Hydrophobic Amplification Enabled High-Turnover Phosphazene Superbase Catalysis

β-Sulfido sulfonyl fluoride and its derivatives have been gaining attention recently in the fields of medicinal chemistry and material science. The conventional method for the synthesis of functionalized alkyl sulfonyl fluorides requires several chemical transformations. Therefore, a direct establishment of such chemical structures remains challenging, and an efficient catalytic approach is highly desired. Herein a significant "on-water" hydrophobic amplification was achieved, enabling a high-turnover catalytic thia-Michael addition to produce unprecedented β-arylated-β-sulfido sulfonyl fluorides. Amounts as low as 100 ppm (0.01 mol %) of the phosphazene superbase were sufficient to successfully catalyze the reaction with excellent chemo-/site-selectivity and with optimal functional group tolerance. Several β-arylated ethene sulfonyl fluorides were converted into thia-Michael adducts up to >99 % yields. The mild conditions, high turnover, neutral pH, and scalability of the sustainable catalytic process benefit the preparation of potential pharmaceuticals (e. g., polyisoprenylated methylated protein methyl esterase inhibitors) and organic materials (e. g., electrolyte additives).

Cannabinoquinones: Synthesis and Biological Profile

Neutral cannabinoids are oxidatively unstable and are converted into quinone derivatives by atmospheric- and/or chemical oxidative dearomatization. The study of cannabinoquinones has long been plagued by their lability toward additional oxidative degradation, but full substitution of the quinone ring, as well as the introduction of steric hindrance on the alkyl substituent, have provided sufficient stability for a systematic investigation of their bioactivity and for further clinical development. These studies culminated in the discovery of the aminocannabinoquinone VCE-004.8 (5), a compound under phase 2 clinical development with orphan drug status by EMA and FDA for the management of scleroderma. The synthesis and rich chemistry of these compounds will be described, summarizing their biological profile and clinical potential.

[Asymmetric Hetero-Michael Additions to α,β-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids by Multifunctional Boronic Acid Catalysts]

Several direct asymmetric Michael additions to α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids with integrated catalysts comprising chiral bifunctional thiourea and arylboronic acid were developed. First, the asymmetric aza-Michael addition of hydroxylamine derivatives efficiently afforded a variety of optically active β-amino acid derivatives. Furthermore, upon detailed investigation of the reaction, tetrahedral borate complexes, comprising two carboxylate molecules, were found to serve as reaction intermediates. Based on this observation, a drastic improvement in product enantioselectivity was achieved upon benzoic acid addition. Second, on merely changing the solvent, the asymmetric thia-Michael addition of arylthiols afforded both enantiomers of the adducts, which are important building blocks for biologically active compounds.

Efficient 1,3,4-Thiadiazole-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-ones as Antimicrobial Agents

A set of novel series of 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl-sulfanyl-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-ones with anticipated antimicrobial activity has been synthesized. The synthetic protocol of the targeted compounds was accomplished by treating β-aroylacrylic acid 1 with 5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol (2) to afford the thia-Michael adduct 3. Afterwards, the obtained thia-Michael adduct 3 was cyclized to 4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-ones 4a-d and the non-cyclized product hydrazone 5 by using different hydrazines. Moreover, adduct 3 was reacted with esters like diethyl malonate and ethyl acetoacetate affording 1,3,4-thiadiazolobutanamides 6a, b. Furthermore, the concurrent reaction of later butamides 6a, b with the hydrazine derivatives furnished thiadiazolopyridazin-3(2H)-ones 7a-d, 8, and butanoic acid 9.