Stereodefined Synthesis of 3-Difluoromethyl-Benzoxaboroles: Novel Antimicrobials with Unlocked H-Bonding

Organic letters, 2026

Benzoxaboroles, prominent scaffolds in medicinal chemistry, are typically modified on the benzene ring. In contrast, functionalization of the oxaborol ring is less common and often challenging. Indeed, 3-hydroxy-benzoxaboroles are virtually impossible to isolate due to their tautomeric equilibrium with the carbonyl form. In this work, we introduce a novel class of stereodefined 3-difluoromethyl-benzoxaboroles. The replacement of the hydroxy group with −CHF₂ preserves stability while promoting bioactivity, owing to the lipophilic H-bond donor properties of the latter. Find out more here.

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Photochemical C4-Selective C–H Amination of Quinolines via N-Shift of Heteroaryl Azides

Organic letters, 2026

We report a photochemical strategy enabling the direct synthesis of 3,4-diaminoazines through C3-to-C4 nitrogen migration (N-shift). Blue LED irradiation of 3-azidoquinolines at room temperature allows C4-selective C–H amination while concurrently installing diverse amines at the C3–position. In contrast, N-shifts in 3-azidopyridines preferentially form diazepines, reflecting divergent reactivity governed by N-heterocycle electronics, as supported by computational analysis.

Synthesis of α-fluorocinnamate derivatives as novel cathepsin S inhibitors with in vitro antiproliferative activity against pancreatic cancer cells

Bioorg. Med. Chem., 2025
We have designed and synthesized three new derivatives basing on an isosteric replacement (H–F) at the level of cinnamate moiety. These derivatives emerged as potent covalent inhibitors of CatS (1.8–2.6 µM) with 2F showing also weak inhibition activity against CatL (20 %) and CatB (29 %). In vitro assays of 2F against pancreatic cancer cell lines BXPC3 and CAPAN1 revealed significant antiproliferative activity, with IC₅₀ = 5.79 µM and 20.75 µM, respectively. To find out more details follow the page

Metal-Free, Selective Ortho-Deuteration of N-Heterocyclic Oxides

Adv. Synth. Cat., 2025
In this work, we present a metal-free, selective ortho-deuteration of N-heterocycles starting from their N-oxides, proceeding at room temperature in just 5 minutes. More about it at this link

Design, synthesis and in vitro validation of bivalent binders of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein: Obeticholic, betulinic and glycyrrhetinic acids as building blocks

Bioorg. Med. Chem., 2025
Bivalent compounds have been designed to simultaneously bind both pockets of the Spike protein, offering significant advantages over single molecules or the combination of the two natural products. In vitro cell assays using pseudotyped recombinant lentiviral particles with selected SARS-CoV-2 Spike proteins demonstrated that 1 and 2 exhibit enhanced activity in reducing viral entry into target cells compared to individual natural products. Check it out at this link

Nicotinic Acid Derivatives As Novel Noncompetitive α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Inhibitors for Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2024
A library of novel nicotinic acid derivatives, focusing on the modification of position 6 of the pyridine ring with (thio)ether functionalities, was mostly produced through an innovative green synthetic approach (Cyrene-based) and evaluated for their α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Find out more under the Link

First Total Synthesis of Caerulomycin K: a Case Study on Selective, Multiple C–H Functionalizations of Pyridines

RSC Advances, 2024
Caerulomycins, natural alkaloids with antimicrobial properties, have been previously synthesized starting with highly pre-functionalized building blocks or requiring many functional group manipulations. In this work, we report the first total synthesis of caerulomycin K, a diversely trifunctionalized pyridine readily assembled in three steps exploiting the recent advancements in the C–H activation of N-heterocycles. Find out more under the Link