Asymmetric Au-catalyzed domino cyclization/nucleophile addition reactions of enynes in the presence of water, methanol and electron-rich aromatic derivatives

An efficient Au(I) catalytic system is described for the asymmetric domino cyclization/functionalization reactions of functionalized 1,6-enynes in the presence of an external nucleophile. The use of (R)-4-MeO-3,5-(t-Bu)₂-MeOBIHEP ligand associated with gold led to clean rearrangements implying the formal addition of an oxygen or carbon nucleophile to an alkene followed by a cyclization process. The enantiomeric excesses were highly dependant on the substrate/nucleophile combination. Very good enantiomeric excesses up to 98% were obtained in the case of substrates bearing larger groups (hindered diesters and disulfones) and in the case of hindered carbon nucleophiles.     

A new pyrrolidine-derived atropisomeric amino alcohol as a highly efficient chiral ligand for the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

A highly efficient pyrrolidine-derived atropisomeric amino alcohol, (S_a)-1-[2-diphenylhydroxymethyl-6-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-(1-pyrrolido)methyl-1H-pyrrole, has been synthesized as a chiral ligand for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to some prochiral aldehydes to afford (S)-alcohols. The conversion rates were close to quantitative with good to excellent enantiomeric excesses (up to 95% ee).     

Enantioselective ethylation of aldehydes using a regenerable polymer-supported N-picolylvalinol tridentate ligand

A supported pyridine-based tridentate chiral ligand has been prepared and evaluated for enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes. The catalyst allowed the preparation of various chiral alcohols with the R configuration in good yields and enantiomeric excesses (up to 93%) and was found reusable.     

An efficient method for catalytic enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aryl aldehydes by a C2-symmetric chiral imino alcohol

The enantioselective alkylation of aryl aldehydes with diethylzinc in the presence of a C₂-symmetric chiral ligand derived from 2-hydroxy-3-pinanone was achieved at room temperature with high enantiomeric excesses.     

Diamagnetic lanthanide tris β-diketonate complexes with aryl-containing ligands as chiral NMR discriminating agents

Diamagnetic lanthanum(III) and lutetium(III) tris β-diketonate complexes with the aryl-containing ligands 3-benzoyl-(+)-camphor and 3-(2-naphthoyl)-(+)-camphor are effective organic-soluble chiral NMR discriminating agents for oxygen- and nitrogen-containing compounds. Enantiomeric discrimination of sufficient magnitude to determine the enantiomeric purity is observed in the ¹H NMR spectra of compounds with hydroxyl, carbonyl, oxazolidinone, amine, and sulfoxide groups. Diamagnetic lanthanide complexes with the aryl-containing β-diketonate ligands are almost always more effective than those with 3-trifluoroacetyl-(+)-camphor, 3-heptafluorobutyryl-(+)-camphor, and d,d-dicampholylmethane that have been previously reported. Many hydrogen atoms of the substrates are significantly shielded in the presence of the lanthanide chelates with the aryl-containing ligands, which likely enhances the extent of enantiomeric discrimination in the NMR spectra. No combination of metal and ligand is most effective for all substrates. Larger enantiomeric discrimination is usually observed in benzene-d₆ or cyclohexane-d₁₂ than in chloroform-d. Diamagnetic lanthanide tris β-diketonates with the aryl-containing ligands provide an alternative to paramagnetic chelates that often cause too much broadening in the ¹H NMR spectrum.     

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones by Rh(I)/bimorpholine complexes

The asymmetric hydride transfer reduction of aromatic ketones, using a [Rh(cod)Cl]₂ complex as a catalyst and (3S,3′S)-bimorpholine as a chiral ligand, was studied. By varying the amount of ligand, basic co-catalyst and temperature, high yields (>90%) and good enantiomeric excesses of the alcohols (ee up to 83%) were achieved.     

