Dual activation in oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols catalyzed by chiral dinuclear vanadium complexes

An efficient enantioselective oxidative coupling of 2-naphthol derivatives based on a concept of dual activation catalysis is realized. A chiral dinuclear vanadium(IV) complex (R_a,S,S)-1e possessing (S)-tert-leucine moieties at the 3,3′-positions of the (R)-binaphthyl skeleton was developed, which was found to promote the oxidative coupling of 2-naphthol to afford (S)-BINOL with 91% ee. To verify the dual activation mechanism, mononuclear vanadium(IV) complex (S)-8 was also prepared. Kinetic analysis revealed that the reaction rate of oxidative coupling of 2-naphthol promoted by (R_a,S,S)-1e is 48.3 times faster than that of (S)-8. The two vanadium metals in the chiral complex activate two molecules of 2-naphthol simultaneously in an intramolecular manner coupling reaction, achieving a high reaction rate with high enantiocontrol. Reaction mechanisms of the oxidative coupling reaction promoted by either vanadium(IV) or vanadium(V) complexes are also described.     

An efficient synthetic methodology of chiral isoquinuclidines by the enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction of 1,2-dihydropyridines using chiral cationic palladium-phosphinooxazolidine catalyst

High purity chiral isoquinuclidines (97% ee) were obtained from the enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction of 1-phenoxycarbonyl-1,2-dihydropyridine with 1-benzyl-2-acryloylpyrazolidin-3-one using chiral cationic palladium-phosphinooxazolidine (Pd-POZ) catalyst. The obtained DA adduct was easily converted to the chiral piperidine derivative bearing three stereogenetic centers in the structure.     

Dual catalyst control in the enantioselective intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction

The intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction has been achieved with unprecedented levels of enantioselectivity. Using a co-catalyst system involving pipecolinic acid and N-methylimidazole, cyclic MBH products have been obtained with enantiomer ratios of 92:8 (84% ee). In addition, reactions may be carried out with a "kinetic resolution quench" involving acetic anhydride and an asymmetric acylation catalyst such that ee enhancement occurs to deliver products with >98% ee with an isolated yield of 50%. [reaction: see text]     

The highly enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction of 1,2-dihydropyridine using chiral cationic palladium-phosphinooxazolidine catalyst for the synthesis of chiral isoquinuclidines

The enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions of 1-phenoxycarbonyl-1,2-dihydropyridine with 1-alkylated acryloyl-pyrazolidin-3-ones using chiral cationic palladium-phosphinooxazolidine (Pd-POZ) catalyst afforded chiral isoquinuclidines with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee).     

Catalytic enantioselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction via a chiral indium(III)-pybox complex

A chiral indium(III) complex prepared from indium triflate and a pybox ligand has been developed to give good yields and enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee) in the addition of (1-methoxy-2-methyl-propenyloxy)-trimethylsilane to various aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes via the Mukaiyama aldol reaction.     

Catalytic, enantioselective allylation of α-iminoesters promoted by silver(I) complexes of chiral imines

The catalytic enantioselective addition of allyltributylstannane to N-protected α-iminoesters promoted by silver(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate in the presence of chiral imine ligands was studied. After testing several chiral imines derived from 1,2-diaminocyclohexane and binaphthyl diamine a very simple experimental procedure was developed that allowed us to obtain optically active homoallylic amines in very high yields and enantioselectivities up to 71%.     

Dual catalyst control in the amino acid-peptide-catalyzed enantioselective Baylis-Hillman reaction

[reaction: see text] Nucleophile-loaded peptides and proline have been found to function synergistically as cocatalysts for the asymmetric ketone-based Baylis-Hillman reaction. Although neither compound is effective independently in terms of rate or enantioselectivity, their combination leads to catalysis where enantioselectivities up to 81% have been observed.     

