Hydrogen-bond-mediated cascade reaction involving chalcones: facile synthesis of enantioenriched trisubstituted tetrahydrothiophenes

A bifunctional squaramide catalyzed sulfa-Michael/aldol cascade reaction between 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol and chalcones with a low catalyst loading has been developed. Trisubstituted tetrahydrothiophenes with three contiguous stereogenic centers are obtained in a highly stereocontrolled manner. Additionally, a remarkable temperature effect on reaction efficiency was observed and a synthetically potential gram-synthesis was also conducted.     

Synthesis of Novel 4ʹ-Hydroxy-2ʹ,3-diaryl-3,4,4ʹ,5ʹ-tetrahydro-2H,2ʹH,6H-spiro[thiazolo[3,2-a][1,3,5]triazine-7,3ʹ-thiophen]-6-one Derivatives via Sulfa-Michael/Aldol Cascade Reactions

Russian Journal of General Chemistry - The sulfa-Michael/aldol cascade reaction of (Z)-7-arylidene -3-aryl-3,4-dihydro-2H-thiazolo[3,2-a][1,3,5]triazin-6(7H)-one with 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol leads to...     

1,4-Dithiane-2,5-diol as an efficient synthon for a straightforward synthesis of functionalized tetrahydrothiophenes via sulfa-Michael/aldol-type reactions with electrophilic alkenes

‘One-pot’ tandem reactions of commercially available 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol (the dimer of mercaptoacetaldehyde) with electrophilic alkenes resulted in the facile formation of substituted tetrahydrothiophene derivatives. Thus, sulfa-Michael/Henry and sulfa-Michael/aldol sequences provided polysubstituted tetrahydrothiophenes using in situ generated nitroalkenes and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds as the electrophilic partners of mercaptoacetaldehyde dimer, respectively.     

Selective oxidation of acetylenic 1,4-diols with dioxiranes in comparison with the methyltrioxorhenium-hydrogen peroxide oxidant

Dimethyldioxirane (1a) and its trifluoro analog (1b) were employed to achieve selectively the direct transformation of hex-3-yne-2,5-diol 3a and 1,4-diphenyl-but-2yne-1,4-diol 3b (two representative acetylenic 1,4-diols) into the corresponding carbonyls, leaving the carbon-carbon triple bond moiety untouched. The results are compared with those recorded in the analogous oxidation using the methyltrioxorhenium (MTO)/85% H₂O₂ homogeneous system. The powerful methyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane (1b) is the reagent of choice to achieve optimum yields of the target alkyne-1,4-diones, which are extremely versatile synthons.     

A stereoselective aldol reaction via diisopinocampheyl boron-enolate in preparation of chromane carboxylate with quaternary carbon

A highly stereoselective aldol reaction was observed on chromane carboxylate ester 1 via the corresponding diisopinocampheyl boron-enolate using commercially available (−)-DIP-Cl reagent. The aldol product 2c was obtained in 89% yield with 48 dr and 92% ee. Further studies indicate that stereoselective formation of the enolate and proper chiral ligand on boron are responsible for the exceptional diastereo- and enantioselectivity in the aldol reaction.     

Domino intramolecular enyne metathesis/cross metathesis approach to the xanthanolides. Enantioselective synthesis of (+)-8-epi-xanthatin

The first total synthesis of (+)-8-epi-xanthatin (1) has been achieved in 14 steps starting from the commercially available ester 24, which was converted into aldehyde 23 in six steps. An enantioselective aldol reaction of 23 gave 30, which was transformed into triflate 22 in four steps, setting the stage for a palladium-catalyzed carbonylation reaction to form acrylate 34. Compound 34 was then subjected to a deprotection/lactonization sequence to furnish enyne 21, which underwent a domino enyne ring-closing metathesis/cross metathesis process to form a seven-membered carbocycle and (E)-conjugated dienone, thereby completing the synthesis of 1. This domino ruthenium-catalyzed metathesis reaction thus serves as an efficient method to construct the core of xanthanolide and other sesquiterpene lactones.     

