Synthesis, X-ray Analysis, and Biological Evaluation of a New Class of Stereopure Lactam-Based HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors

In an effort to identify a new class of druglike HIV-1 protease inhibitors, four different stereopure beta-hydroxy gamma-lactam-containing inhibitors have been synthesized, biologically evaluated, and cocrystallized. The impact of the tether length of the central spacer (two or three carbons) was also investigated. A compound with a shorter tether and (3R,4S) absolute configuration exhibited high activity with a K-i of 2.1 nM and an EC50 of 0.64 mu M. Further optimization by decoration of the P1' side chain furnished an even more potent HIV-1 protease inhibitor (K-i = 0.8 nM, EC50 = 0.04 mu M). According to X-ray analysis, the new class of inhibitors did not fully succeed in forming two symmetric hydrogen bonds to the catalytic aspartates. The crystal structures of the complexes further explain the difference in potency between the shorter inhibitors (two-carbon spacer) and the longer inhibitors (three-carbon spacer)

Direct Functionalization of Nitrogen Heterocycles via Rh-Catalyzed C−H Bond Activation

Nitrogen heterocycles are present in many compounds of enormous practical importance, ranging from pharmaceutical agents and biological probes to electroactive materials. Direct functionalization of nitrogen heterocycles through C−H bond activation constitutes a powerful means of regioselectively introducing a variety of substituents with diverse functional groups onto the heterocycle scaffold. Working together, our two groups have developed a family of Rh-catalyzed heterocycle alkylation and arylation reactions that are notable for their high level of functional-group compatibility. This Account describes our work in this area, emphasizing the relevant mechanistic insights that enabled synthetic advances and distinguished the resulting transformations from other methods. We initially discovered an intramolecular Rh-catalyzed C-2 alkylation of azoles by alkenyl groups. That reaction provided access to a number of di-, tri-, and tetracyclic azole derivatives. We then developed conditions that exploited microwave heating to expedite these reactions. While investigating the mechanism of this transformation, we discovered that a novel substrate-derived Rh−N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex was involved as an intermediate. We then synthesized analogous Rh−NHC complexes directly by treating precursors to the intermediate [RhCl(PCy3)2] with N-methylbenzimidazole, 3-methyl-3,4-dihydroquinazoline, and 1-methyl-1,4-benzodiazepine-2-one. Extensive kinetic analysis and DFT calculations supported a mechanism for carbene formation in which the catalytically active RhCl(PCy3)2 fragment coordinates to the heterocycle before intramolecular activation of the C−H bond occurs. The resulting Rh−H intermediate ultimately tautomerizes to the observed carbene complex. With this mechanistic information and the discovery that acid cocatalysts accelerate the alkylation, we developed conditions that efficiently and intermolecularly alkylate a variety of heterocycles, including azoles, azolines, dihydroquinazolines, pyridines, and quinolines, with a wide range of functionalized olefins. We demonstrated the utility of this methodology in the synthesis of natural products, drug candidates, and other biologically active molecules. In addition, we developed conditions to directly arylate these heterocycles with aryl halides. Our initial conditions that used PCy3 as a ligand were successful only for aryl iodides. However, efforts designed to avoid catalyst decomposition led to the development of ligands based on 9-phosphabicyclo[4.2.1]nonane (phoban) that also facilitated the coupling of aryl bromides. We then replicated the unique coordination environment, stability, and catalytic activity of this complex using the much simpler tetrahydrophosphepine ligands and developed conditions that coupled aryl bromides bearing diverse functional groups without the use of a glovebox or purified reagents. With further mechanistic inquiry, we anticipate that researchers will better understand the details of the aforementioned Rh-catalyzed C−H bond functionalization reactions, resulting in the design of more efficient and robust catalysts, expanded substrate scope, and new transformations

Front Cover: Synthesis of 4H-Benzo[e][1,3]oxazin-4-ones by a Carbonylation–Cyclization Domino Reaction of ortho-Halophenols and Cyanamide

The Front Cover picture shows how carbon monoxide gas is diffused over a bridge, in the two-chamber system setup used in this work, to be incorporated in the catalytic cycle utilized to produce heterocyclic 4H-benzo[e][1,3]oxazin-4-ones.More information can be found in the Full Paper by L. R. Odell, M. Larhed, and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/open.201700130)

A new regioselective Heck vinylation with enamides. Synthesis and investigation of fluorous-tagged bidentate ligands for fast separation

Internal ligand-controlled Heck vinylations of enamides were performed with high regioselectivity and delivered moderate to good yields of dienamides. Controlled heating by microwave irradiation accelerated the palladium-catalyzed reactions, and full conversions were achieved after reaction times of only 15-30 min. New bidentate fluorous-tagged 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane ligands (F-dppp's) were synthesized and examined. The cationic vinylations of the enamides with F-dppp ligands rendered essentially the same α-selectivity and catalytic activity as in those vinylations where nonfluorous ligands were employed. After reaction, the fluorous-tagged ligand material was easily removed by convenient solid fluorous phase separation. The high selectivity, simplicity, and generality of the experimental procedure should make this approach to 2-acylamino-1,3-butadienes attractive

A New Regioselective Heck Vinylation with Enamides. Synthesis and Investigation of Fluorous-Tagged Bidentate Ligands for Fast Separation.

Internal ligand-controlled Heck vinylations of enamides were performed with high regioselectivity and delivered moderate to good yields of dienamides. Controlled heating by microwave irradiation accelerated the palladium-catalyzed reactions, and full conversions were achieved after reaction times of only 15-30 min. New bidentate fluorous-tagged 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane ligands (F-dppp's) were synthesized and examined. The cationic vinylations of the enamides with F-dppp ligands rendered essentially the same α-selectivity and catalytic activity as in those vinylations where nonfluorous ligands were employed. After reaction, the fluorous-tagged ligand material was easily removed by convenient solid fluorous phase separation. The high selectivity, simplicity, and generality of the experimental procedure should make this approach to 2-acylamino-1,3-butadienes attractive

High-speed, highly fluorous organic reactions

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