Tertiary aromatic amide for memory of chirality: access to enantioenriched alpha-substituted valine

A new methodology for the asymmetric synthesis of quaternary alpha-substituted amino acids using memory of chirality has been developed. This strategy employs dynamic axial chirality of tertiary aromatic amides to memorize the initial chirality of an alpha-amino acid during the enolization step. Starting from L-valine, an oxazolidin-5-one containing a tertiary aromatic amide was synthesized in one step and then alkylated with various electrophiles with good yield and enantioselectivity (up to 96%). Quaternary products can be obtained enantiomerically pure by recrystallization. One-step deprotection affords enantioenriched (S)-alpha-methyl valine (ee = 94%) or enantiopure (S)-alpha-isopropyl aspartic acid (ee >99%) in only three steps starting from L-valine.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of optically active 1,2-disubstituted ferrocenes with planar chirality

A new pathway for the synthesis of 2-substituted ferrocenyl compounds with planar chirality using a chemoenzymatic resolution as the key step is described. The kinetic resolution of racemic 2-hydroxymethyl phenylthioferrocene 4 has been optimised and carried out on a multi-gram scale using CAL-B lipase, giving the resulting acetate and remaining alcohols in ee’s >99%. The enantiomerically enriched sulfides have been transformed via a two-step sequence, in a new family of 2-substituted ferrocenyl alcohol by using a sulfoxide–lithium exchange/electrophilic trapping sequence; this gives straightforward access to non-racemic ferrocenyl alcohols with planar chirality.     

Gold-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination of allenes: a case of chirality transfer

The hydroamination of allenes proceeded smoothly in the presence of gold catalysts to give the corresponding 2-vinyl pyrrolidines and piperidines in high yields. The reaction is very efficient and can be carried out with only 1-5 mol % catalyst at room temperature and under extremely mild conditions. As an example of chirality transfer, it is shown that aminoallene 1a (96% ee), synthesized from (S)-(−)-1-octyn-3-ol, was converted into the corresponding pyrrolidine 2a (94% ee) in 99% yield.     

Amplification of chirality as a pathway to biological homochirality

Amplification of enantiomeric enrichment is a key feature for the chemical evolution of biological homochirality from the origin of chirality. The aggregations of the enantiomers by diastereomeric interactions enable the modification of their enantiomeric excess during some chemical processes. Fluorine-containing chiral compounds possess large amplification effect via distillation, sublimation and achiral chromatography by self-disproportionation. Asymmetric amplifications in enantioselective catalysis occur by the differential formation and reactivity between homochiral and heterochiral aggregate in solution.We described the amplification of ee in asymmetric autocatalysis of 5-pyrimidyl alkanol in the reaction between diisopropylzinc and pyrimidine-5-carbaldehdye. During the reactions extremely low ee (ca. 0.00005% ee) can be amplified to achieve more than 99.5% ee. Since the proposed origins of chirality such as CPL, quartz, chiral organic crystals of achiral compounds and statistical fluctuation of ee can initiate the asymmetric autocatalysis with amplification of ee, the proposed origin of chirality can be linked with enantiopure organic compound in conjunction with amplification of ee by asymmetric autocatalysis. In addition, we described that the carbon isotopically chiral compound triggers the asymmetric autocatalysis of 5-pyrimiodyl alkanol to afford the enantioenriched product with the absolute configuration correlated with that of carbon isotope chirality, that is, isotope chirality including hydrogen isotopes can control the enantioselectivity of asymmetric addition of alkyl metal reagent to aldehyde.     

Memory of chirality in the phthalimide photocyclization of adamantane dipeptides

Upon sensitized irradiation of N-phthalimido dipeptides containing l- or d-phenylalanine, enantioselective cyclization to diazamacrocycles takes place (ee >99%). The high optical purity of the products was explained by the memory of chirality effect. The chirality is preserved owing to the axial chirality of the biradical intermediate formed. An insight into the origin behind the enantioselective cyclization of the intermediate was given by density functional calculations. The very high enantiomeric excess in this type of photocyclization establishes it as a new method for the enantioselective synthesis of different large aza-heterocycles.     

