Conversion of Aryl Azides to Aminopyridines

Pyrone Isomerization Enabled Divergent Access to Multisubstituted Biaryl Phenol via Relay Claisen Rearrangement

Arene isomerization can simultaneously edit the arene backbone and its periphery, thereby bridging the independent chemistry of two distinct arenes. Herein, a facile pyrone isomerization approach for the divergent synthesis of five- and sixfold-substituted biaryl phenols is achieved by using a relay Claisen rearrangement as a crucial step. This catalyst-free isomerization reaction features high step, atom, and redox economy by transferring the innate oxidation state of pyrone into the biaryl phenols. Additionally, an intriguing self-activation phenomenon was observed, which enabled the selective dienone-phenol rearrangement of the aryl group.

Skeletal Editing Strategies Driven by Total Synthesis

ConspectusSingle-atom skeletal editing strategies that precisely modify the core frameworks of molecules have the potential to streamline and accelerate organic synthesis by enabling conceptually simple, but otherwise synthetically challenging, retrosynthetic disconnections. In contrast to broader skeletal remodeling and rearrangement strategies, these methodologies more specifically target single-atom changes with high selectivity, even within complex molecules such as natural products or pharmaceuticals. For the past several years, our laboratory has developed several skeletal editing methodologies, including single-atom ring contractions, expansions, and transpositions of both saturated and unsaturated heterocycles, as well as other carbon scaffolds. This Account details the evolution of "skeletal editing logic" within the context of our extensive work on natural product total synthesis.Early work in the Sarpong group leveraged metal-mediated C-C bond cleavage of in situ-generated strained intermediates to accomplish total syntheses of natural products, such as the icetexane diterpenoids and cyathane diterpenes. Continuing our focus on leveraging C-C bond cleavage through "break-it-to-make-it" strategies, we then developed carvone remodeling strategies to access a variety of terpenoids (including longiborneol sesquiterpenoids, phomactins, and xishacorenes) from hydroxylated pinene derivatives. In applying this skeletal remodeling and C-C cleavage framework to alkaloid natural products, such as the preparaherquimides and lycodine-type alkaloids, we recognized that single-atom changes to the saturated nitrogen-containing rings within these natural products would enable the direct conversion between distinct but structurally related natural product families. Thus, we began developing methods that selectively modify the core frameworks of N-heterocycles; this focus led to our work on the deconstructive fluorination and diversification of piperidines and ultimately to our recent body of work on direct, single-atom core framework modifications (single-atom skeletal editing). In the context of saturated heterocycles, we developed photomediated enantioselective ring contractions of α-acylated motifs and reductive ring contractions of cyclic hydroxylamines. For unsaturated heterocycles, we have developed ring contractions of azines (e.g., pyrimidine to pyrazole), 15N isotopic labeling of azines, and phototranspositions of indazoles to benzimidazoles. To direct our focus on reaction development, a cheminformatic analysis of heteroaromatic skeletal edits served to quantitatively inform which transformations would most significantly expand the accessible chemical space. Apart from heterocycles, we also reported single-nitrogen insertion through the reductive amination of carbonyl C-C bonds. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to develop mild and selective skeletal editing methodologies that can be applied to total synthesis and organic synthesis more generally. While recent total syntheses from our group have targeted simplified retrosyntheses through single-atom skeletal editing logic (e.g., daphenylline and harringtonolide), multiple steps were still required to achieve the formal desired "edit". As such, the continued development of truly single-step, mild, and selective reactions that can edit the cores of highly complex molecules remains highly desirable.

Photogeneration and Visualization of a Surface-Stabilized Dinitrene

Nitrenes are known as key intermediates in various chemical reactions. Nitrene transfer reactions are particularly effective for synthesizing nitrogen-containing compounds, where metal catalysts play a crucial role in controlling nitrene reactivity and selectivity. In this study, we demonstrate the formation of a stable surface-supported dinitrene on Au(111) through UV irradiation of its diazide precursor, characterized by scanning probe techniques. The photoreaction mechanism is elucidated with wavelength-dependent experiments and time-dependent density functional theory calculations. Our findings present the first real-space visualization of a metal nitrene adsorbed on a surface, highlighting its potential in catalysis and surface functionalization.

Advancing Total Synthesis Through Skeletal Editing

ConspectusTotal synthesis has long been a proving ground for advancing chemical thought, pushing chemists to develop strategies that not only replicate nature's complexity but often surpass it. The pursuit of efficiency, practicality, and elegance continues to challenge and reshape the guiding principles of total synthesis. In recent years, skeletal editing has emerged as a powerful strategy for reconfiguring skeletal frameworks in ways that were previously difficult to imagine. Unlike conventional chemical synthesis approaches, which primarily rely on the logic of bond construction reactions and functional group manipulations, skeletal editing introduces elements that allow for atom insertion, deletion, and exchange and skeletal rearrangement/reorganization by harnessing the potential energy and reactivity of certain structural motifs and morphing them into new electronic and spatial configurations. The logic of modern skeletal editing has been fueling the development of new editing methods and advancing the fields of total synthesis, medicinal chemistry, materials science, and others.In this Account, we detail our program using skeletal editing-based retrosynthetic logic to facilitate natural product synthesis. We first highlight two one-carbon insertion editing strategies utilizing the Ciamician-Dennstedt rearrangement and the Büchner-Curtius-Schlotterbeck ring expansion to streamline the total syntheses of complanadine and phleghenrine Lycopodium alkaloids. We next present our synthesis of crinipellin and gibberellin diterpenes by leveraging the facile synthesis and intrinsic strain of cyclobutanes as precursors to challenging cyclopentanes via cut-and-insert editing (crinipellins) or C-C bond migratory ring expansion (GA18). Toward the end, we describe our early efforts in orchestrating structural rearrangement and functional group pairing reactions to access seven monoterpene indole alkaloids and highlight the divergent potential of skeletal editing. Each of the five examples follows a build-edit-decorate workflow, inspired by Schreiber's build-couple-pair in diversity-oriented synthesis. In the build stage, key scaffolds are efficiently assembled from starting materials with matched reactivity. The edit stage morphs these scaffolds to the desired but more challenging ones encoded by the target molecules, reminiscent of Corey's application of rearrangement transforms as a topological strategy. The decorate stage introduces additional functional groups and adjusts oxidation states to complete the total synthesis, similar to the oxidase phase of Baran's two-phase synthesis. The essence of skeletal editing-based retrosynthetic analysis is to identify latent structural relationships between the readily assembled key scaffolds constructed in the build stage and the desired ones encoded by the target molecules as well as proper editing methods to transform the former into the latter with precision. The build-edit-decorate approach parallels the dynamism of biosynthesis, enabling rapid building of complexity with great efficiency and step economy, as analyzed by the spacial scores (SPS) of each case. Drawing on these principles, chemists can adopt skeletal editing-based retrosynthetic logic by identifying latent intermediates and employing and developing strategic editing methods to overcome synthetic bottlenecks.

