Amplification of chirality as a pathway to biological homochirality

Amplification of enantiomeric enrichment is a key feature for the chemical evolution of biological homochirality from the origin of chirality. The aggregations of the enantiomers by diastereomeric interactions enable the modification of their enantiomeric excess during some chemical processes. Fluorine-containing chiral compounds possess large amplification effect via distillation, sublimation and achiral chromatography by self-disproportionation. Asymmetric amplifications in enantioselective catalysis occur by the differential formation and reactivity between homochiral and heterochiral aggregate in solution.We described the amplification of ee in asymmetric autocatalysis of 5-pyrimidyl alkanol in the reaction between diisopropylzinc and pyrimidine-5-carbaldehdye. During the reactions extremely low ee (ca. 0.00005% ee) can be amplified to achieve more than 99.5% ee. Since the proposed origins of chirality such as CPL, quartz, chiral organic crystals of achiral compounds and statistical fluctuation of ee can initiate the asymmetric autocatalysis with amplification of ee, the proposed origin of chirality can be linked with enantiopure organic compound in conjunction with amplification of ee by asymmetric autocatalysis. In addition, we described that the carbon isotopically chiral compound triggers the asymmetric autocatalysis of 5-pyrimiodyl alkanol to afford the enantioenriched product with the absolute configuration correlated with that of carbon isotope chirality, that is, isotope chirality including hydrogen isotopes can control the enantioselectivity of asymmetric addition of alkyl metal reagent to aldehyde.     

Asymmetric induction afforded by chiral azolylidene N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) catalysts

Screening studies of new chiral imidazolium and triazolium based NHC salts I–VIII as ligands in asymmetric organometallic catalysis and as organocatalysts showed that these catalysts efficiently promoted the reactions. Moderate enantioselectivities (55–57% ee) were obtained in the asymmetric Cu-NHC catalysed conjugate additions of diethylzinc to cyclohexenone, in accordance with most previous studies. The chiral induction afforded in the gold(I)-NHC catalysed cyclopropanation reactions was low (<28% ee). However, these results represent the first reported chiral gold(I)-NHC catalysed olefin cyclopropanation. The NHC-organocatalysed asymmetric cross-annulation of cinnamaldehyde and trifluoroacetophenone gave lower enantioselectivity (<50% ee) but higher yields of the γ-lactone product relative to previous reports. The enantioselectivities obtained varied considerably, even within a group of structurally closely related NHCs. This study demonstrates the challenge of designing NHCs with a general ability to induce asymmetry in a broader range of reactions.     

Chiral tetrahedral complex catalyzing asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde

The optical active alkyne-bridged Mo-Co heterometal complexes are synthesized by the chiral phase transfer catalyst (N-benzylcinchorin chloride) induced metal exchange reaction. The complex is used as catalyst to promote the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde. The ee value of the product alcohol is 5.7%, which illustrates the asymmetric induction of the tet-rahedral framework chirality in asymmetric catalysis reaction for the first time.     

Salicylhydrazone ligands for enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

A family of chiral salicylhydrazones was designed and synthesized for application in asymmetric catalysis. The ability of newly prepared binaphthyl-containing salicylhydrazones as the chiral ligand was examined in the addition of diethylzinc to aldehyde, with the desired product obtained in up to 80% ee.     

离子液体两相不对称氢甲酰化催化反应的研究

从(R)-BINAP出发制备水溶性磺酸钠盐配体(R)-BINAPS,采用离子液体BF4和PF6为介质,实现其Rh配合物对乙酸乙烯酯的两相不对称氢甲酰化反应.实验结果表明,在以BF4为介质的乙酸乙烯酯不对称氢甲酰化反应中,该催化剂在温和条件下显示出高于相应均相体系的产物ee值和异构醛选择性,并在6次循环使用中,反应产物的ee值、选择性和转化率均无明显改变;在离子液体体系中添加适当的甲苯时,油溶性配体(R)-BINAP与Rh组成的配合物催化剂亦可形成类似的两相反应体系,但其活性和选择性在重复使用中呈明显下降趋势.本文还考察了溶剂体系、膦铑比、温度、压力、时间等的影响,并尝试苯乙烯的两相不对称氢甲酰化反应.     

Synthesis of a new insoluble polymer-supported chiral alcohol auxiliary and its first application to nucleophilic addition to ketenes

The preparation of a new optically active alcohol with a carboxylic function that allowed its attachment to an amine-functionalized insoluble polymer is described. Its first use as a polymer supported chiral auxiliary is demonstrated by asymmetric transformation of two racemic aryl propionic acids via ketene formation (95-96% ee).     

