Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a Valinomycin Analog Bearing a Pentafluorophenyl Active Ester Moiety

A valuable analog of the K⁺-ionophore valinomycin (1), bearing a pentafluorophenyl ester moiety, has been obtained by selective reaction between the tertiary hydroxyl moiety of analog 2 (available from valinomycin hydroxylation) and the isocyanate group of pentafluorophenyl N-carbonyl glycinate (3) catalyzed by bis­(N,N-dimethylformamide)­dichlorodioxomolybdenum­(VI). LC-HRMS studies show that analog 4 undergoes easy derivatization under mild conditions by reaction with OH- and NH₂-containing compounds. Mitochondrial depolarization assays suggest that 4 acts as a K⁺-ionophore, provided that the glycine carboxyl group is appropriately masked.