Copper complex catalyzed asymmetric monosulfonylation of meso-vic-diols

Asymmetric desymmetrization of meso-vic-diols was performed by tosylation in the presence of copper(II) triflate and (R,R)-Ph-BOX as a catalyst. The method was successfully applied to asymmetric desymmetrization of cyclic and acyclic meso-vic-diols in high enantioselectivity with up to >99% ee.     

Kinetic resolution of vic-amino alcohols catalyzed by a chiral Cu(II) complex

Kinetic resolution of N-benzoylated vic-amino alcohols was achieved by benzoylation in the presence of copper triflate and (R,R)-Ph-BOX as catalysts. The observed enantioselectivity was moderate to high. The method was applied to a kinetic resolution of racemic prolinol and piperidinemethanol derivatives as well as an asymmetric desymmetrization of 2-amino-1,3-diol derivatives.     

Aerobic oxidative desymmetrization of meso-diols with bifunctional amidoiridium catalysts bearing chiral N-sulfonyldiamine ligands

Asymmetric aerobic oxidation of a range of meso- and prochiral diols with chiral bifunctional Ir catalysts is described. A high level of chiral discrimination ability of Cp^∗Ir complexes derived from (S,S)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine was successfully demonstrated by desymmetrization of secondary benzylic diols such as cis-indan-1,3-diol and cis-1,4-diphenylbutane-1,4-diol, providing the corresponding (R)-hydroxyl ketones with excellent chemo- and enantioselectivities. Enantiotopic group discrimination in oxidation of symmetrical primary 1,4- and 1,5-diols gave rise to chiral lactones with moderate ees under similar aerobic conditions.     

Kinetic resolution of d,l-myo-inositol derivatives catalyzed by chiral Cu(II) complex

Kinetic resolution of d,l-myo-inositol derivatives having a 1,2-diol functionality by monobenzoylation was achieved using (R,R)-Ph-BOX-Cu(II) as a catalyst. The monobenzoylation preferentially took place at the 1,2-diol functionality via a highly enantiodiscriminatory process, which was largely influenced by a substituent at the position adjacent to the 1,2-diol functionality. This method was applied to a synthesis of biologically important d-inositol-1-phosphate.     

Asymmetric oxidation of 1,2-diols using N-bromosuccinimide in the presence of chiral copper catalyst

Asymmetric oxidation of 1,2-diols using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) in the presence of copper(II) triflate and (R,R)-Ph-BOX has been exploited. This oxidation was applicable to asymmetric desymmetrization of meso-hydrobenzoin and kinetic resolution of dl-hydrobenzoin and racemic-cycloalkane-cis-1,2-diols to afford optically active α-ketoalcohols with good to high enantiomeric excess.     

Enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-N-(heteroarenesulfonyl)aziridines with TMSN3 catalyzed by chiral Lewis acids

A catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-N-(heteroarenesulfonyl)aziridines with TMSN₃ using chiral Lewis acids afforded products with high enantioselectivity. As proof of the utility of this procedure, the precursor of selective κ-opioid agonist (1S,2S)-(−)-U-50,488 was synthesized.     

Unexpected Schiff-base complex formation from the oxidation reaction of a nickel(II) complex with the meso-HMPAO ligand by molecular oxygen

The synthesis and characterization of the amine–oxime complex [Ni(meso-HMPAO)–H] · ClO₄ (1) and its oxidized Schiff-base product [Ni(meso-HMPAO)-5H] · ClO₄ (2), where HMPAO is hexamethyl propylene amine oxime, are presented. Complex 2 results from the oxidation of 1 by molecular oxygen in basic aqueous solution. The structural change of the amine complex 1 to the Schiff-base complex 2 was investigated by the means of NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 3,4-dihydroxyglutamic acids via enantioselective reduction of cyclic meso-imide

Stereoselective synthesis of (3S,4S)- and (3R,4R)-series of 3,4-dihydroxyglutamic acids was investigated. The key reaction in this synthesis is asymmetric reduction of meso-imide derived from meso-tartaric acid. Lewis acid-promoted cyanation of the obtained optically active lactam via the acyliminium intermediate followed by standard deprotection procedure afforded the desired 3,4-dihydroxyglutamic acids.     

Silica gel-supported bis-cinchona alkaloid: a chiral catalyst for the heterogeneous asymmetric desymmetrization of meso-cyclic anhydrides

A one-pot conversion of meso-cyclic anhydrides with alcoholysis in diethyl ether using SGS-(DHQ)₂AQN 4, a silica gel-supported chiral catalyst, into the corresponding desymmetrized mono ester acids was achieved with enantiomeric excesses of up to 84% under mild and efficient conditions.     

Asymmetric addition of trimethylsilylcyanide to N-benzylimines catalyzed by recyclable chiral dimeric V(V) salen complex

Chiral dimeric vanadium (V) salen complex (10 mol%) derived from 5,5-Methylene di-[(S,S)-{N-(3-tert-butyl salicylidine)-N′-(3′,5′-di-tert-butyl salicylidene)]-1,2-cyclohexanediamine] with vanadyl suphate followed by auto oxidation was used as efficient catalyst for enantioselective Strecker reaction of N-benzylimines with TMSCN at −30 °C. Excellent yield (92%) of α-aminonitrile and high chiral induction was achieved (ee up to 94%) in case of 2-methoxy substituted N-benzylimines in 10 h. The catalytic system worked well up to four cycles with retention of enantioselectivity.     

