Testing the veracity of claims of Lewis acid catalysis

Are reactions employing Lewis acids really catalysed by those Lewis acids, or by “hidden Brønsted acids”, i.e. Brønsted acids generated in situ by hydrolysis? Testing of a series of reactions using Sc(III), Fe(III), In(III) and Y(III) by addition of 2,6-di-t-butyl-4-methylpyridine reveal that all are likely to follow the latter pathway. A reaction claimed to be catalysed by CBr₄ through halogen bonding is also likely to be Brønsted acid catalysed.     

Catalytic Lewis acid phosphorylation with pyrophosphates

We report a method for the Lewis acid catalyzed phosphorylation of alcohols with pyrophosphates. Ti(O^tBu)₄ was found to be the most effective catalyst in the phosphorylation of both primary and secondary alcohols with tetrabenzylpyrophosphate, providing conversions between 54% and >98% and isolated yields between 50% and 97%. Other pyrophosphates with orthogonal protecting groups were synthesized and screened to validate the generality of the approach. This study will describe how benzyl, methyl, ethyl, allyl, and o-nitrobenzyl pyrophosphates are all effective phosphorylating agents under Lewis acid catalysis.     

Vanadium-catalyzed oxidative bromination promoted by Brønsted acid or Lewis acid

The oxidative bromination of arenes was induced by a vanadium catalyst in the presence of a bromide salt and a Brønsted acid or a Lewis acid under molecular oxygen, which provides an eco-friendly bromination method as compared with a conventional bromination one with bromine. This catalytic reaction could be applied to the bromination of alkenes and alkynes to give the corresponding vic-bromides. Use of aluminum halide as a Lewis acid in place of a Brønsted acid was demonstrated to provide a more practical protocol for the oxidative bromination. From ketones, α-bromination products were obtained. AlBr₃ was found to serve as both a bromide source and a Lewis acid to induce the bromination smoothly. ⁵¹V NMR experiment showed that this catalytic bromination is likely to depend on the redox cycle of a vanadium catalyst under molecular oxygen.     

Synthesis of a new fluorinated oxazolidinone and its reactivity as a chiral auxiliary in Aldol reactions

A new enantiomerically pure fluorinated oxazolidinone has been prepared from a fluorinated imidoyl chloride and an optically pure sulfoxide. The diastereoselective reduction of the β-iminosulfoxide thus formed followed by elimination of the sulfoxide and cyclization of the created aminoalcohol furnishes the desired product. The fluorinated oxazolidinone was subsequently used as a chiral auxiliary in Aldol reactions. We also found that the selective formation of the syn-Evans and syn-non-Evans diastereoisomer can be controlled by adjusting the Lewis acid/base ratio.     

Stereoselective synthesis of 3,4-disubstituted and 3,4,5-trisubstituted piperidines by Lewis acid-catalysed ene cyclisation of 4-aza-1,7-dienes

The thermal or Lewis acid-catalysed ene cyclisation of a variety of 4-aza-1,7-dienes afforded 3,4-disubstituted or 3,4,5-trisubstituted piperidines. Activation of the enophile with a single ester facilitated a thermal ene cyclisation, although the reaction was not amenable to Lewis acid catalysis. With other activating groups on the enophile it was found that Lewis acid catalysis was facile, although there was a fine balance between the desired ene cyclisation and the competing hetero-Diels-Alder reaction, with the product distribution being influenced by the activating group on the enophile, the nature of the ene component, and the Lewis acid used. Activation of the enophile with an oxazolidinone function facilitated Lewis acid-catalysed cyclisation to afford mixtures of ene and hetero-Diels-Alder products. Activating the enophile with two ester groups gave a substrate that underwent a very facile ene cyclisation catalysed by MeAlCl(2) to give the corresponding trans 3,4-disubstituted piperidines with diastereomeric ratios of >200 : 1.     

Influence of acyl groups on glucopyranoside reactivity in Lewis acid promoted anomerisation

Lewis acid promoted anomerisation has potential in O- or S-glycoside synthesis. Herein, the anomerisation kinetics of thirty-one β-d-glucopyranosides was determined to determine how particular acyl protecting groups and their location influence reactivity towards a Lewis acid promoted reaction. The replacement of acetyl groups with benzoyl groups led to reduced reactivity when located at O-3, O-4 and O-6. However a reactivity increase was observed when the acetyl group was replaced by a benzoyl group at O-2. The 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-(4-methoxy)benzoate had an?～2-fold increase in rate when compared to the tetrabenzoate.     

