Synthesis of enantiopure sulfinimines (thiooxime S-oxides) catalyzed by Yb(OTf)(3) from p-toluenesulfinamide and aldehydes in mild reaction conditions

Enantiomerically pure sulfinimines as important building blocks in the asymmetric synthesis of amine derivatives are prepared in good to excellent yields from chiral p-toluenesulfinamide with aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic aldehydes. The unprecedented feature of the reported procedure is that the formation of the sulfinimines was achieved by the catalytic action of Yb(OTf)(3) in THF at room temperature. The reaction conditions were also applicable to Ellman's sulfinimines.     

Adventures in sulfur-nitrogen chemistry

This account reviews our efforts over the past 37 years to understand the chemistry of a select group of sulfur-nitrogen compounds including sulfinimines (N-sulfinyl imines) and N-sulfonyloxaziridines. Our early exploration of the thermal properties of sulfenamides, a class of sulfur-nitrogen compounds about which little was known, resulted in a new procedure, the silver-assisted method, for the construction of sulfenimines (N-sulfenyl imines). Selective oxidations of these compounds resulted in the production of N-sulfinyl imines (sulfinimines) and N-sulfonyloxaziridines. N-Sulfonyloxaziridines turned out to be a new class of aprotic neutral oxidizing reagents. Enantiomerically pure examples afford high ee values in the oxidation of enolates to alpha-hydroxy carbonyl compounds and in the oxidation of sulfides and selenides to sulfoxides and selenoxides. Additions of organometallic reagents to enantiomerically pure sulfinimines provide the best and most versatile method for the asymmetric construction of the carbon-nitrogen stereocenters found in many biologically active compounds. Sulfinimine-derived chiral building blocks provide efficient access to many classes of nitrogen heterocycles including aziridines, 2H-azirines, pyrrolidines, and piperidines.     

Stereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidine derivatives via reduction of substituted pyrroles

The heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of highly substituted pyrrole systems was studied. These aromatic systems could be fully reduced with excellent diastereoselectivity to afford functionalized pyrrolidines with up to four new stereocenters. It is likely that the reaction is a two-step hydrogenation sequence, and that initial reduction of the C=X bond provides a stereocenter that directs the subsequent reduction of the pyrrole.     

Synthesis and applications of masked oxo-sulfinamides in asymmetric synthesis

This short perspective reports on the synthesis and applications of a class of chiral amino carbonyl compounds, masked oxo-sulfinamides where the amine is protected with an N-sulfinyl moiety and the carbonyl group is protected as the ketal or 1,3-dithiane. These polyfunctionalized chiral building blocks are prepared by addition of organometallic reagents to masked oxo-sulfinimines (N-sulfinyl imines) or the addition of oxo-organometallic reagents and lithio-1,3-dithianes to sulfinimines. Because unmasking of the amino and carbonyl groups results in cyclic imines, these chiral building blocks are particularly useful for the asymmetric synthesis of functionalized nitrogen heterocycles, including prolines, pipecolic acids, pyrrolidines, homotropinones, tropinones, and tropane alkaloids such as cocaine and C-1 cocaine analogues.     

Brønsted acid catalyzed regioselective aza-Ferrier reaction: a novel synthetic method for alpha-(N-Boc-2-pyrrolidinyl) aldehydes

The 1,4-elimination reaction of (Z)-N-Boc-2-(4-methoxy-2-alkenyloxy)pyrrolidines is shown to proceed with high (1E,3E)-stereoselectivity to afford N-Boc-2-(1,3-dienyloxy)pyrrolidines; the Br?nsted acid catalyzed aza-Ferrier reaction of the N-Boc-2-(1,3-dienyloxy)pyrrolidines (3) provides alpha-(N-Boc-2-pyrrolidinyl) aldehydes in excellent yields with high alpha-regioselectivities.     

Double reduction of cyclic aromatic sulfonamides: a novel method for the synthesis of 2- and 3-aryl-substituted cyclic amines

The facile double reduction of bicyclic aromatic sulfonamides was used to synthesize a variety of 2- and 3-aryl-substituted pyrrolidines and 2-phenylpiperidine. The method features a combined nitrogen protection and a traceless tether for the transposition of the aromatic moiety from nitrogen to carbon.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 3-hydroxy-pyrrolidines via tin-lithium exchange and cyclization

We report a method for the synthesis of chiral pyrrolidines using tin-lithium exchange and cyclization reactions. The precursors are formed readily from simple starting materials and undergo tin-lithium exchange by treatment with n-butyllithium. Subsequent intramolecular carbolithiation is stereoselective to give highly enantiomerically enriched pyrrolidines in excellent yields.     

Efficient Copper‐Catalyzed Direct Intramolecular Aminotrifluoromethylation of Unactivated Alkenes with Diverse Nitrogen‐Based Nucleophiles

A mild, convenient, and step‐economical intramolecular aminotrifluoromethylation of unactivated alkenes with a variety of electronically distinct, nitrogen‐based nucleophiles in the presence of a simple copper salt catalyst, in the absence of extra ligands, is described. Many different nitrogen‐based nucleophiles (e.g., basic primary aliphatic and aromatic amines, sulfonamides, carbamates, and ureas) can be employed in this new aminotrifluoromethylation reaction. The aminotrifluoromethylation process allows straightforward access to diversely substituted CF₃‐containing pyrrolidines or indolines, in good to excellent yields, through a direct difunctionalization strategy from the respective acyclic starting materials. Mechanistic studies were conducted and a plausible mechanism was proposed.     

