Free radical cyclization methodology has been used extensively in synthesis for manipulation of complex molecules such as alkaloids, terpenes, carbohydrates, peptides and nucleic acids. The methodology has emerged as a result of work by physical organic chemists who determined rate constants for the most common radical reactions used in organic synthesis. A novel route to cyclic imines based on 5-exo radical cyclization was explored. The radical precursors were imines prepared from allylamine and readily available a-phenylselenenyl ketones. The synthesis of conformationally constrained bicyclic nucleosides is also reported using 5-exo and 6-exo cyclizations of hexenyl and heptenyl radicals in thymidine nucleosides. The nucleosides were incorporated in a 15mer antisense oligonucleotide via solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis. The AONs with the modifications were tested for target affinity and stability and compared with the well known LNA modified AONs. The thesis discusses the unique qualities of these novel molecules and presents them as potential candidates for antisense therapeutic agents. Keeping up with the theme of intramolecular carbon-carbon bond formation, microwave induced carbodechalcogenation of chalcogenoanhydrides was explored. Poor generality in these reactions made us turn to transition metal catalysis for Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions using alkyl aryl and diaryl tellurides as coupling partners.

Ce travail s'inscrit dans la recherche et le développement de nouvelles molécules à visée thérapeutique via la mise au point de cyclisations radicalaires oxydatives médiées par l'acétate de manganèse(III). Deux problématiques ont dirigé nos recherches. Tout d'abord, nous avons développé une stratégie de synthèse de prodrogues analogues de la pafuramidine, molécule antileishmanienne. Ainsi, une 1ère série d'amidoximes a été obtenue à partir de β-cétosulfones par une synthèse multi-étapes faisant appel aux réactions i) de cyclisations radicalaires oxydatives médiées par Mn(OAc)3 et ii) de couplages pallado-catalysées de Buchwald-Hartwig et de Heck. Suite à l'évaluation biologique in vitro sur Leishmania donovani et sur des cellules humaines, une 2ème série d'amidoximes et en particulier des monoamidoximes a été réalisée, ce qui a révélé une molécule présentant un index de sélectivité 40 fois plus élevé que celui de la pentamidine, médicament utilisé comme référence. Nous avons également mis au point un double couplage "one-pot" de Buchwald-Hartwig dans le but d'obtenir des produits dicouplés dissymétriques, précurseurs éventuels de futures diamidoximes. Dans une deuxième partie, nous nous sommes focalisés sur la synthèse de composés spirocycliques pouvant constituer un pharmacophore original. De ce fait, une stratégie de synthèse conduisant à divers noyaux tels des tétralines spirocycliques, des spirolactones, des spirobenzophénanthrédin-6(5H)-ones a été mise au point. Ce travail nous a également menés vers la synthèse de dérivés thiobarbiturates, analogues de composés anesthésiques ou anticonvulsivants. / This work focuses on the research and development of new therapeutic molecules through optimized radical cyclizations mediated by manganese(III) acetate. Two problematics directed our research. First, we developed analogous prodrugs of pafuramidine, an antileishmanial molecule. Thus, a 1rst series of amidoximes was obtained from β-ketosulfones by a multi-step synthesis involving i) radical oxidative cyclizations mediated by Mn(OAc)3 and ii) pallado-catalyzed Buchwald-Hartwig and Heck coupling reactions. The 1rst series being biologically evaluated in vitro, both on Leishmania donovani and human cells, a 2nd series and particularly monoamidoximes was prepared and revealed a molecule presenting a selectivity index 40 times higher than the one of pentamidine, used as reference drug compound. We also developed a one-pot double Buchwald-Hartwig coupling reaction in the aim to obtain dissymmetric dicoupled products, potential precursors of future diamidoximes. In a second time, we focused on the synthesis of spirocyclic compounds which could constitute an original pharmacophore. Therefore, we performed a synthesis allowing access to a wide variety of scaffolds such as spirocyclic tetralins, spirolactones, spirobenzophenanthridin-6(5H)-ones. This work allowed the synthesis of thiobarbiturates, analogous of anesthetic or anticonvulsive compounds.