Chiral building blocks from biomass: 2,5-diamino-2,5-dideoxy-1,4-3,6-dianhydroiditol

An efficient route towards the synthesis of 2,5-diamino-2,5-dideoxy-1,4-3,6-dianhydroiditol 4 has been developed resulting in significant improvements in both isolated yields and purity when compared to literature procedures. As a consequence, resin-grade 2,5-diamino-2,5-dideoxy-1,4-3,6-dianhydroiditol 4 has become available for laboratory scale step-growth polymer synthesis. Additionally, an interesting renewable chiral 2-amino-2-deoxy-1,4-3,6-dianhydroiditol 10, has been isolated.     

An efficient synthesis of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-d- and l-arabinitol and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-d- and l-xylitol from chiral aziridines

A highly efficient method for the synthesis of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-d- and l-arabinitol (d-AB1, 1 and l-AB1, 3) and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-d- and l-xylitol (d-DIX, 2 and l-DIX, 4) starting from commercially available chiral aziridines was developed. The general strategy employs a sequence involving two-carbon homologation, dihydroxylation, and regioselective aziridine ring opening/intramolecular five-membered iminosugar ring formation. The facile use of recrystallization to generate pure diastereomers makes the routes more amenable to large-scale synthesis.     

Iron pentacarbonyl assisted photochemical route to 2,5- and 2,6-divinyl-substituted 1,4-benzoquinones from 1-ene-3-ynes

Photochemical reaction between the enynes, (Z)-1-methoxybut-1-ene-3-yne, 1 or isopropenyl acetylene, 2 with CO in presence of Fe(CO)₅ yields the 2,6- and 2,5-divinyl-substituted 1,4-benzoquinones: 2,6-bis{(Z)-2-methoxyvinyl}-1,4-benzoquinone (3, 42%), 2,5-bis{(Z)-2-methoxyvinyl}-1,4-benzoquinone (4, 31.5%), [{η²,η²:2,6-di(prop-1-en-2-yl)-1,4-benzoquinone}tricarbonyliron] (5, 45%), and {η²,η²:2,5-di(prop-1-en-2-yl)-1,4-benzoquinone}tricarbonyliron] (6, 65%).     

Stereoselective total synthesis of ieodomycin C

A concise stereoselective synthesis of the marine natural product ieodomycin C (3) has been achieved from commercially available pyridinium-1-sulfonate (8) in eight linear steps and 14% overall yield. The key synthetic steps included a B-alkyl Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction and an Evans–Nagao acetate aldol reaction. The same synthetic sequence was used for preparing the enantiomer of ieodomycin C (3). Our efforts confirmed the structure of the antibacterial natural product 3.     

Asymmetric aldol reactions using catalytic d(+)-proline: a new, economic and practical approach to a commonly employed C1-C6 keto-acid synthon of the epothilones

A new approach to ketoacid 4, a common C1-C6 fragment used in the total synthesis of epothilones was initiated by direct aldol reaction of acetone with a pivaldehyde-like substance 5, catalyzed with d-proline, leading to a 2,6-diketoalcohol with better than 99% ee. Further intramolecular closure of the diketone 8 followed by oxidation of the silyl protected hydroxycyclohexenone 14 led to the desired product 4. None of the steps have been optimized, yet the overall yield for the four-step process is 31%. The use of commercially available d-proline to construct the chiral center of 4 under very mild reaction conditions provided an economical and practical method for its construction.     

Electrooxidation of activated α,ω-diols to cyclic tetramethylene acetals of the corresponding dials

Activated α,ω-diols such as ethylene glycol 1a, 1,3-propanediol 1b, but-2-ene-1,4-diol 1c and hexa-2,4-diyne-1,6-diol 1d can be converted into cyclic tetramethylene acetals of the corresponding α,ω-dials (2a-d) in 70% yield by a simple anodic oxidation in dry tetrahydrofuran on a glassy carbon anode. Glycerol 3 when subjected to similar anodic oxidation gave a structure 4 containing three seven-membered 1,3-dioxepane rings.     

