A computational study of the enantioselective addition of n-BuLi to benzaldehyde in the presence of a chiral lithium N,P amide

In the presence of a chiral lithium N,P amide, alkylation of benzaldehyde results in an enantioselective formation of 1-phenyl-pentanol. This stereoselective addition reaction has herein been studied using dispersion-corrected density functional theory. For five different chiral ligands originating from amino acids the resulting enantioselectivity has been computationally determined and compared with experimentally available enantiomeric ratios (e.r.). In all cases the experimentally preferred enantiomer could be reproduced by the computational model. The selectivity trend among the ligands was found strongly sensitive to the amount of dispersion correction included. The origin of selectivity in the alkylation reaction is found to be composed of many combined interactions. For the most selective ligand 2A the most important factors found, which are favouring the (R)-TS, are a CH-π interaction between benzaldehyde-dimethyl ether (DME), stronger Li-solvation, and Li-π interactions with the phenyl ring in the backbone of the chiral lithium N,P amide. In addition, solvation by the bulk solvent and the size of the substituent on the nitrogen are also found important factors for the enantioselectivity.     

A 2,3-butanedione protected chiral glycine equivalent--a new building block for the stereoselective synthesis of enantiopure N-protected alpha-amino acids

A new chiral glycine equivalent 7 has been synthesised from glycidol using a chiral memory protocol, and its use in the synthesis of N-Z protected alpha-amino acids was demonstrated in a series of diasteroselective lithium enolate alkylation reactions and subsequent acid hydrolyses.     

Highly enantioselective direct alkylation of arylacetic acids with chiral lithium amides as traceless auxiliaries

A direct, highly enantioselective alkylation of arylacetic acids via enediolates using a readily available chiral lithium amide as a stereodirecting reagent has been developed. This approach circumvents the traditional attachment and removal of chiral auxiliaries used currently for this type of transformation. The protocol is operationally simple, and the chiral reagent is readily recoverable.     

A novel asymmetric route to succinimides and derived compounds: synthesis of the lignan lactone (+)-hinokinin

A novel approach to chiral succinimides and derived compounds has been developed that involves chiral lithium amide desymmetrisation of an N-ortho-tert-butylphenyl succinimide to generate a putative atropisomeric intermediate enolate, alkylation of which enables access to the lignan lactone (+)-hinokinin.     

Enantioselective alkylation of lactams and lactones via lithium enolate formation using a chiral tetradentate lithium amide in the presence of lithium bromide

Enantioselective alkylation of lactams and lactones can be realized up to 98% ee by deprotonation with a chiral tetradentate lithium amide (4b) in the presence of lithium bromide, and subsequent alkylation with active alkylating agents in non-chelating solvents.     

A new methodology for synthesis of a chiral phosphinocarboxylic acid through Michael cyclization-aldol tandem reaction of chiral alpha,beta,chi,psi-unsaturated bisphosphine oxide and application in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation

Upon successive treatment with lithium diisopropylamide and then benzaldehyde, a chiral alpha,beta,psi,omega-unsaturated bisphosphine oxide underwent Michael cyclization-aldol tandem reaction to afford the corresponding endo-alpha,beta-unsaturated cyclic bisphosphine oxides. Sequential stereoselective reduction and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination gave the corresponding monophosphine oxide. Oxidative conversion of an olefin moiety into a carboxyl group and subsequent deoxygenation of an oxide gave the corresponding chiral phosphinocarboxylic acid, which was successfully applied as a chiral and functionalized monophosphine ligand in a palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation.     

Total Synthesis of (-)-Tetrahydropalmatine via Chiral Formamidine Carbanions: Unexpected Behavior with Certain Ortho-Substituted Electrophiles

A method has been developed by alkylation of chiral lithioformamidines to construct protoberberine alkaloids with a C(9) and C(10) D-ring substitution pattern. This ring pattern was established using an ortho-substituted hydroxymethylbenzene electrophile protected as a silyl ether to ultimately provide (-)-tetrahydropalmatine in 88% ee. Additionally, we have discovered limitations with ortho-substituted electrophiles in the asymmetric formamidine alkylation. These electrophiles have the potential to disrupt the lithium formamidine chelate and cause the selectivity in the alkylation to be uncharacteristically low. The total synthesis of (+/-)-canadine and (-)-tetrahydropalmatine along with the limitations to the formamidine alkylation technology are delineated herein.     

