MPHT-Promoted Bromocyclization of ortho-Substituted Arylalkynes: Application to the Synthesis of 2-Substituted 3-Bromobenzofurans and -Benzo[b]thiophenes

International audienceA convenient and general approach to the synthesis of 2‐substituted 3‐bromobenzofurans and ‐benzothiophenes was developed. The procedure is based on the cyclization of ortho‐substituted arylalkynes in the presence of N‐methylpyrrolidin‐2‐one hydrotribromide (MPHT) as a soft and easy‐to‐handle electrophilic brominating reagent. Under mild reaction conditions, MPHT promoted the bromocyclization of various enynes and diynes as well as arylalkynes to give 2‐substituted 3‐bromobenzofurans and ‐benzothiophenes in high to excellent yields. Subsequent functionalization by palladium‐catalyzed coupling reactions at the C–Br bond afforded general access to 2,3‐disubstituted benzofurans and benzothiophenes of biological interest

Mechanistic insight into heptosyltransferase inhibition using Kdo multivalent glycoclusters

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Multivalent Tryptophan‐ and Tyrosine‐Containing [60]Fullerene Hexa‐Adducts as Dual HIV and Enterovirus A71 Entry Inhibitors

Unprecedented 3D hexa-adducts of [60]fullerene peripherally decorated with twelve tryptophan (Trp) or tyrosine (Tyr) residues have been synthesized. Studies on the antiviral activity of these novel compounds against HIV and EV71 reveal that they are much more potent against HIV and equally active against EV71 than the previously described dendrimer prototypes AL-385 and AL-463, which possess the same number of Trp/Tyr residues on the periphery but attached to a smaller and more flexible pentaerythritol core. These results demonstrate the relevance of the globular 3D presentation of the peripheral groups (Trp/Tyr) as well as the length of the spacer connecting them to the central core to interact with the viral envelopes, particularly in the case of HIV, and support the hypothesis that [60]fullerene can be an alternative and attractive biocompatible carbon-based scaffold for this type of highly symmetrical dendrimers. In addition, the functionalized fullerenes here described, which display twelve peripheral negatively charged indole moieties on their globular surface, define a new and versatile class of compounds with a promising potential in biomedical applications