Highly enantioselective synthesis of (2S)-alpha-(hydroxymethyl)-glutamic acid by the catalytic Michael addition of 2-naphthalen-1-yl-2-oxazoline-4-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester

[reaction: see text]. Highly enantioselective synthesis of a potent metabotropic receptor ligand, (2S)-alpha-(hydroxymethyl)-glutamic acid (2, HMG) was accomplished by the catalytic Michael addition of 2-naphthalen-1-yl-2-oxazoline-4-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester (3b), using the phosphazene base, BEMP, in CH(2)Cl(2) at -60 degrees C in the presence of (S)-binaphthyl quaternary ammonium salt 4.     

Highly enantioselective synthesis of alpha-alkyl-alanines via the catalytic phase-transfer alkylation of 2-naphthyl aldimine tert-butyl ester by using O(9)-allyl-N(1)-2',3',4'-trifluorobenzylhydrocinchonidinium bromide

Systematic investigations to develop an efficient enantioselective synthetic method for alpha-alkyl-alanine by catalytic phase-transfer alkylation were performed. The alkylation of 2-naphthyl aldimine tert-butyl ester, 1E, with RbOH and O(9)-allyl-N-2',3',4'-trifluorobenzylhydrocinchonidinium bromide, 6, at -35 degrees C showed the highest enantioselectivities, up to 96% ee.     

Enantioselective synthetic method for alpha-alkylserine via phase-transfer catalytic alkylation of 2-phenyl-2-oxazoline-4- carbonylcamphorsultam

[reaction: see text] An enantioselective synthetic method for alpha-alkylserines by the phase-transfer catalytic alkylation of 2-phenyl-2-oxazoline-4-carbonylcamphorsultam (4a) was developed. The phase-transfer catalytic alpha-alkylation of 4a using P2-Et at -78 degrees C gave alpha-alkylation (75 to approximately 99%, 90 to approximately 97% de), which could be easily hydrolyzed to alpha-alkylserines.     

Highly enantioselective phase-transfer catalytic alkylation in the preparation of non-natural alpha-amino acids via solid phase synthesis using aldimine linker

A new Merrifield-resin-derived glycinimine tert-butyl ester (9) was prepared and applied to the enantioselective synthesis of non-natural alpha-amino acids. High enantioselectivities (86 to >99% ee) were accomplished by employing the aldimine linker under phase-transfer alkylation conditions, using 50% aqueous CsOH in toluene/chloroform (7:3) at 0 degrees C in the presence of N-(9-anthracenylmethyl)-O(9)-allylcinchonidium bromide (10 mol %).     

Enantioselective synthesis of (R)- and (S)-alpha-alkylcysteines via phase-transfer catalytic alkylation

We reported efficient enantioselective synthetic methodologies for (R)-alpha-alkylcysteines and (S)-alpha-alkylcysteines. The phase-transfer catalytic alkylation of 2-phenyl-2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester and 2-o-biphenyl-2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester, in the presence of chiral catalysts (1 or 2), gave the corresponding alkylated products, which could be hydrolyzed to provide (R)-alpha-alkylcysteines (67->99% ee) and (S)-alpha-alkylcysteines (66-88% ee), respectively.     

Highly enantioselective monoalkylation of p-chlorobenzaldehyde imine of glycine tert-butyl ester under mild phase-transfer conditions

The selective monoalkylation of glycine tert-butyl ester aldimine Schiff base 3 has been realized in high chemical yield with excellent enantioselectivity under mild liquid–liquid phase-transfer conditions by the use of binaphthyl-derived chiral quaternary ammonium bromides 7 and 8 as catalysts. This achievement demonstrates that 3 can be used as a cost-effective substrate for the preparation of optically active α-alkyl-α-amino acid derivatives by chiral phase-transfer catalysis.     

Total synthesis of (+)-hygrine via asymmetric phase-transfer catalytic alkylation

The first enantioselective synthesis of (+)-hygrine (1) is reported. 1 was obtained in 12 steps with 29% overall yield and 97% ee via asymmetric phase-transfer catalytic alkylation and ring-closing metathesis as key steps. The absolute configuration of (+)-hygrine could be directly confirmed as R.     

Practical enantioselective synthesis of (3S, 4R)-3-hydroxypiperidine-4-carboxylic acid

A practical enantioselective synthesis of (3S, 4R)-3-hydroxypiperidine-4-carboxylic acid was accomplished via an unconventional Evans anti-aldol reaction followed by a one-pot azide reduction/reductive cyclization.     

An enantioselective synthesis of (+)-polyoxamic acid via phase-transfer catalytic conjugate addition and asymmetric dihydroxylation

A new enantioselective synthetic method of (+)-polyoxamic acid is reported. (+)-Polyoxamic acid could be obtained in 7 steps with 46% overall yield from diphenylmethyl-glycineimine tert-butyl ester via an enantioselective phase-transfer conjugate addition (99% yield, 96% ee) and an asymmetric dihydroxylation (98% yield, 94% de) as the key reactions.     