New synthetic route to polyphosphine ligands bearing 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(phosphino)benzene framework: structural characterizations of 1,4-(PPh2)2-2,5-(PR2)2-C6F2 (R = Ph, Pr, Et)

Reactions of 1,4-dibromo-2,5-difluorobenzene with two equivalents of lithium diisopropylamide at low temperature (T < −90 °C) followed by a quench with a slight excess of ClPPh₂ afford 1,4-dibromo-2,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-3,6-difluorobenzene (1) in good yields. Reacting 1 with two equivalents of BuLi followed by a quench with a slight excess of ClPR₂ yield novel 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(phosphino)-3,6-difluorobenzenes 1,4-(PPh₂)₂-2,5-(PR₂)₂-C₆F₂ (R = Ph (2a); R = ⁱPr (2b); R = Et (2c)) in moderate yields. Compounds 1 and 2a-c were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. In addition, molecular structures of 2a-c have been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Phosphorus atoms of PPh₂/PR₂ substituents in 2a-c are displaced from the plane of the central phenyl ring due to steric interactions with neighboring groups.     

Synthesis of a novel tetracyclic azaindolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzoxazine ring system

Synthesis of a series of novel fused tetracyclic mono- and diazaindolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzoxazine heterocyclic compounds 3a-o has been achieved in a two-step one-pot reaction set up starting from commercially available or easily accessible inputs. For example, reaction of di-lithiated (N-Boc)-2-amino-3-methylpyridine Li₂-2a with Weinreb amide of 2-(2,4-difluorophenoxy)-2,2-dimethylacetic acid 1a, followed by TFA treatment furnished the tetracyclic compound 3a, which is essentially a fusion of 7-azaindole and 3,4-dihydro[1,4]benzoxazine, in 70% isolated yield. A competitive elimination by-product 4a was also observed (24% isolated yield) in this case. Based on our initial results, a structural basis and molecular mechanism have been suggested to explain these two parallel reactions. Consequently, with appropriate structural tuning of 1, formation of the individual products can be controlled.     

α-Fluoroacrylonitriles: Horner-Wittig synthesis and conversion into 2-fluoroallylamines and C-(1-fluorovinyl)nitrones

α-Fluoroacrylonitriles 2 were synthesized in moderate to good yields by Horner-Wittig (HW) reaction of aldehydes and ketones with (diphenylphosphinoyl)fluoroacetonitrile (1), prepared in situ from commercially available fluoroacetonitrile and diphenylphosphinyl chloride. New synthetic applications of 2 are presented with the one-pot conversion into 2-fluoroallylamines 6 and C-(1-fluorovinyl)nitrones 8 through a diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBALH)-reduction transimination protocol. The scope and limitations of this procedure are discussed.     

Reactions of guaiazulene with thiophene-2,5-dicarbaldehyde and furan-2,5-dicarbaldehyde in methanol in the presence of hexafluorophosphoric acid: a facile preparation and properties of delocalized dicarbenium-ion compounds stabilized by two 3-guaiazulenyl groups and a thiophene (or furan) ring

Reaction of guaiazulene (1) with thiophene-2,5-dicarbaldehyde (2) in methanol in the presence of hexafluorophosphoric acid at 25 °C for 3 h gives as high as 90% isolated yield of the delocalized dicarbenium-ion compound, 2,5-thienylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(hexafluorophosphate) (3). Similarly, reaction of 1 with furan-2,5-dicarbaldehyde (4) under the same conditions as the above reaction affords the corresponding dicarbenium-ion compound, 2,5-furylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(hexafluorophosphate) (5), in 84% isolated yield. Along with a facile preparation and the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of 3 and 5, comparative studies on the ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectral and chemical properties of 3 and 5 with those of the delocalized mono- and dicarbenium-ion compounds [i.e., (3-guaiazulenyl)(2-thienyl)methylium hexafluorophosphate (7), (2-furyl)(3-guaiazulenyl)methylium hexafluorophosphate (9), α,α′-bis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(tetrafluoroborate) (10), 1,2-phenylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(hexafluorophosphate) (11), and 1,4-phenylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(tetrafluoroborate) (12)] are reported. Moreover, referring to the results of the X-ray crystallographic analyses of 7, 9, 11, and 12, the optimized 2,5-thienylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium)- and 2,5-furylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium)-ion structures for 3 and 5, calculated by a WinMOPAC (version 3.0) program using PM3 as a semiempirical Hamiltonian, are described.     

