No abstract

An experimentally simple and inexpensive catalyst system was developed for the amidation of aryl halides by using 0.2-10 mol % of CuI, 5-20 mol % of a 1,2-diamine ligand, and K(3)PO(4), K(2)CO(3), or Cs(2)CO(3) as base. Catalyst systems based on N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine or trans-N,N'-dimethyl-1,2-cyclohexanediamine were found to be the most active even though several other 1,2-diamine ligands could be used in the easiest cases. Aryl iodides, bromides, and in some cases even aryl chlorides can be efficiently amidated. A variety of functional groups are tolerated in the reaction, including many that are not compatible with Pd-catalyzed amidation or amination methodology.

A mild and general method for the conversion of aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl bromides into the corresponding iodides was developed utilizing a catalyst system comprising 5 mol % of CuI and 10 mol % of a 1,2- or 1,3-diamine ligand. A variety of polar functional groups are tolerated, and even N-H containing substrates such as sulfonamides, amides, and indoles are compatible with the reaction conditions. Both the reaction rate and the equilibrium conversion of the aryl bromide depend on the choice of the halide salt and the solvent. The best results were obtained using NaI as the halide salt and dioxane, n-butanol, or n-pentanol as the solvents.

Molnupiravir (MK-4482) is an investigational antiviral agent that is under development for the treatment of COVID-19. Given the potential high demand and urgency for this compound, it was critical to develop a short and sustainable synthesis from simple raw materials that would minimize the time needed to manufacture and supply molnupiravir. The route reported here is enabled through the invention of a novel biocatalytic cascade featuring an engineered ribosyl-1-kinase and uridine phosphorylase. These engineered enzymes were deployed with a pyruvate-oxidase-enabled phosphate recycling strategy. Compared to the initial route, this synthesis of molnupiravir is 70% shorter and approximately 7-fold higher yielding. Looking forward, the biocatalytic approach to molnupiravir outlined here is anticipated to have broad applications for streamlining the synthesis of nucleosides in general.

This communication discloses the first instance of the enantioselective Pd-catalyzed alpha-arylation of N-Boc-pyrrolidine. The methodology relies on Beak's sparteine-mediated, enantioselective deprotonation of N-Boc-pyrrolidine to form the 2-pyrrolidinolithium specices in high enantiomeric ratio (er). Transmetalation of this intermediate with zinc chloride generates the stereochemically rigid, 2-pyrrolidinozinc reagent, which was readily coupled to a variety of functionalized aryl halides at room temperature using a catalyst generated from Pd(OAc)2 and PtBu3-HBF4. A diverse array of 2-aryl-N-Boc-pyrrolidines was synthesized using this methodology, providing adducts consistently in a 96:4 er. A survey of the stoichiometry revealed that as little as 0.3 equiv of zinc could be used in the coupling reaction, and the 2-pyrrolidinozinc reagent was found to exhibit stereochemical stability up to 60 degrees C. The method allows for the most convergent and reliable preparation of a broad range of functionalized 2-aryl-N-Boc-pyrrolidines in high enantioselectivity, which is highlighted in this report by the enantioselective synthesis of (R)-nicotine.