Highly enantioselective alkylation of glycine methyl and ethyl ester derivatives under phase-transfer conditions: its synthetic advantage

Phase-transfer alkylation of the benzophenone Schiff base of glycine methyl or ethyl ester (2) was found to be catalyzed by 3,4,5-F₃-C₆H₂-NAS-Br [(S,S)-1] with high efficiency and excellent enantioselectivity. This procedure allows facile derivatization of the resulting alkylation products to other synthetically useful chiral building blocks.     

Highly enantioselective epoxidation of 2-methylnaphthoquinone (vitamin K3) mediated by new cinchona alkaloid phase-transfer catalysts

In the area of catalytic asymmetric epoxidation, the highly enantioselective transformation of cyclic enones and quinones is an extremely challenging target. With the aim to develop new and highly effective phase-transfer catalysts for this purpose, we conducted a systematic structural variation of PTCs based on quinine and quinidine. In the total of 15 new quaternary ammonium PTCs, modifications included, for example, the exchange of the quinine methoxy group for a free hydroxyl or other alkoxy substituents, and the introduction of additional elements of chirality through alkylation of the alkaloid quinuclidine nitrogen atom by chiral electrophiles. For example, the well-established 9- anthracenylmethyl group was exchanged for a "chiral" anthracene in the form of 9-chloromethyl-[(1,8-S;4,5-R)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanoanthracene. The asymmetric epoxidation of vitamin K(3) was used as the test reaction for our novel PTCs. The readily available PTC 10 (derived from quinine in three convenient and high-yielding steps) proved to be the most enantioselective catalyst for this purpose known to date: At a catalyst loading of only 2.50 mol %, the quinone epoxide was obtained in 76 % yield and with 85 % ee (previously: < or =34 % ee), using commercial bleach (aqueous sodium hypochlorite) as the oxidant. To rationalize the sense of induction effected by our novel phase-transfer catalysts, a computational analysis of steric interactions in the intermediate chlorooxy enolate-PTC ion pair was conducted. Based on this analysis, the sense of induction for all 15 novel PTCs could be consistently explained.     

Highly enantioselective synthesis of tetrahydro-beta-carbolines and tetrahydro-gamma-carbolines via Pd-catalyzed intramolecular allylic alkylation

A novel Pd-catalyzed intramolecular allylic alkylation of indoles allows THBCs and THGCs to be effectively synthesized in high yields and excellent enantiomeric excesses (ee up to 97%).     

Asymmetric synthesis of all-carbon quaternary spirocycles via a catalytic enantioselective allylic alkylation strategy

Rapid access to enantioenriched spirocycles possessing a 1,4-dicarbonyl moiety spanning an all-carbon quaternary stereogenic spirocenter was achieved using a masked bromomethyl vinyl ketone reagent. The developed protocol entails an enantioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction followed by a one-pot unmasking/RCM sequence that provides access to the spirocyclic compounds in good yields and selectivities.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (S)-4-methyleneglutamic acid via tandem conjugate addition-elimination under phase-transfer catalytic conditions

An efficient enantioselective synthetic method for (S)-4-methyleneglutamic acid is reported. Phase-transfer catalytic conjugate addition-elimination of the benzophenone imine of glycine tert-butyl ester in the presence of chiral Cinchona-derived catalysts give the corresponding conjugated addition products (>99% ee), which could be hydrolyzed to chiral (S)-4-methyleneglutamic acid.     

First asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-antofine by using an enantioselective catalytic phase transfer alkylation

[structure: see text] The first asymmetric total synthesis of a potential antitumor phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid, (-)-antofine, is described. An important feature of this synthesis is the creation of a stereogenic center by using enantioselective catalytic phase transfer alkylation, affording an unnatural alpha-amino acid derivative, together with a ring closing metathesis for pyrrolidine ring construction.     

Solid-phase synthetic method for (±)-α-amino acids via phase-transfer catalytic alkylation

A solid supported glycineimine t-butyl ester was designed and successfully applied to the synthesis of (±)-α-amino acids. The phase-transfer catalytic alkylation, followed by acidic hydrolysis and benzoylation gave N-benzoyl-α-amino acid tert-butyl esters in high yields (up to 92%).     

Highly enantioselective synthesis of alpha,beta-diaminopropanoic acid derivatives using a catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation approach

Rh-DuPhos-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of alpha,beta-diamidoacrylates provides a highly efficient and enantioselective route to chiral alpha,beta-diaminopropanoic acid derivatives. The mechanistic course of the hydrogenation was studied using isotopically enriched enamide complexes and phosphorus and carbon NMR. Addition of methyl alpha-N-benzoyl-beta-N-acetyl-diaminopropenoate to the solvated catalyst gave a single 1:1 enamide complex and demonstrated the binding of the olefin and alpha-amide carbonyl group; the carboxylate and beta-N-acyl groups did not bind to the metal. Changes to the electronic and steric properties of the beta-N-acyl group were well tolerated; however, small changes to the binding alpha-N-acyl group were found to significantly affect hydrogenation yields.