Diastereoselective addition of enantiopure lithium tert-butylsulfinylferrocene to imines

(S)-tert-Butylsulfinylferrocene was submitted to ortho-metalation, and the corresponding lithium derivative was trapped by alkyl or aryl imines bearing various electron-withdrawing groups on the nitrogen atom (Ts, Dpp, Boc). New aminosulfoxides were obtained with complete diastereocontrol when Dpp or Boc groups were used. The absolute configuration (SS,SFc,S) has been determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis and chemical correlation. An unusual pseudocyclic boatlike transition state has been proposed to explain the stereochemical course of this reaction.     

Synthesis of 2-amino-1,3-dienes by chromium-catalyzed addition of silylated propargyl bromides to imines

(Silyl)methylallenic amines were synthesized by the chromium-catalyzed addition of (4-bromobutynyl)trimethylsilane to tosyl imines. Regioisomeric mixtures of the desired allene and the corresponding alkyne were obtained. Allenic imines were then treated with TBAF to afford 2-aminomethyl-1,3-dienes in good yields (62-92%). In the presence of a Lewis acid, silylallenic imines were added to benzaldehyde dimethylacetal to give highly functionalized dienes with excellent yields and good to excellent diastereomeric ratios.     

Reactive ketimino radical acceptors: intermolecular alkyl radical addition to imines with a phenolic hydroxyl group

Intermolecular carbon radical addition to the carbon-nitrogen double bond of ketimines was studied. In the study on the reactivity of various aldimines, we found that the aldimine 7 having a phenolic hydroxyl group shows an excellent reactivity toward nucleophilic carbon radicals. A remarkable effect of phenolic hydroxyl group is assumed to be the stabilization of intermediate aminyl radical provided by a hydroxyl group. The screening of reactive ketimino acceptors showed that ketimines 15, 17, and 19 having a phenolic hydroxyl group exhibit excellent reactivities. The radical addition to ketimines 15, 17, and 19 took place regioselectively at the imino carbon to give the C-alkylated products without the formation of N-alkylated products. Enantioselective ethyl radical addition to ketimine 15 using chiral box ligand and Zn(OTf)2 gave the diethylated product 30 in 80% ee.     

Enantioselective addition of alkynylzinc to arylaldehydes catalyzed by azetidino amino alcohols bearing an additional stereogenic center

Chiral azetidino amino alcohol ligands bearing an additional stereogenic center were readily prepared and used as catalysts for the asymmetric addition of alkynylzinc to aromatic aldehydes with enantioselectivities of up to 87% ee. The relationship between the reaction enantioselectivity and the structure of the chiral ligands was also evaluated in this reaction. The experimental results showed that the enantioselectivity level of the reaction was greatly influenced by the second stereogenic center attached to azetidine ring, but the stereochemical sense was only determined by the configuration of the azetidine ring. A possible transition structure for the catalytic asymmetric addition was also proposed.     

Enantioselective addition of phenyl and alkyl acetylenes to imines catalyzed by chiral Cu(I) complexes

The stereoselective addition of phenyl acetylene and alkyl acetylenes to imines, catalyzed by chiral bis-imines-Cu(I) complexes was studied. A very simple experimental procedure allowed to obtain at room temperature optically active propargyl amines in very good yields and enantioselectivity up to 81%.     

Stereoselective addition of dimethyl thiophosphite to imines

Dimethyl thiophosphite (DMTP) was synthesized from dimethyl phosphite, and the diastereoselective addition of DMTP to benzaldimines bearing chiral auxiliary groups was examined. Yields of the product alpha-aminophosphonothionates ranged from 17% to 75% after chromatography. The addition of DMTP to the benzaldimine derived from (S)-phenylglycinol afforded the highest diastereoselectivity (83:17), whereas addition of DMTP to the benzaldimine derived from threonine methyl ester and alanine methyl ester were far less diastereoselective, affording 38:62 and 61:39 ratios, respectively. Addition of DMTP to the benzaldimine derived from (R)-alpha-methylbenzylamine (78:22) and (S)-serine methyl ester (73:27) were intermediate in selectivity. DMTP addition to the imines formed between serine methyl ester and acetaldehyde and isobutyraldehyde gave 55:45 and 70:30 ratios, respectively, with the diastereoselectivity corresponding roughly to the size of the alpha-alkyl group. The stereochemistry of the newly formed alpha-stereocenters resulting from the addition of DMTP to (S)- and (R)-phenylglycinol benzaldimines was confirmed by conversion of the product alpha-aminophosphonothionates to the known enantiomers of phosphonophenylglycine.     

