Copper-catalyzed α-amination of aliphatic aldehydes

A highly efficient copper-catalyzed α-amination of aliphatic aldehydes for the synthesis of α-amino acetals using secondary amines with readily removable protecting groups as a nitrogen source was developed. This reaction can be operated under very mild conditions, affording the desired products in moderate to good yields.     

Alkenediazonium Salts: A New Chapter of Classical Organic Chemistry

Whereas the protonation of α-diazo-β-diketones and α-diazo-β-oxo esters with hydrogen chloride and antimony pentachloride yields the corresponding hydroxyalkenediazonium hexachloroantimonates, the “acid-sensitive” α-diazomonocarbonyl compounds can be transformed into resonance-stabilized alkenediazonium salts by an analogous O-alkylation with triethyloxonium hexachloroantimonate. A general route for synthesizing these compounds consists in the transformation of the p-toluenesulfonylhydrazones of α-halogenated aldehydes and ketones with Lewis acids. Alkenediazonium ions which are not resonance stabilized can be isolated at room temperature only if their decomposition at higher temperatures leads, via evolution of nitrogen, to vinyl cations in particularly high energy levels. Facile substitution reactions at the CC double bond with anisole and methanol demonstrate the strongly electrophilic nature of alkenediazonium salts. When electron-donating substituments are attached to C2 of an ethylenediazonium ion, the bond order of the NN triple bond can be reduced to a level comparable with that in diazoacetic ester.     

A synthesis of optically active α-quaternary α-amino acids and esters by assembling three components, ketones, (R)-chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, and sodium azide, via sulfinyloxiranes

Treatment of lithium α-sulfinyl carbanion of chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxides with ketones at low temperature afforded adducts in almost quantitative yields, which were exposed to t-BuOK to give sulfinyloxiranes in high yields. The sulfinyloxirane was reacted with benzylamine to give α-amino aldehyde, which was oxidized with iodine in methanol to afford α-amino carboxylic ester in moderate yield. The sulfinyloxiranes were treated with sodium azide to afford α-azido aldehydes in good yields. Oxidation with NaClO₂ followed by catalytic hydrogenation of the azido group of the α-azido aldehydes gave α-quaternary α-amino acids in good overall yields. The oxidation of the azido aldehydes with iodine in methanol in the presence of KOH followed by the catalytic hydrogenation resulted in α-quaternary α-amino acid methyl esters in good yields. When these reactions were carried out starting from unsymmetrical ketones and optically pure (R)-chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, a new method for a synthesis of optically active α-quaternary α-amino acids and esters in good overall yields was realized.     

Generation of Oxidoreductases with Dual Alcohol Dehydrogenase and Amine Dehydrogenase Activity

The l -lysine-ϵ-dehydrogenase (LysEDH) from Geobacillus stearothermophilus naturally catalyzes the oxidative deamination of the ϵ-amino group of l -lysine. We previously engineered this enzyme to create amine dehydrogenase (AmDH) variants that possess a new hydrophobic cavity in their active site such that aromatic ketones can bind and be converted into α-chiral amines with excellent enantioselectivity. We also recently observed that LysEDH was capable of reducing aromatic aldehydes into primary alcohols. Herein, we harnessed the promiscuous alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity of LysEDH to create new variants that exhibited enhanced catalytic activity for the reduction of substituted benzaldehydes and arylaliphatic aldehydes to primary alcohols. Notably, these novel engineered dehydrogenases also catalyzed the reductive amination of a variety of aldehydes and ketones with excellent enantioselectivity, thus exhibiting a dual AmDH/ADH activity. We envisioned that the catalytic bi-functionality of these enzymes could be applied for the direct conversion of alcohols into amines. As a proof-of-principle, we performed an unprecedented one-pot “hydrogen-borrowing” cascade to convert benzyl alcohol to benzylamine using a single enzyme. Conducting the same biocatalytic cascade in the presence of cofactor recycling enzymes (i.e., NADH-oxidase and formate dehydrogenase) increased the reaction yields. In summary, this work provides the first examples of enzymes showing “alcohol aminase” activity.     

