Modular functionalization of allenes to aminated stereotriads

Nitrogen-containing stereotriads, compounds with three adjacent stereodefined carbons, are commonly found in biologically important molecules. However, the preparation of molecules bearing these motifs can be challenging. Herein, we describe a modular oxidation protocol which converts a substituted allene to a triply functionalized amine of the form C-X/C-N/C-Y. The key step employs a Rh-catalyzed intramolecular conversion of the allene to a strained bicyclic methylene aziridine. This reactive intermediate is further elaborated to the target products, often in one reaction vessel and with effective transfer of the axial chirality of the allene to point chirality in the stereotriad.     

Regulated-stereoselective construction of thirteen stereogenic centers necessary for the frame of (+)-discodermolide, based on iterative Lewis acid-promoted aldol reactions

The segments C(1)-C(13) and C(15)-C(21) containing the 13 stereogenic centers required for the frame of (+)-discodermolide were synthesized in good to excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivities from a common racemic aldehyde, derived from 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol. The enantioselective aldol reactions of the racemic aldehyde with a silylketene acetal, derived from ethyl 2-bromopropionate, in the presence of chiral oxazaborolidinones, prepared in situ with N-p-toluenesulfonyl-(R)- and -(S)-valine and BH(3).THF, proceeded under kinetic control to give the stereotriads with a high degree of enantioselectivity. Enantioselective (chiral borane) and diastereoselective (BF(3).OEt(2) and TiCl(4)) aldol reactions with the silylketene acetal, coupled with diastereoselective radical debrominations (Bu(3)SnH, Et(3)B, with or without MgBr(2)), were used iteratively. This aldol reaction strategy for the construction of the polypropionate frame dramatically shortened the steps needed for the construction of the final segments.     

Preparation,structure, and unique thermal [2+2], [4+2], and [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of 4-vinylideneoxazolidin-2-one

The terminal allene C(alpha)=C(beta) bonds of 4vinylidene-2-oxazolidinone (2) readily undergo [2+2] cycloaddition with a wide variety of terminal alkynes, alkenes, and 1,3-dienes irrespective of their electronic nature under strictly thermal activation conditions (70-100 degrees C) and provide 3substituted (Z)-methylenecyclobutenes 6, 3substituted methylenecyclobutanes 7 and 8, and 3vinylmethylenecyclobutanes 9, respectively, in good to excellent yields. Alkenes react with 2 with complete retention of configuration. The [2+2] cycloaddition is concluded to proceed via a concerted [(pi(2s)+pi(2s))(allene) + pi(2s)] Hückel transition state on the basis of experimental evidences and quantum mechanical methods. Some highly polarized enones and nitrile oxide, on the other hand, react with 2 selectively at the internal C(4)=C(alpha) double bonds and give spiro compounds 10 and 11, respectively. The bent allene bonds (173-176 degrees) and the unique reactivity associated with 2 are attributed to a low-lying LUMO (C(alpha)=C(beta)) that is substantiated by a through-space sigma*(N-SO(2))-pi*(C(alpha)=C(beta)) orbital interaction.     

Highly Enantio- and Diastereoselective Hydrogenation of Cyclic Tetra-Substituted β-Enamido Phosphorus Derivatives

Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of enamido phosphorus derivatives is one of the most efficient methods for the construction of chiral amino phosphorus products, among which the congested tetra-substituted substrates remains an unaddressed challenge. In this study, we utilize a commercially available Rh-Josiphos system for the efficient and stereoselective hydrogenation of a wide set of tetra-substituted cyclic β-enamido phosphonates/phosphine oxides, thus enabling access to chiral β-amino phosphorus compounds featuring two vicinal stereocenters. This protocol was broadly applicable to different ring systems possessing various phosphonate/phosphine oxide groups and further applied in the preparation of amino-phosphine ligands. DFT mechanistic explorations indicate that the C=C migratory insertion into Rh^III−H bond could be the rate- and stereo-determining step. The origins of stereoselectivity are revealed through distortion/interaction analysis, which is primarily regulated by distinguished dispersion interactions and steric repulsions.     

Carbon-carbon bond formation in regio- and stereoselective palladium-catalyzed cyclization of allene-substituted conjugated dienes.

