Direct Synthesis of Allylic Thioethers Under Greener Conditions: A Solvent- and Catalyst-Free Approach

We present herein a new catalyst-free and solvent-free approach for the synthesis of allylic thioethers directly from allylic alcohols and thiols. The methodology allows the synthesis of different allylic thioethers in good to excellent yields under microwave irradiation. Theoretical calculations for the allylic carbocation helped to explain the regioselectivity observed when nonsymmetric substrates are used in the reaction.     

A regio- and stereoisomeric study of allylic alcohol fluorination with a range of reagents

A range of dehydroxyfluorination reagents was reacted with separate diastereoisomers of a chiral allylic alcohol to explore both the regio- and stereoselectivity ratios of direct versus allylic fluorination. The allylic alcohol stereoisomers gave the same predominant fluorinated diastereoisomer indicating that the reaction proceeds with a significant S_N1 component via an allylic carbocation intermediate, which is quenched by fluoride ion, predominantly from the least hindered face. None of the reagents displayed very high regio- or stereoselectivity, although in all cases the allylic fluorination products predominated.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Regio‐ and Enantioselective Allylic Substitution of Trisubstituted Allylic Electrophiles

The first Ir‐catalyzed enantioselective allylation of trisubstituted allylic electrophiles has been developed. Through modification of the leaving group of allylic electrophiles, we found that trisubstituted allylic phosphates are suitable electrophiles for asymmetric allylation. The reaction of allylic phosphates with enol silanes derived from dioxinones gave allylated products in good yields with high enantioselectivities.     

Stereoselective and diversity-oriented synthesis of trisubstituted allylic alcohols and amines

Stereoselective and diversity-oriented synthesis of trisubstituted olefins was achieved by using ortho-diphenylphosphanyl benzoate (o-DPPB) as a directing group for allylic substitution. The starting point of this methodology was a set of α-methylene aldehydes derived from Baylis-Hillman adducts. Subsequent addition of different organometallic reagents led to a variety of allylic alcohol substrates. After introduction of the reagent-directing o-DPPB group, copper-mediated allylic substitution with a wide range of Grignard reagents enabled the stereoselective construction of a large number of E-configured trisubstituted allylic alcohols and amines in excellent yields and stereoselectivities. Remarkable is the synthetic flexibility, which allows a wide range of permutations starting from an aldehyde followed by successive introduction of the substituents R(2) and R(3) from organometallic Grignard based reagents. Thus, starting from only a few precursors, a diversity-oriented synthesis of stereodefined trisubstituted allylic alcohols and amines becomes possible.     

Geminal dicarboxylates as carbonyl surrogates for asymmetric synthesis. Part II. Scope and applications.

An enantioselective synthesis of allylic esters has been achieved by a novel asymmetric alkylation of allylic gem-dicarboxylates. The catalyst derived from palladium(0) and R,R-1,2-di(2'-diphenylphosphinobenzamido)cyclohexene efficiently induced the alkylation process with a variety of nucleophiles to provide allylic esters as products in good yield. High regio- and enantioselectivities were observed in the alkylation with most nucleophiles derived from malonate, whereas a modest level of ee's was obtained in the reactions with less reactive nucleophiles such as bis(phenylsulfonyl)ethane. In the latter case, a slow addition procedure proved effective, leading to significantly improved ee's. The utility of the alkylation products was demonstrated by several synthetically useful transformations including allylic isomerizations, allylic alkylations, and Claisen rearrangements. Using these reactions, the chirality of the initial allylic carbon-oxygen bond could be transferred to new carbon-oxygen, carbon-carbon, or carbon-nitrogen bonds in a predictable fashion with high stereochemical fidelity. The conversion of gem-diesters to chiral esters by the substitution reaction is the equivalent of an asymmetric carbonyl addition by stabilized nucleophiles. In conjunction with the subsequent reactions that occur with high stereospecificity, allylic gem-dicarboxylates serve as synthons for a double allylic transformation.     

Tin powder‐promoted diastereoselective allylation of chiral acylhydrazones

An efficient method for the allylation of chiral acylhydrazones derived from aldehydes has been developed to give the corresponding allylic hydrazides in good yields and diastereoselectivities. The method uses a combination of tin powder and allylic bromide as allylation system, which avoids the use of toxic allylic stannanes while retaining their merits.     

Sequential catalytic isomerization and allylic substitution. Conversion of racemic branched allylic carbonates to enantioenriched allylic substitution products

A catalytic protocol for the conversion of readily accessible racemic, branched aromatic allylic esters to branched allylic amines, ethers, and alkyls has been developed. Palladium-catalyzed isomerization of branched allylic esters to terminal allylic esters, followed by sequential iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution, gave the branched allylic products in good yield with high regioisomeric and enantiomeric selectivity. Both electron-rich and electron-poor branched allylic esters gave products in >90% ee. High enantiomeric excesses were also observed for the products from the reactions of 2-thienyl acetates and dienyl carbonates.     

Direct substitution of primary allylic amines with sulfinate salts

The NH(2) group in primary allylic amines was substituted directly by sulfinate salts with excellent regio- and stereoselectivities. In the presence of 0.1 mol % [Pd(allyl)Cl](2), 0.4 mol % 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (dppb), and excess boric acid, a range of α-unbranched primary allylic amines were smoothly substituted with sodium sulfinates in an α-selective fashion to give structurally diverse allylic sulfones in good to excellent yields with exclusive E selectivity. Replacing dppb with 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) allowed unsymmetric α-chiral primary allylic amines to be transformed into the corresponding allylic sulfones in good to excellent yields with excellent retention of ee. Importantly, the reaction complements known asymmetric methods in substrate scope via its unique ability to provide α-chiral allylic sulfones with high optical purity starting from unsymmetric allylic electrophiles.     

Thiyl radical-mediated cleavage of allylic C-N bonds: scope, limitations, and theoretical support to the mechanism

Thiols mediate the radical isomerization of allylic amines into enamines. The reaction results in the cleavage of the allylic C-N bond, after treatment with aqueous HCl. The mechanism involves the abstraction of an allylic hydrogen alpha to nitrogen by thiyl radical, followed by a return hydrogen transfer from the thiol to the carbon gamma to nitrogen in the intermediate allylic radical. The scope and limitations of the reaction with respect to the nature of the thiol, to the structure of the allylic chain, and to the nature of the substituents at nitrogen were investigated. The experimental results were interpreted on the ground of DFT calculations of the C-Halpha BDE in the starting allylic amines, and of the C-Hgamma BDE in the resulting enamines. The efficiency of the initial hydrogen transfer is the first requirement for the reaction to proceed. A balance must be found between the S-H BDE and the two above-mentioned C-H BDEs. The incidence of stereoelectronic factors was analyzed through NBO calculations performed on the optimized geometries of the starting allylic amines. Additional calculations of the transition structures and subsequent tracing of the reaction profiles were performed for the abstraction of Halpha from both the allyl and the prenyl derivatives by p-TolS(*). The latter allowed us to estimate the rate constant for the abstraction of hydrogen by thiyl radical from an N-prenylamine and an N-allylamine.     

A facile highly regio- and stereoselective preparation of N-tosyl allylic amines from allylic alcohols and tosyl isocyanate via Palladium(II)-catalyzed aminopalladation-beta-heteroatom elimination

The high regio- and stereoselectivity have been obtained from the allylic substitution reaction catalyzed by palladium(II) species. From allylic alcohols, one-pot reaction with tosyl isocyanate followed by palladium(II)-catalyzed allylic substitution gives N-tosyl (E)-allylic amines in high yield. The substitution occurs only at the gamma-position of the 1- or 3-substituted allylic alcohols.     

Solid-phase synthesis of 4-methylene pyrrolidines and allylic amines using palladium-activated allylic linkers

The solid-phase synthesis of 4-methylene pyrrolidines and allylic amines has been achieved using palladium-catalysed nucleophilic cleavage of allylic linkages. Six pyrrolidines were synthesised in five steps from a carboxyethyl resin 20, where the key transformations included a Lewis-acid promoted imino-Sakurai type reaction and reductive alkylation prior to the final palladium-catalysed cyclisation cleavage of the allylic carboxylate linkage. Allylic carboxylate resin 22 was also shown to undergo "traceless" cleavage using various hydride sources in the presence of catalytic palladium. A more robust allylic ether linkage was also investigated. Starting from a phenol resin 36, a number of 3-aryl-allylamines were prepared using a palladium-catalysed nucleophilic cleavage reaction.     

Regio- and Enantioselective Substitution of Acyclic Allylic Sulfoximines with Butylcopper in the Presence of Lithium Iodide and Boron Trifluoride

Enantiomerically pure N-methyl-, N-benzyl-, and N-(methoxyethyl)-S-(phenyl)cinnamylsulfoximines as well as the corresponding crotylsulfoximines have been prepared from N-methyl-, N-benzyl-, and N-(methoxyethyl)-S-(lithiomethyl)sulfoximines and carbonyl compounds by an addition-elimination-isomerization reaction sequence. Under basic conditions, complete isomerization of the vinylic sulfoximines, obtained as intermediates, to the corresponding allylic sulfoximines takes place. Chromatographically separable mixtures of (E) and (Z) allylic sulfoximines were isolated in the case of beta,gamma-disubstituted allylic sulfoximines. The (E/Z) ratio depends on the nature of the substituents in the beta- and gamma-positions, and the equilibrium amount of the (Z) isomer varies from 68% to nil. The allylic N-methylsulfoximines do not racemize thermally, and their rearrangement to the corresponding allylic sulfinamides is negligible. Upon prolonged treatment with boron trifluoride at low temperatures allylic N-methylsulfoximines are recovered unchanged. The crystal structure of S-(3,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-ylmethyl)-N-methyl-S-phenylsulfoximine was determined. Reaction of the allylic sulfoximines with butylcopper in the presence of lithium iodide and boron trifluoride leads with very high gamma-selectivities and moderate to high enantioselectivities to the corresponding chiral alkenes. Their configuration was determined by chemical correlation through ozonolysis to the corresponding carbonyl compounds. The asymmetric induction exerted by the chiral N-methyl-S-phenylsulfoximine group strongly depends on the double bond configuration and the substituents in the beta- and gamma-positions. The (E) allylic sulfoximines are substituted with low to moderate enantioselectivities (2-66%), whereas the (Z) allylic sulfoximines react with much higher enantioselectivities (69-92%). Interestingly, substitution of the beta-methyl-gamma-phenyl-substituted (Z) allylic sulfoximine and its beta-phenyl-gamma-methyl isomer proceeded with almost the same degree of asymmetric induction but with the opposite sense. Replacement of the N-methyl group by a benzyl or a methoxyethyl group has no significant influence on the regio- and enantioselectivity of the substitution.     

A phosphorimidate rearrangement for the facile and selective preparation of allylic amines

Allylic phosphorimidates, readily prepared from the combination of an allylic alcohol, an azide, and a chlorophosphite, undergo [3,3]-rearrangement under thermal conditions to provide single isomers of allylic phosphoramidates. This new rearrangement is tolerant of a range of substitution patterns on the reactants. Treatment of the products of the rearrangement with ethanethiolate followed by acid produces a protected allylic amine. This strategy thus provides an attractive and versatile procedure for the preparation of key synthetic intermediates, allylic amines.     

Palladium-catalyzed deracemization of allylic carbonates in water with formation of allylic alcohols: hydrogen carbonate ion as nucleophile in the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution and kinetic resolution

The palladium-catalyzed deracemization of racemic cyclic and acyclic allylic methyl carbonates in water in the presence of N,N'-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexanediylbis[2-(diphenylphophino)benzamide] proceeds with high enantioselectivities to give the corresponding allylic alcohols in high yields. This deracemization involves a palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution with the in-situ-formed hydrogen carbonate ion and an irreversible decomposition of the intermediate allylic hydrogen carbonates, with formation of the corresponding allylic alcohols. The palladium-catalyzed reaction of racemic cyclic allylic acetates with potassium hydrogen carbonate in water in the presence of the chiral bisphosphane proceeds with a highly selective kinetic resolution to give the corresponding allylic alcohols and allylic acetates.     

