Maria A. Chiacchio

Bio: Maria A. Chiacchio is an academic researcher from University of Catania. The author has contributed to research in topics: Cycloaddition & Enantioselective synthesis. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 82 publications receiving 905 citations.

Synthesis and biological activity of isoxazolidinyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: potential DNA intercalators.

Abstract: Isoxazolidinyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (isoxazolidinyl-PAHs) have been synthesized in good yields by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition methodology promoted by microwave irradiation. The structures of the obtained cycloadducts have been determined by NOE experiments and supported by computational studies at the AM1 level. The cytotoxicity and antiviral activity of the synthesized compounds have been investigated. In particular, compounds 7c and 7e show high levels of cytotoxicity on MOLT-3 leukemia cells; 7e exerts a remarkable enhancing activity on apoptosis caused by anti-fas antibody addition. Furthermore, compounds 7b and 8b exhibit specific antiviral effects against the Punta Toro virus.

Synthesis and biological activity of phosphonated nucleosides: part 1. Furanose, carbocyclic and heterocyclic analogues.

Abstract: Phosphonated nucleosides represent a promising alternative in the improvement of the biological activity of nucleoside analogues in antiviral and anticancer chemotherapy. The basic concept, the chemistry, the different structural modifications and their effects on the antiviral potency will be discussed in this review.

Pyridine and Pyrimidine Derivatives as Privileged Scaffolds in Biologically Active Agents

Abstract: Pyridine and pyrimidine derivatives have received great interest in recent pharmacological research, being effective in the treatment of various malignancies, such as myeloid leukemia, breast cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Most of the FDA approved drugs show a pyridine or pyrimidine core bearing different substituents. The aim of this review is to describe the most recent reports in this field, with reference to the newly discovered pyridineor pyrimidine-based drugs, to their synthesis and to the evaluation of the most biologically active derivatives. The corresponding benzo-fused heterocyclic compounds, i.e. quinolines and quinazolines, are also reported.

Thermal degradation of differently substituted Cyclopentyl Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (CP-POSS) nanoparticles

Abstract: Seven variously substituted derivatives of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) with general formula R7R′1 (SiO1.5)8, where R- and R′- were a cyclopentyl and a substituted phenyl group, respectively, were prepared in this study, and their compositions were checked by elemental analysis, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The compounds obtained were studied by TG and DTA techniques, in both flowing nitrogen and static air atmospheres, to draw useful information about their resistance to thermal degradation. Experiments, performed in the 35–700 °C temperature range, showed different behaviours between the two used atmospheres. The formation of volatile compounds only, with a near-complete mass loss, was observed under nitrogen; by contrast, in oxidative environment, a solid residue (≈50% in every case) was obtained because of the formation of SiO2 as indicated by the FTIR spectra performed. The results obtained for the various compounds investigated were discussed and compared with each other, and heat resistance classifications in the studied environments were made.

Controlled microwave heating in modern organic synthesis: highlights from the 2004–2008 literature

Abstract: Direct and rapid heating by microwave irradiation in combination with sealed vessel processing in many cases enables reactions to be carried out in a fraction of the time generally required using conventional conditions. This makes microwave chemistry an ideal tool for rapid reaction scouting and optimization of conditions, allowing very rapid progress through hypotheses–experiment–results iterations. The speed at which multiple variations of reaction conditions can be performed allows a morning discussion of “What should we try?” to become an after-lunch discussion of “What were the results” Not surprisingly, therefore, many scientists both in academia and industry have turned to microwave synthesis as a front-line methodology for their projects. In this review, more than 220 published examples of microwave-assisted synthetic organic transformations from the 2004 to 2008 literature are discussed. An additional ca. 500 reaction schemes are presented in the Electronic Supplementary Material, providing the reader with an overall number of ca. 930 references in this fast-moving and exciting field.

