A cyclic ketene acetal is an olefin that is substituted at one end by two electrondonating hetero atoms, like O, N, S, where these heteroatoms are connected together by a chain. Delocalization of the lone pair electrons of the two hetero atoms to the double bond makes the β-carbon (the exocyclic methylene carbon) electron rich and nucleophilic. A major goal of cyclic ketene acetal chemistry is to provide functionalized cyclic ketene acetal monomers as precursors to polymers of desired properties. The cyclic ketene-N,O-acetal 3-methyl-2-methylene-oxazolidine, generated in situ from 2-methyl-2-oxazolinium iodide and triethylamine, reacted with aryl isocyanates in refluxing THF to give α,α-bis(N-arylamido) lactams via the iodide-catalyzed rearrangement of β,β–bis(N-arylamido) cyclic ketene-N,O-acetal intermediates. However, similar β,β–bis(N-arylamido) cyclic ketene-N,O-acetals having two methyl substituents at C-4, did not rearrange due to hindrance of the iodide attack on C-5. 3,4,4-Trimethyl-2-methylene-oxazolidine reacted with aryl chloroformates to form both mono- and di-aryloxycarbonylation adducts. The two methyl groups at C-4 Template Created By: Damen Peterson 2009 hindered the alternative polymerization route. 3-Methyl-2-methylene-oxazolidine, which does not have two methyl groups at C-4, underwent cationic polymerization under identical conditions. Benzoylation of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline with benzoyl chloride gave a ring-opened N,C,O-trisbenzoylation product via O-benzoylation of the N,C-bisbenzoylated intermediate, followed by chloride attack on C-5. The N,C,O-trisbenzoylated product underwent N,O-double debenzoylation by KOH to give the cyclic ketene-N,O-acetal, 2- oxazolidin-2-ylidene-1-phenylethanone. This compound (an ambident nucleophile), upon deprotonation, reacted with benzoyl chloride to give the β,β-bisbenzoylated cyclic ketene-N,O-acetal, and reacted with phenyl chloroformate to give a novel heterocycle, [1,3]oxazine-2,4-dione. The benzoylation of 2-methyl-2-oxazine gave a similar ringopened N,C,O-trisbenzoylation product. Reactions of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline, 2,4,4-trimethyl-2-oxazoline and 2-methyl-2- thiazoline with trifluoroacetyl anhydride gave C-trifluoroacetylated cyclic ketene-N,O(S)- acetals. However, trifluoroacetylation of 2-methyl-2-oxazine gave the β,β- bistrifluoroacetylated cyclic ketene-N,O-acetal. In summary, a novel iodide-catalyzed rearrangement of β,β–bis(N- arylamido)- cyclic ketene-N,O-acetals was found. The [1,3]oxazine-2,4-dione heterocycle synthesized during this research also demonstrates the synthetic potential of cyclic ketene acetal chemistry in pharmaceutical industry. Functionalization of cyclic ketene acetals based on the chemistry developed in this work will find applications in polymer industry.

This dissertation research is based on two reactions, including those of cyclic ketene acetals with acid chlorides and acid catalyzed olefination reactions in bio-oil. In first four chapters, reactions of in situ generated cyclic ketene acetals were explored. Highly functionalized heterocycles such as pyrrollo-[1,2-c]imidazolediones, were synthesized in one-pot reactions of 2-alkylimidazoles or 2-methylbenzimidazoles with 1,3-diacid chlorides. Some reactions proceed through in situ generated cyclic-N,N′-ketene acetal intermediates. 2-Alkylimidazoles and 2-methylbenzimidazole can be considered as tridentate nucleophiles in these reactions that can give four consecutive attacks on electrophiles which ultimately generate new heterocycles. Reactions of substituted oxazoles and thiazoles with different acid chlorides in the presence of different bases were explored. Arylvinyl esters of substituted benzoic acids containing substituted oxazoles or thiazoles were formed when aroyl chlorides were used. Most reactions occurred through in situ generated cyclic ketene acetals. Reactions of 2-methylbenzoxazole and 5-phenyl-2-methylbenzoxazole with acid chlorides and base in THF generated a series of ortho-amidoesters. All of these reactions showed that aromatic heterocycles based in situ generated cyclic ketene acetals could be used to make highly functionalized heterocycles under mild conditions. These one-pot reactions generated various heterocycles, which might have useful bioactivities. For example, arylvinyl esters of substituted benzoic acids have been reported to show insecticidal activities. The last two chapters describe the olefinations of bio-oil and model bio-oil compounds using acid catalysts. Two different branched olefins were used, representative of those available at petroleum refineries. Amberlyst-15 and Nafion NR-50 were used as heterogeneous acid catalysts. The acid catalyzed olefination of bio-oil was explored using an excess of 1- octene. Some olefinations were performed in the presence of ethanol. Ethanol was used to make the olefin and bio-oil phases partially miscible. Acid catalyzed olefination of raw bio-oil induced some changes in the resulting bio-oil by generating variety of alcohols, ethers and oligomeric mixtures of the starting olefin. Olefination with excess 1-octene showed the decrease of the water content and the acid value and increase of the heating value of the bio-oil. Thus, the acid catalyzed olefination of bio-oil can be considered as a potential bio-oil upgrading technique.

