The synthesis of photolabile tyrosine derivatives protected on the phenolic oxygen by the α-carboxy-6-nitroveratryl (αCNV) protecting group is described. The compounds undergo rapid photolysis at wavelengths longer than 300 nm to liberate the corresponding phenol in excellent yield (quantum yield for the deprotection of tyrosine = 0.19). Further protection of caged tyrosine is possible, yielding N-Fmoc protected derivatives suitable for direct incorporation of caged tyrosine in solid-phase peptide synthesis.

The synthesis of a new photolabile protecting group for carboxylic acids, α-carboxy-6-nitroveratryl (αCNV), is described. Bromide 3, prepared in four steps from 3,4-dimethoxyphenylacetic acid, was used to alkylate carboxylic acids under mild conditions in good yield. Palladium-catalyzed deallylation afforded the acids 4a−h, which underwent rapid and quantitative photolysis at wavelengths longer than 300 nm to liberate the carboxylic acid in good to quantitative yield. The rate of photolysis and quantum yield were determined to be 325 s−1 and 0.17.

A novel approach to 2,4,5-trisubstituted piperidines is reported, involving the 6-exo cyclization of stabilized radicals onto α,β-unsaturated esters. Only two of the four possible diastereoisomers are observed, with diastereomeric ratios ranging from 3:2 to 40:1 when the radical stabilizing group is vinyl or phenyl. Cyclization of a (triethylsilyl)vinyl-stabilized radical gives the corresponding piperidine radical as a single diastereoisomer that may either be trapped by tributyltin hydride to afford the 2,4,5-trisubstituted piperidine or undergo a second 5-endo cyclization onto the (triethylsilyl)vinyl substituent to produce the 3,5,7-trisubstituted octahydro[2]pyrindene as a single diastereoisomer.

The Ugi reaction offers an effective method for preparing chromophore-appended DOTA-monoamide ligands, which can readily be elaborated to their lanthanide complexes.

An approach to 2,4,5-trisubstituted piperidines is reported, in which the key step is the Prins or carbonyl ene cyclisation of aldehydes of the type 1. Prins cyclisation catalysed by concentrated hydrochloric acid in CH2Cl2 at −78 °C afforded good yields of two of the four possible diastereomeric piperidines, with the 4,5-cis product 7 predominating in a diastereomeric ratio of up to 94 : 6. The diastereoselectivity of the cyclisation decreased as the 2-substituent increased in size, becoming unselective for very bulky 2-substituents. In contrast, cyclisation catalysed by MeAlCl2 in CH2Cl2 or CHCl3 at temperatures of between 20–60 °C, favoured the 4,5-trans diastereomer 8, in a diastereomeric ratio of up to 99 : 1. The low-temperature cyclisations catalysed by HCl proceed under kinetic control via a mechanism involving the development of significant carbocationic character, in which the 4,5-cis cation is more stable than the 4,5-trans cation as a result of overlap with the neighbouring oxygen. The cyclisations catalysed by MeAlCl2 proceed under thermodynamic control, affording the product in which both the 4- and 5-substituents are equatorial.

The thermal or Lewis acid-catalysed ene cyclisation of a variety of 4-aza-1,7-dienes afforded 3,4-disubstituted or 3,4,5-trisubstituted piperidines. Activation of the enophile with a single ester facilitated a thermal ene cyclisation, although the reaction was not amenable to Lewis acid catalysis. With other activating groups on the enophile it was found that Lewis acid catalysis was facile, although there was a fine balance between the desired ene cyclisation and the competing hetero-Diels–Alder reaction, with the product distribution being influenced by the activating group on the enophile, the nature of the ene component, and the Lewis acid used. Activation of the enophile with an oxazolidinone function facilitated Lewis acid-catalysed cyclisation to afford mixtures of ene and hetero-Diels–Alder products. Activating the enophile with two ester groups gave a substrate that underwent a very facile ene cyclisation catalysed by MeAlCl2 to give the corresponding trans 3,4-disubstituted piperidines with diastereomeric ratios of >200 : 1.

Orthogonal protection strategies have been used to prepare a series of luminescent and MRI active lanthanide complexes containing a tuftsin targeting vector that are internalised by macrophage cells.

