Previously, a method for the stereoselective synthesis of beta-lactams, starting from 2H-Delta(2)-thiazolines and Meldrum's acid derivatives, has been reported from our laboratory. We now report a new method for the synthesis of optically active, highly substituted ring-fused 2-pyridinones. This was discovered when 2-alkyl-Delta(2)-thiazolines and Meldrum's acid derivatives were treated with HCl(g) in benzene at 5 --> 78 degrees C. Further refinement of the synthetic protocol revealed that use of 1,2-dichloroethane as solvent at 0 --> 64 degrees C led to the desired 2-pyridinones in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivity. Use of these conditions allowed preparation of 2-pyridinones from several different Delta(2)-thiazolines and Meldrum's acid derivatives and may be a general route to 2-pyridinones.

A new method for the solid-phase synthesis of enantiomerically enriched highly substituted ring-fused 2-pyridinones 13 has been developed. The synthesis mediates introduction of substituents at two positions in the 2-pyridinone ring in a diverse manner and is suitable for parallel synthesis. (19)F NMR spectroscopy was used as a tool to monitor each of the five steps in the reaction sequence. The optimized conditions thus obtained were then used to prepare a library of 20 2-pyridinones with high yields. The library members were chosen from a statistical multivariate design to ensure diversity and reliable data for structure-activity relationships. Screening of the library against the bacterial periplasmic chaperone PapD was performed using surface plasmon resonance. Three new 2-pyridinones with a higher affinity for the chaperone PapD than the previous best 13[10,1] were found, and important structural features could be deduced.

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The mechanism of the copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling was investigated using a model reaction with differently para-substituted phenylacetylenes and 4-iodobenzotrifluoride as coupling partners and a Pd2(dba)3·CHCl3−AsPh3 catalyst system in methanol. A carbopalladation mechanism was ruled out through a series of experiments in which the equivalent of a carbopalladation reaction intermediate was synthesized by an alternate route, and its conversion to product was monitored. A Hammett correlation study revealed a possible mechanistic changeover when going from electron-rich to electron-poor alkynes in the model reaction. It is advocated that the reaction mechanism changes from a pathway involving a fast proton transfer from a slowly forming cationic Pd complex to a pathway involving a slow proton transfer from a neutral Pd complex on going from electron-rich to electron-poor alkynes. The amine base is believed to act as a base in both pathways and as a nucleophile promoting the formation of the cationic complex in the reactions involving electron-rich alkynes. This was substantiated by the observation of a primary isotope effect (k Alkyne-H/k Alkyne-D ≈ 2) for the electron-poor alkyne and a pronounced base dependence for the electron-rich one.

Identification of compounds from chemical libraries that bind to macromolecules by use of NMR spectroscopy has gained increasing importance during recent years. A simple methodology based on (19)F NMR spectroscopy for the screening of ligands that bind to proteins, which also provides qualitative information about relative binding strengths and the presence of multiple binding sites, is presented here. A library of fluorinated compounds was assembled and investigated for binding to the two bacterial chaperones PapD and FimC, and also to human serum albumin (HSA). It was found that library members which are bound to a target protein could be identified directly from line broadening and/or induced chemical shifts in a single, one-dimensional (19)F NMR spectrum. The results obtained for binding to PapD using (19)F NMR spectroscopy agreed well with independent studies based on surface plasmon resonance, providing support for the versatility and accuracy of the technique. When the library was titrated to a solution of PapD chemical shift and linewidth changes were observed with increasing ligand concentration, which indicated the presence of several binding sites on PapD and enabled the assessment of relative binding strengths for the different ligands. Screening by (19)F NMR spectroscopy should thus be a valuable addition to existing NMR techniques for evaluation of chemical libraries in bioorganic and medicinal chemistry.