Catalyst-controlled asymmetric ring opening of a racemic oxabicyclic alkene leads to two readily separable regioisomeric products both in excellent ee. A cationic Rh catalyst, with added NH(4)BF(4) to modulate reactivity, was required to obtain synthetically useful yields. The utility of each substituted aminotetralin product has been demonstrated by their conversion to different biologically relevant molecules in a highly efficient and practical manner.

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New enantioselective syntheses of the B/C hexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids (+)-homochelidonine, (+)-chelamidine, (+)-chelidonine, (+)-chelamine, and (+)-norchelidonine are described. Our rapid and convergent route to this class of natural products involved the development and application of a Pd II-catalyzed asymmetric ring-opening reaction of a meso-azabicyclic alkene with an aryl boronic acid as the key step. By screening a variety of functionalized ortho-substituted aryl boronic acids, chiral ligands and reaction conditions we were able to prepare the requisite cis-1-amino-2-aryldihydronaphthalenes in high yield and in up to 90 % ee. Early attempts to complete the synthesis of (+)-homochelidonine using an N-Boc azabicyclic alkene are described in full. The successful route required a protecting group alteration followed by B ring formation and then stereoselective installation of the C-11 syn-hydroxy group by regioselective epoxide ring-opening using a hydride source. Ring-opening of the same epoxide intermediate with water ultimately led to the synthesis of (+)-chelamidine. The same strategy was then used to synthesize the other structurally similar B/C hexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids, (+)-chelidonine, (+)-chelamidine, and (+)-norchelidonine.

Several synthetic routes to 7-fluoro-2-methoxy-8-methyl-1,5-naphthyridine (1) are presented, and their suitability for scale-up is discussed. The way of introducing the fluorine atom is crucial. Early routes start from commercially available fluorinated building blocks or employ F+ reagents like SelectFluor and delivered up to 70 kg of 7-fluoro-2-methoxy-1,5-naphthyridine (18). To prepare for larger scales, the focus turned to the use of HF or elemental fluorine, both one of the cheapest sources of fluorine. The first method, a one-pot diazotation–fluorodediazoniation with 6-methoxy-1,5-naphthyridin-3-amine (9) in HF gave the fluorinated naphthyridine 18 in high yield and purity without isolation of the unstable diazonium salt, the latter being a severe drawback of the related Balz–Schiemann protocol. The second method relies on the use of fluorine gas for a surprisingly selective ortho-fluorination of 6-methoxy-1,5-naphthyridin-4-ol (10).

This paper describes a new reactivity of the Pd-catalyzed coupling of 2-amino-3-bromo-aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds with sulfonylhydrazones (Barluenga reaction).The new catalyst system and modulation of the electronic nature of hydrazone that were needed for successful reaction are described herein.