Transitioning enantioselective indicator displacement assays for alpha-amino acids to protocols amenable to high-throughput screening

Enantioselective indicator displacement assays (eIDAs) for alpha-amino acids were conducted in a 96-well plate format to demonstrate the viability of the technique for the high-throughput screening (HTS) of enantiomeric excess (ee) values. Chiral receptors [Cu(II)(1)](2+) and [Cu(II)(2)](2+) with the indicator chrome azurol S were implemented for the eIDAs. Enantiomeric excess calibration curves were made using both receptors and then used to analyze true test samples. These results were compared to those previously obtained with a conventional UV-vis spectrophotometer, and they showed little to no loss of accuracy, while the speed of analysis was increased. A sample of valine of unknown ee was synthesized through an asymmetric reaction to produce a realistic reaction sample, which was analyzed using receptor [Cu(II)(1)](2+). The experimentally determined ee using our eIDA was compared to that obtained by chiral HPLC and (1)H NMR chiral shift reagent analysis. This gave errors of 4.7% and 12.0%, respectively. In addition to the use of ee calibration curves, an artificial neural network (ANN) was used to determine the % L-amino acid of the test samples and of the sample of valine of unknown ee from the asymmetric reaction. This method obtained errors of 5.9% and 2.2% compared to chiral HPLC and (1)H NMR chiral shift reagent analysis, respectively. The technique using calibration curves for the determination of ee on a 96-well plate allows one to determine 96 ee values in under a minute, enabling its use for HTS of asymmetric reactions with acceptable accuracy.     

Development of a new reaction system for the synthesis of highly optically active alpha,gamma-substituted gamma-butyrolactones

A highly useful method for the synthesis of optically active alpha,gamma-substituted gamma-butyrolactones has been developed. The SmI(2)-induced reductive coupling of chiral 2-alkyl acrylates derived from isosorbide with ketones in the presence of (1S)-(-)-2,10-camphorsultam as a proton source give the chiral alpha,gamma-substituted gamma-butyrolactones in good yields and high enantiomeric purities (up to >99% ee for trans and 75% ee for cis). The reaction system has been investigated with various ketones, and it is demonstrated that this system is very effective for trans-alpha,gamma-substituted gamma-butyrolactones. Both the chiral auxiliary and the hindered proton source in this system are necessary for the observed excellent ee values of the products. The absolute configuration of the trans products is assigned on the basis of the X-ray crystal structure.     

高效液相色谱-圆二色检测法分析甲霜灵的对映体纯度

以手性农药甲霜灵为研究对象,使用非手性高效液相色谱在不拆分对映体的条件下,利用圆二色检测器所测的各向异性系数(g)测定手性对映体纯度。实验结果表明,g与对映体过剩率(ee)具有良好的线性关系;通过比较g所测ee与手性色谱所测的ee,二者所测ee相对平均偏差小于3.0%,说明该方法具有较高的准确性,可应用于手性化合物对映体纯度的测定。     

Enantioselective Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with trifluoroethylidene malonates by copper-bis(oxazoline) complexes: construction of trifluoromethyl-substituted stereogenic tertiary carbon center

An enantioselective alkylation of indoles with trifluoroethylidene malonates catalyzed by copper(II)-bis (oxazoline) complexes has been developed. The expected adducts with a stereogenic tertiary carbon center bearing a trifluoromethyl group were obtained in excellent yields (up to 99%) and ee values (up to 96% ee). The synthetic utility of this asymmetric catalytic reaction was demonstrated by the preparation of β-CF(3)-tryptophan and 4-CF(3)-β-carboline in high ee.     

