Regioselective fluorination in synthesis of deoxyfluoro quercitols from d-(−)-quinic acid

A facile synthesis of six new deoxyfluoro querciotls from d-(−)-quinic acid is described. The key steps involve the regioselective fluorination as well as highly stereoselective dihydroxylation. These synthetic deoxyfluoro quercitols are considered as potential glycosidase inhibitors.     

Novel α-tosyloxylation of ketones catalyzed by the in situ generated hypoiodous acid from alkyl iodide

Using a catalytic amount of 1-iodopropane, a novel and efficient procedure has been developed for direct preparation of α-tosyloxyketones from ketones. In this protocol, 1-iodopropane is first oxidized into iodosylpropane, which decomposes to form the key catalyst hypoiodous acid. With this method, not only α-tosyloxyketones, but also other α-sulfonyloxyketones have been prepared in moderate to good yields, which extends the application of alkyl substituted hypervalent iodine reagents in organic synthesis.     

Asymmetric hydrocyanation of olefins catalyzed by chiral diphosphite–nickel complexes

Chiral aryl diphosphite ligands derived from binaphthol were found to be effective in the nickel-catalyzed hydrocyanation of a variety of olefins. Enantioselective hydrocyanations of styrene, 4-substituted styrenes and norbornene were achieved with excellent regioselectivity and moderate enantioselectivity. The hydrocyanation of vinyl acetate gave 72.9% ee. The catalytic activity and the enantioselectivity of the Ni(0)–diphosphite complexes were found to be highly dependent on the structures of the ligands.     

Asymmetric hydroazidation of α-substituted vinyl ketones catalyzed by chiral primary amine

We report herein the first example of asymmetric hydroazidation of α-substituted vinyl ketones by using chiral primary amines as the catalysts.A simple chiral primary-tertiary diamine catalyst derived from lphenylalanine was found to readily promote this aza-Michael addition reaction with enamine protonation as the key stereogenic step,thus enabling the effective synthesis of α-chiral β-azido ketones with good yields and moderate enantioselectivities.     

Asymmetric dearomatization enabled by chiral Brønsted acid activation of ynamides

Science China Chemistry -     

BINOL-phosphoric acid catalyzed asymmetric Mannich addition of β-ketoesters to indolenines generated in situ by DDQ

An asymmetric Mannich addition of β-ketoesters to indolenines that were generated in situ from 3-indolinone-2-carboxylates by DDQ has been developed using a catalytic amount of chiral BINOL-phosphoric acid. The corresponding chiral 3-indolinone-2-carboxylate derivatives were obtained in good yields with excellent ee (up to 99%). This is the first report on the enantioselective addition of β-ketoesters to indolenines using a chiral Brønsted acid.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (S)-(−)-acromelobinic acid

A total synthesis of (S)-(−)-acromelobinic acid 2, which was isolated from clitocybe acromelalga, was achieved via an asymmetric hydrogenation protocol. Dehydroamino acid derivative 12 was prepared from 2,5-lutidine 5 and subjected to asymmetric hydrogenation using (S,S)-[Rh(Et-DuPHOS)(COD)]BF₄ to give the (S)-(+)-pyridylalanine derivative 13 in 93% yield and >96% e.e. Removal of the protecting groups in (S)-(+)-13 afforded (S)-(−)-acromelobinic acid 2.     

Construction of alkyl-substituted 7-norbornenones through Diels-Alder cycloaddition of electron-deficient olefins and a cyclopentadienone derivative generated in situ

Dimeric sesquiterpenoids possessing densely substituted 7-norbornenone/7-norbornenol motifs pose a considerable challenge for chemical synthesis. From a strategic perspective, one could envision intermolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition as a straightforward method for assembling alkyl-substituted 7-norbornenones. However, this approach is hindered by lability of the required dienes, namely alkylsubstituted cyclopentadienones. Here we report a one-pot protocol for construction of alkyl-substituted...     

Aerobic oxidative-carbonylation of olefins. A convenient preparation of β-hydroxyalkanoic acid derivatives from olefins

A variety of β-hydroxyalkanoic acid derivatives were prepared by palladium catalyzed aerobic oxidative-carbonylations of terminal olefins at normal pressure of carbon monoxide and oxygen mixed gas.     

Asymmetric epoxidation of α-substituted acroleins catalyzed by diphenylprolinol silyl ether

Asymmetric epoxidation of α-substituted acroleins with hydrogen peroxide has been catalyzed by diphenylprolinol diphenylmethylsilyl ether to afford α-substituted-β,β-unsubstituted-α,β-epoxy aldehyde with excellent enantioselectivity and the generation of a chiral quaternary carbon center. The method was applied to a short synthesis of (R)-methyl palmoxirate.     

One-pot production of chiral α,β-epoxy ketones from benzaldehydes and acetophenones by recyclable poly(amino acid) catalysis

An efficient one-pot, two-step process was disclosed for production of chiral α,β-epoxy ketones from benzaldehydes and acetophenones catalyzed by imidazolium-modified poly(l-leucine). Two effective reaction systems with complementary high enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee) or satisfactory yields (up to 89%) have been developed. Importantly, the poly(amino acid) catalyst can be easily recovered and recycled for ten times without losing its catalytic efficiency in terms of both enantioselectivity and yield.     