Study on the “Tin-Ene” reaction of α-bromoacetophenone and metallic tin with aldehydes

β-hydroxy ketones were obtained in good yields by the “tin-ene” reactions of α-bromoacetophenone and metallic tin with aldehydes.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic conjugate addition of amines to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes: one-pot asymmetric synthesis of β-amino acids and 1,3-diamines

Organocatalytic asymmetric amine conjugate additions to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes catalyzed by protected diarylprolinols are presented. The reactions proceed with high enantioselectivity and result in Cbz or Boc protected β-amino aldehydes, γ-amino alcohols, β-amino acids and 1,3-diamines with typically 82-99% ee.     

Probing α-Amino Aldehydes as Weakly Acidic Pronucleophiles: Direct Access to Quaternary α-Amino Aldehydes by an Enantioselective Michael Addition Catalyzed by Brønsted Bases

The high tendency of α-amino aldehydes to undergo 1,2-additions and their relatively low stability under basic conditions have largely prevented their use as pronucleophiles in the realm of asymmetric catalysis, particularly for the production of quaternary α-amino aldehydes. Herein, it is demonstrated that the chemistry of α-amino aldehydes may be expanded beyond these limits by documenting the first direct α-alkylation of α-branched α-amino aldehydes with nitroolefins. The reaction produces densely functionalized products bearing up to two, quaternary and tertiary, vicinal stereocenters with high diastereo- and enantioselectivity. DFT modeling leads to the proposal that intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the NH group and the carbonyl oxygen atom in the starting α-amino aldehyde is key for reaction stereocontrol.     

Enantioselective addition of aldehydes to amines via combined catalytic biomimetic oxidation and organocatalytic C-C bond formation

The biomimetic catalytic enantioselective addition of aldehydes to amines is reported. This was accomplished by combining biomimetic coupled catalytic aerobic oxidation of amines involving ruthenium-induced dehydrogenation and organocatalytic asymmetric Mannich reactions. The novel one-pot reactions furnished β-amino aldehyde and α-amino acid derivatives in high yields with excellent chemoselectivity and up to >99% ee.     

Conjugated Additions in Hydrogen Fluoride

Fluorine and another substituent can be added in a single step to compounds having CC double bonds in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. It is possible in this way to obtain e.g. α-fluorinated β-halogeno, β-alkyl, β-nitro, and β-amino compounds, and also (in some cases by secondary reactions) fluorinated ethers, alcohols, esters, and carboxylic acids, β-fluoro alcohols can be obtained by conjugated “hypofluorination” in the presence of oxenium ions.     

Electrocatalytic Synthesis of Essential Amino Acids from Nitric Oxide Using Atomically Dispersed Fe on N-doped Carbon

How to transfer industrial exhaust gases of nitrogen oxides into high-values product is significantly important and challenging. Herein, we demonstrate an innovative method for artificial synthesis of essential α-amino acids from nitric oxide (NO) by reacting with α-keto acids through electrocatalytic process with atomically dispersed Fe supported on N-doped carbon matrix (AD-Fe/NC) as the catalyst. A yield of valine with 32.1 μmol mg_cat⁻¹ is delivered at −0.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, corresponding a selectivity of 11.3 %. In situ X-ray absorption fine structure and synchrotron radiation infrared spectroscopy analyses show that NO as nitrogen source converted to hydroxylamine that promptly nucleophilic attacked on the electrophilic carbon center of α-keto acid to form oxime and subsequent reductive hydrogenation occurred on the way to amino acid. Over 6 kinds of α-amino acids have been successfully synthesized and gaseous nitrogen source can be also replaced by liquid nitrogen source (NO₃⁻). Our findings not only provide a creative method for converting nitrogen oxides into high-valued products, which is of epoch-making significance towards artificial synthesis of amino acids, but also benefit in deploying near-zero-emission technologies for global environmental and economic development.     

