A general method for Pd-catalyzed sulfonamidation of aryl nonafluorobutanesulfonates (aryl nonaflates) is described. A biaryl phosphine ligand, t-BuXPhos, formed the most active catalyst, and K(3)PO(4) in tert-amyl alcohol was found to be the optimal base-solvent combination for the reaction. The reaction conditions were tolerant of various functional groups such as cyano, nitro, ester, aldehyde, ketone, chloride, carbamate, and phenol. Heterocyclic aryl nonaflates were found to be suitable coupling partners. High yields of the coupled products were obtained from the reactions between inherently disfavored substrates such as electron-rich nonaflates and electron-poor sulfonamides. Kinetic data suggest reductive elimination to be the rate-limiting step for the reaction. The only limitation of this methodology that we have identified is the inability of 2,6-disubstituted aryl nonaflates to efficiently participate in the reaction.

A general and practical method for the preparation of unsymmetrically substituted ureas has been developed utilizing palladium-catalyzed amidation. Both aryl bromides and chlorides, as well as heteroaryl chlorides, have been coupled to aryl, benzyl, and aliphatic ureas by using a novel nonproprietary bipyrazole ligand (bippyphos).

We report the use of biaryl phosphorinanes as ligands for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. A modular synthesis was developed that employs a double conjugate addition of primary biaryl phosphines into 1,1,5,5-tetraalkyl penta-1,4-diene-3-ones. Notably, this synthesis does not require the use of copper, a known contaminant in structurally related biaryl phosphane ligands. Using the synthetic strategy described above, we synthesized a library of biaryl phosphorinanes, varying their substitution about phosphorus and the steric and electronic nature of the biaryl motif. We then benchmarked their performance as ligands in Pd-catalyzed cross coupling reactions such as aryl sulfonamidation, aryl alkoxylation, and aryl amination in the presence of soluble organic bases. In each reaction studied, many ligands outperformed biaryl phosphanes known to promote the given transformation. Detailed substrate scopes were determined using high-throughput screening technology. Several biaryl phosphorinanes and their corresponding Pd­(II) oxidative-addition complexes were extensively characterized using NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. General observations support that biaryl phosphorinanes promote reductive elimination and form robust catalysts with palladium. In many cases the use of these biaryl phosphorinanes may be advantageous over the use of biaryl phosphanes with respect to lower catalyst loadings, shorter reaction times, and robustness.

The discovery, development and implementation of two chemical routes to ABT-869 is reported. Optimization of the first-generation heterocycle formation and Suzuki coupling is briefly described. Key features of the second-generation synthesis include the development of a safe hydrazine condensation by utilizing an inorganic base to increase the onset temperature of exothermic decomposition. The second-generation Suzuki reaction is discussed in detail, culminating in the use of an oxygen monitor as a PAT to maximize reproducibility on scale.

A nine-step convergent process was developed for the synthesis of ABT-472, a benzimidazole PARP inhibitor. The identity and origin of several impurities were determined, and the process was modified to reduce or eliminate these impurities. A number of safety and control issues were investigated. The original synthesis was shortened to 9 steps and streamlined while maintaining a convergent strategy. A stable salt was selected, and control of the API solid form was established. The process was successfully scaled up to provide 8.5 kg of final product of >99% purity in 33% yield over 9 steps.