A simple protocol for the synthesis of α-substituted phosphonates

An efficient, easy-to-handle, and mild substitution reaction approach has been developed for the synthesis of phosphonate derivatives, which are very important in the field of industrial, agricultural, and medicinal chemistry. A large number of nucleophiles, including arylamines, alkylamines, heteroarylamines, primary amines and secondary amines, sulfides, and carbides were attempted to react with α-tosyloxyphosphonate 1. The reaction proceeded under catalyst-free and neat conditions and the corresponding phosphonates 2 were afforded in good yields.     

Expedient synthesis of α-substituted fluoroethenes

A mild and efficient synthesis of 1-aryl-1-fluoroethenes from benzothiazolyl (aryl)fluoromethyl sulfones and paraformaldehyde, under DBU- or Cs(2)CO(3)-mediated conditions at room temperature, is described. A comparable diethyl fluoro(naphthalen-2-yl)methylphosphonate reagent does not react with paraformaldehyde under these mild conditions. The utility of the methodology for synthesis of terminal α-fluoroalkenes bearing electron-withdrawing functionalities is also shown.     

A stereoselective synthesis of an α-substituted α-amino acid as a substructure for the construction of myriocin

A synthetic route to the protected quaternary α-amino acid 2 with a hydroxylated side chain has been achieved. The key transformations are the diastereoselective substrate-controlled epoxidation of allylic alcohol 4; a highly stereoselective oxidation–reduction protocol, and the excellent regioselective isomerization of the oxazolidinone ring to give an oxazinanone skeleton in derivative 3. The carboxylic acid 2 obtained represents the polar substructure, which is present in myriocin 1.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of an α-substituted serine derivative

An asymmetric synthesis of an α-substituted serine derivative was achieved by employing PLE-catalyzed hydrolysis of a prochiral malonate derivative, and the absolute configuration of the hydrolyzed product was unambiguously determined by the X-ray analysis of a camphorsulfonic acid derivative.     

Carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions of α-thioaryl carbonyl compounds for the synthesis of complex heterocyclic molecules

Strategies for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds from the α-thioaryl carbonyl products of substituted lactams are described. Although direct functionalization is possible, a two step process of oxidation and magnesium-sulfoxide exchange has proven optimal. The oxidation step results in the formation of two diastereomers that exhibit markedly different levels of stability toward elimination, which is rationalized on the basis of quantum mechanical calculations and X-ray crystallography. Treatment of the sulfoxide with i-PrMgCl results in the formation of a magnesium enolate that will undergo an intramolecular Michael addition reaction to form two new stereogenic centers. The relationship between the substitution patterns of the sulfoxide substrate and the efficiency of the magnesium exchange reaction are also described.     

Cascade cycloaddition reactions involving dimethylhydrazones of α-substituted acroleins

Unusual cascade cycloaddition reactions with dimethylhydrazones of -trimethylsilyloxyalkylacroleins acting as azadienes were found. Depending on the nature of the dienophile, the reactions give either fused heterocyclic compounds (when two consecutive Diels—Alder reactions take place) or azabicyclic compounds, resulting from the [2+4]- and [2+3]-cycloaddition cascade.     

Study of the enantioselectivity of the CAL-B-catalysed transesterification of α-substituted α-propylmethanols and α-substituted benzyl alcohols

A study of the enantioselectivity exhibited by the lipase B from Candida antarctica in the transesterification of different α-substituted α-propylmethanols with vinyl acetate is shown. The best results are obtained when the large-sized (L) substituent of the alcohol is either a phenyl group or more especially a cyclohexyl group, although the reaction rates are lower than when linear or slightly branched groups are present. It is also found that ramification at the β-position of the L substituent has a deleterious effect on both lipase activity and enantioselectivity. Moreover, some α-substituted benzyl alcohols bearing medium-sized (M) substituents larger than an ethyl and smaller than a propyl group are resolved by means of this methodology with moderate-good enantioselectivities (E=46–57) and similar reaction rates.     

The efficient preparation of α-substituted serine scaffolds as the chiral building blocks for the synthesis of SPT inhibitors

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of unusual substituted serine synthons 7, 10, 12 is reported. It was shown that highly functionalized furanose 6 has the suitable structure for further synthetic manipulations toward the inhibitors of SPT.     

New method for the synthesis of α-chlorocinnamonitriles

A novel method for the preparation of nitriles of -chlorocinnamic acid from aldehydes and ketones was proposed. Transformation of carbonyl compounds into hydrazones followed by treatment of the reaction mixture with CCl₃CN in the presence of copper chloride(i) yields -chlorocinnamonitriles.     

Microwave-promoted tandem reactions for the synthesis of bicyclic γ-lactams

A microwave-promoted three-step tandem process for the synthesis of bicyclic γ-lactams is developed. In all cases examined this led to significantly faster tandem processes producing the bicyclic γ-lactams more cleanly and reproducibly compared to standard thermal conditions.     

