Habiba Vaghoo

Gallium (III) triflate catalyzed efficient Strecker reaction of ketones and their fluorinated analogs

The synthesis of α-aminonitriles and their fluorinated analogs has been carried out in high yield and purity by the Strecker reaction from the corresponding ketones and amines with trimethylsilyl cyanide using gallium triflate in dichloromethane. Monofluoro-, difluro-, or trifluoromethyl groups can be incorporated into the α-aminonitrile product by varying the nature of the fluorinated ketones. Study with various fluorinated and nonfluorinated ketones reveals that the choice of proper catalyst and the solvent system (suitable metal triflates as a catalyst and dichloromethane as a solvent) plays the key role in the direct Strecker reactions of ketones.

Efficient nucleophilic fluoromethylation and subsequent transformation of alkyl and benzyl halides using fluorobis(phenylsulfonyl)methane.

An efficient methodology for the nucleophilic fluoromethylation of alkyl and benzyl halides using alpha-fluoro-alpha-(phenylsulfonyl)methane (1) as a highly versatile reagent is reported. Using benzyl halides, stereospecific one-pot synthesis of alpha-fluorovinyl compounds such as alpha-fluorostyrylsulfones, alpha-fluorocinnamates, and alpha-fluorochalcones has been achieved. The methodology has been extended toward the synthesis of alpha-substituted fluoroalkane derivatives using selective reductive desulfonylation conditions.

Efficient 1,4-addition of α-substituted fluoro(phenylsulfonyl)methane derivatives to α,β-unsaturated compounds

Summary The 1,4-addition of a monofluoromethyl nucleophile to a variety of α,β-unsaturated compounds has been achieved under mild conditions using either phosphines or potassium carbonate at room temperature. α-Substituted fluoro(phenylsulfonyl)methane easily undergoes Michael addition to α,β-unsaturated ketones, esters, nitriles, sulfones, as well as propynoates at room temperature to yield the corresponding adducts in moderate to excellent yields.

Preparation of trifluoromethylated dihydrocoumarins, indanones, and arylpropanoic acids by tandem superacidic activation of 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid with arenes.

Indanones and coumarins are important intermediates for the convenient synthesis of many pharmaceutical and biologically active compounds. Fluoroorganics play a vital role in the design of very effective therapeutics due to significant enhancenment in their lipophilicity, bioavailability, and fast uptake by the presence of fluorine in these molecules. Herein, we report an efficient one-pot synthesis of trifluoromethylated arylpropanoic acids, indanones, and dihydrocoumarins using Friedel-Crafts alkylation or tandem Friedel-Crafts alkylation-cycloacylation of arenes/phenols with 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid under superacidic conditions using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. The results have been rationalized by the structure energy calculations of the involved reaction intermediates using ab initio theoretical methods.

Effect of carbonates/phosphates as nucleophilic catalysts in dimethylformamide for efficient cyanosilylation of aldehydes and ketones

Cyanosilylation of aldehydes and aliphatic ketones can be carried out in dimethylformamide even without the use of any catalyst. In the presence of nucleophilic catalysts such as carbonate and phosphate salts, the reaction rate is significantly enhanced.

Efficient green synthesis of α-aminonitriles, precursors of α-amino acids

The synthesis of α-aminonitriles by a direct three component Strecker reaction has been achieved using environmentally friendly solid acid catalysts, Nafion®-H and Nafion®SAC-13.

Gallium (III) triflate-catalyzed synthesis of heterocycles: quinoxalines, 1,5-benzodiazepines and their fluorinated derivatives

BACKGROUND The quinoxaline nucleus is a part of several antibiotics, such as echinomycin, levomycin and actinomycin, which are known to inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and are active against various transplantable tumors. Benzodiazepines are important classes of heterocycles that draw significant interest from the pharmaceutical industry because of their prominent therapeutic value, such as antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiprotozoaval properties and also as kinase inhibitors. They have also been evaluated as anticancer, anthelmintic, antifungal and insecticidal agents. RESULTS & CONCLUSION Quinoxalines, benzodiazepines and their fluorinated derivatives have been prepared in excellent yields from the corresponding diamines and diketones using gallium (III) triflate as an efficient and environmentally friendly catalyst, due to its stability, recyclability and minimal toxicity.

Superelectrophilic Activation of Crotonic/Methacrylic Acids: Direct Access to Thiochroman-4-ones from Benzenethiols by Microwave-Assisted One-Pot Alkylation/Cyclic Acylation

An efficient microwave-assisted protocol for the synthesis of 2-/3-methylthiochroman-4-ones by superacid-catalyzed alkylation followed by cyclic acylation (cyclization via intramolecular acylation) is described. Using easily accessible benzenethiols and crotonic acid/methacrylic acid with triflic acid (as catalyst of choice for needed optimal acidity), the reaction was tuned toward the formation of the cyclized products in good selectivity and yield. A mechanism involving the formation of carbenium-carboxonium superelectrophilic species is suggested.