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.     

Catalytic enantioselective sulfinyl transfer using cinchona alkaloid catalysts

[reaction: see text] Practical reaction conditions for the catalytic enantioselective synthesis of sulfinate esters are reported. Commercially available cinchona alkaloids were found to be superior catalysts for the sulfinyl transfer reaction of tert-butanesulfinyl chloride and a variety of benzyl alcohols. Sulfinyl transfer with 2,4,6-trichlorobenzyl alcohol and 10 mol % of the commercially available, inexpensive catalyst quinidine provided the pure sulfinate ester product in 92% isolated yield and with 90% ee.     

Conjugate addition of lithium ester enolates to 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides: a novel synthesis of functionalized esters and lactones having a tertiary or a quaternary carbon at the β-position

Addition of the lithium ester enolates to 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were synthesized from chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide and ketones or aldehydes, gave esters having a tertiary or a quaternary carbon at the 3-position, and chlorine and sulfinyl groups at the 4-position in high to quantitative yields. The adducts were converted to various esters having methyl, formyl, and hydroxycarbonyl groups at the 3-position. A novel method for the synthesis of γ-lactones, including spiro-type γ-lactones and α-methylene γ-lactones, was realized from the adducts in good overall yields. The scope and limitations of this method and the mechanism of the reactions are also discussed.     

An effective new synthesis of 4-aminopyrrole-2-carboxylates

[reaction: see text] A series of 4-amino-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid benzyl esters has been synthesized in 61-84% yields on treatment of N-PhF-4-oxoproline benzyl ester and its 3-alkyl-substituted derivatives with different primary and secondary amines and a catalytic amount of TsOH in THF. 4-Hydroxy-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid benzyl esters were prepared in 59 and 70% yields by treatment of N-PhF-4-oxoproline benzyl esters with ammonium hydroxide in THF.     

One-pot organocatalytic domino Michael/alpha-alkylation reactions: direct catalytic enantioselective cyclopropanation and cyclopentanation reactions

The development of one-pot organocatalytic domino Michael/alpha-alkylation reactions between bromomalonates or bromoacetoacetate esters and alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The chiral-amine-catalyzed reactions with bromomalonates as substrates give access to the corresponding 2-formylcyclopropane derivatives in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivity and up to 99 % ee. The catalytic domino Michael/alpha-alkylation reactions between 4-bromo-acetoacetate and enals provide a route for the synthesis of functionalized cyclopentanones in good to high yields with 93-99 % ee. The products from the organocatalytic reactions were also reduced with high diastereoselectivity to the corresponding cyclopropanols and cyclopentanols, respectively. Moreover, one-pot combinations of amine and heterocyclic carbene catalysis (AHCC) enabled the highly enantioselective synthesis of beta-malonate esters (91-97 % ee) from the reaction between bromomalonates and enals. The tandem catalysis included the catalytic domino reaction followed by catalytic in situ chemoselective ring-opening of the 2-formylcyclopropane intermediates.     

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.     

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.     

Sulfinyl-mediated stereoselective Overman rearrangements and Diels-Alder cycloadditions

The Overman rearrangement of allylic sulfinyl trichloroacetimidates affords sulfinyl trichloroacetamides with high stereoselectivity and excellent yields. Bis-allylic substrates lead to amido 2-sulfinyl butadiene derivatives in excellent yields, with total chemo- and diastereoselectivity. The Diels-Alder cycloaddition of related dienes is controlled by the sulfoxide moiety.     

Reaction of β-trifluoroethoxy vinamidinium salts with carbon nucleophiles

β-Trifluoroethoxy vinamidinium salts 1 reacted smoothly with various types of the carbanions, generated by treatment of ketones, esters, amide and nitriles with LDA, to give the corresponding trifluoroethoxylated multifunctional dienamine derivatives 3 in moderate to good yields. On the other hand, the reaction of 1 with lithium acetylide and other carbanions derived from methyl compounds bearing sulfonyl, sulfinyl, and phosphonyl groups produced the corresponding α,β-unsaturated aldehydes 5 in good yields.     