Visible Light-Induced Single-Atom Insertion of Indenes via Aerobic Ring Scission-Condensation-Rearomatization

In this study, we present a photocatalyzed single-atom insertion of indenes, involving an aerobic ring scission into dicarbonyl intermediates, which subsequently undergo condensation and rearomatization to efficiently synthesize isoquinoline and naphthalene derivatives. The use of an inexpensive organic dye as the photocatalyst under aerobic conditions with cheap ammonium acetate (NH4OAc) as the nitrogen source makes this method very practical and environmentally friendly to access isoquinoline. Alternatively, an intramolecular carbon-atom-insertion process, involving the Aldol reaction of the dicarbonyl intermediates, affords the naphthalenamine and naphthalen-2-ol derivatives. Mechanistic studies support that the superoxide anion radical species mediates the C═C double bond scission of indenes rather than the singlet oxygen intermediate.

Fusion of Four Aromatic Rings via an Atom-Mutual-Embedding Strategy to Form a Tetrahexacyclic System

Skeletal manipulation of aromatic compounds has emerged as a potent tool in synthetic chemistry, but simultaneous multiring manipulation remains largely unexplored due to the inherent complexities of ring and site selectivity. Herein, we report an unprecedented multiring skeletal manipulation that fuses four 5-membered aromatic rings, comprising two organic and two metal-containing aromatic systems, into a novel metal-bridged 6/6/6/6-membered ring scaffold. The sequential ring fusion is accomplished through an atom-mutual-embedding strategy; this strategy entails the stepwise insertion of two nitrogen atoms into separate metal-carbon bonds and simultaneously integrates a metal atom as a bridge across two isoxazole moieties. The presence of a central metal atom is crucial for ensuring precise substrate alignment and enhancing both the ring and site specificity. The resulting tetrahexacyclic products exhibit remarkable stability and superior near-infrared (NIR) functional properties, surpassing those of the precursor compounds. This work not only establishes a conceptual foundation for designing versatile substrate molecules amenable to intricate editing but also contributes to the rational and performance-targeted manipulation of molecular architectures.

Fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenes

Metallabenzenes are recognized as a unique class of aromatic compounds, not only of structural and theoretical interest but also as platforms to design powerful transformations. Here, we report the successful transmutation of a metallabenzene for pyridine synthesis. This 'metal-to-nitrogen swapping' process utilizes readily available ruthenabenzene phosphonium salts and commercially available 2-aminopyridines under mild conditions. The isolation of ruthena-azepines, containing a planar seven-membered aza-metallacycle, along with DFT calculations, supports the nitrogen insertion/metal deletion cascade driven by aromatization. Additionally, we investigate the tunable photophysical properties of the resulting pyridine phosphonium salts.

Indole-Quinoline Transmutation Enabled by a Formal Rhodium Carbynoid

Skeleton editing is an emerging and powerful tool in organic chemistry because it can simplify synthetic procedures towards complex molecules. Herein, we present an approach for indole-quinoline transmutation through rhodium-catalyzed single-carbon insertion into the C2(sp2)─C3(sp2) bond of an indole with an α-diazotrifluoroethyl sulfonium salt that we developed. This protocol involves a formal trifluoromethyl rhodium carbynoid (CF3C+ = Rh) resembling a trifluoromethyl cationic carbyne (CF3C+:), allowing facile access to an array of quinolines in moderate to high yields. Potential applications in the late-stage skeletal editing of pharmaceutical and natural product derivatives, preparation of adapalene analogs, scaled-up synthesis, and transformations of products are highlighted. Finally, a computational study was conducted to support the envisioned mechanism.

Direct Conversion of Aromatic Lactones into Bioisosteres by Carbonyl-to-Boranol Exchange

Bioisosteric replacement is an important strategy in drug discovery and is commonly practiced in medicinal chemistry; however, the incorporation of bioisosteres typically requires laborious multistep de novo synthesis. The direct conversion of a functional group into its corresponding bioisostere is of particular significance in evaluating structure-property relationships. Herein, we report a functional-group-exchange strategy that enables the direct conversion of aromatic lactones, a prevalent motif in bioactive molecules, into their corresponding cyclic hemiboronic acid bioisosteres. Scope evaluation and product derivatization experiments demonstrate the synthetic value and broad functional-group compatibility of this strategy, while the application of this methodology to the rapid remodeling of chromenone cores in bioactive molecules highlights its utility.

