Cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric olefin aziridination with diphenylphosphoryl azide

The cobalt(II) complexes of D2-symmetric chiral porphyrins, such as 3,5-Di(t)Bu-ChenPhyrin P5, can catalyze asymmetric olefin aziridination with diphenylphosphoryl azide (DPPA) as a nitrene source. Acceptable asymmetric inductions were observed for the [Co(P5)]-based catalytic system, forming the desired N-phosphorus-substituted aziridines in moderate to high yields and good enantioselectivities.     

Iron(III) porphyrin catalyzed aziridination of alkenes with bromamine-T as nitrene source

[reaction: see text] Iron(III) porphyrin complexes Fe(Por)Cl are effective catalysts for aziridination of alkenes using bromamine-T as the nitrene source. The catalytic system can operate under mild conditions with alkenes as limiting reagents. The aziridination reaction is general and suitable for a wide variety of alkenes, including aromatic, aliphatic, cyclic, and acyclic olefins, as well as alpha,beta-unsaturated esters. For 1,2-disubstituted olefins, the reactions proceeded with moderate to low stereospecificity.     

Cobalt-catalyzed efficient aziridination of alkenes

[reaction: see text]. Cobalt porphyrins are capable of catalyzing the aziridination of alkenes with bromamine-T as the nitrene source. Among cobalt complexes of different porphyrins, Co(TDClPP) is an effective catalyst that can aziridinate a wide variety of alkenes. The catalytic system can operate at room temperature in a one-pot fashion with alkenes as limiting reagents, forming the desired N-sulfonylated aziridine derivatives in high to excellent yields with NaBr as the byproduct.     

Chiral imidates as a new class of nitrogen-based chiral ligands: synthesis and catalytic activity in asymmetric aziridinations and diethylzinc additions

Chiral imidates were efficiently synthesized in one step and with high yields (seven examples). These chiral imidates were used as ligands in the Cu(I)-catalyzed asymmetric aziridination of methyl cinnamate and in the asymmetric diethylzinc additions to benzaldehyde as a proof of principle. The imidate catalyst system showed high catalytic activities and induced encouraging selectivities. An X-ray structure analysis of an imidate-Cu(I) complex is included, showing a distorted tetrahedral arrangement with two bidentate ligand molecules surrounding the metal.     

Multicomponent catalytic asymmetric aziridination of aldehydes

The first multicomponent catalytic asymmetric aziridination reaction is developed to give aziridine-2-carboxylic esters with very high diastereo- and enantioselectivity from aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. This new method pushes the boundary of the aziridination reaction to substrates that failed with preformed imines.     

Rigid backbone 1,8-anthracene-linked bis-oxazolines (AnBOXes): design,synthesis, application and characteristics in catalytic asymmetric aziridination

A series of rigid backbone 1,8-anthracene-linked bis-oxazolines (AnBOXes) have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated in the catalytic asymmetric aziridination with [N-(p-toluenesulfonyl)imino]phenyliodinane (PhINTs) as a nitrene source. The results indicate that highly enantioselective aziridination of chalcones catalyzed by an AnBOX and CuOTf complex with up to >99% ee and the opposite enantioselectivity, compared with the ligands of Evans et al., can be achieved. The enantioselectivity is substituent dependent with respect to chalcones. Chalcones with electron-donating substituents show higher enantioselectivities due to the stronger Lewis basicity of the oxygen of their carbonyl groups than those with electron-withdrawing substituents. The results also indicate that the coordination between the oxygen of the carbonyl group in chalcones and the ether group in alkenes with the copper in the catalyst is essential for high enantioselectivity, while the π–π stacking interaction between two reactants plays an importantly additional role for high enantioselectivity in asymmetric aziridination. An excellent backbone-controlled stereoselectivity was observed for the AnBOX ligands in asymmetric aziridination, as this will provide very important information for designing novel ligands.     

Electron transfer reactivity and the catalytic activity of horseradish peroxidase incorporated in dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid films

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was incorporated in dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid (DPPA) to form a film and the film was modified on pyrolytic graphite electrode. UV-Vis spectra suggested that HRP in the film could keep its secondary structure similar to the native state. A pair of stable, well-defined, and quasi-reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks was observed with the formal potential at -276.2 mV (vs. saturated calomel electrode), characteristic of heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple of HRP. The apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant and other electrochemical parameters were presented. The catalytic activity of HRP in DPPA film toward oxygen, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide were also examined.     

