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Thesis advisor: James P. Morken / This dissertation will discuss in depth four main projects pertaining to the synthesis and utility of organoboronates for the construction of enantioenriched small molecules. First, reaction optimization and substrate scope expansion of the platinum-catalyzed enantioselective diboration of alkenes are reported. Based on extensive experimental and computational mechanistic analysis, a preliminary stereochemical model is also proposed. A practical boron-Wittig reaction is presented in which synthetically challenging di- and trisubstituted vinyl boronates can be accessed in a highly stereoselective fashion from readily available starting materials. The enantioselective diboration of cis- and trans-vinyl boronates furnished novel 1,1,2-tris(boronate) esters in up to 95:5 er. The intermediate tris(boronate) esters were employed successfully in deborylative alkylations to furnish enantioenriched internal vicinal bis(boronates) in excellent diasteoselectivity. In the final chapter, an enantioselective palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Suzuki-Miyaura coupling between allyl boronates and aryl electrophiles is disclosed. The newly developed transformation provides enantioenriched 5, 6, and 7-membered carbocycles in up to 93:7 er. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Chemistry.

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Phytosterols are major components of food and are structurally related to cholesterol, but differ from it by virtue of a carbon substituent at the C-24 position and in some cases, a double bond between C-22 and C-23 (Figure i). Furthermore, phytosterols are shown to have protective actions against colon, breast, and prostate cancer1; further investigation is required as their mode of action is unknown. Thus, reported herein is the design and synthetic implementation required to construct these naturally occurring compounds. Figure i : Cholesterol Construction towards a double bond flanked by two asymmetric carbon atoms, observed in the phytosterol side chain, will be synthesised using an asymmetric Horner-Wittig (H-W) reaction, involving a chiral α-substituted aldehyde and a chiral β-substituted phosphine oxide. In addition to the synthesis, the stereochemical outcomes of these H-W reactions were probed. The results demonstrated, that by varying the steric bulk, electronic nature, and aromatic properties of the groups β to the phosphorus and α to the aldehyde can control the cis/trans selectivity in alkene formation. Finally, to display the utility of this methodology, the phytosterol compounds will be synthesised and tested in MD-MBA-231 cancer cell lines, allowing further investigation into the phytosterol mechanism of action.

La présente thèse de maîtrise se propose de porter un regard matérialiste sur les représentations cinématographiques du lesbianisme proposées par deux réalisatrices françaises, Catherine Corsini et Céline Sciamma, dans leurs films Naissance des pieuvres (Sciamma 2007), La Belle Saison (Corsini 2015), Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (Sciamma 2019) et La Fracture (Corsini 2021). Je mobilise les travaux des lesbiennes matérialistes Monique Wittig et Colette Guillaumin pour définir plusieurs termes clefs à cette recherche, tels que femme, hétérosocialité ou lesbianisme et, plus globalement, pour délimiter le cadre théorique de la thèse. Je propose ensuite un bref historique de la théorisation du regard au cinéma avant de me pencher sur l'œuvre théorique de Wittig, puis sur son unique contribution cinématographique avec The Girl (2000), réalisé par Sande Zeig et écrit par Wittig. L'œuvre littéraire, théorique et cinématographique de Wittig est ensuite appliquée à l'étude des quatre autres longs-métrages du corpus dans l'objectif d'évaluer s'ils peuvent être considérés comme des films lesbiens, au sens wittiguien du terme. Le potentiel révolutionnaire de ces films est jugé ici par leur capacité à faire passer le point de vue particulier en point de vue universel. D'autres critères sont la subjectivation des personnages lesbiens ; la critique de, puis la rupture avec l'hétérosocialité ; la (ré)appropriation du langage et/ou des codes cinématographiques traditionnels.

