1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) is a polar, strongly hydrogen bond-donating solvent that has found numerous uses in organic synthesis due to its ability to stabilize ionic species, transfer protons, and engage in a range of other intermolecular interactions. The use of this solvent has exponentially increased in the past decade and has become a solvent of choice in some areas, such as C–H functionalization chemistry. In this review, following a brief history of HFIP in organic synthesis and an overview of its physical properties, literature examples of organic reactions using HFIP as a solvent or an additive are presented, emphasizing the effect of solvent of each reaction.

Heteroaromatic sulfones react with cysteine via nucleophilic aromatic substitution, providing a mechanistically selective and irreversible scaffold for cysteine conjugation. Here we evaluate a library of heteroaromatic sulfides with different oxidation states, heteroatom substitutions, and a series of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents. Select substitutions profoundly influence reactivity and stability compared to conventional cysteine conjugation reagents, increasing the reaction rate by >3 orders of magnitude. The findings establish a series of synthetically accessible electrophilic scaffolds tunable across multiple centers. New electrophiles and their corresponding alkyne conjugates were profiled directly in cultured cells, achieving thiol saturation in a few minutes at submillimolar concentrations. Direct addition of desthiobiotinfunctionalized probes to cultured cells simplified enrichment and elution to enable the mass spectrometry discovery of >3000 reactive and/or accessible thiols labeled in their native cellular environments in a fraction of the standard analysis time. Surprisingly, only half of the annotated cysteines were identified by both iodoacetamide-desthiobiotin and methylsulfonylbenzothiazoledesthiobiotin in replicate experiments, demonstrating complementary detection by mass spectrometry analysis. These probes offer advantages over existing cysteine alkylation reagents, including accelerated reaction rates, improved stability, and robust ionization for mass spectrometry applications. Overall, heteroaromatic sulfones provide modular tunability, shifted chromatographic elution times, and superior in-cell cysteine profiling for in-depth proteome-wide analysis and covalent ligand discovery.

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are diverse group of compounds used for the treatment of inflammation, since the introduction of acetylsalicylic acid in 1899. Traditional (first generation) NSAIDs exert antiinflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic effects through the blockade of prostaglandin synthesis via non-selective inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) isozymes. Their use is associated with side effects such as gastrointestinal and renal toxicity. A number of selective (second generation) COX-2 inhibitors (rofecoxib, celecoxib, valdecoxib etc.) were developed as safer NSAIDs with improved gastric safety profile. Observation of increased cardiovascular risks in APPROVe (Adenomatous Polyp Prevention on Vioxx) study sent tremors and led to voluntary withdrawn of Vioxx (rofecoxib) by Merck from the market in September 2004 followed by Bextra (valdecoxib) in 2005 raising a question on the safety of selective COX-2 inhibitors. This leads to the belief that these effects are mechanism based and may be class effect. However, some studies suggested association of traditional NSAIDs with similar effects requiring a relook into the whole class of NSAIDs rather than simply victimizing the selective COX-2 inhibitors. Recognition of new avenues for selective COX-2 inhibitors such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, major depression, ischemic brain injury and diabetic peripheral nephropathy has kindled the interest in these compounds. This review highlights the various structural classes of selective COX-2 inhibitors developed during past seven years (2003-2009) with special emphasis on diaryl-hetero/carbo-cyclic class of compounds. Molecular modeling aspects are also briefly discussed.

Simple dissolution of an arylalkyl acid chloride in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol promotes an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation without additional catalysts or reagents. This reaction is operationally trivial in both execution and product isolation (only requiring concentration followed by purification) and accommodates a broad range of substrates. Preliminary studies that bear upon potential reaction mechanisms are reported.

Withanolides, and in particular extracts from Withania somnifera, have been used for over 3,000 years in traditional Ayurvedic and Unani Indian medical systems as well as within several other Asian countries. Traditionally, the extracts were ascribed a wide range of pharmacologic properties with corresponding medical uses, including adaptogenic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, sedative/anxiolytic, cytotoxic, antitussive, and immunomodulatory. Since the discovery of the archetype withaferin A in 1965, approximately 900 of these naturally occurring, polyoxygenated steroidal lactones with 28-carbon ergostane skeletons have been discovered across 24 diverse structural types. Subsequently, extensive pharmacologic research has identified multiple mechanisms of action across key inflammatory pathways. In this chapter we identify and describe the major withanolides with anti-inflammatory properties, illustrate their role within essential and supportive inflammatory pathways (including NF-κB, JAK/STAT, AP-1, PPARγ, Hsp90 Nrf2, and HIF-1), and then discuss the clinical application of these withanolides in inflammation-mediated chronic diseases (including arthritis, autoimmune, cancer, neurodegenerative, and neurobehavioral). These naturally derived compounds exhibit remarkable biologic activity across these complex disease processes, while showing minimal adverse effects. As novel compounds and analogs continue to be discovered, characterized, and clinically evaluated, the interest in withanolides as a novel therapeutic only continues to grow.

A method for carrying out the intramolecular Schmidt reaction of alkyl azides and ketones using a substoichiometric amount of catalyst is reported. Following extensive screening, the use of the strong hydrogen bond donating solvent hexafluoro-2-propanol was found to be consistent with low catalyst loadings, which range from 2.5 mol% for favorable substrates to 25 mol% for more difficult cases. Reaction optimization, broad substrate scope, and preliminary mechanistic studies of this improved version of the reaction are described.

The effect of carrying out two variations of the Schmidt reaction with ketone electrophiles in hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) solvent has been studied. When TMSN3 is reacted with ketones in the presence of triflic acid (TfOH) promoter, tetrazoles are obtained as the major products. This observation is in contrast to established methods, which usually lead to amides or lactams arising from formal NH insertion as the major products. The full product profiles of several examples of this reaction are also reported and found to include mechanistically interesting products (e.g., double ring expansion). Application of TfOH promoter in HFIP was also found to promote the reaction of a hydroxyalkyl azide with a ketone, which affords lactams following nucleophilic opening of initially formed iminium ether more efficiently than previously reported methods.

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