Thesis (M.Sc. (Chemistry)) - Rhodes University, 2009.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons composed of benzenoid rings fused in a linear fashion comprise the class of compounds known as acenes. The structures containing three to six ring fusions are brightly colored and possess band gaps and charge transport efficiencies sufficient for semiconductor applications. These molecules have been investigated throughout the past several decades to assess their optoelectronic properties. The absorption, emission and charge transport properties of this series of molecules has been studied extensively to elucidate structure-property relationships. A wide variety of analogous molecules, incorporating heterocycles in place of benzenoid rings, demonstrate similar properties to the parent compounds and have likewise been investigated. Functionalization of acene compounds by placement of groups around the molecule affects the way in which molecules interact in the solid state, in addition to the energetics of the molecule. The use of electron donating or electron withdrawing groups affects the frontier molecular orbitals and thus affects the optical and electronic gaps of the molecules. The use of bulky side groups such as alkylsilylethynyl groups allows for crystal engineering of molecular aggregates, and changing the volume and dimensions of the alkylsilyl groups affects the intermolecular interactions and thus changes the packing motif. In chapter 2, a series of tetracene and pentacene molecules with strongly electron withdrawing groups is described. The investigation focuses on the change in energetics of the frontier molecular orbitals between the base acene and the nitrile and dicyanovinyl derivatives as well as the differences between the pentacene and tetracene molecules. The differences in close packing motifs through use of bulky alkylsilylethynyl groups is also discussed in relation to electron acceptor material design and bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic characteristics. Chapter 3 focuses on molecular acceptor and donor molecules for bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics based on anthrathiophene and benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene central units like literature molecules containing fluorene and dithieno[2,3-b:2’,3’-d]silole cores. The synthetic strategies of developing reduced symmetry benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene to study the effect of substitution around the central unit is also described. The optical and electronic properties of the donors and acceptors are described along with the performance and characteristics of devices employing these molecules. The final two data chapters focus on new nitrogen containing polycyclic hydrocarbons containing indolizine and (2.2.2) cyclazine units. The optical, electronic and other physical properties of these molecules are explored, in addition to the synthetic strategies for incorporating the indolizine and cyclazine units. By use of alkylsilylethynyl groups, crystal engineering was investigated for the benzo[2,3-b:5,6-b’]diindolizine chromophore described in chapter 4 to target the 2-D “brick-work” packing motif for application in field effect transistor devices. Optical and electronic properties of the cyclazine end-capped acene molecules described in chapter 5 were investigated and described in relation to the base acene molecules. In both cases, density functional theory calculations were conducted to better understand unexpected optical properties of these molecules, which are like the linear acene series despite the non-linear attachment.

This study has focused on the synthesis of truncated analogues of the hydroxyethylene dipeptide isosteres, such as Ritonavir®, currently in clinical use as HIV-1 protease inhibitors. The reactions of pyridine-2- and quinoline-2-carbaldehydes with methyl acrylate, in the presence of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) or 3- hydroxyquinuclidine (3-HQ) as nucleophilic catalysts, have afforded a series of Baylis- Hillman adducts, acetylation and cyclisation of which have provided access to a series of indolizine-2-carboxylate esters. The carboxylic acids, obtained by base-catalyzed hydrolysis of these esters, have been coupled with various protected (and unprotected) amino compounds using the peptide coupling agent, 1,1’-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), to afford a series of indolizine-2-carboxamides as indolizine-based truncated Ritonavir® analogues in quantitative yield. Aza-Michael reactions of pyridine-3-carbaldehydederived Baylis-Hillman adducts with various amino compounds have provided access to a range of pyridine-based products as mixtures of diastereomeric aza-Michael products. The assignment of the relative stereochemistry of the aza-Michael products has been established using 1-D and 2-NOESY experiments and computer modelling techniques. Computer modelling studies have also been conducted on selected aza-Michael products using ACCELRYS Cerius2 software, followed by interactive docking into the HIV-1 protease receptor site, using AUTODOCK 4.0. The docking studies have revealed hydrogen-bonding interactions between the enzyme and the synthetic ligands. Saturation Transfer Difference (STD) NMR experiments have also indicated binding of some of the aza-Michael products to the HIV-1 protease subtype C enzyme, thus indicating their binding and possible inhibitory potential.