There are two sections to this research dissertation. Part one includes syntheses of fused-ring heterocycles derived from thiazole, oxazole, benzoxazole and benzothiazole derivatives and trifluoroacetylations of in situ generated N-methyl cyclic ketene-N,O/Sacetals. Attempted functionalized polymer syntheses from plant-derived 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural are discussed in part two. Three 2-methylthiazoles, 2,4,5-trimethyloxazole, 2-methylbenzoxazole and 2- methyl-benzothiazole were each reacted with benzoyl chloride in acetonitrile/triethylamine to generate benzyl-vinyl esters. Base hydrolysis of these benzyl-vinyl esters formed 2-(heterocyclic)-1-phenylethenols which exist in both ketoenol tautomeric forms. These tautomers were used as starting materials for fused-ring heterocycle syntheses. Each tautomeric pair react with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in methanol giving the 5,6-ringused 8-benzoyl-5-oxo-5H-thiazolo-, 8-benzoyl-5-oxo-5H-oxazolo-, 4-benzoyl-1-oxo-1H-benzo[4,5]oxazolo- and 4-benzoyl-1-oxo-1H-benzo[4,5]thiazolo [3,2-a]pyridinecarboxylate derivatives. Two novel 5,7-ringused 9-benzoyl-2,3- dimethyl-5,6-dihydrothiazolo- and 9-benzoyl-2,3-dimethyl-5,6-dihydrooxazolo[3,2-a] azepine-5,6,7,8-tetracarboxylates formed when the tautomers formed from 2,4,5- trimethyl thiazole and 2,4,5-trimethyl oxazole were reacted with DMADC. These tautomers react with 1,3-diacid chlorides in acetonitrile/triethylamine affording the 5,6-ringused 8-benzoyl-6,6-dialkyl-6H-thiazolo- and 8-benzoyl-6,6- dimethy-6H-oxazolo-, 4-benzoyl-2,2-dimethyl-1H-benzo[4,5]thiazolo- and 4-benzoyl- 2,2-dimethyl-1H-benzo[4,5]oxazolo[3,2,-a]pyridinedione derivatives. Functionalized 5,6- ringused 8-benzoyl-6H-thiazolo- and 8-benzoyl-6H-oxazolo[3,2]pyrimidine-5,7- diones, and 4-benzoyl-1H-benzo[4,5]thiazolo- and 4-benzoyl-1H-benzo[4,5]oxazolo[3,2- c]pyrimidine-1,3(2H)-diones formed reacting the tautomers with N-chlorocarbonyl isocyanate in THF/triethylamine. Significant ring size and substituent effects were observed in trifluoroacetylations of in situ-generated cyclic ketene-N,O/S acetals. In situ-generated 3,4,4-trimethyl-2- methylene-oxazolidine, 3-methyl-2-methylene-oxazolidine and 3-methyl-2-methylene- 1,3-oxazinane each formed β,β-bistrifluoroacetylated products. However, 3-methyl-2- methylene-oxazolidine also afforded a γ-lactam by an iodide-catalyzed rearrangement of its β,β-bistrifluoroacetylated derivative. In situ-generated 3-methyl-2-methylenethiazolidine gave both β-mono- and β,β-bistrifluoroacetylation products. 5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural synthesized from sucrose was converted to 2,5- bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (2,5-BHMF). 7-Oxanorbornene-type Diels-Alder adducts synthesized from 2,5-BHMF were used as monomers for both ring opening metathesis polymerizations (ROMPs) and polycondensations. ROMP, followed by polycondensation or vise versa were expected to give highly functionalized cross-linked polymers. ROMP of the monomers using three Grubbs’ 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation catalysts were unsuccessful due to the presence of hydroxymethyl groups at one or both bridgeheads that could coordinate Ruthenium. With one bridgehead methyl present ROMP proceeded. Low molecular weight polyesters were synthesized via polycondensation. One was crosslinked using ROMP, but not to its gel point.

