Miquel A. Pericàs

A highly active catalyst for Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions based on the tris(triazolyl)methanol-Cu(I) structure.

A new tris(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methanol ligand 3 has been prepared by a triple Cu(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC). Ligand 3 forms a stable complex with CuCl, which catalyzes the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition on water or under neat conditions. Low catalyst loadings, short reaction times at room temperature, and compatibility with free amino groups make 3.CuCl an outstanding catalyst for CuAAC.

A Solid‐Supported Organocatalyst for Highly Stereoselective, Batch, and Continuous‐Flow Mannich Reactions

The fast and highly stereoselective Mannich reaction of aldehydes and ketones with the N-(p-methoxyphenyl) ethyl glyoxylate imine catalyzed by polystyrene resins functionalized with (2S,4R)-hydroxyproline is reported. The effect of the nature of the linker connecting proline with the polymeric backbone has been studied, and a 1,2,3-triazole linker constructed from azidomethyl polystyrene and O-propargyl hydroxyproline turns out to be optimal for catalytic activity and enantioselectivity. With aldehyde donors, fast reactions leading to complete conversion in 1-3 h are recorded in DMF. With ketone donors, the reactions tend to be slower, but can be efficiently accelerated (six-membered ring cycloalkanones) by low-power microwave irradiation. This approach, which greatly facilitates product isolation since the catalyst is removed by simple filtration, has allowed the implementation of the reactions of aldehyde substrates in a continuous-flow, single-pass system. In this manner, the continuous synthesis of the enantiomerically and diastereomerically pure adducts (syn/anti>97:3; ee>99 %) has been achieved at room temperature with residence times of 6.0 min. This methodology has allowed for the preparation of up to 7.8 mmol of the desired Mannich adduct through the use of 0.46 mmol of catalytic resin (5.9 mol %), in a greatly simplified experimental protocol that avoids purification steps.

Characterization of a (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase as the Saccharomyces cerevisiae YAL060W gene product. Disruption and induction of the gene

The completion of theSaccharomyces cerevisiae genome project in 1996 showed that almost 60% of the potential open reading frames of the genome had no experimentally determined function. Using a conserved sequence motif present in the zinc-containing medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenases, we found several potential alcohol dehydrogenase genes with no defined function. One of these,YAL060W, was overexpressed using a multicopy inducible vector, and its protein product was purified to homogeneity. The enzyme was found to be a homodimer that, in the presence of NAD+, but not of NADP, could catalyze the stereospecific oxidation of (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol (K m = 14 mm, k cat = 78,000 min− 1) and meso-butanediol (K m = 65 mm,k cat = 46,000 min− 1) to (3R)-acetoin and (3S)-acetoin, respectively. It was unable, however, to further oxidize these acetoins to diacetyl. In the presence of NADH, it could catalyze the stereospecific reduction of racemic acetoin ((3R/3S)- acetoin; K m = 4.5 mm, k cat = 98,000 min− 1) to (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol andmeso-butanediol, respectively. The substrate stereospecificity was determined by analysis of products by gas-liquid chromatography. The YAL060W gene product can therefore be classified as an NAD-dependent (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (BDH).S. cerevisiae could grow on 2,3-butanediol as the sole carbon and energy source. Under these conditions, a 3.5-fold increase in (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase activity was observed in the total cell extracts. The isoelectric focusing pattern of the induced enzyme coincided with that of the pure BDH (pI 6.9). The disruption of the YAL060W gene was not lethal for the yeast under laboratory conditions. The disrupted strain could also grow on 2,3-butanediol, although attaining a lesser cell density than the wild-type strain. Taking into consideration the substrate specificity of the YAL060W gene product, we propose the name of BDH for this gene. The corresponding enzyme is the first eukaryotic (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase characterized of the medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family.

Functionalization of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles for organocatalytic Michael reactions

(S)-α,α-Diphenylprolinol trimethylsilyl ether supported onto well-defined (5.7 ± 1.1 nm) superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles was used as a highly active, magnetically recoverable and reusable catalyst for the asymmetric, organocatalytic Michael addition of propanal to nitroolefins leading to high enantioselectivities. The assembly of the catalytic functional nanoparticles involves two successive steps: (i) introduction of a 3-azidopropyl unit through the formation of Si–O bonds, and (ii) integration of the organocatalytic unit by means of a copper-catalysed alkyne–azide cycloaddition reaction leading to a 1,2,3-triazole linker. Neither the process of nanoparticle assembly nor its catalytic use in dichloromethane solution provokes particle growth or agglomeration, this behaviour being key for the observation of high catalytic activity and for recyclability.