Asymmetric Eschenmoser-Claisen rearrangement for anti-beta-substituted gamma,delta-unsaturated amino acids

Optically active anti-beta-substituted gamma,delta-unsaturated amino acids are important synthetic building blocks in organic synthesis and for peptidomimetics. A novel asymmetric Eschenmoser-Claisen rearrangement with use of a C2-symmetric chiral auxiliary was developed to generate this type of amino acid. Excellent diastereoselectivities and high enantioselectivities (87-93% ee) were obtained after the chiral auxiliary was removed via iodolactonization/zinc reduction.     

The asymmetric addition of phenylacetylene to aldehydes

Enantioselective formation of C-C bonds is an area of intense research.Among them, the asymmetric addition of alkynyl reagents to aldehydes is very useful for the synthesis of chiral secondary propargyl alcohols, which are very important building blocks for many chiral organic compounds, and the acetylene and hydroxyl founctional group of propargyl alcohol can be easily transfered into many other structures.1Recently, many significant chiral ligands have been disclosed.2 Here, we report our r…     

Catalytic asymmetric allylation of aldehydes and related reactions with bis(((S)-binaphthoxy)(isopropoxy)titanium) oxide as a mu-oxo-type chiral Lewis acid

A new, chiral bis-Ti(IV) oxide of type 3 has been designed and can be utilized for strong activation of aldehyde carbonyls, thereby allowing a new catalytic enantioselective allylation of aldehydes with allyltributyltin. The chiral bis-Ti(IV) catalyst (S,S)-3 can be readily prepared either by treatment of bis(triisopropoxy)titanium oxide with (S)-BINOL or by treatment of ((S)-binaphthoxy)isopropoxytitanium chloride with silver(I) oxide. Treatment of hydrocinnamaldehyde with allyltributyltin under the influence of chiral bis-Ti(IV) oxide (S,S)-3 generated in situ (10 mol %) in CH(2)Cl(2) afforded an allylation product in 84 % yield and with 99 % ee. This asymmetric allylation with non-racemic bis-Ti(IV) oxide 3 and partially resolved (S)-BINOL shows a positive nonlinear effect in correlation of the enantiopurity of the allylation product with the ee of the (S)-BINOL. Chiral bis-Ti(IV) oxide (S,S)-3 can also be utilized for related reactions such as asymmetric methallylation and propargylation of aldehydes with high enantioselectivity. This asymmetric approach provides a very useful way of obtaining high reactivity and selectivity through the simple introduction of the M-O-M unit into the design of chiral Lewis acid catalysts.     

Complementing Pyridine‐2,6‐bis(oxazoline) with Cyclometalated N‐Heterocyclic Carbene for Asymmetric Ruthenium Catalysis

A strategy for expanding the utility of chiral pyridine‐2,6‐bis(oxazoline) (pybox) ligands for asymmetric transition metal catalysis is introduced by adding a bidentate ligand to modulate the electronic properties and asymmetric induction. Specifically, a ruthenium(II) pybox fragment is combined with a cyclometalated N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand to generate catalysts for enantioselective transition metal nitrenoid chemistry, including ring contraction to chiral 2H‐azirines (up to 97 % ee with 2000 TON) and enantioselective C(sp³)?H aminations (up to 97 % ee with 50 TON).     

Pressure control of enantiodifferentiating polar addition of 1,1-diphenylpropene sensitized by chiral naphthalenecarboxylates

Effects of pressure on the enantiodifferentiating methanol addition to 1,1-diphenylpropene (1) sensitized by chiral naphthalenedicarboxylates (3 and 4) were investigated over 0.1-400 MPa. The logarithm of enantiomeric excess (ee) of photoadduct, i.e. 1,1-diphenyl-2-methoxypropane (2), was a linear function of both pressure (P) and temperature (T); further, the product chirality was switched by P in some cases. From the slope of P- ln(k(R)/k(S)) plot, the differential activation volume (Delta DeltaV(double dagger)) was determined for the first time for bimolecular asymmetric photoreactions. The Delta DeltaV(double dagger) values obtained are mostly larger than those obtained for relevant unimolecular photoreactions, and are a critical function of the nature of the chiral auxiliary and solvent, indicating conformation changes of the intervening diastereomeric exciplex or transition state in different solvents. Indeed, fluorescence spectral examinations of the sensitizer and exciplex under high pressure revealed the existence of exciplexes of variable energy and structure, which may rationalize the different Delta DeltaV(double dagger) and product ee obtained. A three-dimensional diagram, correlating the ee with P and T, was constructed from the pressure dependence data at different T, from which we may propose an idea of the multidimensional control of asymmetric reaction by the combined use of the entropy-related environmental factors.     

