Preparation of a new chiral non-racemic sulfur-containing diselenide and applications in asymmetric synthesis

The synthesis of the new chiral non-racemic sulfur-containing diselenide, di-2-methoxy-6-[(1S)-1-(methylthio)ethyl]phenyl diselenide, is described. When treated with ammonium persulfate this diselenide is transformed into the corresponding selenenyl sulfate, which acts as a strong electrophilic reagent and adds to alkenes, in the presence of methanol or water, to afford the products of selenomethoxylation or selenohydroxylation, respectively, with excellent diastereoselectivities. Starting from alkenes containing internal nucleophiles, asymmetric cyclofunctionalization reactions also resulted in good chemical yields, complete regioselectivities, and high diastereoselectivities. This sulfur-containing diselenide can also be used in catalytic amounts to promote one-pot selenenylation-deselenenylation processes, from which several types of products can be obtained in high yield and with good enantiomeric excess.     

Recent advances in "formal" ruthenium-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions of diynes to alkenes

"Formal" and standard RuII-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes to alkenes gave bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes in relatively good yields. When terminal 1,6-diynes 1 were used, two isomeric bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes 4 or 6 were obtained, depending on the acyclic or cyclic nature of the alkene partner. When unsymmetrical substituted 1,6-diynes 7 were used, the reaction with acyclic alkenes took place regio- and stereoselectively to afford bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes 8. A cascade process that behaves as a "formal" RuII-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition explained these results. Initially, a Ru-catalyzed linear coupling of 1,6-diynes 1 and 7 with acyclic alkenes occurs to give open 1,3,5-trienes of type 3, which after a thermal disrotatory 6e(-) pi-electrocyclization led to the final 1,3-cyclohexadienes 4 and 8. When disubstituted 1,6-diyne 10 was used with electron-deficient alkenes, new exo-methylene cyclohexadienes 12 arose from a competitive reaction pathway.     

Stereoselective synthesis of imidazolidin-2-ones via Pd-catalyzed alkene carboamination. Scope and limitations

A method for the synthesis of imidazolidin-2-ones from N-allylureas and aryl or alkenyl bromides via Pd-catalyzed carboamination reactions is described. The N-allylurea precursors are prepared in one step from readily available allylic amines and isocyanates, and the Pd-catalyzed reactions effect the formation of a C-C bond, a C-N bond, and up to two stereocenters in a single step. Good diastereoselectivities are obtained for the conversion of substrates bearing allylic substituents to 4,5-disubstituted imidazolidin-2-ones, and excellent selectivity for the generation of products resulting from syn-addition across the alkene is observed when substrates derived from cyclic alkenes or E-1,2-disubstituted alkenes are employed. A brief discussion of reaction mechanism and product stereochemistry is presented.     

Iridium-Catalyzed Remote Site-Switchable Hydroarylation of Alkenes Controlled by Ligands

An iridium-catalyzed remote site-switchable hydroarylation of alkenes was reported, delivering the products functionalized at the subterminal methylene and terminal methyl positions on an alkyl chain controlled by two different ligands, respectively, in good yields and with good to excellent site-selectivities. The catalytic system showed good functional group tolerance and a broad substrate scope, including unactivated and activated alkenes. More importantly, the regioconvergent transformations of mixtures of isomeric alkenes were also successfully realized. The results of the mechanistic studies demonstrate that the reaction undergoes a chain-walking process to give an [Ar−Ir−H] complex of terminal alkene. The subsequent processes proceed through the modified Chalk–Harrod-type mechanism via the migratory insertion of terminal alkene into the Ir−C bond followed by C−H reductive elimination to afford the hydrofunctionalization products site-selectively.     

