Towards asymmetric Au-catalyzed hydroxy- and alkoxycyclization of 1,6-enynes

The efficiency of a Au(III)/chiral ligand system has been studied. The association of several chiral mono- and bidentate phosphanes with gold has been tested in the formal addition of an oxygen nucleophile to an alkene followed by a cyclization process, namely the hydroxycyclization reaction of 1,6-enynes. The use of (R)-4-MeO-3,5-(t-Bu)₂-MeOBIPHEP ligand led to clean cycloisomerizations and afforded the highest enantiomeric excesses. The enantiomeric excesses were highly dependant on the substrate/nucleophile combination. A ³¹P NMR study of the catalytic species tends to prove that Au(III) catalyst may be reduced to Au(I) intermediate in the presence of phosphanes.     

Asymmetric hydroamination/cyclization catalyzed by group 4 metal complexes with chiral biaryl-based ligands

Group 4 metal complexes based on chiral biaryl ligands are readily prepared by a convenient amine elimination procedure, and they are efficient catalysts for the asymmetric hydroamination/cyclization of aminoalkenes. The biaryl-based ligands are highly modular enabling facile tuning of the catalyst reactivity and selectivity. The corresponding heterocyclic products have been obtained in excellent enantiomeric excesses (up to 93%) using sterically hindered C₂-symmetric titanium and zirconium mesitoylamidate complexes such as [1,1′-(C₁₀H₁₀)₂-2,2′-{NCO(2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂)}₂]M(NMe₂)₂ (M = Ti, Zr). These results are presented in this short review.     

Asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones using Ir(III) complexes of N-alkyl-N’-tosyl-1,2-ethanediamine ligands

The combination of an enantiomerically pure N′-alkylated derivative of N-4-toluenesulfonyl-1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diamine (TsDPEN) with iridium trichloride results in the formation of a catalyst with high selectivity for ketone hydrogenation. Products with enantiomeric excesses of up to 84% were formed. The best results were obtained using a ligand with an n-alkyl chain and ortho-substituted acetophenone derivatives and other hindered derivatives.     

Furanoside thioether–phosphinite ligands for Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions

A new series of thioether–phosphinite ligands, easily prepared in a few steps from inexpensive d-(+)-xylose, was tested in the Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution of substrates with different steric properties. The results show that the enantiomeric excesses are strongly dependent on the steric properties of the substituent in the thioether moiety. Enantiomeric excesses of up to 93% with high activities were obtained for the substrate rac-1,3-diphenyl-3-acetoxyprop-1-ene 7 with dimethyl malonate as the nucleophile.     

Regio and stereospecific ring expansion of optically active cyclopropylvinylcarbinols. Diastereoselective synthesis of cis Quercus- lactone b.

(-)-(S) dimethyl α-methylsuccinate, from enzymatic resolution, underwent acyloin cyclization followed by stereospecific C4→ C3 ring contraction to provide chiral cyclopropylvinylcarbinols. Then, BF₃-Et₂O induced regio- and stereospecific C3 → C4 ring expansion led to optically active cyclobutanones precursors of cis γ-lactones, with high enantiomeric excesses.     

Stereocontrolled metalloenamine alkylations: application to the asymmetric synthesis of 4-alkyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines

A procedure for the asymmetric synthesis of 4-alkyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines is described. The key step in the synthetic route is a stereocontrolled metalloenamine alkylation using (R)-(+)-phenylglycinol methyl ether as the chiral auxiliary. Subsequent N-methylation, hydrogenolysis and cyclization afforded the target heterocycles with enantiomeric excesses higher than 99%.     

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).     

Bioreduction of β-carboline imines to amines employing Saccharomyces bayanus

β-Carboline imine reductions mediated by Saccharomyces bayanus have been described achieving moderate to good enantiomeric excesses of the amine products. The enantiomeric excesses of the bioreduction showed a dependence on the imine substituents. Compounds presenting C₁–C₁₁ aliphatic substituent groups afforded amines with an (S)-configuration, whereas C₁₅ and higher aliphatic- and aromatic-substituted β-carboline imines achieved inversion of the configuration in the final (R)-2 amine products. Based on this data, a model for the Saccharomyces reduction is proposed.     

