Palladium-catalyzed C-C bond cleavage of N-cyclopropyl acylhydrazones.

Despite their utility as directing groups, the C-C bond cleavage of cyclopropanes utilizing hydrazones has not been explored. Herein, Pd-catalyzed C-C bond cleavage reaction of N-cyclopropyl acylhydrazones, followed by cycloisomerization to yield pyrazoles, has been developed. The protocol enables the synthesis of various α-pyrazole carbonyl compounds, which have a potential of biological activity. Control experiments and DFT calculations suggest that ß-carbon elimination of a stable 6-membered chelate palladium complex occurs, generating a conjugated azine as a reaction intermediate for the following cycloisomerization.

P(III)-Mediated Formal Reductive N-H Bond Insertion Reaction of Hydrazones to α-Keto Esters.

A diazo-, metal-, and base-free multi-substituted hydrazone synthesis via a formal reductive N-H bond insertion reactions of hydrazones to α-keto esters has been developed. The protocol features a broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance, providing N-H bond insertion products in moderate to excellent yields. Moreover, P(III)-mediated N-H functionalization of pharmaceutical containing hydrazone moiety was also successfully achieved.

Synthesis of Spiro[indole-3,3'-pyrrolidine]-2'-(thi)ones.

Spiro[indole-3,3'-pyrrolidine]-2'-ones were synthesized via one-pot chloroformylation-dearomatizing spirocyclization of tryptamine derivatives. Moreover, the "thio" equivalent spiro[indole-3,3'-pyrrolidine]-2'-thiones, for which the synthesis and properties were previously unreported, were synthesized. The procedures are easily implemented, have a broad scope, and are transition-metal-free and cheap. To demonstrate the utility of the synthetic methodology, the spiro[indole-3,3'-pyrrolidine]-2'-ones were converted into heterocyclic scaffolds, such as an optically active spiroindoline and spirooxindole.

Synthesis of isolable ß-chloroenamines from N-alkoxylactams with organometallic reagents.

An efficient approach to access isolable ß-chloroenamines via nucleophilic addition/dehydration of α-chloro N-alkoxylactam with organolithium and Grignard reagents is reported. This approach is amenable to the synthesis of ß-chloroenamines by incorporating various C(sp) and C(sp2) units, such as alkyne, aryl, and heteroaryl moieties. The sequential reaction has a broad substrate scope and can be carried out for a scalable synthesis of ß-chloroenamines. Control experiments suggested that both chloro and alkoxy groups act as inductive electron-withdrawing substituents to improve the stability of the enamines.

Copper-Catalyzed Aerobic C(sp3)-H Oxidation of ß-(Alkoxy)imino Carbonyl Compounds.

Direct oxidation of the C(sp3)-H bond of ß-(alkoxy)imino carbonyl compounds using copper acetate and molecular oxygen has been established. The protocol features a broad substrate scope and generates 1-imino-2,3-dicarbonyls in good to excellent yields.

Construction of pyrazolodiazepines using AuI, a dual functional gold catalyst.

N,N'-5,7-Fused compounds are important molecules exhibiting medicinal potential. Herein, we report a practical and robust method for synthesising pyrazolodiazepines from N-piperidinyl alkynylhydrazides using a AuI catalyst. The broad substrate scope of alkynylhydrazides and synthetic application of pyrazolodiazepines are demonstrated. In addition, control experiments provide detailed information on the reaction mechanism, in which AuI promotes both the sequential intramolecular nucleophilic addition and the double nucleophilic substitution reaction as a π-acidic and nucleophilic dual functional catalyst.

Sc(OTf)3-Catalyzed Iodocyclization/Ritter-Type Amidation of N-Alkoxypropiolamides: A Synthetic Strategy for Isoxazol-3(2H)-ones.

A Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed iodocyclization/Ritter-type amidation of N-alkoxypropiolamides for the synthesis of 4-iodoisoxazol-3(2H)-ones bearing an amide group has been developed. This domino protocol allows the construction of a valuable heterocycle, isoxazol-3(2H)-one, as well as the introduction of two functional groups. The reaction has a broad substrate scope and can be carried out on a large scale. Control experiments suggest that Sc(OTf)3 acts as a dual activator for both the iodocyclization and amidation steps. In addition, the N-alkoxy group in the substrate suppresses some of the side reactions.