Synthesis of cyclic peroxides by chemo- and regioselective peroxidation of dienes with Co(II)/O2/Et3SiH

In the competitive peroxidation of mixtures of two alkenes with Co(II)/O(2)/Et(3)SiH, it was found that the relative reactivities of the alkene substrates are influenced by three major factors:. (1) relative stability of the intermediate carbon-centered radical formed by the reaction of the alkene with HCo(III) complex, (2) steric effects around the C=C double bond, and (3) electronic factors associated with the C=C double bond. Consistent with results from simple alkenes, the chemo- and regioselective peroxidation of dienes was also realized. Depending on the diene structure, the product included not only the expected acyclic unsaturated triethylsilyl peroxides but also 1,2-dioxolane and 1,2-dioxane derivatives via intramolecular cyclization of the unsaturated peroxy radical intermediates.     

Theoretical prediction on the reactivity of the Co-mediated intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction for constructing bicyclo-skeletons in natural products

This work performed a theoretical investigation to explore the mechanism and reactivity of the Co-mediated intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction for constructing bicyclo-skeletons.     

Alkene cis-dihydroxylation by [(Me3tacn)(CF3CO2)RuVI O2)]ClO4(Me(3)tacn = 1,4,7-Trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane): structural characterization of [3 + 2] cycloadducts and kinetic studies

cis-Dioxoruthenium(VI) complex [(Me(3)tacn)(CF(3)CO(2))Ru(VI)O(2)]ClO(4) (1, Me(3)tacn = 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) reacted with alkenes in aqueous tert-butyl alcohol to afford cis-1,2-diols in excellent yields under ambient conditions. When the reactions of 1 with alkenes were conducted in acetonitrile, oxidative C=C cleavage reaction prevailed giving carbonyl products in >90% yields without any cis-diol formation. The alkene cis-dihydroxylation and C=C cleavage reactions proceed via the formation of a [3 + 2] cycloadduct between 1 and alkenes, analogous to the related reactions with alkynes [Che et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 11380]. With cyclooctene and trans-beta-methylstyrene as substrates, the Ru(III) cycloadducts (4a) and (4b) [formula; see text] were isolated and structurally characterized by X-ray crystal analyses. The kinetics of the reactions of 1 with a series of p-substituted styrenes has been studied in acetonitrile by stopped-flow spectrophotometry. The second-order rate constants varied by 14-fold despite an overall span of 1.3 V for the one-electron oxidation potentials of alkenes. Secondary kinetic isotope effect (KIE) was observed for the oxidation of beta-d(2)-styrene (k(H)/k(D) = 0.83 +/- 0.04) and alpha-deuteriostyrene (k(H)/k(D) = 0.96 +/- 0.03), which, together with the stereoselectivity of cis-alkene oxidation by 1, is in favor of a concerted mechanism.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation between propargylic alcohols and alkenes via the allenylidene-ene reaction

A novel ruthenium-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation between propargylic alcohols and alkenes via the allenylidene-ene reaction has been found to afford the corresponding 2,4-disubstituted-1-hexen-5-ynes in moderate yields. The finding described here discloses a new reactivity of allenylidene complexes. As a synthetic application, intramolecular cyclization of propargylic alcohols bearing an alkene moiety has been developed to give the corresponding syn-substituted chromanes in high yields with an excellent diastereoselectivity.     

Formal and standard ruthenium-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 1,6-diynes to alkenes: a mechanistic density functional study

"Formal" and standard Ru(II)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes 1 to alkenes gave bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes in relatively good yields. The neutral Ru(II) catalyst was formed in situ by mixing equimolecular amounts of [Cp*Ru(CH3CN)3]PF6 and Et4NCl. Two isomeric bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes 3 and 8 were obtained depending on the cyclic or acyclic nature of the alkene partner. Mechanistic studies on the Ru catalytic cycle revealed a clue for this difference: (a) when acyclic alkenes were used, linear coupling of 1,6-diynes with alkenes was observed giving 1,3,5-trienes 6 as the only initial reaction products, which after a thermal disrotatory 6e-pi electrocyclization led to the final 1,3-cyclohexadienes 3 as probed by NMR studies. This cascade process behaved as a formal Ru-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition. (b) With cyclic alkenes, the standard Ru-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition occurred, giving the bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes 8 as reaction products. A complete catalytic cycle for the formal and standard Ru-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of acetylene and cyclic and acyclic alkenes with the Cp*RuCl fragment has been proposed and discussed based on DFT/B3LYP calculations. The most likely mechanism for these processes would involve the formation of ruthenacycloheptadiene intermediates XXIII or XXVII depending on the alkene nature. From these complexes, two alternatives could be envisioned: (a) a reductive elimination in the case of cyclic alkenes 7 and (b) a beta-elimination followed by reductive elimination to give 1,3,5-hexatrienes 6 in the case of acyclic alkenes. Final 6e-pi electrocyclization of 6 gave 1,3-cyclohexadienes 3.     