(2S)-2-Anilinomethylpyrrolidine: an efficient in situ recyclable chiral catalytic source for the borane-mediated asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones in refluxing toluene

(2S)-2-Anilinomethylpyrrolidine was successfully utilized as a chiral catalytic source in the borane-mediated asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones in refluxing toluene to provide the corresponding secondary alcohols with enantiomeric excesses up to 91%. The potential of (2S)-2-anilinomethylpyrrolidine as an in situ recyclable chiral catalytic source in the borane-mediated chiral reduction processes has also been demonstrated.     

Rational design of sterically and electronically easily tunable chiral bisimidazolines and their applications in dual Lewis acid/brønsted base catalysis for highly enantioselective nitroaldol (Henry) reactions

A new addition to the rational design of sterically and electrically easily tunable chiral bis(imidazoline) ligands from chiral amino alcohols has been developed. Vast structural variation of chiral bis(imidazoline) ligands can be simply achieved by the choice of both the 1,2‐amino alcohol and its N‐1 R¹ substituent. A small library of chiral bisimidazolines ( 1 a – h ) has been constructed. The method has provided an easy and simplified route to a diverse set of air‐stable and water‐tolerant chiral bis(imidazoline) ligands on 10 g scales. The dual Lewis Acid/Brønsted base catalytic system generated from the (S)‐ 1 a /Cu(OTf)₂ complex and Et₃N was able to catalyze Henry reactions between aldehydes and nitromethane effectively at room temperature, and also to tolerate a wide scope of aldehydes with excellent enantiomeric excesses. Not only aromatic aldehydes but also aliphatic aldehydes afforded the nitroalcohol products, with enantiomeric excesses in the 93–98 % range. This dual catalytic system is among the most effective systems so far reported for the asymmetric parent Henry reactions. This work also represents the first members of the class of chiral bisimidazolines to have been demonstrated to achieve excellent enantioselectivities.     

Michael addition to a chiral non-racemic 2-phosphono-2,3-didehydrothiolane S-oxide

The Michael addition of selected sulfur and nitrogen nucleophiles to a chiral non-racemic 2-phosphono-2,3-didehydrothiolane S-oxide is fully diastereoselective. The enantiomeric excesses of the adducts obtained could be determined by ³¹P NMR spectroscopy using (R)-(+)-tert-butyl(phenyl)phosphinothioic acid as a chiral solvating agent. The addition of thiophenol was monitored by ³¹P NMR spectroscopy which made it possible to observe the formation and evolution of the kinetic and thermodynamic adducts in the reaction mixture. The structures of both enantiomeric thiophenol adducts have been determined by X-ray analysis.     

Efficient soluble polymer-supported tartrate/Ti catalyst for asymmetric oxidation of prochiral sulfides

A group of soluble polymer-supported chiral tartrate ligands was prepared by liquid-phase synthesis with ligand diversity strategy. Moderate to excellent chemical yields and enantiomeric excesses were obtained by using soluble polymer-supported tartrate ester in asymmetric oxidation of prochiral sulfides using Ti(O-i-Pr)₄/cumyl hydroperoxide, and the workup was greatly simplified. The influence of substituent in chiral tartrate ligands on the enantioselectivities of the reaction was disclosed.     

An enantiopure galactose oxidase model: synthesis of chiral amino alcohols through oxidative kinetic resolution catalyzed by a chiral copper complex

An enantiopure galactose oxidase (GO) enzyme model has been synthesized from readily available (R)-BINAM and Cu(OTf)₂, and the enantiopure GO model has been effectively used in situ as an efficient chiral catalyst for the synthesis of chiral amino alcohols through oxidative kinetic resolution (OKR), where molecular oxygen is used as the sole oxidant. Under the proposed catalytic conditions, both ortho- and para-substituted amino alcohols were resolved with good to excellent enantiomeric excesses through oxidative kinetic resolution.     

The role of the planar chirality of iron tricarbonyl substituted homochiral amino alcohols in the asymmetric alkylation of aldehydes with diethylzinc

Homochiral amino alcohols bearing an iron tricarbonyl moiety were prepared from 2-amino-1,1-diphenylethanol derivatives 4a–d and [(3S,4S)-η^4,7-octa-4,6-dien-3-ol]Fe(CO)₃ complex 2. The addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes bearing electron donating substituents in the presence of these chiral ligands gave the alkylated products in good enantiomeric excess (up to 93% e.e.), whereas the addition to aldehydes bearing electron withdrawing substituents resulted in low yields and poor enantiomeric excesses.     