Enantioselective Amination of β-Keto Esters Catalyzed by Chiral Calcium Phosphates

A catalytic enantioselective amination of β-keto esters using (S)-BINOL chiral calcium phosphate has been developed. The reaction produces chiral α-amino-β-keto ester derivatives in most cases with moderate to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99 %) and good yields (up to 99 %). This mild synthetic method highlights a low catalyst loading and high catalytic efficiency. When the substrate backbone was changed to 1-tetralone-derived β-keto esters, unexpectedly high yields of selective redox products were obtained. The practicality of the reaction was realized by a scale-up without any significant loss in the enantioselectivity and yield. Chiral calcium phosphate was successfully recovered and reused for four runs, indicating its stability and high catalytic activity.     

Highly enantioselective addition of phenylethynylzinc to aldehydes using aziridine-functionalized tridentate sulfinyl ligands

Diastereomerically pure tridentate heteroorganic ligands containing hydroxyl, sulfinyl and aziridine moieties as nucleophilic centers, capable of binding to various organometallic reagents, have been proven to be highly efficient catalysts in the enantioselective addition of phenylethynylzinc to aldehydes to give the desired products in very high yields (up to 95%) and with ee’s up to 90%. 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 also discussed.     

Catalytic, highly enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reactions of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds to trifluoropyruvate. A simple approach for the formation of optically active aromatic and heteroaromatic hydroxy trifluoromethyl esters.

A new catalytic enantioselective synthetic method for the formation of optically active aromatic and heteroaromatic hydroxy-trifluoromethyl ethyl esters is presented. This catalytic enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction of trifluoromethyl pyruvate with aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds is catalyzed by a chiral bisoxazoline copper(II) complex and proceeds in good yield and with high enantiomeric excess. For a series of substituted indoles, the corresponding 3-substituted hydroxy-trifluoromethyl ethyl esters are formed in up to 93% yield and 94% ee. Pyrrole and 2-substituted pyrroles also react with trifluoromethyl pyruvate in a highly enantioselective aromatic electrophilic reaction and up to 93% ee and good yields are obtained. Furanes and thiophenes give the corresponding 2-hydroxy-trifluoromethyl ethyl esters in high enantiomeric excess; however, the yields of the products are only moderate. Various types of aromatic compounds react in this catalytic reaction with trifluoromethyl pyruvate to give the aromatic electrophilic addition product in good yield. To obtain high enantiomeric excess (> 80% ee) it is necessary that aromatic amines are protected with sterically demanding protecting groups such as benzyl or allyl. This prevents coordination of the amine nitrogen atom to the catalyst, as aromatic amines having a N,N-dimethyl group probably coordinate to the catalyst, leading to a significant reduction of the enantioselective properties of the catalyst. On the basis of the experimental results and the absolute configuration of the formed chiral center, the mechanism for the catalytic enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction is discussed.     

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.     

Catalytic,asymmetric Mannich-type reactions of N-acylimino esters: reactivity,diastereo- and enantioselectivity,and application to synthesis of N-acylated amino acid derivatives

In the presence of a catalytic amount of Cu(OTf)(2)-chiral diamine 3e complex, N-acylimino esters reacted with silyl enol ethers to afford the corresponding Mannich-type adducts in high yields with high enantioselectivities. A wide variety of silyl enol ethers derived from ketones, as well as esters and thioesters, reacted smoothly. In the reactions of alpha-substituted silyl enol ethers (alpha-methyl or benzyloxy), the desired syn-adducts were obtained in high yields with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities. Several intermediates for the synthesis of biologically important compounds were prepared using this novel catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reaction, and at the same time, absolute and relative stereochemical assignments were made. In addition, it has been revealed that alkyl vinyl ethers reacted with N-acylimino esters in the presence of a catalytic amount of the Cu(II) catalyst to give the corresponding Mannich-type adducts in high yields with high enantioselectivities. This is the first example of catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reactions with alkyl vinyl ethers. The reaction mechanism, structure of chiral catalyst-electrophile complexes, and transition states of these catalytic asymmetric reactions were assumed based on X-ray crystallographic analysis of the Cu(II)-chiral amine complex, PM3 calculations, and FT-IR analyses, etc. Finally, (1R,3R)-N-(3-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-3-phenylpropyl)dodecanamide (HPA-12, 1), a new inhibitor of ceramide trafficking from endoplasmic reticulum to the site of sphingomyerin (SM) synthesis, has been synthesized efficiently using the present Mannich-type reaction as a key step. The synthesis involved three steps (two-pot), and total yield was 82.9%.     

