A microwave-promoted highly flexible and efficient Ugi-type multicomponent reaction of heterocyclic amidines with aldehydes and isocyanides catalyzed by zirconium(IV) chloride was developed. The general protocol offered the very reliable synthesis of a library of medicinally important, widely versatile N-fused aminoimidazoles in excellent yields. Poorly reactive heterocyclic amidines, functionally and sterically hindered aldehydes, which suffer as troublesome reactants in earlier described methods, were rendered as feasible substrates in this process. The efficient catalysis by ZrCl 4 in addition to the effect of microwave irradiation was found crucial for gaining superior flexibility and efficiency of the protocol.

Cis/trans isomerization of 2°-amide bonds is a key step in a wide range of important processes. Here we present a theoretical assessment of cis/trans isomerization of 2°-amide bonds using B3LYP density functional methods, describing two reaction paths and corresponding geometry changes during isomerization of N-methylacetamide (NMA) and glycylglycine methyl ester (GGMe). The isomerization begins via a common path, as the extended π-bonding of the amide bond maintains approximate planarity of the O-C-N-H dihedral angle, with only gradually increasing pyramidalization of the nitrogen atom, until a bifurcation point is reached. Both subsequent paths comprise two phases, an "ω phase" (characterized by a major change in C-C-N-C dihedral) and a "θ phase" (characterized by major change in O-C-N-H dihedral), with two distinct transition states. The θ phase involves inversion of the pyramidal amide-nitrogen geometry. Both reaction paths converge at another bifurcation point near the opposite geometry. Studies on the larger GGMe show in addition that the multiple additional rotamers do not change the qualitative properties of the isomerization, but do affect the energies of the differing transition states. These detailed results provide significant new insights into cis/trans isomerization paths in 2°-amides, and serve as a basis for theoretical studies on larger peptidic systems.

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Cis/trans isomerization of amide bonds is a key step in a wide range of biological and synthetic processes. Occurring through C-N amide bond rotation, it also coincides with the activation of amides in enzymatic hydrolysis. In recently described QM studies of cis/trans isomerization in secondary amides using density functional methods, we highlighted that a peptidic prototype, such as glycylglycine methyl ester, can suitably represent the isomerization and complexities arising out of a larger molecular backbone, and can serve as the primary scaffold for model structures with different substitution patterns in order to assess and compare the steric effect of the substitution patterns. Here, we describe our theoretical assessment of such steric effects using tert-butyl as a representative bulky substitution. We analyze the geometries and relative stabilities of both trans and cis isomers, and effects on the cis/trans isomerization barrier. We also use the additivity principle to calculate absolute steric effects with a gradual increase in bulk. The study establishes that bulky substitutions significantly destabilize cis isomers and also increases the isomerization barrier, thereby synergistically hindering the cis/trans isomerization of secondary amides. These results provide a basis for the rationalization of kinetic and thermodynamic properties of peptides with potential applications in synthetic and medicinal chemistry.

Amide–ester substitution and water models significantly alter conformational and solvation properties of glycine–glycine dipeptides.