Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate additions of alkylzinc reagents to acyclic aliphatic enones

Cu-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate additions to acyclic aliphatic enones are reported. The resulting enolates may be functionalized intra- and intermolecularly, leading to the formation of an additional C-C bond. The utility of the present method is not limited to reactions involving Et2Zn; a variety of alkylzincs may be used. Moreover, many of the requisite substrates can be easily accessed through catalytic olefin cross metathesis.     

Enantioselective Cu-catalyzed conjugate addition of diethylzinc to acyclic aliphatic enones

[reaction: see text] A new P-chiral phosphine bis(sulfonamide) ligand has been developed that allows the Cu-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of Et(2)Zn to acyclic aliphatic enones. The reactions proceed with excellent levels of enantioselectivity (90-95% ee) with a range of enone substrates, involve the use of only 1.2 equiv of Et(2)Zn, and give best results at ambient temperature.     

Efficient cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate additions of alkylzincs to trisubstituted cyclic enones

The first examples of efficient catalytic asymmetric conjugate addition (ACA) of alkylzincs to trisubstituted cyclic enones is disclosed. These Cu-catalyzed reactions proceed efficiently with five- and seven-membered ring substrates to afford the desired products in >/=95% ee. Intermediate enolates can be trapped with alkyl halides to generate a quaternary stereogenic center. The requisite chiral ligand is prepared from commercially available materials and can be used in situ without further purification in the presence of commercial grade (CuOTf)2.PhMe.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of clavirolide C. Applications of Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate additions and Ru-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis

The first enantioselective total synthesis of clavirolide C, a member of the dolabellane family of diterpenes isolated from Pacific soft coral Clavularia viridis, is disclosed. The total synthesis features the application of chiral amino acid based ligands in Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition (ACA) reactions and a relatively rare application of catalytic ring-closing metathesis to access an 11-membered ring structure. The total synthesis effort has spawned the development of a new protocol for NHC.Cu-catalyzed ACA of alkylaluminum reagents to beta-substituted cycloalkenones. The enantioselective clavirolide C synthesis requires 17 steps (longest linear sequence), affords the target molecule in 3.5% overall yield, and confirms the stereochemical assignment for the natural product.     

Enantioselective synthesis of nitroalkanes bearing all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers through Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate additions

The first examples of catalytic asymmetric conjugate addition (ACA) of alkylzinc reagents to trisubstituted nitroalkenes, leading to the formation of nitroalkanes bearing a quaternary carbon stereogenic center, are reported. Reactions are promoted in the presence of 4 mol % of a readily available amino acid-based phosphine and 2 mol % (CuOTf).C6H6. Cu-catalyzed reactions proceed efficiently in up to 98% ee and can be carried out with a variety of dialkylzinc reagents and trisubstituted nitroolefins. We highlight the synthetic utility of the products obtained by efficient conversion of optically enriched nitroalkanes to the corresponding carboxylic acids.     

Efficient Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate additions of alkylzinc reagents to aromatic and aliphatic acyclic nitroalkenes

An efficient and highly enantioselective (up to 95% ee) Cu-catalyzed method for asymmetric conjugate addition (ACA) of alkylzinc reagents to acyclic disubstituted nitroalkenes is presented. Reactions are typically effected at ambient temperature in the presence of 2 mol % chiral dipeptide phosphine and 1 mol % (CuOTf)(2).C(6)H(6). Nitroalkenes bearing aromatic as well as aliphatic substituents readily undergo asymmetric additions. [reaction: see text]     

Cu-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of alkylzincs to cyclic nitroalkenes: catalytic asymmetric synthesis of cyclic alpha-substituted ketones

An efficient and highly enantioselective (>/=92% ee) catalytic method for conjugate addition of alkylzinc reagents to cyclic nitroalkenes is reported. Reactions are promoted in the presence of 0.5-5 mol % (CuOTf)2.C6H6 and 1-10 mol % of chiral amino acid-based phosphine ligands at 0 degrees C in toluene. The Cu-catalyzed reactions can be effectively carried out with small-, medium-, and large-ring nitroalkenes. Depending on the reaction conditions used, either the nitro or the corresponding alpha-substituted ketone product can be readily accessed by the present protocol.     

Chiral ligand-controlled asymmetric conjugate addition of alpha-trimethylsilanylacetate to acyclic and cyclic enones

The reaction of lithium ester enolate with enones provides a challenge for chemoselectivity, that is, discrimination between a conjugate addition and a 1,2-addition. Asymmetric conjugate addition of a lithium enolate of alpha-trimethylsilanylacetate to acyclic and cyclic alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones was mediated by an external chiral ligand to give the corresponding 1,4-adducts in good enantioselectivity of 74% and good chemoselectivity.     

