A Concise Route to β-Cyclopropyl Amino Acids Utilizing 1,2-Dioxines and Stabilized Phosphonate Nucleophiles

Light-enabled deracemization of cyclopropanes by Al-salen photocatalysis

Privileged chiral catalysts-those that share common structural features and are enantioselective across a range of reactions-continue to transform the chemical-research landscape1. In recent years, new reactivity modes have been achieved through excited-state catalysis, processes activated by light, but it is unclear if the selectivity of ground-state privileged catalysts can be matched. Although the interception of photogenerated intermediates by ground-state cycles has partially addressed this challenge2, single, chiral photocatalysts that simultaneously regulate reactivity and selectivity are conspicuously scarce3. So far, precision donor-acceptor recognition motifs remain crucial in enantioselective photocatalyst design4. Here we show that chiral Al-salen complexes, which have well-defined photophysical properties, can be used for the efficient photochemical deracemization5 of cyclopropyl ketones (up to 98:2 enantiomeric ratio (e.r.)). Irradiation at λ = 400 nm (violet light) augments the reactivity of the commercial catalyst to enable reactivity and enantioselectivity to be regulated simultaneously. This circumvents the need for tailored catalyst-substrate recognition motifs. It is predicted that this study will stimulate a re-evaluation of many venerable (ground-state) chiral catalysts in excited-state processes, ultimately leading to the identification of candidates that may be considered 'privileged' in both reactivity models.

Desymmetrization and Kinetic Resolution of Endoperoxides Using a Bifunctional Organocatalyst

Bifunctional thiourea/amine organocatalysts have been used for the desymmetrization of meso-endoperoxides using the Kornblum-DeLaMare reaction, giving 4-hydroxyketones in 78-98% yields with ≤98:2 enantioselectivity. The influence of the catalyst structure, solvent, and temperature was examined. The most promising catalyst was applied to the kinetic resolution of racemic endoperoxides to give enantioenriched materials (≤99:1 er).

Sc(OTf)3-Catalyzed C-C Bond-Forming Reaction of Cyclic Peroxy Ketals for the Synthesis of Highly Functionalized 1,2-Dioxene Endoperoxides

A new and general Sc(OTf)₃-catalyzed C-C bond-forming reaction of 3-(2-methoxyethoxy)-endoperoxy ketals with silyl ketene acetals, silyl enol ethers, allyltrimethylsilane, and trimethylsilyl cyanide has been developed via the reactive peroxycarbenium ions, affording a wide range of complicated 3,3,6,6-tetrasubstituted 1,2-dioxenes bearing adjacent quaternary carbons and 3-acetyl/allyl/cyano functional groups in good yields at room temperature. Notably, the resultant 1,2-dioxenes are structurally stable, which can be facially transformed into another important 1,2-dioxane endoperoxide under conventional hydrogenation conditions without deconstructing the weak O-O bond.

Revisiting Bromohexitols as a Novel Class of Microenvironment-Activated Prodrugs for Cancer Therapy

Bromohexitols represent a potent class of DNA-alkylating carbohydrate chemotherapeutics that has been largely ignored over the last decades due to safety concerns. The limited structure-activity relationship data available reveals significant changes in cytotoxicity with even subtle changes in stereochemistry. However, no attempts have been made to improve the therapeutic window by rational drug design or by using a prodrug approach to exploit differences between tumour physiology and healthy tissue, such as acidic extracellular pH and hypoxia. Herein, we report the photochemical synthesis of highly substituted endoperoxides as key precursors for dibromohexitol derivatives and investigate their use as microenvironment-activated prodrugs for targeting cancer cells. One endoperoxide was identified to have a marked increased activity under hypoxic and low pH conditions, indicating that endoperoxides may serve as microenvironment-activated prodrugs.

Exploring endoperoxides as a new entry for the synthesis of branched azasugars

A new class of nitrogen-containing endoperoxides were synthesised by a photochemical [4 + 2]-cycloaddition between a diene and singlet oxygen. The endoperoxides were dihydroxylated and protected to provide a series of endoperoxide building blocks for organic synthesis, with potential use as precursors for the synthesis of branched azasugars. Preliminary exploration of the chemistry of these building blocks provided access to a variety of derivatives including tetrahydrofurans, epoxides and protected amino-tetraols.

Synthesis of enantiopure cyclopropyl esters from (−)-levoglucosenone

Levoglucosenone was converted into the GABA_C agonists (−)-TAMP, (+)-TAMP and an advanced intermediate used for the synthesis of the selective glutamate receptor antagonist PCCG-4.

Diplonine, a neurotoxin isolated from cultures of the fungus Stenocarpella maydis (Berk.) Sacc. that induces diplodiosis

Diplodiosis is a neuromycotoxicosis of cattle and sheep caused by ingestion of maize infected with the ear-rot fungus Stenocarpella (= Diplodia ) maydis . Apart from ataxia, paresis, and paralysis, the toxin is responsible for stillbirths and neonatal losses characterized by the presence of spongiform degeneration in the white matter of the brain in the offspring of dams exposed to infected maize cobs. In the present study a toxin, named diplonine, which induced neurological signs in guinea pigs resembling some of those occurring in cattle and sheep, was isolated from S. maydis cultures. Purification of diplonine was achieved by methanol extraction followed by chromatographic separation on silica gel and RP-18 stationary phases. The structure and relative configuration of diplonine were defined by analysis of NMR and MS data as (S)-2-amino-2-[(1R,2S)-1-hydroxy-2-methylcyclopropyl]acetic acid or the (S)-2-amino-2-[(1S,2R)-diastereomer.