Synlett

Proteins play critical roles in all living organisms, and their properties and functions result directly from their primary sequences. Fluorine, though seldom found in natural organic compounds, has been shown to impart desirable properties to small molecules and proteins alike. However, studies on the impact of this element in enzyme activity and protein–protein interaction are largely absent from the literature. Here we present a microwave-assisted SPPS method for the total synthesis of site-specifically fluorinated barnase variants, as well as characterization of their folding and activity. CD spectroscopy and fluorescence-based activity assays show that the fluorinated amino acids are generally not perturbative of the protein structure and that enzyme activity, albeit reduced, is retained in all variants.

Nucleophilic phosphine-catalyzed annulations are recognized as practical and powerful tools for synthesizing various cyclic compounds. Phosphine acceptors play a key role in nucleophilic phosphine catalysis. The design and synthesis of new phosphine acceptors that are able to introduce new zwitterionic intermediates with new reactivities into phosphine-catalyzed annulations is highly desirable. We recently applied proton-shift principles in the design of new phosphine acceptors, and we synthesized several new acceptors. With the use of these acceptors, we have developed several novel phosphine-catalyzed annulation reactions. In this account, we present a brief introduction to the design and application of a series of acidic-hydrogen-tethered electron-deficient acceptors for phosphine-catalyzed annulation reactions, categorized according to the type of atom (N–H, O–H, C–H) to which the acidic hydrogen is bound.1 Introduction2 Phosphine Acceptors Tethered with an Acidic N–H Group3 Phosphine Acceptors Tethered with an Acidic O–H Group4 Phosphine Acceptors Tethered with an Acidic C–H Group5 Conclusions

A highly effective and selective ortho-directed hydrogen isotope exchange process for aryl carboxylic acids has been achieved by using an iridium(I) N-heterocyclic carbene/phosphine complex under mild and neutral conditions. Good levels of deuterium incorporation have been delivered across a wide array of examples, including a number of biologically active drug compounds.

A series of donor-acceptor chromophores was synthesized bearing a 3-aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine donor motive. Through DFT calculations, different combinations of the ImPy donor motive and different electron acceptors were assessed. In combination with an anthraquinone acceptor, the calculated ΔE
ST values were in range to suggest that these compounds would emit via thermally activated delayed fluorescence. Based on these findings, a series of ImPy-Aq emitters with different geometries and substitution patterns was synthesized through GBB-3CR and Suzuki coupling reactions. According to preliminary experimental data, the compounds were only slightly emissive at ambient temperatures due to a combination of low radiative rates and competing non-radiative deactivation pathways.

The development of an oxa-Diels–Alder reaction between sultines and carbonyl compounds is reported. o-Quinodimethanes, generated from sultines, undergo a [4+2]-cycloaddition with activated aldehydes or ketones in the presence of Cu(OTf)2 to provide a variety of functionalized isochromans, including spiroisochromans, in up to 99% yield. The developed protocol demonstrates broad functional-group compatibility and tolerates unprotected isatins bearing free NH-functionalities.

α-Cyanophosphonates, which are useful reagents for the Horner–Wittig reaction, were synthesized under solvent-free conditions by using a choline chloride–zinc chloride deep-eutectic solvent (DES) as a catalyst. This is only the second report on the synthesis of these compounds. In the previous report, diethyl trimethylsilyl phosphite was used as a reagent and TiCl4 as a catalyst, whereas in this study, both the reagent (triphenylphosphine) and the catalyst (choline chloride–zinc chloride DES) are cheaper, more readily available, and less harmful than those used in the previous work. Moreover, the process involves an interesting cascade reaction between a β-nitrostyrene and two equivalents of triphenyl phosphite, leading to the desired product by a new synthetic route. The products can be used in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries, in addition to their synthetic applications in the preparation of α,β-unsaturated nitriles. The reactions were completed on using 20 mol% of DES at 80 °C in six hours. Ten different β-nitrostyrenes were synthesized in yields of 55–87% after purification. β-Nitrostyrenes containing electron-donating groups showed higher yields. The reaction failed when aliphatic or heteroaromatic nitroalkenes or β-nitrostyrenes with electron-withdrawing substituents were employed. Finally, three plausible mechanistic routes are proposed for the reaction, starting with the nucleophilic addition of triphenyl phosphite to the carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen atom in the α-position.

