Claudio Battilocchio

MmpL3 is the cellular target of the antitubercular pyrrole derivative BM212

ABSTRACT The 1,5-diarylpyrrole derivative BM212 was previously shown to be active against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates and Mycobacterium tuberculosis residing within macrophages as well as against Mycobacterium avium and other atypical mycobacteria. To determine its mechanism of action, we identified the cellular target. Spontaneous Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and M. tuberculosis H37Rv mutants that were resistant to BM212 were isolated. By the screening of genomic libraries and by whole-genome sequencing, we found that all the characterized mutants showed mutations in the mmpL3 gene, allowing us to conclude that resistance to BM212 maps to the MmpL3 protein, a member of the MmpL (mycobacterial membrane protein, large) family. Susceptibility was unaffected by the efflux pump inhibitors reserpine, carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, and verapamil. Uptake/efflux experiments with [14C]BM212 demonstrated that resistance is not driven by the efflux of BM212. Together, these data strongly suggest that the MmpL3 protein is the cellular target of BM212.

Machine‐Assisted Organic Synthesis

Abstract In this Review we describe how the advent of machines is impacting on organic synthesis programs, with particular emphasis on the practical issues associated with the design of chemical reactors. In the rapidly changing, multivariant environment of the research laboratory, equipment needs to be modular to accommodate high and low temperatures and pressures, enzymes, multiphase systems, slurries, gases, and organometallic compounds. Additional technologies have been developed to facilitate more specialized reaction techniques such as electrochemical and photochemical methods. All of these areas create both opportunities and challenges during adoption as enabling technologies.

A Systems Approach towards an Intelligent and Self‐Controlling Platform for Integrated Continuous Reaction Sequences

Performing reactions in flow can offer major advantages over batch methods. However, laboratory flow chemistry processes are currently often limited to single steps or short sequences due to the complexity involved with operating a multi-step process. Using new modular components for downstream processing, coupled with control technologies, more advanced multi-step flow sequences can be realized. These tools are applied to the synthesis of 2-aminoadamantane-2-carboxylic acid. A system comprising three chemistry steps and three workup steps was developed, having sufficient autonomy and self-regulation to be managed by a single operator.

Mild and selective heterogeneous catalytic hydration of nitriles to amides by flowing through manganese dioxide.

A sustainable flow chemistry process for the hydration of nitriles, whereby an aqueous solution of the nitrile is passed through a column containing commercially available amorphous manganese dioxide, has been developed. The product is obtained simply by concentration of the output stream without any other workup steps. The protocol described is rapid, robust, reliable, and scalable, and it has been applied to a broad range of substrates, showing a high level of chemical tolerance.

A Mild and Efficient Flow Procedure for the Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones and Aldehydes using Hydrous Zirconia

A flow chemistry Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV) reduction procedure using partially hydrated zirconium oxide via a machine-assisted approach is reported. The heterogeneous reductive system could be applied to a wide range of functionalized substrates, allowing clean and fast delivery of the alcohol products within a few minutes (6-75 min). In three examples the system was scaled to deliver 50 mmol of product.

Enabling Technologies for the Future of Chemical Synthesis

Technology is evolving at breakneck pace, changing the way we communicate, travel, find out information, and live our lives. Yet chemistry as a science has been slower to adapt to this rapidly shifting world. In this Outlook we use highlights from recent literature reports to describe how progresses in enabling technologies are altering this trend, permitting chemists to incorporate new advances into their work at all levels of the chemistry development cycle. We discuss the benefits and challenges that have arisen, impacts on academic–industry relationships, and future trends in the area of chemical synthesis.

Iterative reactions of transient boronic acids enable sequential C–C bond formation

The ability to form multiple carbon-carbon bonds in a controlled sequence and thus rapidly build molecular complexity in an iterative fashion is an important goal in modern chemical synthesis. In recent times, transition-metal-catalysed coupling reactions have dominated in the development of C-C bond forming processes. A desire to reduce the reliance on precious metals and a need to obtain products with very low levels of metal impurities has brought a renewed focus on metal-free coupling processes. Here, we report the in situ preparation of reactive allylic and benzylic boronic acids, obtained by reacting flow-generated diazo compounds with boronic acids, and their application in controlled iterative C-C bond forming reactions is described. Thus far we have shown the formation of up to three C-C bonds in a sequence including the final trapping of a reactive boronic acid species with an aldehyde to generate a range of new chemical structures.

A Machine‐Assisted Flow Synthesis of SR48692: A Probe for the Investigation of Neurotensin Receptor‐1

Here we report the direct comparison of a conventional batch mode synthesis of Meclinertant (SR48692, 1), a neurotensin receptor-1 antagonist, with its machine-assisted flow chemistry alternative. By using these enabling tools, combined with solid-supported reagents and scavengers, many process advantages were observed. Care, however, must be taken not to convert these techniques into expensive solutions to problems that do not exist.

A Versatile Room‐Temperature Route to Di‐ and Trisubstituted Allenes Using Flow‐Generated Diazo Compounds

A copper-catalyzed coupling reaction between flow-generated unstabilized diazo compounds and terminal alkynes provides di- and trisubstituted allenes. This extremely mild and rapid transformation is highly tolerant of several functional groups.

Visible Light Activation of Boronic Esters Enables Efficient Photoredox C(sp2)–C(sp3) Cross-Couplings in Flow

Abstract We report herein a new method for the photoredox activation of boronic esters. Using these reagents, an efficient and high‐throughput continuous flow process was developed to perform a dual iridium‐ and nickel‐catalyzed C(sp2)–C(sp3) coupling by circumventing solubility issues associated with potassium trifluoroborate salts. Formation of an adduct with a pyridine‐derived Lewis base was found to be essential for the photoredox activation of the boronic esters. Based on these results we were able to develop a further simplified visible light mediated C(sp2)–C(sp3) coupling method using boronic esters and cyano heteroarenes under flow conditions.