Trifluoroethanol as a metal-free, homogeneous and recyclable medium for the efficient one-pot synthesis of α-amino nitriles and α-amino phosphonates

Trifluoroethanol is found to be an efficient and recyclable medium in promoting one-pot, three-component coupling reactions of aldehydes or ketones, amines and trimethylsilyl cyanide or trimethyl phosphite to afford the corresponding α-amino nitriles or α-amino phosphonates in high yields. This protocol does not require the use of an acid or base catalyst.     

Stereoselective allylation of acyclic and chiral α-amino-β-Hydroxy aldehydes part 2: Application to the formal synthesis of the polyhydroxylated γ-amino acid (+)-Detoxinine

Stereoselective allylations of acyclic, chiral α-amino-β-hydroxy aldehydes mediated by BF₃·OEt₂ and its application to the formal synthesis of the polyhydroxylated γ-amino acid (+)-detoxinine are described. The reactions of syn-α-NHCbz-β-OTBS substrates mediated by BF₃·OEt₂ afforded syn-selective products. The same reaction conditions gave anti-selective products from syn-α-NCbzBn-β-OTBS substrates. A hydrogen-bonded transition state and Felkin-Anh model have been suggested to account for the stereochemical outcomes of the two reactions, respectively. One of the allylation products was used for the formal synthesis of the polyhydroxylated γ-amino acid (+)-detoxinine.     

Yb(OTf)3催化苯乙酮、芳香醛和芳香胺的Mannich反应: 三组分“一锅法”合成β-氨基酮衍生物

报道了稀土化合物Yb(OTf)₃催化的苯乙酮、芳香醛和芳香胺Mannich反应, 三组分“一锅法”合成了一系列的β-氨基酮衍生物. 该方法操作简单、条件温和、产率较高、催化剂可重复使用, 且对环境友好.     

Solventless DBU-promoted Mannich-type reactions of α-amido p-tolylsulfones with diethyl fluoromalonates and diethyl malonates

Mannich-type reactions of α-amido p-tolylsulfones with diethyl fluoromalonates and diethyl malonates, respectively in presence of catalytic amount of DBU have been developed. A variety of α-amido p-tolylsulfones prepared from aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes reacts with diethyl fluoromalonates and diethyl malonates, respectively under mild reaction conditions to afford α-fluoro β-amino esters and β-amino esters in moderate to good yield.     

A highly efficient bismuth salts-catalyzed route for the synthesis of α-aminophosphonates

A convenient synthesis of different types of α-amino phosphonates via one-pot solvent-free three component reactions of aldehydes, amines and phosphites catalyzed by bismuth salts has been investigated. Bismuth triflate is found to be the most effective catalyst for this reaction.     

Convenient synthesis of α-amino amides using low-valent tantalum prepared from TaCl5 and Zn

We have developed a general preparation method of α-amino amides from imines and isocyanates using low-valent tantalum prepared from TaCl₅ and Zn in situ. This method was successfully applied to various imines derived from benzaldehyde derivatives with electron-withdrawing or electron-donating substituents, heteroaromatic aldehydes, and an aliphatic, α-branched aldehyde, giving the corresponding α-amino amides in high yields.     

Cu(I)-catalyzed decarboxylative aldol-type and Mannich-type reactions for asymmetric construction of contiguous trisubstituted and quaternary stereocenters

