Highly diastereoselective and asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions of masked o-benzoquinones with chiral racemic and homochiral furans. Synthesis of optically active tricyclic gamma-lactones

[reaction: see text] The first examples of highly diastereoselective and asymmetric Diels-Alder cycloadditions of in situ generated masked o-benzoquinones (MOBs) with chiral racemic and homochiral furans bearing a chiral center in the alpha-position leading to highly functionalized diastereomeric/enantioselective tricyclic heterocycles and chiral tricyclic gamma-lactones are described.     

Design of chiral organocatalysts for practical asymmetric synthesis of amino acid derivatives

A series of structurally rigid, chiral quaternary ammonium salts and several chiral sec-amine catalysts derived from commercially available (R)- or (S)-binaphthol have been designed as new C(2)-symmetric chiral phase-transfer catalysts and chiral bifunctional amino-catalysts. These chiral organocatalysts have been successfully applied to the highly practical asymmetric synthesis of various amino acid derivatives.     

Highly stereoselective Saucy-Marbet rearrangement using chiral ynamides. Synthesis of highly substituted chiral homoallenyl alcohols

[reaction: see text] A highly stereoselective Saucy-Marbet rearrangement using chiral ynamides and propargyl alcohols is described here. This rearrangement can be catalyzed by para-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid leading to high diastereoselectivities for a range of different chiral propargyl alcohols and ynamides in a stereochemically intriguing matched, mismatched, or indifferent manner. This provides an excellent entry to highly substituted chiral homoallenyl alcohols.     

Efficient Asymmetric Synthesis of Structurally Diverse P‐Stereogenic Phosphinamides for Catalyst Design

The use of chiral phosphinamides is relatively unexplored because of the lack of a general method for the synthesis. Reported herein is the development of a general, efficient, and highly enantioselective method for the synthesis of structurally diverse P‐stereogenic phosphinamides. The method relies on nucleophilic substitution of a chiral phosphinate derived from the versatile chiral phosphinyl transfer agent 1,3,2‐benzoxazaphosphinine‐2‐oxide. These chiral phosphinamides were utilized for the first synthesis of readily tunable P‐stereogenic Lewis base organocatalysts, which were used successfully for highly enantioselective catalysis.     

Enantioselective Hydroamidation of Enals by Trapping of a Transient Acyl Species

An enantioselective synthesis of β‐chiral amides through asymmetric and redox‐neutral hydroamidation of enals is reported. In this reaction, a chiral N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst reacts with enals to generate the homoenolate intermediate. Upon highly enantioselective β‐protonation through proton‐shuttle catalysis, the resulting azolium intermediate reacts with imidazole to yield the key β‐chiral acyl species. This transient intermediate provides access to diversified β‐chiral carbonyl derivatives, such as amides, hydrazides, acids, esters, and thioesters. In particular, β‐chiral amides can be prepared in excellent yield and ee (40 chiral amides, up to 95 % yield and 99 % ee). This modular strategy overcomes the challenge of disruption of the highly selective proton‐shuttling process by basic amines.     

Synthesis of chiral allenes from ynamides through a highly stereoselective Saucy-Marbet rearrangement

A highly stereoselective Saucy-Marbet rearrangement using chiral ynamides and propargyl alcohols is described here. This rearrangement can be catalyzed by para-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid and leads to high diastereoselectivities for a range of different chiral propargyl alcohols and ynamides in a stereochemically intriguing matched, mismatched or indifferent manner. The stereoselective Saucy-Marbet rearrangement of ynamides provides an excellent entry to highly substituted chiral homo allenyl alcohols.     

Room-temperature highly diastereoselective Zn-mediated allylation of chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines: remarkable reaction condition controlled stereoselectivity reversal

[reaction: see text] An efficient method for the highly diastereoselective synthesis of chiral homoallylic amines by Zn-mediated allylation of chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines at room temperature was developed. By simply tuning the reaction conditions, the method allows the achievement of a highly remarkable opposite stereocontrol, affording the desired stereochemical outcome in good yield and with excellent diastereoselectivity (up to 98% dr). With N-sulfinyl ketimines, the corresponding quaternary carbon-containing chiral homoallylic amines could also be produced.     

Organocatalytic enantioselective domino synthesis of highly functionalized cyclohexanes with an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter

A highly enantioselective organocatalytic domino Michael/aldol reaction is presented. The reaction is catalyzed by chiral amines and gives access to highly functionalized cyclohexanes with one all-carbon quaternary stereocenter and multiple chiral stereocenters in high yields and 83-98% ee.     

