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A method for the synthesis of furans bearing indoline skeletons was developed via an intramolecular palladium-catalyzed 5- exo-dig cyclization/etherification cascade of N -propargyl arylamines containing a 1,3-dicarbonyl side chain. This method realized the first capture of vinyl carbopalladiums by ketones as O -nucleophiles and showed a wide range of substrate tolerability affording trisubstituted furans in various yields. The enantioselective version for this domino process and diverse derivatizations of the reaction products were also studied.

Thioglycoside bond formation via an asymmetric sulfa-Michael/aldol reaction of ( E )-β-nucleobase acrylketones and 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol has been achieved with a cinchona alkaloid-derived bifunctional squaramide chiral catalyst. Diverse purine, benzimidazole, and imidazole substrates are well tolerated and generate 4'-thionucleoside derivatives containing three contiguous stereogenic centers with excellent results (30 examples, up to 97% yield, >20 : 1 dr and up to 99% ee). Moreover, the novel strategy provides an efficient and convenient synthetic route to construct chiral 4'-thionucleosides.

Bifunctional chiral 4-aryl-pyridine- N -oxides (ArPNO) were reported for the acylative kinetic resolution of 3-hydroxy-3-substituted oxindoles, where the oxygen acts as the nucleophilic site. Using less sterically hindered acetic anhydride, both the recovered tertiary heterocyclic alcohols and the ester products exhibited good to excellent results with s -factors up to 167. Control experiments supported the dual activation manner, where the N -oxide group and N-H proton in ArPNO were crucial for high selectivity and enhanced catalytic reactivity. Compared with the extensively used chiral NHC, isochalcogenourea, and DMAP catalysts, we found that chiral ArPNO were also efficient organocatalysts in the kinetic resolution of tertiary alcohols.

The first ring-opening of D-A oxiranes with N-heteroaromatics in a chemoselective C-C bond cleavage manner was achieved. In the presence of 5 mol% of Y(OTf)3 as the catalyst, diverse N-heteroaromatics, including benzotriazoles, purines, substituted benzimidazole, imidazole and pyrazole, reacted well with various D-A oxiranes, providing acyclic nucleoside analogues containing a N-glycosidic bond in up to 97% yield and up to >95 : 5 regioselectivity. Through simple transformation, the Ganciclovir analogue could also be obtained.

A highly enantioselective cyclopropanation to synthesize pyrimidine-substituted diester D-A cyclopropanes is reported. Various N1-vinylpyrimidines react well with phenyliodonium ylides, delivering chiral cyclopropanes in up to 97% yield with up to 99% ee. Through simple [3+2] annulation with benzaldehyde or ethyl glyoxylate, different chiral pyrimidine nucleoside analogues with a sugar ring could be obtained.

A highly efficient Pd-catalyzed asymmetric formal [3+2] cycloaddition using α-N-heterocyclic acrylates to react with vinyl epoxides has been achieved for the first time to access chiral functionalized tetrahydrofuran skeletons (34 examples, up to 93% yield, >20 : 1 dr and 99% ee). Meanwhile, using a palladium/(S,S)-tBu-FOXAP catalyst or a palladium/(R)-Segphos catalyst, purine or pyrimidine isonucleoside analogs are constructed in high yields and stereoselectivity, respectively. The commercial availability of the catalysts, broad substrate scope and easy transformation of the products make this methodology an attractive method in asymmetric synthesis.

The phosphine-catalyzed asymmetric dearomative [3+2] cycloaddition of 2-nitrobenzofurans with aldehyde-derived Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates or allenoate was developed. The reaction with MBH carbonates resulted in a series of cyclopentabenzofurans containing three contiguous stereocenters with good to high yields, diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities. The use of allenoate also gave the target product with moderate enantioselectivity.

The Yb(OTf)3-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes with thiourea offers an efficient route to diverse 2-amino-4,5-dihydrothiophenes (up to 92% yield), in which optically active 2-amino-dihydrothiophenes can be produced from enantiomerically pure cyclopropanes. Thiourea, which is an odorless and cheap reagent, provides a C[double bond, length as m-dash]S double bond, serves as an amino source, and functions as a decarbalkoxylation reagent in this reaction. Preliminary mechanistic studies demonstrate that the reaction undergoes a sequential [3+2] cycloaddition/deamination/decarboxylation process.

Intermolecular asymmetric dearomative 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 2-nitrobenzofurans with azomethine ylides was enabled by using a chiral Cu(i)/(S,Sp)-iPr-Phosferrox catalyst. As a result, a series of highly stereoselective chiral [2,3]-fused hydrobenzofurans possessing four contiguous stereogenic centers were obtained with good to high yields, diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities. The reaction has broad substrate scope tolerating various functional groups.

A homotritopic pillar[5]arene (H3) containing adenine units was synthesized and employed to interact with a uracil derivative (6-(2,4-dioxo-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-1(2H)-yl)hexanenitrile, G) to form a hyperbranched supramolecular polymer. The hyperbranched supramolecular polymer showed a dual stimulus response both to heat and acid/base. The cooperative host-guest binding and hydrogen-bond interactions play a key role in the supramolecular polymerization.

An efficient route to construct 2,5-disubstituted tetrazole hemiaminal silyl ethers via one-pot three-component hemiaminal silylation of 5-substituted tetrazoles, aldehydes, and silyl triflates was developed. Diverse 2,5-disubstituted tetrazole hemiaminal silyl ethers were obtained with 37 : 63->99 : 1 regioisomeric ratios. The regioselectivities of this reaction were significantly affected by steric hindrance and the conjugation effects of substitutions on the 5-position of tetrazoles.

