Synthesis of Sulfur-Containing Heterocycles through Oxidative Carbon–Hydrogen Bond Functionalization

Vinyl sulfides react rapidly and efficiently with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) to form α,β-unsaturated thiocarbenium ions through oxidative carbon–hydrogen bond cleavage. These electrophiles couple with appended π-nucleophiles to yield sulfur-containing heterocycles through carbon–carbon bond formation. Several nucleophiles are compatible with the procedure, and the reactions generally proceed through readily predictable transition states

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Neopeltolide and Analogs

The synthesis of neopeltolide analogues that contain variations in the oxazole-containing side chain and in the macrolide core are reported along with the GI₅₀ values for these compounds against MCF-7, HCT-116, and p53 knockout HCT-116 cell lines. Although biological activity is sensitive to changes in the macrocycle and the side chain, several analogues displayed GI₅₀ values of <25 nM. Neopeltolide and several of the more potent analogues were significantly less potent against p53 knockout cells, suggesting that p53 plays an auxiliary role in the activity of these compounds