Enantiodifferentiating photoisomerization of (Z,Z)-1,3-cyclooctadiene included and sensitized by naphthoyl-curdlan

6-O-(2-naphthoyl)curdlan was newly synthesized as a sensitizing polysaccharide host to examine the chiroptical properties, supramolecular complexation, and photochirogenic behavior with (Z,Z)-1,3-cyclooctadiene (1ZZ). The enantiodifferentiating photoisomerization of 1ZZ included and sensitized by this polysaccharide host gave a highly strained chiral (E,Z)-isomer in up to 8.7% enantiomeric excess (ee) in solution and 11.7% ee in the solid state, which are the highest values ever reported for a supramolecular photochirogenesis of 1EZ.     

Highly selective palladium catalyzed kinetic resolution and enantioselective substitution of racemic allylic carbonates with sulfur nucleophiles: asymmetric synthesis of allylic sulfides,allylic sulfones,and allylic alcohols

We describe the highly selective palladium catalyzed kinetic resolutions of the racemic cyclic allylic carbonates rac-1 a-c and racemic acyclic allylic carbonates rac-3 aa and rac-3 ba through reaction with tert-butylsulfinate, tolylsulfinate, phenylsulfinate anions and 2-pyrimidinethiol by using N,N'-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexanediylbis[2-(diphenylphosphino)-benzamide] (BPA) as ligand. Selectivities are expressed in yields and ee values of recovered substrate and product and in selectivity factors S. The reaction of the cyclohexenyl carbonate 1 a (>/=99 % ee) with 2-pyrimidinethiol in the presence of BPA was shown to exhibit, under the conditions used, an overall pseudo-zero order kinetics in regard to the allylic substrate. Also described are the highly selective palladium catalyzed asymmetric syntheses of the cyclic and acyclic allylic tert-butylsulfones 2 aa, 2 b, 2 c, 2 d and 4 a-c, respectively, and of the cyclic and acyclic allylic 2-pyrimidyl-, 2-pyridyl-, and 4-chlorophenylsulfides 5 aa, 5 b, 5 ab, 6 aa-ac, 6 ba and 6 bb, respectively, from the corresponding racemic carbonates and sulfinate anions and thiols, respectively, in the presence of BPA. Synthesis of the E-configured allylic sulfides 6 aa, 6 ab, 6 ac and 6 bb was accompanied by the formation of minor amounts of the corresponding Z isomers. The analogous synthesis of allylic tert-butylsulfides from allylic carbonates and tert-butylthiol by using BPA could not be achieved. Reaction of the cyclopentenyl esters rac-1 da and rac-1 db with 2-pyrimidinethiol gave the allylic sulfide 5 c having only a low ee value. Similar results were obtained in the case of the reaction of the cyclohexenyl carbonate rac-1 a and of the acyclic carbonates rac-3 aa and rac-3 ba with 2-pyridinethiol and lead to the formation of the sulfides 5 ab, 6 ab, and 6 bb, respectively. The low ee values may be ascribed to the operating of a "memory effect", that is, both enantiomers of the substrate give the substitution product with different enantioselectivities. However, in the reaction of the racemic carbonate rac-1 a as well as of the highly enriched enantiomers 1 a (>/=99 % ee) and ent-1 a (>/=99 % ee) with 2-pyrimidinethiol the ee values of the substrates and the substitution product remained constant until complete conversion. Similar results were obtained in the reaction of the cyclic carbonates rac-1 a, ent-1 a (>/=99 % ee) and ent-1 c (>/=99 % ee) with lithium tert-butylsulfinate. Thus, in the case of rac-1 a and 2-pyrimidinthiol and tert-butylsulfinate anion as nucleophiles the enantioselectivity of the substitution step is, under the conditions used, independent of the chirality of the substrate; this shows that no "memory effect" is operating in this case. Hydrolysis of the carbonates ent-1 a-c, ent-3 aa and ent-3 ba, which were obtained through kinetic resolution, afforded the enantiomerically highly enriched cyclic allylic alcohols 9 a-c (>/=99 % ee) and acyclic allylic alcohols 10 a (>/=99 % ee) and 10 b (99 % ee), respectively.     