Dearomative Skeletal Editing of Benzenoids via Diradical

Dearomative skeletal editing of benzenoids represents a promising yet challenging strategy for the rapid construction of high-value carbon frameworks from readily accessible starting materials. Büchner reaction is a unique type of expansive skeletal editing that transforms benzenoids into functionalized cycloheptatrienes. However, due to challenges in compatibility and selectivity, achieving seamless integration of this reaction with dearomative cycloaddition within a unified system remains undeveloped. Here, we demonstrated an energy-transfer-induced intermolecular dearomative skeletal editing reaction of benzenoids with a range of electronically diverse alkynes. This protocol employed N-acylimines as diradical precursors to efficiently construct various structurally diverse polycyclic frameworks in high chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivities that have been previously inaccessible. The challenges related to general reactivity and selectivity issues were circumvented through the smooth merging of photoinduced skeletal editing with dearomative cycloaddition. Experimental and computational studies were performed to support the diradical mechanism and interpret the origins of the observed chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivities.

Reaction development: a student's checklist

So you've discovered a reaction. But how do you turn this new discovery into a fully-fledged program that maximises the potential of your novel transformation? Herein, we provide a student's checklist to serve as a helpful guide for synthesis development, allowing you to thoroughly investigate the chemistry in question while ensuring that no key aspect of the project is overlooked. A wide variety of the most illuminating synthetic and spectroscopic techniques will be summarised, in conjunction with literature examples and our own insights, to provide sound justifications for their implementation towards the goal of developing new reactions.

Skeleton Editing of Benzothiazoles to Spiro[benzothiazole-n-alkanes] by Carbon-to-Carbon Single-Atom Swapping

Skeleton editing can be used to precisely replace or rearrange atoms in the core ring structure of complex molecules and is often used to modify heteroaromatic compounds. However, this approach has not been used to modify thiazole rings. We report the direct construction of spiro[benzothiazole-n-alkanes] through skeleton editing of thiazolium salts by carbon-to-carbon single-atom swapping. Skeleton editing via carbon deletion and insertion has the advantages of high efficiency, high selectivity, simple operation, and one-step, metal-catalyst-free construction of novel spirocyclic products with novel structures.

Transition Metal-Catalyzed Nitrogen Atom Insertion into Carbocycles

ConspectusN-Heterocycles are essential in pharmaceutical engineering, materials science, and synthetic chemistry. Recently, skeletal editing, which involves making specific point changes to the core of a molecule through single-atom insertion, deletion, or transmutation, has gained attention for its potential to modify complex substrates. In this context, the insertion of nitrogen atoms into carbocycles to form N-heterocycles has emerged as a significant research focus in modern synthetic chemistry owing to its novel synthetic logic. This distinctive retrosynthetic approach enables late-stage modification of molecular skeletons and provides a different pathway for synthesizing multiply substituted N-heterocycles. Nevertheless, nitrogen atom insertion into carbocycles has proven challenging because of the inherent inertness of carbon-based skeletons and difficulty in cleaving C-C bonds. Therefore, selective insertion of nitrogen atoms for skeletal editing remains a challenging and growing field in synthetic chemistry. This Account primarily highlights the contributions of our laboratory to this active field and acknowledges the key contributions from other researchers. It is organized into two sections based on the type of the carbocycle. The first section explores the insertion of nitrogen atoms into cycloalkenes. Recent Co-catalyzed oxidative azidation strategies have enabled nitrogen atom insertion into cyclobutenes, cyclopentenes, and cyclohexenes, facilitating the synthesis of polysubstituted pyridines, which has been conventionally challenging through pyridine cross-coupling. The subsequent section highlights our discovery in the realm of nitrogen atom insertion into arenes. The site-selective skeletal editing of stable arenes is challenging in synthetic chemistry. We developed a method for the intramolecular insertion of nitrogen atoms into the benzene rings of 2-amino biaryls by suppressing the competing C-H insertion process by using a paddlewheel dirhodium catalyst. In addition, to address the challenging site-selective issues in nitrogen atom insertion, we employed arenols as substrates, which could act as selective controlling elements in site-selective skeletal editing. We reported a Cu-catalyzed nitrogen atom insertion into arenols, which proceeds through a dearomative azidation/aryl migration process, enabling the site-selective incorporation of nitrogen atoms into arenes. Inspired by this result, we recently extended the reaction model by using a Fe-catalyst to facilitate the ring contraction of the nitrogen-inserted product, achieving the carbon-to-nitrogen transmutation of arenols. Various complex polyaromatic arenols could effectively undergo the desired atom's transmutation, presenting considerable potential for various applications in materials chemistry. In this Account, we present an overview of our achievements in nitrogen atom insertion reactions, with a focus on the reaction scopes, mechanistic features, and synthetic applications. We anticipate that this Account will provide valuable insights and propel the development of innovative methodologies in both skeletal editing and N-heterocycle synthesis.

Unifying principles for the design and evaluation of natural product-inspired compound collections

Natural products play a major role in the discovery of novel bioactive compounds. In this regard, the synthesis of natural product-inspired and -derived analogues is an active field that is further developing. Several strategies and principles for the design of such compounds have been developed to streamline their access and synthesis. This perspective describes how individual strategies or their elements can be combined depending on the project goal. Illustrative examples are shown that demonstrate the blurred lines between approaches and how they can work in concert to discover new biologically active molecules. Lastly, a general set of guidelines for choosing an appropriate strategy combination for the specific purpose is presented.

Oxenoid Reactivity Enabled by Targeted Photoactivation of Periodate

The chemistry of low-valent intermediates continues to inspire new modes of reactivity across synthetic chemistry. But while the generation and reactivity of both carbenes and nitrenes are well-established, difficulties in accessing oxene, their oxygen-based congener, has severely hampered its application in synthesis. Here, we report a conceptually novel approach towards oxenoid reactivity through the violet-light photolysis of tetrabutylammonium periodate. Computational studies reveal an unexpected geometric change upon periodate photoexcitation that facilitates intersystem crossing and near-barrierless dissociation of triplet periodate into oxene. Under these operationally simple conditions, we have demonstrated the epoxidation of a wide range of substituted olefins, revealing unprecedented functional group compatibility. By overcoming the historic challenges associated with employing oxene as an intermediate in organic chemistry, we believe that this platform will inspire the development of new reactive oxygen-based methodologies across industry and academia.

