Asymmetric synthesis of phosphonotrifluoroalanine and its derivatives using N-tert-butanesulfinyl imine derived from fluoral

Addition of dialkyl phosphites to (S)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl imine derived from fluoral afforded, under mild conditions, the corresponding N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-aminophosphonates in moderate to high yields and diastereoselectivity. The major diastereomers of N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-aminophosphonates of (S_S,S) configuration were isolated, and after partial or complete deprotection, converted into enantiomerically pure phosphonotrifluoroalanine and its dialkyl esters.     

One-pot asymmetric synthesis of α-trifluoromethylated amines from α-trifluoromethyl ketones

Diastereoselective reduction of (Rs)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-trifluoromethyl ketimines formed in situ from the corresponding α-trifluoromethyl ketones and N-tert-butanesulfinamide has been achieved, and either diastereomer of N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-trifluoromethyl amines was obtained in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 99:1 dr) using NaBH₄ and L-Selectride as the reductants, respectively.     

Nickel-catalyzed organozinc-induced unexpected 1,3-migration of tert-butyl from sulfur to carbon in N-tert-butanesulfinyl iminoacetates

The nickel-catalyzed reaction for an unexpected 1,3-migration of tert-butyl from sulfur to carbon, upon treatment of functionalized N-tert-butanesulfinyl iminoacetate in the presence of organozinc reagent, was developed. The generality has been explored by considering the flexibility in the structure of each reactive component, organozinc halide and N-tert-butanesulfinyl iminoacetate.     

Efficient preparation of Ellman’s imines from trifluoromethyl ketones promoted by zirconium(IV) tert-butoxide

An efficient synthesis of chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl trifluoromethyl ketimines by using zirconium(IV) tert-butoxide is described. Compared to conventional titanium(IV) ethoxide, this protocol gave better result especially for sterically hindered ketones. In addition to the high reactivity, a high degree of enantiopurity of the N-tert-butanesulfinyl group is retained.     

Stereoselective tribromomethylation of N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines with bromoform: practical synthesis of α-tribromomethyl amines

The unprecedented nucleophilic tribromomethylation of N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines with bromoform has been shown to be a highly stereoselective and practical method for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure α-tribromomethyl amines. THF has proven to be the best solvent in this addition reaction. By changing the reaction solvent from THF to DMF, 2,2-dibromoaziridines can also be synthesized directly from bromoform and N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines under similar reaction conditions.     

A practical asymmetric synthesis of ortho-substituted 4-pyrazolyl-2-ethylamines

A reliable three-step synthesis of ortho-substituted 4-pyrazolyl-2-ethylamines starting from a pyrazole methyl ketone and N-tert-butanesulfinylamine is described. Strongly dehydrating conditions were required to form the N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines, but these intermediates were stable to aqueous work-up and chromatography. Reduction of N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines with L-selectride®, or Super-hydride®, in THF afforded excellent yields and diastereoselectivities of the sulfinamides, which were converted into chiral amines with methanolic HCl. The 4-pyrazolyl-2-ethylamines from these investigations are attractive building blocks for medicinal chemists, as they exhibit low molecular weight, and low calculated octanol-water partition coefficient (c Log P values), while disrupting planarity with three-dimensional character. For example, the amine products were utilized in structure-activity studies of the human transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1/VR1).     

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of α-trifluoromethylated α-propargylamines by acetylide addition to chiral CF3-substituted N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines

A convenient and practical method for the preparation of enantiomerically pure α-trifluoromethylated α-propargylamines is described. A range of enantiopure α-trifluoromethylated α-propargyl sulfinamides were obtained by the addition of lithium acetylides generated in situ with n-BuLi and terminal alkynes to diverse chiral CF₃-substituted (S)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines in moderate to excellent yields (56–97%) and with uniformly excellent diastereoselectivities (>99:1) by using Ti(OⁱPr)₄ as the catalyst and THF as the polar solvent. Enantiomerically pure α-trifluoromethylated α,α-dibranched propargyl amines were then readily obtained in excellent yields (87–97%) by acidic cleavage of the tert-butanesulfinyl group.     

Asymmetric synthesis of trifluoromethylated propargylamines via 1,2-additions of trifluoromethylacetylide to N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines

An efficient method for the asymmetric synthesis of the trifluoromethylated propargylamines was described. Addition of lithium trifluoromethylacetylide, in situ prepared from lithium diisopropylamide and the 2-bromo-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, to various N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines provided a range of trifluoromethylated propargyl sulfinamides. Besides high yields and excellent diastereoselectivities, the additions featured that the diastereoselectivities could be reversed when polar or nonpolar solvent was used. Acidic cleavage of the tert-butanesulfinyl groups delivered highly optically pure trifluoromethylated propargylamines.     

Preparation of bisindolylalkanes from N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines

A series of bisindolylalkanes were synthesized by nucleophilic addition reactions of indole with N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines in good to excellent yields catalyzed by either iodine, potassium hydrogen sulfate and amberlyst.     

Highly diastereoselective reactions of 2-lithiated indoles with chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines for the synthesis of chiral (2-indolyl) methanamine derivatives

Nucleophilic addition reactions of 2-lithiated N-phenylsulfonylindoles with (R)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines provided chiral (2-indolyl) methanamine derivatives in moderate to good yields (up to 100%) with excellent diastereoselectivities (>99:1), in which no additional Lewis acids were required.     

