Solvent free,fast and asymmetric Michael additions of ketones to nitroolefins using chiral pyrrolidine–pyridone conjugate bases as organocatalysts

New chiral organocatalysts are envisaged based on a pyrrolidine–pyridone conjugate and synthesized from commercially available proline employing standard protocols. These catalysts were found to be useful for asymmetric Michael additions of ketones to nitroolefins to afford the desired products in very good yields (up to 98%) with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (>97:3 syn/anti and up to 98% ee) in very short reaction time compared with the existing reports.     

Influence of α-methyl substitution of proline-based organocatalysts on the asymmetric α-oxidation of aldehydes

The direct asymmetric organocatalytic α-oxidation of aldehydes using trans-2-(p-methylphenylsulfonyl)-3-phenyloxaziridine is reported. This method affords the S isomer of α-hydroxy aldehydes, thereby complementing the selectivity for the R isomer observed using the two-step nitrosobenzene method. Use of α-methylproline and α-methylproline tetrazole significantly increases the enantioselectivity observed for the α-oxidation of aldehydes compared to analogous unsubstituted organocatalysts.     

β-Amino acid catalyzed asymmetric Michael additions: design of organocatalysts with catalytic acid/base dyad inspired by serine proteases

A new type of chiral β-amino acid catalyst has been computationally designed, mimicking the enzyme catalysis of serine proteases. Our catalyst approach is based on the bioinspired catalytic acid/base dyad, namely, a carboxyl and imidazole pair. DFT calculations predict that this designed organocatalyst catalyzes Michael additions of aldehydes to nitroalkenes with excellent enantioselectivities and remarkably high anti diastereoselectivities. The unusual stacked geometry of the enamine intermediate, hydrogen bonding network, and the adoption of an exo transition state are the keys to understand the stereoselectivity.     

Structure-reactivity relationships of l-proline derived spirolactams and α-methyl prolinamide organocatalysts in the asymmetric Michael addition reaction of aldehydes to nitroolefins

l-Proline derived spirolactams and α-methyl prolinamides act as organocatalysts for the asymmetric conjugate addition of aldehydes to nitroolefins in excellent yields, with good diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. Furthermore, low catalyst loadings (5 mol %) and a low aldehyde molar excess (1.5 M equiv) were achieved.     

Development of new DMAP-related organocatalysts for use in the Michael addition reaction of β-ketoesters in water

A general and efficient protocol for the Michael addition reactions of β-ketoesters in pure water has been developed. The reactions are successfully catalyzed by newly designed DMAP-related organocatalysts such as 4-(didecylamino)pyridine, and the desired Michael adducts are obtained in good to high yields     

Highly asymmetric Michael additions of α,α-disubstituted aldehydes to β-nitroalkenes promoted by chiral pyrrolidine-thiourea bifunctional catalysts

A series of secondary amine-thiourea catalysts derived from l-proline and chiral diamine were prepared and first applied to the Michael addition of α,α-disubstituted aldehydes to trans-β-nitroalkenes. Moderate yields (47-75%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 96% ee) were obtained for a variety of aryl and heteroaryl nitroalkenes.     

Microbial asymmetric reduction of α-hydroxyketones in the anti-Prelog selectivity

Yamadazyma farinosa IFO 10896 was found to reduce α-hydroxyketones bearing a phenyl ring to give optically active diols with anti-Prelog selectivity. The distance between the carbonyl group and the phenyl ring was shown to have an interesting effect on the reactivity and selectivity of the enzyme system.     

Amino-indanol-catalyzed asymmetric Michael additions of oxindoles to protected 2-amino-1-nitroethenes for the synthesis of 3,3'-disubstituted oxindoles bearing α,β-diamino functionality

An organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition reaction of 3-substituted oxindoles to protected 2-amino-1-nitroethenes has been developed. The reaction is catalyzed by a simple and readily available amino-indanol derivative and affords the desired products in very high yields (up to 99%) with excellent diastereoselectivities (up to >99:1) and very good enantioselectivities (up to 90%). Significantly, this study provides a general catalytic method for the construction of 3,3'-disubstituted oxindoles bearing α,β-diamino functionality as well as vicinal chiral quaternary/tertiary stereocenters. The potential utility of the protocol also had been demonstrated by gram-scale reaction and the versatile conversion of product. Furthermore, On the basis of the comprehensive experimental results and the absolute configuration of one of the Michael adducts, a work model was also proposed to explain the origin of asymmetric induction.     

Ethyl α-cyanoacrylate in the Michael reaction

Ethyl -cyanocarylate undergoes the Michael reaction with strong CH-acids (pK _a < 13) in the presence of strong basic amines such as butylamine, piperidine, and triethylamine. Only polymerization of ethyl -cyanoacrylate occurs under the same conditions with weaker CH-acids in the presence of less basic amines such as aniline, N-methylaniline, and pyridine.A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organometallic Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117813 Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2449–2452, October, 1992.     

Direct asymmetric aldol reaction of acetone with α-ketoesters catalyzed by primary-tertiary diamine organocatalysts

Novel primary-tertiary diamine organocatalysts derived from l-serine were utilized to promote enantioselective aldol reaction of acetone with α-ketoesters. The desired products were obtained in high yields and with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee).     

