Novel C1-symmetric chiral crown ethers bearing rosin acids groups: synthesis and enantiomeric recognition for ammonium salts

Four types of novel C₁-symmetric chiral crown ethers including 28-crown-8, 20-crown-6, 17-crown-5 and 14-crown-3 (9a–m) were synthesized and their enantiodiscriminating abilities with protonated primary amines (10–14) were examined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. 20-crown-6 crown ethers exhibited good chiral recognition properties toward these guests and showed different complementarity to some chiral guests, indicating that 20-crown-6 crown ethers could be used as a chiral NMR solvating agent to determine the enantiopurity of these guests. In addition, the binding model and binding site between the hosts and guests were also studied by the computational modeling and experimental calculation.     

Bifunctional pyridyl alcohols with the bicyclo[3.3.0]octane scaffold in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

Some new pyridyl alcohols with the cis-bicyclo[3.3.0]octane scaffold were synthesized and used as chiral ligands for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes. Ligands 4 were found to be far superior to the C₂-symmetric ligands 2 in terms of enantioselectivities. Quantitative yields and enantiomeric excesses of up to 92% were obtained when the ligand 4 was used. The carbonyl function in 4 proved to be beneficial for the high enantioselectivities in the addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes. Conversion of the carbonyl group into oxime or oxime ether group led to a sort of more active ligands, which catalyzed the same reaction with rate acceleration.     

Copper-catalyzed dehydrogenative cross-coupling reaction between unactivated ethers and simple ketones mediated by pyrrolidine

A copper-catalyzed dehydrogenative cross-coupling reaction between unactivated ethers and simple ketones mediated by pyrrolidine has been developed. Under the catalysis of CuBr₂ and in the presence of pyrrolidine, either tetrahydrofuran 2a or tetrahydropyran 2b can react smoothly with a series of methyl aryl ketones 1a–m to give desired coupling products 3aa–mb using TBHP as an oxidant. The advantages of the dehydrogenative cross-coupling reaction are adoption of unmodified ethers as substrates, good tolerance of many functional groups and use of cheap copper salt as a catalyst. A plausible radical mechanism through enamine attack is proposed.     

Asymmetric Michael addition of silyl nitronates to cyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones catalyzed by chiral quaternary ammonium bifluorides: isolation and selective functionalization of enol silyl ethers of optically active γ-nitro ketones

Highly enantioselective Michael addition of silyl nitronates to cyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones has been accomplished by the utilization of N-spiro C₂-symmetric chiral quaternary ammonium bifluoride 1 as an efficient catalyst, offering a new route to the enol silyl ethers of optically active γ-nitro ketones. The synthetic utility of this transformation has been demonstrated by the diastereoselective derivatizations of the optically active enol silyl ethers to the corresponding α-substituted cyclic ketones having three consecutive stereochemically defined stereocenters.     

Novel C2-symmetric chiral 18-crown-6 derivatives with two aromatic sidearms as chiral NMR discriminating agents

Novel C₂-symmetric chiral 18-crown-6 derivatives with two aromatic sidearms 2-4 were prepared, and their enantiomeric recognition abilities as chiral NMR discriminating agents towards primary ammonium salts were examined. Among these chiral crown ethers, the most effective enantiomeric discrimination of racemic ammonium salts in the ¹H NMR spectra was attained by the derivative with two pyrenylmethyl sidearms.     

Enantioselective oxidation of sulfides with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by vanadium complex of sterically hindered chiral Schiff bases

Sterically hindered chiral Schiff base ligands 4a-d were prepared from an aldehyde derived from BINOL. The vanadium complexes of the ligands catalyze an efficient, enantioselective H₂O₂-promoted sulfoxidation of alkyl aryl sulfides, and enantioselectivities as high as 98-99% ee are observed in the sulfoxidation of benzyl aryl sulfides.     

Synthesis of chiral ortho-(p-tolylsulfinyl) benzyl ketones

(S)-ortho-(p-Tolylsulfinyl)benzyl alkyl (and aryl) ketones 1a-e were prepared in good yields by reaction of esters or nitriles with the lithium benzyl carbanion derived from 2-(p-tolylsulfinyl) methylbenzene. α-Methylbenzyl ketones 2 were prepared as ca. 1:1 diastereoisomeric mixtures by methylation of the unsubstituted ketones 1 with NaH/MeI. The use of the ethylbenzene derivative as the starting material afforded complex mixtures. The obtention of pure (S,(S)S)-2 diastereoisomers could be attained in good yields by oxidation with PCC of the alcohols (epimeric mixtures at the hydroxylic carbon) obtained from reactions of aldehydes with the lithium carbanion derived from 2-(p-tolylsulfinyl)ethylbenzene.     

