Asymmetric hydrogenation of N-alkyl and N-aryl ketimines using chiral cationic Ru(diamine) complexes as catalysts: the counteranion and solvent effects,and substrate scope

Asymmetric hydrogenation of N-alkyl and N-aryl ketimines catalyzed by chiral cationic η⁶-arene-(N-monosulfonylated diamine) Ru(II) complexes has been investigated. Strong counteranion and solvent effects on the enantioselectivity were observed. The ruthenium catalyst bearing non-coordinating BArF^? anion was found to be particularly effective for the hydrogenation of acyclic and exocyclic N-alkyl ketimines in the presence of (Boc)₂O in dichloromethane or even under solvent-free conditions, providing chiral amines with up to >99% ee and full conversions. Alternatively, the ruthenium catalyst bearing achiral phosphate anion together with corresponding phosphoric acid as the additive was also efficient for the hydrogenation of N-alkyl ketimines in the absence of (Boc)₂O with excellent enantioselectivities and full conversions. For N-aryl ketimines lower enantiomeric excesses were observed by using the ruthenium catalyst bearing BArF^? anion. This catalytic protocol thus provides a facile and practical access to optically active amines and has been successfully employed in the gram-scale synthesis of enantiomerically pure (+)-sertraline.     

Formamides derived from N-methyl amino acids serve as new chiral organocatalysts in the enantioselective reduction of aromatic ketimines with trichlorosilane

Asymmetric reduction of N-aryl ketimines 1a–k, 43, and 45 with trichlorosilane can be catalyzed by new N-methyl l-amino acid-derived Lewis-basic organocatalysts, such as the valine-derived bisamide 3d (10 mol%), in toluene at room temperature with high enantioselectivity (≤92% ee). The structure–reactivity investigation shows that the product configuration is controlled by the nature of the side chain of the catalyst scaffold (e.g., i-Pr vs Me, as in 3d and 6e), so that catalysts of the same absolute configuration may induce the formation of the opposite enantiomers of the product. Arene–arene interactions between the catalyst and the incoming imine appear to be the prerequisite for asymmetric induction. This metal-free, organocatalytic protocol is competitive with the traditional, metal-catalyzed methodology.     

L-tert-Leucine derived urea-ammonium salts: Efficient bifunctional phase transfer catalysts for highly diastereo- and enantioselective aza-Henry reaction of isatin-derived N-Boc ketimines with α-aryl nitromethanes

An efficient way of aza-Henry reaction between isatin-derived N-Boc ketimines and α-aryl nitromethanes catalyzed by bifunctional phase transfer catalysts with a quaternary ammonium center derived from L-tert-Leucine has been developed. A series of 3-substituted 3-amino-oxindoles were constructed by this catalytic protocol in excellent yields (90–99%), with high enantioselectivities (83–95%) and diastereoselectivities (79:21–97:3). The asymmetric aza-Henry reaction of N-Boc amidosulfones and α-aryl nitromethanes were also investigated and gave the corresponding products in high to excellent yields (72–97%) with high enantioselectivities (up to 99%) and diastereoselectivities (up to >99:1).     

Highly enantioselective aza-henry reaction of ketimines catalyzed by a chiral bifunctional thiourea-tertiary amine derived from quinine

We have developed a highly enantioselective aza-Henry reaction of aryl α-ketoester-derived N-Ts ketimines with a wide range of substrate scope by a simpler bifunctional thiourea-tertiary amine catalyst derived from quinine. A variety of ketimines were investigated and corresponding products were obtained in excellent yields (up to 99% yield) with excellent enatioselectivities (up to 99% ee).     

Enantioselective hydrosilylation of ketimines with trichlorosilane promoted by chiral N-picolinoylaminoalcohols

Enantioselective hydrosilylation of N-aryl and N-benzyl ketimines with trichlorosilane catalyzed by readily accessible chiral N-picolinoylaminoalcohols proceeded smoothly furnishing chiral secondary amines in good yields (up to 93%) and moderate to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee).     