Highly enantioselective synthesis of chiral allenes by sequential creation of stereogenic center and chirality transfer in a single pot operation

Chiral allenes are readily accessed in a single pot operation in the reaction of terminal alkynes, aldehydes, chiral secondary amines, and zinc halides in good yields (up to 77% yield) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) in toluene at 120 °C. The reaction proceeds through initial formation of chiral propargylamine intermediates with creation of a new stereogenic center and subsequent chirality transfer via an intramolecular hydride shift to produce chiral allenes with high enantiomeric purities.     

Asymmetric autocatalysis of pyrimidyl alkanol and related compounds. Self-replication,amplification of chirality and implication for the origin of biological enantioenriched chirality

We discovered asymmetric autocatalysis in the enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde, where the product 5-pyrimidyl alkanol acts as a highly efficient asymmetric autocatalyst to afford more of itself (Soai reaction). Asymmetric autocatalysis proceeded quantitatively (>99% yield), affording itself as a near enantiomerically pure (>99.5% ee) product. An extremely low enantiomeric excess (ca. 0.00005% ee) can automultiply during three rounds of consecutive asymmetric autocatalysis to >99.5% ee by asymmetric amplification. Circularly polarized light, and inorganic and organic crystals, act as the origin of chirality to trigger asymmetric autocatalysis. Asymmetric autocatalysis has enormous power to recognize and amplify the chirality of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen isotopomers. Moreover, absolute asymmetric synthesis, i.e., the formation of enantioenriched compounds without the intervention of any chiral factor, is realized by asymmetric autocatalysis. By using designed molecules based on 5-pyrimidyl alkanol, the intramolecular asymmetric control, self-replication, and improvement of chiral multifunctionalized large molecules has been developed by applying asymmetric autocatalysis.     

1,2,3-triazole bound Au(I) (TA-Au) as chemoselective catalysts in promoting asymmetric synthesis of substituted allenes

The triazole-Au (TA-Au) complexes were identified as effective chemoselective catalysts in promoting propargyl ester/ether 3,3-rearrangements. The highly reactive allenes, which could not be isolated by simple cationic gold catalysts, were prepared in excellent yields (1% catalyst loading, >90% yields). Unlike other reported Au catalysts, the TA-Au provided effective chirality transfer without racemization over a long period of time, giving enantioenriched allenes with excellent stereoselectivity (1% catalyst loading, up to 99% ee).     

Importance of planar chirality in chiral catalysts with three chiral elements: the role of planar chirality in 2'-substituted 1,1'-P,N-ferrocene ligands on the enantioselectivity in Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution.

A series of novel planar chiral 2'-substituted 1,1'-P,N-ferrocene ligands 9-11, 14, and 16 were prepared with diastereopurity >99:1 and found to be effective in asymmetric allylic alkylation and amination reactions. Ligand 14 furnished the highest enantiomeric excess, 98.5% and 96.5% ee in alkylation and amination reactions, respectively. The role of planar chirality in asymmetric reactions has been examined, and decisive effects on enantioselectivity as well as the control of absolute configuration in palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation and amination reactions were observed. To clarify why and how the planar chirality governed the stereochemical outcome, X-ray crystallographic structures of eta(3)-diphenylallyl Pd complexes, (1)H NMR, (31)P NMR spectra of palladium dichloride complexes, and eta(3)-diphenylallyl Pd complexes of three 1,1'-P,N-ferrocene ligands were analyzed with the aid of COSY and 2D NOESY experiments. All results led to the conclusion that planar chirality influences the stereochemical outcome by changing or even inverting the ratio of two rotamers because of the steric interaction between a planar chiral group and the coordination site.     