Diastereo- and enantioselective aldol reaction of granatanone (pseudopelletierine)

Granatanone (granatan-3-one, 9-methyl-9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-3-one, pseudopelletierine or pseudopelletrierin) undergoes deprotonation with lithium amides giving a lithium enolate, which reacts with aldehydes diastereoselectively giving exclusively exo isomers and anti/syn selectivity up to 98:2. Granatanone can be enantioselectively lithiated by chiral lithium amides and the resulting non-racemic enolate can be reacted with aldehydes giving aldols with enantiomeric excess up to 93% (99% ee after recrystallization). The absolute and relative configuration of the aldol products was determined by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis.Granatanone; aldol reaction; asymmetric synthesis; enantioselective deprotonation; chiral lithium amide.     

Design of chiral tin(IV) aryloxide as a mild Lewis acid catalyst for enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction

A novel Sn(IV) aryloxide Lewis acid has been designed and prepared from SnCl₄ and (S)-3,3′-bis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1,1′-bi-2-naphthol. The chiral Sn(IV) Lewis acid has been successfully applied to the enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction.     

Novel enantioselective direct aldol-type reaction promoted by a chiral phosphine oxide as an organocatalyst

Chiral phosphine oxide successfully catalyzed the direct aldol-type reactions of cyclohexanone derivatives and benzaldehyde derivatives in high stereoselectivities. The reaction mechanism involves the in situ formation of trichlorosilyl enol ethers. The present reaction could be extended to the cross-aldol reactions between two aldehydes.     

Chiral dinuclear vanadium(v) catalysts for oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols

Preparation and structural analysis of chiral dinuclear vanadium(v) catalysts with high catalytic activity for the oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols are described.     

Dicationic (BINAP)palladium-catalyzed enantioselective aldol reaction of aldehydes with a silyl enol ether: a simplified practical procedure

The dicationic ((R)-BINAP)palladium-catalyzed enantioselective aldol reaction of benzaldehyde with 1-phenyl-1-trimethylsilylethene has been reinvestigated regarding the reaction conditions in the presence of ((R)-BINAP)palladium chloride and AgSbF₆ with 3 Å molecular sieves. The simplified practical procedure with 1 mol % catalyst loading realized the high performance of 98% yield and 76% ee with reliable reproducibility.     

Heterogeneous asymmetric reactions: Part 21. Amino acid derived modifiers in the enantioselective hydrogenation of ethyl pyruvate over supported platinum catalyst

New modifiers were prepared from -tryptophane and tested in the enantioselective hydrogenation of ethyl pyruvate over commercial alumina supported platinum catalyst. Most of these molecules induced only low enantiomeric excesses (ee). (S)-3-(1-methyl-indol-3-yl)-2-methylamino-propan-1-ol was found to be the most effective. Using this modifier under mild reaction conditions (1 bar hydrogen pressure, 273 K), enantiomeric excess up to 43% was obtained. Due to the transformation of the modifier evidenced by ESI-MS, a slight increase in hydrogen pressure led to a dramatic drop of enantioselectivity. An interesting inversion of the sense of enantioselectivity was observed in the case of this modifier when the reaction was carried out in acetic acid instead of toluene. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is proposed.     

The first enantioselective intramolecular aminocarbonylation of alkenes promoted by Pd(II)-spiro bis(isoxazoline) catalyst

The highly ligand acceleration effect of spiro bis(isoxazoline) ligand (SPRIX) on the Pd(II)-catalyzed intramolecular aminocarbonylation of alkenyl amine derivatives was realized. Furthermore, the chiral Pd(II)-SPRIX catalyst accomplished the first enantioselective intramolecular aminocarbonylation. The reaction of N-(2,2-dimethyl-pent-4-enyl)-p-toluenesulfonamide in the presence of Pd(II)-SPRIX catalyst and p-benzoquinone in methanol under a carbon monoxide atmosphere afforded [4,4-dimethyl-1-(p-toluene-sulfonyl)-pyrrolidin-2-yl]-acetic acid methyl ester in good yield with moderate enantioselectivity.     

Enzyme-like acceleration for the hydrolysis of a DNA model promoted by a dinuclear Zn(II) catalyst in dilute aqueous ethanol

The rates and products of cleavage of methyl (2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (2) promoted by a dinuclear Zn(II) complex (3) of 1,3-bis-N,N'(1,5,9-triazacyclododecyl)propane along with 1 equiv of ethoxide were investigated in ethanol solution containing small amounts of water (8 mM or=1.6 x 10(17) times relative to the background hydroxide reaction, suggesting that complex 3 promotes the hydrolysis at least 1000 times more effectively than ethanolysis.     

