Catalytic enantioselective oxaziridination

The first catalytic enantioselective synthesis of oxaziridines is presented. The oxidation of aryl and alkyl aldimines with m-CPBA under organocatalytic conditions using cinchona alkaloid-derived catalysts furnished optically active oxaziridines in good yields and high enantioselectivities (up to 94% ee). Mechanistic investigations indicate a stepwise enantioselective oxidation process.     

Diastereoselective alkynylation of glucose-modified imines with terminal alkynes

The copper(I)-catalyzed enantioselective alkynylation of aldimines incorporating a 2,3,4,6-tetrakis-O-pivaloyl-d-glucopyranosyl (Piv₄Glc) chiral auxiliary with terminal alkynes is reported. The present system provides a versatile tool for the construction of optically active propargylamine derivatives. Good yields and enantiomeric excess values were achieved with an array of imines and biologically active, propargylamine derivatives.     

Design of Brønsted acid-assisted chiral Brønsted acid catalyst bearing a bis(triflyl)methyl group for a Mannich-type reaction

[Structure: see text] A new Br?nsted acid-assisted chiral Br?nsted (chiral BBA) acid catalyst (1) was developed by substituting a hydroxy group of optically active 1,1'-bi(2-naphthol) with a stronger Br?nsted acidic group such as a bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)methyl group. The enantioselective Mannich-type reaction of ketene silyl acetals with aldimines catalyzed by (R)-1 in the presence of stoichiometric achiral proton sources gave (S)-beta-amino esters in high yield with moderate to good enantiomeric excesses.     

New and efficient catalysts for enantioselective borohydride reduction of ketones and imines

Optically active aldiminato cobalt(II) complexes have been found to catalyze the enantioselective reduction of ketones with sodium borohydride affording the corresponding optically active secondary alcohols in high chemical yields with high enantioselectivities. The enantioselective borohydride reduction is also applicable to not only C=O bonds in aromatic ketones but also to C=N bonds in aromatic imines.     

Highly enantioselective borohydride reductions of 2-phenacylpyridine catalyzed by optically active β-ketoiminato cobalt(II) complexes

The highly enantioselective reduction of 2-phenacylpyridine catalyzed by optically active β-ketoiminato cobalt(II) complexes with pre-modified sodium borohydride was achieved affording in high enantiomeric excess 1-phenyl-2-(2-pyridyl)ethanol, a precursor of sedamine derivatives. The enantioselective sense in the present reduction is discussed and compared to the asymmetric reduction catalyzed by other complex catalysts.     

Highly chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselective reduction of 1,2-dialkyl-3-aryl-1,3-diketones for preparation of aldol-type compounds

[reaction: see text]. Highly chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselective borohydride reduction of 2-substituted-1,3-diketones was achieved in the presence of the optically active beta-ketoiminato cobalt complex catalysts to afford the optically active 2-substituted-3-hydroxyketones. The present catalytic and enantioselective reduction could provide an alternative potential for preparation of optically active anti-aldol-type compounds.     

Enantioselective borohydride reduction catalyzed by optically active cobalt complexes

The highly enantioselective borohydride reduction of aromatic ketones or imines to the corresponding alcohols was developed in the presence of a catalytic amount of an optically active cobalt(II) complex catalyst. This enantioselective reduction is carried out using a precisely premodified borohydride with alcohols such as tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, ethanol and methanol. High optical yields are obtained by choosing the appropriate alcohol as modifiers and a suitable beta-ketoiminato ligand of the catalyst. The enantioselective borohydride reduction has been successfully applied to the preparation of optically active 1,3-diols, the stereoselective reduction of diacylferrocenes, and dynamic and/or kinetic resolution of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic allylic amination

A new strategy for catalytic enantioselective allylic amination based on organocatalysis has been developed. Using a commercially available organocatalyst we demonstrate a direct highly enantioselective allylic electrophilic functionalization of alkylidene cyanoacetates and malononitriles with azodicarboxylates. The reaction is broad in scope and proceeds in high yields and with enantioselectivities up to 99%. Furthermore, we demonstrate the synthetic utility of the optically active products formed: highly diastereoselective Diels-Alder reaction, reduction, and formation of optically active building blocks, which are found in various important bioactive compounds such as quinacrine, chloroquine, and analogues thereof.     

