Search

In the biosynthesis of menaquinone in bacteria, the thiamine diphosphate-dependent enzyme MenD catalyzes the decarboxylative carboligation of α-ketoglutarate and isochorismate to (1R,2S,5S,6S)-2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxycyclohex-3-ene-1-carboxylate (SEPHCHC). The regioisomer of SEPHCHC, namely (1R,5S,6S)-2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxycyclohex-2-ene-1-carboxylate (iso-SEPHCHC), has been considered as a possible product, however, its existence has been doubtful due to a spontaneous elimination of pyruvate from SEPHCHC to 2-succinyl-6-hydroxy-2,4-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylate (SHCHC). In this work, the regioisomer iso-SEPHCHC was distinguished from SEPHCHC by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Iso-SEPHCHC was purified and identified by NMR spectroscopy. Just as SEPHCHC remained hidden as a MenD product for more than two decades, its regioisomer iso-SEPHCHC has remained until now., (© 2022 The Authors. ChemBioChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The reliable design and prediction of enzyme promiscuity to access transformations not observed in nature remains a long-standing challenge. Herein, we present the first example of an intramolecular stereoselective Stetter reaction catalyzed by benzaldehyde lyase, guided by the rational structure screening of various ThDP-dependent enzymes using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. After optimization, high productivity (up to 99 %) and stereoselectivity (up to 99:1 e.r.) for this novel enzyme function was achieved., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Radical developments: Photochemical/secondary amine dual catalysis has proven to be an efficient strategy for radical umpolung reactions. Two new processes provide an elegant solution to a long-standing chemoselectivity problem for the synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The catalytic umpolung of imines remains an underdeveloped approach to reaction discovery. Herein we report an enantioselective aza-Stetter reaction that proceeds via imine umpolung using N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis. The reaction proceeds with high levels of enantioselectivity (all ≥96:4 er) and good generality (21 examples). Mechanistic studies are reported and are consistent with turnover-limiting addition of the NHC to the imine., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A bioinspired, intermolecular radical Stetter reaction of α-keto acids and aldehydes is disclosed that is contingent on a formal "radical umpolung" concept. Enabled by secondary amine activation, electrostatic recognition ensures that the α-ketocarboxylic acids, which function as latent acyl radicals, are proximal to the in situ generated iminium salts. This photoactive contact ion pair is an electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex, and undergoes facile single electron transfer (SET) and rapid decarboxylation prior to radical-radical recombination. Importantly, decarbonylation is mitigated by this strategy. The initial computational validation on which the process is predicated matches closely with experiment. Synergising organo- and photocatalysis activation principles finally expands the mechanistic and synthetic scope of the classic Stetter reaction to include α,β-unsaturated aldehydes as acceptors., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We report a visible-light-mediated organocatalytic strategy for the enantioselective acyl radical conjugate addition to enals, leading to valuable 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds. The process capitalizes upon the excited-state reactivity of 4-acyl-1,4-dihydropyridines that, upon visible-light absorption, can trigger the generation of acyl radicals. By means of a chiral amine catalyst, iminium ion activation of enals ensures a stereoselective radical trap. We also demonstrate how the combination of this acylation process with a second catalyst-controlled bond-forming event allows to selectively access the full matrix of all possible stereoisomers of the resulting 2,3-substituted 1,4-dicarbonyl products., (© 2018 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

Thiazolium carbene-catalyzed reactions of 1,2-diketones and 1,2,3-triketones with enones and ynones have been investigated. The diketones gave α,β-double acylation products via unique Breslow intermediates isolable as acid salts, whereas the triketones formed stable adducts with the NHC instead of the coupling products.

A novel synthesis of highly substituted pyrrole-N-acetic derivatives is described through the coupling of 1,4-diketones with amino acids following Paal-Knorr's approach. These pyrrole-N-acetic acid derivatives are found to exhibit potent anti-mycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv. In particular, 5n, 5q &5r are found to display excellent anti-mycobacterial activity against M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv with MIC values in the range of 2.97 μM. Conversely, these compounds showed low cytotoxicity (selectivity index: >16.83) against HEK-293T cell line., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Cyclopropenylidene carbenes have been found to be efficient catalysts for the intermolecular Stetter reaction between aromatic aldehydes and α,β-unsaturated ketones. In this transformation, the cyclopropenylidene proved superior to more traditional thiazolium- and triazolium-derived carbenes. Preparation and evaluation of a chiral analogue have also been reported., (Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)