Kinetic resolution displaying zeroth order dependence on substrate consumption: copper-catalyzed asymmetric alcoholysis of azlactones

Kinetic resolution of 4-alkyl-2-aryl-5-oxo-4,5-dihydrooxazole-4-carboxylic acid esters (azlactones 1) were achieved by copper-DTBM-SEGPHOS catalyzed alcoholysis reaction with good selectivity (12 examples). Variation of ee of unreacted substrates 1 and products 2 with conversion was found to follow the theoretical line of zeroth-order kinetic resolution, for which the selectivity profiles and graphical analysis were presented for the first time. The efficiency of resolution in zeroth-order reaction is higher than first-order reaction. For example, the reaction with 1a afforded (S)-1a (99% ee) and (R)-2a (74% ee) at 57% conversion, where the k(rel) values were calculated to be 6.7 as zeroth-order kinetic resolution and 37 as first-order kinetic resolution.     

Catalytic asymmetric aziridination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

The development, scope, and application of the highly enantioselective organocatalytic aziridination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The aminocatalytic azirdination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes enables the asymmetric formation of β-formyl aziridines with up to >19:1 d.r. and 99% ee. The aminocatalytic aziridination of α-monosubstituted enals gives access to terminal α-substituted-α-formyl aziridines in high yields and up to 99% ee. In the case of the organocatalytic aziridination of disubstituted α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, the transformations were highly diastereo- and enantioselective and give nearly enantiomerically pure β-formyl-functionalized aziridine products (99% ee). A highly enantioselective one-pot cascade sequence based on the combination of asymmetric amine and N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis (AHCC) is also disclosed. This one-pot three-component co-catalytic transformation between α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, hydroxylamine derivatives, and alcohols gives the corresponding N-tert-butoxycarbonyl and N-carbobenzyloxy-protected β-amino acid esters with ee values ranging from 92-99%. The mechanisms and stereochemistry of all these catalytic transformations are also discussed.     

Palladium-diphosphite catalysts for the asymmetric allylic substitution reactions

[structure: see text] We have designed a series of diphosphite ligands to study the effect of the backbone, the size of the chelate ring, and the substituents of the biphenyl moieties and to determine the scope of this type of ligand in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric substitution reactions of different types of substrates. Good-to-excellent activities and enantioselectivities have been obtained for disubstituted linear substrate 11 (TOF's up to >2000 mol x (mol x h)(-1), ee values up to 99%) and cyclic substrate 14 (TOF up to 285 mol x (mol x h)(-1), ee values up to 92%). However, these ligands are inadequate for the Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation of monosubstituted linear substrates because they provide low enantioselectivities.     

Enantioselective synthesis of chiral 4H-pyran derivatives through [3+3] tandem reaction over a squaramide catalyst

An efficient [3+3] tandem reaction between 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolones and 2-(1-alkynyl)-2-alken-1-ones over a tertiary amine–squaramide catalyst is described. The pyran fused pyrazolone derivatives were successfully obtained in 53–88% yields and with 62–84% ee by this synthetic methodology. This methodology involves easily accessible starting material, mild condition, satisfied yields and ee values. Additionally, when enynes were used as the substrates for the [3+3] cascade reaction, isomerized target products could be obtained directly.     

Asymmetric peroxidation of prochiral allylic and benzylic compounds with tert-butyl hydroperoxide and chiral bisoxazoline–copper complexes

The first enantioselective peroxidation of prochiral allylic and benzylic C-H compounds by the use of chiral bisoxazoline-copper(I) complexes, generated in situ from the ligands 3 and 4a-d, and t-BuOOH as oxidant is reported. Cyclohexene 1, cyclopentene 5, -angelica lactone 7, allylbenzene 9 and 2-phenylbutane 11 were converted into the optically active allylic and benzylic tert-butyl peroxides 2, 6, 8, 10a and 12 in good yields and ee values of 4-20%. Oxidations of 1-substituted 1-cyclohexenes 13a-c led to mixtures of regioisomeric peroxides 16a-c, 17a-c and 18a-c with different regio- and enantioselectivities, depending on the 1-substituent and the ligand used. The highest ee values (up to 84%) were observed for (S)-3-tert-butylperoxy-1-methyl-1-cyclohexene 17a.     

