The reaction of a variety N6-aryl 2’-deoxyadenosine and adenosine derivatives with PhI(OAc)2 in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol provides facile access to benzimidazopurine nucleoside analogues by metal-free C–N bond formation with a purinyl nitrogen atom. These reactions likely proceed via radical-cation/radical processes as indicated by radical inhibition experiments.

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Amide bonds are ubiquitous in peptides, proteins, pharmaceuticals, and polymers. The formation of amide bonds is a straightforward process: amide bonds can be synthesized with relative ease because of the availability of efficient coupling agents. However, there is a substantive need for methods that do not require excess reagents. A catalyst that condenses amino acids could have an important impact by reducing the significant waste generated during peptide synthesis. We describe the rational design of a biomimetic catalyst that can efficiently couple amino acids featuring standard protecting groups. The catalyst design combines lessons learned from enzymes, peptide biosynthesis, and organocatalysts. Under optimized conditions, 5 mol % catalyst efficiently couples Fmoc amino acids without notable racemization. Importantly, we demonstrate that the catalyst is functional for the synthesis of oligopeptides on solid phase. This result is significant because it illustrates the potential of the catalyst to function on a substrate with a multitude of amide bonds, which may be expected to inhibit a hydrogen-bonding catalyst.

C(sp3)–N bond-forming reactions between benzotriazole and 5,6-dimethylbenzotriazole with N-methylpyrrolidinone, tetrahydrofuran, tetrahydropyran, diethyl ether, 1,4-dioxane, and isochroman have been conducted using RuCl3•3H2O/t-BuOOH in 1,2-dichloroethane. In all cases, N1 and N2 alkylation products were obtained, and these are readily separated by chromatography. One of these products, 1-(isochroman-1-yl)-5,6-dimethyl-1H-benzotriazole, was examined by X-ray crystallography. It is the first such compound to be analyzed by this method, and notably, the benzotriazolyl moiety is quasi-axially disposed, consistent with the anomeric effect. This has plausible consequences, not observed previously. In contrast to other hemiaminal ether-forming reactions, which proceed via radicals, this Ru-catalyzed process is not suppressed in the presence of a radical inhibitor. Therefore, an oxoruthenium-species-mediated rapid formation of an oxocarbenium intermediate is believed to occur. In the radical-trapping experiment, previously unknown products containing both the benzotriazole and the TEMPO unit have been identified. In these products, it is likely that the benzotriazole is introduced via a Ru-catalyzed C–N bond formation, whereas C–O bond-formation with TEMPO occurs via a radical reaction. We show that reactions of THF with TEMPO are influenced by ambient light. A competitive reaction of THF and THF-d8 with benzotriazole indicated that C–H bond cleavage occurs ca. 5 times faster than C–D cleavage. This is comparable to other metal-mediated radical reactions of THF, but lower than that observed for a reaction catalyzed by n-Bu4N+I−. Detailed mechanistic experiments and comparisons are described. The catalytic system was also evaluated for reactions of benzimidazole, imidazole, 1,2,4-triazole, and 1,2,3-triazole with THF, and successful reactions were achieved in each case. In the course of our studies, we discovered an unexpected but significant isomerization of some of the benzotriazolyl hemiaminal ethers. This is plausibly attributable to the pseudoaxial orientation of the heterocycle in the products and the stability of oxocarbenium ions, both of which can contribute to C–N bond cleavage and reformation. Predominantly, the N2-isomers rearrange to the N1-isomers even upon storage at low temperature! This previously unknown phenomenon has also been studied and described.

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Simple, convenient methods have been developed using readily available, easy-to-handle reagents to access a variety of chiral amino alcohols and amines, which have considerable potential for applications in asymmetric organic transformations. Scholars from this laboratory in India have made significant contributions to this field, which is the subject of the current review.

Cladribine, 2-chloro-2′-deoxyadenosine, is a highly efficacious clinically used nucleoside for the treatment of hairy cell leukemia. It is also being evaluated against other lymphoid malignancies and has been a molecule of interest for well over half a century. In continuation of our interest on the amide bond-activation in purine nucleosides via the use of (benzotriazol-1yl-oxy)tris(dimethylamino)phosphonium hexafluorophosphate, we have evaluated the use of O6-(benzotriazol-1-yl)-2′-deoxyguanosine as a potential precursor to cladribine and its analogues. These compounds, after appropriate deprotection, were assessed for their biological activities and the data are presented herein. Against hairy cell leukemia (HCL), T-cell lymphoma (TCL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cladribine was the most active against all. The bromo analogue of cladribine showed comparable activity to the ribose analogue of cladribine against HCL, but was more active against TCL and CLL. The bromo ribo analogue of cladribine possessed activity, but was least active among the C6-NH2-containing compounds. Substitution with alkyl groups at the exocyclic amino group appears detrimental to activity, and only the C6 piperidinyl cladribine analogue demonstrated any activity. Against adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells, only cladribine and its ribose analogue were most active.

In this work we have assessed reactions of N6-([1,1’-biaryl]-2-yl)adenine nucleosides with Pd(OAc)2 and PhI(OAc)2, via a PdII/PdIV redox cycle. The substrates are readily obtained by Pd/Xantphos-catalyzed reaction of adenine nucleosides with 2-bromo-1,1’-biaryls. In PhMe, the N6-biarylyl nucleosides gave C6-carbazolyl nucleoside analogues by C–N bond formation with the exocyclic N6 nitrogen atom. In the solvent screening for the Pd-catalyzed reactions, an uncatalyzed process was found to be operational. It was observed that the carbazolyl products could also be obtained in the absence of a metal catalyst by reaction with PhI(OAc)2 in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). Thus, under Pd catalysis and in HFIP, reactions proceed to provide carbazolyl nucleoside analogues, with some differences. If reactions of N6-biarylyl nucleoside substrates were conducted in MeCN, formation of aryl benzimidazopurinyl nucleoside derivatives was observed in many cases by C–N bond formation with the N1 ring nitrogen atom of the purine (carbazole and benzimidazole isomers are readily separated by chromatography). Whereas PdII/PdIV redox is responsible for carbazole formation under the metal-catalyzed conditions, in HFIP and MeCN radical cations and/or nitrenium ions can be intermediates. An extensive set of radical inhibition experiments was conducted and the data are presented.