(S,S)-(+)-Pseudoephedrine as chiral auxiliary in asymmetric conjugate addition and tandem conjugate addition/alpha-alkylation reactions

Organolithium reagents undergo highly regio- and diastereoselective 1,4-addition to (S,S)-(+)-pseudoephedrine enamides furnishing the corresponding beta-alkyl-substituted adducts in excellent yields and diastereoselectivities. In addition, the intermediate lithium enolates generated after the conjugate addition step undergo a highly diastereoselective alkylation reaction, furnishing alpha,beta-dialkyl-substituted amides in high yields. The obtained adducts have been converted into chiral nonracemic beta-alkyl- and alpha,beta-dialkyl-substituted carboxylic acids and gamma-alkyl- and beta,gamma-dialkyl-substituted alcohols using very simple and high-yielding procedures.     

Asymmetric syntheses of trans-3,4-disubstituted 2-piperidinones and piperidines

A convenient and practical method for the preparation of chiral 4-aryl-2-piperidinone from 3-arylglutaric anhydride and (S)-methylbenzylamine is described. Acylation or alkylation at the α-carbon of the chiral 4-aryl-2-piperidinone product afforded chiral trans-3,4-disubstituted 2-piperidinone derivatives and reduction of the chiral 2-piperidinones with lithium aluminum hydride provided the corresponding enantiomerically pure trans-3,4-disubstituted piperidines. This methodology has been successfully applied to the synthesis of the anti-depressant paroxetine.     

Recent advances in the application of chiral phosphine ligands in Pd-catalysed asymmetric allylic alkylation

One of the most powerful approaches for the formation of simple and complex chiral molecules is the metal-catalysed asymmetric allylic alkylation. This reaction has been broadly studied with a great variety of substrates and nucleophiles under different reaction conditions and it has promoted the synthesis of new chiral ligands to be evaluated as asymmetric inductors. Although the mechanism as well as the active species equilibria are known, the performance of the catalytic system depends on the fine tuning of factors such as type of substrate, nucleophile nature, reaction medium, catalytic precursor and type of ligand used. Particularly interesting are chiral phosphines which have proved to be effective asymmetric inductors in several such reactions. The present review covers the application of phosphine-donor ligands in Pd-catalysed asymmetric allylic alkylation in the last decade.     

Synthesis of Novel Chiral Phosphoric Acid‐Bearing Two Acidic Phenolic Hydroxyl Groups and its Catalytic Evaluation for Enantioselective Friedel‐Crafts Alkylation of Indoles and Enones

A novel chiral phosphoric acid catalyst bearing two acidic phenolic hydroxyl groups was synthesized. Its catalytic activity as a chiral Brøsted acid has been examined in the enantioselective Friedel‐Crafts alkylation of indoles and enones as a model reaction. In comparison with the other chiral phosphoric acid catalysts, the reaction catalyzed by the novel chiral catalyst afforded the desired 3‐substituted indoles in a higher enantioselectivity (up to 69% ee).     

Regio- and enantiospecific rhodium-catalyzed arylation of unsymmetrical fluorinated acyclic allylic carbonates: inversion of absolute configuration

The transition metal-catalyzed allylic substitution with unstabilized carbon nucleophiles represents an important cross-coupling reaction for the construction of ternary carbon stereogenic centers. We have developed a new regio- and enantiospecific rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of acyclic unsymmetrical chiral nonracemic allylic alcohol derivatives with aryl zinc bromides. This study demonstrates that the hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate rhodium catalyst and zinc(II) halide salt are crucial for efficiency, while the addition of lithium bromide to the catalyst is necessary for obtaining optimal regiospecificity. The stereochemical course of this reaction was established through the synthesis of (S)-ibuprofen, which demonstrated that the alkylation proceeds with net inversion of absolute configuration consistent with direct addition of the nucleophile to the metal center followed by reductive elimination.     