Asymmetric synthesis of β-adrenergic blockers through multistep one-pot transformations involving in situ chiral organocatalyst formation

Two birds one stone: A new atom-economical one-pot approach to enantioselective chiral drug synthesis, involving in situ multistep organocatalyst formation and the application of the reaction for multistep sequential synthesis of β-adrenergic blockers is disclosed (see scheme).     

A stereocontrolled synthesis of (−)-detoxinine from l-ascorbic acid

A stereoselective synthesis of (−)-detoxinine, the core unit of the detoxifying agent detoxin D₁, is presented. The approach, characterized by the use of an inexpensive starting material and by the easy and stereoselective preparation of the key 4,5-disubstituted oxazolidin-2-one 11, proves to be a suitable alternative to the known procedures.     

Asymmetric synthesis of isoquinuclidines by Diels–Alder reaction of 1,2-dihydropyridine utilizing a chiral Lewis acid catalyst

The chiral isoquinuclidine derivative, 2-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane ring system, endo-(7R)-3 was obtained in good yield with excellent diastereoselectivity (up to 92% de) by Diels–Alder reaction of 1-(phenoxycarbonyl)-1,2-dihydropyridine 1 with N-acryloyl-(4S)-4-benzyloxazolidin-2-one (4S)-2 using titanium-(2R,3R)-TADDOLate 4 as a chiral Lewis acid catalyst in toluene at 0 °C. On the other hand, endo-(7S)-3 was obtained in good yield with excellent diastereoselectivity (up to 97% de) by Diels–Alder reaction of 1 with (4R)-2 using Cu(OTf)₂/(4S,4′S)-bis(oxazoline) catalyst 8 as a chiral Lewis acid catalyst in dichloromethane at 0 °C. In these reactions, the choice of solvent and the combination of titanium-(2R,3R)-TADDOLate 4 {or Cu(II)/(4S,4′S)-bis(oxazoline) 8} and dienophile (4S)-2 {or (4R)-2} are very important. The stereochemistry of endo-(7R)-3 has been established to be (1R,4S,7R) and the reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Asymmetric synthesis of anti-α-substituted β-amino ketones from sulfinimines

Previously unknown, enantiopure, β-amino ketones were prepared in modest yield by addition of lithium reagents to N-sulfinyl anti-α-substituted β-amino Weinreb amides. Grignard reagents failed to add to these Weinreb amides in contrast to the syn-α-substituted isomers which did. The anti-α-substituted β-amino Weinreb amides were prepared by addition of LiN(OMe)Me to the corresponding N-sulfinyl anti-α-substituted β-amino esters because α-alkylation of N-sulfinyl β-amino Weinreb amide enolates resulted in poor diastereoselectivities.     

Enantioselective zinc/BINOL-catalysed alkynylation of aldimines generated in situ from α-amido sulfones

Chiral nonracemic N-Cbz-protected propargylic amines have been prepared by the addition of terminal alkynes to imines generated in situ from α-amido sulfones in the presence of diethylzinc and BINOL-type ligands as catalysts. The reactions give good yields and high enantioselectivities (ee values up to 95?%) for a good number of aromatic and heteroaromatic α-amido sulfones and alkynes.     

Palladium-catalysed α-allylation of chiral sulfinimines derived from symmetric cyclic ketones

A diastereoselective mono-allylation reaction at the α-position of symmetric cyclic ketones by using tert-butanesulfinamide as a chiral auxiliary is explored. Excellent yields and high diastereomeric ratios were achieved under palladium(0) catalysis in the presence of a readily available achiral phosphine ligand.     

Synthesis of chiral cyclic β-amino ketones by Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation

Synthesis of chiral cyclic β-amino ketones has been first reported via Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation. High enantioselectivities were achieved by using (S)-C₃-TunePhos chiral ligand (up to 94% ee).     

Synthesis and structure of hypervalent diacetoxybromobenzene and aziridination of olefins with imino-λ3-bromane generated in situ under metal-free conditions

Ligand exchange of p-CF(3)C(6)H(4)BrF(2) with acetoxy groups using AcOH and Ac(2)O affords (diacetoxybromo)benzene in a high yield, which undergoes aziridination of alkenes in the presence of TfNH(2) and sulfamate esters in one pot under mild conditions. The aziridination with TfNH(2) proceeds stereospecifically with retention of stereochemistry of olefins at room temperature using limiting amounts of olefins under transition-metal-free conditions. The one-pot aziridination procedure using sulfamate esters can be applied to the intramolecular versions.     

Catalytic asymmetric borane reduction of prochiral ketones by the use of diazaborolidine catalysts prepared from chiral β-diamines

The catalytic asymmetric borane reduction of prochiral ketones was examined in the presence of chiral diazaborolidine catalysts prepared in situ from chiral β-diamines and borane. Chiral secondary alcohols were obtained with modest to high enantiomeric excesses (up to 92% ee) using (S)-2-[(4-trifluoromethyl)anilinomethyl]indoline 2f.