Chiral pyranoside phosphite-oxazolines: a new class of ligand for asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes

We have described the first successful application of a phosphite-oxazoline ligand library in the asymmetric Ir-catalyzed hydrogenation of several unfunctionalized olefins. The introduction of a bulky biaryl phosphite moiety in the ligand design is highly adventitious in the product outcome. By carefully selecting the ligand components, we obtained high activities (TOFs up to >1500 mol x (mol x h)(-1) at 1 bar of H2) and enantioselectivities (ee values up to >99%) and, at the same time, show a broad scope for different substrate types. So, this is an exceptional ligand class that competes favorably with a few other ligand series that also provide high ee values for tri- and disubstituted substrate types.     

Enantioselective copper-catalysed propargylic substitution: synthetic scope study and application in formal total syntheses of (+)-anisomycin and (-)-cytoxazone

A copper catalyst with a chiral pyridine-2,6-bisoxazoline (pybox) ligand was used to convert a variety of propargylic esters with different side chains (R=Ar, Bn, alkyl) into their amine counterparts in very high yields and with good enantioselectivities (up to 90% enantiomeric excess (ee)). Different amine nucleophiles were applied in the reactions and the highest enantioselectivities were obtained for aniline and its analogues. Interestingly, some carbon nucleophiles could also be used and with indoles excellent ee values were obtained (up to 98% ee). The versatility of the propargylic amines obtained was demonstrated by their further elaboration to formal total syntheses of the antibiotic (+)-anisomycin and the cytokine modulator (-)-cytoxazone.     

Designing the "search pathway" in the development of a new class of highly efficient stereoselective hydrosilylation catalysts

The direct coupling of oxazolines and N-heterocyclic carbenes leads to chelating C,N ancillary ligands for asymmetric catalysis that combine both an "anchor" unit and a stereodirecting element. Reacting various N-substituted imidazoles with 2-bromo-4(S)-tert-butyl- and 2-bromo-4(S)-isopropyloxazoline gave the imidazolium precursors of the stereodirecting ancillary ligands. A library of ten different ligand precursors was obtained by using this simple procedure (65-97 % yield). These protioligands were metalated in a subsequent step by reaction with [{Rh(mu-OtBu)(nbd)}2] (nbd=norbornadiene), generated in situ from KOtBu and [{RhCl(nbd)}2] giving the corresponding N-heterocyclic carbene complexes [RhBr(nbd)(oxazolinyl-carbene)] 4 a-j in good yields. X-ray diffraction studies of two of the rhodium complexes, 4 d and 4 j, established a distorted square-pyramidal coordination geometry with the bromo ligand occupying the apical position. The rhodium-carbene bond length was found to be 2.070(4) A (4 d) and 2.012(3) A (4 j). Complexes 4 a-j were treated with AgBF4 in dichloromethane, giving the active cationic square-planar catalysts for the hydrosilylation of ketones. As a reference reaction for the catalyst optimisation, the hydrosilylation of acetophenone with diphenylsilane was studied and the system optimised with respect to the counterion (BF(4) (-)), solvent (THF) and the silane reducing agent (diphenylsilane). The reaction product (1-phenylethanol) was obtained with the highest enantiomeric excess (ee) by carrying out the reaction at -60 degrees C, whilst the enantioselectivity drops upon going both to lower and higher temperatures. The observation that the temperature dependence of the ee values goes through a maximum indicated a change in the rate-determining step as the temperature is varied. The determination of the initial reaction rate in the hydrosilylation of acetophenone upon varying the catalyst (4 d) and substrate concentrations at -55 degrees C established a rate law for the initial conversion which is first-order in both substrates as well as the catalyst (Vi = k[4][PhCOMe][Ph2SiH2]). The catalytic system derived from complex 4 d was found to afford high yields and good enantioselectivities in the reduction of various aryl alkyl ketones (acetophenone: 92 % isolated yield and 90 % ee, 2-naphtyl methyl ketone: 99 % yield, 91 % ee). The selectivity for the reduction of prochiral dialkyl ketones is comparable or even superior to the best previously reported for prochiral nonaromatic ketones; whereas cyclopropyl methyl ketone is hydrosilylated with an enantioselectivity of 81 % ee, the increase of the steric demand of one of the alkyl groups leads to improved ee's, reaching 95 % ee in the case of tert-butyl methyl ketone. Linear chain n-alkyl methyl ketones, which are particularly challenging substrates, are reduced in good asymmetric induction, such as 2-octanone (79 % ee) and even 2-butanone (65 % ee).     