Peroxide-mediated efficient addition of cycloalkanes to imines

A novel direct addition of cycloalkanes to imines mediated by peroxide was developed. The reaction tolerates a wide range of functionalities as well as aqueous conditions.     

Tin-free radical addition of acyloxymethyl to imines

Acyloxymethyl radicals were generated from the corresponding iodomethyl esters and successfully underwent addition to the CN bond of N-Ts, N-PMP, and N-Dpp imines by the action of dimethylzinc or triethylborane. Ethyl acetate, toluene, and benzene as well as dichloromethane were suitable solvents. The utility of acyloxymethyl radicals as a hydroxymethyl anion equivalent was highlighted by the facile hydrolysis of the acyloxy moiety of the adducts to give the corresponding amino alcohol derivatives in good to high yield.     

One-pot four-component reaction: aqueous TiCl3/PhN2+-mediated alkyl radical addition to imines generated in situ

Ti(III)-induced free-radical decomposition of a phenyldiazonium salt, followed by phenyl radical iodine-atom abstraction from alkyl iodides, leads to a one-pot selective alkyl radical addition to the C-atom of imines generated in situ under aqueous acidic conditions. [reaction: see text]     

Radical addition of ethers to imines initiated by dimethylzinc

Ethers undergo addition to imines in the presence of dimethylzinc and air through a radical process. [reaction: see text]     

Highly diastereoselective addition of the lithium enolate of alpha-diazoacetoacetate to N-sulfinyl imines: enantioselective synthesis of 2-oxo and 3-oxo pyrrolidines

The highly enantioselective synthesis of 2-oxo and 3-oxo pyrrolidines has been achieved by diastereoselective addition of the lithium enolate of alpha-diazoacetoacetate to chiral N-sulfinyl imines, followed by photoinduced Wolff rearrangement or Rh(II)-catalyzed intramolecular N-H insertion.     

Enantioselective palladium-catalyzed addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to an allene derivative

Enhancing atom economy of the metal‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation (AAA) shifts from the usual nucleophilic displacement of a leaving group to an addition of a pronucleophile to a double bond. Using 1‐alkoxyallenes as proelectrophiles, the palladium‐catalyzed AAA proceeds with 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds as pronucleophiles with excellent regioselectivity and enantiomeric excess under optimized conditions. The pH of the medium proved crucial for reactivity/selectivity. By using the more acidic Meldrum's acids, the reactions required a co‐catalytic amount of Brønsted acid, such as trifluoroacetic acid. Single regioisomeric products of 82–99 % ee were obtained. On the other hand, the less acidic 1,3‐diketones failed to react under such conditions. The fact that a less acidic acid like benzoic acid sufficed, suggested the need for general base catalysis as well. Thus, a mixture of triethylamine and benzoic acid proved optimal (ee's 93–99). Employment of the (R,R)‐phenyl Trost ligand gave a product with S configuration. A model to rationalize the results has been developed.     

Direct synthesis of NNN-donor enantiopure scorpionate ligands by an efficient diastereoselective nucleophilic addition to imines