γ-C (sp3)-H bond functionalisation of α,ß-unsaturated amides through an umpolung strategy.

The nucleophilic γ-phenylation and γ-alkylation of α,ß-unsaturated amides have been developed. This umpolung reaction allows the regioselective introduction of phenyl and alkyl groups to a vinylketene N,O-acetal, which is generated in situ from an α,ß-unsaturated N-alkoxyamide, followed by N-O bond cleavage in a two-step, one-pot process.

Enantioselective Acetalization by Dynamic Kinetic Resolution for the Synthesis of γ-Alkoxybutenolides by Thiourea/Quaternary Ammonium Salt Catalysts: Application to Strigolactones.

Although acetalization is a fundamental transformation in organic synthesis, intermolecular asymmetric acetalization remains an unsolved problem. In this study, a thiourea-ammonium hybrid catalyst was shown to promote the O-alkylation of enols with a racemic γ-chlorobutenolide through dynamic kinetic resolution to give chiral acetals with good enantioselectivity. The catalyst simultaneously activates both the nucleophile and electrophile in a multifunctional manner. This method was applied to the asymmetric synthesis of several strigolactones. DFT calculations suggest that hydrogen-bonding interactions between the chlorine atom of the γ-chlorobutenolide and the tosylamide hydrogen atom of the catalyst, as well as other types of noncovalent catalyst-substrate interactions, are crucial for achieving high stereoselectivity.

Total Synthesis of Caprazamycin A: Practical and Scalable Synthesis of syn-ß-Hydroxyamino Acids and Introduction of a Fatty Acid Side Chain to 1,4-Diazepanone.

The first total synthesis of caprazamycin A (1), a representative liponucleoside antibiotic, is described. Diastereoselective aldol reactions of aldehydes 12 and 25-27, derived from uridine, with diethyl isocyanomalonate 13 and phenylcarbamate 21 were investigated using thiourea catalysts 14 or bases to synthesize syn-ß-hydroxyamino acid derivatives. The 1,4-diazepanone core of 1 was constructed using a Mitsunobu reaction, and the fatty acid side chain was introduced using a stepwise sequence based on model studies. Notably, global deprotection was realized using palladium black and formic acid without hydrogenating the olefin in the uridine unit.

Copper-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of Cyclopropenylimine for Synthesis of Pyrroles.

Copper-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 3-iminocyclopropenes for synthesis of pyrroles has been developed. The reaction allows regioselective construction of pyrroles with various substitution patterns, including fully substituted pyrroles. The method was successfully applied to synthesis of steroidal pyrroles as well as a N-fused pyrrole.

Total synthesis of (-)-caprazamycin A.

Caprazamycin A has significant antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). The first total synthesis is herein reported and features a) the scalable preparation of the syn-ß-hydroxy amino acid with a thiourea-catalyzed diastereoselective aldol reaction, b) construction of a diazepanone with an unstable fatty-acid side chain, and c) global deprotection with hydrogenation. This report provides a route for the synthesis of related liponucleoside antibiotics with fatty-acid side chains.

Synthesis of oxime ethers via a formal reductive O-H bond insertion of oximes to α-keto esters.

This study describes an efficient approach to access oxime ethers via P(III)-mediated O-H bond insertion reaction of oximes with α-keto esters. The strategy involves the protonation of in situ generated Kukhtin-Ramirez adducts, followed by SN2-type reaction. Important features include a good functional group tolerance, operational simplicity, and application to gram scale synthesis and the synthesis of an acaricide.

Experimental and Theoretical Studies on Cobalt-Catalyzed Regioselective Hydrosilylation of Tetrafluorinated Cyclohexa-1,3-dienes.

Cyclohexa-1,3-dienes bearing a tetrafluoroethylene group underwent highly regioselective hydrosilylation in the presence of 1-10 mol % Co2(CO)8 in 1,2-dichloroethane under mild conditions (reflux, 3 h), which led to an abundant yield of homoallylsilanes. Mechanistic studies proved that the reaction proceeds as per the modified Chalk-Harrod mechanism; via DFT calculation, the reason for homoallylsilanes being exclusively obtained was demonstrated. The formal synthesis of a tetrafluorinated negative-type liquid crystal demonstrated the synthetic utility of such hydrosilylation.