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.     

Enantioselective aldol condensation of 1,3-bis-(trimethylsilyloxy)-1-methoxy-buta-1,3-diene promoted by chiral Ti(IV)/BINOL complex

Enantiomerically enriched δ-hydroxy-β-ketoesters are easily available by aldol condensation of 1,3-bis-(trimethylsilyloxy)-1-methoxy-buta-1,3-diene in the presence of Ti(O-iPr)₄/(S)-(−)-BINOL system. All reaction mixtures were separated by column chromatography and mostly isolated in moderate to good yields and all in high enantiomeric excesses.     

Efficient asymmetric hydrogenation of the C–C double bond of 2-methyl- and 2,3-dimethyl-N-phenylalkylmaleimides by Aspergillus fumigatus

Eight N-phenylalkylmaleimides (four 2-methyl-N-phenylalkylmaleimides and four 2,3-dimethyl-N-phenylalkylmaleimides with an alkyl chain (CH₂)_n (n = 1–4) between the imide N and the benzene ring) were subjected to biotransformation using the fungal strain Aspergillus fumigatus ATCC 26934. All compounds were reduced enantioselectively to their respective succinimides: (R)-2-methyl-N-phenylalkylsuccinimides and (2R,3R)-2,3-dimethyl-N-phenylalkylsuccinimides, with satisfactory conversion rates and high stereoisomeric excesses. NMR analysis using the chiral shift reagent Eu(hfc)₃ showed that enantiomeric excesses were >99%.     

Asymmetric phase-transfer catalytic sulfanylation of some 2-methylsulfinyl cyclanones. Modeling of the stereochemical course of the aldol reaction of (SS,2S)-2-methylsulfinyl-2-methylsulfanylcyclohexanone

Increased diastereoisomeric excesses are obtained for the sulfanylation reactions of some 2-methylsulfinyl cyclanones under phase-transfer catalysis using the chiral catalyst QUIBEC instead of TEBA. The optically pure (SS,2S)-2-methylsulfinyl-2-methylsulfanylcyclohexanone thus prepared reacts with ethyl acetate lithium enolate affording, after hydrolysis, (R)-2-[(ethoxycarbonyl)methyl]-2-hydroxycyclohexanone in 60% ee. Density functional theory calculations (at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level) can successfully explain the origin of this result as the kinetically favored axial attack of the nucleophile to the carbonyl group of the most stable conformer of the cyclanone, in which the CH₃SO and CH₃S groups are at the equatorial and axial positions, respectively.     

Highly enantioselective introduction of bis(alkoxycarbonyl)methyl group into the 2-position of piperidine skeleton

Copper ion catalyzed carbon–carbon bond forming reaction of N-acyliminium ions with diaryl malonates was achieved with high enantioselectivity. The key intermediates in the method were 2-methoxy-3,4-didehydropiperidines, which were easily prepared through electrochemical oxidation of 1-(p-methoxybenzoyl)piperidine in methanol followed by the conversion of the oxidation product to didehydropiperidine derivative, which was subjected to a chiral Cu(II) catalyzed coupling reaction with diaryl malonates affording diaryl 2-piperidylmalonates. The maximum % ee (ee, enantiomeric excess) was 97% when di-p-chlorophenyl malonate was used as a nucleophile.     

Partial transfer of enantioselective chiralities from α-methylated amino acids, known to be of meteoritic origin, into normal amino acids

There is overwhelming evidence that meteorites bring α-methylated amino acids to earth with some l(S) enantiomeric excess. How does that get transferred into normal biological molecules? In this brief account, we show that an α-methylated amino acid, d(R)-α-methylvaline, can react with pyruvate and phenylpyruvate salts in dry mixtures to form alanine and phenylalanine with l enantiomeric excesses, under sensible prebiotic conditions. Thus the meteoritic l(S) excesses of this compound would produce excess d-alanine and d-phenylalanine, which are found in some organisms.     