Synthesis of naphthalene derivatives via nitrogen-to-carbon transmutation of isoquinolines

Heteroarene skeletal editing is gaining popularity in synthetic chemistry. Transmuting single atoms generates molecules that have distinctly varied properties, thereby fostering potent molecular exchanges that can be extensively used to synthesize functional molecules. Herein, we present a convenient protocol for nitrogen-carbon single-atom transmutations in isoquinolines, which is inspired by the Wittig reaction and enables easy access to substituted naphthalene derivatives. The reaction uses an inexpensive and commercially available phosphonium ylide as the carbon source to furnish a wide range of substituted naphthalenes. The key to the success of this transformation is the formation of a triene intermediate through ring opening, which undergoes 6π-electrocyclization and elimination processes to afford the naphthalene product. Furthermore, this strategy enables the facile synthesis of 13C-labeled naphthalenes using 13CH3PPh3I as a commercial 13C source and facilitates modifying the directing group for C─H functionalization.

Synthesis of Functionalized Cycloheptadienones Starting from Phenols and Using a Rhodium/Boron Asymmetric Catalytic System

Skeletal editing offers a unique route to assemble complex architectures from simple feedstocks that are otherwise difficult to obtain. However, the asymmetric version of skeletal editing has not been widely studied. Herein, we present a modular rhodium/boron asymmetric catalytic system that enables ring-expansion of phenols with cyclopropenes to synthesize highly functionalized cycloheptadienones in excellent chemo- and regioselectivities. This unique protocol features with low-catalyst loading, atom and step-economies, and mild neutral reaction conditions. Isotope-labelling experiments and DFT calculations have been conducted to reveal that boron reagent plays a vital role in the whole catalytic cycle.

Interrogation of Enantioselectivity in the Photomediated Ring Contractions of Saturated Heterocycles

We recently reported a chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) catalyzed enantioselective photomediated ring contraction of piperidines and other saturated heterocycles. By extruding a single heteroatom from a ring, this transformation builds desirable C(sp3)-C(sp3) bonds in the ring contracted products; however, the origins of enantioselectivity remain poorly understood. In this work, enantioselectivity of the ring contraction has been explored across an expanded structurally diverse substrate scope, revealing a wide range of enantioselectivities (0-99%) using two distinct CPA catalysts. Mechanistic investigations support rate-determining excitation that generates short-lived achiral intermediates that are intercepted by the CPA in an enantiodetermining ring closure. The effects of competitive uncatalyzed reactivity and light-driven reversibility of the enantiodetermining ring closure on enantioselectivity have been elucidated. Statistical models were built by regressing the range of enantioselectivities from the substrate scope against key structural features of the products for both CPA catalysts. The resultant models suggested distinct factors that influence the enantioselectivity response for each catalyst and enabled rational modification of a pharmaceutically relevant target molecule to improve enantioselectivity. Finally, density functional theory (DFT)-based transition state analysis identified distinct noncovalent interactions with each catalyst that correlated with the unique selectivity-relevant features uncovered through statistical modeling. Our findings not only offer comprehensive insight into the origins of enantioselectivity in this system but should also aid future development of related photomediated CPA-catalyzed reactions.

Iodine as Polarity-Reversal Catalyst: Synthesis of a Fused Heterocycle with Contiguous Stereocenters

We report an unconventional I2-catalyzed cascade reaction for the synthesis of angular triquinane derivatives with a fused heterocycle skeleton, leveraging enaminones and anilines as simple acyclic precursors. The key to success lies in I2 functioning as a polar-reversal catalyst, which alters the reactivity at the α-position of the enaminone and facilitates the first hexa-functionalization of an enaminone along with the formation of highly congested continuous stereocenters.

Transforming an azaarene into the spine of fusedbicyclics via cycloaddition-induced scaffold hopping of 5-Hydroxypyrazoles

Skeleton editing for heteroarenes, especially pyrazoles, is challenging and remains scarce because these non-strained aromatics exhibit inert reactivities, making them relatively inactive for performing a dearomatization/cleavage sequence. Here, we disclose a cycloaddition-induced scaffold hopping of 5-hydroxypyrazoles to access the pyrazolopyridopyridazin-6-one skeleton through a single-operation protocol. By converting a five-membered aza-arene into a five-unit spine of a 6/6 fused-bicyclic, this work unlocks a ring-opening reactivity of the pyrazole core that involves a formal C = N bond cleavage while retaining the highly reactive N-N bond in the resulting product. A [4 + 2] cycloaddition of a temporarily dearomatized 5-hydroxypyrrole with an in situ generated aza-1,3-diene, followed by oxidative C-N bond cleavage, constitutes the domino pathway. A library of pyrazolopyridopyridazin-6-ones, which are medicinally relevant nitrogen-atom-rich tricyclics, is obtained efficiently from readily available materials.

Highly Regioselective Modular Assembly of 3-Phosphonyl Polysubstituted Pyridines through Radical Cascade Cyclization of 1,5-Enynes with Phosphine Oxide by Photoinitiation

A series of 3-phosphonyl polysubstituted pyridine were first synthesized by photocatalysis, combining a phosphonyl radical cascade reaction, Boc deprotection, and aromatization. This strategy can avoid the difficulties of activating the C3-H bond on pyridine to synthesize 3-phosphonylpyridine under mild conditions. Furthermore, by constructing different enynes, we can achieve the metal-free modular synthesis of 3-phosphonyl polysubstituted pyridine, which will be transferred into a new type of phosphine ligand. This is of significance for organometallic catalysis. The regioselective control and detailed reaction mechanism of the cascade reaction are explained by DFT calculations.

