N,N,N,N-Tetramethyl-1,3-propanediamine as the catalyst of choice for the Baylis-Hillman reaction of cycloalkenone: rate acceleration by stabilizing the zwitterionic intermediate via the ion-dipole interaction

N,N,N^′,N^′-Tetramethyl-1,3-propanediamine (TMPDA) can be used as an efficient catalyst for the Baylis-Hillman reaction of cycloalkenones. The increased reaction rate was thought be derived from the stabilizing effect of the zwitterionic intermediate via the ion-dipole interaction.     

Vinylogous N,N-dimethylaminomethylenation of 3-[(1-substituted)ethylidene]-oxindoles with N,N-dimethylformamide dimethylacetal

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of various 3-(3-dimethylaminoprop-2-enylidene)oxindoles has been disclosed. The compounds were synthesized via a vinylogous N,N-dimethylaminomethylenation at the γ-position of 3-[(1-substituted)ethylidene]oxindoles with DMF-DMA.     

Chiral N-phosphonyl imine chemistry: new reagents and their applications for asymmetric reactions

Novel chiral N-phosphonyl imines 2 have been designed and synthesized using chiral N-phosphoramide 1. These N-phosphonyl imines have been successfully utilized for asymmetric aza-Darzens reaction and asymmetric aza-Henry reaction. The C₂-symmetric chiral auxiliary tolerates oxidation, is not sensitive to racemization and can be recycled for large scale synthesis.     

Simple pyridylmethylamines: efficient and robust N,N-ligands for Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions

A series of pyridylmethylamines have been synthesized in one step from commercially available starting material and identified as effective ligands for Pd-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation through Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction. The N,N-pyridylmethylamine-Pd catalytic systems appeared as an interesting and robust compromise between catalytic efficiency, substrate compatibility, and practical aspects.     

Electrochemical fluorination of N,N-dimethylperfluoroacylamides

The electrochemical fluorination (ECF) of N,N-dimethylperfluoroacylamides gives the corresponding perfluoro-N,N-dimethylacylamides in low yield. With increase of the number of carbon atoms in the perfluoroacyl radical the yield of the required perfluoro-N,N-dimethylacylamides is slightly increased.     

An organocatalytic synthesis of N-sulfonyl imines using chloramine-T in aqueous medium

N-Sulfonyl imines have been synthesized in good to excellent yields from aldehydes and chloramine-T using proline as an organocatalyst in aqueous medium at ambient temperature. The protocol is applicable to a wide range of aldehydes, especially enals exhibit remarkable efficiency in the reaction. The reaction presumably occurs via iminium activation and opens new avenues for the synthesis of N-sulfonyl imines under environmentally benign and mild conditions.     

N-tert-Butyl-N-chlorocyanamide: a new reagent for the efficient preparation of gem-chloronitroso compounds

A new reagent for the efficient preparation of gem-chloronitroso compounds has been developed. The reaction of ketoximes with N-tert-butyl-N-chlorocyanamide takes place instantaneously in carbon tetrachloride at room temperature with excellent yields under mild conditions.     

A quantum chemical study on the mechanism of chiral N-oxides-catalyzed Strecker reaction

The mechanism for the Strecker reaction of silyl cyanide (H₃SiCN) and benzaldehyde N-methylimine (PhCHNCH₃) catalyzed by chiral 3,3′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine N,N′-dioxide was investigated using the density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. The calculations revealed that the non-catalyzed reaction proceeded in a concerted way via a five-membered ring transition state, while the catalytic one occurred stepwisely via a hexacoordinate hypervalent silicate intermediate. It was predicted that both non-catalyzed and catalytic Strecker reactions involved two competitive reaction pathways, that is, addition followed by isomerization or isomerization followed by addition. The calculations indicated that two reaction pathways were comparable for both non-catalyzed and catalytic Strecker reactions. In the catalytic reaction, the strong electron donor (N-O) of chiral N-oxide played an important role in enhancing the reactivity and nucleophilicity of H₃SiCN by coordinating O atom to the Si atom of H₃SiCN. Chiral N-oxide could be used as a good catalyst for the reaction, which was in agreement with the experimental observations.     

Synthesis of 5,6-dihydrophenanthridines via N,O-acetal TMS ethers

A concise and high-yielding protocol for the synthesis of 5,6-dihydrophenanthridines is disclosed. The key feature includes a sequential reduction-cyclization reaction of N-acylcarbamates via N,O-acetal TMS ethers as a stable N-acyliminium ion precursor.     

Chemical and electrochemical procedures for the synthesis of diisopropyltetrahydroquinoxalinedione derivatives

Diisopropyltetrahydroquinoxalinedione derivatives are synthesized from the reaction of various catechols with N,N′-diisopropylethylenediamine. Both chemical and electrochemical methods give the same products. While the chemical synthesis is faster, the electrochemical synthesis provides higher yields.     

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/poly[(N-acetylimino)ethylene] thermosensitive block and graft copolymers

Block and graft copolymers with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly[(N-acetylimino)ethylene] (PNAI) sequences were synthesized via PNAI derivatives (macroinitiators or macromers). The polymerization yields for block copolymers synthesized in ethanol, using the PNAI macroinitiator, were low (<10%), except where photochemical polymerization was applied. By contrast, for the copolymerizations of N-isopropylacrylamide with the PNAI macromers, performed in alcoholic solution, quite high polymerization yields, around 80-90%, were reached. ¹H-NMR and IR spectral and differential scanning calorimeter thermal data confirmed the copolymer formation. Thermosensitivity of the copolymers was investigated by means of turbidimetric technique as a function of their nature, average molecular weight and composition. It was found that the length of the chain of the PNAI macromer and the content in hydrophilic PNAI units of the resulted copolymer affected this behavior.     

Straightforward, racemization-free synthesis of peptides with fairly to very bulky di- and trisubstituted glycines

Several fully protected tri- and pentapeptides containing a central symmetrical α,α-dialkyl glycine residue, with the alkyl group varying from methyl or ethyl to benzyl, were synthesized in good yields by a strategy based on the Ugi-Passerini reaction. Each Ugi-Passerini adduct was selectively cleaved and the product submitted to an assisted N,N′-dicyclohehylcarbodiimide coupling to an amino acid or dipeptide ester, respectively. Tripeptides as the above but containing a 4-methoxybenzyl group at the nitrogen atom of the central residue were also synthesized in fair to good yields by N-[(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-(dimethylamino)methylene]-N-methylmethanaminium hexafluorophosphate N-oxide assisted couplings. The results reported here show that our strategy is appropriate for routine synthesis of peptides incorporating these moieties.     

Facile Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed preparation of 9-tosylaminofluorene derivatives from o-arylated N-tosylbenzaldimines

The 9-tosylaminofluorene derivatives were synthesized conveniently by Cu(OTf)₂-catalyzed aza-Friedel-Crafts reaction of o-arylated N-tosylbenzaldimines in high yields. This is an efficient, atom-economic, and green method.     

A novel P,S-heterodonor ligand and palladium(0) complex catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction

Axially dissymmetric P,S-heterodonor ligand L3 synthesized from BINOL is an effective promoter in the palladium(0)-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of phenylboronic acid with aryl bromides and iodide at 60-80 °C. On the basis of ¹³C and ³¹P NMR spectroscopic investigation and X-ray diffraction, it was revealed that N,N-dimethylthiocarbamate-phosphine ligand L3 might be a P,S-heterodonor bidentate ligand to palladium(0) center.     

Synthesis of novel 2-perfluoroacylcyclohexane-1,3-diones

A one-pot synthesis of 2-perfluoroalkanoylcyclohexane-1,3-diones via C-acylation of cyclohexane-1,3-diones with N-perfluoroacylimidazole as an acylating agent is reported. A reaction was examined with isolated N-trifluoroacetylimidazole and with N-perfluoroacylimidazoles generated in situ from perfluorocarboxylic acid anhydrides or perfluorocarboxylic acids.     

First SNAr reaction using TDAE-initiated carbanions in quinazoline series

We report herein the first example of a S_NAr reaction using TDAE-initiated carbanions in quinazoline series. The o-nitrobenzyl carbanion, formed by the action of TDAE on o-nitrobenzyl chloride, reacts with 4-chloro-2-trihalomethylquinazolines 4 and 5 via a S_NAr mechanism. This enabled a new series of 4-benzyl-2-trihaloquinazoline derivatives to be synthesized in good yields under mild reaction conditions offering promising prospects for pharmacomodulation.     

The use of N-sulfenylimines in the β-lactam synthon method: Staudinger reaction, oxidation of the cycloadducts and ring opening of β-lactams

Selected N-sulfenylimines act as good nucleophilic partners in the Staudinger reaction with methoxy- and benzyloxy-ketenes. The choice of diisopropylethylamine as a non-nucleophilic Lewis base for the generation of ketenes from acid chlorides is a determining factor for the success of the reaction. N-Sulfenyl-β-lactams are obtained in good to excellent yields and with moderate cis/trans diastereoselectivity. Then, they are quantitatively and selectively transformed to N-sulfinyl- or N-sulfonyl-β-lactams, by adjusting the oxidation state of the sulfur atom. The oxidation process induces an inversion of polarity of the nitrogen atom's substituent and allows a subsequent smooth ring opening by reaction of N-thiolated-β-lactams with various nucleophiles. The overall sequence provides straightforward and efficient route to highly functionalized-β-amino acid derivatives.     

10b-Substituted hexahydropyrrolo-isoquinolines: studies on diastereoselective formation of a quaternary carbon stereocenter via N-acyliminium ion cyclization

The stereoselective synthesis of hexahydro-pyrroloisoquinolines with a quaternary carbon stereocenter is described. The presented methodology employs the addition of a Grignard reagent to the carbonyl group of imide 1, derived from l-tartaric acid, followed by acetylation and BF₃·Et₂O induced cyclization. The acetylation-cyclization sequence can be run either as a one-pot process, or stepwise in a selected solvents. The crucial step, an acid-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction via an N-acyliminium ion offers high stereoselectivity, which has been shown to be strongly dependent on the size of the R¹ substituents and the reaction conditions, that is, choice of solvent, amount of a Lewis acid, temperature, and concentration of the substrate. Based on the results observed, participation of solvent in the cyclization, via an N-acyliminium cation is proposed.     

A concise synthesis of asymmetrical N,N′-disubstituted guanidines

We present a new and concise method for the preparation of asymmetrical N,N′-disubstituted guanidines starting from thiourea via the reaction of N-Boc-protected N′-alkyl/aryl substituted thioureas with an amine in the presence of mercury(II) chloride and triethylamine.     

New environmentally friendly solvent free synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones catalysed by N-butyl-N,N-dimethyl-α-phenylethylammonium bromide

N-Butyl-N,N-dimethyl-α-phenylethylammonium bromide catalyzes efficiently the three component condensation reaction of an aromatic aldehyde, a β-keto ester and urea/thiourea under solvent free conditions at 100°C to afford the corresponding dihydropyrimidinone in high yield.