Allenamides: A Powerful and Versatile Building Block in Organic Synthesis

Abstract: In the past four decades, allenes have progressively risen from an unenviable status of being a structural curiosity to becoming one of the most powerful and versatile synthetic building blocks in organic synthesis.1–3 Although the focal theme of this review is centered on chemistry of allenamides, a proper introduction would need to commence with allenamines. Allenamides are functionally derived from allenamines,4 which along with structurally related systems such as allenol ethers5 and allenyl sulfides,6 can be classified as heteroatom-substituted allenes. Allenamines have been known for more than forty years since the first documentation of their preparations and characterizations in 1968 by Viehe.7 It is noteworthy that Viehe was at the time developing a based-catalyzed isomerization of propargyl amines as a useful protocol for synthesizing ynamines (Scheme 1), which had just come onto the scene as a useful synthetic building block.8–10 Allenamines were postulated as an intermediate en route to ynamines in this prototropic isomerization that follows essentially the zipper-type mechanism. Open in a separate window Scheme 1 The π-donating ability of nitrogen atom renders allenamines more electron-rich than simple allenes, thereby predisposing them to electrophilic activations. An electronic bias can be exerted through delocalization of the nitrogen lone pair toward the allenic moiety as demonstrated in the resonance form of allenamines. Accordingly, highly regioselective transformations can be achieved with consecutive addition of electrophiles and nucleophiles (Scheme 2). In addition to aforementioned regiochemical control, allenamines also offer a number of other advantages over simple allenes. The trivalent nature of the nitrogen atom allows: (1) Tethering of a chirality-inducing unit for providing stereochemical induction; concomitantly with the inclusion of a coordinating unit to provide conformational rigidity; (2) a much greater flexibility in designing intramolecular reactions or tandem processes than with oxygen- or sulfur-substituted allenes; and last but not the least, (3) a novel entry to alkaloids if the nitrogen atom can be preserved throughout the entire transformative sequence. Moreover, intramolecular reaction manifolds as shown with a possible diastereoselective cyclopropanation reaction (Scheme 2) can greatly manifest these remarkable features, particularly the latter two. Therefore, while the chemistry of other heteroatom-substituted allenes is of high impact and value to organic synthesis, allenamines should prove to be more attractive for developing stereoselective methodologies as well as rapid assembly of structural complexity.1,2 Open in a separate window Scheme 2 Without illustrating any specifics here on allenamine chemistry given all the comprehensive reviews,1,2 elegant precedents adopting allenamines in a range of transformations have indeed been documented to further support their synthetic potential and provoke interest from the synthetic community. Unfortunately, further developments had been severely thwarted because allenamines are also highly sensitive toward hydrolysis with a tendency to polymerize even at low temperatures (Scheme 3), thereby creating serious difficulties in their preparation and experimental handling.1,2 Consequently, the great potential of chemistry of nitrogen-substituted allenes could only be partially realized. Therefore, efforts to identify an allenamine-equivalent should be of high significance if it can strike the right balance between stability and reactivity. Open in a separate window Scheme 3 Toward this end, allenamides should represent ideal candidates as a stable allenamine-equivalent. Delocalization of the nitrogen lone-pair into the electron-withdrawing amido group should diminish its donating ability toward the allenic moiety, thereby leading to improved stability (Scheme 4). In short, the very simple fact that allenamides can champion an extra resonance form speaks volume of its superior stability over allenamines. It could be a great story if allenamides were a result of some clever design in search for a stable allenamine-equivalent. However, this is not true and the story is much less dramatic. Allenamides have co-existed along side of allenamines for all of the last four plus decades after Dickinson's first preparation and concise characterizations of 1,2-propadienyl-2-pyrrolidinone in 1967 (Scheme 5).11 Open in a separate window Scheme 4 Open in a separate window Scheme 5 In fact, Dickinson coined the term “allenamide” to describe 1,2-propadienyl-2-pyrrolidinone based the analogy of using enamides17 for Stork’s N-acylated enamines. To clarify reports by Cho12 and others,13 Dickinson concisely demonstrated that treatment of 2-pyrrolidinone with NaH and propargyl bromide had indeed led to the allenamide as the major and stable product also via the same prototropic isomerization pathway. Intriguingly, unlike Viehe’s work, allenamide did not undergo further isomerization to the respective ynamide, although with further treatment of NaOMe and pyrrolidine, ynamide was postulated as an intermediate en route to the N-acyl-pyrrolidine product. Nevertheless, this documentation of ynamide actually predated Viehe’s 1972 account,14 and chemistry of ynamides has indeed generated an immense amount of interest from the synthetic community in the last 15 years.15,16 To align with the history, our foray into this field coincides with both of Viehe and Dickinson’s work. In search of a useful synthetic method to construct chiral ynamides 16 years ago,10 we found that based-catalyzed prototropic isomerization of propargyl amides reliably arrested at the allenic stage and gave none of the desired ynamides10 (Scheme 6) regardless of nature of the base used, temperature, and solvents (also see Schemes 24 and ​and2525 vide infra). More importantly, to properly acknowledge a critical person in our entire endeavor in allenamide chemistry, I owe everything to the very first postdoctoral research fellow in my group, Dr. Lin-Li Wei [Ph.D. with Professor Teck-Peng Loh at National University of Singapore]. Dr. Wei, who was working on these isomerizations, pointed out that these allenamides that she had obtained could prove to be an excellent allenamine-equivalent, and evolve into highly versatile synthetic building blocks in organic synthesis. Open in a separate window Scheme 6 Open in a separate window Scheme 24 Open in a separate window Scheme 25 Given the precedent, the ease of preparation, and stability, the most critical question would be whether these allenamides could possess sufficient reactivity. A survey of the literature indicates that although it was far from a blank page, allenamides have been much less explored relative to allenamines.4,18–20 Precise reasons are not very clear, but there were very few citations on synthesis and applications of allenamides before 1989. While few more reports appeared from late 1980’s to mid-1990’s, the real outburst in chemistry of allenamides came 16 years ago, just as we also became deeply involved in the development of allenamide chemistry. Such sustained emergence strongly suggests that allenamides have set the gold standard for balancing reactivity and stability. They are becoming proven allenamine-equivalents that can be employed in a diverse array of stereoselective and intramolecular reactions that were not possible with traditional allenamines. They represent the ideal platform for pushing the limit of synthetic potential of nitrogen-substituted allenes. It is the purpose of this review to provide proper illustrations of the elegant chemistry involving allenamides that has come to pass, thereby eliciting a greater amount of interests from the synthetic community to create new allenamide chemistry. Lastly, this perspective that advancement of any field requires collective creativity and innovation from many people and not just a few individuals rings hollow here. On that note, although we are trying our very best to be comprehensive, it is likely that we have inadvertently missed some beautiful work for which we express our regret here in advance.

Conceptual, Qualitative, and Quantitative Theories of 1,3‐Dipolar and Diels–Alder Cycloadditions Used in Synthesis

Abstract: The application and performance of conceptual and qualitative theories and quantitative quantum mechanical methods to the study of mechanism, reactivity, and selectivity of 1,3-dipolar and Diels-Alder cycloadditions are reviewed. This review emphasizes the application of conceptual density functional theory (DFT) for predicting reactivity and regioselectivity, and highly accurate quantum mechanical methods for predicting barrier heights and reaction energetics. Applications of computations to solvation effects, metal and organocatalysis, are also described.