Optically active helical polymers with pendent thiourea groups: Chiral organocatalyst for asymmetric michael addition reaction

This article reports a novel category of helical substituted polyacetylenes bearing pendant thiourea groups and showing remarkable asymmetric catalysis ability. Thiourea‐based monomer and another chiral monomer underwent copolymerization, affording copolymers with considerable optical activity. The copolymers were used as chiral organocatalyst to homogeneously catalyze the asymmetric Michael addition of diethyl malonate to trans‐β‐nitrostyrene. During catalysis, a synergetic effect occurred between the pendant thiourea moieties and the helical structures in the polymer backbones. The enantioselectivity of the reaction was governed by the thiourea moieties. Meanwhile, the concaves along the helices provided specific domains where the substrates and catalytic groups were packed together, leading to a remarkable enhancement of product yield and enantioselectivity. Product with high yield (85%) and satisfactory ee (up to 72%) can be obtained. The present helical polymers open up new opportunities for developing macromolecules as mimetic enzymes catalyzing asymmetric reactions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1816–1823     

Bis(((S)-binaphthoxy)(isopropoxy)titanium) oxide as a mu-oxo-type chiral Lewis acid: application to catalytic asymmetric allylation of aldehydes

A new, chiral bis-Ti(IV) oxide of type 1 was successfully designed and can be utilized for strong activation of aldehyde carbonyls, thereby allowing a new catalytic enantioselective allylation of aldehydes with allyltributyltin. The chiral bis-Ti(IV) catalyst (S,S)-1 can be readily prepared either by treatment of bis(triisopropoxy)titanium oxide with (S)-binaphthol or by reaction of ((S)-binaphthoxy)isopropoxytitanium chloride with silver(I) oxide. Reaction of hydrocinnamaldehyde with allyltributyltin (1.1 equiv) under the influence of in situ generated chiral bis-Ti(IV) oxide (S,S)-1 (10 mol %) in CH2Cl2 at 0 degrees C for 4 h afforded 1-phenyl-5-hexen-3-ol in 84% yield with 99% ee. The present asymmetric allylation using nonracemic bis-Ti(IV) oxide 1 with partially resolved (S)-binaphthol exhibits a positive nonlinear effect in correlating the enantiopurity of allylation product with the ee of (S)-binaphthol. This asymmetric approach provides a very useful way for obtaining high reactivity and selectivity by the simple introduction of the M-O-M unit in the design of chiral Lewis acid catalysts.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Asymmetric Dearomatization of β‐Naphthols with Allyl Alcohols or Allyl Ethers

An Ir‐catalyzed intermolecular asymmetric dearomatization reaction of β‐naphthols with allyl alcohols or allyl ethers was developed. When an iridium catalyst generated from [Ir(COD)Cl]₂ (COD=cyclooctadiene) and a chiral P/olefin ligand is employed, highly functionalized β‐naphthalenone compounds bearing an all‐carbon‐substituted quaternary chiral center were obtained in up to 92 % yield and 98 % ee . The direct utilization of allyl alcohols as electrophiles represents an improvement from the viewpoint of atom economy. Allyl ethers were found to undergo asymmetric allylic substitution reaction under Ir catalysis for the first time. The diverse transformations of the dearomatized product to various motifs render this method attractive.     

Lewis acid-Lewis acid heterobimetallic cooperative catalysis: mechanistic studies and application in enantioselective aza-Michael reaction

The full details of a catalytic asymmetric aza-Michael reaction of methoxylamine promoted by rare earth-alkali metal heterobimetallic complexes are described, demonstrating the effectiveness of Lewis acid-Lewis acid cooperative catalysis. First, enones were used as substrates, and the 1,4-adducts were obtained in good yield (57-98%) and high ee (81-96%). Catalyst loading was successfully reduced to 0.3-3 mol % with enones. To broaden the substrate scope of the reaction to carboxylic acid derivatives, alpha,beta-unsaturated N-acylpyrroles were used as monodentate, carboxylic acid derivatives. With beta-alkyl-substituted N-acylpyrroles, the reaction proceeded smoothly and the products were obtained in high yield and good ee. Transformation of the 1,4-adducts from enones and alpha,beta-unsaturated N-acylpyrroles afforded corresponding chiral aziridines and beta-amino acids. Detailed mechanistic studies, including kinetics, NMR analysis, nonlinear effects, and rare earth metal effects, are also described. The Lewis acid-Lewis acid cooperative mechanism, including the substrate coordination mode, is discussed in detail.     

