step, and finally a proposal reliant on the formation of nucleophilic ate complexes. Conjecture and speculation abound, but precisely what constitutes the catalytic cycle in iron-catalyzed cross coupling remains an extremely challenging unanswered question.

Gold(I)-catalyzed synthesis of dihydropyrans.

A trinuclear gold(I)-oxo complex, [(Ph3PAu)3O]BF4, serves as the catalyst for the stereocontrolled synthesis of 2-hydroxy-3,6-dihydropyrans from propargyl vinyl ethers. Importantly, the rearrangement proceeds with excellent diastereoselectivity, and the rearrangement of chiral nonracemic propargyl vinyl ethers proceeds with excellent chirality transfer to furnish enantioenriched pyrans. Additionally, the reaction is amenable to the synthesis of spiroketals from appropriately functionalized precursors. In this case, from a linear precursor, in a single step, the bicyclic spiroketal framework is established with complete stereocontrol over three centers and an alkene functional group in the product.

Gold(I)-catalyzed propargyl Claisen rearrangement.

Homoallenic alcohols are prepared from propargyl vinyl ethers using a trinuclear gold(I)-oxo complex, [(Ph3PAu)3O]BF4, as a catalyst for propargyl Claisen rearrangement at room temperature. The gold(I)-catalyzed reaction is effective for a diverse collection of propargyl vinyl ethers, including substrates containing aryl and alkyl groups at the propargylic position, and hydrogen, aryl, and alkyl substituents at the alkyne terminus. Tertiary propargyl vinyl ethers can be employed in the reaction, at slightly elevated temperatures, to afford tetrasubstituted allenes. Importantly, the rearrangement of 1,2-disubstituted vinyl ethers proceeds with excellent diastereoselectivity, and the rearrangement of chiral nonracemic propargyl vinyl ethers proceeds with excellent chirality transfer to furnish enantioenriched allenes.

Rhenium(V)-catalyzed synthesis of 2-deoxy-alpha-glycosides.

A mild method for the synthesis of 2-deoxysugars from the coupling of glycals with a range of nucleophiles is described. The method employs 1 mol % of an air- and moisture-tolerant rhenium-oxo complex [ReOCl3(SMe2)(Ph3PO)] as a catalyst for the formation of O-, N-, and S-alpha-glycosides. The catalytic system tolerates a number of commonly employed protecting groups, including isopropylidene acetals, alkyl and silyl ethers, acetates, and benzoates. Furthermore, the high-oxidation-state complex selectively catalyzes the coupling with the glycal acceptor in preference to oxidation of the glycals, alcohols, and even thiols.

A mild C-O bond formation catalyzed by a rhenium-oxo complex.

A mild method for the regioselective synthesis of propargyl ethers by the coupling of propargyl alcohols with a range of other alcohols is described. The method employs an air- and moisture-tolerant rhenium-oxo complex ((dppm)ReOCl3) as a catalyst for the formation of sp3-carbon-oxygen bonds without the need for prior activation of the propargyl alcohol or deprotonation of the alcohol nucleophile. A broad range of functional groups is tolerated, including aryl halides, olefins, esters, and acid-labile functional groups such as acetals. Furthermore, displacement of the alcohol occurs preferentially even in the presence of other electrophiles such as primary alkyl halides and conjugated esters.