Microbial reduction of ω-bromoacetophenones in the presence of surfactants

Several ω-bromoacetophenone derivatives 6a–f were reduced to (R)-(−)-2-bromo-1-(phenyl/substituted phenyl) ethanol derivatives 7a–f with whole cell biocatalysts in good yields. The enantiomeric excesses were increased to 95% using an anionic surfactant under an inert atmosphere in an aqueous medium.     

Asymmetric Catalysis with Silicon‐Based Cuprates: Enantio‐ and Regioselective Allylic Substitution of Linear Precursors

An enantio‐ and regioselective allylic silylation of linear allylic phosphates that makes use of catalytically generated cuprate‐type silicon nucleophiles is reported. The method relies on soft bis(triorganosilyl) zincs as silicon pronucleophiles that are prepared in situ from the corresponding hard lithium reagents by transmetalation with ZnCl₂. With a preformed chiral N‐heterocyclic carbene–copper(I) complex as catalyst, exceedingly high enantiomeric excesses are achieved. The new method is superior to existing ones using a silicon–boron reagent as the source of the silicon nucleophile.     

Synthesis of methyleneaminodipeptides via ring opening of a 2-(t-butoxycarbonylmethyl)aziridine derivative

The reactivity of 2-(t-butoxycarbonylmethyl)aziridine-1-carboxylic acid benzyl ester has been studied with various N-nucleophiles. The ring-opening reaction was always regioselective, the nucleophile attacking preferentially the less hindered carbon of the aziridine. The reaction was used to prepare a methyleneamino pseudodipeptide using the α-amine of a lysine ester.     

Microbial reduction of α-acetyl-γ-butyrolactone

Isomers of α-1′-hydroxyethyl-γ-butyrolactone can be considered as potential GHB receptor ligands designed by the molecular hybridization of GLB 2 and GHV 4. Using Aspergillus niger, Geotrichum candidum, and Kluyveromyces marxianus, it was possible to obtain (+)-(3R,1′S)-α-1′-hydroxyethyl-γ-butyrolactone in good to excellent conversions, diastereoisomeric and enantiomeric excesses. The corresponding enantiomer, (−)-(3S,1′S)-α-1′-hydroxyethyl-γ-butyrolactone was also produced in good conversion, and diastereoisomeric and enantiomeric excesses using Hansenula sp.     

Inversion of Configuration at the Phosphorus Nucleophile in the Diastereoselective and Enantioselective Synthesis of P‐Stereogenic syn‐Phosphiranes from Chiral Epoxides

Nucleophilic substitution results in inversion of configuration at the electrophilic carbon center (S_N2) or racemization (S_N1). The stereochemistry of the nucleophile is rarely considered, but phosphines, which have a high barrier to pyramidal inversion, attack electrophiles with retention of configuration at P. Surprisingly, cyclization of bifunctional secondary phosphine alkyl tosylates proceeded under mild conditions with inversion of configuration at the nucleophile to yield P‐stereogenic syn‐phosphiranes. DFT studies suggested that the novel stereochemistry results from acid‐promoted tosylate dissociation to yield an intermediate phosphenium‐bridged cation, which undergoes syn‐selective cyclization.     

Synthesis of 3-aminoaspartic acid derivatives from glycine precursors

3-Aminoaspartic acid derivatives 3 have been synthesized via stereoselective alkylation of α-acetyloxyglycine Schiff base 2 with the enolate of glycine anion equivalent 1 as a carbon nucleophile in the presence of Pd(OAc)₂ and BINAP at room temperature. High chemical yields and moderate stereoselectivities were observed. The enantiomeric excess of the dl diastereomer can be increased to 95% after a single recrystallization from isopropanol and hexanes.