New insights in the search for chiral Brønsted bases

The concept of using chiral bases in asymmetric synthesis appeared with the emergence of the chemistry of chiral lithium amides. In recent years, new classes of chiral bases, such as chiral magnesium bisamides and chiral alkali alkoxides have proven to be highly efficient and easy to handle. This paper highlights recent advances and new concepts in the chemistry of this second generation of chiral bases.     

Diversity oriented and chemoenzymatic synthesis of densely functionalized pyrrolidines through a highly diastereoselective Ugi multicomponent reaction

A highly diastereoselective Ugi reaction involving a chiral cyclic imine, two enantiomerically pure isocyanides and various carboxylic acids was employed for the synthesis of polyfunctionalized pyrrolidines. Both chiral substrates have been efficiently prepared by chemoenzymatic methodologies from readily available achiral substrates. This highly convergent approach can find an application in the fragment-based drug discovery process.     

Highly enantio- and diastereoselective organocatalytic cascade aza-Michael-Michael reactions: a direct method for the synthesis of trisubstituted chiral pyrrolidines

An unprecedented highly enantio- and diastereoselective cascade aza-Michael-Michael reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes with trans-gamma-Ts protected amino alpha,beta-unsaturated ester has been developed; the simple and practical process, efficiently catalyzed by chiral diphenylprolinol TMS ether, serves as a powerful access to highly functionalized trisubstituted chiral pyrrolidines.     

Triptycene‐Based Chiral Macrocyclic Hosts for Highly Enantioselective Recognition of Chiral Guests Containing a Trimethylamino Group

A new class of chiral macrocyclic arene composed of three chiral 2,6‐dihydroxyltriptycene subunits bridged by methylene groups was designed and synthesized. Structural studies showed that the macrocyclic molecule adopts a hex‐nut‐like structure with a helical chiral cavity and highly fixed conformation. Efficient resolution was achieved through the introduction of chiral auxiliaries to give a couple of enantiopure macrocycles, which exhibited high enantioselectivity towards three pairs of chiral compounds containing a trimethylamino group.     

Highly Enantioselective Kinetic Resolution of Axially Chiral BINAM Derivatives Catalyzed by a Brønsted Acid

A highly efficient strategy for the kinetic resolution of axially chiral BINAM derivatives involving a chiral Brønsted acid‐catalyzed imine formation and transfer hydrogenation cascade process was developed. The kinetic resolution provides a convenient route to chiral BINAM derivatives in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities.     

Highly efficient Rh(I)-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of enamines using monodente spiro phosphonite ligands

A highly enantioselective hydrogenation of nonfunctionalized enamines has been developed by using rhodium complexes of chiral spiro phosphonite ligands, providing chiral tertiary amines in excellent enantioselectivities.     

Synthesis of a novel sterically hindered chiral cyclic phosphoric acid derived from l-tartaric acid and application to the asymmetric catalytic Biginelli reaction

A novel sterically hindered chiral cyclic phosphoric acid derived from l-tartaric acid was designed and synthesized based on highly regioselective cyclosulfitation of chiral 1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutanetetraol. The asymmetric Biginelli reaction catalyzed by this newly synthesized chiral phosphoric acid was examined, and enantioselectivities up to 99% ee was obtained.     

Highly enantioselective direct alkylation of arylacetic acids with chiral lithium amides as traceless auxiliaries

A direct, highly enantioselective alkylation of arylacetic acids via enediolates using a readily available chiral lithium amide as a stereodirecting reagent has been developed. This approach circumvents the traditional attachment and removal of chiral auxiliaries used currently for this type of transformation. The protocol is operationally simple, and the chiral reagent is readily recoverable.     

Iridium-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acids

A highly efficient iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation of alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acids has been developed by using chiral spiro-phosphino-oxazoline ligands, affording alpha-substituted chiral carboxylic acids in exceptionally high enantioselectivities and reactivities.     

Highly enantioselective hydrovinylation of alpha-alkyl vinylarenes. an approach to the construction of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters

The highly enantioselective hydrovinylation of alpha-alkyl vinylarenes was realized by using nickel complexes of chiral spiro phosphoramidite ligands. The method provided a new approach to the construction of chiral all-carbon quaternary centers.     

Stereoselective synthesis of 2,3,4-trisubstituted tetrahydrothiophenes

We describe an efficient new approach for the synthesis of highly substituted chiral tetrahydrothiophenes, based on the oxidation of a chiral furan substrate with singlet oxygen, followed by intramolecular hetero Michael addition.     

Axially chiral guanidine as enantioselective base catalyst for 1,4-addition reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with conjugated nitroalkenes

A new strategy for designing chiral guanidine molecules is presented, which features the introduction of an axially chiral binaphthyl backbone. The axially chiral guanidine catalysts thus developed facilitated the highly enantioselective 1,4-addition reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with a broad range of conjugated nitroalkenes and showed extremely high catalytic activity.