Selective Sigma-1 (σ1) Receptor Antagonists: Emerging Target for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain

A large number of therapeutic roles have been proposed for sigma(1) receptors but the involvement of sigma(1) receptor in non-acute pain had not been well explored up to now. sigma(1) receptor knock-out mice became available offering us the possibility to study the role of sigma(1) receptor in nociception, particularly in models where central sensitization processes play a significant role. Given the attractive therapeutic potential, we have developed a chemical program aimed at the discovery of novel and selective sigma(1) ligands. Herein we discuss the rational basis of this approach and report preliminary pharmacological results of several chemical series and aspects of their structure-activity relationship on sigma(1) receptor. Functional data in pain models are presented mainly on one series that provide evidence to consider selective sigma(1) receptor antagonists an innovative and alternative approach for treating neuropathic pain.

A Click Strategy for the Immobilization of MacMillan Organocatalysts onto Polymers and Magnetic Nanoparticles

A chemically modified, first generation MacMillan imidazolidin-4-one has been anchored onto 1% DVB Merrifield resin and Fe3O4 (5.3 ± 1.4 nm) magnetic nanoparticles through copper-catalyzed alkyne azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions. The resulting immobilized catalysts have been successfully used in the asymmetric Friedel-Crafts alkylation of N-substituted pyrroles with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. The PS-supported catalyst (B) showed higher catalytic activity and enantioselectivity, while the MNP-supported one (A) showed higher recyclability and could be used in a sequential process with intermediate magnetic decantation.

Polystyrene‐Supported Diarylprolinol Ethers as Highly Efficient Organocatalysts for Michael‐Type Reactions

α,α-Diphenylprolinol methyl- and trimethylsilyl ethers anchored onto a polystyrene resin have been prepared by a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions (CuAAC). The catalytic activity and enantioselectivity displayed by the O-trimethylsilyl derivative are comparable to those exhibited by the best known homogeneous catalysts for the addition of aldehydes to nitroolefins and of malonates or nitromethane to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. The combination of the catalytic unit, the triazole linker, and the polymeric matrix provides unprecedented substrate selectivity, in favor of linear, short-chain aldehydes, when the organocatalyzed reaction proceeds by an enamine mechanism. High versatility is noted in reactions that proceed via an iminium ion intermediate. The catalytic behavior of polystyrene-supported α,α-diphenylprolinol methyl ether was also evaluated in asymmetric Michael addition reactions. As a general trend, the CuAAC immobilization of diarylprolinol ethers onto insoluble polystyrene resins offers important operational advantages, such as high catalytic activity, easy recovery from the reaction mixture by simple filtration, and the possibility of extended reuse.

Conversion of oxiranes and CO2 to organic cyclic carbonates using a recyclable, bifunctional polystyrene-supported organocatalyst

The development of a heterogeneous one-component bifunctional catalyst system able to catalyse the conversion of carbon dioxide and oxiranes to organic cyclic carbonates at low temperature (45 °C) is reported. The bifunctional system can be easily recycled and reactivated when required. When compared with other heterogeneous organocatalysts for the same transformation, the reported catalyst is active at much milder temperatures, thus emphasising the optimal sustainability profile of the new catalyst system.

Light‐Driven Organocatalysis Using Inexpensive, Nontoxic Bi2O3 as the Photocatalyst

The development of enantioselective catalytic processes that make use of sunlight as the energy source and nontoxic, affordable materials as catalysts represents one of the new and rapidly evolving areas in chemical research. The direct asymmetric α-alkylation of aldehydes with α-bromocarbonyl compounds can be successfully achieved by combining bismuth-based materials as low-band-gap photocatalysts with the second-generation MacMillan imidazolidinone as the chiral catalyst and simulated sunlight as a low-cost and clean energy source. This reaction also proceeded with high efficiency when the reaction vial was exposed to the morning sunlight on a clear September day in Tarragona, Spain.

Continuous Flow, Highly Enantioselective Michael Additions Catalyzed by a PS-Supported Squaramide

A polystyrene (PS) supported bifunctional squaramide organocatalyst promotes fast Michael addition of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone to nitroalkenes with very high enantioselectivities at low catalyst loadings. The polystyrene supported catalyst can be recycled up to 10 times without any decrease in enantioselectivity (average 96% ee) and adapted to continuous flow operation (24 h). A single flow experiment involving six different nitroalkenes in a sequential manner highlights the applicability of this methodology for rapid access to chemical diversity.