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

Over the last decade, a significant amount of research has been done on sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). S1P regulates survival, proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells45, as well as playing an important but still unknown role in ovarian46, prostate, and glioma47 cell carcinomas. S1P plays a significant role in the regulation, proliferation and angiogenesis, and is therefore an area of considerable interest for cancer research. Previous research in our group has shown that two stilbenoid sphingosine analogs (1 & 2) were effective at sphingosine kinase (SphK) inhibition in addition to showing down-regulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), a novel and distinctly different mechanism of action compared to reported sphingosine kinase inhibitors. Both compounds showed novel toxicity toward the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii causes toxoplasmosis; a disease carried by up to 1/3rd of the world’s population and one that has been implicated in schizophrenia. Unfortunately, use of 1 & 2 as fluorescent probes is limited; their emission wavelengths fall between 360 and 380 nm, within the range of background fluorescence. The synthesis of five fluorescent sphingosine analogs is described herein, three of which have emission wavelengths above 420 nm. These compounds show single digit µM cytotoxicity towards T. gondii. The second generation synthesis of Fingolimod (FTY720) is also described. The process was optimized for large-scale production. Improvements to the synthesis included increased atom economy, purification and overall reaction efficiency. Yield was increased to 36%, from 33% in the first generation synthesis. Lastly, a synthesis of p-divinylbenzene is described, using “green” solvents and easy sample work-up. The product contains no meta impurities, an issue that arises when p-divinylbenzene is purchased commercially. / Thesis / Candidate in Philosophy

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Die Einleitung gibt einen kurzen Überblick über die Bedeutung von Piperidinalkaloiden und im speziellen wird kurz auf das pharmakologische Potential mariner Piperidinalkaloide eingegangen. Anschließend wird die Substanzklasse der „Pseudodistomine“ vorgestellt, gefolgt von einer Übersicht bereits literaturbekannter Synthesemöglichkeiten. Das primäre Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Entwicklung eines neuen stereoselektiven Zugangs zum all cis substituierten Grundkörper der Pseudodistomine C und E über die Kaskade einer Tandem Wittig-[3+2]-Cycloaddition. Weiterhin sollten Möglichkeiten ausgelotet werden, um hieran die Seitenkette des Pseudodistomins E aufbauen zu können, um erstmals eine Totalsynthese dessen zu ermöglichen. / The introduction gives a short overview of the importance of piperidine alkaloids and especially of the pharmacological potential of marine piperidine alkaloids. Then the „pseudodistomines“ are introduced, followed by a summary of established possibilities of their syntheses. On the one hand the primary aim of the work was the deployment of a new stereoselective synthetic pathway to the all cis substituted heterocyclic core of the Pseudodistomin C and E via a cascade of the „tandem Wittig-[3+2]-cycloaddition reaction“. Further on there were different possibilities evaluated to lock the side chain of the Pseudodistomine E to the heterocyclic core, in order to allow the first total synthesis.

Fast development in all areas of life and science over the last 50 years demands versatile, energy efficient and cheap materials with specific but easily tuneable properties which can be used for example in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), thin-film transistors, photovoltaic cells, etc. This thesis is devoted to the development of novel synthetic approaches to molecules with potential applications in the field of molecular electronics.  The acquisition of a detailed mechanistic understanding of the newly developed reactions is central to the work presented in this thesis. The first chapter is dedicated to the development of a new procedure for the preparation of phospha-Wittig-Horner (pWH) reagents, i.e. a reagents that has been known to convert carbonyl compounds into compounds with P=C double bonds. Each step of the synthetic sequence, i.e. preparation of the starting P,P-dichlorophosphines, their phosphorylation using the Michaelis-Arbuzov protocol, coordination to the metal centre and final hydrolysis, are presented in detail. A possible route to uncoordinated pWH reagents is also discussed. The second chapter focuses on the reactivity of the pWH reagents with acetone under different reaction conditions. The results show how changes in the ratio of starting material vs. base as well as reaction time or structure of the pWH reagent can influence the reaction outcome and the stability of the obtained products. The possibility to prepare unusual phosphaalkenes with unsaturated P-substituents is presented. The third chapter of the thesis is dedicated to the reactivity of pWH reagents towards symmetric and asymmetric ketones which contain one or two acetylene units. The proposed mechanisms of the reactions are studied by means of in situ FTIR spectroscopy as well as theoretical calculations. Physical-chemical properties of oxaphospholes, cumulenes and bisphospholes are presented. The last chapter is dedicated to reactivity studies of pWH reagents towards ketenes, and the exploration of a reliable route to 1-phosphaallenes. Detailed mechanistic studies of the pWH reaction that are based on the isolation and crystallographic characterization of unique reaction intermediates are presented. The reactivity of phosphaallenes towards nucleophiles such as water and methanol are examined. In summary, this thesis presents synthetic routes to novel phosphorus-containing molecules, together with detailed studies of the reaction mechanisms of the observed transformations.