Skeletal Editing via Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Nitrene Insertion

Metal-nitrenes are valuable reactive intermediates for synthesis and are widely used to construct biologically relevant scaffolds, complexes and functionalized molecules. The ring expansion of cyclic molecules via single-nitrogen-atom insertion via nitrene or metal-nitrenoid intermediates has emerged as a promising modern strategy for driving advantageous nitrogen-rich compound synthesis. In recent years, the catalytic insertion of a single nitrogen atom into carbocycles, leading to N-heterocycles, has become an important focus of modern synthetic approaches with applications in medicinal chemistry, materials science, and industry. Catalytic single-nitrogen-atom insertions have been increasing in prominence in modern organic synthesis due to their capability to construct high-value added nitrogen-containing heterocycles from simple feedstocks. In this review, we will discuss the rapidly growing field of skeletal editing via single-nitrogen-atom insertion using transition metal catalysis to access nitrogen-containing heterocycles, with a focus on nitrogen insertion across a wide spectrum of carbocycles.

Skeletal Editing of Mechanically Interlocked Molecules: Nitrogen Atom Deletion from Crown Ether-Dibenzylammonium Rotaxanes

Removing the nitrogen atom from secondary amines while simultaneously linking the remaining fragments is a powerful form of late-stage skeletal editing. Here, we report its use for the deletion of the nitrogen atom of the dibenzylammonium template used to assemble crown ether rotaxanes. The reaction uses an anomeric amide that activates secondary amines to generate a carbon-carbon bond that replaces the amine nitrogen. Despite the potential for dethreading of the intermediate diradical pair, the nitrogen atom was successfully deleted from a series of rotaxane axles as long as the macrocycle could access coconformations that did not inhibit the reaction of the amine group. The skeletally edited interlocked molecules were obtained directly from the parent crown ether-dibenzylammonium rotaxanes in modest yields (23-36%) and characterized by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography. One skeletally edited rotaxane shows a network of weak CH···O hydrogen bonds between the crown ether and benzylic methylene groups of the axle in the solid state, in place of the crown ether-ammonium binding motif used to assemble the parent, unedited, rotaxane.

Radical 6-Endo Addition Enables Pyridine Synthesis under Metal-Free Conditions

Metal-free synthesis of heterocycles is highly sought after in the pharmaceutical industry and has garnered widespread attention due to eliminating the need to remove trace metal catalysts from the reaction. We report a radical 6-endo addition method for pyridine synthesis from cyclopropylamides and alkynes under metal-free conditions. Various terminal and substituted alkynes are inserted as C2 units into cyclopropylamides to synthesize versatile pyridines with 57 examples. Mechanistic investigations and computational studies indicate the unprecedented 6-endo-trig addition of vinyl radicals to the imine nitrogen atom rather than the conventional 5-exo-trig addition to the imine carbon atom, in which the hypervalent iodine(III) plays a critical role. This reaction easily scales up with excellent functional group compatibility and suits the late-stage pyridine installation on complex molecules.

Molecular Editing of Pyrroles to Benzenes/Naphthalenes by N2O Deletion

A molecular editing reaction for converting pyrrole rings into benzene rings through a sequential pathway of Diels-Alder and cheletropic reactions was developed. The nitrogen atom in a N-bridged intermediate is eliminated in the form of N2O by a strain-releasing pathway, ultimately leading to the formation of substituted benzene and naphthalene derivatives.

Direct oxygen insertion into C-C bond of styrenes with air

Skeletal editing of single-atom insertion to basic chemicals has been demonstrated as an efficient strategy for the discovery of structurally diversified compounds. Previous endeavors in skeletal editing have successfully facilitated the insertion of boron, nitrogen, and carbon atoms. Given the prevalence of oxygen atoms in biologically active molecules, the direct oxygenation of C-C bonds through single-oxygen-atom insertion like Baeyer-Villiger reaction is of particular significance. Herein, we present an approach for the skeletal modification of styrenes using O2 via oxygen insertion, resulting in the formation of aryl ether frameworks under mild reaction conditions. The broad functional-group tolerance and the excellent chemo- and regioselectivity are demonstrated in this protocol. A preliminary mechanistic study indicates the potential involvement of 1,2-aryl radical migration in this reaction.

Spot the difference in reactivity: a comprehensive review of site-selective multicomponent conjugation exploiting multi-azide compounds

Going beyond the conventional approach of pairwise conjugation between two molecules, the integration of multiple components onto a central scaffold molecule is essential for the development of high-performance molecular materials with multifunctionality. This approach also facilitates the creation of functionalized molecular probes applicable in diverse fields ranging from pharmaceuticals to polymeric materials. Among the various click functional groups, the azido group stands out as a representative click functional group due to its steric compactness, high reactivity, handling stability, and easy accessibility in the context of multi-azide scaffolds. However, the azido groups in multi-azide scaffolds have not been well exploited for site-specific use in molecular conjugation. In fact, multi-azide compounds have been well used to conjugate to the same multiple fragments. To circumvent problems of promiscuous and random coupling of multiple different fragments to multiple azido positions, it is imperative to distinguish specific azido positions and use them orthogonally for molecular conjugation. This review outlines methods and strategies to exploit specific azide positions for molecular conjugation in the presence of multiple azido groups. Illustrative examples covering di-, tri- and tetraazide click scaffolds are included.

Electrochemical Skeletal Indole Editing via Nitrogen Atom Insertion by Sustainable Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Skeletal molecular editing gained considerable recent momentum and emerged as a uniquely powerful tool for late-stage diversifications. Thus far, superstoichiometric amounts of costly hypervalent iodine(III) reagents were largely required for skeletal indole editing. In contrast, we herein show that electricity enables sustainable nitrogen atom insertion reactions to give bio-relevant quinazoline scaffolds without stoichiometric chemical redox-waste product. The transition metal-free electro-editing was enabled by the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and proved robust on scale, while tolerating a variety of valuable functional groups.

