Copper-mediated synthesis of drug-like bicyclopentanes.

Multicomponent reactions are relied on in both academic and industrial synthetic organic chemistry owing to their step- and atom-economy advantages over traditional synthetic sequences1. Recently, bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane (BCP) motifs have become valuable as pharmaceutical bioisosteres of benzene rings, and in particular 1,3-disubstituted BCP moieties have become widely adopted in medicinal chemistry as para-phenyl ring replacements2. These structures are often generated from [1.1.1]propellane via opening of the internal C-C bond through the addition of either radicals or metal-based nucleophiles3-13. The resulting propellane-addition adducts are then transformed to the requisite polysubstituted BCP compounds via a range of synthetic sequences that traditionally involve multiple chemical steps. Although this approach has been effective so far, a multicomponent reaction that enables single-step access to complex and diverse polysubstituted drug-like BCP products would be more time efficient compared to current stepwise approaches. Here we report a one-step three-component radical coupling of [1.1.1]propellane to afford diverse functionalized bicyclopentanes using various radical precursors and heteroatom nucleophiles via a metallaphotoredox catalysis protocol. This copper-mediated reaction operates on short timescales (five minutes to one hour) across multiple (more than ten) nucleophile classes and can accommodate a diverse array of radical precursors, including those that generate alkyl, α-acyl, trifluoromethyl and sulfonyl radicals. This method has been used to rapidly prepare BCP analogues of known pharmaceuticals, one of which is substantially more metabolically stable than its commercial progenitor.

Metallaphotoredox-catalysed sp(3)-sp(3) cross-coupling of carboxylic acids with alkyl halides.

In the past 50 years, cross-coupling reactions mediated by transition metals have changed the way in which complex organic molecules are synthesized. The predictable and chemoselective nature of these transformations has led to their widespread adoption across many areas of chemical research. However, the construction of a bond between two sp(3)-hybridized carbon atoms, a fundamental unit of organic chemistry, remains an important yet elusive objective for engineering cross-coupling reactions. In comparison to related procedures with sp(2)-hybridized species, the development of methods for sp(3)-sp(3) bond formation via transition metal catalysis has been hampered historically by deleterious side-reactions, such as ß-hydride elimination with palladium catalysis or the reluctance of alkyl halides to undergo oxidative addition. To address this issue, nickel-catalysed cross-coupling processes can be used to form sp(3)-sp(3) bonds that utilize organometallic nucleophiles and alkyl electrophiles. In particular, the coupling of alkyl halides with pre-generated organozinc, Grignard and organoborane species has been used to furnish diverse molecular structures. However, the manipulations required to produce these activated structures is inefficient, leading to poor step- and atom-economies. Moreover, the operational difficulties associated with making and using these reactive coupling partners, and preserving them through a synthetic sequence, has hindered their widespread adoption. A generically useful sp(3)-sp(3) coupling technology that uses bench-stable, native organic functional groups, without the need for pre-functionalization or substrate derivatization, would therefore be valuable. Here we demonstrate that the synergistic merger of photoredox and nickel catalysis enables the direct formation of sp(3)-sp(3) bonds using only simple carboxylic acids and alkyl halides as the nucleophilic and electrophilic coupling partners, respectively. This metallaphotoredox protocol is suitable for many primary and secondary carboxylic acids. The merit of this coupling strategy is illustrated by the synthesis of the pharmaceutical tirofiban in four steps from commercially available starting materials.

Decarboxylative Hydroalkylation of Alkynes.

The merger of open- and closed-shell elementary organometallic steps has enabled the selective intermolecular addition of nucleophilic radicals to unactivated alkynes. A range of carboxylic acids can be subjected to a CO2 extrusion, nickel capture, migratory insertion sequence with terminal and internal alkynes to generate stereodefined functionalized olefins. This platform has been further extended, via hydrogen atom transfer, to the direct vinylation of unactivated C-H bonds. Preliminary studies indicate that a Ni-alkyl migratory insertion is operative.

Metallaphotoredox-Catalyzed Cross-Electrophile Csp3-Csp3 Coupling of Aliphatic Bromides.

