Palladium-Catalyzed Arylative Dearomatization and Subsequent Aromatization/Dearomatization/Aza-Michael Addition: Access to Zephycarinatine and Zephygranditine Skeletons

A Domino Dearomative ipso-Annulation/Desymmetrization Approach: Stereoselective Access to Tricyclic Alkaloid Skeletons

Herein, we reveal an unprecedented domino annulation of N-benzyl-acrylamides with 1,3-dicarbonyls for the assembly of fused tricyclic alkaloid frameworks incorporating a spirocycle via an alkylation/dearomative ipso-annulation/Michael addition (desymmetrization) sequence. This conversion involves three carbon-carbon bond formations, generating four chiral carbons, including three quaternary carbon centers, in a single diastereomer in one pot under identical reaction conditions. The synthetic potential of this atom-economic method is illustrated by modifications of the functional groups present in the products obtained.

A highly diastereoselective one-pot Ugi/radical spirocyclization/aza-Michael addition sequence

We hereby report a highly diastereoselective synthesis of chalcogenated azaspirotricycles via a one-pot Ugi/spirocyclization/aza-Michael addition sequence. The reaction proceeds via a key visible light mediated spirocyclization step under mild, metal-free and energy efficient conditions. A variety of complex sulfenylated and selenylated azaspirotricycles were obtained in good yields. The reaction was found to be scalable and preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that the spirocyclization step proceeds via radical intermediates.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Peptidomimetics via Ugi Reactions

Peptidomimetics have been extensively explored in many area due to their ability to improve pharmacological qualities and interesting biological activities. Cycles could be incorporated in peptides to reduce their flexibility, often enhancing the affinity for a certain receptor. Many efforts have been made to synthesize various peptidomimetics. Among them, the Ugi reaction is a popular way for the synthesis of peptidomimetics because it provides peptide-like products. The Ugi reaction consists of the condensation of an aldehyde or ketone, a carboxylic acid, an amine, and an isocyanide usually giving a linear peptidomimetic. In order to obtain other linear, cyclic or polycyclic peptidomimetics, the acyclic products have to undergo additional transformations or cyclizations. This review covers the years from 2018-2023, regarding the synthesis of linear, cyclic and polycyclic peptidomimetics, employing Ugi reactions eventually followed by post-Ugi transformations. Organo-catalyzed reactions, base-promoted reactions, and metal-free reactions toward peptidomimetics are highlighted.

Clay based heterogeneous catalysts for carbon-nitrogen bond formation: a review

Clay and modified clay-based catalysts are widely used in organic transformation. Owing to the interlayer ions and good ion exchange capacity of clay, replacement with another ion and incorporation of different nanomaterials can be done. Due to these significant properties of clay, it can be utilized in the synthesis of various organic compounds. Carbon-nitrogen bonded compounds possess diverse applications in different fields. These compounds are prepared using different solid acid heterogeneous catalysts. This review presents a detailed discussion on clay used for the carbon-nitrogen bond formation reaction, such as the Biginelli reaction and A3 and KA2 coupling reactions. Additionally, other C-N bond formation reactions using various clay-based catalysts such as bentonite, montmorillonite, hydrotalcite and halloysite clay with various metals, metal oxides, Kegging type heteropoly acid and various nanomaterial incorporated clay heterogeneous catalysts are discussed.

A Facile Ugi/Ullmann Cascade Reaction to Access Fused Indazolo-Quinoxaline Derivatives with Potent Anticancer Activity

A facile methodology for the construction of a complex heterocycle indazolo-fused quinoxalinone has been developed via an Ugi four-component reaction (U-4CR) followed by an intramolecular Ullmann reaction. The expeditious process features an operationally simple approach, time efficiency, and a broad substrate scope. Biological activity was evaluated and demonstrated that compound 6e inhibits human colon cancer cell HCT116 proliferation with an IC50 of 2.1 μM, suggesting potential applications for developing a drug lead in medicinal chemistry.

Post-Ugi Cyclizations Towards Polycyclic N-Heterocycles

The Ugi reaction has become one of the highly explored reactions for the formation of multifunctional adducts, due to the mild reaction conditions, wide scope and high variability. By carefully selecting the starting four components, Ugi-adducts could undergo different kinds of post-transformations for the synthesis of bioactive heterocycles, natural products and macrocycles. Considering the significance of polycycles, diverse post-Ugi transformations have been developed over the years for constructing structurally novel polycycles. In this account, we summarize important efforts for the synthesis of polycyclic N-heterocycles via post-Ugi cyclizations from the Van der Eycken laboratory onwards 2016. With the aid of transition metal catalysis from gold, rhodium, silver and palladium, as well as metal-free strategies, versatile polyheterocycles are prepared with high efficiency and step-economy.