Stereoselective synthesis of α-substituted serines from protected erythrulose oximes

The additions of organolithium reagents to the CN bond of several chiral oxime ethers derived from erythrulose afforded protected amino polyols with high diastereoselectivity. Four of the latter compounds have been converted into the α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids (R)-2-(−)-methylserine, (S)-2-(+)-methylserine, (R)-(+)-2-phenylserine and (R)-(−)-2-n-butylserine.     

Synthesis of α-substituted iminodiacetate ligands: α-hexadienyl derivatives for the selection of lipoxygenase mimics

Derivatives of iminodiacetic acid (IDA) are important as ligands for metal ions, having numerous applications in separations, sensing, catalysis and medicine. This report describes the preparation of two types of IDA derivatives (1, 2) that could be covalently attached to a polymer or protein surface via a variable length spacer chain. The parent compounds 1 (R′=H) were easily prepared via N-alkylation of dimethyl iminodiacetate with esters of 6-bromo-hexanoic acid and subsequent selective ester hydrolysis. Metal complexes of IDA derivatives having an α-dienyl side chain are required for the selection of histidine-rich proteins with potential lipoxygenase activity. The α-hexadienyl side chain of IDA derivative 2 was selectively introduced in the reaction of (2,4-hexadienyl acetate)Fe(CO)₃ with a glycine-derived TMS-enol ester. Subsequent demetallation, followed by N-carboxymethylation, N-deacylation, N-alkylation with a trichloroethyl 6-halohexanoate, and TCE-ester cleavage provided the desired α-hexadienyl IDA derivative 2. Amide formation with IDA acid 1b demonstrates the feasibility of conjugating the IDA ligands to polymers and proteins while Ni(II)-complexation with the derived IDA triacid 1e shows the complexing ability of the tethered IDA ligand.     

Chiron based synthesis of isocoumarins: reactivity of α-substituted carboxylic acids

The asymmetric synthesis of a novel (S)-isocoumarin has been attempted in a single step by the coupling of homophthalic acid with (S)-N-protected amino acids and α-chloroacids at high temperature by exploiting a chiral pool methodology. The coupling of homophthalic acid with N-protected (S)-amino acids gave exclusion of the carboxyl/alkyl group. However, coupling of homophthalic acid with α-chloroacids afforded asymmetric isocoumarins in high yield.     

Enantioselective synthesis of β-substituted cyclic ketones via cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric reductive coupling of alkynes with alkenes

A CoI(2)/(R)-BINAP, Zn, ZnI(2), H(2)O system efficiently catalyzes the intermolecular asymmetric reductive coupling of alkynes with cyclic enones to afford highly regio- and enantioselective β-alkenyl cyclic ketones. A possible mechanism that involves the formation of a cobaltacyclopentene intermediate from the alkyne and cyclic enone is proposed.     

Asymmetric organocatalytic synthesis of γ-nitrocarbonyl compounds through Michael and Domino reactions

Recent advances in the organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of γ-nitrocarbonyl compounds through Michael additions of either nitroalkanes to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives or enolizable carbonyl compounds to nitroalkenes are surveyed. Domino processes leading to structurally more complex products bearing the γ-nitrocarbonyl functionality are also reviewed.     

Solvent-free synthesis of substituted thiopyrans via multicomponent reactions of α-haloketones

A straightforward and efficient method for the synthesis of thiopyran derivatives via three-component reaction of alkyl propiolate, benzoylisothiocyanate or its derivatives and α-haloketones in the presence of triphenylphosphine under solvent-free conditions at 70℃ without using any catalyst is reported, The method offers several advantages including high yields of products and an easy work-up procedure.     

Asymmetric synthesis of α-substituted alkylphosphonates based on symmetrical dialkyl phosphites

Chiral C₂-symmetrical dialkyl phosphites and C₃-symmetrical trialkyl phosphites, derived from (−)-borneol, (−)-menthol, and 1,2∶5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-d-glucofuranose, were studied as the starting reagents for the preparation of chiral organophosphorus compounds. The reactions of C₂-symmetrical dialkyl phosphites and C₃-symmetrical trialkyl phosphites with aldehydes and amines or aldehydes are accompanied by asymmetrical induction at the α-carbon atom to yield optically active α-aminoalkylphosphanates or α-hydroxyalkylphosphonates, respectively. The stereoselectivity of the reaction depends on the structure of the starting compounds and the reaction conditions. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii, Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1588–1593, August, 1999.     

Transannular Claisen rearrangement reactions for the synthesis of vinylcyclobutanes: formal synthesis of (±)-grandisol

Unsaturated eight-membered lactones undergo decarboxylative and non-decarboxylative transannular Ireland-Claisen rearrangement reactions, to give substituted vinylcyclobutanes. A formal synthesis of (±)-grandisol is described.     

Hydroxymethylation of α-substituted nitroacetates

Only 1 mol % of K₃PO₄ is efficient enough to catalyze the hydroxymethylation of α-substituted nitroacetates in good to excellent yield. Both aliphatic and aryl substituted nitroacetates work well under this reaction. The first catalytic asymmetric version of this reaction also reported that 10 mol % of cupreidine could catalyze this reaction up to 71% ee and 89% yield. Paraformaldehyde and formalin could both serve as the hydroxymethylation C1 unit. The synthetic application of products is also demonstrated.