Regio- and enantioselective Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation of ketones through allyl enol carbonates

The Pd-catalyzed reorganization of enol allyl carbonates to allylated ketones occurs asymmetrically in the presence of chiral ligands previously developed in this group. With 2-methylcyclohexanone, asymmetric regioselective alkylation occurs at the more substituted carbon without complications of polyalkylation. Alkylation to create quaternary centers in indanones and benzonabenone occurs in much higher ee than using tin or lithium enolates. The sense of enantioinduction in tetralones is opposite from the tin and lithium enolate examples. For the first time, asymmetric creation of tertiary centers occurs with high ee (78-99%). The different results between this reaction and the use of lithium or tin enolates suggest different mechanisms may be involved.     

Practical synthesis of sultams via sulfonamide dianion alkylation: application to the synthesis of chiral sultams

[reaction: see text]. A practical synthesis of sultams was developed via intramolecular sulfonamide dianion alkylation. This method has been applied toward the synthesis of chiral sultams, which are synthetically valuable as chiral auxiliaries.     

手性磷酸催化剂在不对称合成中的应用

手性磷酸是2004年报道的一类具有新型结构的强酸性Bronsted酸催化剂,近几年来的研究取得了很大的进展,已经成为有机小分子催化剂的一个重要分支。手性磷酸在催化一系列亚胺的加成和还原反应比如Mannich、亚胺的氢转移、亚胺的膦酰化、Pictet-Spengler、 Strecker、aza-Diels-Alder、 Friedel-Craft和α-重氮酯的烷基化等反应时都表现出了非常好的催化活性和立体选择性。本文主要综述了手性磷酸催化剂应用于亚胺相关反应的研究进展。     

Phosphate-phosphonate conversion: Nucleophilic displacement reactions involving phosphoric esters and methyllithium

The alkylation-metalation reaction of phosphoric esters depends on the way the lithium reagent has been prepared. With salt-containing methyllithium (LiBr or LiI), the alkylation is never complete. On the contrary, with salt-free methyllithium, the alkylation is completed at – 10°C. This reaction is performed independently of the substituents at the phosphoryl group.     

Enantioselective conjugate addition of a lithium ester enolate catalyzed by chiral lithium amides

Mixed aggregates of chiral lithium amide and lithium ester enolate have been employed in the enantioselective conjugate addition on alpha,beta-unsaturated esters. Michael adducts were obtained in ee's up to 76% combining a lithium enolate and a chiral 3-aminopyrrolidine lithium amide. The sense of the induction was found to be determined by both the relative configuration of the stereogenic centers borne by the amide and the solvent in which the reaction was conducted. [reaction: see text]     

The versatile roles of ammonium salt catalysts in enantioselective reduction and alkylation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes: iminium catalysis, enamine catalysis and acid catalysis

A novel strategy for highly efficient utilization of chiral ammonium salt catalysts has been described in this paper. Three kinds of catalytic functions including iminium catalysis, enamine catalysis, and acid catalysis of chiral ammonium salt catalysts, have been achieved in the enantioselective reduction and alkylation reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with alcohols.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Ring‐Opening Reactions of Aziridines with 3‐Aryl‐Oxindoles

A highly enantioselective ring‐opening alkylation reaction between 3‐aryl‐oxindole and N‐(2‐picolinoyl) aziridine has been realized for the first time. The reaction is efficiently mediated by a simple in‐situ‐generated magnesium catalyst and 3,3′‐fluorinated‐BINOL (BINOL=1,1′‐binaphthalene‐2,2′‐diol) has been identified as a powerful chiral ligand. Notably, the fluorine atom on the chiral ligand plays a key role in providing the desired chiral 3‐alkyl‐3‐aryl oxindoles with excellent enantioselectivities.     

Diastereoselective alkylation reactions employing a camphor-based chiral oxazinone auxiliary

An almost complete π-face selectivity is obtained in asymmetric alkylation reactions of lithium enolates derived from imide 2 which contains a camphor-based chiral oxazinone auxiliary.