The hydroamination of alkenes with sulfonamides catalyzed by the recyclable silica gel supported triflic acid

The vast applications of triflic acid (TfOH) in catalysis are severely limited by its corrosive and fuming properties. Immobilization of TfOH on silica gel well solves these problems and affords efficient recovery and reusability of TfOH. Two types of supported TfOH, the prepared silica gel supported TfOH and the in situ silica gel adsorbed TfOH, both exhibit good catalytic activity and reusability in the hydroamination of alkene with sulfonamide. The in situ silica gel adsorbed catalyst has been used for 5 runs with maintained reactivities and yields, which are superior to the performance of the prepared silica gel supported TfOH. For a series of alkenes and various sulfonamides, the heterogeneous hydroamination reactions catalyzed by both types of silica gel supported TfOH to afford similar moderate to excellent yields.     

Lewis acid-promoted carbon-carbon bond cleavage of aziridines: divergent cycloaddition pathways of the derived ylides

Lewis acids are shown to cleave the carbon-carbon bond of activated aziridines at ambient temperature. The derived metal-coordinated azomethine ylides undergo cycloaddition reactions with electron-rich alkenes. Cyclic alkenes afford products that are formally [4+2] adducts most likely derived from a Mannich-type addition to the ylide, followed by intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation. Alternatively, acyclic alkenes undergo [3+2] cycloaddition to give new pyrrolidine products.     

Stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydrofurans via the palladium-catalyzed reaction of aryl bromides with gamma-hydroxy alkenes: evidence for an unusual intramolecular olefin insertion into a Pd(Ar)(OR) intermediate

A new, stereoselective method for the synthesis of substituted tetrahydrofurans from gamma-hydroxy alkenes that forms both a C-C and a C-O bond with diastereoselectivities of up to >20:1 is described. Initial mechanistic studies that suggest the reactions proceed via the intramolecular insertion of an olefin into a Pd(Ar)(OR) intermediate are discussed.     

Rate-limiting step of the Rh-catalyzed carboacylation of alkenes: C-C bond activation or migratory insertion?

Rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular carboacylation of alkenes, achieved using quinolinyl ketones containing tethered alkenes, proceeds via the activation and functionalization of a carbon-carbon single bond. This transformation has been demonstrated using RhCl(PPh(3))(3) and [Rh(C(2)H(4))(2)Cl](2) catalysts. Mechanistic investigations of these systems, including determination of the rate law and kinetic isotope effects, were utilized to identify a change in mechanism with substrate. With each catalyst, the transformation occurs via rate-limiting carbon-carbon bond activation for species with minimal alkene substitution, but alkene insertion becomes rate-limiting for more sterically encumbered substrates. Hammett studies and analysis of a series of substituted analogues provide additional insight into the nature of these turnover-limiting elementary steps of catalysis and the relative energies of the carbon-carbon bond activation and alkene insertion steps.     

