Enhanced stereocontrol in Diels-Alder reactions of chiral dienols

This combined experimental-computational investigation demonstrates that the presence of a removable bromine substituent on a diene leads to complete pi-diastereofacial and endo/exo stereoselection in both intermolecular and intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions. The influence of the bromine upon stereoselectivity is dramatic: the cycloaddition of nonbrominated precursor 18E, for example, gives four diastereomeric products in a 55:13:16:16 ratio; the bromine-containing analogue gives one stereoisomer within the limits of detection. The examination of B3LYP/6-31+G(d) transition structures allows an interpretation of these experimental findings. A method for the completely stereoselective synthesis of complimentary diastereomeric products (30Z and 31Z) from the same simple starting materials (28 and 2) is reported. Discrepancies between calculation and experiment in an earlier investigation into the Diels-Alder reaction are explained.     

Imidazolidin-2-ones as practical, efficient chiral auxiliaries in Diels-Alder reactions

The readily prepared (4R,5S)-1,5-dimethyl-4-phenylimidazolidin-2-one and its 4-cyclohexyl analogue proved to be very powerful face-selective auxiliaries in catalysed Diels-Alder cycloadditions of their ,β-unsaturated N-acyl dienophile derivatives.     

Diastereoselective Diels-Alder reactions of a novel cyclopropenyl-containing chiral auxiliary

A novel cyclopropenyl-containing 1,3-spiroaminoalcohol auxiliary has been used in a variety of asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions providing endo adducts with diastereomeric ratios ranging from 2:1 up to >99:1. In addition, unexpected regiochemistry was observed for a Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopropenyl dienophile and 4-vinyl-1,2-dihydronapthalene.     

AlPO-Catalysed asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions of cyclopentadiene with chiral acrylates

Reactions of cyclopentadiene with several chiral acrylates are studied and compared with the same reactions catalysed by Zn(II)-exchanged K10 montmorillonite. In general, amorphous AlPO₄ is a more efficient catalyst than the clay. In particular, the reaction of cyclopentadiene with (−)-8-phenylmenthyl acrylate leads to 74% diastereomeric excess (d.e.) in methylene chloride at low temperatures. This result constitutes the highest asymmetric induction described to date for a solid-catalysed asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction. When the reactions are carried out in the absence of a solvent a noticeable decrease in selectivity is observed, probably due to an extensive competition of the non-catalysed reaction.     

Conformational model for asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions with chiral dienes

1-(O-methylmandeloxy)dienes have significant advantages for asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions, and we now show that high (90%) diastereofacial selectivities can be obtained with these dienes, permitting considerable choice as to dienophile and the presence of additional functionality. We present experimental support, including X-ray structures showing the conformations of three Diels-Alder adducts, for a transition state model which explains the origin of these selectivities. The distinctive characteristics of this model are that the phenyl group is nearly perpendicular to the ester CO, i.e., the PhCCO dihedral angle is near 90°, and that the methoxy group is close to the carbonyl oxygen. These features may have wider applications for chiral control by α-chiral ester groups in other types of reactions. Our results should renew interest in the use of chiral 1-acyloxydienes.     

Acetate aldol reactions of chiral oxocarbenium ions

Chiral oxocarbenium ions have been exploited to carry out highly diastereoselective and enantioselective acetate aldol addition reactions. The chiral auxiliary has been optimized to give the product with good diastereoselectivity.     

Highly enantioselective azadiene Diels-Alder reactions catalyzed by chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes

Highly enantioselective, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed aza-Diels-Alder reactions are described. A novel chiral triazolium salt based on the cis-1,2-aminoindanol platform serves as an efficient precatalyst for the NHC-catalyzed redox generation of enolate dienophiles that undergo LUMOdiene-controlled Diels-Alder reactions with N-sulfonyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated imines in good yields and with exceptional diastereo- and enantioselectivities (>99% ee). In contrast to uncatalyzed variants, this organocatalytic process proceeds at room temperature without stoichiometric reagents, producing synthetically valuable, enantiomerically pure cis-3,4-disubstituted dihydropyridinone products.     

Utility of a chiral 1,3-dioxane template in stereoselective intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions

The ethylidene acetal of d-erythrose was used as a template for stereoselective IMDA reactions: high endo selectivity and yields in favor of the cis product were observed with 1,3,9-trienes, resulting from a boat transition state. For natural product synthesis, the reaction was successfully applied to a diene with terminal Z-olefin.     

Asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions of cyclopentadiene in the synthesis of chiral norbornene derivatives

The review discusses available data on asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions of cyclopentadiene, which were published in the past decade. Both noncatalytic and catalytic (in the presence of achiral and chiral catalysts) versions of these reactions are considered. Effects of various factors on the chemical and optical yields, stereoselectivity, and optical purity of the Diels-Alder adducts are analyzed. Prospects in the development of this field of organic chemistry are examined.     

2-Nitrofurans as dienophiles in Diels-Alder reactions

α-Nitrofuran derivatives are studied in Diels-Alder reactions under thermal conditions. In contrast to α-acylfurans, they proved to be efficient dienophiles.     