Asymmetric autocatalysis and the origin of chiral homogeneity in organic compounds

The discovery and development of asymmetric autocatalysis, in which the structures of the chiral catalyst and the chiral product are the same, are described. Chiral 5-pyrimidyl, 3-quinolyl, and 5-carbamoyl-3-pyridyl alkanols act as highly enantioselective asymmetric autocatalysts in the enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to the corresponding aldehydes, such as pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde. 2-Alkynyl-5-pyrimidyl alkanol with an enantiomeric excess (ee) of >99.5% automultiplies practically perfectly as an asymmetric autocatalyst in a yield of >99% and >99.5% ee. Asymmetric autocatalysis with an amplification of ee has thus been realized. Consecutive asymmetric autocatalysis starting with chiral 2-alkynylpyrimidyl alkanol of only 0.6% ee amplifies its ee significantly, and yields itself as the product with >99.5% ee. The reaction of pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde and diisopropylzinc in the presence of chiral initiators with low ee's, such as secondary alcohol, amine, carboxylic acid, mono-substituted [2.2]paracyclophane, and chiral primary alcohols due to deuterium substitution, regulates the absolute configuration of the resulting pyrimidyl alkanols, and the ee of the resulting pyrimidyl alkanol is much higher than that of the chiral initiator. Leucine and [6]helicene with very low ee's, which are known to be induced by circularly polarized light (CPL), also serve as chiral initiators to produce pyrimidyl alkanol with higher ee's. Overall, the process represents the first correlation between the chirality of CPL and an organic compound with very high ee. Chiral inorganic crystals, such as quartz and sodium chlorate, act as chiral inducers in the asymmetric autocatalysis of pyrimidyl alkanol. The process correlates for the first time ever the chirality of inorganic crystals with an organic compound with very high ee.     

Nonlinear Effects in Asymmetric Synthesis and Stereoselective Reactions: Ten Years of Investigation

Who would have thought before 1986 that an enantiomerically impure catalyst could give a product in an asymmetric synthesis with an enantiomeric excess higher than that of the catalyst? Until then it was assumed that the ee value of the product (ee_prod) from an asymmetric synthesis was linearly correlated to the ee value of the chiral auxiliary (ee_aux)—in fact a large deviation is possible (see diagram). These nonlinear effects are not only of academic interest since they have a variety of practical uses, which are highlighted in this review.     

Synthesis and application of a new bisphosphite ligand collection for asymmetric hydroformylation of allyl cyanide

A series of mono- and bidentate phosphites was prepared with (S)-5,5',6,6'-tetramethyl-3,3'-di-tert-butyl-1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-dioxy [(S)-BIPHEN] as a chiral auxiliary and screened in the asymmetric hydroformylation of allyl cyanide. These hydroformylation results were compared with those of two existing chiral ligands, Chiraphite and BINAPHOS, whose utility in asymmetric hydroformylation has been previously demonstrated. Bisphosphite 11 with a 2,2'-biphenol bridge was found to be the best overall ligand for asymmetric hydroformylation of allyl cyanide with up to 80% ee and regioselectivities (branch-to-linear ratio, b/l) of 20 with turnover frequency of 625 [h(-)(1)] at 35 degrees C. BINAPHOS gave enantioselectivities up to 77% ee when the reaction was conducted in either acetone or neat but with poor regioselectivity (b/l 2.8) and activities 7 times lower than that of 11. The product of allyl cyanide hydroformylation using (R,R)-11 was subsequently transformed into (R)-2-methyl-4-aminobutanol, a useful chiral building block. Single-crystal X-ray structures of (S,S)-11 and its rhodium complex 19 were determined.     

Design and synthesis of a new polymer-supported Evans-type oxazolidinone: an efficient chiral auxiliary in the solid-phase asymmetric alkylation reactions

Wang resin-supported Evans' chiral auxiliary (23) was designed based on a novel polymer-anchoring strategy, which utilizes the 5-position of the oxazolidinone ring, and its new synthetic route applicable to multi-gram preparation in just a day was developed. Solid-phase Evans' asymmetric alkylation on 23-derived N-acylimide resin and following lithium hydroperoxide-mediated chemoselective hydrolysis afforded the corresponding α-branched carboxylic acids in desired high stereoselectivities (up to 97% ee) and moderate to good overall yield (up to 70%, for 3 steps), which were comparable to those of the conventional solution-phase methods. Furthermore, recovery and recycling of the polymer-supported chiral auxiliary were successfully achieved without decreasing the stereoselectivity of the product. Therefore, this is the first successful example that the solid-phase Evans' asymmetric enolate-alkylation was efficiently performed on the solid-support, and it is concluded that the connection to the solid-support via the 5-position of the oxazolidinone ring is an ideal strategy in the solid-phase Evans' chiral auxiliary.     

Asymmetric amplification by kinetic resolution using a racemic reagent: example in amine acetylation

The reaction of a racemic reagent on a mixture of enantiomers with small ee (ee=enantiomeric excess) has been studied for amine acylation. A substantial asymmetric amplification could be realized, for example, from 67 to >95.5 ee. The combination of asymmetric amplifications is subsequently discussed. Two sequential asymmetric amplifications, one using a racemic reagent and another using a positive nonlinear effect allowed us to start from 1.5 % ee and end with a large amount of a product of 97 % ee.