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ABSTRACT: The Rh(III)-catalyzed oxidative coupling of alkenes with arenes provides a greener alternative to the classical Heck reaction for the synthesis of arene-functionalized alkenes. The present mechanistic study gives insights for the rational development of this key transformation. The catalyst resting states and the rate law of the reaction have been identified. The reaction rate is solely dependent on the catalyst and alkene concentrations, and the turnover-limiting step is the migratory insertion of the alkene into a Rh-C(aryl) bond.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 04/2013; · 9.91 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A stereo- and regioselective Diels-Alder reaction for the synthesis of highly substituted isoquinuclidines from dihydropyridines and electron-deficient alkenes has been developed. While reactions with activated dienophiles proceed readily under thermal conditions, the use of Lewis acid additives is necessary to facilitate cycloadditions for less reactive alkenes. This procedure affords the target compounds in high yields and diastereoselectivities.
Organic Letters 01/2013; · 5.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Arylboroxines, which are easily accessed by drying commercially available arylboronic acids, are added to N-(isopropanesulfinyl)ketimines derived from cyclohexanone, N-Boc-piperidin-4-one, and tetrahydropyran-4-one in high yields and with excellent functional group compatibility via rhodium catalysis. These results contrast with additions to the corresponding ketimines incorporating the larger N-tert-butanesulfinyl group, which give considerably lower yields. Efficient two-step preparation of racemic isopropanesulfinamide from inexpensive isopropyl disulfide and recycling of the isopropanesulfinyl group from the addition products are also described.
The Journal of Organic Chemistry 10/2012; · 4.45 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The highly enantioselective protonation of nitronates formed upon the addition of α-substituted Meldrum's acids to terminally unsubstituted nitroalkenes is described. This work represents the first enantioselective catalytic addition of any type of nucleophile to this class of nitroalkenes. Moreover, for the successful implementation of this method, a new type of N-sulfinyl urea catalyst with chirality residing only at the sulfinyl group was developed, thereby enabling the incorporation of a diverse range of achiral diamine motifs. Finally, the Meldrum's acid addition products were readily converted to pharmaceutically relevant 3,5-disubstituted pyrrolidinones in high yield.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 05/2012; 134(22):9058-61. · 9.91 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: An expedient one-pot rhodium catalyzed C-H bond functionalization/electrocyclization/dehydration procedure has been developed for the synthesis of highly substituted pyridine derivatives from terminal alkynes and α,β-unsaturated ketoximes. The use of electron-deficient phosphite ligands is important to suppress dimerization of the terminal alkynes to enynes.
The Journal of Organic Chemistry 03/2012; 77(5):2501-7. · 4.45 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Rh(III)-catalyzed arylation of imines provides a new method for C-C bond formation while simultaneously introducing an α-branched amine as a functional group. This detailed mechanistic study provides insights for the rational future development of this new reaction. Relevant intermediate Rh(III) complexes have been isolated and characterized, and their reactivities in stoichiometric reactions with relevant substrates have been monitored. The reaction was found to be first order in the catalyst resting state and inverse first order in the C-H activation substrate.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 01/2012; 134(3):1482-5. · 9.91 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Over the last several decades, researchers have achieved remarkable progress in the field of organometallic chemistry. The development of metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions represents a paradigm shift in chemical synthesis, and today synthetic chemists can readily access carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds from a vast array of starting compounds. Although we cannot understate the importance of these methods, the required prefunctionalization to carry out these reactions adds cost and reduces the availability of the starting reagents. The use of C-H bond activation in lieu of prefunctionalization has presented a tantalizing alternative to classical cross-coupling reactions. Researchers have met the challenges of selectivity and reactivity associated with the development of C-H bond functionalization reactions with an explosion of creative advances in substrate and catalyst design. Literature reports on selectivity based on steric effects, acidity, and electronic and directing group effects are now numerous. Our group has developed an array of C-H bond functionalization reactions that take advantage of a chelating directing group, and this Account surveys our progress in this area. The use of chelation control in C-H bond functionalization offers several advantages with respect to substrate scope and application to total synthesis. The predictability and decreased dependence on the inherent stereoelectronics of the substrate generally result in selective and high yielding transformations with broad applicability. The nature of the chelating moiety can be chosen to serve as a functional handle in subsequent elaborations. Our work began with the use of Rh(I) catalysts in intramolecular aromatic C-H annulations, which we further developed to include enantioselective transformations. The application of this chemistry to the simple olefinic C-H bonds found in α,β-unsaturated imines allowed access to highly substituted olefins, pyridines, and piperidines. We observed complementary reactivity with Rh(III) catalysts and developed an oxidative coupling with unactivated alkenes. Further studies on the Rh(III) catalysts led us to develop methods for the coupling of C-H bonds to polarized π bonds such as those in imines and isocyanates. In several cases the methods that we have developed for chelation-controlled C-H bond functionalization have been applied to the total synthesis of complex molecules such as natural products, highlighting the utility of these methods in organic synthesis.