A strategy for the installation of small alkyl fragments onto pharmaceutically relevant aliphatic structures has been established via metallaphotoredox catalysis. Herein, we report that tris(trimethylsilyl)silanol can be employed as an effective halogen abstraction reagent that, in combination with photoredox and nickel catalysis, allows a generic approach to Csp3-Csp3 cross-electrophile coupling. In this study, we demonstrate that a variety of aliphatic drug-like groups can be successfully coupled with a number of commercially available small alkyl electrophiles, including methyl tosylate and strained cyclic alkyl bromides. Moreover, the union of two secondary aliphatic carbon centers, a long-standing challenge for organic molecule construction, has been accomplished with a wide array of structural formats. Last, this technology can be selectively merged with Csp2-Csp3 aryl-alkyl couplings to build drug-like systems in a highly modular fashion.

Phaeobacter sp. strain Y4I utilizes two separate cell-to-cell communication systems to regulate production of the antimicrobial indigoidine.

The marine roseobacter Phaeobacter sp. strain Y4I synthesizes the blue antimicrobial secondary metabolite indigoidine when grown in a biofilm or on agar plates. Prior studies suggested that indigoidine production may be, in part, regulated by cell-to-cell communication systems. Phaeobacter sp. strain Y4I possesses two luxR and luxI homologous N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated cell-to-cell communication systems, designated pgaRI and phaRI. We show here that Y4I produces two dominantAHLs, the novel monounsaturated N-(3-hydroxydodecenoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (3OHC(12:1)-HSL) and the relatively common N-octanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C8-HSL), and provide evidence that they are synthesized by PhaI and PgaI, respectively.A Tn5 insertional mutation in either genetic locus results in the abolishment (pgaR::Tn5) or reduction (phaR::Tn5) of pigment production. Motility defects and denser biofilms were also observed in these mutant backgrounds, suggesting an overlap in the functional roles of these systems. Production of the AHLs occurs at distinct points during growth on an agar surface and was determined by isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography­tandem mass spectrometry (ID-HPLC-MS/MS) analysis.Within 2 h of surface inoculation, only 3OHC(12:1)-HSL was detected in agar extracts. As surface-attached cells became established (at approximately 10 h), the concentration of 3OHC(12:1)-HSL decreased, and the concentration of C8-HSL increased rapidly over 14 h.After longer (>24-h) establishment periods, the concentrations of the two AHLs increased to and stabilized at approximately 15 nM and approximately 600 nM for 3OHC12:1-HSL and C8-HSL, respectively. In contrast, the total amount of indigoidine increased steadily from undetectable to 642 Mby 48 h. Gene expression profiles of the AHL and indigoidine synthases (pgaI, phaI, and igiD) were consistent with their metabolite profiles. These data provide evidence that pgaRI and phaRI play overlapping roles in the regulation of indigoidine biosynthesis, and it is postulated that this allows Phaeobacter sp. strain Y4I to coordinate production of indigoidine with different growth-phase-dependent physiologies.

Potent Anti-Inflammatory, Arylpyrazole-Based Glucocorticoid Receptor Agonists That Do Not Impair Insulin Secretion.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used in medicine for their role in the treatment of autoimmune-mediated conditions, certain cancers, and organ transplantation. The transcriptional activities GCs elicit include transrepression, postulated to be responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity, and transactivation, proposed to underlie the undesirable side effects associated with long-term use. A GC analogue that could elicit only transrepression and beneficial transactivation properties would be of great medicinal value and is highly sought after. In this study, a series of 1-(4-substituted phenyl)pyrazole-based GC analogues were synthesized, biologically screened, and evaluated for SARs leading to the desired activity. Activity observed in compounds bearing an electron deficient arylpyrazole moiety showed promise toward a dissociated steroid, displaying transrepression while having limited transactivation activity. In addition, compounds 11aa and 11ab were found to have anti-inflammatory efficacy comparable to that of dexamethasone at 10 nM, with minimal transactivation activity and no reduction of insulin secretion in cultured rat 832/13 beta cells.