Most palladium-catalyzed reactions involving insertion of alkylidenes with α-hydrogens undergo β-hydride elimination from alkylpalladium(II) intermediates to form alkenes. Vinyl iodides were shown to generate η(3)-allylpalladium intermediates that resist β-hydride elimination, preserving the sp(3) center adjacent to the carbene moiety. Acyclic stereocontrol (syn/anti) for carbenylative amination and alkylation reactions was low, suggesting a lack of control in the migratory insertion step. Highly hindered carbene precursors inexplicably led to formation of Z-alkenes with high levels of stereocontrol.

A spiroindolinone (1S,3R,3aR,6aS)-1-benzyl-6′-chloro-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-7′-methylspiro[1,2,3a,6a-tetrahydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-3,3′-1H-indole]-2′,4,6-trione was previously reported to enhance the antifungal effect of fluconazole against C. albicans. A diastereomer of that compound was synthesized, along with various analogues. Many of the compounds were shown to enhance the antifungal effect of fluconazole against C. albicans, some with exquisite potency. One spirocyclic piperazine derivative, which we have named synazo-1, enhanced the effect of fluconazole with EC50 of 300 pM against a susceptible strain of C. albicans and as low as 2 nM against some resistant strains. Synazo-1 exhibits true synergy with fluconazole with an FIC index below 0.5 in the strains tested. Synazo-1 exhibited low toxicity in mammalian cells relative to the concentrations required for the antifungal synergy.

Carbenylative Amination and Alkylation of Vinyl Iodides via Palladium Alkylidene Intermediates. -(PREMACHANDRA, I. D. U. A.; NGUYEN, T. A.; SHEN, C.; GUTMAN, E. S.; VAN VRANKEN*, D. L.; Org. Lett. 17 (2015) 21, 5464-5467, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.5b02820 ; Dep. Chem., Univ. Calif., Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Eng.) -M. Tismer