Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of sulfinate esters through the dynamic resolution of tert-butanesulfinyl chloride

Development of a new synthetic route to obtain enantiomerically enriched tert-butanesulfinate esters in excellent yields through catalytic enantioselective sulfinyl transfer is described. As little as 0.5 mol % of chiral amine catalysts was used to couple racemic tert-butanesulfinyl chloride with arylmethyl alcohols to provide sulfinate esters in near quantitative yields and with enantiomeric excesses up to 81%. The method represents the first example of the catalytic dynamic resolution of sulfinyl derivatives.     

Properly designed modular asymmetric synthesis for enantiopure sulfinamide auxiliaries from N-sulfonyl-1,2,3-oxathiazolidine-2-oxide agents

Simple and practical asymmetric synthesis of functionally differentiated aminoindanol based endo-N-sulfonyl 1,2,3-oxathiazolidine-2-oxide as sulfinyl transfer agents are developed. The importance of these new and unique sulfinyl transfer reagents are exemplified by the expedient production of several sulfinamide ligands, including either enantiomer of (R)-tert-butanesulfinamide in excellent yields and enantiopurities.     

Synthesis of Polycyclic Tertiary Carbinamines by Samarium Diiodide Mediated Cyclizations of Indolyl Sulfinyl Imines

Samarium diiodide mediated cyclizations of N‐acylated indole derivatives bearing sulfinyl imine moieties afforded polycyclic tertiary carbinamines with moderate to excellent diastereoselectivities. Lithium bromide and water turned out to be the best additives to achieve these transformations in good yields. Using enantiopure sulfinyl imines the outcome strongly depends on the reactivity of the indole moiety. Whereas with unactivated indole derivatives desulfinylation and formation of racemic products was observed, indoles bearing electron‐withdrawing substituents at C‐3 afforded the polycyclic products with intact N‐sulfinyl groups and with excellent diastereoselectivity, finally allowing the preparation of enantiopure tertiary carbinamines. The mechanisms of these processes are discussed.     

New general sulfinylating process for asymmetric synthesis of enantiopure sulfinates and sulfoxides

[reaction: see text] A general process for the efficient synthesis of sulfinyl transfer agents has been developed using cinchona alkaloids quinine and quinidine as chiral auxiliaries. The importance of these new and unique sulfinyl transfer agents is exemplified by the expedient synthesis of several sulfoxides in excellent enantiopurities and high yields.     

One-pot synthesis of pyridines from 3-aza-1,5-enynes

Efficient one-pot transformation of 3-aza-1,5-enynes to poly-substituted pyridines in good to excellent yields has been developed. This reaction involved cyclization of 3-aza-enynes and elimination of sulfinyl acids steps.     

Highly stereoselective addition of organometallic reagents to N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines derived from 3- and 4-substituted cyclohexanones

Addition of alkyl or aryl Grignard reagents to N-sulfinyl imines derived from 3- and 4-substituted cyclohexanones proceeds with good yields and with excellent diasteroselectivity. The selectivity of the reaction is controlled by the ring substituent rather than the sulfinyl group stereochemistry, and therefore racemic tert-butanesulfinamide can be employed.     

Enantioselective synthesis of diverse sulfinamides and sulfinylferrocenes from phenylglycine-derived chiral sulfinyl transfer agent

A new chiral sulfinyl transfer auxiliary derived from readily available phenylglycine was developed. This auxiliary is utilized to synthesize a diverse array of alkyl- and arylsulfinamides and sulfinylferrocenes in high yields and excellent ee's. The desired products are produced in a one-pot sequence from the oxathiazolidine 2-oxide by two sequential nucleophilic additions that proceed in a stereospecific manner.     

Zinc-mediated diastereoselective synthesis of 3-amino oxindoles by addition of methyl and terminal alkynes to N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines

A zinc-mediated addition of methyl and terminal alkynes to chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines for the preparation of optical quaternary 3-amino oxindoles was reported. In general, the operationally simple reaction affords the desired products in high yields and good to excellent diastereoselectivities. Subsequent convenient cleavage of sulfinyl protecting group under mild conditions was presented without racemization.     

New strategy for the asymmetric synthesis of phenyl ketone cyanohydrins: quaternization of cyanohydrins derived from 2-p-tolylsulfinyl benzaldehyde

[reaction: see text] Optically pure functionalized cyanohydrins derived from 1-[2-(p-tolylsulfinyl)phenyl] ethanone can be obtained by the reaction of 2-p-tolylsulfinyl benzaldehyde derived cyanohydrins with bases and further treatment with suitable electrophiles. High yields and excellent stereoselectivities (up to de >98%) were obtained for these remote 1,4-asymmetric induction processes controlled by a sulfinyl chiral inductor.     

Diastereocontrolled addition of organometallic reagents to S-chiral N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)-α-fluoroenimines

Grignard and organolithium reagents efficiently react with (S)-N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)-α-fluoroenimines to provide chiral allylamines in excellent yields and with diastereomeric ratios of up to 96:4. Acidic removal of the sulfinyl group and simple functional group transformations allow to get enantiopure fluoroolefin dipeptide mimics.     

Highly enantioselective Henry reaction catalyzed by chiral tridentate heteroorganic ligands

New tridentate enantiomerically pure heteroatom catalysts, containing hydroxyl, sulfinyl and amino groups, proved to be highly efficient in the enantioselective nitroaldol (Henry) reaction to give the desired adducts in very high yields (up to 90%) and with ees up to 98%. The influence of the stereogenic centres located on the sulfinyl sulfur atom and in the amine moiety is also discussed.     