La fonctionnalisation C(sp3)-H catalysée par des métaux de transitions, ouvre de nombreuses perspectives en synthèse organique, permettant des voies d'accès plus économes en atomes, et en étapes à des molécules à forte valeur ajoutée. Dans cette optique, une méthode efficace permettant l'arylation des liaisons C(sp3)-H en position α d'un groupement attracteur, plus communément appelée α -arylation a récemment fait l'objet d'une attention toute particulière de la part de la communauté scientifique. Le travail détaillé dans ce manuscrit décrit les dernières avancées de cette méthodologie, ainsi qu'une variante «β-arylation » développée au laboratoire qui constitue une évolution significative dans le domaine de l'arylation regiosélective des liaisons C(sp3)-H non activées. Dans le cadre de ce projet de thèse nous nous sommes efforcés de développer cette nouvelle réaction que nous avons pu optimiser pour l'étendre à une famille plus étendue de substrats de type amino-esters. Dans la continuité de ce travail nous avons réalisé la première réaction d'arylation migratoire sélective d'amino-esters pouvant aller jusqu'à la position η d'une chaîne alkyle linéaire. Enfin, dans le but d'accéder à de nouvelles molécules à plus haute valeur ajoutée, nous avons pu appliquer notre méthodologie aux acetals de cétènes silylés permettant de dépasser certaines limitations du système existant. Dans ce cas précis, des conditions plus douces (sans base forte) ont permis l'arylation de substrats dits sensibles et par extension la synthèse de lactones fonctionnalisées / The transition metal catalysed functionalization of C(sp3)-H bonds unlocks numerous perspectives within organic synthesis in terms of atom economical access routes to otherwise difficult to synthesise molecules. One efficient method to exact such transformations involves the exploitation of an activated C-H bond situated adjacent to an activating electron withdrawing group, allowing facile insertion of a transition metal catalyst species and subsequent functionalization with a new species (normally an aryl group). This strategy is generally termed ‘α-functionalization’. The work detailed within this manuscript describes a diversion from the classic, and well documented α-functionalization reaction, in which rearrangement steps within the catalytic cycle give rise to β- and more remote substrate functionalization. The first new methodology to be described involves a fundamental extension to the in-house developed β-arylation reaction, in which, through careful substrate and ligand choice, this methodology could be applied to achieve the functionalization of simple ester enolates in remote γ- to η - positions. The developed strategy allowed the synthesis of a small range of interesting homophenylalanine analogues, and higher homologues. The second methodology to be described involves a necessary modified protocol for the β-arylation reaction, in which silyl ketene acetals were exploited as mild metal-enolate surrogates, allowing the coupling of base-sensitive substrates. The previously described reaction scope has been extended in terms of both the electrophile and nucleophile coupling partners through the development of mild reaction conditions, which subsequently allowed application of several products towards the synthesis of lactones

