Open this publication in new window or tab >>2021 (English)In: iScience, E-ISSN 2589-0042 , Vol. 24, no 5, article id 102467Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Late-stage functionalization (LSF) has over the past years emerged as a powerful approach in the drug discovery process. At its best, it allows for rapid access to new analogues from a single drug-like molecule, bypassing the need for de novo synthesis. To be successful, methods able to tolerate the diverse functional groups present in drug-like molecules that perform under mild conditions are required. C−H methylation is of particular interest due to the magic methyl effect in medicinal chemistry. Herein we report an iridium-catalyzed carboxylate-directed ortho C−H methylation and d3-methylation of benzoic acids. The method uses commercially available reagents and precatalyst and requires no inert atmosphere or exclusion of moisture. Substrates bearing electron-rich and electron-poor groups were successfully methylated, including compounds with competing directing/coordinating groups. The method was also applied to the LSF of several marketed drugs, forming analogues with increased metabolic stability compared with the parent drug.
National Category
Organic Chemistry
Research subject
Organic Chemistry
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:su:diva-194609 (URN)10.1016/j.isci.2021.102467 (DOI)
2021-06-242021-06-242022-02-25Bibliographically approved