Klaus Albertshofer

Water-compatible organocatalysts for direct asymmetric syn-aldol reactions of dihydroxyacetone and aldehydes.

A novel organocatalyst was developed that effectively catalyzed the reactions of unprotected or protected dihydroxyacetone with a variety of aldehydes to provide syn-aldol products with good yields and ee values up to >99%. Significantly, this amide catalyst was effective with a variety of nonaromatic aldehyde acceptors that had proven difficult in the presence of other catalysts. Reactions of protected dihydroxyacetone proceeded in aqueous media without addition of organic solvents.

Assembly of spirooxindole derivatives containing four consecutive stereocenters via organocatalytic Michael-Henry cascade reactions.

A novel organocatalytic strategy for the synthesis of highly substituted spirocyclopentaneoxindoles was developed employing simple nitrostyrenes and 3-substituted oxindoles as starting materials. Michael-Henry cascade reactions, enabled through cinchona alkaloid organocatalysis, provided products in high yield and excellent enantioselectivity in a single step.

Assembly of spirooxindole derivatives via organocatalytic iminium-enamine cascade reactions.

The assembly of complex spirocyclopentaneoxindoles via a novel organocatalytic iminium-enamine cascade process is reported. Reactions between 3-substituted oxindoles and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes catalyzed by second generation prolinol ethers provided the desired products in high yield with excellent levels of enantioselectivity in a single step.

Asymmetric Construction of Spirocyclopentenebenzofuranone Core Structures via Highly Selective Phosphine-Catalyzed [3 + 2] Cycloaddition Reactions

An efficient organocatalytic asymmetric [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction between 3-substituted methylenebenzofuranone derivatives and diverse Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates to provide complex polysubstituted spirocyclopentenebenzofuranone scaffolds in a single step is reported. C2-symmetric phospholanes were efficient nucleophilic catalysts of this transformation under mild conditions, providing reaction products comprised of three consecutive stereocenters, including one all-carbon center, with excellent enantioselectivity.

Peptide Nucleic Acids Conjugated to Short Basic Peptides Show Improved Pharmacokinetics and Antisense Activity in Adipose Tissue

A peptide nucleic acid (PNA) targeting a splice junction of the murine PTEN primary transcript was covalently conjugated to various basic peptides. When systemically administered to healthy mice, the conjugates displayed sequence-specific alteration of PTEN mRNA splicing as well as inhibition of full length PTEN protein expression. Correlating activity with drug concentration in various tissues indicated strong tissue-dependence, with highest levels of activity observed in adipose tissue. While the presence of a peptide carrier was found to be crucial for efficient delivery to tissue, little difference was observed between the various peptides evaluated. A second PNA-conjugate targeting the murine insulin receptor primary transcript showed a similar activity profile, suggesting that short basic peptides can generally be used to effectively deliver peptide nucleic acids to adipose tissue.