The catalytic asymmetric decarboxylative aldol-type reaction between aldehydes and cyanocarboxylic acids and Mannich-type reaction between aldimines and cyanocarboxylic acids were developed. α,α,β-Trisubstituted-β-hydroxy nitriles bearing contiguous all-carbon quaternary and trisubstituted stereocenters were produced with moderate enantio- and diastereoselectivity in the presence of 10 mol % CuOAc–TANIAPHOS (or DTBM-SEGPHOS) complex in the aldol-type reaction. α,α,β-Trisubstituted-β-amino nitriles containing contiguous all-carbon quaternary and trisubstituted stereocenters were produced with moderate to high enantio- and diastereoselectivity using 5 mol % CuOAc–(R)-DTBM-SEGPHOS complex in the Mannich-type reaction. These reactions proceed through Cu(I)-catalyzed decarboxylative nucleophile generation, followed by the addition of the resulting chiral Cu-ketenimide to aldehydes or imines. Because the reactions proceed under very mild conditions at nearly neutral pH, the reactions are applicable to a wide range of substrate combinations, including both aromatic and aliphatic substrates. Finally, α,α,β-trisubstituted-β-amino nitriles were converted to β^2,2,3-amino acid derivatives through simple acidic hydrolysis without any racemization and epimerization.     

Carbohydrates as Chiral Auxiliaries in Stereoselective Synthesis. New Synthetic Methods (90)

Carbohydrates are inexpensive natural products in which numerous functional groups and stereogenic centers are combined in one molecule. By directed regio-and stereoselective formation of derivatives they can be converted into efficient chiral auxiliaries for controlling asymmetric syntheses. Stereoelectronic effects and pre-orientation of the reactive and shielding groups through formation of complexes can often be used for effective diastereofacial differentiation. In aldol reactions and alkylations on carbohydrate ester enolates intramolecular complexation promotes simultaneous elimination with formation of ketene. The steric, stereoelectronic, and coordinating properties of carbohydrate templates can also be used selectively to attain high levels of asymmetric induction in processes such as Diels–Alder reactions, hetero-Diels–Alder reactions, [2 + 2] cycloadditions, cyclopropanations, and Michael additions. It was possible with bicyclic, strongly stereodifferentiating carbohydrate auxiliaries to achieve a diastereoselective synthesis of carboxylic acid derivatives branched in the β position by a new 1,4-addition of alkylaluminum halides to α,β-unsaturated N-acylurethanes, in which methylaluminum halides and higher alkyl- or arylaluminum compounds behave mechanistically in a strikingly different manners. As complex ligands in chiral reagents and promoters, carbohydrates allow highly stereoselective reductions and aldol reactions that lead, amongst others, to chiral alcohols and β-hydroxy-α-amino acids in excellent enantiomeric excesses. Glycosylamines offer the possibility of versatile stereoselective applications: in the presence of Lewis acids the corresponding aldimines permit high-yielding syntheses of enantiomerically pure α-amino acids by Strecker and Ugi reactions, controlled by steric and stereoelectronic effects and by complex formation. They can be used with equal efficiency for asymmetric syntheses of chiral homoallylamines and for asymmetric Mannich syntheses of β-amino acids and chiral heterocycles, for example alkaloids.     

A novel synthesis of cyclic α-amino aldehydes, amino alcohols, and α-amino acid methyl esters from cyclic ketones through sulfinylaziridines

Treatment of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were synthesized from cyclic ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide in three steps in good yields, with N-lithio arylamines gave sulfinylaziridines in high yields. On treatment with N-lithio aniline or N-lithio p-chloroaniline, the sulfinylaziridines gave α-amino aldehydes in high yields. The α-amino aldehydes were converted to amino alcohols and α-amino acid methyl esters in moderate to good yields. This procedure offers an efficient method for synthesis of cyclic α-quaternary α-amino aldehydes, amino alcohols, and α-amino acid derivatives from cyclic ketones.     

One Step Synthesis of α-Substituted α, β-Unsaturated Aldehydes

Abstract

The conversion of carbonyl compounds into cmologated α, β-unsaturated aldehydes (“formylolefination”) is a highly useful transformation in organic synthesis. A large number of methods have been reported for effecting such a chain lengthening. These proceed mainly via silylated intermediates or via phosphorylated reagents. The “phosphonate-strategy” has found widespread use, but leads exclusively to α,β-unsaturated aldehyess, non-substituted in the α-position.