A visible light-driven photocatalytic generation of sulfonamidyl radicals, and application to intramolecular alkene hydroamination, has been accomplished, providing a mild and efficient approach to various functionalized isoxazolidines. The success of this protocol is based on the strategy of oxidative deprotonation electron transfer by merging the base and the photocatalyst under visible light irradiation, obviating installation of a photolabile handle or stoichiometric external oxidants.

An efficient route to synthesize cycloalkyl substituted purine nucleosides was developed. This metal-free C-H activation was accomplished by a tBuOOtBu initiated radical reaction. By adjusting the amount of tBuOOtBu and reaction time, the selective synthesis of C6-monocycloalkyl or C6,C8-dicycloalkyl substituted purine nucleosides could be realized. Furthermore, uracil and related nucleosides were also suitable substrates, giving the C5-cyclohexyl substituted uracil derivatives in good yields with excellent regioselectivities.

A mono-adenine-functionalized pillar[5]arene and a guest including uracil were prepared. They formed a novel four-unit [c2]daisy chain both in the solid state and in a chloroform solution. As far as we know, this [c2]daisy chain is the first one without a covalently bound linear thread. This unique assembly behavior is mainly induced by hydrogen-bond interactions between A and U in the A-U base pairs.

A straightforward entry to chiral carbocyclic nucleoside analogues has been realized via the enantioselective [3+2] cycloaddition of α-nucleobase substituted acrylates to vinyl cyclopropanes for the first time. With Pd2(dba)3-L5 as the catalyst, carbocyclic purine, uracil, and thymine nucleoside analogues with quaternary stereocenters were obtained in excellent yields (up to 99% yield) and good enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee).

The diversity-oriented synthesis of acyclic nucleosides has been achieved via ring-opening of vinyl cyclopropanes with purines. With Pd2(dba)3·CHCl3 as a catalyst, the 1,5-ring-opening reaction proceeded well and afforded N9 adducts as the major form, in which the C=C bonds in the side chain were exclusively E-form. In the presence of AlCl3, the 1,3-ring-opening reaction occurred smoothly, giving N9 adducts as the dominate products. Meanwhile, when MgI2 was used as the catalyst, the 1,3-ring-opening reaction also worked well to form N7 adducts.

A rapid and divergent access to chiral azacyclic nucleoside analogues has been established via highly exo-selective and enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with β-nucleobase substituted acrylates. Using 1 mol% of a chiral copper complex, various chiral azacyclic nucleoside analogues were obtained in high yields, excellent exo-selectivities and enantioselectivities (98 to >99% ee).

Metal-catalyzed direct C(sp(3))-H bond amination of 2-alkyl azaarenes with N=N double bonds has been developed, which expands the scope of C(sp(3))-H bond activation reactions and provides a new access to medicinally important azaarene derivatives.

The synthesis of fused N-heterocycles has been developed using an intramolecular cyclisation of purines or benzimidazoles. A range of medium and large rings were prepared.

A novel protocol for nickel-catalyzed direct sp(2) C-H bond alkylation of N-aromatic heterocycles has been developed. This new reaction proceeded efficiently at room temperature using a Grignard reagent as the coupling partner. This approach provides new access to a variety of alkylated N-aromatic heterocycles which are potentially of great importance in medicinal chemistry.

An efficient method for the synthesis of 6-alkyl or 6-aryl purines (nucleosides) was developed via nickel-catalyzed Negishi cross-couplings of 6-chloropurines and organozinc halides. The ligand-free process gave good to excellent isolated yields at room temperature.

A novel protocol for nickel-catalyzed direct sp(2) C-H bond arylation of purines has been developed. This new reaction proceeded efficiently at room temperature using Grignard reagent as the coupling partner within 5 hours in good to high yields. This approach provides a new access to a variety of C8-arylpurines which are potentially of great importance in medicinal chemistry.

CuBr was found to be an efficient catalyst for the C-N cross coupling reaction of purine and diaryliodonium salts. 9-Arylpurines were synthesized in excellent yields with short reaction times (2.5 h). The method represents an alternative to the synthesis of 9-arylpurines via Cu(II) catalyzed C-N coupling reaction with arylboronic acids as arylating agents.

A highly regioselective Pd-catalyzed C(Ar)-H bond activation method was developed for the modification of purines (nucleosides) with different functional groups by using purine as a directing group. This approach provides a new access to a variety of functionalized purines (nucleosides) which are potentially of great importance in medicinal chemistry., (© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

C6-Alkylated purine analogues were obtained in good to excellent isolated yields by S(N)Ar reaction of 6-chloropurine derivatives with 3-alkyl-acetylacetone. 3-Alkyl-acetylacetones were employed as alkylating agents and C6-alkylated purines were obtained highly selectively within short reaction time under microwave irradiation conditions. This work is complementary to the classical coupling reactions for the synthesis of C6-alkylated purine analogues.

The first direct enantioselective N-nitroso aldol reaction of aldehyde with nitrosobenzene catalyzed by an L-prolinamide derivative is presented; the reactions proceed smoothly furnishing the -hydroxyamino carbonyl compounds, the otherwise disfavored products, in good yields with up to 64% ee.

The asymmetric direct aldol reactions of a wide scope of aldehydes with unmodified ketones in the presence of 20 mol%(S,S,S)-pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid (2'-hydroxyl-1',2'-diphenyl-ethyl)-amine (1) were performed in ionic liquids; aldol products with 91 to >99% ees for aromatic aldehydes and 99% ees for alphatic aldehydes were offered by the present procedure.