Thesis (MSc. (Chemistry)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / 2-Benzenesulfonyloxyquinoxaline was prepared following literature procedure followed by palladium-catalysed Negishi coupling reactions to yield the corresponding, 2-mono-substituted quinoxaline derivatives, 2-phenylquinoxaline and 2-butylquinoxaline. These Negishi cross-coupled derivatives were treated with various nucleophiles, in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature, to yield a series of di-substituted quinoxaline derivatives containing; aryl-, heteroaryl-, arylalkynyl- and alkyl-substituents. Tri-substitution was successful with reaction of 6-chloro-2-benzenesulfonyloxyquinoxaline with excess phenyl-magnesium bromide to yield 2,3,6-triphenylquinoxaline. Sonogashira cross-coupled compounds were successfully synthesised by reacting 2-benzenesulfonyloxyquinoxaline, 6-nitro-2-benzenesulfonyloxyquinoxaline and 6-chloro-2-benzenesulfonyloxyquinoxaline using phenylacetylene, respectively. Nucleophilic substitution was only successful on 2-(2-phenylethynyl)quinoxaline to yield 3-butyl-2-(2-phenylethynyl)quinoxaline. The formation of carbon-nitrogen bonds was accomplished via palladium-catalysed Buchwald-Hartwig amination of 2-benzenesulfonyloxyquinoxaline with arylamines to afford N-phenylquinoxalin-2-amine and N-benzylquinoxalin-2-amine in good to high yields. N-phenylquinoxalin-2-amine was subsequently treated with iodomethane to synthesise N-methyl-N-phenylquinoxalin-2-amine. Nucleophilic substitution on Buchwald-Hartwig coupled compounds was only successful when using alkyl nucleophiles. The reaction of all these quinoxaline derivatives with various nucleophiles does not stop at the stage of α-adduct formation, but continues with the oxidation of these compounds to aromatic substitution products. All synthesised compounds were characterised by NMR, and mass spectral data as well as melting points where applicable. N-Methyl-N-phenylquinoxalin-2-amine and 2,3,6-triphenylquinoxaline showed percentage parasite viability of 42.64% and 58.12%, respectively, against the Plasmodium falciparum strain 3D7. N-Methyl-N-phenylquinoxalin-2-amine showed MIC90 of 16.4 and MIC99 of 19 μM, while 6-chloro-2-(2-phenylethynyl)quinoxalin showed MIC90 of 8.15 and MIC99 of 9.26 μM values against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-H37Rv strains.

Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes have long been studied due to their unique photophysical characteristics and their synthetic accessibility. We report here the use of new ruthenium polypyridyl’s in photodynamic chemotherapeutic and solar fuel applications. Nearly half of all chemotherapeutics administered today are derived from platinum-based drugs (platins) which lack specificity and can cause sever side-effects. Photodynamic chemotherapeutics (PDT) circumvent these issues utilizing light activation at the site of cancerous cells to generate a cytotoxic Ru(II) center and eventually trigger cellular apoptosis. The new PDT pro-drugs presented push their metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) light absorption out into the near-IR which is able to penetrate skin at greater depths than traditional PDT drugs. New Ru(II) hydrogen fuel evolution catalyst for use in dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells (DSPECs) based off of the extensively explored octahedral tridentate-bidentate coordination motif is also investigated. In particular, pendant bases are oriented toward the active site of the catalyst to increase catalytic rates and lower overpotentials. Preliminary density functional theory calculations show that strategic placement of the pendant amine on the bidentate ligand allows for productive interactions between the base and the active site of the catalyst to evolve hydrogen.

Le marquage isotopique représente un enjeu important dans le domaine de la recherche liée à la santé que ce soit en milieu académique ou industriel. Dans ce cadre, les isotopes du carbone jouent un rôle fondamental pour l’étude des propriétés pharmacocinétiques et pharmacodynamiques des candidats médicaments. L’objectif de cette thèse est de développer des nouvelles méthodologies pour le marquage «late-stage» des candidats médicaments à travers la synthèse d’urées et de carbamates cycliques. Ces entités chimiques, largement présentes dans le monde pharmaceutique, étaient traditionnellement marquées via l’utilisation du phosgène ou du monoxyde de carbone. Ce manuscrit présente de nouvelles méthodes alternatives qui considèrent l’utilisation du CO₂, qui est le réactif de départ pour la synthèse avec le carbone-14 et le carbone-11. C’est pourquoi l’utilisation du CO₂ dans une dernière étape de marquage a retenu notre attention. Cette thèse présente un processus réactionnel séquentiel de Staudinger/aza-Wittig qui a été étudié et amélioré pour une incorporation rapide du CO₂ via la formation d’un intermédiaire isocyanate. Le piégeage intramoléculaire de cette espèce par des alcools ou des amines permet la formation d’urées et de carbamates cycliques d’une grande variété structurelle. Après optimisation, cette séquence a pu être effectuée en une étape, à température ambiante et dans des temps très courts de l’ordre de cinq minutes. Ces conditions optimisées ont permis une application directe à la chimie des isotopes [¹⁴C] et [¹¹C], notamment dans le cadre de collaborations avec le Service Hospitalier Joliot Curie (Orsay) et la Karolinska Institute (Suède) fournissant un outil puissant pour le marquage des candidats-médicaments, et ce avec les deux radio-isotopes. / Radioisotope labeling is a relevant topic for health applications in academy, pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. In this context, carbon isotopes play a basic role in drug development and ADME and toxicological studies. Traditional synthesis with radiocarbon (¹⁴C), based on lengthy and multistep approaches, have hampered the sustainability of the strategy. The aim of this PhD thesis is the development of new methodologies for the late-stage carbon labeling of drug candidates and specifically of cyclic ureas and carbamates. These chemical entities, widely present in pharma and crop science, were used to be labeled using toxic radioactive reagents such as phosgene and carbon monoxide. As valuable alternative, the employ of CO₂, the most readily available building block for carbon-14 and carbon-11 radioisotopes, has been proposed. Unfortunately, [¹⁴C]CO₂ is a poorly reactive building block that requires strong nucleophiles or harsh conditions for its functionalization. Consequently, the incorporation of the isotope at the very beginning of the synthetic process is required causing, de facto, a dramatic stepwise increase of the radioactive waste production, with a heavy environmental impact. In this thesis, we investigate the use of a sequential Staudinger/aza-Wittig reaction that allows the rapid incorporation of CO₂ to provide the corresponding isocyanate. The cyclic urea and carbamate could be so obtained by intramolecular reaction with an amine or hydroxyl moieties. After optimization, the methodology could be successfully performed one-pot, at room temperature within five minutes, demonstrating also a broad scope reliability. Those conditions allowed a direct translation to [¹⁴C] and [¹¹C] chemistry, in collaboration with the Service Hospitalier Joliot Curie (Orsay) and the Karolinska Institute (Sweden), furnishing a powerful tool for the labeling of drug candidates within both the radioisotopes

La présence conjointe de plusieurs fonctions confère aux allylphosphonates β-éthoxycarbonylés une réactivité particulière. Ces derniers sont considérés comme d’excellents précurseurs pour l’accès à de nouveaux composés organophosphorés. Dans le présent travail, nous avons décrit, dans un premier temps, l’utilisation de ces adduits entant qu’accepteurs de Michael. En effet, nous avons effectué des additions conjuguées d ethiols, d’amines et d’anions énolates dans des conditions réactionnelles douces. Ces allylphosphonates ont été également utilisés pour la préparation d’une nouvelle famille de γ-lactames α,β-instaurés phosphono-méthylés.L’étape clé de cette synthèse est une addition conjuguée de nitroalcanes sur les allylphosphonates suivie d’une réaction de Nef..Les cétoesters ainsi obtenus sont convertis en lactames par action d’amines primaires. Des réactions d’arylations pallado-catalysées sur les allyphosphonates ont permis l’accès à des hétérocycles phosphonatés dérivant de lacoumarine, de la quinoléine et de la benzoxépinone. La synthèse de P-hétérocyclesde différentes tailles à partir des allylphosphonates a été aussi possible par la conversion du groupe phosphonate en phosphorochloridate. La réactivité de ce dernier vis-à-vis de différentes amines, a permis d’isoler une nouvelle famille de N,Phétérocyclesà 5, 7, 8 et 9 chaînons. La synthèse de P-hétérocycles à 6 chainons a été également décrite en réalisant des cyclisations dans les conditions de métathèse cyclisante (RCM) à partir d’un bisallylphosphonate et d’un bisallylphosphoramidate issus des mêmes précurseurs. / Due to the joint presence of several functional groups, β-ethoxycarbonylatedallylphosphonates are considered as excellent precursors for the preparation of neworganophosphorus compounds. In the presentwork, we first described the use of suchphosphonates as Michael acceptors. Indeed, weperformed conjugated additions of thiols,amines and enolate-anion under mild reactionconditions. Allylphosphonates were also usedfor the preparation of a new family of phosphonomethyl α,β-unsaturated γ-lactams.The key step of this sequence is a conjugateaddition of nitroalkanes on allylphosphonates followed by a Nef reaction. Ketoester intermediaites were then convertedinto lactams by reaction with primary amines.Pd-catalyzed arylations on allylphosphonates allowed preparing phosphonated heterocyclesderived from coumarin, quinolinone andbenzoxepinone skeletons. The synthesis of Pheterocyclesof various sizes fromallylphosphonates was explored by theconversion of phosphonate inphosphorochloridate. The reactivity of the latterwith amines, allowed isolation of a new familyof 5-,7-, 8- and 9-membered N,P-heterocycles.The synthesis of 6-membered P-heterocycleshas also been described by performingcyclization under the conditions of a ringclosing metathesis (RCM) starting from bisallylphosphonates and bisallylphosphoramidates.

This work describes developments in new azetidine and azetine chemistry; specifically, methods developed for the introduction of functionality α- to nitrogen in both ring systems, with additionally in situ formation of the latter system, from azetidine substrates. Chapter 1 discusses the growing importance of azetidines, and the current methods available for making substituted azetidines by ring formation. Further discussion comprises of current sp³ C–H activation approaches α- to nitrogen in heterocyclic compounds as potential methods for sp³ C–H activation on azetidines to give substituted azetidines. Previous work by the Hodgson group in this area is detailed. Chapter 2 describes the advance made towards 2,3-disubstituted azetidines using the thiopivaloyl protecting/activating group, where the latter plays a key role. Optimisation, scope, selectivity and mechanistic insight into the α-deprotonation–electrophile trapping of a 3-hydroxy azetidine system is discussed, which successfully gives access to a range of 3-hydroxy-2-substituted azetidines. Preliminary investigations with 3-alkyl-2-substituted azetidines are also described. Chapter 3 describes the development of a straightforward protocol to make 2-substituted-2- azetines, a rarely studied and difficult to access 4-membered azacycle subclass, from readily accessible azetidine starting materials using α-deprotonation–in situ elimination followed by further α-lithiation–electrophile trapping. Extension of this methodology by transmetallation from the intermediate organolithium to the organocuprate, resulting in greater electrophile scope, is also described.

This thesis describes the development of robust methodology to access cyclic alkenylsiloxanes, and their subsequent application in Hiyama-Denmark cross couplings. An early chapter shows the identification of Lindlar reduction conditions capable of generating cyclic alkenylsiloxanes from alkynylsiloxanes in high yields. The use of such species in Hiyama-Denmark cross coupling is then examined, with particular emphasis on the development of fluoride-free conditions, previously unreported for this class of organosilane. A ring-size dependent orthogonality is revealed, where 5-membered cyclic alkenylsiloxanes cross couple under basic conditions, while 6-membered analogues are inert. The origins of this effect are investigated experimentally and theoretically, leading to the proposal of detailed mechanisms for coupling. In the final chapter, the methodology that has been developed is applied to total synthesis. The great potential of the orthogonality uncovered is demonstrated with the highly convergent construction of anti-inflammatory natural product resolvin D3 by sequential, one-pot, orthogonal cross couplings.

Syntheses of diphosphine gold (I) complexes from gold THT and two ligands, 4, 5-bis (diphenylphosphino)-4-cyclopenten-1, 3-dione (BPCD) and 2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)-N-phenylmaleimide (BPPM), were done separately. The reactions happened under ice conditions followed by room temperature conditions and produced two diphosphine gold (I) complexes in moderated yield. Spectroscopic results including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray crystallography were used to study and determine the structures of the products formed. Moreover, X-rays of all newly synthesized diphosphine gold (I) complexes were compared with the known X-ray structures of other phosphine and diphosphine gold (I) complexes. There were direct resemblances in terms of bond length and angle between these new diphosphine gold (I) complex structures and those already published. For instance, the bond lengths and angles from the newly prepared diphosphine gold (I) complexes were similar to those already published. Where there were some deviations in bond angles and length between the newly synthesized structures and those already published, appropriate explanation was given to explain the deviation. Heterocyclic ligands bearing acetylacetonate (ACAC) side arm(s) were prepared from ethyl malonyl chloride and the heterocyclic compounds 8-hydroxylquinoline, Syn-2-peridoxyaldoxime, quinoxalinol and 2, 6-dipyridinylmethanol. The products (heterocyclic ACAC ligands) from these reactions were screened with transition metal carbonyl compounds in thermolytic reactions. The complexes formed were studied and investigated using NMR and X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, the X-ray structures of the heterocyclic ACAC ligand or ligand A and that of rhenium complex 1 were compared with similar published X-ray structures. The comparison showed there were some similarities in terms of bond length and bond angles.

A number of privileged starting materials based on aryl halide frameworks have emerged that allow access to a variety of different heterocyclic scaffolds through judicious choice of reaction conditions. This work describes efforts to develop and extend the utility of two of these general heterocycle precursors - ortho-(haloalkenyl)aryl halides A and α-(ortho-haloaryl) ketones B - in conjunction with cascade reactions involving the construction of key carbon-heteroatom bonds via palladium or copper catalysis. Chapter 1 entails an overview of the development of palladium- and copper-catalysed carbon-heteroatom bond forming processes. The application of these processes in heterocycle synthesis using ortho-(haloalkenyl)aryl halide and ortho-haloacetanilides/ α-(ortho-haloaryl) ketone precursors is also described. Chapter 2 focuses on the development of a two-step synthesis of cinnolines using ortho-(haloalkenyl)aryl halides via intermediate protected dihydrocinnoline derivatives C. Chapter 3 demonstrates how the inherent reactivity of protected dihydrocinnoline derivatives C can be harnessed to provide access to functionalised products. A brief target synthesis of a pharmaceutically-relevent cinnoline is also described. Chapter 4 details attempts to develop a novel synthesis of benzothiophenes D from both ortho-(haloalkenyl)aryl halide and α-(ortho-haloaryl) ketone precursors.

Bromodomains (BRDs) are protein modules which bind to acetylated lysines on histones and transcriptional regulating proteins. BRD-containing proteins are involved in a large variety of critical cellular processes and their misregulation, or mutation of the genes encoding for them, has been linked to pathogenesis in humans. The generation of chemical probes (potent, selective and cell permeable small molecules) in cellular experiments to investigate the biological role of the BRDs is thus desirable. A chemical probe for the CREB (cyclic-AMP response element binding protein) binding-protein (CBP) and E1A binding protein (p300) BRDs was developed, starting from a low molecular weight, weak and non-selective dimethylisoxazole benzimidazole compound. Parallel synthesis was used to optimise the initial hit into a weak, but selective CBP inhibitor. Further modification of the two N-1 and C-2 moieties of the benzimidazole scaffold, led to highly potent and selective CBP inhibitors. Structure-guided design was then applied to optimise the selectivity of the series for CBP over the first domain of bromodomain-containing protein 4 BRD4(1). A strategy to reduce the flexibility of the N-1 and C-2 ethylene linker groups through the incorporation of conformational constraints led to inhibitors with increased selectivity. The optimal compound was highly potent for the CBP and p300 BRDs (K_d 21 nM and 32 nM, respectively) and selective over BRD4(1) (40-fold and 27-fold, respectively). On-target cellular activity was observed in a fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) assay (0.1 μM), a p53 reporter gene assay (IC₅₀ 1.5 μM) and a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay (5 μM). A weak indolizine bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9) inhibitor was used as the starting point for the development of a BRD9/BRD7 chemical probe. Analogues were synthesised via [3+2] cycloadditions. An optimised compound was found to be highly potent (68 nM) and selective over BRD4(1) (34-fold). On-target cellular activity was observed in a FRAP assay (5 μM). Efforts were made to improve the cellular activity through the introduction of an ionisable centre to aid solubility. A selection of piperazine analogues were shown to be potent and selective, and these compounds warrant further investigation of their selectivity and cellular activity. Overall, the work has led to the first potent and selective inhibitors of the CBP/p300 and BRD9 BRDs. It also highlights the role of structural analysis in the development of inhibitors that modulate protein-protein interactions.

The aim of this project was to develop new catalytic methods to control asymmetry in electrocyclic reactions, and to apply these methods to generate complex molecules. Initial efforts were directed towards the catalysis of anionic 8π electrocyclizations (Chapter 2 and Figure i). 8π electrocyclization was not achieved due to issues with alkene geometry and anion stability. Our efforts were then directed towards using phase-transfer catalysis to generate complex polycyclic compounds via a cascade electrocyclization-1,4-addition (Chapter 3 and Figure ii). Pyrrolidines and indolizidines were generated in excellent yield from simple starting-materials with high levels of stereocontrol. Finally, we investigated the catalysis of a 6π [1,6] electrocyclization to generate dihydroquinolones (Chapter 4 and Figure iii). A novel BINOL-derived copper(II) catalyst was developed, and afforded dihydroquinolones directly from their amine and aldehyde precursors with good yields and enantioselectivities.