An easy approach to α,β-unsaturated δ-thiolactams via a RCM and thionation one-pot procedure

An easy approach to mono- and bicyclic derivatives of 5,6-dihydro-1H-pyridine-2-thione via a one-pot ring closing metathesis (RCM) of dialkenoic amides and thionation using Lawesson’s reagent, followed by isomerization of the 3,6-dihydro-isomer (if necessary), is described. The appreciable differences in the reactivity of diallylic amides in RCM reactions are discussed.     

NHC-Activations on α-, β-, γ-, and Beyond

Over the recent decades, due to the special electronic characteristics and diverse reactivities, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) has received significant interest in organocatalyzed reactions. The formation of Breslow intermediates by NHC can convert into acyl anion equivalent, enolates, homoenolate, acyl azolium, and vinyl enolate etc., and the cycloaddition reactions of these species has attracted lots of attention. In this review, we focus on the summry of the development of NHC-activation of carbonyl carbon (or imine carbon) in situ, α-, β-, γ-, and beyond, and the cycloaddition reaction of these species.     

Asymmetric Strecker reaction of γ-keto acids. Facile entry to α-substituted and α,γ-disubstituted glutamic acids

The Strecker reaction of γ-keto acid derived sodium salts with (S)-phenylglycinol followed by treatment of the resultant α-amino nitriles with methanolic HCl and heating at 200 °C give bicyclic lactones 11 and 12. Hydrolysis and subsequent debenzylation of 11 and their alkylation products 17 furnish α-substituted and α,γ-disubstituted glutamic acids.     

Studies on α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes of isoquinoline alkaloids berberine, palmatine and coralyne

The complexation of three isoquinoline alkaloids berberine, palmatine and coralyne with α-, β-, and γ-CDs were studied by absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism, NMR spectroscopy and microcalorimetric assay techniques. Their binding constant (K _BH) values were determined by Benesi–Hildebrand equation. All the alkaloids formed 1:1 stoichiometry complexes with the cyclodextrins (CDs). The binding affinity is largest in β-CD followed by γ-, and α-CD for coralyne, followed by berberine and then palmatine. The thermodynamic parameters of the complexation were determined by calorimetry. The stoichiometry of complex formation and the variation of the apparent binding constant from spectroscopic studies were confirmed by calorimetry. The formation of the inclusion complexes was entropy driven in almost all the systems. Coralyne formed the strongest complex with all the CDs, followed by berberine and palmatine in that order. Coralyne-β-CD complex was studied through NMR, indicating more than one interaction mode.     

Novel distannoxane-catalyzed transesterification and a new entry to α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acids

Novel distannoxane-catalyzed transesterification reaction has been developed which affords various types of esters under very mild conditions. The reaction was applied to the stereo- and regioselective synthesis of trisubstituted α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids.     

The hydrocyanation route to β- and γ-amino acids. A synthesis of α-methylene-β-alanine

Hydrocyanation of several phthalimidoalkynes proceeds with good regioselection yielding products which were easily converted into unsaturated and saturated β- and γ-amino acids.     

A facile entry to β,δ-diketo and syn-β,δ-dihydroxy esters

Reaction of N-methoxy-N-methyl amides with the dianions of acetoacetates gives β,δ-diketo esters in yields of synthetic use, and the diketo esters were selectively reduced to syn-β,δ-dihydroxy esters, key intermediates of synthetic HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.     

Synthetic Approaches to α-, β-, γ-, and δ-Lycoranes

Lycorane is a pentacyclic core presented in alkaloids isolated from the Amaryllidaceae family of herbaceous flowering plants. Members of this class of natural products have shown to display important biological properties including analgesic, antiviral, and antiproliferative activities. This review presents the known synthetic routes toward α-, β-, γ-, and δ-lycoranes. α-(19 routes), β-(10 routes), γ-(38 routes), and δ-(6 routes).     

Iodine-catalyzed 1,4-addition of 2-(trimethylsilyloxy)furan to α,β-unsaturated ketones: a facile synthesis of γ-butenolides

The α,β-unsaturated compounds undergo smooth conjugate addition with 2-(trimethylsilyloxy)furan (TMSF) in the presence of 10 mol % of iodine under mild and neutral conditions to afford the corresponding γ-substituted butenolides in high yields and with good diastereoselectivity. The use of iodine makes this procedure simple, convenient and cost effective.     

Studies on Water-soluble α-, β- or γ-Cyclodextrin Prepolymer Inclusion Complexes with C60

Treatment of water-soluble -,- and -cyclodextrin-epichlorohydrin prepolymer (CDP) with C60 by kneading leads to the formation of six distinct water-soluble inclusion complexes: -CDP/C60 (1 : 1), -CDP/C60 (1 : 1), -CDP/C60 (1 : 1), -CDP(2 : 1), -CDP(2 : 1) and -CDP(2 : 1). Their formation and structures have been examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and UV-vis spectrosocopy. The effect of side chains of the CDPs has also been studied.     

