Enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde catalysed by chiral, bridged resorcinarenes: a stereoselectivity model based on chirality transfer

The enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde catalysed by a range of chiral bridged resorcinarenes has been studied, and the results used as a means of probing cooperative effects in the resorcinarene bowl. A structure-activity relationship has emerged in which bridged resorcinarenes with little available room in the bowl (e.g., 3b, 3c) favour R-enantioselectivity in the product, while those promoting cooperative effects in the bowl via coordination sites in the bridge (3e) or strong donor protecting groups (3j) favour S-enantioselectivity. A mechanistic hypothesis based on Noyori's model to account for these trends has been put forward in which stereoselectivity is dependent on two factors as the ratio of axially diastereomeric anti-zincoxazines as well as the exo or endo bias of active zinc. The model explains why ee's are never greater than around 50% and indicates asymmetric induction to be due to the axial chirality in the bowl as a result of chirality transfer from the bridge, rather than due to induction via the central chirality in the line of the bridge. As a result, the model stimulates some new fascinating possibilities in enzyme mimicry.     

Synthesis of quinazoline based chiral ligands and application in the enantioselective addition of phenylacetylene to aldehydes

Five novel 4-phenylquinazolinols were synthesised in three steps. Their application as ligands in the titanium tetraisopropoxide promoted catalytic enantioselective addition of phenylacetylene to a variety of aldehydes gave propargylic alcohols. Under the optimised reaction conditions, the best enantioselectivity was obtained using l-lactic acid derived 4-phenylquinazolinol and apart from the cyclohexylcarbaldehyde derivative, 16 propargylic alcohols were then synthesised in moderate to excellent enantiomeric excess from 53% to 97%.     

Synthesis of new chiral 1,2,3,4-tertrahydroisoquinoline β-amino alcohol for asymmetric diethylzinc addition to aryl aldehydes (I)

Four new chiral 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-derived β-amino alcohols were synthesized from commercially available L-DOPA.These ligands were evaluated in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehydes and showed different catalytic activities (up to 86% ee).The solvent played an important role in the enantioselective process.The transition state models were proposed to explain the reversion of the product configuration.     

Dialkylzinc mediated radical additions to chiral N-enoyloxazolidinones in the presence of benzaldehyde. Mechanistic investigation, structural characterization of the resulting γ-lactones

Diethylzinc was used in the presence of oxygen to mediate radical additions to chiral N-enoyloxazolidinones derived from fumaric acid. The synthesis of sterically crowded trisubstituted γ-lactones was achieved through a multicomponent reaction involving t-butyl iodide and benzaldehyde in addition to the above mentioned reagents. The domino process includes successively: iodine atom transfer, radical addition, homolytic substitution at zinc, aldol condensation, and lactonization. The diastereoselectivity of the reaction and the structural features of the resulting lactones were investigated. A tentative rationalization is discussed. Comparative experiments carried out with diisopropylzinc were performed.     

Crystal Structure of （R）-3,3＇- Bis （b enzyloxymethyl）- 1,1 ＇-bi- 2,2＇-naphthol and Its Applications in Enantioselective Lewis Acid Catalyzed Addition of Diethylzinc to Aldehydes

The title compound (R)-3,3'-bis(benzyloxymethyl)-1,1'-bi-2,2'-naphthol (R)-3 has been synthesized through the deprotection of MOM group by iprOH/HC1 in 83% isolated yield and the suitable single crystals for X-ray diffraction were obtained by recrystallization at room temperature from the mixture solvents. Crystallographic data for (R)-3: C36H30O4, Mr = 526.60,triclinic, space group P1, a = 10.057(6), b = 11.934(7), c = 12.314(6) (A), α = 85.52(2), β =70.245(13), γ = 76.554(11)°, Z= 2, V= 1352.8(13) (A)3, Dc = 1.293 g/cm3, F(000) = 556, R = 0.0745,wR = 0.1933 and μ(MoKα) = 0.083 mm-1. The title compound (R)-3 was found to be effective in the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes both in the presence and absence of Ti(OiPr)4. In the latter case, (R)-3 showed much higher catalytic activity and enantioselectivity than (R)-BINOL's.     

Approach to a better understanding and modelling of β-pyrrolidinoalcohol ligands for enantioselective alkylation

A series of pyrrolidine-based β-amino alcohols derived from malic acid, citramalic acid and pantolactone with primary amines was prepared and their activity as chiral ligands in the enantioselective alkylation of benzaldehyde using diethylzinc was studied.     

Convenient preparation of α-bromo-α-fluoro-β-hydroxyesters building blocks from aldehydes, ketones and lactones

A Reformatsky-type addition of ethyl dibromofluoroacetate associated with diethylzinc to various carbonyl compounds is described. Aldehydes, ketones and lactones were converted into the corresponding α-bromo-α-fluoro-β-hydroxyesters in good yields.     

α,β-Unsaturated diesters: radical acceptors in dialkylzinc-mediated tandem radical addition/aldol condensation. A straightforward synthesis of rac-nephrosteranic acid

The sequence involving conjugate radical addition/aldol condensation/lactonization is a high yielding route to di- and tri-substituted γ-lactones starting from fumaric or maleic diesters. The reactions are mediated with dialkylzincs. The domino process relies on the ability of dialkylzinc to transform α-alkoxycarbonylalkyl radicals into zinc enolates. Compared to diethylzinc, dimethylzinc enables the use of a wider range of alkyl radical precursors. In addition, dimethylzinc is a convenient source of methyl radical, which leads to a straightforward synthesis of methylated derivatives related to α-methyl-paraconic acids.     

Enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by Ti(IV) complexes of C2-symmetrical chiral BINOL derivatives

Enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to a series of aromatic aldehydes is developed using new chiral C₂-symmetric ligand (S)-2,2′-(1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diylbis(oxy))bis(methylene)bis(4-nitrophenol) (S)-2b. The catalytic system employing 10 mol % of (S)-2b and 120 mol % of Ti(OiPr)₄ was found to promote the addition of diethylzinc to a wide range of aromatic aldehydes with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents, giving up to 89% ee and up to 95% yield of the corresponding secondary alcohol under mild conditions.     

A new class of nitrogen based chiral ligands: 2H-1,3-benzoxazines. Ligand synthesis, X-ray structural studies and asymmetric catalysis

A new class of chiral ligands, e.g., (−)-9, based on the benzoxazine nucleus, has been designed and synthesized in three steps from the commercially available starting materials salicylamide and (−)-menthone. Application of (−)-9 in the palladium catalyzed-allylic substitution of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenylacetate with dimethyl malonate gave enantioselectivities of up to 62%ee. Ees of 42% and 20% in asymmetric hydrosilylations and diethylzinc additions, respectively, were also obtained.