Effect of halogenation reagents on halocyclization and Overman rearrangement of allylic trichloroacetimidates

Electrophilic halogen can promote either halocyclization or Overman rearrangement of allylic trichloroacetimidates. We found that the chemoselectivity was dependent on the nature of the halogenation reagents for primary allylic trichloroacetimidates. A one-pot procedure was developed for the preparation of allylic trichloroacetamides directly from allylic alcohols at room temperature.     

A comparison of intrazeolite and solution singlet oxygen Ene reactions of allylic alcohols

The singlet oxygen ene reactions of four allylic alcohols and for comparison an allylic ether have been examined both in solution and in zeolite Y. Brønsted acid sites in the zeolite were shown to induce decomposition of several of the allylic alcohols. Treatment of the zeolites with pyridine removed these acid sites and allowed intrazeolite reactions of the allylic alcohols without interference from decomposition. Control reactions with an allylic alcohol that is inert to decomposition provided evidence that the presence of pyridine in the zeolite labyrinth does not influence the product composition.     

Syntheses of (5E)-PGE2 and New 6-Functionalized Derivatives by the Use of Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Allylic Alkylation

(5 )-Prostaglandin E₂ (7) was synthesized fron ( )-4- -butyldimethylsilyloxy-2-cyclopentenone (1) by 2-alkenyloxycarbonylatlon of the organocopper conjugate-addition adduct (3) followed by intramolecular palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative allylic alkylation. The (5 )-prostaglandin E₂ skeleton was also obtained from the β-keto allylic ester (11) by a similar decarboxylative allylic alkylation. The decarboxylative allylic alkylation of another type of the three-component coupling product (12) gave new 6-methyleneprostaglandin E1 skeleton (15a), which was converted into new 6-methylprosta-glandin I methyl ester (20) 6-methyleneprostaglandin F₁ derivative (16) by two different ways. The stereochemistry of this intramolecular decarboxylative allylic alkylation was discussed in the reaction of 2-[( )- or ( )-2-butenyloxy-carbonyl] cyclopentanone systems.     

Preparation of aliphatic ketones through a ruthenium-catalyzed tandem cross-metathesis/allylic alcohol isomerization

Grubbs' 2nd generation and Hoveyda-Grubbs' ruthenium alkylidenes are shown to be effective catalysts for cross-metatheses of allylic alcohols with cyclic and acyclic olefins, as well as isomerization of the resulting allylic alcohols to alkyl ketones. The net result of this new tandem methodology is a single-flask process that provides highly functionalized, ketone-containing products from simple allylic alcohol precursors. [reaction: see text]     

Zirconium-mediated SN2' substitution of allylic ethers: regio- and stereospecific formation of protected allylic amines

A new zirconium-mediated, regio- and stereospecific SN2' substitution of allylic ethers with a nitrogen nucleophile has been developed. Cbz-protected amine products were isolated in high yield from reactions with a wide range of Z allylic ethers. A mechanism of the allylic substitution consistent with the results of the kinetics and kinetic isotope effect studies was proposed.     

Regiochemical control in the metal-catalyzed transposition of allylic silyl ethers

A novel mode of regiochemical control over the allylic [1,3]-transposition of silyloxy groups catalyzed by Re2O7 has been developed. This strategy relies on a cis-oriented vinyl boronate, generated from the Alder-ene reaction of homoallylic silyl ethers and alkynyl boronates, to trap out the allylic hydroxyl group. The resulting cyclic boronic acids are excellent partners for cross-coupling reactions. High chirality transfer is observed for the rearrangement of enantioenriched allylic silyl ethers.