A density functional theory (DFT) study was performed to evaluate the reaction mechanism of the C–N bond formation under an integrated hydrogen atom transfer/radical-polar crossover photoredox catalytic cycle. The regioselective activation of a model substrate, including three reactive positions (3° benzylic C–H bond, 2° benzylic C–H bond, and primary C–Cl bond) was addressed to distinguish among the radical C–H activation mechanism and the standard SN2 reaction. We demonstrated that activation of tertiary benzylic C–H bond is the most favored and forms exclusively the experimentally observed product. In addition, the whole photoredox catalytic cycle, including the outer-sphere electron-transfer steps, was characterized computationally.

The present article provides an overview of our work related to cyclization reactions of nitro-substituted electrophilic building blocks with various nucleophiles. As electrophiles, we used nitro-substituted benzoylacetones, 3-ethoxy-2-nitro-2-en-1-ones, 2-nitrobenzoyl chlorides, 4-chloro-3-nitrocoumarin, 2-nitromalonic aldehyde, 3-nitrochromone and 1-(2-chloro-5-nitrophenyl)prop-2-yn-1-ones. As nucleophiles, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, 1,3-bis(silyloxy)-1,3-butadienes, (heterocyclic) enamines, hydroxylamine, hydrazines, amines and amino esters were employed. The products include a variety of nitro-substituted carbo- and heterocycles that are not readily available by other methods. The electron-withdrawing nitro group can be easily transformed into an electron-donating amino group which is not only pharmacologically relevant, but can also act as a nucleophile in inter- and intramolecular reactions with electrophiles, such as aldehydes, and can be converted into other functional groups. The nitro group has the capacity to activate compounds for regioselective palladium-catalyzed CH-arylation reactions. Inter- and intramolecular CH arylations of nitro-substituted heterocyclic building blocks, such as 4-nitropyrazoles, 4-nitroimidazoles, 2-nitroindole and nitro-substituted purine analogues, allow for a convenient diversity-oriented approach to the corresponding arylated products. In addition, the nitro group can act as a leaving group in SNAr reactions. Various fused benzofuro[3,2-b]pyridines were prepared by intramolecular SNAr reactions of 2-(hydroxyphenyl)-3-nitropyridines.1 Introduction2 Cyclizations of 1,3-Bis(silyloxy)-1,3-butadienes3 Cyclizations of Heterocyclic Enamines4 Reactions of Simple Nitro-Substituted Heterocycles5 Hydroamination Reactions of Alkynes6 Miscellaneous7 Conclusions

Water-soluble peptidomimetics, including peptoids, are promising functional surrogates for biologically relevant, amphiphilic, helical peptides. Twenty amphiphilic peptoid hexamers with predicted helical structures were designed, prepared, and studied using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The site-specific contributions of aromatic and charged residues to the helical structure of peptoid hexamers in aqueous solution was evaluated, revealing that aromatic residue positioning most significantly impacts structure.

Cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R) agonists have therapeutic potential for the treatment of (neuro)inflammatory diseases. Fluorescent probes enable the detection of CB2R in relevant cell types and serve as a chemical tool in cellular target engagement studies. Here, we report the structure-based design and synthesis of a new CB2R selective fluorescent probe. Based on the cryo-EM structure of LEI-102 in complex with the CB2R, we synthesized 5-fluoropyridin-2-yl-benzyl-imidazolidine-2,4-dione analogues in which we introduced a variety of linkers and fluorophores. Molecular pharmacological characterization showed that compound 22, containing a Cy5-fluorophore with an alkyl-spacer, was the most potent probe with a pK
i of 6.2 ± 0.6. It was selective over the cannabinoid CB1 receptor and behaved as an inverse agonist (pEC50 5.3 ± 0.1, E
max –63% ± 6). Probe 22 may serve as a chemical tool in target and lead validation studies for the CB2R.