Substitution of both chloro and sulfinyl groups of aryl 1-chlorocyclopropyl sulfoxides in one-pot via cyclopropylmagnesium carbenoids: a synthesis of multi-substituted cyclopropanes

The rearrangement of cyclopropylmagnesium carbenoids, which were generated from aryl 1-chlorocyclopropyl sulfoxides with a Grignard reagent, to allenes was found to be suppressed by adding HMPA as an additive. Alkylation of the cyclopropylmagnesium carbenoids with the Grignard reagent gives mainly alkylated cyclopropylmagnesium chloride instead. The cyclopropylmagnesium chloride intermediate can be trapped with several electrophiles to afford multi-substituted cyclopropanes. This procedure provides a new method for a synthesis of multi-substituted cyclopropanes.     

Remote Construction of Chiral Vicinal Tertiary and Quaternary Centers by Catalytic Asymmetric 1,6‐Conjugate Addition of Prochiral Carbon Nucleophiles to Cyclic Dienones

An unprecedented remote construction of chiral vicinal tertiary and quaternary centers by a catalytic asymmetric 1,6‐conjugate addition of prochiral carbon nucleophiles to cyclic dienones has been developed. Both 5H‐oxazol‐4‐ones and 2‐oxindoles were found to be very efficient carbon nucleophiles in this reaction at a remote position, giving products with excellent enantio‐ and diastereoselectivities (up to 99 % ee and >19:1 d.r. for 5H‐oxazol‐4‐ones and up to 97 % ee and >19:1 d.r. for 2‐oxindoles).     

Generation of magnesium carbenoids from 1-chloroalkyl phenyl sulfoxides with a Grignard reagent and applications to alkylation and olefin synthesis

Treatment of 1-chloroalkyl phenyl sulfoxides with a Grignard reagent at low temperature gave magnesium carbenoids in quantitative yields. The generated magnesium carbenoids were found to be stable at lower than −60 °C for long periods of time and are reactive with Grignard reagents to give alkylated products. The reaction of the generated magnesium carbenoids with various kinds of lithium α-sulfonyl carbanions gave olefins with carbon-carbon bond-formation in good to high yields. This method offers a good way for the preparation of olefins. The scope and limitations of the above-mentioned reactions are described.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 4,4-disubstituted 2-cyclopentenones from optically active 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides and cyanomethyllithium with formation of a quaternary chiral center

Treatment of optically active 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides having two different substituents at the 2-position, which were synthesized from unsymmetrical ketones and (R)-(−)-chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide in three steps, with cyanomethyllithium gave optically active 2-amino-1-cyano-5,5-disubstituted-1,3-cyclopentadienes with very high asymmetric induction from the sulfoxide chiral center. The products were converted to the enantiomerically pure 4,4-disubstituted 2-cyclopentenones by heating with phosphoric acid in acetic acid.     

A novel synthesis of 2,4,4-trisubstituted 2-cyclopentenones by consecutive reaction of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides with acetonitrile and its homologues

1-Chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides were synthesized from several kinds of ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide in three steps in high overall yields. Treatment of the 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides with cyanomethyllithium (lithium α-carbanion of acetonitrile) at low temperature gave the adducts in almost quantitative yields. The adducts were then treated with LDA followed by excess lithium α-carbanion of the homologues of acetonitrile to afford 3,5,5-trisubstituted cyclopentadienyl enaminonitriles, which were hydrolyzed and heated under acidic conditions to give 2,4,4-trisubstituted 2-cyclopentenones in good overall yields.     

A novel synthesis, including asymmetric synthesis, of 2,4,4-trisubstituted 2-cyclopentenones based on the reaction of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides with acetonitrile and its homologues

Reaction of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were synthesized from chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide and ketones in high overall yields, with cyanomethyllithium (lithium α-carbanion of acetonitrile) gave adducts in high to quantitative yields. The adducts were treated with LDA followed by lithium α-carbanion of the homologues of acetonitrile to give 3,5,5-trisubstituted enaminonitriles in good to high yields. Hydrolysis of the enaminonitriles under acidic conditions gave 2,4,4-trisubstituted 2-cyclopentenones in good yields. By using the optically active chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide and unsymmetrical ketones, this procedure gave the optically pure 2,4,4-trisubstituted 2-cyclopentenones. The scope and limitations of this method and the mechanism of the reactions are also discussed. These procedures offer a new and effective method for the synthesis of 2,4,4-trisubstituted 2-cyclopentenones from four components, ketones, chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, acetonitrile, and its homologues.     