Synthesis and absolute configuration of (1S,8S)-as-hydrindacene-1,8-diol as determined by the circular dichroism exciton chirality method

2,3,6,7-Tetrahydro-as-indacene-1,8-dione 4 was prepared in 4 steps starting from 2-methyl-furan by modification of a literature procedure. Appliance of Noyori’s asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, resulted in (1S,8S)-1,2,3,6,7,8-hexahydro-as-indacene-1,8-diol 5 in high yield (81%) and excellent enantioselectivity (>99% ee) or (8S)-8-hydroxy-3,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2H-as-indacen-1-one 6 in moderate yield (58%) and equally high enantioselectivity (98.5% ee), depending on the conditions. The asymmetric reduction was expected to yield the (S)-alcohols using the (S,S)-Ts-DPEN ligand, which was confirmed by the appliance of the exciton chirality method on the corresponding bis(p-dimethylamino)benzoate 7.     

Neighboring lithium-assisted [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement: practical access to diarylmethanol-based 1,4-diols and optically active BINOL derivatives with axial and sp3-central chirality

A facile and practical methodology for the synthesis of synthetically useful diarylmethanol‐based 1,4‐diols and enantiomerically pure BINOL‐derived diols with axial and sp³‐central chirality has been developed through neighboring lithium‐promoted [1,2]‐Wittig rearrangement. The chirality transfer process shows a broad substrate scope in terms of the aromatic ether substituent, which allows access to a broad of range of chiral 1,1′‐binaphthalene‐2‐α‐arylmethanol‐2′‐ols with excellent enantioselectivities (>99 % enantiomeric excess) and yields (84–96 %). This should be considered as an available and attractive chiral source to design and prepare privileged ligands or catalysts.     

Cymantrene-based iminodiamidophosphites: the first phosphite-type ligands with planar chirality

Optically active phosphite-type ligands with planar chirality have been synthesized for the first time. The new cymantrene-based P,N-iminodiamidophosphites demonstrated high enantioselectivity in the Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution of 1,3-diphenylallyl acetate with dimethyl malonate (up to 94% ee), pyrrolidine (up to 78% ee) and sodium para-toluene sulfinate (up to 84% ee).     

"Achiral" benzophenone ligand for highly enantioselective Ru catalysts in ketone hydrogenation

[reaction: see text] The chirality of an "achiral" benzophenone-based complex can be controlled. The benzophenone-based complex thus controlled affords high enantioselectivity in the catalytic asymmetric ketone hydrogenation (up to 99% ee, >99% yield).     

Synthesis of a biferrocene diphosphine ligand with only planar chirality and its application in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of β-keto sulfones

A new type of biferrocene diphosphine ligand bearing only planar chirality was developed and used in Rh(I)-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of β-keto sulfones, giving the corresponding optically active β-hydroxy sulfones in excellent yields and in 72.4–97.9% ee.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic Biginelli reaction: dependence of the catalyst on sterics, hydrogen bonding, and reinforced chirality

From a systematic investigation involving the synthesis of a series of catalysts and screening studies, the organocatalyst 16, which is sterically hindered, contains a strong hydrogen-bonding site, and is endowed with reinforced chirality, is shown to promote the Biginelli cyclocondensation of aromatic as well as aliphatic aldehydes with ethyl acetoacetate and urea in a remarkably high enantioselectivity (ee ca. 94-99%).     

Efficient remote axial-to-central chirality transfer in enantioselective SmI2-mediated reductive coupling of aldehydes with crotonates of atropisomeric 1-naphthamides

Control of enantioselectivity by remote amide conformation has been studied in SmI2-mediated reductive coupling of aldehydes with the crotonates possessing different 2-substituted 8-methoxy-1-naphthamides. The enantiomers of atropisomeric 8-methoxy-1-naphthamides were prepared through a chemical resolution process, and their absolute stereochemistry was determined by X-ray crystal structural analysis. It was found that the linkage between crotonate and the C2 position of 8-methoxy-1-naphthamides remarkably influenced the efficiency of remote chirality transfer originated from the amide conformation. Among the four crotonates examined, the one derived from 2-hydroxy-8-methoxy-1-naphthamide reacted with pentanal to afford the highest ee of > 99% for the cis-gamma-butyrolactone and in 90% combined yield with a cis/trans ratio of 90:10. We developed a new procedure for attaching the chiral crotonate via the C8 oxygen to a Rink amide resin under mild conditions and obtained the same level of highly remote axial-to-central chirality transfer in the solid-phase reaction.     