Chapter one; “(-)-Rhazinilam and (-)-Rhazinal: Alkaloids with Anti-mitotic Properties Derived from Kopsia teoi”, provides the background information behind the motives that initiated this research project. The plant alkaloid (-)-rhazinilam [(-)-1] and its naturally-occurring derivative (-)-rhazinal [(-)-13] both exhibit potent anti-mitotic activities and, as such, are interesting targets for total synthesis. Chapter one is a review of the literature regarding these two compounds and discusses the occurrence, proposed biosynthetic origins, structural elucidation and biological activites of compound (-)-1 and that of its analogues including alkaloid (-)-13. Previous total syntheses of these two compounds are then examined, concluding with the only reported total synthesis of compound (-)-13. Developed within the Banwell research group, this total synthesis produced the racemic modification of alkaloid (-)-13 due to a lack of any stereocontrol in the key intramolecular Michael addition step. This unprecedented key step, involving cyclisation of the C2 of pyrrole onto an N-tethered and ?,?-disubstituted acrylate to produce a quaternary-carbon stereogenic centre, would be of greatly enhanced utility if it could be achieved in a catalytic-enantioselective fashion. The realisation of this goal is the central aim of the research conducted within this thesis. ¶ Chapter two; “Investigating Asymmetric Induction in the Intramolecular Michael Addition of pyrrole to N-Tethered Acrylates and Related Species”, introduces the model study used to direct research towards achieving the goal of asymmetric induction in the title process. The model is a somewhat simplified version of the original process used in the total synthesis of compound (-)-13 involving cyclisation of the C2 of pyrrole onto an N-tethered and ?-monosubstituted Michael acceptor, to produce a tertiary-carbon stereogenic centre. This simplification allows the rapid synthesis of a broad range of potential substrates for use in the title process, thus enabling the investigation of various different approaches to inducing asymmetry therein. High levels of asymmetric induction are observed with the use of chiral substrates or catalysts, facilitating the synthesis of both 6- and 7-membered rings annulated to pyrrole with construction of the relevant tertiary-carbon stereogenic centre in enantio-enriched form. For the reactions producing a 6-membered ring annulated to pyrrole, unambiguous proof of the absolute sense of asymmetric induction observed in the intramolecular Michael addition event is established using a chemical correlation study involving elaboration of a key indolizine-type cyclisation product, to the plant alkaloid of known absolute stereochemistry, (-)-tashiromine [(-)-75]. For the reaction producing a 7-membered ring annulated to pyrrole, the same information is obtained via X-ray crystallographic analyses of a dibrominated derivative of a key pyrroloazepine-type cyclisation product. ¶ Chapter three “An Enantioselective Total Synthesis of the Alkaloid (-)-Rhazinal: An Anti-mitotic Agent Isolated from Kopsia teoi.”, focuses on the application of methodology developed in the previous chapter, to the original goal of inducing asymmetry in the intramolecular Michael addition reaction, involving cyclisation of the C2 of pyrrole onto an N-tethered and ?,?-disubstituted acrylate to produce a quaternary-carbon stereogenic centre. This is ultimately achieved in a catalytic-enantioselective fashion, resulting in the first such total synthesis of the anti-mitotic alkaloid (-)-rhazinal [(-)-13]. ¶ Chapter four “Extending the Reaction Manifold to the Syntheses of Related Natural Products: A Formal Total Synthesis of (+)-Aspidospermidine and Syntheses of (-)-Rhazinilam and (-)-Leuconolam from (-)-Rhazinal”, describes three extensions to the reaction manifold used in the enantioselective total synthesis of alkaloid (-)-13: The acquisition in an enantioselective manner, of an intermediate previously obtained in racemic form, en route to the racemic