Photocatalytic furan-to-pyrrole conversion

The identity of a heteroatom within an aromatic ring influences the chemical properties of that heterocyclic compound. Systematically evaluating the effect of a single atom, however, poses synthetic challenges, primarily as a result of thermodynamic mismatches in atomic exchange processes. We present a photocatalytic strategy that swaps an oxygen atom of furan with a nitrogen group, directly converting the furan into a pyrrole analog in a single intermolecular reaction. High compatibility was observed with various furan derivatives and nitrogen nucleophiles commonly used in drug discovery, and the late-stage functionalization furnished otherwise difficult-to-access pyrroles from naturally occurring furans of high molecular complexity. Mechanistic analysis suggested that polarity inversion through single electron transfer initiates the redox-neutral atom exchange processes at room temperature.

Streamlining the Synthesis of Pyridones through Oxidative Amination of Cyclopentenones

Herein we report the development of an oxidative amination process for the streamlined synthesis of pyridones from cyclopentenones. Cyclopentenone building blocks can undergo in situ silyl enol ether formation, followed by the introduction of a nitrogen atom into the carbon skeleton with successive aromatisation to yield pyridones. The reaction sequence is operationally simple, rapid, and carried out in one pot. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions, exhibits broad functional group tolerance, complete regioselectivity, and is well scalable. The developed method provides facile access to the synthesis of 15N-labelled targets, industrially relevant pyridone products and their derivatives in a fast and efficient way.

C3 Selective Hydroxylation of Pyridines via Photochemical Valence Isomerization of Pyridine N-Oxides

The C-H hydroxylation of the pyridine C3 position is a highly desirable transformation but remains a great challenge due to the inherent electronic properties of this heterocycle core which bring difficulties in chemical reactivity and regioselectivity. Herein we present an efficient method for formal C3 selective hydroxylation of pyridines via photochemical valence isomerization of pyridine N-oxides. This metal-free transformation features operational simplicity and compatibility with a diverse array of functional groups, and the resulting hydroxylated products are amenable to further elaboration to synthetically useful building blocks. The synthetic utility of this strategy is further demonstrated in the effective late-stage functionalization of pyridine-containing medicinally relevant molecules and versatile derivatizations of 3-pyridinols.

Nitrogen-to-functionalized carbon atom transmutation of pyridine

The targeted and selective replacement of a single atom in an aromatic system represents a powerful strategy for the rapid interconversion of molecular scaffolds. Herein, we report a pyridine-to-benzene transformation via nitrogen-to-carbon skeletal editing. This approach proceeds via a sequence of pyridine ring-opening, imine hydrolysis, olefination, electrocyclization, and aromatization to achieve the desired transmutation. The most notable features of this transformation are the ability to directly install a wide variety of versatile functional groups in the benzene scaffolding, including ester, ketone, amide, nitrile, and phosphate ester fragments, as well as the inclusion of meta-substituted pyridines which have thus far been elusive for related strategies.

Regioselective Pyridine to Benzene Edit Inspired by Water-Displacement

Late-stage derivatization of drug-like functional groups can accelerate drug discovery efforts by swiftly exchanging hydrogen-bond donors with acceptors, or by modulating key physicochemical properties like logP, solubility, or polar surface area. A proven derivatization strategy to improve ligand potency is to extend the ligand to displace water molecules that are mediating the interactions with a receptor. Inspired by this application, we developed a method to regioselectively transmute the nitrogen atom from pyridine into carbon bearing an ester, a flexible functional group handle. We applied this method to a variety of substituted pyridines, as well as late-stage transformation of FDA-approved drugs.

Synthesis of 1,3-Dicarbonyl Azepines via Photoinitiated Reactions of Aryl Azides with Carbon-Based Nucleophiles

A photoinduced one-pot method for the synthesis of azepines by the reaction of aryl azides with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds under weakly basic conditions is described. This method offers a simple route for the synthesis of 1,3-dicarbonyl-substituted azepines in good to excellent yields and high regioselectivity and was tested on 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with different acidity levels. The resulting azepines have electrophilic and nucleophilic centers of varying degrees of activity, which facilitate reactions leading to further structural transformations.

Selective nitrogen insertion into aryl alkanes

Molecular structure-editing through nitrogen insertion offers more efficient and ingenious pathways for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds, which could benefit the development of synthetic chemistry, pharmaceutical research, and materials science. Substituted amines, especially nitrogen-containing alkyl heterocyclic compounds, are widely found in nature products and drugs. Generally, accessing these compounds requires multiple steps, which could result in low efficiency. In this work, a molecular editing strategy is used to realize the synthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds using aryl alkanes as starting materials. Using derivatives of O-tosylhydroxylamine as the nitrogen source, this method enables precise nitrogen insertion into the Csp2-Csp3 bond of aryl alkanes. Notably, further synthetic applications demonstrate that this method could be used to prepare bioactive molecules with good efficiency and modify the molecular skeleton of drugs. Furthermore, a plausible reaction mechanism involving the transformation of carbocation and imine intermediates has been proposed based on the results of control experiments.

