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Among the C6 halo purine ribonucleosides, the readily accessible 6-chloro derivative has been known to undergo slow SNAr reactions with amines, particularly aryl amines. In this work, we show that in 0.1 M AcOH in EtOH, aryl amines react quite efficiently at the C6 position of 2’,3’,5’-tri-O-(t-BuMe2Si)-protected 6-chloropurine riboside (6-ClP-riboside), with concomitant cleavage of the 5’-silyl group. These two-step processes proceeded in generally good yields and notably, reactions in the absence of AcOH were much slower and/or lower yielding. Corresponding reactions of 2’,3’,5’-tri-O-(t-BuMe2Si)-protected 6-ClP-riboside with alkyl amines proceeded well but without desilylation at the primary hydroxyl terminus. These differences are likely due to the acidities of the ammonium hydrochlorides formed in these reactions, and the role of AcOH was not desilylation but possibly only purine activation. With 50% aqueous TFA in THF at 0 oC, cleavage of the 5’-silyl group from 2’,3’,5’-tri-O-(t-BuMe2Si)-protected N6 alkyl adenosine derivatives and from 6-ClP-riboside was readily achieved. Reactions of the 5’-deprotected 6-ClP-riboside with alkyl amines proceeded in high yields and under mild conditions. Because these complementary methodologies yielded N6 aryl and alkyl adenosine derivatives containing a free 5’-hydroxyl group, a variety of product functionalizations was undertaken to yield N6,C5’ doubly modified nucleoside analogues. 

The potentially versatile N-unprotected 8-formyl derivatives of adenosine and 2’-deoxyadenosine are highly underexploited for C8 modifications of these nucleosides. Only in situ formation of 8-formyladenosine is known and a single application of an N-benzoyl derivative has been reported. On the other hand, 8-formyl-2’-deoxyadenosine and its applications remain unknown. Herein, we report straightforward, scalable syntheses of both N-unprotected 8-formyladenine nucleoside derivatives, and demonstrate broad diversification at the C8 position by hydroxymethylation, azidation, CuAAC ligation, reductive amination, as well as olefination and fluoroolefination with modified Julia and a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reagents. 

Abstract A modular platform for facile access to 1,2,3,9‐tetrahydro‐4H‐carbazol‐4‐ones (H₄‐carbazolones) and 3,4‐dihydrocyclopenta[b]indol‐1(2H)‐ones (H₂‐indolones) is described. The requisite 6‐ and 5‐membered 2‐arylcycloalkane‐1,3‐dione precursors were readily obtained through a Cu‐catalyzed arylation of 1,3‐cyclohexanediones or by a ring expansion of aryl succinoin derivatives. Enolization of one carbonyl group in the diones, conversion to a leaving group, and subsequent azidation gave 2‐aryl‐3‐azidocycloalk‐2‐en‐1‐ones. This two‐step, one‐pot azidation is highly regioselective with unsymmetrically substituted 2‐arylcyclohexane‐1,3‐diones. The regioselectivity, which is important for access to single isomers of 3,3‐disubstituted carbazolones, was analyzed mechanistically and computationally. Finally, a Rh‐catalyzed nitrene/nitrenoid insertion into theorthoC−H bond of the aryl moiety gave the H₄‐carbazolones and H₂‐indolones. One carbazolone was elaborated to an intermediate reported in the total synthesis ofN‐decarbomethoxychanofruticosinate, (−)‐aspidospermidine, (+)‐kopsihainanine A. With 2‐phenylcycloheptane‐1,3‐dione, prepared from cyclohexanone and benzaldehyde, the azidation reaction was readily accomplished. However, the Rh‐catalyzed reaction unexpectedly led to a labile but characterizable azirine rather than the indole derivative. Computations were performed to understand the differences in reactivities of the 5‐ and 6‐membered 2‐aryl‐3‐azidocycloalk‐2‐en‐1‐ones in comparison to the 7‐membered analogue, and to support the structural assignment of the azirine.