P-chiral o-phosphinophenol as a P/O hybrid ligand: preparation and use in Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of diethylzinc to acyclic enones

[reaction: see text] (S)-2-(tert-Butylmethylphosphino)phenol and its methyl ether were synthesized from tert-butyldichlorophosphine via optically active phosphine-boranes as the intermediates. The former compound was used as a P/O hybrid ligand in the Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of diethylzinc to acyclic enones to achieve high enantioselectivity of up to 96%.     

Organocatalytic enantioselective conjugate additions to enones

Conjugate addition reactions of a wide range of nucleophilic enol species with enones, catalyzed by a cinchona alkaloid derived thiourea organocatalyst, have been developed with attending good yields and high enantioselectivities under a mild reaction condition. The general method provides an efficient approach to the preparation of versatile building blocks possessing various functional groups.     

Chiral bicyclic [2.2.2] octadiene ligands for Rh-catalysed catalytic asymmetric conjugate additions to acyclic enones: a quantitative structure-property relationship

A series of chiral bicyclic [2.2.2]diene ligands gave variable ee values for Rh-catalysed asymmetric conjugate addition to an acyclic enone. The interplay between electronic and steric effects was captured in a robust predictive quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model for enantioselectivity.     

Catalytic enantioselective alkylations of tetrasubstituted olefins. Synthesis of all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers through Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate additions of alkylzinc reagents to enones

A method for Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition (ACA) of dialkylzinc reagents to tetrasubstituted five- and six-membered cyclic enones that afford quaternary all-carbon stereogenic centers in up to 95% ee is reported. Catalytic ACAs are practical and efficient. Reactions proceed to >98% conversion in undistilled commercial grade toluene in the presence of 2 mol % of an air-stable Cu salt (CuCN) and a readily available chiral ligand. Enantioselective ACA reactions deliver products that can be readily functionalized to afford a variety of synthetically versatile compounds in high optical purity.     

Enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc to acyclic enones using a copper phosphino-phenol complex as catalyst

Newly designed phosphino-phenol 1c was found to be an efficient chiral auxiliary for copper-mediated asymmetric conjugate addition of diethylzinc to acyclic enones. High enantioselectivity up to >99% ee was achieved in the reaction of acyclic α,β-enones.     

Enantioselective conjugate radical addition to alpha'-hydroxy enones

Enantioselective conjugate radical addition to alpha'-hydroxy alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones, compounds containing bidentate donors, has been investigated. It has been found that radical additions to alpha'-hydroxy alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones in the presence of Mg(NTf2)2 and bisoxazoline ligand 5a proceeded cleanly, yielding the addition products in high chemical yields and good enantiomeric excesses.     

Enantioselective radical conjugate addition to alpha'-phosphoric enones

Catalytic enantioselective radical conjugate addition reactions using alpha'-phosphoric enone templates have been studied. The C 2-symmetric bisoxazoline-zinc(II) complex proves to be effective for high enantioselectivities and chemical yields. In addition, intermediate alpha-carbonyl alkyl radicals could be trapped with allyltributylstannane to afford anti-isomers as major products with high enantioselectivities.     

N-sulfinyl metalloenamine conjugate additions: asymmetric synthesis of piperidines

[reaction: see text] The first examples of conjugate additions of N-tert-butanesulfinyl metalloenamines are reported. Highly stereoselective conjugate additions (97:3 to 99:1 dr) were observed between metalloenamines derived from N-sulfinyl ketimines and alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones bearing either alkyl or aryl substituents. The conjugate addition products could rapidly be converted with high diastereoselectivity to 2,4,6-trisubstituted piperidines, which are difficult to access by other methods.     

Enantioselective conjugate allylation of cyclic enones

Enantioselective organocatalytic 1,2-allylation of a cyclic enone followed by anionic oxy-Cope rearrangement delivered the ketone as a mixture of diastereomers. This appears to be a general method for the net enantioselective conjugate allylation of cyclic enones.     

Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate additions of dialkyl- and diarylzinc reagents to acyclic beta-silyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones. Synthesis of allylsilanes in high diastereo- and enantiomeric purity

A readily available and simple (MW = 444.5 g/mol) valine-based chiral phosphine is used to promote highly efficient catalytic asymmetric conjugate additions of dialkyl- and diarylzinc reagents to acyclic beta-silyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones. The catalytic asymmetric protocol allows access to versatile allylsilanes that bear a trisubstituted olefin in high diastereo- and enantiomeric purity.