The Structure-Antiproliferative Activity Relationship of Pyridine Derivatives

Pyridine, a compound with a heterocyclic structure, is a key player in medicinal chemistry and drug design. It is widely used as a framework for the design of biologically active molecules and is the second most common heterocycle in FDA-approved drugs. Pyridine is known for its diverse biological activity, including antituberculosis, antitumor, anticoagulant, antiviral, antimalarial, antileishmania, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer's, antitrypanosomal, antimalarial, vasodilatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative effects. This review, spanning from 2022 to 2012, involved the meticulous identification of pyridine derivatives with antiproliferative activity, as indicated by their minimum inhibitory concentration values (IC50) against various cancerous cell lines. The aim was to determine the most favorable structural characteristics for their antiproliferative activity. Using computer programs, we constructed and calculated the molecular descriptors and analyzed the electrostatic potential maps of the selected pyridine derivatives. The study found that the presence and positions of the -OMe, -OH, -C=O, and NH2 groups in the pyridine derivatives enhanced their antiproliferative activity over the cancerous cellular lines studied. Conversely, pyridine derivatives with halogen atoms or bulky groups in their structures exhibited lower antiproliferative activity.

A deconstruction-reconstruction strategy for pyrimidine diversification

Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies are fundamental to drug and agrochemical development, yet only a few synthetic strategies apply to the nitrogen heteroaromatics frequently encountered in small molecule candidates1-3. Here we present an alternative approach in which we convert pyrimidine-containing compounds into various other nitrogen heteroaromatics. Transforming pyrimidines into their corresponding N-arylpyrimidinium salts enables cleavage into a three-carbon iminoenamine building block, used for various heterocycle-forming reactions. This deconstruction-reconstruction sequence diversifies the initial pyrimidine core and enables access to various heterocycles, such as azoles4. In effect, this approach allows heterocycle formation on complex molecules, resulting in analogues that would be challenging to obtain by other methods. We anticipate that this deconstruction-reconstruction strategy will extend to other heterocycle classes.

Diversification of Naphthol Skeletons Triggered by Aminative Dearomatization

A silver-catalyzed aminative dearomatization of naphthols has been developed and integrated into a stepwise approach for subsequent skeletal diversifications including ring expansion, ring opening, ring contraction, and atom transmutation of aryl scaffolds. This approach enables the synthesis of a diverse array of azepinones, unsaturated amides, isoquinolines, and indenones from naphthol substrates. Its application in the synthesis of bioactive and functional molecules as well as the conversion of complex molecular skeletons underscores its broad potential applicability. Mechanistic investigations suggest the intermediacy of the dearomatized intermediates.

Tunable molecular editing of indoles with fluoroalkyl carbenes

Building molecular complexity from simple feedstocks through precise peripheral and skeletal modifications is central to modern organic synthesis. Nevertheless, a controllable strategy through which both the core skeleton and the periphery of an aromatic heterocycle can be modified with a common substrate remains elusive, despite its potential to maximize structural diversity and applications. Here we report a carbene-initiated chemodivergent molecular editing of indoles that allows both skeletal and peripheral editing by trapping an electrophilic fluoroalkyl carbene generated in situ from fluoroalkyl N-triftosylhydrazones. A variety of fluorine-containing N-heterocyclic scaffolds have been efficiently achieved through tunable chemoselective editing reactions at the skeleton or periphery of indoles, including one-carbon insertion, C3 gem-difluoroolefination, tandem cyclopropanation and N1 gem-difluoroolefination, and cyclopropanation. The power of this chemodivergent molecular editing strategy has been highlighted through the modification of the skeleton or periphery of natural products in a controllable and chemoselective manner. The reaction mechanism and origins of the chemo- and regioselectivity have been probed by both experimental and theoretical methods.

N-Oxide-to-Carbon Transmutations of Azaarene N-Oxides

Reactions that change the identity of an atom within a ring system are emerging as valuable tools for the site-selective editing of molecular structures. Herein, we describe the expansion of an underdeveloped transformation that directly converts azaarene-derived N-oxides to all-carbon arenes. This ring transmutation exhibits good functional group tolerance and replaces the N-oxide moiety with either unsubstituted, substituted, or isotopically labeled carbon atoms in a single laboratory operation.

Visible photons as ideal reagents for the activation of coloured organic compounds

In recent decades, the traceless nature of visible photons has been exploited for the development of efficient synthetic strategies for the photoconversion of colourless compounds, namely, photocatalysis, chromophore activation, and the formation of an electron donor/acceptor (EDA) complex. However, the use of photoreactive coloured organic compounds is the optimal strategy to boost visible photons as ideal reagents in synthetic protocols. In view of such premises, the present review aims to provide its readership with a collection of recent photochemical strategies facilitated via direct light absorption by coloured molecules. The protocols have been classified and presented according to the nature of the intermediate/excited state achieved during the transformation.

Carbon-nitrogen transmutation in polycyclic arenol skeletons to access N-heteroarenes

Developing skeletal editing tools is not a trivial task, and realizing the corresponding single-atom transmutation in a ring system without altering the ring size is even more challenging. Here, we introduce a skeletal editing strategy that enables polycyclic arenols, a highly prevalent motif in bioactive molecules, to be readily converted into N-heteroarenes through carbon-nitrogen transmutation. The reaction features selective nitrogen insertion into the C-C bond of the arenol frameworks by azidative dearomatization and aryl migration, followed by ring-opening, and ring-closing (ANRORC) to achieve carbon-to-nitrogen transmutation in the aromatic framework of the arenol. Using widely available arenols as N-heteroarene precursors, this alternative approach allows the streamlined assembly of complex polycyclic heteroaromatics with broad functional group tolerance. Finally, pertinent transformations of the products, including synthesis complex biheteroarene skeletons, were conducted and exhibited significant potential in materials chemistry.