Calixarene-based highly efficient primary amine–thiourea organocatalysts for asymmetric Michael addition of aldehydes to nitrostyrenes

The synthesis of calix[4]arene-based chiral bifunctional primary amine–thiourea catalysts has been described from p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene for the first time. The calix[4]arene-based catalysts were successfully applied to promote Michael addition of aldehydes with nitroalkenes affording preferentially the (R)- or (S)-adducts in high yields (up to 95%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ees).     

BINOL–quinine–squaramides as efficient organocatalysts for the asymmetric Michael addition of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone to nitroalkenes

A set of BINOL–quinine–squaramides were synthesized, and then used as organocatalysts to promote the catalytic enantioselective Michael addition reaction of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone to nitroalkenes with excellent yields and ees (up to 99% yield and 93% ee) at low catalyst loading (0.5 mol %).     

Diastereodivergent asymmetric sulfa-Michael additions of α-branched enones using a single chiral organic catalyst

A significant limitation of modern asymmetric catalysis is that, when applied to processes that generate chiral molecules with multiple stereogenic centers in a single step, researchers cannot selectively access the full matrix of all possible stereoisomeric products. Mirror image products can be discretely provided by the enantiomeric pair of a chiral catalyst. But modulating the enforced sense of diastereoselectivity using a single catalyst is a largely unmet challenge. We document here the possibility of switching the catalytic functions of a chiral organic small molecule (a quinuclidine derivative with a pendant primary amine) by applying an external chemical stimulus, in order to induce diastereodivergent pathways. The strategy can fully control the stereochemistry of the asymmetric conjugate addition of alkyl thiols to α-substituted α,β-unsaturated ketones, a class of carbonyls that has never before succumbed to a catalytic approach. The judicious choice of acidic additives and reaction media switches the sense of the catalyst's diastereoselection, thereby affording either the syn or anti product with high enantioselectivity.     

The highly enantioselective bifunctional organocatalysts for the Michael addition of сyclohexanone to titroolefins

A new family of organocatalyst derived from proline has been developed and shown to be an efficient catalyst for asymmetric Michael addition of cyclohexanone to nitroolefins with high diastereo- and enanthio -selectivities. (syn: anti ratio up to 99:1, ee. up to 95%.). The result of computational studies at the B3LYP/6-31G* level indicate that both the hydrogen bonding and the stereo hindrance play the crucial role in the activation of the nitro alkene and help to discriminate between the two diastereofacial approaches.     

BINOL-based azacrown ether catalyzed enantioselective Michael addition: asymmetric synthesis of α-aminophosphonates

Several novel 1,1′-bi-2-naphthyl-appended azacrown ethers with donor side-arms were synthesized and applied for the first time as chiral catalysts in the asymmetric Michael addition of an N-protected aminomethylenephosphonate onto acrylonitriles, resulting in high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. The absolute configuration of the adduct was determined from its experimental and calculated CD spectra.     

Microwave activation of an asymmetric Michael reaction: unexpected behaviour of chiral α-alkoxy imines

While it has been previously established that chiral α-alkoxy imines undergo thermal rearrangement at temperatures above 50°C, the microwave activation of the Michael addition between chiral imine 3b and methyl acrylate at 100°C led cleanly to the corresponding Michael adduct 5b without the formation of any rearranged product and with the same regio- and stereoselectivity as the corresponding thermal condensation at 40°C (ee 95%).     

Chiral ionic liquid/ESI-MS methodology as an efficient tool for the study of transformations of supported organocatalysts: deactivation pathways of Jørgensen-Hayashi-type catalysts in asymmetric Michael reactions

The deactivation pathways of Jørgensen–Hayashi‐type organocatalysts modified with an ionic liquid fragment in asymmetric Michael reactions of α,β‐enals with C‐ (nitromethane, dimethylmalonate) or N‐nucleophiles (N‐carbobenzyloxyhydroxylamine) that involved an iminium‐ion formation step were studied for the first time by the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). “Parasitic” side reactions and undesirable cation intermediates that poisoned the catalysts were identified in accordance with their m/z values as well as their relation to the reported mechanisms of Michael reactions in the presence of O‐TMS‐α,α‐diarylprolinol (TMS=trimethylsilyl) derivatives. The proposed approach may be useful for the study of transformations of other types of organocatalysts modified with ionic groups in various organocatalytic reactions and for the development of novel robust catalysts and processes that would be suitable for large‐scale industrial applications.     

Controlled racemization and asymmetric transformation of α-substituted carboxylic acids in the melt

The racemization and asymmetric transformation of a series of α-substituted carboxylic acids, viz. mandelic acid, hydratropic acid, ibuprofen and naproxen, were studied. Several racemization methods for mandelic acid were studied and it was found that base-catalyzed racemization in aprotic polar solvents was the most efficient method. Moreover, a fast and mild base-catalyzed racemization reaction in the melt was developed. DBN turned out to be a very efficient racemizing base for the substrates studied. Combination of the base-catalyzed racemization in the melt with known resolution processes resulted in crystallization-induced asymmetric transformations. Treating racemic ibuprofen or hydratropic acid with 1.5–2.5 equivalents of enantiopure α-methylbenzylamine and a catalytic amount of DBN resulted in the isolation of enantiomerically enriched ibuprofen or hydratropic acid with ees of up to 75% and almost quantitative yields.