Synthesis of chiral β-amino acid derivatives by asymmetric hydrosilylation with an imidazole derived organocatalyst

The organocatalysed asymmetric hydrosilylation of a number of N-aryl and alkyl β-substituted enamino esters proceeds in generally good yield and enantioselectivity. Crucial to obtaining high yield and selectivity was the addition of benzoic acid as an additive and under these conditions, both N-alkyl and N-aryl substituents were well tolerated. β-Aryl and alkyl substituents were evaluated and a model proposed to account for the experimental observations based upon enamine tautomerisation and conformational preferences of the reactive ketimine intermediate.     

Efficient preparation of an N-aryl β-amino acid via asymmetric hydrogenation and direct asymmetric reductive amination en route to Ezetimibe

Two routes for the preparation of an N-aryl β-amino acid, an important precursor for the cholesterol-lowering drug Ezetimibe, were investigated. The first pathway proceeds via an Rh- or Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of N-aryl enamine giving the desired product with up to 82% ee. The other pathway involves a direct asymmetric reductive amination (DARA) of the β-keto ester which yielded the β-amino ester in high yield and 97% ee. Subsequent copper-catalyzed N-arylation gave the target compound.     

Synthesis of N-aryl and N-heteroaryl hydroxylamines via partial reduction of nitroarenes with soluble nanoparticle catalysts

Polystyrene-supported ruthenium nanoparticles enable the selective hydrazine-mediated reduction of nitroarenes to hydroxylamine products in high yield and selectivity. Key to obtaining the hydroxylamine product in good yield was the use of organic solvents capable of solubilizing the polystyrene-supported nanoparticle catalyst. N-aryl and N-heteroaryl hydroxylamines are generated under exceptionally mild conditions and in the presence of a various easily reduced functional groups.     

Access to chiral tertiary amines via the iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of enamines

The asymmetric hydrogenation of N,N-dialkyl and N-alkyl-N-aryl enamines to chiral tertiary amines was studied. All the N,P-ligated iridium complexes investigated were active catalysts for the reaction, but only those with bicycle-supported oxazoline-phosphine ligands gave reasonable stereoinduction. The best catalyst produced a range of chiral tertiary amines in up to 87% ee.     

Asymmetric reduction of aromatic ketimines in the presence of helical polymer as catalyst

Novel optically active ethynyl monomers were synthesized from L ‐valine and N‐methyl‐L ‐valine, and polymerized with a rhodium catalyst to provide the polymers with number‐average molecular weights over 200,000 in good yields. The CD and UV‐vis spectra of the polymers indicated that they took helical structures with predominantly one‐handed screw sense in solution. The polymers served as catalysts of asymmetric reduction of aromatic ketimines to afford optically active amines in moderate yields. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4971–4981, 2009     

Water enables diastereodivergency in bispidine-based chiral amine-catalyzed asymmetric Mannich reaction of cyclic N-sulfonyl ketimines with ketones

Tuning diastereoselectivity is a great challenge in asymmetric catalysis for the inherent stereochemical bias of the substrates. Here, we report a diastereodivergent asymmetric Mannich reaction of cyclic N-sulfonyl ketimines with ketones catalyzed by a bispidine-based chiral amine catalyst, in which additional water switches the diastereoselectivity efficiently. Both chiral anti- and syn-benzosultams with potential anti-HIV-1 activity are obtained in excellent yields and good to excellent ee values. Control experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied to study the diastereodivergent mechanism, which reveal that the diastereodivergent catalysis should be state-determined, and the water reverses the energies of states to realize the diastereodivergency. The findings are quite new and might inspire more diastereodivergent asymmetric synthesis.

A diastereodivergent asymmetric Mannich reaction of cyclic N-sulfonyl ketimines with ketones is realized by employing bispidine-based chiral amine as catalyst and additional water switching the diastereoselectivity.     

