Organic Stereochemistry. Part 2

This review continues a general presentation of the principles of stereochemistry with special reference to medicinal compounds. Here, we explore stereoisomeric compounds characterized by a single or several stereogenic centers (often also called centers of chirality). The main focus will be on chiral tetrahedral structures, namely a) tetracoordinate centers, and b) tricoordinate centers where an electron lone pair plays the role of the fourth substituent, forming a tetrahedron. Following an overview of the main tetrahedral structures of interest in biological and medicinal stereochemistry, the review places emphasis on explaining the two dominant conventions, namely the d,l ‐ and (R,S)‐convention, the latter being known as the CIP (Cahn? Ingold? Prelog) convention. The review ends with a discussion of reactions of stereoisomerization at stereogenic C‐centers and its relevance to drug research.     

Phosphoric Acid-Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of Axially Chiral Anthrone-based Compounds

Anthrones and analogues are structural cores shared by diverse pharmacologically active natural and synthetic compounds. The sp²-rich nature imposes inherent obstruction to introduce stereogenic element onto the tricyclic aromatic backbone. In our pursuit to expand the chemical space of axial chirality, a novel type of axially chiral anthrone-derived skeleton was discovered. This work establishes oxime ether as suitable functionality to furnish axial chirality on symmetric anthrone skeletons through stereoselective condensation of the carbonyl entity with long-range chirality control. The enantioenriched anthrones could be elaborated into dibenzo-fused seven-membered N-heterocycles containing well-defined stereogenic center via Beckmann rearrangement with axial-to-point chirality conversion.     

Chirality in the Absence of Rigid Stereogenic Elements: The Design of Configurationally Stable C3‐Symmetric Propellers

Residual stereoisomerism is a form of stereoisomerism scarcely considered so far for applicative purposes, though extremely interesting, since the production of stereoisomers does not involve classical rigid stereogenic elements. In three‐bladed propeller‐shaped molecules, a preferred stereomerization mechanism, related to the correlated rotation of the rings, allows the free interconversion of stereoisomers inside separated sets (the residual stereoisomers) that can interconvert through higher energy pathways. In light of possible future applications as chiral ligands for transition metals in stereoselective processes, some C₃‐symmetric phosphorus‐centered propellers, which could exist as residual enantiomers, are synthesized and the possibility of resolving their racemates into residual antipodes is explored. While the tris(aryl)methanes are configurationally stable at room temperature, only selected tris(aryl)phosphane oxides display a configurational stability high enough to allow resolution by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase (CSP HPLC) at a semipreparative level at room temperature. Stability was evaluated through different techniques (circular dichroism (CD) signal decay, dynamic CSP HPLC (CSP DHPLC), dynamic NMR analysis (DNMR)) and the results compared and discussed. Phosphanes were found much less stable than the corresponding phosphane oxides, for which preliminary calculations suggest that the three‐ring‐flip enantiomerization mechanism (M₀) would be easier than phosphorus pyramidal inversion. The parameters affecting the configurational stability of the residual enantiomers of C₃‐symmetric propellers are discussed.     

Pseudoasymmetrie in der organischen Chemie

The geometrical foundations of ‘pseudoasymmetry’ and several other related concepts of organic stereochemistry such as ‘prochirality’ and ‘propseudoasymmetry’ in two- and three-dimensional space have been explored. As a consequence some modifications of the R,S system for specification of molecular chirality and stereoisomerism are proposed.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Helicenes

Helicenes and helicene-like molecules, usually containing multiple ortho-fused aromatic rings, possess unique helical chirality. These compounds have found a wide range of important applications in many research fields, such as asymmetric catalysis, molecular recognition, sensors and responsive switches, circularly polarized luminescence materials and others. However, the catalytic enantioselective synthesis of helicenes was largely underexplored, when compared with the enantioselective synthesis of molecules bearing other stereogenic elements (e.g. central chirality and axial chirality). Since the pioneer work of asymmetric synthesis of helicenes via enantioselective [2+2+2] cycloaddition of triynes by Stará and Starý, last two decades have witnessed the tremendous development in the catalytic enantioselective synthesis of helicenes. In this review, we comprehensively summarized the advances in this field, which include methods enabled by both transition metal catalysis and organocatalysis, and provide our perspective on its future development.     

Chirality and Stereogenicity of Square‐Planar Complexes

Square‐planar complexes with achiral and chiral ligands have been enumerated exhaustively under the point‐group D _4h and under the symmetry group S ^[4] of degree 4, where they have been classified in terms of their symmetries and permutabilities. Thereby, their stereochemical properties and relationships have been discussed in detail. In particular, equivalency under point‐group symmetry (e.g., enantiomeric relationships for chiral complexes and prochirality for achiral complexes) and that under permutation‐group symmetry (e.g., proper and improper permutations, stereogenic and astereogenic groups, and enantiostereogenic and diastereogenic groups) have been characterized to give a systematic format for stereochemistry and stereoisomerism.     