Cyclisation of aldehydes 3a–e catalysed by concentrated hydrochloric acid affords predominantly the all cis 2,4,5-trisubstituted piperidines 4a–e when the 2-substituent is small, while catalysis by MeAlCl2 in refluxing chloroform gives the trans piperidines 5a–e with diastereomeric ratios of up to 99 : 1.

The T-cell receptor of a CD8+ T-cell recognises peptide epitopes bound by class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) glycoproteins presented in a groove on their upper surface. Within the groove of the MHC molecule are 6 pockets, two of which mostly display a high degree of specificity for binding amino acids capable of making conserved and energetically favourable contacts with the MHC. One type of MHC molecule, HLA-B*2705, preferentially binds peptides containing an arginine at position 2. In an effort to increase the affinity of peptides for HLA-B*2705, potentially leading to better immune responses to such a peptide, we synthesised two modified epitopes where the amino acid at position 2 involved in anchoring the peptide to the class I molecule was replaced with the α-methylated β,γ-unsaturated arginine analogue 2-(S)-amino-5-guanidino-2-methyl-pent-3-enoic acid. The latter was prepared via a multi-step synthetic sequence, starting from α-methyl serine, and incorporated into dipeptides which were fragment-coupled to resin-bound heptameric peptides yielding the target nonameric sequences. Biological characterisation indicated that the modified peptides were poorer than the native peptides at stabilising empty class I MHC complexes, and cells sensitised with these peptides were not recognised as well by cognate CD8+ T-cells, where available, compared to those sensitised with the native peptide. We suggest that the modifications made to the peptide have decreased its ability to bind to the peptide binding groove of HLA-B*2705 molecules which may explain the decrease in recognition by cytotoxic T-cells when compared to the native peptide.

Cyclisation of bromides 4a–f mediated by tributyltin hydride affords predominantly the trans piperidines 5a–f with modest diastereomeric ratios, while cyclisation with tris(trimethylsilyl)silane affords the same products with diastereomeric ratios of up to 99 : 1.

The thermal or Lewis acid-catalysed ene cyclisation of a variety of 4-aza-1,7-dienes afforded 3,4-disubstituted or 3,4,5-trisubstituted piperidines. Activation of the enophile with a single ester facilitated a thermal ene cyclisation, although the reaction was not amenable to Lewis acid catalysis. With other activating groups on the enophile it was found that Lewis acid catalysis was facile, although there was a fine balance between the desired ene cyclisation and the competing hetero-Diels–Alder reaction, with the product distribution being influenced by the activating group on the enophile, the nature of the ene component, and the Lewis acid used. Activation of the enophile with an oxazolidinone function facilitated Lewis acid-catalysed cyclisation to afford mixtures of ene and hetero-Diels–Alder products. Activating the enophile with two ester groups gave a substrate that underwent a very facile ene cyclisation catalysed by MeAlCl2 to give the corresponding trans 3,4-disubstituted piperidines with diastereomeric ratios of >200 : 1.

An approach to 2,4,5-trisubstituted piperidines is reported, in which the key step is the Prins or carbonyl ene cyclisation of aldehydes of the type 1. Prins cyclisation catalysed by concentrated hydrochloric acid in CH2Cl2 at −78 °C afforded good yields of two of the four possible diastereomeric piperidines, with the 4,5-cis product 7 predominating in a diastereomeric ratio of up to 94 : 6. The diastereoselectivity of the cyclisation decreased as the 2-substituent increased in size, becoming unselective for very bulky 2-substituents. In contrast, cyclisation catalysed by MeAlCl2 in CH2Cl2 or CHCl3 at temperatures of between 20–60 °C, favoured the 4,5-trans diastereomer 8, in a diastereomeric ratio of up to 99 : 1. The low-temperature cyclisations catalysed by HCl proceed under kinetic control via a mechanism involving the development of significant carbocationic character, in which the 4,5-cis cation is more stable than the 4,5-trans cation as a result of overlap with the neighbouring oxygen. The cyclisations catalysed by MeAlCl2 proceed under thermodynamic control, affording the product in which both the 4- and 5-substituents are equatorial.

The Ugi reaction offers an effective method for preparing chromophore-appended DOTA-monoamide ligands, which can readily be elaborated to their lanthanide complexes.