Regio- and stereoselective palladium-catalyzed reactions of allene-substituted 1,3-dienes 1 in acetic acid at room temperature lead to cyclization with formation of a carbon-carbon bond between the middle carbon of the allene and the terminal carbon of the 1,3-diene. Two different types of reactions, both that constitute 1,4-carboacetoxylations of the 1,3-diene, have been developed. In one of the reactions, Pd(II) catalyzes the oxidation of 1 to bicyclic compounds 2, and in the other, Pd(0) catalyzes the transformation of 1 to bicyclic compounds 3. The products 2 are useful for further synthetic transformations and undergo Diels-Alder reactions with dienophiles to give polycyclic ring systems.     

Enäther als Reaktionspartner von Organometallen II Hydroxyäthyl-allene und andere Folgeprodukte aus Dihydrofuran-Derivaten

Upon treatment with organolithium compounds, 2-alkyl-4,5-dihydrofurans undergo ring opening through β-elimination leading to the corresponding 3,4-dien-1-ol. If 3-chloro-2-methyl-4,5-dihydrofuran serves as a substrate, however, no 3-chloro-3,4-dien-1-ol can be isolated though it acts as a reaction intermediate. Its formation is slow compared to subsequent replacement of halogen by the organic moiety of the alkyllithium reagent. Thus penta-3,4-dien-1-ols are formed, which may isomerize, however, under certain reaction conditions affording terminal acetylenes. These as well as their allene precursors can be converted with sodium in ammonia into pent-4-en-1-ol or, respectively, pent-3-en-1-ol derivates.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-lysergic acid, (+)-lysergol, and (+)-isolysergol by palladium-catalyzed domino cyclization of allenes bearing amino and bromoindolyl groups

Enantioselective total synthesis of the biologically important indole alkaloids (+)-lysergol, (+)-isolysergol, and (+)-lysergic acid is described. Key features of these total synthesis include (1) a facile synthesis of a chiral 1,3-amino alcohol via the Pd(0)- and In(I)-mediated reductive coupling reaction between L-serine-derived 2-ethynylaziridine and formaldehyde; (2) the Cr(II)/Ni(0)-mediated Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK) reaction of an indole-3-acetaldehyde with iodoalkyne; and (3) Pd(0)-catalyzed domino cyclization of an allene bearing amino and bromoindolyl groups. This domino cyclization enabled direct construction of the C/D ring system of the ergot alkaloids skeleton, as well as the creation of the C5 stereogenic center with transfer of the allenic axial chirality to the central chirality.     

NMR studies on epoxidations of allenamides. Evidence for formation of nitrogen-substituted allene oxide and spiro-epoxide via trapping experiments

Two epoxidations of chiral allenamides are described here. While treatment with m-CPBA led to highly stereoselective formation of an alpha-keto aminal that can be useful synthetically, DMDO oxidation led to conclusive evidence for both nitrogen-substituted allene oxide (via mono-epoxidation) and spiro-epoxide (via bis-epoxidation) using intramolecular nucleophilic trapping experiments. NMR studies provide reliable evidence for a 3-oxetanone that can be derived from the spiro-epoxide and also suggest the presence of an allene oxide. Despite a facile second epoxidation as evidenced by the predominant formation of the 3-oxetanone, in the presence of furan, [4 + 3] cycloaddition of the nitrogen-substituted allene oxide or oxyallyl cation with furan occurs faster than the second epoxidation efficiently leading to cycloadducts. This rate difference plays an invaluable role for the success of a stereoselective sequential epoxidation-[4 + 3] cycloaddition reaction via DMDO epoxidations of chiral allenamides.     

Synthesis of bromoallenyl pyrrolidines via 1,4-addition to 1,3-enynes

The discovery of the novel reactivity of conjugated enynes,mediated by readily available halogenation reagents,opens a broad range of mechanistically unique pathways for the synthesis of highly functionalized chiral allene derivatives.Bromoallenyl pyrrolidines can be synthesized via 1,4-addition of sulfonamide nitrogen nucleophiles and halogens to conjugated enynes.This process can lead to simultaneous formation of a highly functionalized axially chiral allene and a stereogenic center under economical and e...     