Η Ecteinascidin 743 είναι ένα σπουδαίο αντικαρκινικό φάρμακο, που καταστρέφει μέσω αλκυλίωσης τα καρκινικά κυττάρα και είναι εμπορικά διαθέσιμο με το όνομα Yondelis. Χρησιμοποιείται στην Ευρώπη, τη Ρωσία και τη Νότια Κορέα για τη θεραπεία του σαρκώματος του μαλακού ιστού, δηλαδή καρκίνου των ιστών που υποστηρίζουν το σώμα, όπως οι μύες, τα αιμοφόρα αγγεία και άλλα είδη ιστών που υποστηρίζουν και προστατεύουν τα όργανα του σώματος. Η Ecteinascidin 743 βρίσκεται υπό κλινικές δοκιμές για τη θεραπεία και άλλων μορφών καρκίνου, όπως του καρκίνου του μαστού, του προστάτη, των ωοθηκών, των νεφρών, των πνευμόνων και του μελανώματος. Απομονώθηκε από το μικρό θαλάσσιο οργανισμό, Ecteinascidia turbinate, που ζει στις θάλασσες της Καραϊβικής και ανακαλύφθηκε ότι έχει αντικαρκινική δράση το 1969. Αυτό το φυσικό προϊόν αποτέλεσε πηγή έμπνευσης για την παρούσα ερευνητική εργασία, όπου στην ρετροσυνθετική του πορεία (Εικόνα 3) περιλαμβάνεται η σύνθεση ενός μορίου πιπεραζίνης, καθώς και ενός β-λακταμικού δακτυλίου. Οι β-λακτάμες χρησιμοποιούνται σήμερα ως βακτηριοκτόνα, αντιβιοτικά, αναστολείς των πρωτεασών σερίνης και αναστολείς της ακυλομεταφεράσης της χοληστερολης (acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase, ACAT), η οποία είναι υπεύθυνη κυρίως για την αθηροσκληρωτική στεφανιαία καρδιακή νόσο. Η ασθένεια αυτή αποτελεί ήδη την πιο κοινή μορφή ασθένειας που προσβάλλει την καρδιά και μία σημαντική αιτία πρόωρου θανάτου στην Ευρώπη, σε κράτη της Βαλτικής, τη Ρωσία, τη Βόρεια και Νότια Αμερική, την Αυστραλία και τη Νέα Ζηλανδία. Η αθηροσκλήρωση σχετίζεται με την στεφανιαία καρδιακή νόσο, η οποία αποδίδεται στην ανικανότητα της στεφανιαίας κυκλοφορίας να τροφοδοτεί με επαρκές αίμα το μυ της καρδιάς και τους περιβάλλοντες ιστούς. Οι παράγοντες που οδηγούν στην αθηροσκλήρωση είναι τα υψηλά επίπεδα χοληστερόλης, η υπέρταση, ο διαβήτης, το κάπνισμα, οι κακές διατροφικές συνήθειες, η παχυσαρκία και η έλλειψη σωματικής άσκησης. Οι παραπάνω δράσεις των β-λακταμών έχουν καταστήσει πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα τη στερεοεκλεκτική και εναντιοεκλεκτική σύνθεση αυτών. Ένας β-λακταμικός δακτύλιος είναι μία λακτάμη με δομή ετεροατομικού τετραμελούς δακτυλίου, που αποτελείται από τρία άτομα άνθρακα και ένα άτομο αζώτου. Ο β-λακταμικός δακτύλιος είναι μέρος της δομής μερικών κατηγοριών β- λακταμικών αντιβιοτικών, όπως οι πενικιλίνες, οι κεφαλοσπορίνες, οι κεφαμυκίνες, οι καρβαπενέμες, οι μονοβακτάμες, και οι τρινέμες. Οι ενώσεις των β-λακταμών παρασκευάστηκαν σύμφωνα με την Mannich αντίδραση μέσω σουλφινιμινών. Οι πιπεραζίνες χρησιμοποιούνται σήμερα ως μυκητοκτόνα, αγχολυτικά, αντιικά, και ανταγωνιστές του υποδοχέα της σεροτονίνης (5-HT). Η τελευταία θεραπευτική ικανότητα των πιπεραζινών είναι πλέον ένα θέμα εκτενούς επιστημονικής έρευνας και περιλαμβάνει υποδοχείς-στόχους που ανήκουν στην κατηγορία των υποδοχέων συζευγμένων με G-πρωτεΐνη (G-ptotein-coupled receptors, GPCRs). Η εκλεκτικότητα των πιπεραζινών για τις GPCRs εμφανίζεται εξαιτίας της βασικότητας. Αυξάνοντας το μέγεθος του όρθο υποκαταστάτη σε Ν-άρυλο πιπεραζίνες, αυξάνεται η ικανότητα πρόσδεσής τους και η λειτουργική τους δραστικότητα. Οι πιπεραζίνες είναι οργανικές ενώσεις, που αποτελούνται από έναν εξαμελή δακτύλιο, ο οποίος περιέχει δύο άτομα αζώτου, που βρίσκονται στις θέσεις 1 και 4 του δακτυλίου. Οι ενώσεις των πιπεραζινών παρασκευάστηκαν σύμφωνα με την Diels-Alder αντίδραση μέσω σουλφινιμινών. Οι σουλφινιμίνες αποτέλεσαν το μόριο-κλειδί για την σύνθεση όλων των τελικών επιθυμητών προϊόντων και είναι γνωστές ως πολύ καλοί πρόδρομοι αμινών, όταν αντιδράσουν με οργανομεταλλικές ενώσεις [RLi, RMgX (αντιδραστήρια οργανολιθίου, αντιδραστήρια Grignard)]. Οι οπτικώς καθαρές σουλφινιμίνες είναι σημαντικές δομικές μονάδες (building blocks) στην ασύμμετρη σύνθεση άμινο παραγώγων, και παρασκευάζονται σε πολύ καλές αποδόσεις μέσω ενός σταδίου από αρωματικές, ετεροαρωματικές και αλιφατικές αλδεΰδες. Στην παρούσα ερευνητική μελέτη συντέθηκαν νέες β-λακταμικές ενώσεις και υποκατεστημένες ενώσεις πιπεραζίνης, συμπληρώνοντας έτσι και ενισχύοντας τα ήδη υπάρχοντα δεδομένα για τις συγκεκριμένες κατηγορίες ενώσεων αφενός και, αφετέρου, παρέχοντας νέα