Oxidative reactions of sulfinyl dienes as an entry to functionalized carbohydrate-like products and furans

Oxidative cleavage (OsO₄/NaIO₄) of a monoprotected dihydroxy sulfinyl diene affords a lactol, readily transformed into a sulfinyl pyranose. Alternatively, base promoted intramolecular cyclization of a lactol derived carbamate to a bicyclic oxazolidinone followed by simple transformations leads to an amino sulfonyl pyranose. In contrast, ozonolysis of a variety of hydroxy sulfinyl dienes leads to fair yields of 3-sulfinyl furans in a single step.     

Nucleophilic epoxidation of alpha'-hydroxy vinyl sulfoxides

The nucleophilic epoxidation of a variety of alpha'-(1-hydroxyalkyl) vinyl sulfones and sulfoxides has been studied. The sulfones give rise to anti oxiranes with modest (E) or excellent (Z) selectivities and in good yields. The (E)-sulfoxides display low reactivity within a reinforcing/nonreinforcing scenario. The use of t-BuOOLi in Et(2)O allows for a highly syn-selective epoxidation-oxidation. The (Z)-sulfoxides display a remarkably high reactivity under these conditions. The reinforcing (S,S(S)) diastereomers (3e-g) yield hydroxy sulfinyl oxiranes with high yields and selectivities. In contrast, the (R,S(S)) diastereomers (4e-g) show diminished reactivities and a very substrate-dependent stereochemical outcome. The structure of these oxiranes has been secured by chemical correlations and an X-ray crystal structure.     

Sulfur-directed enantioselective synthesis of functionalized dihydropyrans

The highly selective base-promoted cyclization of enantiopure sulfinyl dienols affords allylic sulfinyl dihydropyrans. The scope of this methodology, including the preparation of seven-membered rings, has been studied in depth. The reactivity of our sulfinyl dihydropyrans toward oxidation, imination, and dihydroxylation has been explored, and thus several routes to densely functionalized pyran derivatives have been outlined. The reactivity of allylic dihydropyranyl sulfones and sulfoximines in S(N)2' processes with organocuprates has been examined. The displacement products were obtained with good regio- and stereoselectivity and fair to good yields. The reactivity of these products to dihydroxylation opens new possibilities to access enantiopure polyhydroxylated tetrahydropyrans that could be of interest for the synthesis of natural products.     

Highly enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc to enones using aziridine-functionalized tridentate sulfinyl ligands

Enantiomerically pure tridentate heteroorganic catalysts, containing hydroxyl, sulfinyl, and aziridine moieties, have proven to be highly efficient in the enantioselective conjugate diethylzinc addition to chalcone and cyclohexenone to give the desired products in very high yields (up to 95%) and with ee’s up to 93%. The influence of the stereogenic centers located on the sulfinyl sulfur atom and in the aziridine moiety on the stereochemical course of the reaction is discussed.     

The chemistry of sulfines. 9. A novel synthesis of α-chloroalkyl alkanethiosulfonate esters

Sulfines react with sulfinyl chlorides giving α-chloroalkyl alkanethiosulfonate esters and with thionyl chloride giving α-chloroalkanesulfenyl chlorides, both in good yields.     

Nucleophilic epoxidation of alpha'-hydroxy dienyl sulfoxides

A novel route to enantiopure densely functionalized epoxy sulfinyl tetrahydrofurans, based on the unexpected and highly stereoselective remote nucleophilic epoxidation of hydroxy 1-sulfinyl butadienes with t-BuOOK, followed by ring closure and subsequent epoxidation of the resulting sulfinyl dihydrofurans, is described. Alternatively, the treatment of these dienes with m-CPBA followed by acid-catalyzed cyclization gives rise to related sulfonyl dihydrofurans in high yields but with low selectivity. The stereochemical outcome of the nucleophilic epoxidation of these substrates has also been studied.     

New highly efficient aziridine-functionalized tridentate sulfinyl catalysts for enantioselective diethylzinc addition to carbonyl compounds

New tridentate enantiomerically pure heteroorganic catalysts, containing hydroxyl, sulfinyl, and aziridine moieties, have proven to be highly efficient in the enantioselective diethylzinc addition to aryl and alkyl aldehydes to give the desired products in very high yields (up to 99%) and with ee’s up to 97%. The influence of the stereogenic centers located on the sulfinyl sulfur atom and in the aziridine moiety on the stereochemical course of the reaction are discussed.     

Reversal of stereoselectivity in [5 + 2] pyrone--alkene cycloadditons using a sulfoxide-to-sulfoximine switch. Enantiodivergent synthesis of 8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane systems

[reaction: see text] Switching from a sulfinyl to a sulfonimidoyl group allows the reversal of the sense of asymmetric induction in thermal [5C + 2C] intramolecular pyrone-alkene cycloadditions. Removal of the sulfoximine unit from the resulting cycloadducts yields optically active oxabicyclic systems that are enantiomeric to those obtained using the sulfinyl chiral auxiliary.     

Microwave-assisted solvent-free synthesis of enantiomerically pure N-(tert-butylsulfinyl)imines

A simple, environmentally friendly, and very efficient procedure for the synthesis of optically pure N-(tert-butylsulfinyl)imines has been developed with microwave-promoted condensation of aldehydes and ketones using (R)-2-methylpropane-2-sulfinamide in the presence of Ti(OEt)(4), under solvent-free conditions. This procedure allows for the preparation of a variety of sulfinyl aldimines with excellent yields and purities in only 10 min, making any further purification of the imines unnecessary. Several sulfinyl ketimines have also been prepared in good yields by extension of the reaction times to 1 h. This methodology has proved to be equally efficient for the synthesis of aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic N-(tert-butylsulfinyl)imines. Conventional heating has also been shown to be useful to promote these reactions, especially for the synthesis of aldimines.