Carbohydrate-based pseudo-dipeptides: new ligands for the highly enantioselective Ru-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation reaction

Ruthenium-complexes of novel carbohydrate based pseudo-dipeptide ligands effectively and selectively catalyze the reduction of a broad range of aryl-alkyl ketones under ATH conditions. Excellent enantioselectivities (>99% ee) are obtained using aminosugars as the sole source of chirality.     

Role of planar chirality of S,N- and P,N-ferrocene ligands in palladium-catalyzed allylic substitutions

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitutions using thioether and phosphino derivatives of ferrocenyloxazoline as ligands have been investigated with a focus on studying the role of planar chirality. In allylic alkylation, up to 98% ee and 95% ee were achieved with S,N- and P,N-ligands, respectively. In allylic amination, 97% ee was realized with P,N-ligands in the presence of TBAF. Several palladium allylic complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction and/or solution NMR. Thioether derivatives of ferrocenyloxazolines with only planar chirality showed lower enantioselectivity in the allylic alkylation except 5c because of the formation of a new chirality on sulfur atom during the coordination of sulfur with palladium. On the other hand, in the planar chiral P,N-ligands without central chirality, (Sp)-11a-c there was no such disturbance and comparatively higher enantioselectivity in both palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation and amination was provided.     

Facile synthesis of axially chiral styrene-type carboxylic acids via palladium-catalyzed asymmetric C–H activation

A novel method by a one-step introduction of axial chirality and sterically hindered group has been developed for facile synthesis of axially chiral styrene-type carboxylic acids. With the palladium-catalyzed C–H arylation and olefination of readily available cinnamic acid established, this transformation demonstrated excellent yield, excellent stereocontrol (up to 99% yield and 99% ee), and broad substrate scope under mild conditions. The axially chiral styrene-type carboxylic acids produced have been successfully applied to Cp*Co^III-catalyzed asymmetric C–H activation reactions, indicating their potential as chiral ligands or catalysts in asymmetric synthesis.

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric C–H functionalization to yield axially chiral styrene-type carboxylic acids is described, in which axial chirality and sterically hindered group were incorporated in one-step.     

Amplification of chirality: the "sergeants and soldiers" principle applied to dynamic hydrogen-bonded assemblies

The amplification of supramolecular chirality has been studied in dynamic chiral hydrogen-bonded assemblies 1(3).(CA)(6) using "Sergeants and Soldiers" experiments. Previously, we have shown that chiral centers present in either the dimelamine component 1 or the cyanurate component CA quantitatively induce one handedness (M or P) in the assembly. This offers the possibility to study the amplification of chirality under two different kinetic regimes. When chiral dimelamines 1 are used, the exchange of chiral components and (M/P)-interconversion, i.e., interconversion between the (M)- and (P)-isomers of assembly 1(3).(CA)(6), take place via identical pathways (condition A). When chiral cyanurates CA are used, the exchange of chiral components occurs much faster than (M/P)-interconversion (condition B). Experimentally, a much stronger chiral amplification is observed under condition B. For example, the observed chiral amplification for a mixture of chiral and achiral components (40:60) is 46% under condition B and 32% under condition A. Kinetic models were developed to fit the experimental data and to simulate chiral amplification in dynamic systems in general. These simulations show that it is theoretically possible that the diastereomeric excess in a dynamic system is more than 99% with less than 1% chiral component present!