δεδομένα για την ολική σύνθεση του φυσικού προϊόντος, Ecteinascidin 743 (σύνθεση των εξαμελών αζόξυ προϊόντων 18, 19 και 20). Η ρετροσυνθετική ανάλυση της Ecteinascidin 743, που περιγράφηκε αρχικά, δύναται να εφαρμοστεί, σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματα της παρούσας ερευνητικής εργασίας. / Ecteinascidin 743 is an important antitumor drug that can service a novel way of killing cancer cells, and it is sold under the brand name Yondelis. It has been approved for use in Europe, Russia and South Korea for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma, cancers of the supporting tissues of the body, such as muscles, fat, blood vessels or in any other tissues that support, surround and protect the organs of the body. Ecteinascidin 743 is undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of breast, prostate, ovarian, renal, lung, and melanoma cancers. It is isolated from the Caribbean tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinate, and was found to have anticancer activity in 1969. We were inpired by this natural product and as we can observe from its retrosynthetic analysis (Scheme 3), the synthesis of a piperazine molecule and a β-lactam ring are involved. The extreme importance of β-lactams serving not only as bactericidal and as key structural units of several important antibiotics, but also as mechanism-based inhibitors of serine proteases and as inhibitors of acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), which is mainly responsible for atherosclerotic coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is already the most common form of disease affecting the heart and is an important cause of premature death in Europe, the Baltic states, Russia, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Atherosclerosis is most commonly equated with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, which is rendered in the failure of the artery circulation to supply with sufficient blood the heart muscle and the surrounding tissues. Risk factors for the coronary heart disease include high levels of cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, bad diet habbits, obesity, and lack of excercise. The above activities of β-lactams have propelled strong resurgent interest toward their stereoselective and enantioselective synthesis. A β-lactam ring is a lactam with a heteroatomic four-membered ring structure, consisting of three carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom. Penicillins, cephalosporins, cephamycins, carbapenems, monobactams, and trinems are classified as b-lactam antibiotics. β-Lactams were prepared by the Mannich reaction using sulfinimines. Piperazines are used now-a-days as antifungals,antidepressants, antiviral, and serotonin receptor antagonists (5-HT). The latter therapeutic area of piperazines has been the subject of intense research and includes targets belonging to the G-Protein- Coupled Receptor (GPCR) superfamily. The selectivity of piperazines towards GPCRs has deen attributed to their basicity. Increasing the size of the ortho substituent in N-aryl piperazines resulted in an increase in binding affinity and functional potency. Piperazines are organic compounds that consists of a six-membered ring containing two opposing nitrogen atoms, at the 1 and 4 positions of the ring. Piperazines were prepared by the Diels-Alder reaction using sulfinimines. Sulfinimines are the key-compounds for the synthesis of the final desirable products described herein and excellent precursors of amines, when they react with organometallic compounds [RLi, RMgX (organolithium reagents, Grignard reagents)]. Enantiomerically pure sulfinimines representing, important building blocks in the asymmetric synthesis of amine