Preparation of benzene, furan, and thiophene analogs of duocarmycin SA employing a newly-devised phenol-forming reaction

Synthesis of thieno[2,3-h]-/[3,2-h]quinolines and thieno[2,3-f] quinolines by Brønsted acid mediated cycloisomerisation

Several thieno[2,3-h]-/[3,2-h]- and [2,3-f]quinolines have been synthesised from 2,3-dihalogenated pyridines or -quinolines by site-selective Pd catalysed cross-coupling reactions and Brønsted acid mediated cycloisomerisations as the final key step. This newly developed synthetic strategy is used in a modular way to synthesize diverse regioisomeric derivatives, tolerates various functional groups, and proceeds with high selectivity, and the desired final products have been isolated in high overall yields.

Metal-free tandem reaction synthesis of spiro-cyclopropyl fused pyrazolin-5-one derivatives

A highly efficient cascade annulation approach was developed for the synthesis of novel spiro-cyclopropyl fused pyrazolin-5-ones from pyrazole-3-ketone substrates and two-component sulfur ylides in an acidic environment.

Synthesis and evaluation of duocarmycin SA analogs incorporating the methyl 1,2,8,8a-tetrahydrocyclopropa[c]imidazolo[4,5-e]indol-4-one-6-carboxylate (CImI) alkylation subunit

The design, synthesis, and evaluation of methyl 1,2,8,8a-tetrahydrocyclopropa[c]imidazolo[4,5-e]indol-4-one-6-carboxylate (CImI) derivatives are detailed representing analogs of duocarmycin SA and yatakemycin containing an imidazole replacement for the fused pyrrole found in the DNA alkylation subunit.

A versatile synthesis of "tafuramycin A": a potent anticancer and parasite attenuating agent

An improved and versatile synthesis of tafuramycin A, a potent anticancer and parasite-attenuating agent, is reported. The three major improvements that optimized yield, simplified purification and allowed the synthesis of more versatile duocarmycin analogues are: a first-time reported regioselective bromination using DMAP as catalyst; the control of the aryl radical alkene cyclization step to prevent the dechlorination side reaction; and the design of a new protection/deprotection method to avoid furan double bond reduction during the classical O-benzyl deprotection in the final step. This alternative protection/deprotection strategy provides ready access to duocarmycin seco-analogues that carry labile functionalities under reducing reaction conditions. Tafuramycin A (3) was prepared in either 8 steps from intermediate 6 or 7 steps from intermediate 17 in 52% or 37% yield respectively. Our strategy provides a significant improvement on the original procedure (11% overall yield) and greater versatility for analogue development.

Metal-catalyzed alpha-arylation of carbonyl and related molecules: novel trends in C-C bond formation by C-H bond functionalization

Alpha-arylated carbonyl compounds are commonly occurring motifs in biologically interesting molecules and are therefore of high interest to the pharmaceutical industry. Conventional procedures for their synthesis often result in complications in scale-up, such as the use of stoichiometric amounts of toxic reagents and harsh reaction conditions. Over the last decade, significant efforts have been directed towards the development of metal-catalyzed alpha-arylations of carbonyl compounds as an alternative synthetic approach that operates under milder conditions. This Review summarizes the developments in this area to date, with a focus on how the substrate scope has been expanded through selection of the most appropriate synthetic method, such as the careful choice of ligands, precatalysts, bases, and reaction conditions.

Rational design, synthesis, and evaluation of key analogues of CC-1065 and the duocarmycins

The design, synthesis, and evaluation of a predictably more potent analogue of CC-1065 entailing the substitution replacement of a single skeleton atom in the alkylation subunit are disclosed and were conducted on the basis of design principles that emerged from a fundamental parabolic relationship between chemical reactivity and cytotoxic potency. Consistent with projections, the 7-methyl-1,2,8,8a-tetrahydrocyclopropa[c]thieno[3,2-e]indol-4-one (MeCTI) alkylation subunit and its isomer 6-methyl-1,2,8,8a-tetrahydrocyclopropa[c]thieno[2,3-e]indol-4-one (iso-MeCTI) were found to be 5-6 times more stable than the MeCPI alkylation subunit found in CC-1065 and slightly more stable than even the DSA alkylation subunit found in duocarmycin SA, placing it at the point of optimally balanced stability and reactivity for this class of antitumor agents. Their incorporation into the key analogues of the natural products provided derivatives that surpassed the potency of MeCPI derivatives (3-10-fold), matching or slightly exceeding the potency of the corresponding DSA derivatives, consistent with projections made on the basis of the parabolic relationship. Notable of these, MeCTI-TMI proved to be as potent as or slightly more potent than the natural product duocarmycin SA (DSA-TMI, IC50 = 5 vs 8 pM), and MeCTI-PDE2 proved to be 3-fold more potent than the natural product CC-1065 (MeCPI-PDE2, IC50 = 7 vs 20 pM). Both exhibited efficiencies of DNA alkylation that correlate with this enhanced potency without impacting the intrinsic selectivity characteristic of this class of antitumor agents.

Synthesis of 2,3-Substituted Thienylboronic Acids and Esters

A noncryogenic protocol for the synthesis of 2-substituted 3-thienylboronic acids and esters as well as 3-substituted 2-thienylboronic acids and esters has been developed. Electrophiles were introduced regiospecifically in the 2-position of 2,3-dibromothiophene and in the 3-position of 2-bromo-3-iodothiophene by halogen-magnesium exchange followed by quenching with electrophiles. Palladium-catalyzed borylation of the 2,3-substituted halothiophenes with pinacolborane and P(t-Bu)3 as ligand for Pd produced 9 and 10. The borylation protocol was tolerated by a range of functional groups; however, strongly electron-withdrawing substituents decreased the stability of the thienylboronic acids and esters.

Palladium-catalyzed arylation of ketone enolates: an expeditious entry to tamoxifen-related 1,2,2-triarylethanones

[reaction: see text]. After a rigorous study on the effect of several catalytic systems, a simple, high yielding procedure for the preparation of 1,2,2-triarylethanones, skeletal analogues of tamoxifen, is presented. Apart from the economic and environmental advantages involved, this palladium-catalyzed arylation of deoxybenzoin enolates features a lack of ortho-arylation side reactions. In addition, an alternative approach from acetophenones to the target triarylethanone system is also announced.