Thermodynamic characteristics and Langmuir-Blodgett deposition behavior of mixed DPPA/DPPC monolayers at air/liquid interfaces

The role of dipalmitoylphosphatic acid (DPPA) as a transfer promoter to enhance the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition of a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monolayer at air/liquid interfaces was investigated, and the effects of Ca2+ ions in the subphase were discussed. The miscibility of the two components at air/liquid interfaces was evaluated by surface pressure-area per molecule isotherms, thermodynamic analysis, and by the direct observation of Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). Multilayer LB deposition behavior of the mixed DPPA/DPPC monolayers was then studied by transferring the monolayers onto hydrophilic glass plates at a surface pressure of 30 mN/m. The results showed that the two components, DPPA and DPPC, were miscible in a monolayer on both subphases of pure water and 0.2 mM CaCl2 solution. However, an exception occurs between X(DPPA)=0.2 and 0.5 at air/CaCl2-solution interface, where a partially miscible monolayer with phase separation may occur. Negative deviations in the excess area analysis were found for the mixed monolayer system, indicating the existence of attractive interactions between DPPA and DPPC molecules in the monolayers. The monolayers were stable at the surface pressure of 30 mN/m for the following LB deposition as evaluated from the area relaxation behavior. It was found that the presence of Ca2+ ions had a stabilization effect for DPPA-rich monolayers, probably due to the association of negatively charged DPPA molecules with Ca2+ ions. Moreover, the Ca2+ ions may enhance the adhesion of DPPA polar groups to a glass surface and the interactions between DPPA polar groups in the multilayer LB film structure. As a result, Y-type multilayer LB films containing DPPC could be fabricated from the mixed DPPA/DPPC monolayers with the presence of Ca2+ ions.     

An efficient transition metal-free aziridination of alkenes with Chloramine-T using aqueous H2O2/HBr

The combination of aqueous H₂O₂ and HBr was found to be an efficient transition metal-free green catalytic system for the aziridination of a variety of alkenes under very mild reaction conditions.     

Hypoiodite-mediated metal-free catalytic aziridination of alkenes

Look, no metal: A metal-free catalytic procedure for aziridination of alkenes using tetrabutylammonium iodide as the catalyst, m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (mCPBA) as the terminal oxidant, and N-aminophthalimide as the nitrenium precursor has been developed (see scheme; right: X-ray structure of one of the products). Control experiments suggests that the active oxidant is in?situ generated hypoiodous acid (HIO).     

Continuous,on-demand generation and separation of diphenylphosphoryl azide

Diphenylphosphorylazide (DPPA) has been synthesized in microfluidics with near-100% yield in sub-3 minute residence time, affordably, and with a process design that minimizes hazards associated with hydrazoic acid (HN₃) production. A pilot-plant scale continuous process for the on-demand synthesis of diphenylphosphoryl azide (DPPA) that can readily be integrated with subsequent transformations was designed, built, and validated. Using Corning's Low Flow reactor system coupled to a membrane separator and in-line Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), DPPA was safely produced at a rate of 1?mol/hr as a 2.0?M anhydrous toluene stream. Continuous FTIR was able to reliably monitor product quality, purity and concentration, showcasing the ease and utility of this continuous flow process for manufacturing common, safe pharmaceutical precursors.     

Enantioselective aziridination using copper complexes of biaryl Schiff bases

Racemic 2,2'-diamino-6,6'-dimethylbiphenyl is resolved using simulated moving bed chromatography, and the absolute configuration of the enantiomers is confirmed via the X-ray crystal structure of a derivative. The diamine is condensed with a range of aldehydes to give bidentate aldimine proligands L. Molecular structures of the complexes formed between L and Cu(I) fall into two classes; bimetallic double helices ([Cu(2)L(2)](2+)) and monometallic ([CuL](+)). The latter are strikingly more efficient in the aziridination of alkenes than are the former in terms of rate, turnover, and enantioselection. In particular, the imine ligand formed from the diamine and 2,6-dichlorobenzaldehyde gives, in combination with Cu(I) or Cu(II), up to 99% ee in the aziridination of 6-acyl-2,2-dimethylchromene and 88-98% ee for a range of cinnamate esters. Styrenic and other alkenes are converted with lower selectivities (5-54%). The catalytic system shows a linear response in product ee to catalyst ee, and the product ee does not vary significantly during the reaction. UV spectrophotometric investigations indicate that conversion of Cu(I) to Cu(II) is not essential for catalysis but that Cu(II) is probably also a competent system.     