New chiral bis(diphenylphospholane) ligands: design, synthesis, and application to catalytic enantioselective aldol reaction to ketones

New chiral bidentate diphenylphospholanes were designed targeting a catalytic enantioselective aldol reaction to ketones. Ligands 5l and 5m having cis-2-butenyl and cyclopropyl groups at the linker part, respectively, were identified as effective chiral ligands for a CuF-catalyzed enantioselective aldol reaction to ketones. Catalysts prepared from CuF·3PPh₃·2EtOH and these ligands produced ketone aldol products with up to 66% ee, which is promising particularly for this extremely difficult and important catalytic enantioselective carbon-carbon bond forming reaction. The enantioselectivity was strongly dependent on the linker structure. Construction of a deep chiral pocket around the copper metal with stable bidentate chelation is the key to meaningful enantioinduction.     

Selective synthesis of 4,5-dihydroimidazo- and imidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalines via modified Pictet–Spengler reaction

An efficient tandem approach for the selective synthesis of 4,5-dihydroimidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalines 6a–g and imidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalines 7a–h by the reaction of 2-imidazolyl anilines 4a–c with aryl aldehydes 5a–k under mild reaction conditions is described. Introduction of electron releasing alkyl groups in substrates 4a–b was found to be instrumental for the success of the reaction.     

Chiral hypervalent iodine-catalyzed enantioselective oxidative Kita spirolactonization of 1-naphthol derivatives and one-pot diastereo-selective oxidation to epoxyspirolactones

We demonstrate here the rational design of a conformationally flexible C₂-symmetric iodosylarene 8g based on secondary n-σ^∗ or hydrogen-bonding interactions as a chiral catalyst for the enantioselective Kita oxidative spirolactonization of 1-naphthol derivatives 5. Iodosylarenes 8 were generated in situ from iodoarenes 7 and mCPBA as a co-oxidant. Furthermore, epoxyspirolactone 15 was obtained by the one-pot oxidation of 5 with mCBPA in the presence of 7g. Thus, the enantioselective oxidation of 5 to 6 and the successive enantio- and diastereo-selective oxidation of 5 to 15 proceeded in good yields when we controlled the amount of mCPBA.     

Asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reaction of silyl enol ethers with aldehydes using a polymer-supported chiral Lewis acid catalyst

Chiral N-sulfonylated α-amino acid monomer (5) derived from (S)-tryptophan was copolymerized with styrene and divinylbenzene under radical polymerization conditions to give a polymer-supported N-sulfonyl-(S)-tryptophan (6). Treatment of the polymer-supported chiral ligand with 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl boron dichloride afforded a polymeric Lewis acid catalyst (16) effective for asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reaction of silyl enol ethers and aldehydes. Various aldehydes were allowed to react with silyl enol ethers in the presence of the polymeric chiral Lewis acid to give the corresponding aldol adducts in high yield with high levels of enantioselectivity.     

Zn-promoted regio- and sequence-selective one-pot joining reactions of three components: vinylpyridines, alkyl iodides, and carbonyl compounds (or nitriles)

Addition of alkyl iodides (3) into the solution containing 2-(or 4-)vinylpyridine (1 or 2) and carbonyl compounds (6) in the presence of Zn-powder (99.9%) in acetonitrile under refluxing brought about regio- and sequence-selective joining reaction of three components to give the corresponding (2-hydroxyethyl)pyridines (7 or 8) in good to moderate yields. On the other hand, 2-(2- or 4-pyridyl)ethyl alkyl ketones (10 or 11) were obtained from the similar joining reaction of three components by addition of alkyl iodides (3) into the solution of 2-(or 4-)vinylpyridine (1 or 2), and nitriles (9) in toluene containing Zn-powder (99.9%) under the similar reaction conditions.     

Asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aromatic aldehydes by chiral ferrocene-based catalysts

A series of chiral C₁- and C₂-symmetric ferrocenyl Schiff bases (1a-c), ferrocenyl aminoalcohols (2a), ferrocenylphosphinamides (2b-c), 1,1′-ferrocenyl-diol (3), and 1,1′-ferrocenyl-disulfonamide (4) were prepared and employed as base catalysts or as ligand for titanium(IV) complexes in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aromatic aldehydes. High enantioselectivity up to almost 100% ee was achieved for the alkylation of benzaldehyde and p-methoxybenzaldehyde with 1 or 3. In contrast, however, the β-aminoalcohol (2a) and phosphinamides (2b and c) that are ubiquitous classes of base catalysts for this reaction proved inefficient in our hands, regardless of the types of substrates or reaction conditions. Comparative studies show that there exist various reaction parameters governing not only chemical yields but also optical yields. These include steric and electronic environment of the substrate, the solvent, the reaction temperature, and the nature of the ferrocene moieties.     