Application of Metal-Free Dearomatization Reaction as a Sustainable Strategy to Direct Access Complex Cyclic Compounds

The highly efficient construction of complicated heterocyclic frameworks in an atom- and step-economic manner is still one of the cores of synthetic chemistry. Dearomatization reactions show the unique advantage for the construction of functionalized heterocycles and have attracted widespread attention over the past two decades. The metal-free approach has proved to be a green and sustainable paradigm for the synthesis of spirocyclic, polycyclic and heterocyclic scaffolds, which are widely present in natural products and bioactive molecules. In this review, the advances in the recent six years (2017-2023) in metal-free dearomatization reactions are highlighted. Emphasis is placed on developments in the field of organo-catalyzed dearomatization reactions, oxidative dearomatization reactions, Brønsted acid- or base-promoted dearomatization reactions, photoredox-catalyzed dearomatization reactions, and electrochemical oxidation dearomatization reactions.

Chemical insights into the synthetic chemistry of five-membered saturated heterocycles-a transition metal-catalyzed approach

Drug design and delivery is primarily based on the hunt for new potent drug candidates and novel synthetic techniques. Recently, saturated heterocycles have gained enormous attention in medicinal chemistry as evidenced by the medicinal drugs listed in the FDA Orange Book. Therefore, the demand for novel saturated heterocyclic syntheses has increased tremendously. Transition metal (TM)-catalyzed reactions have remained the prime priority in heterocyclic syntheses for the last three decades. Nowadays, TM catalysis is well adorned by combining it with other techniques such as bio- and/or enzyme-catalyzed reactions, organocatalysis, or using two different metals in a single catalysis. This review highlights the recent developments of the transition metal-catalyzed synthesis of five-membered saturated heterocycles.

Riboflavin Photocatalyzed Dearomative Spiro-Etherification of Naphthols

The dearomative spiro-etherification of naphthols is achieved using catalytic amounts of riboflavin tetracetate (RFTA) as a photosensitizer and molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidizing agent under blue light (440 nm) irradiation in the presence of acid. The presence of acid increases the photooxidation power of RFTA and facilitates the dearomatization reaction.

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Hasubanan Alkaloids: Periglaucines A-C, N,O-Dimethyloxostephine and Oxostephabenine

We report herein the asymmetric total synthesis of periglaucines A-C, N,O-dimethyloxostephine and oxostephabenine. The key strategies used include: 1) a Rh^I -catalyzed regio- and diastereoselective Hayashi-Miyaura reaction to connect two necessary fragments; 2) an intramolecular photoenolization/Diels-Alder (PEDA) reaction to construct the highly functionalized tricyclic core skeleton bearing a quaternary center; 3) a bio-inspired intramolecular Michael addition and transannular acetalization to generate the aza[4.4.3]propellane and the tetrahydrofuran ring.

Tandem Synthesis of 2-Azaspiro[4.5]deca-1,6,9-trien-8-ones Based on Tf2O-Promoted Activation of N-(2-Propyn-1-yl) Amides

Structurally novel 2-azaspiro[4.5]deca-1,6,9-trien-8-ones were synthesized from N-(2-propyn-1-yl) amides and 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzenes by a tandem method consisting of a Tf₂O-promoted amide activation and a TfOH-promoted Friedel-Crafts ipso-cyclization. The method offered the first example of using N-(2-propyn-1-yl) amides as substrates in both Tf₂O-promoted secondary amide activation and the synthesis of azaspiro[4.5]deca-6,9-diene-8-ones.

Microwave-Assisted Post-Ugi Reactions for the Synthesis of Polycycles

Microwave irradiation and post-Ugi reactions own their respective advantages in comparison with other strategies. The combination of microwave irradiation and post-Ugi reactions shows paramount importance in the construction of polycycles. This minireview outlines the recent developments of microwave-assisted post-Ugi reactions for the synthesis of polycycles. Through transition metal-catalyzed or transition metal-free transformations, diverse polycycles are prepared in an efficient, rapid, and step-economical manner.

Synthesis of amidines via iron-catalyzed dearomative amination of β-naphthols with oxadiazolones

An efficient and convenient method for the synthesis of amidines bearing a β-naphthalenone moiety catalyzed by cheap iron(ii) chloride is presented by employing oxadiazolones as the nitrene precursors.

The synthesis of diverse benzazepinoindoles via gold-catalyzed post-Ugi alkyne hydroarylation/Michael addition sequence

By combining an Ugi-4CR and a gold-catalyzed cascade cyclization, diverse benzazepinoindoles are assembled in a step-economical, chemo- and regioselectivity fashion.

Palladium-catalyzed post-Ugi arylative dearomatization/Michael addition cascade towards plicamine analogues

A palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of Ugi-adducts via a cascade dearomatization/aza-Michael addition process has been developed. Diverse plicamine analogues are constructed in a rapid, highly efficient and step-economical manner, through the combination of an Ugi-4CR and a palladium-catalyzed dearomatization. The synthetic utility of this approach is illustrated by further functional group transformations.