Solvent-free asymmetric olefin hydroformylation catalyzed by highly cross-linked polystyrene-supported (R,S)-BINAPHOS-Rh(I) complex

Using an (R,S)-BINAPHOS-Rh(I) catalyst that is covalently anchored to a highly cross-linked polystyrene support, asymmetric hydroformylation of olefins was performed in the absence of organic solvents. The reaction of cis-2-butene, a gaseous substrate, provided (S)-2-methylbutanal with 100% regioselectivity and 82% ee upon treatment with H(2) (12 atm) and CO (12 atm) in a batchwise reactor equipped with a fixed bed. The polymer-supported catalyst was applicable to a continuous vapor-flow column reactor, and thus, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene was converted into (S)-2-trifluoromethylpropanal with an iso/normal ratio of 95/5 and 90% ee. Less volatile olefins, such as styrene, vinyl acetate, 1-alkenes, and fluorinated alkenes, were successfully converted into the corresponding isoaldehydes with high ee values, when they were injected through a supercritical CO(2)-flow column reactor. Successive injection of a series of olefins realized the conversion of an olefin library into an optically active aldehyde library.     

Application of a high-throughput enantiomeric excess optical assay involving a dynamic covalent assembly: parallel asymmetric allylation and ee sensing of homoallylic alcohols

Asymmetric Ir-catalyzed C–C coupling of primary alcohols with allyl-acetates, as described by Krische, to form chiral secondary homo-allylic alcohols were performed in parallel as a means to optimize the ee values thereof. Specifically, approximately 400 examples of this reaction were performed by varying the catalyst, added acids and bases, and starting reactants, to form 4-phenyl-1-butene-4-ol (1). The ee values for the transformations were determined in a high-throughput fashion using a 4-component assembly that creates a circular dichroism signal indicative of the extent of asymmetric induction. Further, a parallel and rapid quantitative TLC method measures the yield of each reaction, revealing which reactions give reliable ee values in the CD-based assay. Overall, the nearly 200 reactions whose ee values were determined could be quantitated in under two hours. Using a combination of the TLC method to measure yield with the CD-assay to measure ee values, several trends in reaction conditions were revealed. For example, it was found that the cyclometalated iridium catalyst modified by BINAP and m-nitro-p-cyano-benzoic acid delivered adduct 1 with the highest levels of enantiomeric enrichment (94%), whereas the corresponding SEGPHOS-modified catalyst gave a comparable yield but lower ee (91%). Most importantly, this study shows that supramolecular assemblies can report hundreds of ee values in a rapid and reliable fashion to analyze parallel synthesis routines.     