Asymmetric strecker reaction of aldimines using aqueous potassium cyanide by phase-transfer catalysis of chiral quaternary ammonium salts with a tetranaphthyl backbone

The phase-transfer-catalyzed, highly enantioselective cyanation of aldimines using aqueous KCN has been realized based on the molecular design of chiral quaternary ammonium iodide 2c bearing a stereochemically defined tetranaphthyl backbone. For example, vigorous stirring of a mixture of cyclohexanecarboxaldimine (R = c-Hex) and (R,R,R)-2c (1 mol %) in toluene-KCN aqueous solution (1.5 equiv) at 0 degrees C for 2 h gave rise to the corresponding protected amino nitrile (R = c-Hex) in 89% yield with 95% ee. A wide range of aliphatic aldimines, including those having alpha-tert-alkyl substituents, is tolerated by the present system. This study represents a novel approach for the asymmetric Strecker-type reactions, which utilizes chiral phase-transfer catalysts for practical access to various unusual, optically pure alpha-amino acids.     

Enantioselective Reduction of Achiral Ketones with NaBH_4/I_2 Catalyzed by (S)-Ferrocenyl Amino Alcohols

In recent years much attention has been devoted to the enantioselective synthesis of optically active alcohols which are important starting materials for many biologically active compounds1. Since Corey and co-workers found the chiral oxazaborolidine catalyzed reduction (CBS reduction) of prochiral ketones, the method for the generation of chiral secondary alcohols has become one of the most attractive research fields2, 3. But borane and its complexes such as borane-THF or borane-dimethyl …     

A practical synthesis of optically active arylglycines via catalytic asymmetric Strecker reaction

A practical procedure for catalytic asymmetric synthesis of optically active arylglycine derivatives via optically active α-aminonitriles has been developed. The N-benzhydryl α-arylaminonitrile intermediates were prepared in excellent yield (89–99%) and enantiomeric purity (96 to >98% ee) by enantioselective cyanation of aldimines with TMSCN/ⁱPrOH in the presence of 2.5 mol % of an easily prepared Ti/chiral amino alcohol complex at 0 °C, without requiring slow addition of the cyanating agent. The easily racemized α-aminonitrile intermediates were efficiently hydrolyzed by an aqueous HCl/TFA mixture to give the arylglycine derivatives in good yield (60–92%) and moderate to excellent enantiomeric purity (85–98% ee).     

Direct organocatalytic asymmetric alpha-chlorination of aldehydes

The direct organocatalytic enantioselective alpha-chlorination of aldehydes has been developed. The reaction proceeds for a series of different aldehydes with NCS as the chlorine source using easily available catalysts such as l-proline amide and (2R,5R)-diphenylpyrrolidine. The alpha-chloro aldehydes are obtained in up to 99% yield and up to 95% ee. The synthetic utility of the enantioselective alpha-chlorination of aldehydes is demonstrated by transformation of the alpha-chloro aldehydes to the corresponding alpha-chloro alcohols (>90% yield) by standard reduction and further transformation to both a terminal epoxide and amino alcohol, both obtained without loss of optical purity. Oxidation of the alpha-chloro aldehydes followed by esterification gave optically active alpha-chloro esters without loss of optical purity. It is demonstrated that these optically active alpha-chloro esters can be converted into nonproteinogenic amino acids in overall high yields, maintaining the enantiomeric excess obtained in the catalytic enantioselective alpha-chlorination step.     

Chiral calcium organophosphate-catalyzed enantioselective electrophilic amination of enamides

Highly enantioselective direct amination of enamides catalyzed by chiral nonracemic calcium bis(phosphate) complex 3g afforded optically active 1,2-hydrazinoimines 4. Following a subsequent in situ hydrolysis or reduction, 2-hydrazinoketones 5 or syn-1,2-disubstituted 1,2-diamines 6 were obtained in high yields and excellent enantiomeric excess.     

Catalytic enantioselective borohydride reduction of ortho-fluorinated benzophenones

[reaction: see text] In the presence of the optically active ketoiminatocobalt(II) complexes, the enantioselective borohydride reduction of benzophenones was successfully completed. The fluorine atom on the ortho position of the benzophenone and aryl ketones proved effective for obtaining high enantioselectivities. The combined use of modified lithium borohydride afforded the corresponding benzhydrols and arylcarbinols in high yield and high enantioselectivity (88-96% ee).     

