Pedro Almendros

β-Lactams as Versatile Synthetic Intermediates for the Preparation of Heterocycles of Biological Interest

Since the advent of penicillin, the beta-lactam antibiotics have been the subject of much discussion and investigation, within both the scientific and public sectors. The primary biological targets of the beta-lactam antibacterial drugs are the penicillin binding proteins, a group of transpeptidases anchored within the bacterial cellular membrane, which mediate the final step of cell wall biosynthesis. The extensive use of common beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins in medicine has resulted in an increasing number of resistant strains of bacteria through mutation and beta-lactamase gene transfer. Thus, a handful of nonconventional fused polycyclic beta-lactams have been described in the literature in order to overcome the defence mechanisms of the bacteria. In fact, tricyclic beta-lactam antibiotics, generally referred to as trinems, are a new class of synthetic antibacterial agents featuring good resistance to beta-lactamases and dehydropeptidases. In addition, recent discoveries have shown other biological properties of these compounds apart from their antibacterial action. In this sense, beta-lactams can serve as inhibitors of serine proteases, such as human leukocyte elastase (HLE) or thrombin, acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitors and inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus. Additional impetus for research efforts on beta-lactam chemistry has been provided by the introduction of the beta-lactam synthon method, a term coined by Ojima 20 years ago, according to which 2-azetidinones can be employed as useful intermediates in organic synthesis. The usefulness of beta-lactams in the stereocontrolled synthesis of heterocycles of biological significance is based on the impressive variety of transformations, which can be derived from this system, due inter alia to a high chirality content that can be transferred into a variety of products. The cyclic 2-azetidinone skeleton has been extensively used as a template on which to build the heterocyclic structure fused to the four-membered ring, using the chirality and functionalisation of the beta-lactam nucleus as a stereocontrolling element. Alternatively, the direct one-pot generation of fused nitrogen heterocyclic systems from the nitrogen framework of 2-azetidinone derivatives has been achieved by selective bond breakage and rearrangement. It is our aim in this Review to highlight the state of the art in this endeavour, consisting either of the stereocontrolled synthesis of fused polycyclic beta-lactams of antibacterial interest, or stereoselective synthesis of different sized heterocycles of biological significance. Representative examples of the latter include indolizidines, pyrrolizidines, pirrolidines, pyrroles, taxoids and macrolide natural products.

Gold catalyzed oxycyclizations of alkynols and alkyndiols

Alkynols and alkyndiols represent excellent building blocks for oxycyclization reactions, leading to a large number of different cyclic structures in one single step. Recently, the use of gold salts and gold complexes has been introduced as an alternative to the traditional methods, providing mild reaction conditions and high group compatibility. This overview focuses on the most recent achievements on gold-catalyzed oxycyclizations, both from alkynols and alkyndiols, and their use in different cascade processes and total synthesis.

Cross-Coupling/Cyclization Reactions of Two Different Allenic Moieties

The allene moiety represents an excellent building block for allene cross-coupling cyclization reactions, affording heterocyclic skeletons in a single step. This strategy is of particular interest when two different allene derivatives are involved in a series of metal-catalyzed cross-coupling heterocyclization processes. This Concept article is focused on the Pd-catalyzed union of two different allenic moieties, with cyclization of at least one of them by intramolecular cyclometalation. These new, versatile, and highly effective transformations are complex multistep processes leading to potential privileged structures that could find wide applications in related medicinal chemistry.

Regioselectivity Control in the Metal‐Catalyzed OC Functionalization of γ‐Allenols, Part 1: Experimental Study

We describe versatile regiocontrolled metal-catalyzed heterocyclization reactions of gamma-allenol derivatives leading to a variety of fused enantiopure tetrahydrofurans, dihydropyrans, and tetrahydrooxepines. Regioselectivity control in the O-C functionalization of gamma-allenols can be achieved through the choice of catalyst: use of AuCl(3) exclusively affords tetrahydrofurans, use of La[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3) usually favors the formation of dihydropyrans, whereas use of PdCl(2) solely gives tetrahydrooxepines. In addition, it has been observed that for the Au-catalyzed cycloisomerization, the presence of a methoxymethyl protecting group not only masks a hydroxy functionality, but also exerts directing effects as a controlling unit in a regioselectivity reversal (7-endo versus 5-exo cyclization). In addition, the regioselectivity of the La-catalyzed cycloetherification can be tuned (5-exo versus 7-endo) simply through a subtle variation in the substitution pattern of the allene component (Ph versus Me). Thus, for the first time the regiocontrolled heterocyclization of gamma-allenol derivatives is both catalyst- and substrate-directable. These metal-catalyzed heterocyclization reactions have been developed experimentally (Part 1, this paper), and their mechanisms have additionally been investigated by a theoretical study (Part 2, accompanying paper).