Ir‐SpinPHOX Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrogenation of 3‐Ylidenephthalides

The first asymmetric hydrogenation of 3‐ylidenephthalides has been developed using the Ir^I complex of a spiro[4,4]‐1,6‐nonadiene‐based phosphine‐oxazoline ligand (SpinPHOX) as the catalyst, affording a wide variety of chiral 3‐substituted phthalides in excellent enantiomeric excesses (up to 98 % ee). The utility of the protocol has been demonstrated in the asymmetric synthesis of chiral drugs NBP and BZP precursor, as well as the natural products chuangxinol and typhaphthalide.     

On the way to chiral epoxidations with methyltrioxorhenium(VII) derived catalysts

Methyltrioxorhenium(VII) (MTO) is successfully applied as chiral epoxidation catalysts in the presence of H₂O₂ as oxidizing agent and excess chiral Lewis base ligands derived from pyrazole. Moderate enantiomeric excesses up to ca. 30% can be reached at low reaction temperatures (−30 °C), the conversions however, being quite low (<25%). The reason for this may be the fluctionality of the N-base ligand. Glycolate complexes of MTO, applied under the same conditions reach somewhat higher enantiomeric excesses (up to ca. 40%), however, again associated with low conversions (<30%). In this case the sensitivity of the catalyst to water induced ligand removal as well as to ligand exchange with other diols is the most likely reason. Nevertheless, the enantiomeric excesses reported here are among the best observed for MTO derived catalytic systems reported to date and more active and selective systems seem feasible.     

Synthesis of new C2-symmetric bis(β-hydroxy amide) ligands and their applications in the enantioselective addition of alkynylzinc to aldehydes

A series of chiral C₂-symmetric bis(β-hydroxy amide) ligands was synthesized via the reaction of isophthaloyl dichloride and amino alcohols derived from l-amino acid. The titanium(IV) complex of C₂-symmetric chiral ligand 3b was effective for the asymmetric alkynylation of aldehydes and the propargyl alcohols were obtained in high yields (up to 94%) and high enantiomeric excesses (up to 98%) under optimized conditions. The results obtained using ligand 3h support that the two β-hydroxy amide moieties in these ligands behave as two independent ligands in the catalytic system.     

Synthesis and activity of macrocyclized chiral Mn(III)-Schiff-base epoxidation catalysts

A series of chiral macrocyclic Mn(III)Salen complexes has been prepared with two salicylidene moieties linked in their 3 and 3′ positions by aliphatic polyether bridges of variable lengths or by a more rigid aromatic junction arm. X-ray structures of ligand precursors and of complex 8 have been performed. All complexes have been used in the asymmetric epoxidation of 1,2-dihydronaphthalene with NaOCl as oxygen atom donor and exhibited modest enantiomeric excesses. Complex 10 was selected to be tested with two cis-disubstituted olefins and several oxidants, namely NaOCl, PhIO and n-Bu₄NHSO₅. 2,2′-Dimethylchromene oxide was obtained from 2,2′-dimethylchromene with ee values of 56% and 74% when using 10 and NaOCl and PhIO, respectively.     

Enantioselective CO2 Fixation Via a Heck-Coupling/Carboxylation Cascade Catalyzed by Nickel

A novel asymmetric nickel-based procedure has been developed in which CO₂ fixation is achieved as a second step of a truncated Heck coupling. For this, a new chiral ligand has been prepared and shown to achieve enantiomeric excesses up to 99 %. The overall process efficiently furnishes chiral 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-3-ylacetic acids, an important class of bioactive products, from easy to prepare starting materials. A combined experimental and computational effort revealed the key steps of the catalytic cycle and suggested the unexpected participation of Ni(I) species in the coupling event.     