Air- and moisture-stable cationic (diphosphine)palladium(II) complexes as hydroamination catalysts: X-ray crystal structures of two [(diphosphine)Pd(NCMe)(OH2)]2+[OTf]−2 complexes

A series of cationic (diphosphine)palladium(II) complexes have been prepared and fully characterized, including two crystal structures. These complexes were evaluated as catalysts for the hydroamination of acyclic alkenes. The reactivity of the catalysts is dependent on the nature of the diphosphine ligand and the substituents on the amine and alkene substrates.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of bicyclic ureas and sulfamides via Pd-catalyzed alkene carboamination reactions

The synthesis of bicyclic ureas and sulfamides via palladium-catalyzed alkene carboamination reactions between aryl/alkenyl halides/triflates and alkenes bearing pendant cyclic sulfamides and ureas is described. The substrates for these reactions are generated in 3–5 steps from commercially available materials, and products are obtained in good yield with up to >20:1 diastereoselectivity. The stereochemical outcome of the sulfamide alkene addition is consistent with a mechanism involving anti-aminopalladation of the alkene, whereas the stereochemical outcome of the urea alkene addition is consistent with a syn-aminopalladation mechanism.     

Pd(II)-Catalyzed cyclogeneration of carbocations: subsequent rearrangement and trapping under oxidative conditions

A catalytic oxidative polycyclization reaction initiated by the carbocyclization of 1,5-dienes with Pd(II) is reported. Trapping of a putative carbocation with suitable functional groups (phenols, alkenes, alcohols, sulfonamide), or rearrangement protocols (Pinacol) yields poly-cyclic products in good yields and in excellent diastereoselectivities. Turnover of the intermediate Pd-C bond is via β-H elimination.     

A new type of amino amide organocatalyzed enantioselective crossed aldol reaction of ketones with aromatic aldehydes

A new type of amino amide organocatalysts was designed and synthesized from commercially available amino acids in easy steps. Their catalytic activities were examined in enantioselective crossed aldol reaction of various acyclic and cyclic ketones with aromatic aldehydes to afford the corresponding chiral anti-aldol adducts with good to excellent chemical yields, diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities (up to 99%, up to syn:anti?=?1:99, up to 97% ee).     

Insertion reactions of alkenes with diterpenoid chromium aminocarbenes

Insertion reactions of electron-deficient alkenes with chromium aminocarbenes derived from podocarpic acid generally give aryl ketone products derived from ring opening of an aminocyclopropane and subsequent enamine hydrolysis, the exception being alkenyl sulphones which give products derived from insertion of the carbene into the β-CH bond of the alkene. Increasing steric hindrance due to the substituents on the aminocarbene nitrogen appears to result in higher yields of the insertion products. However, other factors such as stabilisation of the intermediate tetracarbonylaminocarbene may explain why morpholinocarbenes give superior yields of the insertion products. Propenoic acid, propenal or nitropropene give a 13-formyl-substituted diterpenoid. Electron-rich alkenes do not undergo insertion reactions with these aminocarbenes at 110°C.     

Pseudohalogen chemistry—VI: Homolytic thiocyanation of mono- and di-substituted alkenes using thiocyanogen and ultraviolet light

Under the influence of UV light, thiocyanogen reacts rapidly with mono- and di-substituted alkenes in benzene under nitrogen at 20–30°C to give, depending on the structure of the alkene, α,β-dithiocyanates, allylic isothiocyanates or mixtures of the two in high yields. Additions to acyclic alkenes are trans-stereoselective, while those to alkenes of the cyclohexene family are trans-stereospecific. A radical-chain mechanism, involving competing addition and substitution reactions initiated by the thiocyanato radical, is proposed.     

Studies of Diastereoselectivity in Diels-Alder Reactions of Enantiopure (SS)-2-(p-Tolylsulfinyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone and Chiral Racemic Acyclic Dienes

Enantiopure sulfinylnaphthoquinone (+)-5 reacted with racemic acyclic dienes 1a-f bearing a stereogenic allylic center, through a tandem cycloaddition/pyrolytic sulfoxide elimination, to afford optically enriched compounds 8a-f and 9a-f with good like/unlike selectivities (ca. 75:25) and good enantiomeric excesses (68-82%), arising from the partial kinetic resolution of the racemic dienes. The opposite diastereoselection (8g-i: 9g-i, up to 5:95) was observed in reactions with dienes 1g-i, having an additional methyl group at C-3, the enantiomeric purities being moderate (14-25%). Steric effects and torsional interactions in the corresponding approaches account for the observed diastereoselectivities.