Metal‐Catalyzed Cycloetherification Reactions of β,γ‐ and γ,δ‐Allendiols: Chemo‐, Regio‐, and Stereocontrol in the Synthesis of Oxacycles

Versatile routes that lead to a variety of functionalized enantiopure tetrahydrofurans, dihydropyrans, and tetrahydrooxepines are based on chemo-, regio-, and stereocontrolled metal-catalyzed oxycyclization reactions of β,γ- and γ,δ-allendiols, which were readily prepared from (R)-2,3-O-isopropylideneglyceraldehyde. The application of Pd(II), Pt(II), Au(III), or La(III) salts as the catalysts gives controlled access to differently sized oxacycles in enantiopure form. Usually, chemoselective cyclization reactions occurred exclusively by attack of the secondary hydroxy group (except for the oxybromination of phenyl β,γ-allenic diols 3b and 3d) to an allenic carbon atom. Regio- and stereocontrol issues are mainly influenced by the nature of the metal catalysts and substituents.

Fascinating reactivity in gold catalysis: synthesis of oxetenes through rare 4-exo-dig allene cyclization and infrequent β-hydride elimination

A novel reactivity in gold catalysis, namely the unusual preference for the 4-exo-dig cyclization in allene chemistry as well as the rare β-hydride elimination reaction, was uncovered starting from readily available allenols.

Synthesis of Spiroheterocycles by Palladium-Catalyzed Domino Cycloisomerization/Cross-Coupling of α-Allenols and Baylis-Hillman Acetates

First insights into the reaction between a Baylis-Hillman adduct and an allene moiety have been obtained from the novel domino heterocyclization/cross-coupling reaction of alpha-allenols and Baylis-Hillman acetates, which furnishes [(2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl)methyl]acrylate derivatives in moderate to good yields.

Allenyl-β-lactams: versatile scaffolds for the synthesis of heterocycles

The hybrid allenic β-lactam moiety represents an excellent building block for carbo- and heterocyclization reactions, affording a large number of cyclic structures containing different sized skeletons in a single step. This strategy has been studied under thermal and radical-induced conditions. More recently, the use of transition-metal catalysis has been introduced as an alternative that relies on the activation of the allenic component. On the other hand, the intramolecular version has attracted much attention as a strategy for the synthesis of bi- and tricyclic compounds in a regio- and stereoselective manner. This overview focuses on the most recently developed cyclizations on 2-azetidinone-tethered allenes along with remarkable early works accounting for the mechanism, as well as for the regio- and diastereoselectivities of the cyclizations.

Metal‐Catalyzed Cyclization of β‐ and γ‐Allenols Derived from D‐Glyceraldehyde—Synthesis of Enantiopure Dihydropyrans and Tetrahydrooxepines: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

Regiocontrolled metal-catalyzed preparations of enantiopure dihydropyrans and tetrahydrooxepines have been synthesized starting from beta- and gamma-allenols derived from D-glyceraldehyde. The Pd(II)-catalyzed cyclizative coupling reactions of beta-allenols 1 a and 1 b with allyl bromide effectively afforded enantiopure tetrafunctionalized dihydropyrans through a 6-endo oxycyclization protocol, whereas the gold-, platinum-, and palladium-mediated heterocyclization of gamma-allenol 2 furnished tetrahydrooxepines 13-16 through regioselective 7-endo-trig oxycyclization reactions. Moreover, density functional calculations were performed to predict the regioselectivity of the gamma-allenol cycloetherification to tetrahydrooxepines on the basis of both the tether nature and characteristics of the metals, and to gain an insight into the mechanism of the oxycyclization reactions.

Cyclization reactions of bis(allenes) for the synthesis of polycarbo(hetero)cycles

The chemistry of allenes is an appealing topic which fascinates chemists nowadays. Their reactivity and versatility makes this skeleton a useful moiety to create a great variety of structures depending on the functional groups attached and the reaction conditions used. Recently, there is a growing interest in the study of the reactivity of bis(allenes) inspired in the chemistry developed in simple allenes. In this review a collection of examples of cyclization reactions of bis(allenes) is presented as well as the future perspectives.