A concise synthesis of highly enantiomerically enriched 2-alkylparaconic acid esters via ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of acylsuccinates

The catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of acylsuccinates using RuCl₃ as a precatalyst and atropisomeric diphosphines as chiral auxiliaries allows the synthesis of optically active 2-alkylparaconic acid esters in preparative yields with enantioselectivities up to 99.5% ee.     

ZrOCl2 x 8H2O: an efficient, cheap and reusable catalyst for the esterification of acrylic acid and other carboxylic acids with equimolar amounts of alcohols

Esterifications of carboxylic acids with equimolar amount of alcohols could be efficiently catalyzed by ZrOCl(2) x 8H(2)O. Acrylate esters were obtained in good yields under solvent-free conditions at ambient temperature. The esterification of other carboxylic acids with alcohols also proceeded at ambient temperature or at 50 oC to afford esters in high yields. If the esterification was performed in toluene under azeotropic reflux conditions to remove water, both the catalytic activity of ZrOCl(2) x 8H(2)O and the rate of esterification could be increased greatly. Furthermore, in the present catalytic system, the esters could be easily separated from the reaction mixtures and the catalyst could be easily recovered and reused.     

An efficient and mild bismuth triflate-catalysed three-component Mannich-type reaction

In the presence of a catalytic amount of Bi(OTf)(3).4H(2)O, aldehydes together with amines react with silyl enolates to afford the corresponding Mannich-type adducts smoothly. A wide variety of silyl enolates derived from ketones, as well as esters and thioesters, react rapidly to afford the beta-amino ketones or the beta-amino esters in high yields (up to 94%).     

Direct catalytic asymmetric mannich reactions of malonates and beta-keto esters

The first catalytic asymmetric direct Mannich reaction of malonates and beta-keto esters has been developed. Malonates react with an activated N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester catalyzed by chiral tert-butyl-bisoxazoline/Cu(OTf)(2) to give the Mannich adducts in high yields and with up to 96% ee. These reactions create a chiral quaternary carbon center and it is demonstrated that this new direct Mannich reactions provides for example a new synthetic procedure for the formation of optically active beta-carboxylic ester alpha-amino acid derivatives. A series of different beta-keto esters with various ester substituents has been screened as substrates for the catalytic asymmetric direct Mannich reaction and it was found that the best results in terms of yield, diastereo- and enantioselectivity were obtained when tert-butyl esters of beta-keto esters were used as the substrate. The reaction of different beta-keto tert-butyl esters with the N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester gave the Mannich adducts in high yields, diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee) in the presence of chiral tert-butyl-bisoxazoline/Cu(OTf)(2) as the catalyst. To expand the synthetic utility of this direct Mannich reaction a diastereoselective decarboxylation reaction was developed for the Mannich adducts leading to a new synthetic approach to attractive optically active beta-keto alpha-amino acid derivatives. Based on the stereochemical outcome of the reactions, various approaches of the N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester to the chiral bisoxazoline/Cu(II)-substrate intermediate are discussed.     

Stereochemistry of transition metal catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular allyl transfer in chiral α-sulfinyl allylic esters

The stereochemistry of palladium or nickel catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular allyl transfer in chiral α-sulfinyl allylic esters was determined. The participation of the catalyst and the chiral sulfinyl functionality in these transformations, presumably by the coordination of the sulfinyl group to the catalyst, is discussed, and a novel mechanism is proposed for the rationalization of the results obtained.     

Highly Regio‐ and Enantioselective Synthesis of γ,δ‐Unsaturated Amido Esters by Catalytic Hydrogenation of Conjugated Enamides

An efficient and highly regio‐ and enantioselective catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of α,γ‐dienamido esters to γ,δ‐unsaturated amido esters has been achieved using Rh/TangPhos as the catalyst. A series of γ,δ‐unsaturated amido acids were furnished in excellent yields with up to 99 % ee. This effective methodology was applied in the asymmetric synthesis of key intermediate of Ramipril, an ACE inhibitor.