β-Bromodifluoromethyl β-enaminoketones: versatile synthetic intermediates for synthesis of CF2-containing compounds

A series of N-aryl β-bromodifluoromethyl β-enaminoketones were regioselectively synthesized in good yield by the reaction of N-aryl bromodifluoroacetimidoyl chlorides with methyl ketones. β-Bromodifluoromethyl β-enaminoketones smoothly cyclized to give a novel class of cyclic (2,2-difluoro-5-phenyl-furan-3-ylidene)-aryl-amines under basic condition. An intramolecular halophilic substitution mechanism was proposed.     

Ruthenium-catalysed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines

The ruthenium complex prepared from [RuCl₂(p-cymene)]₂ and (1S,2R)-1-amino-2-indanol is a very efficient catalyst for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of (R)-N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)ketimines in isopropanol. By carefully removing all possible moisture from the reaction medium, chiral primary amines with very high optical purities (up to >99% ee) can be easily prepared in excellent yields by the diastereoselective reduction of the imines followed by removal of the sulfinyl group under mild acidic conditions. Reaction times of 1-4 h were needed to complete the reduction reactions when they were performed at 40 °C.     

Enantioselective hydrosilylation of ketimines catalyzed by Lewis basic C2-symmetric chiral tetraamide

l-Proline derived C₂-symmetric chiral tetraamide 5b was found to behave as an effective Lewis basic catalyst in the enantioselective hydrosilylation of ketimines, affording high isolated yields (up to 95%) and moderate to high enantioselectivities (up to 86% ee) for a broad range of ketimines. A clear synergistic effect of the two identical diamide units of 5b was observed for asymmetric induction.     

Sequential perfluoroalkylation and asymmetric reduction of nitriles triggered with perfluoroalkyl titanates: catalytic asymmetric synthesis of perfluoroalkyl amines

Highly enantio-enriched perfluoroalkyl amines are shown to be synthesized by perfluoroalkylation and asymmetric reduction of nitriles. Perfluoroalkylation of nitriles can be attained by the Lewis acidic perfluoroalkyl titanate reagents to give acyclic ketimines. Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of the acyclic ketimines affords the perfluoroalkyl amine products in up to 93% ee.     

Asymmetric Cyanation of Aldehydes,Ketones, Aldimines,and Ketimines Catalyzed by a Versatile Catalyst Generated from Cinchona Alkaloid,Achiral Substituted 2,2′‐Biphenol and Tetraisopropyl Titanate

Full investigation of cyanation of aldehydes, ketones, aldimines and ketimines with trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) or ethyl cyanoformate (CNCOOEt) as the cyanide source has been accomplished by employing an in situ generated catalyst from cinchona alkaloid, tetraisopropyl titanate [Ti(OiPr)₄] and an achiral modified biphenol. With TMSCN as the cyanide source, good to excellent results have been achieved for the Strecker reaction of N‐Ts (Ts=p‐toluenesulfonyl) aldimines and ketimines (up to >99 % yield and >99 % ee) as well as for the cyanation of ketones (up to 99 % yield and 98 % ee). By using CNCOOEt as the alternative cyanide source, cyanation of aldehyde was accomplished and various enantioenriched cyanohydrin carbonates were prepared in up to 99 % yield and 96 % ee. Noteworthy, CNCOOEt was successfully employed for the first time in the asymmetric Strecker reaction of aldimines and ketimines, affording various α‐amino nitriles with excellent yields and ee values (up to >99 % yield and >99 % ee). The merits of current protocol involved facile availability of ligand components, operational simplicity and mild reaction conditions, which made it convenient to prepare synthetically important chiral cyanohydrins and α‐amino nitriles. Furthermore, control experiments and NMR analyses were performed to shed light on the catalyst structure. It is indicated that all the hydroxyl groups in cinchona alkaloid and biphenol complex with Ti^IV, forming the catalyst with the structure of (biphenoxide)Ti(OR*)(OiPr). The absolute configuration adopted by biphenol 4 m in the catalyst was identified as S configuration according to the evidence from control experiments and NMR analyses. Moreover, the roles of the protonic additive (iPrOH) and the tertiary amine in the cinchona alkaloid were studied in detail, and the real cyanide reagent in the catalytic cycle was found to be hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Finally, two plausible catalytic cycles were proposed to elucidate the reaction mechanisms.     