PyBidine/Copper Catalyst: Asymmetric exo′‐Selective [3+2] Cycloaddition using Imino Ester and Electrophilic Indole

Electrophilic indoles having two electron‐withdrawing groups undergo nucleophilic attack at C2 and electrophilic functionalization at C3. This is the first enantioselective formal [3+2] cycloaddition using electrophilic indoles. The PyBidine/Cu catalyst smoothly promoted highly enantio‐ and exo′‐selective [3+2] cycloaddition using imino esters and 3‐nitroindoles. This reaction provides a method for the preparation of diverse and complex chiral pyrroloindoline compounds.     

Chiral anion-mediated asymmetric ring opening of meso-aziridinium and episulfonium ions

Reactions proceeding through cationic intermediates that lack a Lewis or Br?nsted basic site present a challenge for traditional asymmetric catalysis based on chiral metals or organocatalysts. We present an enantioselective ring opening of tetrasubstituted meso-aziridinium ions with alcohol nucleophiles proceeding through a chiral ion pair with a binaphthol-phosphate anion. The reaction is initiated by silver-induced ring closure of beta-chloroamines using the Ag salt of the chiral anion as in situ generated catalyst. Use of insoluble Ag2CO3 as silver source is essential to obtain high enantioselectivity; we believe the chiral phosphate acts as a "chiral anion phase transfer catalyst" to bring silver ion into the organic phase. The chiral anion concept can also be extended to the related asymmetric opening of meso-episulfonium ions generated by protonation of trichloroacetimidates vicinal to sulfides.     

Preparation of carbocycles via base-catalyzed endo-mode cyclization of allenes

A new and reliable procedure for constructing five- to seven-membered carbocycles via an endo-mode ring-closing reaction of 1-phenylsulfonylallenes with a substituent that has a terminal active methine moiety at the C1-position has been developed. Trisubstituted 1-phenylsulfonylallenes underwent a similar endo-mode ring-closing reaction to produce the corresponding five- to seven-membered carbocycles, while the formation of six- and seven-membered carbocycles from the corresponding tetrasubstituted allene was not realized. In addition, the introduction of an aromatic ring to the alkyl side chain of the starting allenes made possible the construction not only of normal-sized carbocycles but also an eight-membered framework.     

Another side of the oxazaphospholidine oxide chiral ortho-directing group

A new ferrocenyl oxazaphospholidine oxide 3 was synthesized together with its P-epimer 2 in the reaction of ferrocene lithium with phosphoramidite chloride 1. 3 was successfully derivatized into planar chiral 1,2-ferrocenes, including phosphine ligands, via highly diastereoselective ortho-lithiation and subsequent functionalization; these compounds display opposite planar chirality to those obtained from 2. Some of these 1,2-ferrocenes were further lithiated, allowing for the introduction of a free phosphine group at the oxazaphospholidine ring. The X-ray structures of the compounds 2 and 3 as well as those of the new 1,2-ferrocenes 4 and 7 have been determined.     

Catalytic Asymmetric [8+2] Annulation Reactions Promoted by a Recyclable Immobilized Isothiourea

Higher‐order cycloaddition reactions constitute an efficient approach towards the construction of medium to large ring systems. However, enantioselective versions of these transformations remain scarce, which hampers their deployment in medicinal chemistry, or any other discipline in which homochirality is deemed crucial. Herein, we report a novel method for the production of enantiomerically enriched cycloheptatrienes fused to a pyrrolidone ring on the basis of an isothiourea‐catalyzed periselective [8+2] cycloaddition reaction between chiral ammonium enolates (generated in situ from carboxylic acids) and azaheptafulvenes. The resulting bicyclic compounds can be hydrogenated, but, most remarkably, they can also undergo completely regioselective [4+2] cycloaddition with active dienophiles to give architecturally complex polycyclic compounds in a straightforward manner.     

