Charles W. Johannes

Direct Conversion of Indoles to 3,3-Difluoro-2-oxindoles via Electrophilic Fluorination

3,3-Difluoro-2-oxindoles can be obtained directly from indoles in moderate yields via electrophilic fluorination using N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide as a mild fluorinating reagent. The presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide during the reaction, together with additional heating after quenching the reaction with triethylamine, is beneficial to the formation of the desired product.

Palladium-meta-Terarylphosphine Catalyst for the Mizoroki–Heck Reaction of (Hetero)Aryl Bromides and Functional Olefins

The evolutionary meta-terarylphosphine ligand architecture of Cy*Phine was recently shown to be a key feature that imposed outstanding performance in palladium-catalyzed copper-free Sonogashira applications. Herein, the Pd-Cy*Phine combination has similarly proven to be a powerful catalyst system for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction. Using high-throughput screening (HTS) methodology, DMF and NaHCO3 were rapidly identified as the most effective solvent and base pair for the cross-coupling catalysis of challenging and industrially valuable substrates including highly electron-rich heteroaryl bromides and unactivated olefins. Unprotected functional groups were well tolerated using low catalyst loadings, and the simple protocol produced excellent yields (up to 99%) with unprecedented substrate diversity. The Pd-Cy*Phine system broadly outperformed many state-of-the-art commercial alternatives, which demonstrated its potential as a next-generation cross-coupling catalyst.

A New Route to Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentan-1-amine from 1-Azido-3-iodobicyclo[1.1.1]pentane

From a medicinal chemistry perspective, bicyclo[1.1.1]pentan-1-amine (1) has served as a unique and important moiety. Synthetically, however, this compound has received little attention, and only one scalable route to this amine has been demonstrated. Reduction of an easily available and potentially versatile intermediate, 1-azido-3-iodobicyclo[1.1.1]pentane (2), can offer both a flexible and scalable alternative to this target. Herein, we describe our scrutiny of this reportedly elusive transformation and report our ensuing success with this endeavor.

Palladium precatalysts containing meta-terarylphosphine ligands for expedient copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions

Three novel palladium complexes utilizing different variations of the evolutionary meta-terarylphosphine ligand, Cy*Phine, were developed. These air- and moisture-stable complexes, PdCl2L2 (L = Cy*Phine, Cy*Phine-CF3 and Cy*Phine-nBu), demonstrated exceptional broad-based performance and operational simplicity in the copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling of challenging (hetero-)aryl chlorides and terminal alkynes. Modifications to the periphery of the ligand scaffold showed modest improvements in the reaction rate when more electron-donating substituents were incorporated, which hints at potential design upgrades in the future.

Cascade fluorofunctionalisation of 2,3-unsubstituted indoles by means of electrophilic fluorination

Cascade fluorofunctionalisation of 2,3-unsubstituted indoles featuring the formation of C-C, C-F and C-O bonds via electrophilic fluorination using N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide is described. The use of an O-nucleophile tethered to the nitrogen of indoles enables the synthesis of polycyclic fluorinated indoline derivatives from simple precursors in 40-63% yields.

Stabilized Wittig olefination for bioconjugation

Stabilized Wittig olefination holds great potential as a bioconjugation reaction. We demonstrate that the reaction of stabilized phosphorus ylides (or phosphonium salts) with aryl aldehydes is sufficiently robust to be used for live cell affinity isolation and fluorescence tagging of a protein, FKBP12.

Hydrocarbon stapled B chain analogues of relaxin-3 retain biological activity

Relaxin-3 or insulin-like peptide 7 (INSL7) is the most recently discovered relaxin/insulin-like family peptide. Mature relaxin-3 consists of an A chain and a B chain held by disulphide bonds. According to structure activity relationship studies, the relaxin-3 B chain is more important in binding and activating the receptor. RXFP3 (also known as Relaxin-3 receptor 1, GPCR 135, somatostatin- and angiotensin- like peptide receptor or SALPR) was identified as the cognate receptor for relaxin-3 by expression profiles and binding studies. Recent studies imply roles of this system in mediating stress and anxiety, feeding, metabolism and cognition. Stapling of peptides is a technique used to develop peptide drugs for otherwise undruggable targets. The main advantages of stapling include, increased activity due to reduced proteolysis, increased affinity to receptors and increased cell permeability. Stable agonists and antagonists of RXFP3 are crucial for understanding the physiological significance of this system. So far, agonists and antagonists of RXFP3 are peptides. In this study, for the first time, we have introduced stapling of the relaxin-3 B chain at 14th and 18th positions (14s18) and 18th and 22nd position (18s22). These stapled peptides showed greater helicity than the unstapled relaxin-3 B chain in circular dichroism analysis. Both stapled peptides bound RXFP3 and activated RXFP3 as observed in an inhibition of forskolin-induced cAMP assay and a ERK1/2 activation assay, although with different potencies. Therefore, we conclude that stapling of the relaxin3 B chain does not compromise its ability to activate RXFP3 and is a promising method for developing stable peptide agonists and antagonists of RXFP3 to aid relaxin-3/RXFP3 research.

Decarboxylative/Sonogashira-type cross-coupling using PdCl2(Cy*Phine)2

The PdCl2(Cy*Phine)2 precatalyst containing the meta-terarylphosphine ligand, Cy*Phine, can effectively mediate decarboxylative cross-coupling with a diverse range of (hetero-)aryl, aryl and alkyl chlorides including those with unprotected functionality. Using a facile and robust protocol, this process was extended to the first synthesis of symmetrical di(heteroaryl)alkynes via tandem Sonogashira/decarboxylative cross-coupling of heteroaryl chlorides and propiolic acid.

Macrocyclic α helical peptide therapeutic modality: A perspective of learnings and challenges

Macrocyclic α-helical peptides have emerged as a compelling new therapeutic modality to tackle targets confined to the intracellular compartment. Within the scope of hydrocarbon-stapling there has been significant progress to date, including the first stapled α-helical peptide to enter into clinical trials. The principal design concept of stapled α-helical peptides is to mimic a cognate (protein) ligand relative to binding its target via an α-helical interface. However, it was the proclivity of such stapled α-helical peptides to exhibit cell permeability and proteolytic stability that underscored their promise as unique macrocyclic peptide drugs for intracellular targets. This perspective highlights key learnings as well as challenges in basic research with respect to structure-based design, innovative chemistry, cell permeability and proteolytic stability that are essential to fulfill the promise of stapled α-helical peptide drug development.

One-pot Suzuki–Heck relay to prepare industrially valuable intermediates using the Pd–Cy*Phine catalyst system

A rare example of a one-pot, palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Heck sequence has been developed with applicability to APIs and organoelectronic materials. High throughput screening was used to expedite development and survey strategies. Interchangeability of the coupling partners and the avoidance of intermediate isolation gives operational flexibility, which can be used to improve process efficiency and suppress by-product formation.