Enantioselective Construction of Vicinal Tetrasubstituted Stereocenters by the Mannich Reaction of Silyl Ketene Imines with Isatin‐Derived Ketimines

A highly enantioselective Mannich reaction of silyl ketene imines with isatin‐derived ketimines has been realized by using a chiral N,N′‐dioxide/Zn^II catalyst. A variety of β‐amino nitriles containing congested vicinal tetrasubstituted stereocenters were obtained with excellent outcomes (up to 98 % yield, >19:1 d.r. and 99 % ee). Based on the experimental investigations, a possible transition state has been proposed to explain the origin of the asymmetric induction.     

A new type of organocatalyst for highly stereoselective Michael addition of ketones to nitroolefins on water

(S)-2-((Naphthalen-2-ylsulfonyl)methyl)pyrrolidine, prepared in three steps from (S)-N-Boc-2-[((4-toluenesulfonyl)oxy)methyl]pyrrolidine in 62% overall yield, was used as a new type of organocatalyst bearing a pyrrolidine and a sulfone moiety. It shows very high catalytic activity toward the direct asymmetric Michael reaction of cyclohexanone and nitroolefins. All the corresponding adducts can be furnished in 90-99% yields and with up to 98% ee and over 99:1 dr on water in the presence of this catalyst (15 mol %) without any additive.     

Enantioselective direct Mannich reactions of 3-substituted oxindoles catalyzed by chiral phosphine via dual-reagent catalysis

A combination of an amino acid-derived chiral phosphine catalyst and methyl acrylate to catalyze the direct Mannich reaction of 3-substituted oxindoles and imines has been reported to afford 3-tetrasubstituted oxindole derivatives which are key structures for biological activities. The products are formed with a quaternary carbon and featured with two adjacent chiral centers. Various N-EDG(electron-donating group) and N-EWG(electron-withdrawing group) protected oxindoles, including 3-aryl and 3-alkyl substituted ones, have been evaluated with aromatic and aliphatic imines under this catalytic system, smoothly giving desired products in good yields as well as excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities.     

Asymmetric syntheses of methyl N-Boc-2-deoxy-2-amino-l-erythroside,methyl N-Boc-2-deoxy-2-amino-d-threoside and methyl N-Boc-2,3-dideoxy-3-amino-l-arabinopyranoside

The asymmetric syntheses of methyl N-Boc-2-deoxy-2-amino-l-erythroside and methyl N-Boc-2-deoxy-2-amino-d-threoside have been achieved from sorbic acid, in six and eight steps, and in 35 and 13% overall yield, respectively. Diastereoselective aminohydroxylation of tert-butyl sorbate gives access to two diastereoisomeric α-hydroxy-β-amino-γ,δ-unsaturated esters. Reduction of the ester functionality and ozonolysis of the double bond gives the corresponding aldehyde, which exists exclusively in the ring-closed (furanose) form. An alternative synthesis of methyl N-Boc-2-deoxy-2-amino-l-erythroside was also developed, reliant on aminohydroxylation of an α,β-unsaturated ester bearing an acetal functionality at the γ-position, and this synthesis proceeded in five steps and 54% overall yield from acrolein diethyl acetal. This approach was extended to permit the synthesis of methyl N-Boc-2,3-dideoxy-3-amino-l-arabinopyranoside in six steps and 58% overall yield from ethyl 3,3-diethoxypropanote.