modification of the natural product (±)-aspidospermidine [(±)-134], constitutes a formal and enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-aspidospermidine [(+)-134]. The direct deformylation of (-)-rhazinal [(-)-13], is carried out, to produce the parent alkaloid (-)-rhazinilam [(-)-1]. The pyrrole ring present in (-)-rhazinilam [(-)-1] is oxidised, to produce the related natural product (-)-Leuconolam [(-)-12] which has not, hitherto, been prepared by total synthesis. ¶Chapter five contains the experimental procedures and characterisation data associated with compounds described in chapters two to four.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T13:21:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2013817 bytes, checksum: 3393f3576fe03283e4e7fd592df689eb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-05 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This work presents microwave irradiation promoting synthetic studies that producing by the first time indolizine-2-carbonitrile (1) and indolizine-2-carboxylate (2) in good to high yields (70% and 81%, respectively) in one step from Morita-Baylis- Hillman adducts (MBHA) 2-(hydroxy(pyridin-2-yl)methyl)acrylonitrile (10) and methyl 2-(hydroxy(pyridin-2-yl)methyl)acrylate (9) respectively. These compounds were subsequently transformed in excellent yields on three 2-indolizine derivatives know in the literature. they are: indolizin-2-yl methanamine (5), 99%, indolizin-2-ylmethanol (6), 100%, indolizine-2-carboxylic acid (3), 100%, in new more three Indolizine, namely : tert-butyl (indolizin-2-ylmethyl) carbonate (7), 99% new, butyl-indolizine-2- carboxylate(4), 94% new, tert-butyl (indolizin-2-ylmethyl)carbamate (8), 86% new. All of the adducts were characterized by infrared physical methods, Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1 H NMR and 13 C NMR).All syntheses were developed in this study appropriate industry standards. The reaction activation by microwave irradiation (MO) has been widely used in most synthetic stages of this work, leading to high chemical yields and reduced reaction times. The eight synthesized compounds were in silico designed aiming to present potential selective activities as modulators of ion channels. These activities were suggested by the high score values obtained by using Molinspiration cheminformatics program. / Este trabalho apresenta um estudo sintético promovido por irradiação de micro-ondas, produzindo pela primeira vez a 2-Indolizina-carbonitrila (1) e a 2- Indolizina-carboxilato de metila (2) em bons a altos rendimentos (70% e 81% de rendimentos respectivamente) em uma única etapa, a partir dos Adutos de Morita- Baylis-Hillman (AMBH) 2 (hidroxi(piridin-2-il)metil)acrilonitrila(10) e metil 2- (hidroxi(piridin-2-il)metil)acrilato(9) respectivamente. Estes compostos foram subseqüentemente transformados em excelentes rendimentos em mais três derivados 2-indolizínicos já conhecidos na literatura, a saber: indolizin-2-il metanamina (5), 99%, indolizin-2-il metanol (6), 100%, acido Indolizina-2- carboxílico(3), 100%, e mais três inéditos , a saber: terc-butil (indolizin-2-il metil) carbonato(7), 99% inédito , butil Indolizina-2-carboxilato (4), 94% inédito, e terc-butil (indolizin-2-il metil)carbamato (8), 86% inédito. Todos os Adutos foram caracterizados através dos métodos físicos de Infravermelho, Cromatografia Gasosa acoplada a Espectrometria de Massas e Ressonância Magnética Nuclear (RMN1H e RMN13C). Todas as sínteses neste trabalho foram desenvolvidas em padrões convenientes a indústria. A ativação reacional por irradiação de microondas (MO) foi amplamente utilizada na maioria das etapas sintéticas deste trabalho, conduzindo aos altos rendimentos químicos e aos tempos reacionais reduzidos. Os oito compostos sintetizados foram idealizados in silico objetivando apresentarem potenciais atividades seletivas como moduladores de canais iônicos. Estas atividades foram sugeridas pelos altos valores obtidos de score usando o programa quimioinformático Molinspiration.