Self-disproportionation of enantiomers of heterocyclic compounds having a tertiary trifluoromethyl alcohol center on chromatography with a non-chiral system

Self-disproportionation of enantiomers of heterocycles having a tertiary trifluoromethyl alcohol center on an achiral silica-gel stationary phase is discussed. During the chromatographic separation of an enantiomerically enriched mixture of 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl)-3-hydroxy-3-(trifluoromethyl)-6,7-dihydro-1H-indole-2,4(3H,5H)-dione (1) by eluting with ether on a non-chiral regular silica-gel significant enantiomeric enrichment was observed. Separation of non-racemic samples of 1 with enantiomeric excess values of 10-54% was carefully investigated: enantiomerically pure 1 with 99.9% ee was obtained by the use of 1 with at least 40% ee. A remarkable enantiomeric enrichment in the faster eluting fractions was also observed for compound 1 with only 30% ee to transform into 80% ee. Other enantiomeric mixtures of heterocyclic molecules containing a trifluoromethyl alcohol moiety at their quaternary carbon center were also examined from an SDE view point.     

Enantioselectivity switch controlled by N,N′-di- or N,N,N′,N′-tetra-substituted chiral thiophosphorodiamide ligands,structural relatives of thioureas,in catalytic additions of diethylzinc to aldehydes

We have developed a series of new chiral thiophosphorodiamide ligands derived from (1R,2R)-(+)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine, which are the structural relatives of thioureas. An investigation into their catalytic properties in asymmetric additions of diethylzinc to aldehydes has shown that N,N,N′,N′-tetra-substituted chiral thiophosphorodiamides can give (R)-secondary alcohols with up to 98% yield and 98% ee, while N,N′-di-substituted chiral thiophosphorodiamides give (S)-secondary alcohols with up to 99% yield and 97% ee values. The enantioselectivity switch is highly efficient with a broad substrate scope. We have also proposed hypothetical reaction pathways, which result in an enantioselectivity switch.     

Palladium-catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylation of thiocarboxylate ions: asymmetric synthesis of allylic thioesters and memory effect/dynamic kinetic resolution of allylic esters

The palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of KSAc and KSBz with racemic cyclic and acyclic allylic esters by using N,N'-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexandiylbis[2-(diphenylphosphino)-benzamide] as ligand frequently gave the corresponding allylic thioesters with high ee values and yields. The reaction of the cyclic allylic carbonates with KSAc in the presence of H(2)O was accompanied by a partial palladium-catalyzed enantioselective "hydrolysis" of the substrates with formation of the corresponding enantioenriched allylic alcohols. The degree of the "hydrolysis" was strongly dependent on the solvent and the thiocarboxylate ion. Highly selective kinetic resolutions (KRs) were observed in the palladium-catalyzed reaction of the racemic cyclohexenyl and cycloheptenyl acetates with KSAc. While the KR of the cyclohexenyl acetate is characterized by a selectivity factor S = 72 +/- 19, that of the cycloheptenyl acetate afforded (R)-cycloheptenyl acetate of >or=99% ee in 48% yield and (S)-cycloheptenyl thioacetate of 98% ee in 50% yield. The palladium-catalyzed reaction of the racemic cyclopentenyl acetate with KSAc showed a strong "memory effect" (ME), that is, both enantiomers reacted with different enantioselectivities. The ME was probed by studying the palladium-catalyzed reactions of both the matched acetate of >or=99% ee and the mismatched acetate of >or=99% ee with KSAc. The acetates not only reacted with different enantioselectivities and rates but also suffered an unexpected and concomitant palladium-catalyzed racemization in the presence of the chiral ligand. This led in the case of the mismatched acetate to a temporary dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) that featured a racemization of the mismatched acetate by the chiral catalyst. Studies of the palladium-catalyzed reaction of the racemic cyclopentenyl acetate, carbonate, and naphthoate with KSAc in the presence of the chiral ligand also showed the ME to be strongly dependent on the nucleofuge. This also allowed the synthesis of (S)-cyclopentenyl thioacetate of 92% ee in high yield from the racemic cyclopentenyl naphthoate.