Engaging Allene‐Derived Zwitterions in an Unprecedented Mode of Asymmetric [3+2]‐Annulation Reaction

Catalytic addition of chiral phosphine, that is, (R)‐ or (S)‐SITCP, to an α‐substituted allene ester generated a zwitterionic dipole. Under optimized reaction conditions, this dipole could engage isatine‐derived N‐Boc‐ketimines in a novel mode of [3+2] annulation reaction. Pyrrolinyl spirooxindoles are thus afforded in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities. The unprecedented annulation reaction successfully facilitated the construction of sp³‐rich and highly substituted 3,2′‐pyrrolidinyl spirooxindoles supporting many chiral centers.     

Stereoselective formal [3 + 3] cycloaddition approach to cis-1-azadecalins and synthesis of (-)-4a,8a-diepi-pumiliotoxin C. evidence for the first highly stereoselective 6pi-electron electrocyclic ring closures of 1-azatrienes

Evidence is described here to support that a highly stereoselective 6pi-electron electrocyclic ring closure of 1-azatrienes is a key step in formal [3 + 3] cycloaddition or annulation reactions of chiral vinylogous amides with alpha,beta-unsaturated iminium salts. This would represent the first highly stereoselective 6pi-electron electrocyclic ring closure of 1-azatrienes. We have also unambiguously demonstrated that these specific ring closures are reversible, leading to the major diastereomer that is also thermodynamically more stable, and that a rotation preference likely also plays a role. A synthetic application is illustrated here to stereoselectively transform the resulting dihydropyridines to cis-1-azadecalins with unique anti relative stereochemistry at C2 and C2a, leading to synthesis of epi isomers of (-)-pumiliotoxin C.     

Traceless chiral auxiliaries for the allene ether Nazarov cyclization

The key stereochemical factors that determine transfer of asymmetry from the chiral auxiliary to the cyclopentenone in the allene ether version of the Nazarov reaction have been elucidated. On the basis of the new insights into the mechanism, two highly effective chiral auxiliaries were designed and prepared.     

A Stereoselective [3+1] Ring Expansion for the Synthesis of Highly Substituted Methylene Azetidines

The reaction of rhodium‐bound carbenes with strained bicyclic methylene aziridines results in a formal [3+1] ring expansion to yield highly substituted methylene azetidines with excellent regio‐ and stereoselectivity. The reaction appears to proceed through an ylide‐type mechanism, where the unique strain and structure of the methylene aziridine promotes a ring‐opening/ring‐closing cascade that efficiently transfers chirality from substrate to product. The resultant products can be elaborated into new azetidine scaffolds containing vicinal tertiary‐quaternary and even quaternary‐quaternary stereocenters.     

SYNTHESIS AND FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION OF 2-OXO-3-METHYLEN E-5-PHENYL-1,4-DIOXAN

The novel cyclic monomer, 2-oxo-3-methylene-5-phenyl-1,4-dioxan, was synthesized by a set of reactions. Several intermediates were prepared and characterized in order to determine the monomer structure. The presence of chiral centers in the intermediates and resulting monomer makes it complicated to separate , purify and characterize them. It is a very reactive monomer which will polymerize even at room temperature if expose to moisture and air. This monomer can undergo essentially quantitative flee radical ring opening polymerization. The driving force for ring opening is the formation of new carbonyl group and benzylic radical. The monomer and polymer structure were established by IR, ~1H NMR, ~(13)C NMR and elemental analysis or high resolution mass spectrum. The molecular weight of the resulting polymer was estimated by viscosity determination.     

Consecutive Intermolecular Reductive Amination/Asymmetric Hydrogenation: Facile Access to Sterically Tunable Chiral Vicinal Diamines and N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes

A highly enantioselective iridium‐ or ruthenium‐catalyzed intermolecular reductive amination/asymmetric hydrogenation relay with 2‐quinoline aldehydes and aromatic amines has been developed. A broad range of sterically tunable chiral N,N′‐diaryl vicinal diamines were obtained in high yields (up to 95 %) with excellent enantioselectivity (up to >99 % ee). The resulting chiral diamines could be readily transformed into sterically hindered chiral N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors, which are otherwise difficult to access. The usefulness of this synthetic approach was further demonstrated by the successful application of one of the chiral vicinal diamines and chiral NHC ligands in a transition‐metal‐catalyzed asymmetric Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction and asymmetric ring‐opening cross‐metathesis, respectively.