Anhydrous Hydrogen Iodide-Mediated Reductive Indolization of In Situ-Generated Cyclopropyl Hydrazones.

Fischer-type indolization of N-aryl-C-cyclopropyl hydrazones generated in situ followed by chemoselective reduction using tert-butyl iodide as an anhydrous HI generator was developed. This protocol provides indoles bearing carboxylic acid derivative units. A series of control experiments indicated the HI-mediated formation and reduction of spirocyclopropyl indolenines. Anhydrous HI functions as a Brønsted acid as well as a reducing agent, facilitating the successful conversion of unstable reaction intermediates and iodinated mixtures in equilibrium.

Synthesis of multi-substituted 1,2,4-triazoles utilising the ambiphilic reactivity of hydrazones.

The synthesis of N-alkyl-1H-1,2,4-triazoles from N,N-dialkylhydrazones and nitriles via formal [3+2] cycloaddition including the C-chlorination/nucleophilic addition/cyclisation/dealkylation sequence was developed. This sequential reaction utilising the in situ generation of hydrazonoyl chloride based on the ambiphilic reactivity of hydrazones afforded a variety of multi-substituted N-alkyl-triazoles in high yields. The synthetic utility of multi-substituted triazoles was also demonstrated by further transformations.

Copper-Catalyzed Sequential Cyclization/Migration of Alkynyl Hydrazides for Construction of Ring-Expanded N-N Fused Pyrazolones.

A copper-catalyzed sequential cyclization/migration reaction of alkynyl hydrazides for the synthesis of ring-expanded N-N fused pyrazolones was developed. Control experiments indicate that the copper-ligand complex plays an essential role in the reaction. This approach features a broad scope including some functional group tolerance as well as a nucleophilic addition/1,3-migration/formal 1,2-migration sequence. This protocol provides simple manipulation and less waste due to high yield and atom economy. The synthetic utility of N-N fused pyrazolones was also demonstrated by further transformations.

Sequential Nucleophilic Arylation/Ring-Contractive Rearrangement of N-Alkoxylactams.

A nucleophilic addition/ring-contractive rearrangement of α-bromo N-alkoxylactams with organometallic reagents was developed, providing an efficient access to α-acylpyrrolidines incorporating various C(sp2) units such as aryl, heteroaryl, and alkenyl groups. The sequential reaction proceeds through a five-membered chelate formation using nucleophilic addition followed by ring contraction via the formation of N,O-hemiaminal with good yields and a broad substrate scope. Moreover, a preliminary result with the use of the chiral N-alkoxylactam for the diastereoselective reaction is described.

Synthesis of Pyrazoles Utilizing the Ambiphilic Reactivity of Hydrazones.

A Brønsted acid-mediated synthesis of pyrazoles from conjugated hydrazones through a ß-protonation/nucleophilic addition/cyclization/aromatization sequence was developed. This protocol utilizing the ambiphilic reactivity of hydrazones enables not only self-condensation but also cross-condensation, affording multisubstituted pyrazoles in high yields, with a broad substrate scope. This sequential reaction proceeds under mild conditions via a simple operation. Moreover, the method can be applied to the synthesis of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Lonazolac.

[Construction of All-cis-substituted Cyclopropane and Total Synthesis of Avenaol].

The first total synthesis of avenaol was achieved using a new robust strategy involving all-cis-substituted cyclopropane formation via an alkylidene cyclopropane. The keys to success for the total synthesis were (i) Rh-catalyzed intramolecular cyclopropanation of an allene; (ii) Ir-catalyzed stereoselective double-bond isomerization to form an all-cis cyclopropane; and (iii) differentiation of two hydroxymethyl groups via regioselective cyclization and oxidation of tetrahydropyran based on the reactivity of cyclopropyl group. This strategy effectively avoids cyclopropane ring opening and undesired formation of a cage structure. Additionally, the proposed structure of avenaol, especially unique all-cis-substituted cyclopropane was confirmed correct by this total synthesis.