SummaryInitially, the Atherton–Todd (AT) reaction was applied for the synthesis of phosphoramidates by reacting dialkyl phosphite with a primary amine in the presence of carbon tetrachloride. These reaction conditions were subsequently modified with the aim to optimize them and the reaction was extended to different nucleophiles. The mechanism of this reaction led to controversial reports over the past years and is adequately discussed. We also present the scope of the AT reaction. Finally, we investigate the AT reaction by means of exemplary applications, which mainly concern three topics. First, we discuss the activation of a phenol group as a phosphate which allows for subsequent transformations such as cross coupling and reduction. Next, we examine the AT reaction applied to produce fire retardant compounds. In the last section, we investigate the use of the AT reaction for the production of compounds employed for biological applications. The selected examples to illustrate the applications of the Atherton–Todd reaction mainly cover the past 15 years.

Edelfosine is an inhibitor of SK3 channel mediated cell migration. However, this compound bears adverse in vivo side effects. Using cell SK3 dependent cell-migration assay, patch-clamp, (125)I-apamin binding, and in vivo experiments we tested the ability of 15 lipid derivatives with chemical structures inspired from edelfosine to inhibit SK3 channels. Using a structure-activity relationship approach we identified an edelfosine analog named Ohmline (1-O-hexadecyl- 2-O-methyl-sn-glycero-3-lactose) with potent inhibitory effects on the SK3 channel. Its potency was greater for SK3 channels than for SK1 channels; it did not affect IKCa channels and only slightly but not significantly affected SK2 channels. This is the first SKCa channel blocker that can be used to discriminate between SK2 and SK1/SK3 channels and represents a useful tool to investigate the functional role of SK3 channels in peripheral tissues (that do not express SK1 channels). This compound, which acts with an IC(50) of 300 nM, did not displace apamin from SKCa channels and had no effect on non-specific edelfosine targets such as protein kinase C (PKC), receptors for platelet activating factor (PAF) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), as well as non-cancerous cells. This is promising because the pitfalls associated with the use of edelfosine-like compounds have been that their effective and high concentrations are often cytotoxic due to their detergent-like character causing normal cell lysis. Finally, Ohmline reduced metastasis development in a mice model of tumor indicating that this compound could become a lead compound for the first class of lipid-antimetastatic agent.

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Synthetic alkyl lipids, such as the ether lipids edelfosine (1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and ohmline (1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-β-lactose), are forming a class of antitumor agents that target cell membranes to induce apoptosis and to decrease cell migration/invasion, leading to the inhibition of tumor and metastasis development. In this review, we present the structure-activity relationship of edelfosine and ohmline, and we point out differences and similarities between these two amphiphilic compounds. We also discuss the mechanisms of action of these synthetic alkyl ether lipids (involving, among other structures and molecules, membrane domains, Fas/CD95 death receptor signaling, and ion channels), and highlight a key role for lipid rafts in the underlying process. The reorganization of lipid raft membrane domains induced by these alkyl lipids affects the function of death receptors and ion channels, thus leading to apoptosis and/or inhibition of cancer cell migration. The possible therapeutic use of these alkyl lipids and the clinical perspectives for these lipids in prevention or/and treatment of tumor development and metastasis are also discussed.

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Synthesis of thiophene-2,5-diphosphonic acid 2 is reported, and its use for synthesis of the original pristine materials Mn(2)(O(3)P-C(4)H(2)S-PO(3))·2H(2)O 3 is reported. The structure of material 3 has been fully resolved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Mn(2)(O(3)P-C(4)H(2)S-PO(3))·2H(2)O 3 crystallizes in a monoclinic cell (space group P2) with the following parameters: a = 11.60(1) Å, b = 4.943(5) Å, c = 19.614(13) Å, β = 107.22°. A noticeable feature of the structure of compound 3 is the orientation of the thiophene heterocycles that adopt two different orientations in two successive layers (along c). Thermal analysis of compound 3 indicates that the water molecules are easily removed from 160 to 230 °C while the dehydrated structure is stable up to 500 °C. The dehydrated compound obtained from 3 can be rehydrated to give the polymorphic compound Mn(2)(O(3)P-C(4)H(2)S-PO(3))·2H(2)O 4, which crystallizes in an orthorhombic cell (space group Pnam) with the following parameters: a = 7.5359(3) Å, b = 7.5524(3) Å, c = 18.3050(9) Å. The main difference between the structures of 3 and 4 arises from both the orientation of the thiophene rings (herringbone-type organization in 4) and the structure of the inorganic layers. The thiophene-2,5-diphosphonic acid moieties engaged in materials 3 and 4 adopt a different orientation likely due to rotation around the P-C bonds and via the dehydrated state 5, which is likely more flexible than the hydrated states. Study of the magnetic properties performed on compound 3 and 4 and on the dehydrated compounds Mn(2)(O(3)P-C(4)H(2)S-PO(3)) 5 complemented by the structural study has permitted us to characterize the antiferromagnetic ground state of sample 3, a weak ferromagnetic component in sample 4, and complete paramagnetic behavior in sample 5.

Tetraethyl vinylidenebis(phosphonate) (VBP) reacts smoothly with substituted 1,3-dienes at 90-110 degrees C without solvent to give the corresponding cyclohex-3-ene-1,1-bis(phosphonates) in good yields (60-85%). With nonsymmetrically substituted dienes, mixtures of regioisomers are obtained, the regioisomeric ratio being exclusively controlled by electronic effects. Danishefsky's diene allows tetraethyl 4-oxocyclohex-2-ene-1,1-bis(phosphonate) to be obtained in an 81% overall yield after the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the Diels-Alder cycloadduct. With 2,3-dimethoxy-1,3-butadiene, a mixture of regioisomeric dimethoxycyclohexene-1,1-bis(phosphonates) is formed by the VBP-catalyzed isomerization of the normal Diels-Alder cycloadduct. The mixture converges into tetraethyl 3,4-dimethoxycyclohex-2-ene-1,1-bis(phosphonate) at prolonged reaction times.

International audienceThree new hybrid organic-inorganic materials Pb3(H2O)2(p-PO3C6H4CO2)2 (2), Pb6(H2O)2(p-PO3C6H4CO2)4 (3), and Pb5(p-PO3C6H4COOH)2(p-PO3C6H4CO2)2 (4) have been synthesized by hydrothermal treatment involving PbII salts and a rigid heterodifunctional precursor 4-phosphonobenzoic acid {p-PO(OH)2C6H4COOH}. The use of 3-phosphonobenzoic acid {m-PO(OH)2C6H4COOH} as another rigid organic precursor is also reported. These two organic building units possess two distinct functional groups (phosphonic acid and carboxylic acid) both having the aptitude to generate chemical bonds with a metallic precursor. The structures of the produced materials have been solved by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. It was observed that the use of the 4-phosphonobenzoic acid produces the hybrids 2, 3, or 4 that possess a layered structure. In these three materials, the inorganic planes are linked together via an organic bridge. For 2, 3 and 4 the understanding of the stacking of the organic molecules within the layer, the influence of the electronic lone pair and the water molecules is discussed.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009