A test for the coexistence of reactive intermediates with different molecular composition in chiral Lewis acid-catalysed reactions: the case of Ti-TADDOLate-catalysed Diels–Alder reactions

The Diels–Alder reactions between cyclopentadiene 2 and (E)-3-butenoyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-one 1 catalysed by several TADDOL-TiCl₂ complexes have been studied with different [dienophile]/[catalyst] ratios and different concentrations of reagents and catalyst. The enantioselectivity of some of the reactions depends on these factors, which indicates the participation of intermediate complexes with different catalyst and dienophile compositions (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1). The best results are obtained under conditions that favour the formation of an equimolecular intermediate, whereas the conditions favouring the formation of intermediates containing two molecules of dienophile and one of catalyst give rise to lower enantiomeric excesses (e.e.s). In one case the asymmetric induction was not dependent on the above factors, meaning that the effect described strongly depends on the structure of the chiral ligand. The results described show that this kind of mechanistic study complements those carried out on the influence of the enantiomeric composition of the chiral ligand on the enantioselectivity.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Antiproliferative Activity of Novel Chiral [QuinoxP*AuCl2]+ Complexes

Herein is reported the synthesis of two Au(III) complexes bearing the (R,R)-(–)-2,3-Bis(tert-butylmethylphosphino)quinoxaline (R,R-QuinoxP*) or (S,S)-(+)-2,3-Bis(tert-butylmethylphosphino)quinoxaline (S,S-QuinoxP*) ligands. By reacting two stoichiometric equivalents of HAuCl₄.3H₂O to one equivalent of the corresponding QuinoxP* ligand, (R,R)-(–)-2,3-Bis(tert-butylmethylphosphino)quinoxalinedichlorogold(III) tetrachloroaurates(III) (1) and (S,S)-(+)-2,3-Bis(tert-butylmethylphosphino)quinoxalinedichlorogold(III) tetrachloroaurates(III) (2) were formed, respectively, in moderate yields. The structure of (S,S)-(+)-2,3-Bis(tert-butylmethylphosphino)quinoxalinedichlorogold(III) tetrachloroaurates(III) (2) was further confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The antiproliferative activities of the two compounds were evaluated in a panel of cell lines and exhibited promising results comparable to auranofin and cisplatin with IC₅₀ values between 1.08 and 4.83 µM. It is noteworthy that in comparison to other platinum and ruthenium enantiomeric complexes, the two enantiomers (1 and 2) do not exhibit different cytotoxic effects. The compounds exhibited stability in biologically relevant media over 48 h as well as inert reactivity to excess glutathione at 37 °C. These results demonstrate that the Au(III) atom, stabilized by the QuinoxP* ligand, can provide exciting compounds for novel anticancer drugs. These complexes provide a new scaffold to further develop a robust and diverse library of chiral phosphorus Au(III) complexes.     

Synthesis and polymerization of racemic and optically active β-substituted β-propiolactones. II: β-monosubstituted and β-disubstituted monomers and polymers with different optical purities

β-(trichloromethyl)-β-propiolactone (CCl₃-PL), β-(trifluoromethyl,methyl)-β-propiolactone (CF₃, Me-PL) and β-(trifluoromethyl,ethyl)-β-propiolactone (CF₃,Et-PL) have been obtained by the reaction of ketene with chloral, 1,1,1-trifluoroacetone and 1,1,1-trifluorobutanone, respectively. Chiral catalysis lead to optically active monomers. The enantiomeric excess of the lactones has been measured by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, in the presence of 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(9-anthryl)ethanol or an europium chiral shift reagent. Polymerizations have been carried out in bulk or in toluene, at 60°C or 80°C, using mainly organometallic initiators. The Polymers become insoluble and crystalline at enantiomeric excesses over 80% for CCl₃-PL and 70% for CF₃,Me-PL. Melting temperatures were recorded from 238 to 268°C for poly(CCl₃-PL) and from 78 to 100°C for poly(CF₃,Me-PL), depending upon the molecular weight and the enantiomeric excess. The ¹³C-NMR specroscopy of poly(CCL₃-PL) indicates that the polymerization of the corresponding lactone leads to polymers of increasing degrees of isotacticity with the enantiomeric excess of the monomer.