Accounts of Chemical Research 12/2011; 45(6):814-25. · 21.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The rhodium-catalyzed addition of readily accessible arylboroxines to N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines derived from oxetan-3-one, N-Boc-azetidin-3-one, and isatins proceeds in high yields with excellent functional group compatibility. Moreover, high diastereoselectivities are observed for the additions to the N-sulfinyl ketimines derived from isatins.
Organic Letters 08/2011; 13(15):3912-5. · 5.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A simple, solvent-free, one-pot autoxidative coupling reaction between quinoline and indoles or pyrroles is reported. This atom economic method requires only a stoichiometric amount of inexpensive hydrochloric acid and does not require a catalyst.
Chemical Communications 03/2011; 47(17):5019-21. · 6.17 Impact Factor
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ChemMedChem 03/2011; 6(3):415-9. · 3.15 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The MgCl(2)-enhanced addition of benzyl zinc reagents to N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines proceeds readily at room temperature to afford the N-tert-butanesulfinyl-protected amine products in good yields and diastereomeric ratios. This method is functional group tolerant in both the imine substrate and benzyl zinc coupling partner. Moreover, benzyl zinc reagent addition to the N-tert-butanesulfinyl imine 3o prepared from isopropylidene-protected glyceraldehyde proceeds in high yield and with exceptional selectivity to provide rapid entry to hydroxyethylamine-based aspartyl protease inhibitors.
Organic Letters 02/2011; 13(5):964-7. · 5.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Oxime directed aromatic C-H bond activation and oxidative coupling to alkenes is reported using a cationic Rh(III) catalyst. Significantly, the method can be used to oxidatively couple unactivated, aliphatic alkenes.
Organic Letters 02/2011; 13(3):540-2. · 5.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The first rhodium-catalyzed arylation of imines proceeding via C-H bond functionalization is reported. Use of a non-coordinating halide abstractor is important to obtain reactivity. Aryl-branched N-Boc-amines are formed, and a wide range of functionality is compatible with the reaction.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 02/2011; 133(5):1248-50. · 9.91 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A series of N(1),N(1),N(3)-tri-substituted benzamidrazones of the general formula [PhC(NHR)=NNMe(2)] (R = Me, n-Pr, i-Pr, n-Bu, Bn, Ph; 1a-f) was synthesized via condensation of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine with the corresponding imidoyl chloride, [PhC(Cl)=NR]. Multinuclear NMR data, and zero-point energy DFT calculations conducted with the B3LYP functional and 6-31G+(d,p) basis set, suggest that these compounds exist as a single tautomer in solution; possessing a weak intramolecular hydrogen bond and a structure dominated by the localised resonance structure ArC(NHR)=N-NMe(2). An X-ray crystallographic study upon PhC(NHPh)=NNMe(2) (1f) demonstrated that this compound adopts an identical tautomer in the solid state. Reactions of [PhC(NHMe)=NNMe(2)] (1a) with [LMCl(2)](2) (M = Ru, L = cymene; M = Rh, Ir, L = Cp*) results in the stoichiometric formation of products of the formula [LM{PhC(=NMe)NHNMe(2)}Cl](+)Cl(-) (2a-c) in which the amidrazone chelates the metal in a κ(2)-N(1),N(3)-coordination mode. Formation of this five-membered chelate occurs with a concomitant tautomerisation of the amidrazone ligand to an alternative tautomer, i.e. [PhC(=NMe)NHNMe(2)], the latter tautomer is expected to be readily energetically accessible based upon the aforementioned DFT calculations. This series of salts may be deprotonated with lithium hexamethyldisilazide to form the corresponding charge neutral complexes [LM{PhC(NMe)=NNMe(2)}] (3a-c). In contrast, the reaction of N(1),N(1),N(3)-tri-substituted benzamidrazones with [(cymene)RuCl(2)](2) in the presence of NaOAc yielded a mixture of cyclometallation (C-H activation) and amidrazone chelation/deprotonation (N-H activation) products. Reaction of 1a yielded an inseparable mixture of products, whilst the reaction of 1c resulted in formation of the cyclometallated product [LM{C(6)H(5)C(=N(i)Pr)NHNMe(2)}] (L = cymene, M = Ru; 4a) in a modest 62% yield. This latter complex could be isolated as a crystalline orange solid, full characterisation including single crystal X-ray diffraction demonstrated that the amidrazone coordinates in a κ(2)-N(2),C-coordination mode.