Regioselective alkenylation of imidazoles by nickel/Lewis acid catalysis

Nickel/Lewis acid binary catalysis is found effective to direct regioselective alkenylation of imidazoles through C-H bond activation and stereoselective insertion of alkynes. Use of P(t-Bu)₃ as a ligand allows exclusive regioselective C(2)-alkenylation, while PCyp₃ is found effective for C(5)-alkenylation of C(2)-substituted imidazoles. The reaction demonstrates a broad scope of imidazoles and internal alkynes to give trisubstituted ethenes highly regio- and stereoselectively in modest to good yields.     

Lewis acid-promoted Kharasch-Curran additions: a competition kinetics study of bromine atom transfer addition of N-alpha-bromoacetyl-oxazolidinone to 1-hexene

Lewis acids can efficiently promote free radical atom transfer reactions of an oxazolidinone imide substrate, 1, derived from alpha-bromo acetic acid. Thus, 1 undergoes a radical chain addition to 1-hexene giving the atom transfer addition compound, 6, in the presence of scandium or ytterbium triflate in 1,2-dichloroethane or a cosolvent mixture of 1/9 THF/dichloromethane. In 1,2-dichloroethane the solution is heterogeneous, while the cosolvent mixture gives a homogeneous solution, even at temperatures of -78 degrees C. Competition experiments were carried out in both solvent systems with added carbon tetrachloride to study how Lewis acid affected the product distribution. In the presence of carbon tetrachloride, chloride 7 is formed in addition to 6 and the ratio of these two products depends on the amount of Lewis acid present. In the presence of ytterbium triflate, in the cosolvent system, the reaction rate of bromine atom transfer was enhanced up to 400-fold compared to the reaction without added Lewis acid. Significant rate enhancements were also obtained in the solvent 1,2-dichloroethane, although the analysis of the system is complicated by the heterogeneous nature of the medium. Computation of C-Br bond dissociation energies (BDE) of the complexed and uncomplexed oxazolidinone bromide suggest that complexation lowers the BDE due to the effect of the strong electron-withdrawing group on the C-Br bond dipole.     

Trioxatriangulenium (TOTA+) as a robust carbon-based Lewis acid in frustrated Lewis pair chemistry

We report the reactivity between the water stable Lewis acidic trioxatriangulenium ion (TOTA⁺) and a series of Lewis bases such as phosphines and N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC). The nature of the Lewis acid–base interaction was analyzed via variable temperature (VT) NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, UV-visible spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. While small and strongly nucleophilic phosphines, such as PMe₃, led to the formation of a Lewis acid–base adduct, frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) were observed for sterically hindered bases such as P(^tBu)₃. The TOTA⁺–P(^tBu)₃ FLP was characterized as an encounter complex, and found to promote the heterolytic cleavage of disulfide bonds, formaldehyde fixation, dehydrogenation of 1,4-cyclohexadiene, heterolytic cleavage of the C–Br bonds, and interception of Staudinger reaction intermediates. Moreover, TOTA⁺ and NHC were found to first undergo single-electron transfer (SET) to form [TOTA]·[NHC]˙⁺, which was confirmed via electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and subsequently form a [TOTA–NHC]⁺ adduct or a mixture of products depending the reaction conditions used.

Frustration at carbon! Herein, we present a frustrated Lewis pair system derived from a water stable carbon-based Lewis acid, trioxatriangulene (TOTA⁺), and a variety of Lewis bases, which successfully promotes bond cleavage and molecule fixation.     

An improved synthesis of Fmoc-N-methyl serine and threonine

An improved method for the synthesis of Fmoc-N-methyl serine and threonine has been developed, which involves formation and subsequent reduction of the corresponding oxazolidinone with a Lewis acid under mild conditions, with improved yields and shorter reaction times.     

The modulation of face-face π-π interactions in Lewis acid catalysis

The enantiomeric excess observed for the exo-adduct from the Lewis acid catalysed Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and methacrolein can be increased up to 21% by simple modification of the electronics of the aromatic ring in a series of stilbene-derived diol ligands, suggesting that the proposed face-face π-π interaction between the catalyst and the dienophile can be modulated by altering the electron density on the aromatic ring.     

Enantioselective radical allylation reactions using chiral lanthanide Lewis acids

Radical additions to oxazolidinone acrylate followed by allyl trapping were studied with chiral Lewis acids derived from lanthanide salts. Chiral ligands were evaluated to establish the -stereocenter. Ligands with a prolinol framework along with achiral additives proved to be effective. The observed trends are compared with those in the literature.     

