No abstract

The reactions of azines (isoquinolines, pyridine) with TFAA and isocyanides in a new domino process yield mesoionic acid fluorides with an imidazo[1,2‐a]azine core. This multicomponent reaction has a general character, tolerating a wide range of substitution patterns on each component, and displays an unprecedented arrangement of reaction pathways. The protocol allows the incorporation of a fourth synthetic input by the reaction of a suitable nucleophile (alcohols, thiols, amines) with the acid fluoride moiety.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)

Joined together, organocatalysts aldehydes and sulfones: A diaryl prolinol silyl ether was found to catalyse efficiently and enantioselectively the conjugate addition of aldehydes to vinyl sulfones (see scheme). The ample synthetic utility of the resulting adducts is illustrated.

Prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) is a cytosolic serine peptidase that hydrolyzes proline-containing peptides at the carboxy terminus of proline residues. This peptidase has gained importance as a target for the treatment of cognitive disturbances of patients with neuropsychiatric diseases. Our research addresses the identification of POP inhibitors from a small focused library of polar heterocyclic compounds arising from multicomponent reactions. Two selective POP-specific inhibitors were identified on the basis of their inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase IV. The most active compounds were evaluated for their in vitro transport through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay. Our results show for the first time that benzimidazolium salts are new POP-inhibitory scaffolds with properties of solubility, specificity, and lipophilicity that may allow them to cross the BBB by passive diffusion. These findings constitute an excellent starting point to synthesize new POP inhibitors with enhanced properties.

The natural tendency of 1,4-dihydropyridines to undergo ªbiomimeticº oxidation to afford pyridinium salts can be switched off and, through the use of reagents that interact electrophilically with the enamine moiety present in the heterocyclic system, it is possible to promote alternative oxidations. In this way, efficient regio-and stereocontrolled synthetic methods have been developed that lead to diversely substituted di-and tetrahydropyridines. These include iodoazida-