A new method for synthesis of α,α-disubstituted carbonyl compounds from carbonyl compounds with one-carbon homologation through β-oxido carbenoid rearrangement as the key reaction

The addition reaction of carbonyl compounds with lithium α-sulfinyl carbanions of 1-chloroalkyl p-tolyl sulfoxides gave adducts, α-chloro β-hydroxy sulfoxides, in high to quantitative yields. The adducts were first treated with a base to give alkoxides, which were treated with i-PrMgCl or t-BuLi to give β-oxido carbenoids via a sulfoxide-metal exchange reaction. The β-oxido carbenoid rearrangement then took place to afford the enolates with one-carbon elongation. The enolate intermediates were found to be able to be trapped with electrophiles such as aldehydes, ethyl chloroformate, benzoyl chloride, haloalkanes to give α,α-disubstituted carbonyl compounds in moderate to good yields. This method provides a new and efficient way for synthesis of α,α-disubstituted carbonyl compounds from carbonyl compounds with one-carbon homologation in only two synthetic operations.     

A new synthesis of amides and γ-lactones based on the conjugate addition of lithium enolate of amides to 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides

Reaction of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were synthesized from chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide and ketones or aldehydes, with lithium enolate of N,N-dimethylacetamide gave the adducts in good to quantitative yields. The adducts were converted to several kinds of amides in high overall yields. Treatment of the adducts with trifluoroacetic anhydride in the presence of NaI resulted in the formation of γ-tolylsulfanylated γ-lactones in high yields. The scope and limitations of this method and the mechanism of the reactions are also discussed. These procedures offer a new and effective method for the synthesis of amides and γ-lactones having substituents on the β-carbon from N,N-dimethylacetamide with carbon elongation.     

A novel method for asymmetric synthesis of both enantiomers of α-substituted carboxylic acid derivatives from optically active 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides and lithium ester enolates with 1,4-chiral induction from the sulfur chiral center

Treatment of optically active 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were synthesized from symmetrical ketones and (R)-(−)-chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide in three steps, with lithium enolate of carboxylic acid tert-butyl esters gave optically active adducts having a substituent at the α-position with high 1,4-chiral induction from the sulfur chiral center in high yields. The adducts were converted to optically active esters and carboxylic acids having a chiral center at the α-position. When this addition reaction was carried out with the ester enolate generated from excess carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester with LDA in the presence of HMPA, the diastereomer of the adduct was obtained. By using the two reaction conditions for the generation of the ester enolates, a new method for asymmetric synthesis of both enantiomers of carboxylic acid derivatives having a substituent at the α-position from the one chiral source, (R)-(−)-chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, was realized.     

Enantioselective Friedel–Crafts Alkylation of Indoles with Alkylidene Malonates Catalyzed by N,N′‐Dioxide–Scandium(III) Complexes: Asymmetric Synthesis of β‐Carbolines

An efficient catalytic asymmetric Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indoles with alkylidene malonates has been developed by using a chiral N,N′‐dioxide–Sc(OTf)₃ complex as the catalyst (see scheme). Some optically active intermediates containing the indole skeleton have been synthesized, such as indolepropionic acid, tryptamines, and β‐carbolines. The coordination between the scandium atom and the chiral N,N′‐dioxide compound has been revealed by X‐ray structure analysis.

     

Chiral Ammonium Betaine‐Catalyzed Highly Stereoselective Aza‐Henry Reaction of α‐Aryl Nitromethanes with Aromatic N‐Boc Imines

A highly stereoselective aza‐Henry reaction of α‐aryl nitromethanes with aromatic N‐Boc imines was established by using C₁‐symmetric chiral ammonium betaine as a bifunctional organic base catalyst. Various substituted aryl groups for both imines and nitromethanes were tolerated in the reaction, and a series of precursors for the synthesis of unsymmetrical anti‐1,2‐diaryl ethylenediamines was provided.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Alkynylation of α,β‐Unsaturated 1,1,1‐Trifluoromethyl Ketones with Terminal Alkynes

The first catalytic enantioselective conjugate alkynylation of α,β‐unsaturated 1,1,1‐trifluoromethyl ketones has been carried out. Terminal alkynes and 1,3‐diynes were treated with trifluoromethyl ketones in the presence of a low catalytic load of a Cu^I‐MeOBIPHEP complex (2.5 mol %) and triethylamine (10 mol %) to give the corresponding trifluoromethyl ketones bearing a propargylic stereogenic center at the β position with good yields and excellent enantiomeric excesses in most of the cases. No 1,2‐addition products were formed under the reaction conditions. The procedure showed broad substrate scope for alkyne, diyne, and enone. A rationale for the observed stereochemistry has been provided. Finally, the potential application of the reaction products in the synthesis of chiral tetrahydrofurans bearing a trifluoromethylated quaternary stereocenter has been devised.     