The Synthesis of Substituted α, β-Butenolides from γ-Hydroxy-α, β-Acetylenic Esters

Abstract

The α, β-butenolide ring system is found in a number of physiologically important natural products² and there has been recent interest in the development of methods of synthesis of compounds of this type.³ It is well known that α, β-unsubstituted butenolides may be prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of γ-hydroxy acetylenic acids.^4,5b Recently, an excellent route of γ-hydroxy acetylenic esters which involves the addition of the lithium acetylide salts of propiolic esters to aldehydes⁵ and ketones⁶ has become available. We have carried out the addition of ethyl lithiopropiolate (1) to cyclohexanone (2) and 4-t-butylcyclohexanone (3) and wish to report the conversion of these adducts into corresponding β-methyl or β-methyl-α-allyl-α, β-butenolides.     

A novel reaction of β,β′-dihydroxy acids or esters with vanadium(V) trichloride oxide. New entry to the stereoselective synthesis of α-fluoro-α,β-unsaturated acids and esters

β,β′-Dihydroxy carboxylic acids and esters, readily prepared from dibromofluoroacetate and aldehydes, underwent deoxygenation, followed by elimination of aldehyde by the action of vanadium(V) trichloride oxide at the reflux temperature of chlorobenzene for 1 h to afford the Z isomers of α-fluoro-α,β-unsaturated acids and esters, respectively, in fair to good yields. This reaction provides a new alternative entry to the stereoselective synthesis of such fluoro compounds.     

Hybrid peptides: direct transformation of α/α, β-unsaturated γ-hybrid peptides to α/γ-hybrid peptide 12-helices

A smooth transformation of unusual planar structures of α/vinylogous hybrid peptides to ordered α/γ(4)-hybrid peptide 12-helices and the stereochemical preferences of vinylogous amino acid residues in single crystals are studied.     

An efficient and general route to the synthesis of diethyl α,α-bromofluorophosphonates

An efficient and general two-step halogenation procedure to prepare diethyl α,α-bromofluorophosphonates was described, which included bromination by PPh₃, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzquinone (DDQ) and n-Bu₄NBr, and electrophilic fluorination by N-fluorobisbenzenesulfonimide (NFSI). Both aromatic and aliphatic α,α-bromofluorophosphonates could be prepared by this method.     

Synthesis of α-alkyl- and α,α-dialkyl-β-phenyltryptamines

A new method was developed for the synthesis of -alkyl- and ,-dialkyl--phenyltryptamines based on alkylation of nitroalkanes with -phenyl-nor-gramine.     

One-Carbon Homologation of α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes: Access to α-Tertiary β,γ-Unsaturated Aldehydes

An efficient protocol for the synthesis of enolizable α-substituted β,γ-unsaturated aldehydes is reported. The developed strategy involves two steps, epoxidation and Meinwald rearrangement, to result in a one-carbon homologation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes enabling the insertion of a CHR unit.     

Vibrational analysis of sodium α-, β- and γ-hydroxybutyrates. Inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds

The infrared and Raman spectra of sodium α-, β- and γ-hydroxybutyrates and their deuterated analogues are examined in the 4000-100 cm⁻¹ range and an assignment of the fundamental vibrations is given. Based on the localization of the asymmetric stretching vibrations ν_asOH and the out-of-plane vibration γOH, inter- and/or intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded forms are proposed: the low frequencies of ν_asOH (<3200 cm⁻¹) and high frequencies of γOH (≈800 cm⁻¹) argue in favour of the existence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Sodium α-hydroxybutyrate exhibits as a chelate ring with an intramolecular hydrogen bond between hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, whereas sodium, β-hydroxybutyrate has the two association forms with inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Sodium γ-hydroxybutyrate exists as a hydrogen-bonded polymer, with an intermolecular hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl groups and between the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups. At a crystallization temperature above 50°C, only the α- salt showed a structural change indicating the existence of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. This result is confirmed by differential scanning analysis.     

Enantioselective synthesis of β-amino acids. Part 10: Preparation of novel α,α- and β,β-disubstituted β-amino acids from (S)-asparagine

Perhydropyrimidinone (S)-1 is alkylated with very high diastereoselectivity to give trans products (2S,5R)-3, (2S,5R)–4 and (2S,5R)-5. Dialkylation of (S)-1 also proceeds with complete stereoselectivity to afford adducts (2S,5R)-6, (2S,5S)-6, (2S,5R)-7 and (2S,5S)-7. Hydrolysis (6N HCl, 100°C) of monoalkylated derivative (2S,5R)-3 gives enantiopure α-substituted β-amino acid (R)-8. Hydrolysis of dialkylated adducts 6 and 7 affords enantiopure α,α-disubstituted β-amino acids (R)- or (S)-9 and (R)- or (S)-10. Related iminoester (2S,6S)-2 is alkylated with complete diastereoselectivity to give products (2S,6S)-11–13 whose hydrolysis under relatively mild conditions (2N CF₃CO₂H, CH₃OH, 100°C) affords enantiopure N-benzoylated β,β-disubstituted β-amino acid esters (S)-14–16, with intact double bonds in the olefinic substituents.