Skeletal editing of pyridines through atom-pair swap from CN to CC

Skeletal editing is a straightforward synthetic strategy for precise substitution or rearrangement of atoms in core ring structures of complex molecules; it enables quick diversification of compounds that is not possible by applying peripheral editing strategies. Previously reported skeletal editing of common arenes mainly relies on carbene- or nitrene-type insertion reactions or rearrangements. Although powerful, efficient and applicable to late-stage heteroarene core structure modification, these strategies cannot be used for skeletal editing of pyridines. Here we report the direct skeletal editing of pyridines through atom-pair swap from CN to CC to generate benzenes and naphthalenes in a modular fashion. Specifically, we use sequential dearomatization, cycloaddition and rearomatizing retrocycloaddition reactions in a one-pot sequence to transform the parent pyridines into benzenes and naphthalenes bearing diversified substituents at specific sites, as defined by the cycloaddition reaction components. Applications to late-stage skeletal diversification of pyridine cores in several drugs are demonstrated.

Synthesis of polysubstituted azepanes by dearomative ring expansion of nitroarenes

The synthesis of functionalized nitrogen heterocycles is integral to discovering, manufacturing and evolving high-value materials. The availability of effective strategies for heterocycle synthesis often biases the frequency of specific ring systems over others in the core structures of bioactive leads. For example, while the six- and five-membered piperidine and pyrrolidine are widespread in medicinal chemistry libraries, the seven-membered azepane is essentially absent and this leaves open a substantial area of three-dimensional chemical space. Here we report a strategy to prepare complex azepanes from simple nitroarenes by photochemical dearomative ring expansion centred on the conversion of the nitro group into a singlet nitrene. This process is mediated by blue light, occurs at room temperature and transforms the six-membered benzenoid framework into a seven-membered ring system. A following hydrogenolysis provides the azepanes in just two steps. We have demonstrated the utility of the strategy with the synthesis of several azepane analogues of piperidine drugs.

Selective Ring-Opening Amination of Isochromans and Tetrahydroisoquinolines

The molecular structure-editing through selective C-C bond cleavage allows for the precise modification of molecular structures and opens up new possibilities in chemical synthesis. By strategically cleaving C-C bonds and editing the molecular structure, more efficient and versatile pathways for the synthesis of complex compounds could be designed, which brings significant implications for drug development and materials science. o-Aminophenethyl alcohols and amines are the essential key motifs in bioactive and functional material molecules. The traditional synthesis of these compounds usually requires multiple steps which could generate inseparable isomers and induce low efficiencies. By leveraging a molecular editing strategy, we herein reported a selective ring-opening amination of isochromans and tetrahydroisoquinolines for the efficient synthesis of o-aminophenethyl alcohols and amines. This innovative chemistry allows for the precise cleavage of C-C bonds under mild transition metal-free conditions. Notably, further synthetic application demonstrated that our method could provide an efficient approach to essential components of diverse bioactive molecules.

Synthesis and characterization of azaborepin radicals in solid neon through boron-mediated C-N bond cleavage of pyridine

The reactivity of pyridine is a complex topic due to its unique electronic structure. The reactions of atomic boron with pyridine molecules in solid neon have been investigated using matrix isolation infrared absorption spectroscopy. Three products (marked as A, B, and C) were observed and characterized through 10B, D and 15N isotopic substitution pyridine regents as well as quantum chemical calculations. In the reaction, the ground-state boron atom can attack the lone pair electrons of the nitrogen atom in the pyridine molecule, resulting in the formation of a 1-boropyridinyl radical (A). Alternatively, addition to the aromatic π-system of pyridine can occur in a [1,4] type, leading to the formation of a B[η2(1,4)-C5H5N] complex (B). Under UV-visible light (280 < λ < 580 nm) irradiation, these two compounds can further undergo photo-isomerization to form BN-embedded seven-membered azaborepin compounds (C). The observation of species A, B, and the subsequent photo-isomerization to species C is consistent with theoretical predictions, indicating that these reactions are kinetically favorable. This research provides valuable insights into the future design and synthesis of corresponding BN heterocyclic derivatives.

Synthesis of Collidine from Dinitrogen via a Tungsten Nitride

The synthesis of pyridines from dinitrogen in homogeneous solution is known to be challenging considering that an N2 cleavage step needs to be combined with two N-C coupling steps. Herein, a tungsten complex bearing a tailor-made 2,2'-(tBu2As)2-substituted tolane ligand scaffold was shown to split N2 to afford the corresponding tungsten nitride, which is not the case for the corresponding (iPr2As)2-substituted derivative. The former nitride was then reacted with 2,4,6-trimethylpyrylium triflate, which led to the formation of a tungsten oxo complex, along with collidine. Over the course of this reaction, the O atom of the pyrylium starting material was replaced with an N atom via a hitherto unprecedented skeletal editing process.

Palladium-catalyzed denitrogenation/vinylation of benzotriazinones with vinylene carbonate

Herein, a novel Pd-catalyzed denitrogenation/vinylation of benzotriazinones using vinylene carbonate as the vinylation reagent is reported. This transformation demonstrates an unprecedented skeletal editing approach, effectively converting NN to CC fragments in situ and synthesizing a collection of isoquinolinones with broad-spectrum functional group tolerance. Moreover, the quite concise reaction system and late-stage modification of bioactive molecules comprehensively underscore the practical potential of this protocol.

Skeletal Editing of Benzene Motif: Photopromoted Transannulation for Synthesis of DNA-Encoded Seven-Membered Rings

In this report, we present a photopromoted, metal-free transannulation of phenyl azides for the synthesis of DNA-encoded seven-membered rings. The transformation is efficiently achieved through a skeletal editing strategy targeting the benzene motif coupled with a Reversible Adsorption to Solid Support (RASS) strategy. A variety of valuable DNA-encoded seven-membered ring compounds, including DNA-encoded 3H-azepines, azepinones, and unnatural amino acids, are now accessible. Crucially, this DNA-compatible protocol can also be applied for the introduction of complex molecules, as exemplified by Lorcaserin and Betahistine. The selective conversion of readily available phenyl rings into high-value seven-membered rings offers a promising avenue for the construction of diversified and drug-like DNA-encoded library.