An unexpected highly diastereoselective double Baylis-Hillman reaction of per- (or poly)fluorophenyl aromatic aldimines with methyl vinyl ketone

Aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of per- (or poly)fluorophenyl aromatic aldimines 1 with methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) was studied. It was found that both the used Lewis base and solvent can significantly affect the reaction. Using triphenylphosphine as a Lewis base, the reaction of 1 with MVK proceeded smoothly to give the normal Baylis-Hillman adduct 2 along with the double Baylis-Hillman adduct 3 as by-product in THF. When 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane was used as a Lewis base in DMF, the aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of 1 with MVK gave the double aza-Baylis-Hillman adduct 3 exclusively in moderate to good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities. The double Baylis-Hillman adduct 3 was conveniently converted to fluorine-containing 4-alkylidene-2-cyclohexen-1-ones under mild reaction conditions in good yields.     

Preparation of 1,1-disubstituted silacyclopentadienes

Several new 1,1-disubstituted siloles containing substituents on the ring carbon atoms have been synthesized. The new siloles: 1,1-dihydrido-2,5-bis(trimethylsilyl)-3,4-diphenylsilole (5), 1,1-dihydrido-2,5-dimethyl-3,4-diphenylsilole (6), 1,1-dimethoxy-2,5-bis(trimethylsilyl)-3,4-diphenylsilole (7), 1,1-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,5-bis(trimethylsilyl)-3,4-diphenylsilole (8), 1,1-dipropoxy-2,5-bis(trimethylsilyl)-3,4-diphenylsilole (9), and 1,1-dibromo-2,5-bis(trimethylsilyl)-3,4-diphenylsilole (13) were prepared from reactions originating from the previously reported, 1,1-bis(diethylamino)-2,5-bis(trimethylsilyl)-3,4-diphenylsilole (1) or 1,1-bis(diethylamino)-2,5-dimethyl-3,4-diphenylsilole (2). In addition, three other new organosilane byproducts were observed and isolated during the current study, bis(4-methoxyphenyl)bis(phenylethynyl)silane (11), bis(4-methoxyphenyl)di(propoxy)silane (12) and 1-bromo-4-bromodi(methoxy)silyl-1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)-3,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene (14). Compounds 13 and 14 were characterized by X-ray crystallography and 14 is the first 1,1-dibromosilole whose solid state structure has been determined.     

The cooperative effect of a hydroxyl and carboxyl group on the catalytic ability of novel β-homoproline derivatives on direct asymmetric aldol reactions

Novel β-homoproline derivatives, 2-hydroxy-2-(pyrrolidin-2-yl)acetic acids (R,S)- and (S,S)-1a-d, were synthesized. All of the prepared compounds were used as organocatalysts in the direct asymmetric aldol reaction of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde with several ketones. Among these catalysts, (R)-2-hydroxy-2-((S)-pyrrolidin-2-yl)acetic acid (R,S)-1a showed good catalytic ability in the formation of aldol product 13 (up to 69% ee, 95% yield), which was similar to the results catalyzed by l-proline (71% ee, 96% yield). Relatively low yields and low enantioselectivities were observed in aldol reactions catalyzed by (S,S)-1a, for example, 13 was obtained in 55% yield and 13% ee. The aldol reaction catalyzed by the methyl-protected carboxylic acid 1b and esters 1c,d produced much lower chemical yields and enantioselectivities during the formation of 13. The cooperative effect of the (R)-configured hydroxyl group and the carboxyl group was found to play an important role in inducing enantioselectivity in the aldol reaction. Relatively high diastereoselectivities (anti:syn = 85:15) and enantioselectivity (anti, 83% ee) were observed in the aldol reactions of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde with cyclohexanone, which was catalyzed by (R,S)-1a.     

1,1,3,3,3-Pentafluoro-2-pentafluorophenyl-1,2-epoxypropane and trimethylphosphite: unusual 1,4-dioxan-2,5-dione ring formation

1,1,3,3,3-Pentafluoro-2-pentafluorophenyl-1,2-epoxypropane 1 reacted with trimethylphosphite giving two diastereomers, (Z)- and (E)-3,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)-3,6-bis(pentafluorophenyl)-1,4-dioxan-2,5-dione 2a, b in a 1:1 ratio, cyclodimerisation product of the intermediately generated α-lactone 4. Compounds 2a, b were hydrolysed to furnish 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-2-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)propionic acid 5.