Auxiliary strategies for the preparation of β-amino alcohols with reductive cross-coupling and a synthesis of (−)-cytoxazone

Imine auxiliaries including chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines have been successfully utilized to provide stereochemical control to the reductive cross-coupling of imines with aldehydes or ketones. This methodology has been applied to the synthesis of (−)-cytoxazone.     

Asymmetric synthesis of β-aryl-β-trifluoromethyl-β-aminoarones via Mannich-type reactions of ketone enolates with chiral aryl CF3-substituted N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines

A method for the preparation of chiral β-aryl-β-trifluoromethyl-β-aminoarones has been developed involving the Mannich-type reactions of ketone-derivative enolates with chiral aryl CF₃-substituted N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines. This method tolerates a wide of aromatic ketones, giving the products in moderate to excellent yields (up to 91%) with good diastereoselectiveties (up to 93:7 dr). Acidic cleavage of the tert-butanesulfinyl group gave optically pure β-aryl-β-trifluoromethyl-β-aminoarones in excellent yields (up to 98%), which can be further transformed into CF₃-substituted aziridine derivatives.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 2-chloroaziridines via a diastereoselective nucleophilic dichloromethylation and N-alkylation in one pot

A diastereoselective nucleophilic dichloromethylation between the N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines and dichloromethyllithium was developed. A series of 2-chloroaziridines with excellent yields and dr values were obtained via this nucleophilic addition and N-alkylation in one pot. On the basis of X-ray crystallography experiment, the predicting model for this diastereoselective transformation was provided.     

Synthesis of chiral isoindolinones via asymmetric propargylation/lactamization cascade

A Zn-mediated propargylation/lactamization cascade reaction with chiral 2-formylbenzoate derived N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines was realized, which provided a practical and efficient method for the synthesis of chiral isoindolinones. High diastereoselectivities (up to 97:3 dr) and good reaction yields were observed for most examined cases.     

Synthesis of allenylzinc reagents by 1,2-rearrangement of alkynyl(disilyl)zincates derived from acetylenic epoxides and acetylenic aziridines

Lithium alkynyl(disilyl)zincates obtained from metalated ethynyloxiranes, as well as from N-tert-butanesulfinyl(ethynyl)aziridines or N-tert-butanesulfonyl(ethynyl)aziridines, undergo 1,2-migration of the organosilyl group with ring opening of the oxirane or aziridine ring by S_Ni displacement. A developed protocol that involves nBuLi for the metalation step offers a straightforward approach to the corresponding δ-oxy- and δ-amino α-silyl allenylzinc intermediates. The reagents derived from the epoxides are amenable to subsequent in situ condensation with aldehydes or ketones to provide 1,3-diols but not those derived from aziridines that only react sluggishly in similar condensations.     

Diastereocontrolled addition of organometallic reagents to S-chiral N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)-α-fluoroenimines

Grignard and organolithium reagents efficiently react with (S)-N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)-α-fluoroenimines to provide chiral allylamines in excellent yields and with diastereomeric ratios of up to 96:4. Acidic removal of the sulfinyl group and simple functional group transformations allow to get enantiopure fluoroolefin dipeptide mimics.     

Regio- and diastereoselective Reformatsky reaction of chiral fluoroalkyl α,β-unsaturated N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines: Efficient asymmetric synthesis of β-fluoroalkyl β-vinyl β-amino esters

Highly regio- and diastereoselective Reformatsky reaction of stable, chiral fluoroalkyl α,β-unsaturated N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines was developed, which provided an efficient method for the asymmetric synthesis of structurally diverse β-tetrasubstituted β-fluoroalkyl β-vinyl β-amino esters in good yields and with excellent diastereoselectivities (dr up to 96:4).     

An efficient access to N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines in water: Application to one-pot synthesis of homoallylic amines, (+)-crispine A and (−)-coniine

An Efficient method for the syntheses of N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines in water was developed using Amberlyst-15 as catalyst. Subsequently, chiral homoallylic amines were synthesized in one pot from aldehydes by combining with In-promoted allylation in aqueous media. The total syntheses of (+)-Crispine A and (?)-Coniine were conducted to demonstrate the utility of this one-pot approach.     

Concise and stereoselective synthesis of 2,5- and 2,4-disubstituted thiazole amino acid subunits for synthesizing thiazole-containing peptides

A concise, highly stereoselective synthesis of 2,4- and 2,5-disubstituted thiazole amino acids was developed. These are important building blocks for various biologically active thiazole-containing natural peptides and their regioisomeric analogues. The fundamental reactions are diastereoselective addition of (4- or 5-bromothiazol-2-yl)lithium to N-tert-butanesulfinyl imine with subsequent Pd-catalyzed phenoxycarbonylation.     

Asymmetric aza-Diels-Alder reactions of an N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-imino ester

Diastereoselective aza-Diels-Alder (aza-DA) reactions of an N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-imino ester with different dienes including activated and non-activated dienes in the presence of BF₃·OEt₂ are described. Diastereoselectivities up to 99% were observed for acyclic unactivated dienes. The absolute configurations of two aza-DA products have been solved by X-ray analysis.