Enantioselective Syntheses of Substituted γ‐Butyrolactones

The previously described chiral 2‐acyloxathianes 5 (Scheme I) are used in two different enantioselective syntheses of γ‐butyrolactones. In one synthesis, Grignard addition, cleavage and reduction to carbinols RR'C(OH)CH₂OH is followed by tosylation, malonate homologation, lactonization, and removal of the carbomethoxy group to give optically active γ‐lactones. A modification of this synthesis (Scheme I) leads to optically active α‐methylene‐γ‐lactones. In the second synthesis, reaction of a bromomagnesium enolate with ketones 5 leads to β‐hydroxyesters, which, by appropriate sequences of reduction and cleavage (Scheme II) are converted to optically active α‐ or β‐hydroxy‐γ‐lactones.     

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric arylation,vinylation, and allenylation of tert-cyclobutanols via enantioselective C-C bond cleavage

A novel enantioselective C-C bond cleavage has been achieved using palladium catalysts and chiral N,P-bidentate ligands in the asymmetric arylation, vinylation, and allenylation of tert-cyclobutanols. In these reactions, the enantioselective beta-carbon elimination of Pd(II) alcoholate formed in situ is the key step. Treatment of tert-cyclobutanols with arylating reagents in toluene in the presence of Pd(OAc)(2), a chiral ferrocene-containing N,P-bidentate ligand, and Cs(2)CO(3) affords optically active gamma-arylated ketones in excellent yields with high enantioselectivity (up to 95% ee). When vinylating reagents are used in place of arylating ones, the asymmetric vinylation also proceeds to afford optically active gamma-vinylated ketones in high yields with good to high enantioselectivity. When propargylic acetates are used, which are known to generate (sigma-allenyl)palladium complexes with Pd(0) species, asymmetric allenylation occurs to afford optically active gamma-allenylated ketones in moderate to good yields with moderate to high enantioselectivity.     

含流手性β-氨基醇的合成及其在对映选择性还原反应中的应用

S烷基-L-半胱氨酸2a～2c通过酯化、格林亚反应合成了光学活性含硫β-氨基 醇4a-4c，并用于潜手性酮的对映选择性NaBH_4／12还原．光学活性二级醇化学产 率很高，对映体过量最高可达93％．     

Highly enantioselective separation using a supported liquid membrane encapsulating surfactant-enzyme complex

We developed a highly enantioselective separation system for the optically active compounds, (S)-ibuprofen and l-phenylalanine, from their racemic mixtures by employing a supported liquid membrane (SLM) encapsulating a surfactant-lipase complex (or a surfactant-alpha-chymotrypsin complex). In the present system, enzymes encapsulated in the liquid-membrane phase effectively drove the enantioselective transport of optically active compounds through the SLM. This novel SLM allowed high enantioselectivity (ee over 91%) in the optical resolution of racemic ibuprofen and phenylalanine.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of tricyclic myrmicarin alkaloids

[reaction: see text] An enantioselective gram-scale synthesis of a key dihydroindolizine intermediate for the preparation of myrmicarin alkaloids is described. Key transformations in this convergent approach include a stereospecific palladium-catalyzed N-vinylation of a pyrrole with a vinyl triflate, a copper-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate reduction of a beta-pyrrolyl enoate, and a regioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction. The synthesis of optically active and isomerically pure samples of (4aR)-myrmicarins 215A, 215B, and 217 in addition to their respective C4a-epimers is presented.     

Chiral epoxides via borane reduction of 2-haloketones catalyzed by spiroborate ester: application to the synthesis of optically pure 1,2-hydroxy ethers and 1,2-azido alcohols

An enantioselective borane-mediated reduction of a variety of 2-haloketones with 10% spiroaminoborate ester 1 as catalyst is described. By a simple basic workup of 2-halohydrins, optically active epoxides are obtained in high yield and with excellent enantiopurity (up to 99% ee). Ring-opening of oxiranes with phenoxides or sodium azide is investigated under different reaction conditions affording nonracemic 1,2-hydroxy ethers and 1,2-azido alcohols with excellent enantioselectivity (99% ee) and in good to high chemical yield.