DFT study of the asymmetric nitroaldol (Henry) reaction catalyzed by a dinuclear Zn complex

We report the mechanism of asymmetric nitroaldol (Henry) reaction catalyzed by a dinuclear Zn complex using density functional theory. The experimentally proposed catalytic cycle is validated, in which the first step is the deprotonation of nitromethane by the ethyl anion of the catalyst, subsequently a C? C bond formation step, and then the protonation of the resulting alkoxide. Three mechanistic scenarios (differing in binding modes) have been considered for the C? C bond formation step. The origin of the enantioselectivity is discussed. Our calculations supported that the S configurations are the major products, which is in agreement with the experimental observations. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Phosphodiester hydrolysis promoted by dinuclear iron(III) complexes

We report the reactivity of three binuclear non-heme Fe(III) compounds, namely [Fe₂(bbppnol)(μ-AcO)(H₂O)₂](ClO₄)₂ (1), [Fe₂(bbppnol)(μ-AcO)₂](PF₆) (2), and [Fe₂(bbppnol)(μ-OH)(Cl)₂]·6H₂O (3), where H₃bbppnol = N,N′-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N,N′-bis(2-methylpyridyl)–1,3-propanediamine-2-ol, toward the hydrolysis of bis-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate as models for phosphoesterase activity. The synthesis and characterization of the new complexes 1 and 3 was also described. The reactivity differences observed for these complexes show that the accessibility of the substrate to the reaction site is one of the key steps that determinate the hydrolysis efficiency.     

A copper- and amine-free Sonogashira coupling reaction promoted by a ferrocene-based phosphinimine-phosphine ligand at low catalyst loading

A palladium(II) complex containing a ferrocene-based phosphinimine-phosphine ligand was applied to the amine- and copper-free Sonogashira coupling of aryl iodides and aryl bromides with terminal alkynes using 1 equiv of tetrabutylammonium acetate as an activator. The corresponding disubstituted alkynes were obtained in high yields and TONs using 0.1 mol % Pd-catalyst.     

Highly efficient phosphodiester hydrolysis promoted by a dinuclear copper(II) complex

The interaction of Cu(II) with the ligand tdci (1,3,5-trideoxy-1,3,5-tris(dimethylamino)-cis-inositol) was studied both in the solid state and in solution. The complexes that were formed were also tested for phosphoesterase activity. The pentanuclear complex [Cu(5)(tdciH(-2))(tdci)(2)(OH)(2)(NO(3))(2)](NO(3))(4).6H(2)O consists of two dinuclear units and one trinuclear unit, having two shared copper(II) ions. The metal centers within the pentanuclear structure have three distinct coordination environments. All five copper(II) ions are linked by hydroxo/alkoxo bridges forming a Cu(5)O(6) cage. The Cu-Cu separations of the bridged centers are between 2.916 and 3.782 A, while those of the nonbridged metal ions are 5.455-5.712 A. The solution equilibria in the Cu(II)-tdci system proved to be extremely complicated. Depending on the pH and metal-to-ligand ratio, several differently deprotonated mono-, di-, and trinuclear complexes are formed. Their presence in solution was supported by mass, CW, and pulse EPR spectroscopic study, too. In these complexes, the metal ions are presumed to occupy tridentate [O(ax),N(eq),O(ax)] coordination sites and the O-donors of tdci may serve as bridging units between two metal ions. Additionally, deprotonation of the metal-bound water molecules may occur. The dinuclear Cu(2)LH(-3) species, formed around pH 8.5, provides outstanding rate acceleration for the hydrolysis of the activated phosphodiester bis(4-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP). The second-order rate constant of BNPP hydrolysis promoted by the dinuclear complex (T = 298 K) is 0.95 M(-1) s(-1), which is ca. 47600-fold higher than that of the hydroxide ion catalyzed hydrolysis (k(OH)). Its activity is selective for the phosphodiester, and the hydrolysis was proved to be catalytic. The proposed bifunctional mechanism of the hydrolysis includes double Lewis acid activation and intramolecular nucleophilic catalysis.