Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry Direct preparation of thiazoles, imidazoles, imidazopyridines and thiazolidines from alkenes †

A range of heterocycles, namely thiazoles, imidazoles, imidazopyridines, thiazolidines and dimethoxyindoles, have been synthesised directly from alkenes via a two-step ketoidoination/ cyclisation protocol. The alkene starting materials are themselves readily accessible using many different and well-established approaches, and allow access to a variety of heterocycles with excellent yields and regioselectivity

Synthesis and phytotoxic activity of new pyridones derived from 4-hydroxy-6-methylpyridin-2(1H)-one

Commercial dehydroacetoc acid was converted into 4-hydroxy-6-methylpyridin-2(1H)-one (3), which was then condensed with several aliphatic aldehydes to produce seven new title compounds in variable yields (35-92%). Reaction of 3 with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes resulted in the formation of condensed pyran derivatives 4g' and 4h'. A mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of such compounds. The effects of all methylpyridin-2(1H)-one derivatives on the development of the dicotyledonous species Ipomoea grandifolia and Cucumis sativus and the monocotyledonous species Sorghum bicolor were evaluated. At the dose of 6.7 x 10⁻⁸ mol a.i./g substrate the compounds showed some phytotoxic selectivity, being more active against the dicotyledonous species. These compounds can be used as lead structures for the development of more active phytotoxic products

Tethered Aminohydroxylation: Synthesis of the β‑Amino Acid of Microsclerodermins A and B

The utility of the tethered aminohydroxylation (TA) has been demonstrated by synthesis of the complex β-amino acid residue of microsclerodermins A and B. The TA provided a regio- and stereoselective functionalization of a complex homoallylic alcohol. The route includes late-stage introduction of the aliphatic side chain <i>via</i> a cuprate addition and cross metathesis, a tactic designed to render the synthesis applicable to other microsclerodermins

Tethered Aminohydroxylation: Synthesis of the β‑Amino Acid of Microsclerodermins A and B

The utility of the tethered aminohydroxylation (TA) has been demonstrated by synthesis of the complex β-amino acid residue of microsclerodermins A and B. The TA provided a regio- and stereoselective functionalization of a complex homoallylic alcohol. The route includes late-stage introduction of the aliphatic side chain <i>via</i> a cuprate addition and cross metathesis, a tactic designed to render the synthesis applicable to other microsclerodermins

Total Synthesis of the Antitumor Antibiotic (±)-Streptonigrin: First- and Second-Generation Routes for de Novo Pyridine Formation Using Ring-Closing Metathesis

The total synthesis of (±)-streptonigrin, a potent tetracyclic aminoquinoline-5,8-dione antitumor antibiotic that reached phase II clinical trials in the 1970s, is described. Two routes to construct a key pentasubstituted pyridine fragment are depicted, both relying on ring-closing metathesis but differing in the substitution and complexity of the precursor to cyclization. Both routes are short and high yielding, with the second-generation approach ultimately furnishing (±)-streptonigrin in 14 linear steps and 11% overall yield from inexpensive ethyl glyoxalate. This synthesis will allow for the design and creation of druglike late-stage natural product analogues to address pharmacological limitations. Furthermore, assessment of a number of chiral ligands in a challenging asymmetric Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction has enabled enantioenriched (up to 42% ee) synthetic streptonigrin intermediates to be prepared for the first time