Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of quaternary trifluoromethyl α- to ε-amino acid derivatives via umpolung allylation/2-aza-Cope rearrangement

In this study, we developed an efficient Ir-catalyzed cascade umpolung allylation/2-aza-Cope rearrangement of tertiary α-trifluoromethyl α-amino acid derivatives for the preparation of a variety of quaternary α-trifluoromethyl α-amino acids in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. The umpolung reactivity empowered by the activation of the key isatin-ketoimine moiety obviates the intractable enantioselectivity control in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric linear α-allylation. In combination with quasi parallel kinetic resolution or kinetic resolution, the generality of this method is further demonstrated by the first preparation of enantioenriched quaternary trifluoromethyl β-, γ-, δ- and ε-amino acid derivatives.

In this study, we developed an efficient Ir-catalyzed cascade umpolung allylation/2-aza-Cope rearrangement for the preparation of a variety of quaternary trifluoromethyl α-ε-amino acids in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities.     

A novel synthesis of α-hydroxy- and α,α′-dihydroxyketone from α-iodo and α,α′-diiodo ketone using photoirradiation

A novel reaction of α-iodo ketone (α-iodocycloalkanone, α-iodo-β-alkoxy ester, and α-iodoacyclicketone) with irradiation under a high-pressure mercury lamp gave the corresponding α-hydroxyketone in good yields. In the case of α,α′-diiodo ketone, α,α′-dihydroxyketone which little has been reported until now was obtained. This reaction affords a new, clean and convenient synthetic method for α-hydroxy- and α,α′-dihydroxyketone.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of α-hydroxy ketone and α-diketone and pyrazine derivatives from α-halo and α,α′-dibromo ketone

A novel reaction of α-halo ketone (α-bromo and α-chloro ketone) with irradiation under microwave gave the corresponding α-hydroxyketone and pyrazine derivative in good yields. In the case of α,α′-dibromo ketone, α-diketone was obtained. This reaction affords a new, clean and convenient synthetic method for α-hydroxyketone, α-diketone, α-chloro ketone and pyrazine derivative.     

Synthesis of novel α,α′,β-trisubstituted β-lactones

A concise and efficient synthesis of α,α′,β-trisubstituted β-lactones is presented. These novel lactones are easily obtained in five steps and will be dedicated to anionic ring opening polymerization.     

Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated ketone from α-iodo ketone using photoirradiation

Irradiation of α-iodo ketone in hexane under a nitrogen atmosphere with a high-pressure mercury lamp (λ>300nm) at room temperature afforded the corresponding α,β-unsaturated ketones in good yield. This reaction affords a new, clean and convenient synthetic method for the α,β-unsaturated ketone.     

Syntheses of methyl α-dl-mycaminoside, methyl α-dl-oleandroside, methyl β-dl-cymaroside, methyl α-dl-tyveloside and methyl α-dl-chromoside C

Five rare hexoses, which are components of antibiotics or cardiac glycosides, have been synthesized as methyl glycosides through a common intermediate methyl 2,3-dehydro-2,3,6-trideoxy-α-dl glucopyranoside (7). Epoxidation and subsequent treatment with dimethylamine of7 afforded methyl α-dl-mycaminoside (9). The addition reaction of MeOH to12 gave methyl α-dl-oleandroside (15) and methyl β-dl-cymaroside (17). The hydroxymercuration and subsequent reduction of12 afforded methyl α-dl-chromoside C (19) and methyl β-dl-tyveloside (25).     

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the separation of the optical isomers of γ,γ′-di-tert.-butyl- -γ-carboxyglutamic acid and -γ-carboxyglutamic acid

The chemical synthesis of γ,γ′-tert.-butyl-γ-carboxyglutamic acid is accompanied by extensive racemization, and very careful resolution is needed to obtain and -γ,γ′-di-tert.-butyl-γ-carboxyglutamic acids in high chiral purity. A novel method was devised for the separation of enantiomers of γ,γ′-di-tert.-butyl-γ-carboxyglutamic acid and γ-carboxyglutamic acid, applying precolumn derivatization with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5- -alanine amide and 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β- -glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate as chiral reagents, with subsequent reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of diastereomeric compounds. The effects of organic modifiers, of the mobile-phase composition and of the pH on the separation of the diastereomers were investigated.     

Asymmetric reduction of acetophenone using α,α-disubstituted aziridinemethanols and borane

A series of α,α-disubstituted aziridinemethanols have been designed and synthesized as chiral auxiliaries for the enantioselective reduction of acetophenone. Some of them catalyzed the reduction with excellent ee (up to 97%) under more facile reaction conditions. Furthermore, the results showed that α,α-disubstituted aziridinemethanols with electron-withdrawing groups led to much higher enantioselectivity than those with electron-donating groups, which allowed the rational modification of catalyst structure to achieve optimal enantioselectivity.     

Chlorination of α-sulfonyl carbanions with hexachloroethane: A novel preparation of α-halosulfones

The cyclic sulfones1,2, and3 are lithiated in benzene with n-butyllithium. Lithiation is demonstrated to lead to α-mono, α,α′-di and/or α,α-di and α,α,α′ trimetallation. The lithiated sulfones are chlorinated with hexachloroethane (HCE). Some mechanistic aspects of the reaction of the lithiosulfones with vicinal dihalides are discussed.     