NaIO4/LiBr-mediated aziridination of olefins using chloramine-T

A new milder protocol for aziridination of a variety of olefins has been described. The process employs catalytic amount of sodium metaperiodate (NaIO₄) as an oxidant and LiBr and chloramine-T as the bromine and nitrogen sources, respectively. Interestingly, the formation of aziridine products in all the cases studied takes place presumably through a process of 1,2-aminobromination of alkenes.     

Facile alkane functionalization in copper-[2.1.1]-(2,6)-pyridinophane-PhINTs systems

Mild catalytic dehydrogenation of cycloalkanes (cyclo-C(5)H(10), cyclo-C(6)H(12), cyclo-C(8)H(16)) and aziridination of resulting olefins is reported with PhINTs and copper-[2.1.1]-(2,6)-pyridinophane (L) complexes LCuX(n)(n= 1, 2; X = Cl, OTf)"activated" with NaBAr(F)(4) in dichloromethane solution.     

Catalytic asymmetric aza-Darzens reaction with a vaulted biphenanthrol magnesium phosphate salt

Conditions for a catalytic asymmetric aza-Darzens aziridine synthesis mediated by a vaulted biphenanthrol (VAPOL) magnesium phosphate salt is described. Using simple substrates, this methodology explores the scope and reactivity of a new magnesium catalyst for an aziridination reaction capable of building chirality and complexity simultaneously.     

Practical aziridinations II: electronic modifications to poly(pyrazolyl)borate-copper catalysts

A significant influence of the electronic features of poly(pyrazolyl)borate ligands on the efficiency of the copper-catalyzed aziridination reaction has been noted. Electron-deficient, bidentate di(pyrazolyl)borates in conjunction with copper(II) chloride generated the most effective catalyst system for the aziridination of a variety of olefins.     

Effect of propyl paraben on the dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid vesicles

The effect of the preservative propyl paraben (PPB) on the phase transition and dynamics of dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid (DPPA)-buffer (pH 7.4/9.3) vesicles has been studied using DSC and ((1)H and (31)P) NMR. These investigations were carried out with DPPA dispersion in both multilamellar vesicular (MLV) and unilamellar vesicular (ULV) forms. DSC results indicate that the mechanism by which PPB interact with the DPPA vesicles is similar in MLV and ULV and is independent of pH of the buffer used to form the dispersion. However, for a given concentration of PPB, the perturbation in DPPA bilayer is more when the dispersion is prepared in buffer pH 7.4. PPB affected both the thermotropic phase transition and the molecular mobility of the DPPA membrane. In the presence of PPB, the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition temperature (T(m)) of the DPPA vesicles decreases hence increases membrane fluidity due to reduced headgroup-headgroup interaction. For all concentrations, the PPB molecules seem to get intercalated between the polar groups of the phospholipids with its alkyl chain penetrating into the co-operative region. At high PPB concentration, additional transitions are observed whose intensity increases with increasing PPB concentration. The large enthalpy values obtained at high PPB concentration suggest that presence of PPB makes the DPPA bilayer more ordered (rigid). The interesting finding obtained with MLV is that the stable gel phase of DPPA-buffer (pH 9.3/7.4) system in the presence of high PPB concentration becomes a metastable gel phase, this metastable gel phase on equilibration at 25 degrees C or when cooled to -20 degrees C transforms to a stable crystalline phase(s). The intensity of this new phase(s) increases with increasing PPB concentration. However, the transition temperatures of these new phases are not significantly changed with increasing PPB concentration. The effect of inclusion of cholesterol in the PPB-free and PPB-doped DPPA dispersion was also studied.     

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.     

Axially dissymmetric binaphthyldiimine chiral salen-type ligands for copper-catalyzed asymmetric aziridination

Axially dissymmetric chiral salen-type ligands 1–4 and 7 were prepared from the reaction of (R)-(+)-1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diamine with 2,6-dichlorobenzaldehyde, 2,3-dichlorobenzaldehyde, 3,4-dichlorobenzaldehyde or salicylaldehyde in high yields, respectively. The catalytic asymmetric aziridination of alkenes has been examined using these novel chiral ligands. Excellent enantioselectivity in the aziridination of cinnamates has been achieved using the C₂-symmetric chiral ligand 1.     

Asymmetric synthesis of the dopamine D1 agonist, dihydrexidine

A concise asymmetric synthesis of first, high affinity domaine D1 full agonist, dihydrexidine has been accomplished via catalytic enantioselective aziridination and subsequent one-pot Friedel-Crafts cyclization of an in situ generated tethered aziridine with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities.