Catalytic enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to trifluoromethyl ketones

A procedure for nucleophilic addition of diethylzinc to trifluoromethyl ketones was developed. The TMEDA-catalyzed method converts aromatic substrates to the corresponding 2-aryl-1,1,1-trifluorobutan-2-ols in up to 99% yield, and it is also applicable to less reactive aliphatic ketones if stoichiometric ligand amounts are employed. The first asymmetric variant producing tertiary alcohols with up to 61% ee when TBOX is used as catalyst is described.     

Catalytic enantioselective allylboration of ketones

The first example of catalytic enantioselective allylboration and crotylboration of simple ketones is described. High enantioselectivity (up to 93% ee) was obtained using 3 mol % CuF-iPr-DuPHOS as a chiral catalyst and 4.5 mol % La(OiPr)3 as a cocatalyst. Mechanistic studies strongly suggested that the active nucleophile of the present reaction is an allylcopper, and that La(OiPr)3 facilitates the generation of an active allylcopper from the allylboronate, without affecting the transition-state structure of the ketone allylation step.     

Highly enantioselective catalytic phenylation of ketones with a constrained geometry titanium catalyst

[reaction: see text] The catalytic asymmetric addition of phenyl groups from diphenylzinc to ketones is reported. The catalyst, generated from a dihydroxy bis(sulfonamide) ligand and titanium tetraisopropoxide, gives good to excellent enantioselectivities with a range of substrates.     

Catalytic enantioselective aldol reaction to ketones

An enantioselective aldol reaction between ketones and ketene silyl acetals is described using CuF-chiral phosphine as a catalyst. The key for high enantioselectivity was the development of a novel ligand derived from Taniaphos combined with the unique accelerative effect of PhBF3K. These conditions are applicable to various substrates such as aromatic, aliphatic, and heteroaromatic ketones. In the case of substituted nucleophiles, the reaction proceeds well. The diastereoselectivity is independent of ketene silyl acetal geometry. This is the first example of a catalytic enantio- and diastereoselective aldol reaction to ketones using ketene silyl acetals.     

Catalytic enantioselective Reformatsky reaction with ketones

Chiral tertiary alcohols were obtained with good yields and enantioselectivities via a catalytic Reformatsky reaction with ketones, including the challenging diaryl ketones, using chiral BINOL derivatives.     

Catalytic, enantioselective aldol additions to ketones

Catalytic, enantioselective additions of a trichlorosilyl ketene acetal to ketones have been demonstrated. The trichlorosilyl enolate of methyl acetate undergoes a rapid and high-yielding aldol addition to a wide range of ketones (aromatic, olefinic, acetylenic, aliphatic) in the presence of a catalytic amount of pyridine N-oxide. Moreover, in the presence of a catalytic amount (10 mol %) of a chiral bispyridine bis N-oxide (possessing both axial and central chiral elements) the aldol addition takes place again in excellent yield and with good stereoselectivity. The enantioselectivities of the additions are highly variable (7-86% ee) and are strongly dependent on the structure of the ketone acceptor. Aromatic methyl ketones gave the highest selectivity, whereas olefinic ketones were the least selective.     

Catalytic enantioselective peroxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones

Despite the potential of chiral peroxides as biologically interesting or even clinically important compounds, no catalytic enantioselective peroxidation has been reported. With a chiral catalyst not only to induce enantioselectivity but also to convert a well established epoxidation pathway into a peroxidation pathway, the first efficient catalytic peroxidation has been successfully developed. Employing readily available alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones and hydroperoxides and an easily accessible cinchona alkaloid catalyst, this novel reaction will open new possibilities in the asymmetric synthesis of chiral peroxides. Under different conditions a highly enantioselective epoxidation with the same starting materials, reagents, and catalyst has was also established.     

Catalytic enantioselective conjugate allylation of unsaturated methylidene ketones

The use of unsaturated methylidene ketones in catalytic conjugate allylations allows a significant expansion in substrate scope and, with appropriate chiral ligands, occurs in a highly enantioselective fashion.     

Enantioselective alkenylation and phenylation catalyzed by a chiral CuF complex

A new method for CuF-catalyzed alkenylation and phenylation of aldehydes and an activated ketone using air- and moisture-stable alkenylsilanes and phenylsilane as a nucleophile is described. This methodology was extended to highly enantioselective catalytic alkenylation and phenylation using DTBM-SEGPHOS as a chiral ligand. Substrate generality is broad, and an alkenylsilane with a long alkyl chain and an internal alkenylsilane can be also used as a nucleophile. The key to success partly involves the accelerated regeneration of reactive alkenylcopper and phenylcopper through transmetalation from the silylated nucleophiles, and stabilization of the reactive copper reagents, both of which are effected by the diphosphine ligands.     

Catalytic enantioselective intermolecular reductive aldol reaction to ketones

We describe the first example of a catalytic enantioselective intermolecular reductive aldol reaction. Three types of reactions were studied: (1) reactions between acetophenone and methyl acrylate; (2) reactions between symmetric ketones and β-substituted α,β-unsaturated esters; and (3) reactions between acetophenone derivatives and an allenic ester. Although only moderate enantioselectivity was obtained in the first reaction type, high to excellent enantioselectivity was realized in the enantio-induction at the α-position in the second reaction type and at the δ-position in the third reaction type. Specifically, the third reaction type afforded the corresponding tertiary alcohols with up to 99% ee. Pre-activation of the nucleophile by silyl enolate formation is not necessary in these one-pot catalytic enantioselective reductive aldol reactions.     

The synthesis of unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones by regioselective organocuprate addition to acetylemic trifluoromethyl ketones

Regiospecific and stereoselective synthesis of unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones has been accomplished by the addition of higher order cyano cuprates to acetylenic trifluoromethyl ketones.     

Catalytic enantioselective borane reduction of aromatic ketones with sulfonyl (S)-prolinol

The asymmetric reduction of aromatic ketones was catalyzed by a class of recoverable and highly stable chiral sulfonamides derived from (S)-proline to yield optically active secondary alcohols in high yields and with enantiomeric excesses of up to 91%.     

Catalytic enantioselective allylation of ketones via a chiral indium(III) complex

[reaction: see text] A chiral indium complex has been discovered to effect high enantioselectivities in the addition of allyltributylstannanes to ketones. The allylation of a variety of aromatic, alpha,beta-unsaturated and aliphatic ketones resulted in good yields and high enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee).     

Thiourea-catalyzed enantioselective cyanosilylation of ketones

The new chiral amino thiourea catalyst 3d promotes the highly enantioselective cyanosilylation of a wide variety of ketones. The hindered tertiary amine substituent plays a crucial role with regard to both stereoinduction and reactivity, suggesting a cooperative mechanism involving electrophile activation by thiourea and nucleophile activation by the amine.     

Synthesis of trifluoromethyl ketones using polymer-supported reagents

A two step synthesis of trifluoromethyl ketones from aldehydes is reported. A combination of polymer-supported reagents and sequestering agents were employed to effect the transformation without the need for chromatographic purification.     

Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid-catalyzed solvent-free bisindolylation of trifluoromethyl ketones

A trifluoromethanesulfonic acid-catalyzed solvent-free bisindolylation reaction of indoles with alkyl and aryl trifluoromethyl ketones has been developed. The trifluoromethyl-substituted bisindolylalkane derivatives were synthesized in moderate to excellent yields.     

Catalytic asymmetric reductive coupling of alkynes and aldehydes: enantioselective synthesis of allylic alcohols and alpha-hydroxy ketones

A highly enantioselective method for catalytic reductive coupling of alkynes and aldehydes is described. Allylic alcohols are afforded with complete E/Z selectivity, generally >95:5 regioselectivity, and in up to 96% ee. In conjunction with ozonolysis, this process is complementary to existing methods of enantioselective alpha-hydroxy ketone synthesis.