Access to Highly Enantioenriched Donepezil-like 1,4-Dihydropyridines as Promising Anti-Alzheimer Prodrug Candidates via Enantioselective Tsuji Allylation and Organocatalytic Aza-Ene-Type Domino Reactions

J Org Chem. 2018 Sep 7;83(17):10231-10240. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.8b01442. Epub 2018 Jul 24.

Abstract

This work aims at exploiting both the enantioselective Tsuji allylation of allyl carbonate 6 and an organocatalytic aza-ene-type domino reaction between enal 3a and β-enaminone 4a to develop a straightforward access to all of the four possible stereoisomers of a donepezil-like 1,4-dihydropyridine 1a (er up to 99.5:0.5; overall yield up 64%), an anti-Alzheimer's prodrug candidate. This strategy was extended to the preparation of other enantioenriched 1,4-dihydropyridines 1b-i (eight examples), highlighting its potential in the development of these chiral AChE inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy*
  • Catalysis
  • Cyclization
  • Dihydropyridines / chemistry*
  • Dihydropyridines / metabolism
  • Dihydropyridines / pharmacology*
  • Dihydropyridines / therapeutic use
  • Donepezil / chemistry*
  • Prodrugs / metabolism*
  • Stereoisomerism

Substances

  • Dihydropyridines
  • Prodrugs
  • 1,4-dihydropyridine
  • Donepezil