•Phosphoramide mustard functionality incorporated into the quinazoline scaffold as EGFR/HER2 inhibitors were proposed.•The mechanism studies were supported on DNA damage.•Compound 10d is a potential candidate for treatment of lung cancer.•MTD study indicated that compound 10d had no obvious acute toxicity.A series of novel compounds with phosphoramide mustard functionality incorporated into the quinazoline scaffold of EGFR/HER2 inhibitors were designed and synthesized as multi-target-directed ligands against tumor cells. In vitro assays showed that tumor cell lines with high HER2 level were more sensitive to the compounds than tumor cells with low HER2 level. Compound 10d (EMB-3) was one of the most potent inhibitors with IC50 of 7.4 nM and 82 nM against EGFR and HER2, respectively. The mechanism studies were also supported by the effect of 10d-induced DNA damage in MDA-MB-468 cells. In vivo efficacy study showed that 10d could significantly inhibit H522 tumor xenograft model with a TGI of 68% at dose of 100 mg/kg (QDx28, p.o.) and no significant body weight loss was observed. MTD study indicated that compound 10d had no acute toxicity to mice at doses up to 900 mg/kg (single dose).Download high-res image (156KB)Download full-size image

Ortho-chelation assistance was proved to be crucial for the success of the desulfitative Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction of thioamide-type pyridine derivatives and alkynes. Corresponding alkynylated products were obtained with moderate to excellent yields. Thanks to this reaction, furo[3,2-b]pyridine and 1H-pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives were synthesized through a one-pot cross-coupling reaction/heteroannulation sequence.Download high-res image (106KB)Download full-size image

Coupling reaction between aryl iodides and aliphatic diols was realized with a ligand-free copper catalyst under mild conditions. This method was successfully applied in the process of scale-up synthesis of medicinal candidate product EMB-3.

An efficient approach to thiazolo[4,5-b]azepine-5,8-diones and thieno[3,2-b]azepine-5,8-diones has been developed via a domino synthesis of multifunctionalized thiazoles/thiophenes and further intramolecular cyclization. This transformation proceeded rapidly under mild conditions without use of metal catalyst.

A NBS-mediated sequential one-pot synthesis of multifunctionalized thiazoles and thiophenes from 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and mercaptonitrile salts has been developed under mild conditions. This transformation involves sequential bromination/SN2 alkylation/Thorpe–Ziegler cyclization/regio-selective elimination of a –COR group, affording the desired products in moderate to good yields. The sequence of the leaving reactivity of –COR groups was determined and a possible mechanism was proposed.

A novel method was developed for the preparation of N-fused heterocycles via a Csp–S coupling reaction and a sequence of 5-endo-dig cyclization. This method involves the reaction of –NHC(S)NH-containing compounds and alkynes in the presence of CuCl and N,N′-dicyclohexylimidazolium chloride.

A simple and commercially available chiral 1,2-diaminocyclohexane as catalyst, hexanedioic acid as co-catalyst could efficiently catalyze the asymmetric aldol reaction in MeOH–H2O. Cyclic ketones as aldol substrates gave the anti-β-hydroxyketone products with moderate to good yields, diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity (up to 78% yield, >20:1 anti/syn, 94% ee). Hydroxyacetone as aldol substrate afforded the syn-α, β-dihydroxyketones as major products in up to 85% yield with good enantioselectivity (up to >20:1 syn/anti, 93% ee).