New enantiopure imines (1-9) with a chiral substrate to control the stereochemistry of a newly created stereogenic center have been synthesized by reaction of the commercially available (1R)-(-)-myrtenal and different primary amines. The diastereomerically enriched lithium-scorpionate compounds [Li(κ(3)-mobpza)(THF)] (10) (mobpza = N-p-methylphenyl-(1R and 1S)-1-[(1R)-6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]-2-hepten-2-yl]-2,2-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)ethylamide), [Li(κ(3)-mobpza)(THF)] (11) (mobpza = N-p-methoxyphenyl-(1R and 1S)-1-[(1R)-6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]-2-hepten-2-yl]-2,2-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)ethylamide), [Li(κ(3)-fbpza)(THF)] (12) (fbpza = N-p-fluorophenyl-(1R and 1S)-1-[(1R)-6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]-2-hepten-2-yl]-2,2-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)ethylamide), and [Li(κ(3)-clbpza)(THF)] (13) (clbpza = N-p-chlorophenyl-(1R and 1S)-1-[(1R)-6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]-2-hepten-2-yl]-2,2-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)ethylamide) were obtained by a diastereoselective 1,2-addition of an organolithium reagent to imines in good yield and with good diastereomeric excess (ca. 80%). The complexes [LiCl(κ(2)-R,R-fbpzaH)(THF)] (14) and [LiCl(κ(2)-R,R-clbpzaH)(THF)] (15) were obtained in enantiomerically pure form by the treatment of THF solutions of 12 or 13 with NH(4)Cl. The enantiomerically pure amines (R,R-mbpzaH) (16), (R,R-mobpzaH) (17), (R,R-fbpzaH) (18), and (R,R-clbpzaH) (19) were obtained by hydrolysis of the lithium-scorpionate compounds 10-13 with H(2)O. The lithium compound 12 was reacted with [TiCl(4)(THF)(2)] or [ZrCl(4)] to give the enantiopure complexes [MCl(3)(κ(3)-R,R-fbpza)] [M = Ti (20), Zr (21)]. The amine compound 18 reacted with [MX(4)] (M = Ti, X = O(i)Pr, OEt; M = Zr; X = NMe(2)) to give the complexes [MX(3)(κ(3)-R,R-fbpza)] (22-24). The reaction of Me(3)SiCl with [Zr(NMe(2))(3)(κ(3)-R,R-fbpza)] (24) in different molar ratios led to the halide-amide-containing complexes [ZrCl(NMe(2))(2)(κ(3)-R,R-fbpza)] (25) and [ZrCl(2)(NMe(2))(κ(3)-R,R-fbpza)] (26) and the halide complex 21. The isolation of only one of the three possible diastereoisomers of complexes 25 and 26 revealed that chiral induction from the ligand to the zirconium center took place. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by (1)H and (13)C{(1)H} NMR spectroscopy, and the X-ray crystal structures of 5, 12, 14, 15, and 24 were also established.     

ortho-Metalation of enantiopure aromatic sulfoxides and stereocontrolled addition to imines

Enantiopure aromatic (phenyl, naphthyl) and heteroaromatic (pyridyl, quinolyl, diazinyl) sulfoxides have been synthesized by reaction of (S)-tert-butyl tert-butanethiosulfinate with aryl- or heteroaryllithium derivatives. The ortho-directed metalation of the sulfoxides was performed with lithium bases. Subsequent addition of the lithiated intermediates to N-tosylimines afforded tosylaminoalkyl tert-butylsulfinyl arenes. In most cases a complete asymmetric induction was highlighted in favor of (S,S) isomers. Heating the aminosulfoxides provided an original cyclization to form novel cyclic sulfenamides. A novel enantiopure synthesis of a benzylamine was described. An application of an enantiopure aminosulfoxide as N,S ligand for the asymmetric catalysis of allylic nucleophilic substitution has been successfully tested.     

On the mechanism of the zirconium-catalysed addition of ethyl Grignard reagents to imines

Ethyl Grignard reagents undergo the Cp₂ZrCl₂-catalysed addition to imines. We have studied the mechanism of this reaction and demonstrated that two overlapped catalytic cycles coexist, leading to mono- and dimagnesated products (before hydrolysis).     

Catalytic enantioselective addition of propionate units to imines: an efficient synthesis of anti-alpha-methyl-beta-amino acid derivatives

Optically active anti-alpha-methyl-beta-amino acid derivatives have been prepared based on catalytic enantioselective addition of propionate units to simple and inert imines using a chiral zirconium complex. High reactivity and selectivity with wide substrate scope were attained by using a new chiral ligand, (R)-6,6'-bis(pentafluoroethyl)-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol ((R)-6,6'-C(2)F(5)BINOL). The reactions using geometrically isomeric ketene silyl acetals gave excellent anti-selectivity with high enantiomeric excess in both cases. Synthetic utility of this reaction has been demonstrated by the preparation of various anti-alpha-methyl-beta-amino acid and trans-3,4-disubstituted beta-lactam derivatives.