Quantum-chemical study of the Lewis acid influence on the cycloaddition of benzonitrile oxide to acetonitrile, propyne and propene

Quantum chemical methods (MP2 and B3LYP) together with a topological analysis of the charge density have been used to study the BH₃- or BF₃-mediated reaction of benzonitrile oxide with acetonitrile, propyne and propene. In the reaction with propene or propyne, addition of Lewis acids has only little influence on the outcome of the reactions. The cycloaddition of nitrile oxides with nitriles, however, is generally promoted by strong Lewis acids. When the Lewis acid coordination takes place at the nitrile oxide the reactant is activated and the product binds weakly to the Lewis acid so that the reaction is expected to be catalytic. In the case of coordination to the nitrile the reaction is Lewis acid mediated. Here the reactant is not much influenced by addition of Lewis acid, but the transition state and the product are stabilised and consequently such processes require a stoichiometric amount of Lewis acid and form a stable Lewis acid-product complex.It has also been demonstrated that the different activation routes for these reactions involve different reaction mechanisms. Whereas the reaction of a Lewis acid coordinated nitrile oxide is of ‘inverse electron demand’, the Lewis acid coordinated nitrile reacts through a ‘normal electron demand’ cycloaddition.     

Lewis acid - assisted high speed living anionic polymerization by the aluminum porphyrin - Lewis acid systems

Living anionic polymerization of methacrylic esters initiated with aluminum porphyrins ( 1 ) was found to be dramatically accelerated (e.g., 46 000 times) upon addition of bulky Lewis acids such as alkylaluminum diphenolates ( 3 ). Under appropriate conditions, a narrow MWD poly(methyl methacrylate) with Mn exceeding a million could be synthesized. The key conception of this high speed living polymerization is the coexistence of nucleophile ( 2 ) and Lewis acid ( 3 ) realized by steric repulsion.     

Lewis acid catalyzed asymmetric halohydrin reactions of chiral α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives with N-halosuccinimide (NXS) as the halogen source

Lewis acid catalyzed asymmetric halohydrin reactions—(halohydroxylation as well as halomethoxylation) of chiral α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives were performed using N-halosuccinimide (NXS; X = Br, I) as the halogen source. Regio- and anti-selectivity of 100% and moderate to good diastereoselectivity with good yields were observed when Oppolzer’s sultam was used as the chiral auxiliary. Among the Lewis acids, Yb(OTf)₃ was found to be the best catalyst. Alkenoyl and cinnamoyl substrates smoothly underwent bromohydrin reactions and the more electron-rich cinnamoyl substrates preferred to undergo iodohydrin reactions. However, electron-deficient cinnamoyl substrates did not respond to this Lewis acid catalyzed halohydrin reaction with NXS (X = Cl, Br, I).     

A new polymer-supported Evans-type chiral auxiliary derived from α-hydroxy-β-amino acid, phenylnorstatine: synthesis and application in solid-phase asymmetric alkylation reactions

Based on a new anchoring strategy, a polymer-supported chiral oxazolidinone was prepared starting from (2R,3S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoic acid (phenylnorstatine, Pns) and Wang resin. Solid-phase asymmetric alkylation on this resin proceeded in high diastereoselectivity comparable to that of conventional solution-phase model experiments. This study suggests that anchoring through the 5-position of oxazolidinone is highly suited to achieving diastereoselective alkylation reactions on solid-support.     

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.     

The role of a Lewis acid in the Nenitzescu indole synthesis

A highly efficient Lewis acid-catalyzed method for the Nenitzescu synthesis of 5-hydroxyindoles with a range of substituents at N-1 and C-3 and symmetric 5,5′-dihydroxydiindoles has been developed. The amount of the catalyst (10-100 mol %) required depended on the nature of the enaminone component. It has been shown that Lewis acid plays a role in enaminone component activation through an enamine-ZnC1₂ complex followed by its deprotonation.     

Cooperative effects in the complexation of anions and Lewis bases by a heteronuclear bifunctional Lewis acid

As shown by the complexation of electron-rich substrates to the heteronuclear bifunctional Lewis acid bis(mu-1,8-naphthalenediyl)(mu-chloride)methyltin-chlorogallium (1), the primary Lewis acidic site of this molecule is the triorganotin chloride moiety whose electron deficiency is enhanced through partial abstraction of its chloride ligand by the neighbouring gallium centre.