A new synthesis of pyrrolidines by way of an enantioselective Mannich/diastereoselective hydroamination reaction sequence

A new two-step synthesis of highly substituted pyrrolidines has been developed. Chiral silane Lewis acid promoted enantioselective Mannich reactions of silyl ketene imines with acylhydrazones may be used to access bishomoallylic benzoic hydrazides that in turn may be cyclized to pyrrolidines by way of the thermal hydroamination reaction reported recently by Beauchemin. Importantly, excellent diastereoselectivity may be realized in the hydroamination reactions.     

3 + 2] cycloaddition on carbohydrate templates: stereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidines

Pyrrolidine derivatives were prepared in high diastereoselectivities and good yields via a [3 + 2] cycloaddition of a tert-butyldimethylsilyl protected carbohydrate-based allene with a diverse range of imines. The subsequent removal of the carbohydrate auxiliary afforded a variety of pyrrolidines with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). Selective reduction of the pyrrolidines further demonstrated the potential of this strategy.     

Stereoselective addition of Grignard reagents to sulfinimines derived from tartrate diol (threitol): Generation of chiral building blocks for the collective total synthesis of lentiginosine,conhydrine and methyldihydropalustramate

A systematic investigation of the addition of Grignard reagents to sulfinimines derived from tartaric acid diol was undertaken. It was observed that the chirality of the inherent tartrate moiety influences the diastereoselectivity of the resultant sulfinamides formed in the reaction. The formed products serve as excellent building blocks for the synthesis of natural products. This has been demonstrated in the collective total synthesis of lentiginosine, (+)-α-conhydrine and methyldihydropalustramate.     

Sulfonamides as novel terminators of cationic cyclisations

Trifluoromethanesulfonic (triflic) acid is an excellent catalyst for inducing overall 5-endo cyclisation of homoallylic sulfonamides [e.g. 4] to give pyrrolidines [e.g. 5]. In competitive experiments, pyrrolidines or homopiperidines are formed in preference to piperidines, even when the latter would be obtained by trapping a tertiary carbocation. Cationic cascades terminated by a sulfonamide group are viable for the efficient formation of polycyclic systems.     

2-Trimethylsilylethanesulfonyl (SES) versus tosyl (Ts) protecting group in the preparation of nitrogen-containing five-membered rings. A novel route for the synthesis of substituted pyrrolines and pyrrolidines

The 2-trimethylsilylethanesulfonyl (or SES) protecting group was compared to the tosyl (Ts) group in the preparation of a nitrogen-containing five-membered ring obtained by the aza-Baylis-Hillman/alkylation/RCM route. While deprotection of Ts-protected pyrrolines gave only pyrroles, deprotection of the same SES-protected compounds gave either pyrroles or free amine pyrrolines depending on the deprotection conditions. The SES-protected pyrrolines were hydrogenated to yield pyrrolidines with an excellent diastereoselectivity. Free amine pyrrolidines were obtained by HF-mediated deprotection of the SES group.     

Intramolecular Cyclization of 1-Benzyl-2-(nitromethylene)pyrrolidines in Triflic Acid

1-Benzyl-2-(nitromethylene)pyrrolidines in triflic acid undergo intramolecular cyclization to afford the corresponding 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-b]isoquinolinium triflates and/or 10-amino-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-b]isoquinolinium triflates, depending on the nature of the aromatic substituent. Structures of products and reaction mechanisms are discussed.     

Probing the diastereoselectivity in the cyclization of cationic aminyl radicals

The diastereoselective intramolecular cyclization of cationic aminyl radicals into the corresponding pyrrolidines has been investigated. The selectivities obtained are good to excellent.     

Unusual NHC–Iridium(I) Complexes and Their Use in the Intramolecular Hydroamination of Unactivated Aminoalkenes

N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands with naphthyl side chains were employed for the synthesis of unsaturated, yet isolable [(NHC)Ir(cod)]⁺ (cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene) complexes. These compounds are stabilised by an interaction of the aromatic wingtip that leads to a sideways tilt of the NHC?Ir bond. Detailed studies show how the tilting of such N‐heterocyclic carbenes affects the electronic shielding properties of the carbene carbon atom and how this is reflected by significant upfield shifts in the ¹³C NMR signals. When employed in the intramolecular hydroamination, these [(NHC)Ir(cod)]⁺ species show very high catalytic activity under mild reaction conditions. An enantiopure version of the catalyst system produces pyrrolidines with excellent enantioselectivities.     

A convenient procedure for the catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides and alkenes

[reaction: see text] Silver fluoride and cinchona alkaloids catalyze the diastereo- and enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between azomethine ylides, generated from N-alkylideneglycine esters, and acrylates to give the corresponding endo-adducts. Azomethine ylides derived from aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes react in a highly diastereoselective reaction with good yields and enantioselectivities of the substituted pyrrolidines.     

Divergent Synthesis of Multisubstituted Tetrahydrofurans and Pyrrolidines via Intramolecular Aldol‐type Trapping of Onium Ylide Intermediates

This paper reports a divergent strategy for the synthesis of multisubstituted tetrahydrofurans and pyrrolidines, starting from easily accessible β‐hydroxyketones or β‐aminoketones to react with diazo compounds. Under Rh^II catalysis, this transformation is proposed to proceed through a metal–carbene‐induced oxonium ylide or ammonium ylide formation followed by an intramolecular aldol‐type trapping of these active intermediates. A series of highly substituted tetrahydrofurans and pyrrolidines are synthesized in high yields with good to excellent diastereoselectivities. Preliminary biological evaluations revealed that both types of heterocycles show good PTP1B inhibitory activities.     

A facile synthesis of N-sulfinylaldimines

A simple and efficient procedure for the synthesis of N-sulfinylaldimines (sulfinimines) from sulfinamides and aldehydes is described. The reaction was carried out in the presence of t-BuOK or NaOH. The method is applicable for the synthesis of optically active sulfinimines.