Dalton Transactions 01/2011; 40(2):514-22. · 3.84 Impact Factor
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Melissa J Leyva,
Francesco Degiacomo,
Linda S Kaltenbach,
Jennifer Holcomb,
Ningzhe Zhang,
Juliette Gafni,
Hyunsun Park,
Donald C Lo,
Guy S Salvesen,
Lisa M Ellerby, Jonathan A Ellman
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ABSTRACT: Huntington's Disease (HD) is characterized by a mutation in the huntingtin (Htt) gene encoding an expansion of glutamine repeats on the N terminus of the Htt protein. Numerous studies have identified Htt proteolysis as a critical pathological event in HD postmortem human tissue and mouse HD models, and proteases known as caspases have emerged as attractive HD therapeutic targets. We report the use of the substrate activity screening method against caspase-3 and -6 to identify three novel, pan-caspase inhibitors that block proteolysis of Htt at caspase-3 and -6 cleavage sites. In HD models these irreversible inhibitors suppressed Hdh(111Q/111Q)-mediated toxicity and rescued rat striatal and cortical neurons from cell death. In this study, the identified nonpeptidic caspase inhibitors were used to confirm the role of caspase-mediated Htt proteolysis in HD. These results further implicate caspases as promising targets for HD therapeutic development.
Chemistry & biology 11/2010; 17(11):1189-200. · 6.52 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The Rh(I)-catalyzed direct arylation of azines has been developed. Quinolines and 2-substituted pyridines couple with aryl bromides to efficiently afford ortho-arylated azine products using the commercially available and air-stable catalyst [RhCl(CO)(2)](2). Electron-deficient and electron-rich aromatic bromides couple in good yields, and hydroxyl, chloro, fluoro, trifluoromethyl, ether, and ketone functionalities are compatible with the reaction conditions. Aroyl chlorides also serve as effective azine coupling partners to give ortho-arylation products via a decarbonylation pathway.
The Journal of Organic Chemistry 10/2010; · 4.45 Impact Factor
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ChemMedChem 10/2010; 6(1):49-53. · 3.15 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The design and synthesis of new inhibitor analogues for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) phosphatase PtpB is described. Analogues were synthesized by incorporation of two common and effective phosphate mimetics, the isothiazolidinone (IZD) and the difluoromethylphosphonic acid (DFMP). The basic scaffold of the inhibitor was identified from structure-activity relationships established for a previously published isoxazole inhibitor, while the phosphate mimetics were chosen based on their proven cell permeability and activity when incorporated into previously reported inhibitors for the phosphatase PTP1B. The inhibitory activity of each compound was evaluated, and each was found to have low or submicromolar affinity for PtpB.
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 09/2010; 8(18):4066-70. · 3.70 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A general and robust racemization-free protocol for the synthesis of a variety of N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines is reported. Reaction progress was monitored by (1)H NMR using the nonperturbing internal standard diglyme, and ketimines were formed in good to high yields in either THF or CPME (cyclopentyl methyl ether) as solvent with heating to reflux.
The Journal of Organic Chemistry 09/2010; 75(18):6283-5. · 4.45 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The widespread resistance of malaria parasites to all affordable drugs has made the identification of new targets urgent. Dipeptidyl aminopeptidases (DPAPs) represent potentially valuable new targets that are involved in hemoglobin degradation (DPAP1) and parasite egress (DPAP3). Here we use activity-based probes to demonstrate that specific inhibition of DPAP1 by a small molecule results in the formation of an immature trophozoite that leads to parasite death. Using computational methods, we designed stable, nonpeptidic covalent inhibitors that kill Plasmodium falciparum at low nanomolar concentrations. These compounds show signs of slowing parasite growth in a murine model of malaria, which suggests that DPAP1 might be a viable antimalarial target. Interestingly, we found that resynthesis and activation of DPAP1 after inhibition is rapid, suggesting that effective drugs would need to sustain DPAP1 inhibition for a period of 2-3 hr.
Chemistry & biology 08/2010; 17(8):808-19. · 6.52 Impact Factor