Highly efficient asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones catalyzed by chiral ‘roofed’ cis-diamine-Ru(II) complex

A new type of chiral Ru(II) complex, prepared from a conformationally rigid, sterically bulky ‘roofed’ cis-diamine and [RuCl₂(benzene)]₂, functions as an efficient catalyst for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of a wide variety of aryl ketones, including sterically bulky ketones, when the reaction is conducted in the presence of 5HCO₂H·2NEt₃.     

Novel cleavage of (E)-allyl vic-diols to aldehydes using the 2nd-generation Grubbs catalyst

Secondary (E)-allyl vic-diol cleavage in the presence of the 2nd-generation Grubbs catalyst has been developed. The position of a vic-diol adjacent to CC plays a crucial role in the cleavage reaction compared to an alkyl vic-diol based on a model compound.     

Synthesis and characterizations of meso-disubstituted asymmetric porphycenes

A post-synthetic method has been developed to synthesize novel asymmetric porphycenes bearing two different substituents on the meso-positions. Nitration of 9-acetoxy-2,7,12,17-tetra-n-propylporphycene with AgNO₃ in CH₃COOH/CH₂Cl₂ occurs regioselectively at the 19-position of the macrocycle to give 9-acetoxy-19-nitro-2,7,12,17-tetra-n-propylporphycene (3a) which was readily converted to 9-acetoxy-19-amino-2,7,12,17-tetra-n-propylporphycene (4a) by the reduction with SnCl₂ in pyridine.     

Preparation of both enantiomers of a synthon for novel nucleoside analogs by enzymatic desymmetrization of a meso-diol with a methylene cyclopropane skeleton

The enzymatic desymmetrization of methylenecyclopropane diol or its corresponding diacetate derivative, generated from a [2+1] cycloaddition between dioxepin and methylchlorocarbene, is described. After screening five commercial lipases, the two enantiomers of acetic acid 2-hydroxymethyl-3-methylene-cyclopropylmethyl ester are obtained in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities by using PFL or LPP in organic solvent. The stereostructure of the desymmetrization products was established by X-ray analysis. We also reported a new example with this non racemic chiral building block where the sign of optical rotation is dramatically solvent dependent and inverted. Using these enantiopure building blocks, a synthesis of novel nucleoside analogs is also presented.     

Palladium-catalyzed meso-amination and amidation of porphyrins: marked acceleration with the Ni(II) central metal ion

The preparation of meso-amino and meso-amido substituted porphyrins was easily accomplished by palladium-mediated cross-coupling reactions of meso-brominated porphyrins with amines and amides. Ni(II) introduced as a central metal ion into the substrate porphyrin markedly accelerated the cross-coupling.     

Asymmetric hydroamination/cyclization catalyzed by group 4 metal complexes with chiral biaryl-based ligands

Group 4 metal complexes based on chiral biaryl ligands are readily prepared by a convenient amine elimination procedure, and they are efficient catalysts for the asymmetric hydroamination/cyclization of aminoalkenes. The biaryl-based ligands are highly modular enabling facile tuning of the catalyst reactivity and selectivity. The corresponding heterocyclic products have been obtained in excellent enantiomeric excesses (up to 93%) using sterically hindered C₂-symmetric titanium and zirconium mesitoylamidate complexes such as [1,1′-(C₁₀H₁₀)₂-2,2′-{NCO(2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂)}₂]M(NMe₂)₂ (M = Ti, Zr). These results are presented in this short review.     

Enantioselective addition of phenyl and alkyl acetylenes to imines catalyzed by chiral Cu(I) complexes

The stereoselective addition of phenyl acetylene and alkyl acetylenes to imines, catalyzed by chiral bis-imines-Cu(I) complexes was studied. A very simple experimental procedure allowed to obtain at room temperature optically active propargyl amines in very good yields and enantioselectivity up to 81%.     

Synthesis of novel ferrocene containing vic-dioxime ligands and their Ni(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes: Spectral, electrochemical and biological activity studies

Two new vic-dioxime ligands bearing an important redox-active substituent, anti-β-ferrocenylethylaminoglyoxime (1a) and anti-β-ferrocenylethylaminophenylglyoxime (1b), have been synthesized, and their Ni(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) (2a-4a, 2b-4b) complexes were obtained. The composition and structure of the products were determined by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), mass spectrometry (MS), one-dimensional (1D) ¹H, ¹³C NMR, and two-dimensional (2D) heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) techniques. The redox behaviors of the ligands and their complexes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), which revealed that all the ferrocenyl redox centers are electrochemically independent and undergo a quasi-reversible oxidation at similar potentials. Also, antibacterial activity was studied against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Streptococcus mutans RSHM 676, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The antimicrobial test results indicated that all the compounds have mild levels of antibacterial activity against both gram negative and gram-positive bacterial species.     

Asymmetric epoxidation of cis-1-propenylphosphonic acid (CPPA) catalyzed by chiral tungsten(VI) and molybdenum(VI) complexes

In the presence of 5.0 mol% chiral tungsten(VI) and molybdenum(VI) complexes, the catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of cis-1-propenylphosphonic acid (CPPA) with 30% aqueous H₂O₂ affording (1R,2S)-(−)-(1, 2)-epoxypropyl phosphonic acid (fosfomycin) was first described. The enantioselectivities of the tungsten and molybdenum catalysts depend strongly on the ligands, reaction temperature and solvent. In CH₂Cl₂ at 0 °C for 72 h, complex MoO₂[(+)-campy]₂ catalyzed the asymmetric epoxidation in a 100% conversion of CPPA with the highest 80% ee. The mechanism of the present epoxidation could be described as direct oxygen transfer occurred on the interface of the biphasic H₂O-nonprotic system.