derivatives, are prepared in high yields in one step from aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic aldehydes. In this project, novel β-lactam compounds and substituted piperazine compounds were synthesized, in order to complete and highlight the already existing data for these specific compounds classes and provide new data about the total synthesis of the natural product, Ecteinascidin 743 (synthesis of six-membered azoxy products 18, 19 and 20). The retrosynthetic analysis of Ecteinascidin 743 could be viable given the result described in Scheme 44.

La Polymérisation Radicalaire par Ouverture de Cycle (R-ROP) est une méthode de synthèse de polymères contenant des fonctions chimiques de choix dans le squelette carboné grâce à un mécanisme d'addition-fragmentation. L'utilisation de monomères spécifiques, les Acétals Cétènes Cycliques (CKA), permet dans certaines conditions l'obtention de polyesters aliphatiques dont la propriété de (bio)dégradation présente de nombreuses applications. Cette méthode relativement peu étudiée depuis les années 1980 présente un fort potentiel mais également de nombreuses limites. Ce travail de thèse a consisté à comprendre l'origine de ces limites pour tenter d'y apporter des solutions, grâce à une approche combinée expérience-théorie.Nous avons montré que l'obtention exclusive de polyesters découle d'une compétition cinétique et que le comportement des différents monomères s'explique par des interactions orbitalaires dépendant de la géométrie, la flexibilité et la substitution des cycles. D'autre part, nous avons mis en évidence l'extrême difficulté de propagation des monomères propageant via des radicaux stabilisés par des cycles aromatiques. Cette faible réactivité inhérente à la double liaison riche en électrons des CKA est également la cause de l'incorporation restreinte des monomères cycliques en copolymérisation avec des monomères vinyliques usuels. La rationalisation de la copolymérisation a été mise à profit pour réaliser des copolymérisations de type statistique et alternée. Enfin, l'étude du contrôle de la R-ROP par les nitroxydes a montré la présence de réactions secondaires propres à ce système et permettant actuellement un contrôle partiel de la polymérisation. / The Radical Ring-Opening Polymerization (R-ROP) is a synthetic pathway to introduce chemical functions into a polymer backbone due to an addition-fragmentation mechanism. Using specific monomers like Cyclic Ketene Acetals (CKA) in the right conditions allows preparing aliphatic polyesters which have numerous applications thanks to their (bio)degradability. This method has been quite faintly investigated since the 1980s and even if it has a great potential, it suffers of numerous limitations. This PhD work consisted in the understanding of those limitations to try bringing solutions to them, with a combined approach of experiments and theory.We first demonstrated that the exclusive preparation of polyesters comes from a kinetic competition. The behavior of the distinct monomers is explained by orbital interactions depending on the geometry, flexibility and substitution of the cycles. Then, we highlighted the extremely difficult propagation of the monomers propagating with stabilized aromatic radicals. This low reactivity inherent to the electron-rich double link of the CKAs is also the cause of low polyester introduction during the copolymerization with usual vinyl monomers. We took advantage of the CKA copolymerization rationalization to realize statistical and alternate copolymerizations. At last, the study of the nitroxide mediated R-ROP demonstrated the occurrence of side reactions characteristic of this system that allow at present a partial control of the polymerization.