(3+3)-Annulation of Carbonyl Ylides with Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes: Synergistic Dirhodium(II) and Lewis Acid Catalysis

The first (3+3)-annulation process of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes using synergistic catalysis is reported. The Rh2 (OAc)4 -catalyzed decomposition of diazo carbonyl compounds generated carbonyl ylides in situ. These 1,3-dipoles were converted with donor-acceptor cyclopropanes, activated by Lewis acid catalysis, to afford multiply substituted pyran scaffolds in high yield and diastereoselectivity. Extensive optimization studies enabled access to 9-oxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-2-one and 10-oxabicyclo[4.3.1]decen-2-ol cores, exploiting solvent effects on intermediate reactivity

Arzanol, a prenylated heterodimeric phloroglucinyl pyrone, inhibits eicosanoid biosynthesis and exhibits anti-inflammatory efficacy in vivo.

Based on its capacity to inhibit in vitro HIV-1 replication in T cells and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in monocytes, the prenylated heterodimeric phloroglucinyl α-pyrone arzanol was identified as the major anti-inflammatory and anti-viral constituent from Helichrysum italicum. We have now investigated the activity of arzanol on the biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, evaluating its anti-inflammatory efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Arzanol inhibited 5-lipoxygenase (EC 7.13.11.34) activity and related leukotriene formation in neutrophils, as well as the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 (EC 1.14.99.1) and the formation of COX-2-derived prostaglandin (PG)E(2)in vitro (IC(50)=2.3-9μM). Detailed studies revealed that arzanol primarily inhibits microsomal PGE(2) synthase (mPGES)-1 (EC 5.3.99.3, IC(50)=0.4μM) rather than COX-2. In fact, arzanol could block COX-2/mPGES-1-mediated PGE(2) biosynthesis in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human monocytes and human whole blood, but not the concomitant COX-2-derived biosynthesis of thromboxane B(2) or of 6-keto PGF(1α), and the expression of COX-2 or mPGES-1 protein was not affected. Arzanol potently suppressed the inflammatory response of the carrageenan-induced pleurisy in rats (3.6mg/kg, i.p.), with significantly reduced levels of PGE(2) in the pleural exudates. Taken together, our data show that arzanol potently inhibits the biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory lipid mediators like PGE(2)in vitro and in vivo, providing a mechanistic rationale for the anti-inflammatory activity of H. italicum, and a rationale for further pre-clinical evaluation of this novel anti-inflammatory lead

Ring-Opening 1,3-Aminochalcogenation of Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes: A Three-Component Approach

A 1,3-aminothiolation was realized by reacting 2-substituted cyclopropane 1,1-dicarboxylates with sulfonamides and N-(arylthio)succinimides. Under Sn(OTf)2 catalysis the transformation proceeded smoothly to the corresponding ring-opened products bearing the sulfonamide in the 1-position next to the donor and the arylthio residue in the 3-position next to the acceptor. The procedure was extended to the corresponding selenium analogues by employing N-(phenylseleno)succinimides as an electrophilic selenium source

Reactivity Studies of Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes: Is there a Relation to Structural and Electronic Properties?

The kinetics of (3+2) cycloaddition reactions of 18 different donor-acceptor cyclopropanes with the same aldehyde were studied by in situ NMR spectroscopy. Increasing the electron density of the donor residue accelerates the reaction by a factor of up to 50 compared to the standard system (donor group=phenyl), whereas electron-withdrawing substituents slow down the reaction by a factor up to 660. This behavior is in agreement with the Hammett substituent parameter σ. The obtained rate constants from the (3+2) cycloadditions correlate well with data from additionally studied (3+n) cycloadditions with a nitrone (n=3) and an isobenzofuran (n=4). A comparison of the kinetic data with the bond lengths in the cyclopropane (obtained by X-ray diffraction and computation), or the 1 H and 13 C NMR shifts, revealed no correlation. However, the computed relaxed force constants of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes proved to be a good indicator for the reactivity of the three-membered ring

Ring-Opening Regio-, Diastereo-, and Enantioselective 1,3-Chlorochalcogenation of Cyclopropyl Carbaldehydes

meso-Cyclopropyl carbaldehydes are treated in the presence of an organocatalyst with sulfenyl and selenyl chlorides to afford 1,3-chlorochalcogenated products. The transformation is achieved by a merged iminium-enamine activation. The enantioselective desymmetrization reaction, leading to three adjacent stereocenters, furnished the target products in complete regioselectivity and moderate to high diastereo- and enantioselectivities (d.r. up to 15:1 and e.r. up to 93:7)

Ferrocenyl-substituted tetrahydrothiophenes via formal [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions of ferrocenyl thioketones with donor-acceptor cyclopropanes

Ferrocenyl thioketones reacted with donor-acceptor cyclopropanes in dichloromethane at room temperature in the presence of catalytic amounts of Sc(OTf)3 yielding tetrahydrothiophene derivatives, products of formal [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions, in moderate to high yields. In all studied cases, dimethyl 2-arylcyclopropane dicarboxylates reacted with the corresponding aryl ferrocenyl thioketones in a completely diastereoselective manner to form single products in which (C-2)-Ar and (C-5)-ferrocenyl groups were oriented in a cis-fashion. In contrast, the same cyclopropanes underwent reaction with alkyl ferrocenyl thioketones to form nearly equal amounts of both diastereoisomeric tetrahydrothiophenes. A low selectivity was also observed in the reaction of a 2-phthalimide-derived cyclopropane with ferrocenyl phenyl thioketone

(4 + 3)-Cycloaddition of Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes with Thiochalcones: A Diastereoselective Access to Tetrahydrothiepines

A general approach is described for the formation of tetrahydrothiepines using donor-acceptor cyclopropanes. Thiochalcones, functioning as sulfur-containing four-atom building blocks, were reacted in a Lewis acid catalyzed formal (4 + 3)-cycloaddition reaction with donor-acceptor cyclopropanes as three-atom building blocks. Under mild conditions various tetrahydrothiepines were synthesized in good yields in a stereospecific reaction with high functional group tolerance

Electrocatalytic Activation of Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes and Cyclobutanes: An Alternative C(sp 3 )−C(sp 3 ) Cleavage Mode

We describe the first electrochemical activation of D–A cyclopropanes and D–A cyclobutanes leading after C(sp3)−C(sp3) cleavage to the formation of highly reactive radical cations. This concept is utilized to formally insert molecular oxygen after direct or DDQ-assisted anodic oxidation of the strained carbocycles, delivering β- and γ-hydroxy ketones and 1,2-dioxanes electrocatalytically. Furthermore, insights into the mechanism of the oxidative process, obtained experimentally and by additional quantum-chemical calculations are presented. The synthetic potential of the reaction products is demonstrated by diverse derivatizations