Modular, Step-Efficient Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Strategy To Access C6-Heteroaryl 2-Aminopurine Ribonucleosides

Synthesis of Purine-1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane Conjugate and Its Complexation Modes with Copper(II)

Purine-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) conjugate was designed to study its Cu2+ ions complexation capability. Several synthetic approaches were tested to achieve the target compound. The optimal approach involved stepwise modifications of purine N9, C8, and C6 positions that, in nine consecutive steps, provided purine-cyclen conjugate. The synthetic sequence involved Mitsunobu-type alkylation at N9 and iodination at C8, followed by Stille, SNAr, CuAAC, and alkylation reactions. The designed purine-cyclen conjugate is able to complex Cu2+ ions in both the cyclen part and between the purine N7 and triazole N2 positions. The complexation pattern and equilibrium were studied using the NMR titration technique in MeCN-d3 and absorption spectra.

Synthesis of Indole Derivatives via Aryl Triazole Ring-Opening and Subsequent Cyclization

A metal-free two-step synthetic approach for obtaining indole derivatives from aryl triazole fragment-containing compounds has been developed. In the first step, the Dimroth equilibrium, followed by nitrogen extrusion, Wolff rearrangement, and amine nucleophile addition, leads to the formation of N-aryl ethene-1,1-diamines. In the second step, the latter intermediates are cyclized into the target 1H-indoles in the presence of iodine. The developed method ensures the synthesis of indoles that possess N-substituents at the indole C2 position. Depending on the applied N-nucleophile, the indolization step provides a selectivity either towards 1H-indoles or 1-aryl-1H-indoles.

Collaborative GSK-University of Strathclyde doctoral research and training programmes: Transforming approaches to industry-academia engagement

A global biopharma company, GSK, and the University of Strathclyde have developed an expansive and transformative research and training partnership originating in chemistry-aligned disciplines, with subsequent extensive expansion across further areas of the company. This has opened unique approaches for the delivery of collaborative research innovations while also enhancing the professional development and learning of GSK personnel, in addition to other embedded researchers and collaborating scientists, on a pathway towards more rapid and efficient discovery of new medicines.

Weak Base-Promoted Direct Cross-Coupling of Naphthalene-1,8-diaminato-substituted Arylboron Compounds

The indispensability of a base in Suzuki-Miyaura coupling (SMC) employing organoboronic acids/esters is well recognized, which occasionally induces competitive protodeborylation in organoboron reagents. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in fluorine-substituted aryl and heteroaryl boron compounds. Here, we show that direct SMC of naphthalene-1,8-diaminato (dan)-substituted aryl boron compounds, Ar-B(dan), characterized by its remarkable stability toward protodeborylation due to their diminished boron-Lewis acidity, occurs utilizing a weak base in conjunction with a palladium/copper cooperative catalyst system. The approach delineated in this study enables the efficient incorporation of various perfluoroaryl- and heteroaryl-B(dan) reagents, while maintaining high functional group tolerance. Furthermore, the inherent inertness of the B(dan) moiety allowed sequential cross-coupling, where other metallic moieties chemoselectively undergo the reaction, thus leading to the concise, protection-free synthesis of oligoarenes. Our results provide a potent approach to a delicate dilemma between a protodeborylation-resistant property and SMC activity intimately linked to boron-Lewis acidity.

Halide Salts Alleviate TMSOK Inhibition in Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Couplings

The Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling (SMC) remains one of the most widely used transformations available to chemists. Recently, robust new conditions achieving rapid reactivity under homogeneous aprotic conditions enabled by the use of potassium trimethylsilanolate (TMSOK) as a base were reported. However, the strong inhibitory effect of TMSOK restricts the generality of such conditions. Moreover, the basic nature of TMSOK impedes the use of protic heterocycles as substrates, as these latter anionic species are even more potent catalyst inhibitors. Herein, we report a thorough mechanistic study of these novel SMC conditions. Halide salt additives were found to provide a dramatic rate acceleration and mitigate the inhibitory effect of TMSOK. NMR experiments revealed that this is largely achieved by impacting the unexpected formation of inactive [LnPd(Ar)(μ-OH)]2, favoring the formation of active LnPd(Ar)(X) instead. These findings enabled an impressive substrate scope even at low catalyst loadings (0.1 mol %). Finally, halide additives were observed to enable the use of protic heterocyclic substrates, which could otherwise completely inhibit reactivity.