A tricyclic aluminum alkoxide catalyst for aldehyde trimethylsilylcyanation

Trimethylsilylcyanation of aldehydes is efficiently accomplished with a low concentration of catalyst 1 under mild conditions in acetonitrile. This protocol tolerates a variety of electron-rich, neutral, and deficient aryl, heterocyclic, and alkyl aldehydes. At the end of the reaction, catalyst 1 precipitates from solution, allowing it to be recycled three times.     

Palladium-catalyzed regioselective Heck arylation of electron-rich olefins in a molecular solvent-ionic liquid cocktail

We have recently established that highly regioselective Heck arylation of electron-rich olefins can be accomplished with aryl halides without using any halide scavengers in imidazolium ionic liquid solvents. The results presented in this paper show that the benchmark electron-rich olefins vinyl ethers can be readily arylated by aryl bromides in a molecular solvent-ionic liquid cocktail with no compromise on regioselectivity. By introducing a small amount of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF₄]) to DMSO, the arylation reactions of the vinyl ethers 1a-d by the bromides 2a-j took place to afford essentially only the α arylated products. The enamide 1e underwent similar regioselective arylation in the solvent cocktail. In the absence of the ionic liquid, lower regioselectivities were observed. In comparison with the chemistry we have reported so far, the current method reduces considerably the reliance on the volume of ionic liquids used, providing a simpler and more practical synthetic pathway for preparing arylated vinyl ethers and aryl methyl ketones.     

Synthesis and substitution reactions of β-alkoxyvinyl bromodifluoromethyl ketones

β-Alkoxyvinyl bromodifluoromethyl ketones 1a, 1b and 1c were synthesized by the reaction of bromodifluoroacetic anhydride with appropriate vinyl ethers in high yields. The acyclic enone 1a reacted with amines to give the corresponding β-aminovinyl bromodifluoromethyl ketones 2 in good yields. The reaction of 1a with electrophilic reagent ICl yielded α-iodoenone 4. The substitution reaction of the cyclic enones 1b and 1c with thio-nucleophiles gave the corresponding difluoromethylene thioethers 6. The three-component reactions of 2 with primary amines and formaldehyde gave multifunctional 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine 3 in moderate yields.     

From ketones, aldehydes or alkyl halides to terminal 1,1-difluoroolefins using BrF3

Terminal difluoromethylenes were prepared by two different routes: (a) by treating ketones and aldehydes with bis(methylthio)methane, producing 2-alkyl-1,1-bis(methylthio)alkene (2) (b) reacting alkyl halides with tris(methylthio)methane forming 1-alkyl-1,1,1-tris(methylthio)alkane derivatives (7). The reaction of either 2 or 7 with BrF₃, followed by oxidation with HOF·CH₃CN gave the difluorosulfonyl derivatives 4. Consecutive treatment with Zn led to the target difluoroolefins (5) in overall yields of 60-75%.     

A BINOL-terpyridine-based multi-task catalyst for a sequential oxidation and asymmetric alkylation of alcohols

Treatment of a BINOL-terpyridine compound with RuCl₃ generates a Ru(II) complex (R)-6. This complex is found to be a novel multi-task catalyst capable of conducting a sequential oxidation and asymmetric alkyl addition to convert primary alcohols to chiral secondary alcohols. The terpyridine-Ru(II) site of (R)-6 catalyzes an efficient oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes which then undergo an enantioselective alkylation to generate chiral secondary alcohols when the BINOL site of (R)-6 is combined with ZnEt₂ and Ti(OⁱPr)₄.     

Synthesis of new C2-symmetric bis(β-hydroxy amide) ligands and their applications in the enantioselective addition of alkynylzinc to aldehydes

A series of chiral C₂-symmetric bis(β-hydroxy amide) ligands was synthesized via the reaction of isophthaloyl dichloride and amino alcohols derived from l-amino acid. The titanium(IV) complex of C₂-symmetric chiral ligand 3b was effective for the asymmetric alkynylation of aldehydes and the propargyl alcohols were obtained in high yields (up to 94%) and high enantiomeric excesses (up to 98%) under optimized conditions. The results obtained using ligand 3h support that the two β-hydroxy amide moieties in these ligands behave as two independent ligands in the catalytic system.     

Asymmetric synthesis of the tricyclic core of cyathin diterpenoids via intramolecular Heck reaction

The enantioselective synthesis of the ketones 3 which displays the carbon core of NGF-inducing cyathane diterpenes is described. The key tricyclic trienone 22 was assembled in 13 steps from Michael adduct (R)-8a via intramolecular Heck cyclization of the chiral triflate 21. The trienone 22 was further elaborated into ketone 3 through trimethylaluminum-promoted expansion of the C-ring with trimethylsilyldiazomethane.