Fluorine has received great attention in all fields of science. “Small atom with a big ego” was the title of the Symposium at the ACS meeting in San Francisco in 2000, where a number of the current scientific and industrial aspects of fluorine chemistry made possible by the small size and high electronegativity of the atom were discussed. This small atom has provided mankind with significant benefits in special products such as poly(tetrafluroethylene) (PTFE), freon, fluoro-liquid crystals, optical fiber, pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds, and so on, all of which have their own unique properties that are otherwise difficult to obtain.1 For instance, at present, up to 30% of agrochemicals and 10% of pharmaceuticals currently used contain fluorine atoms. Therefore, organic fluorine compounds have received a great deal of interest and attention from the scientists involved in diverse fields of science and technology. Now, not only C-F bond formation but also selective C-F bond activation have become current subjects of active investigation from the viewpoint of effective synthesis of fluoroorganic compounds. The former is highlighted by designing a sophisticated fluorinating reagent for regioand stereocontrolled fluorination and developing versatile multifunctional and easily prepared building blocks. C-F bond formation has been treated extensively in several reviews2 and books.3 The latter is a subject that has been less explored but would be promising for selective defluorination of aliphatic fluorides, cross-coupling with aryl fluorides, and * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone: 81-78-803-5799. Fax: 81-78-803-5799. E-mail: amii@kobe-u.ac.jp and uneyamak@cc.okayamau.ac.jp. † Kobe University. ‡ Okayama University. Chem. Rev. 2009, 109, 2119–2183 2119

C-F bond activation in organic synthesis.

Design and therapeutic application of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors.

Recent advances in donor-acceptor (DA) cyclopropanes

The compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein A, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are as set forth above, are described. The compounds of formula I have an inhibitory activity on the natural enzyme renin and can accordingly be used in the form of pharmaceutical preparations for the control or prevention of high blood pressure and cardiac insufficiency.

amino acid derivatives

1,1-Dihalo-1-alkenes are valuable synthetic tools in organic
chemistry and serve as interesting synthetic intermediates in a variety of non-metal-assisted chemical transformations. Moreover, the vinyl dihalide functionality is an attractive and versatile bidentate electrophile for organometallic chemistry.

Synthesis and Metal-Catalyzed Reactions of gem-Dihalovinyl Systems

The invention provides compounds of the formula wherein R¹-R⁵ and X have the significance given in the description, and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts. They inhibit the enzyme collagenase and can be used in the form of medicaments for the control or prevention of degenerative joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The compounds of formula I and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts can be manufactured according to generally known methods.

Phosphinic acid derivatives

The invention provides hydroxamic acid derivatives of the general formula (I) wherein R1 represents cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl; R2 represents a saturated 5- to 8-membered monocyclic or bridged N-heterocyclic ring which is attached via the N atom and which, when it is monocyclic, optionally contains NR4, O, S, SO or SO2 as a ring memher and/or is optionally substituted on one or more C atoms by hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, oxo, ketalized oxo, amino, mono(lower alkyl)amino, di(lower alkyl)amino,carboxy, lower alkoxycarbonyl, hydroxy-methyl, lower alkoxymethyl, carbamoyl, mono(lower alkyl)-carbamoyl, di(lower alkyl)carbamoyl or hydroxyimino; R3 represents a 5- or 6-membered N-heterocyclic ring which (a) is attached via the N atom, (b) optionally contains N, O and/or S, SO or SO2 as an additional ring member, (c) is substituted by oxo on one or both C atoms adjacent to the linking N atom and (d) is optionally benz-fused or optionally substituted on one or more other C atoms by lower alkyl or oxo and/or on any additional N atom(s) by lower alkyl or aryl; R4 represents hydrogen, lower alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or a protecting group;m stands for 1 or 2 and n stands for 1-4, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, which are collagenase inhibitors useful in the control or prevention of degenerative joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis or in the treatment of invasive tumours, atherosclerosis or multiple sclerosis. They can be manufactured either by hydroxamidating a corresponding novel carboxylic acid or by deprotecting a corresponding novel benzyloxycarbamoyl compound.

Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives with Tricyclic Substitution

Concise Syntheses of γ-Oxo-β,β-difluorinated Amino Acids via Chelated [3,3]-Rearrangement of Difluoroallylic Alcohols

Addition reactions of the uniparticulate electrophile chlorosulfonyl isocyanate to highly strained bicyclic hydrocarbons

New tetrahydronaphthacenequinones, which are related in structure to the aglycones of the antitumour drugs adriamycin and daunomycin, have been synthesised. Racemic daunomycinone has been prepared by a new, mild procedure utilising a phthalide intermediate for annelation.

Michael J. Broadhurst

Papers

Phosphinic acid derivatives

Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives with Tricyclic Substitution

Concise Syntheses of γ-Oxo-β,β-difluorinated Amino Acids via Chelated [3,3]-Rearrangement of Difluoroallylic Alcohols

Addition reactions of the uniparticulate electrophile chlorosulfonyl isocyanate to highly strained bicyclic hydrocarbons

Anthracyclines. Part 1. The synthesis of racemic daunomycinone and some related tetrahydronaphthacenequinones