Phosphonates containing sulfur and selenium. Synthesis of vinylphosphonates bearing α-sulfenyl, α-selenenyl, α-sulfinyl and α-seleninyl moieties and studies on nucleophilic addition

The selenenylation of racemic and optically active α-phosphoryl sulfoxides is a key step leading efficiently to α-phosphorylvinyl sulfoxides or α-phosphorylvinyl selenides depending on the reaction conditions. Oxidation of α-phosphorylvinyl selenides and subsequent thermolysis of selenoxides afford alkynylphosphonates. Studies of the stereochemical course of nucleophilic addition to α-phosphoryl sulfoxides show high facial stereoselectivity of the reaction, however, epimerisation at the α-carbon atom leads to mixtures of diastereomers.     

Enantioselective synthesis of β,β-dialkyl α-hydroxy γ-butyrolactones

An ephedrine-derived morpholine dione is employed in the synthesis of chiral alkylidene morpholinones that are efficiently converted to β-substituted α,γ-dihydroxy butyramides, precursors of the corresponding butyrolactones. Enantioselective synthesis of a spiro analog of pantolactone as well as a naturally occurring pantolactone homolog is achieved with this protocol.     

Synthesis and structure of (4R,5R)-α,α,α′,α′-2,2-hexaphenyl-4,5-dimethanol-1,3-dioxolane

We report the synthesis of the 1,4-diol (4R,5R)-α,α,α′,α′-2,2-hexaphenyl-4,5-dimethanol-1,3-dioxolane from dimethyl-L-tartrate and benzophenone. The X-ray and the IR structural studies on show that this compound has a preferred conformation with OHPh interactions which are different from related compounds.     

Catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid imidazolides and amides by lanthanide–BINOL complexes

Highly enantioselective catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid imidazolides and simple amides was developed. In the presence of 5–10 mol% of lanthanide–BINOL complexes, the reaction proceeded smoothly with high substrate generality. In particular, in the cases of α,β-unsaturated amides, there was nearly perfect enantioselectivity (>99% ee). The corresponding epoxides were successfully transformed into many types of useful chiral compounds such as α,β-epoxy esters, α,β-epoxy amides, α,β-epoxy aldehydes, α,β-epoxy β-keto ester, and α- and β-hydroxy carbonyl compounds. B3LYP density functional studies were performed to predict substrate reactivity.     

Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated oxathiolanes

The formation of α,β-unsaturated oxathiolanes 2 from α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives was achieved selectively and in high yields using the heterogeneous catalyst APSG·HCl.     

Tandem epoxysilane rearrangement/Wittig-type reactions using γ-phosphinoyl- and γ-phosphonio-α,β-epoxysilane

Reaction of γ-phosphinoyl- and γ-phosphonio-α,β-epoxysilane with a base followed by addition of a ketone or an aldehyde afforded dienol silyl ether derivatives via a tandem process that involves base-induced ring opening of the epoxide, Brook rearrangement, and Wittig-type reaction.     

Regioselective SN′ allylic substitution versus 1,4-addition: Synthesis of α-substituted β,γ-unsaturated esters

The reaction of the higher order organocuprate reagents R₂Cu(CN)Li₂-BF₃ with γ-bromo α,β-unsaturated esters gives with very high selectivity α-substituted β,γ-unsaturated esters arising from a SN′ allylic substitution. This reaction allows an easy access to α-silyl β,γ-unsaturated esters.     

Addition of trimethylsilylmethylmagnesium chloride to α, β-unsaturated carbonyls

Reactions of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with Me₃SiCH₂MgCl, prepared from chloromethyltrimethylsilane [1], were examined. Unlike its lithium counterpart (Me₃SiCH₂Li), which adds to α,β-unsaturatedketones in the 1,2-sense, the Grignard reagent afforts γ silanes via a 1,4-addition sequence. This tendency is accentuated by the addition of Cu₂Br₂. Addition of the Grignard reagent to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes gives the simple 1,2-addition products.     

Biosynthesis of aristeromycln: Evidence for the intermediacy of a 4β-hydroxymethyl-1α, 2α, 3α-trihydroxycyclopentanetriol.

Evidence for the intermediacy of a 4β-hydroxymethyl-1α, 2α, 3α-trihydroxycyclopentanetdol (5 or6) in the biosynthesis of the nucleoside antibiotic aristeromycin (1) has been obtained by administration of doubly-labeled forms of D-glucose to the fermentation broth ofStreptomyces citricolor followed by trapping of the tetrol5 using isotope dilution methods.     

Synthesis of α-phosphorylated cyclopentanones by intramolecularcarbenoid cyclizations of α-diazo β-keto alkylphosphonates and phosphine oxides

α-diazo β-ketoalkylphosphonates and phosphine oxides undergo intramolecular carbenoīd cyclizations under rhodium (II) catalysis to afford substituted diethoxyphosphono-2 and diphenylphosphono-2 cyclopentanones which, under Wittig-Horner conditions, lead to α-methylene cyclopentanones.     

The clemmensen reduction of α,β-unsaturated ketones

The deoxygenation of the α,β-unsaturated ketones (1) and (5) under the Clemmensen condition yielded the olefins (2) and (6) along with their respective dimers (3+4) and (8+9). The α , β-unsaturated ketone (13) under similar treatment yielded the olefin (14) in satisfactory yield but the dimer could not be characterized. The deoxygenation of the α,β-unsaturated ketones (10) and (16) under similar con- ditions afforded the olefins (12) and (15) respectively in satisfactory yield along with the rearranged olefins (11) and (17) respectively. Epox-idation of the olefin (17) followed by heating with p-toluenesulfonic acid yielded the ketone (18).