Desulfinative palladium‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of arylsulfonyl hydrazides with aryl bromides under air

A highly efficient and mild palladium‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of arylsulfonyl hydrazides and aryl bromides for the selective synthesis of unsymmetrical biaryls has been developed. This methodology has the advantages of easily accessible starting materials, functional group tolerance and a wide range of substrates, which provide rapid access to biaryls derivatives. In this protocol, abundant and stable aryl bromides serve as the aryl sources by coupling reaction of the aryl group generated from arylsulfonyl hydrazides via in situ release of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide. No external oxidants or acids are needed for this kind of transformation.     

The First Asymmetric Halogen/Metal‐Exchange Reaction: Desymmetrization of Alcohols with Enantiotopic Bromoarene Substituents

Choosy organomagnesium : Prochiral bis(bromoaryl)alcohols were desymmetrized by treatment with iPr₂Mg and an enantiopure Li salt. The resulting arylmagnesium intermediate was trapped with electrophiles. Protonolysis and two follow‐up reactions provided the antihistaminic and anticholinergic drug (R)‐orphenadrine (see scheme).

     

Highly Enantioselective Ring‐Opening Reactions of Aziridines with Indole and Its Application in the Building of C3‐Halogenated Pyrroloindolines

A magnesium‐catalyzed asymmetric ring‐opening reaction of aziridine with indole has been realized by employing commercially available chiral ligands. Both of the enantiomers of the ring‐opening product could be obtained with good yields and a high level of enantioselectivity. The corresponding ring‐opening product could be further transformed to various types of enantioenriched C₃‐halogenated‐pyrroloindolines.     

Synthesis of 2‐Substituted 3‐Alkylidene‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐isoindol‐1‐imines through Cyclization of [1‐(2‐Cyanophenyl)alkylidene]aminide Intermediates Generated from the Reaction of 2‐(1‐Azidoalkyl)benzonitriles with NaH

A convenient sequence for the preparation of 3‐alkylidene‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐isoindol‐1‐imine derivatives 6 has been developed. Thus, 2‐(1‐azidoalkyl)benzonitriles 2 , readily accessible from 2‐alkylbenzonitriles, are allowed to react with NaH in DMF at 0° to room temperature to generate [1‐(2‐cyanophenyl)alkylidene]aminide intermediates 3 , of which cyclization and the subsequent rearrangement, followed by alkylation with alkyl halides, affords 2‐substituted 1‐alkylidene‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐isoindol‐2‐imines 6 in generally moderate yields.     

Heck reactions of aryl halides with alk‐1‐en‐3‐ol derivatives catalysed by a tetraphosphine–palladium complex

cis,cis,cis‐1,2,3,4‐Tetrakis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)cyclopentane–[PdCl(C₃H₅)]₂ efficiently catalyses the Heck reaction of alk‐1‐en‐3‐ol with a variety of aryl halides. In the presence of hex‐1‐en‐3‐ol or oct‐1‐en‐3‐ol, the β‐arylated carbonyl compounds were selectively obtained. Turnover numbers up to 84 000 can be obtained for this reaction. Linalool and 2‐methylbut‐3‐en‐2‐ol led regio‐ and stereoselectively to the corresponding (E)‐1‐arylalk‐1‐en‐3‐ol derivatives. A minor electronic effect of the substituents of the aryl bromide was observed. Quite similar reaction rates were generally observed in the presence of activated aryl bromides such as bromoacetophenone and deactivated aryl bromides such as bromoanisole, indicating that, with these alkenols and this catalyst, the oxidative addition of aryl bromides to palladium is not the rate‐limiting step. It should be noted that this reaction also proceeds with sterically very congested aryl bromides such as 9‐bromoanthracene or 2,4,6‐triisopropylbromobenzene or with a vinyl bromide. On the other hand, low yields were obtained with aryl chlorides. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.