Cyclic vinyl p-tolyl sulfilimines as chiral dienophiles: Diels-Alder reactions with furan and acyclic dienes

The dienophilic behavior of the sulfilimine 2, synthesized from (Z)-3-p-tolylsulfinylacrylonitrile 1, in its Diels-Alder reactions with furan and acyclic dienes has been investigated. A complete pi-facial selectivity for 2, opposite to that observed from its precursor 1, is the main feature of all these cycloadditions. Moreover, the high exo selectivity observed in reactions of 2 with furan (not observed for 1) contrasts with the almost complete endo selectivity with other cyclic and acyclic dienes. Additionally, the opposite regioselectivities obtained for 2 with Dane's diene and 1-substituted butadienes (not observed for 1) are also noteworthy. This behavior allows dienophiles 1 and 2 to be considered as complementary precursors from a synthetic point of view.     

Computational evaluation of asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions of vinylboranes with chiral dienes

The asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions of dichlorovinylborane and vinyl-9-BBN with two chiral dienes have been studied theoretically. Calculations suggest high reactivity and regio- and stereoselectivity could be achieved in these processes giving the anti para endo product. This class of reactions represents a potential stereoselective approach to a variety of chiral carbocycles.     

Metal ions dramatically enhance the enantioselectivity for lipase-catalysed reactions in organic solvents

We propose a simple and a powerful method to enhance the enantioselectivity for lipase-catalysed transformations in organic solvents by an addition of metal ion-containing water to the reaction mixture. In this paper, various metal ions such as LiCl or MgCl2 are tested to improve the enantioselectivity for the model reactions. The enantioselectivities obtained are dramatically enhanced, the E values of which are about 100-fold as compared with the ordinary conditions without a metal ion, for example, E = 200 by addition of LiCl. Furthermore, lowering the reaction temperature led to an almost perfect enantioselectivity of lipase in the presence of a metal ion, for example, E = 1,300 by addition of LiCl. Also, a mechanism for the drastic enhancement by metal ions is discussed briefly on the basis of the EPR spectroscopic study and the initial rate for each enantiomer of the substrate.     

The influence of ligand side chain on the enantioselectivity of Lewis acid catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions

The enantioselective Lewis acid-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction of 3-(2-propenoyl)-1,3-oxazolidin-2-one 8 with cyclopentadiene was examined using a series of chiral mox ligands 2-6, deferring in the side chain at 2-position of the chiral oxazoline and in the nature of the substituent at the chiral center (4-position) of the oxazoline ring, and a combination of N-[(1R)-2-chloro-1-phenylethyl]-2-[(4R)-4-phenyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-2-yl]butyramide 2-MgI(2)-I(2) was the most efficient catalyst.     

Synthesis of new chiral cyclic 1,2-diamines and their evaluation as catalysts for enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions

The synthesis of new, enantiomerically pure cyclic 1,2-diamine structures was realized through a zinc promoted coupling of chiral bis-imines easily prepared starting from a chiral biphenyl dicarboxylic acid. The catalytic properties of such novel compounds were preliminarily studied; the trifluoroacetate salts of these chiral 1,2-diamines were shown to be able to catalyze the Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with good exo stereoselectivity and enantioselectivities up to 71%.     

Asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions catalyzed by a triflic acid activated chiral oxazaborolidine

This paper reports a new method for the generation of chiral Lewis superacids by protonation of a non-Lewis acidic oxazaborolidine (1) with triflic acid. The resulting cationic species (3) are powerful and highly enantioselective catalysts for the Diels-Alder reaction of various 1,3-dienes with alpha,beta-enals. An optimization study (see Table 1) led to the selection of reaction conditions and catalysts (6A and 6B) which are very effective. The reactions are simple to conduct, reproducible, and economical, since only ca. 6 mol % of catalyst is required. In addition, the chiral catalyst precursor is readily recovered for reuse (>95% efficiency) and is commercially available. The broad scope of the process is documented by the 14 examples listed in Table 2. The absolute stereochemical course of the Diels-Alder reactions catalyzed by 6A and 6B was successfully predicted on the basis of the mechanistic principles which have recently been formulated for this type of catalytic enantioselective reaction involving re-face attack by the diene on complex 7. The mode of generation of Lewis superacids 6A and 6B allows an approximate comparison (or scale) connecting the catalytic power Lewis and protic acids.     

A practical new chiral controller for asymmetric Diels-Alder and alkylation reactions

[formula: see text] The enantiomerically pure hydroxy sulfones (+)- and (-)-2 have been prepared from 1,2-epoxycyclohexane by a simple and practical procedure. The acrylate esters of these alcohols undergo BCl3-catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions with a variety of dienes at -78 to -55 degrees C in CH2Cl2 or C7H8 with high dienophile face selectivity (Table 1). The chiral esters so formed are readily cleaved with recovery of the controllers (+)- or (-)-2. Esters of (+)- and (-)-2 can be converted to Z-potassium enolates and alkylated with high face selectivity.     

A new cationic,chiral catalyst for highly enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions

[reaction: see text] The Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene and 2-methacrolein is catalyzed by a chiral Lewis acid to form the exo adduct in 96% yield and 96% ee.