Synthesis of Fluorescent C-C Bonded Triazole-Purine Conjugates

A design toward C-C bonded 2,6-bis(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-9H-purine and 2-piperidinyl-6-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-9H-purine derivatives was established using the combination of Mitsunobu, Sonogashira, copper (I) catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, and SNAr reactions. 11 examples of 2,6-bistriazolylpurine and 14 examples of 2-piperidinyl-6-triazolylpurine intermediates were obtained, in 38-86% and 41-89% yields, respectively. Obtained triazole-purine conjugates expressed good fluorescent properties which were studied in the solution and in the thin layer film for the first time. Quantum yields reached up to 49% in DMSO for bistriazolylpurines and up to 81% in DCM and up to 95% in DMSO for monotriazolylpurines. Performed biological studies in mouse embryo fibroblast, human keratinocyte, and transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate cell lines showed that most of obtained triazole-purine conjugates are not cytotoxic. The 50% cytotoxic concentration of the tested derivatives was in the range from 59.6 to 1528.7 µM.

O6-[(2″,3″-O-Isopropylidene-5″-O-tbutyldimethylsilyl)pentyl]-5′-O-tbutyldiphenylsilyl-2′,3′-O-isopropylideneinosine

Cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose (cADPR) is a cyclic nucleotide involved in the Ca2+ homeostasis. In its structure, the northern ribose, bonded to adenosine through an N1 glycosidic bond, is connected to the southern ribose through a pyrophosphate bridge. Due to the chemical instability at the N1 glycosidic bond, new bioactive cADPR derivatives have been synthesized. One of the most interesting analogues is the cyclic inosine diphosphate ribose (cIDPR), in which the hypoxanthine replaced adenosine. The efforts for synthesizing new linear and cyclic northern ribose modified cIDPR analogues led us to study in detail the inosine N1 alkylation reaction. In the last few years, we have produced new flexible cIDPR analogues, where the northern ribose has been replaced by alkyl chains. With the aim to obtain the closest flexible cIDPR analogue, we have attached to the inosine N1 position a 2″,3″-dihydroxypentyl chain, possessing the two OH groups in a ribose-like fashion. The inosine alkylation reaction afforded also the O6-alkylated regioisomer, which could be a useful intermediate for the construction of new kinds of cADPR mimics.

Synthesis of C6-Substituted Purine Nucleoside Analogues via Late-Stage Photoredox/Nickel Dual Catalytic Cross-Coupling

Nucleoside analogues have been and continue to be extremely important compounds in drug discovery. Despite the significant effort dedicated to their synthesis, medicinal chemistry campaigns around these structures are often hampered by synthetic challenges. We describe a strategy for the functionalization of purine nucleosides via photoredox and nickel-catalyzed sp²-sp³ cross-coupling. The conditions described herein allow for coupling of unprotected nucleosides with readily available alkyl bromides, providing opportunities for their application to parallel medicinal chemistry.

Modular synthesis of new C-aryl-nucleosides and their anti-CML activity

The C-aryl-ribosyles are of utmost interest for the development of antiviral and anticancer agents. Even if several synthetic pathways have been disclosed for the preparation of these nucleosides, a direct, few steps and modular approaches are still lacking. In line with our previous efforts, we report herein a one step - eco-friendly β-ribosylation of aryles and heteroaryles through a direct Friedel-Craft ribosylation mediated by bismuth triflate, Bi(OTf)₃. The resulting carbohydrates have been functionalized by cross-coupling reactions, leading to a series of new C-aryl-nucleosides (32 compounds). Among them, we observed that 5d exerts promising anti-proliferative effects against two human Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) cell lines, both sensitive (K562-S) or resistant (K562-R) to imatinib, the "gold standard of care" used in this pathology. Moreover, we demonstrated that 5d kills CML cells by a non-conventional mechanism of cell death.