Dynamic-to-Static Planar Chirality Conversion in Pillar[5]arenes Regulated by Guest Solvents or Amplified by Crystallization

Controlling dynamic chirality and memorizing the controlled chirality are important. Chirality memory has mainly been achieved using noncovalent interactions. However, in many cases, the memorized chirality arising from noncovalent interactions is erased by changing the conditions such as the solvent and temperature. In this study, the dynamic planar chirality of pillar[5]arenes was successfully converted into static planar chirality by introducing bulky groups through covalent bonds. Before introducing the bulky groups, pillar[5]arene with stereogenic carbon atoms at both rims existed as a pair of diastereomers, and thus showed planar chiral inversion that was dependent on the chain length of the guest solvent. The pS and pR forms, regulated by guest solvents, were both diastereomerically memorized by introducing bulky groups. Furthermore, the diastereomeric excess was amplified by crystallization of the pillar[5]arene. The subsequent introduction of bulky groups yielded pillar[5]arene with an excellent diastereomeric excess (95 % de).     

The First Enantiomeric Stereogenic Sulfur-Chiral Organic Ferroelectric Crystals

Chiral ferroelectric crystals with intriguing features have attracted great interest and many with point or axial chirality based on the stereocarbon have been successively developed in recent years. However, ferroelectric crystals with stereogenic heteroatomic chirality have never been documented so far. Here, we discover and report a pair of enantiomeric stereogenic sulfur-chiral single-component organic ferroelectric crystals, R_s-tert-butanesulfinamide (R_s-tBuSA) and S_s-tert-butanesulfinamide (S_s-tBuSA) through the deep understanding of the chemical design of molecular ferroelectric crystals. Both enantiomers adopt chiral-polar point group 2 (C₂) and exhibit mirror-image relationships. They undergo high-temperature 432F2-type plastic ferroelectric phase transition around 348 K. The ferroelectricity has been well confirmed by ferroelectric hysteresis loops and domains. Polarized light microscopy records the evolution of the ferroelastic domains, according with the fact that the 432F2-type phase transition is both ferroelectric and ferroelastic. The very soft characteristics with low elastic modulus and hardness reveals their excellent mechanical flexibility. This finding indicates the first stereosulfur chiral molecular ferroelectric crystals, opening up new fertile ground for exploring molecular ferroelectric crystals with great application prospects.     

Divergent Control of Point and Axial Stereogenicity: Catalytic Enantioselective C−N Bond‐Forming Cross‐Coupling and Catalyst‐Controlled Atroposelective Cyclodehydration

Catalyst control over reactions that produce multiple stereoisomers is a challenge in synthesis. Control over reactions that involve stereogenic elements remote from one another is particularly uncommon. Additionally, catalytic reactions that address both stereogenic carbon centers and an element of axial chirality are also rare. Reported herein is a catalytic approach to each stereoisomer of a scaffold containing a stereogenic center remote from an axis of chirality. Newly developed peptidyl copper complexes catalyze an unprecedented remote desymmetrization involving enantioselective C?N bond‐forming cross‐coupling. Then, chiral phosphoric acid catalysts set an axis of chirality through an unprecedented atroposelective cyclodehydration to form a heterocycle with high diastereoselectivity. The application of chiral copper complexes and phosphoric acids provides access to each stereoisomer of a framework with two different elements of stereogenicity.     

Stereogenicity/Astereogenicity as Global/Local Permutation-Group Symmetry and Relevant Concepts for Restructuring Stereochemistry

Molecules of ligancy 4 that have been derived from an allene, an ethylene, a tetrahedral, and a square-planar skeleton have been investigated to show that their symmetries are dually and distinctly controlled by point groups and permutation groups. Insomuch as the point-group symmetry was exhibited to control the chirality/achirality of a molecule, sphericity in a molecule, and enantiomeric relationship between molecules [S. Fujita, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 112 (1990) 3390], the permutation-group symmetry has been now clarified to control the stereogenicity of a molecule, tropicity in a molecule, and diastereomeric relationship between molecules. To characterize permutation groups, proper and improper permutations have been defined by comparing proper and improper rotations. Thereby, such permutation groups are classified into stereogenic and astereogenic ones. After a coset representation (CR) of a permutation group has been ascribed to an orbit (equivalence class), the tropicity of the orbit has been defined in term of the global stereogenicity and the local stereogenicity of the CR. As a result, the conventional stereogenicity has now been replaced by the concept local stereogenicity of the present investigation. The terms homotropic, enantiotropic, and hemitropic are coined and used to characterize prostereogenicity. Thus, a molecule is defined as being prostereogenic if it has at least one enantiotropic orbit. Since this definition has been found to be parallel with the definition of prochirality, relevant concepts have been discussed with respect to the parallelism between stereogenicity and chirality in order to restructure the theoretical foundation of stereochemistry and stereoisomerism. The derivation of the skeletons has been characterized by desymmetrization due to the subduction of CRs. The Cahn–Ingold–Prelog (CIP) system has been discussed from the permutational point of view to show that it specifies diastereomeric relationships only. The apparent specification of enantiomeric relationships by the CIP system has been shown to stem from the fact that diastereomeric relationships and enantiomeric ones overlap occasionally in case of tetrahedral molecules.     

Chiral Cooperativity: The Effect of Distant Chiral Centers in Ferrocenylamine Ligands upon Enantioselectivity in the Gold(I)-Catalyzed Aldol Reaction

Long-range chiral cooperativity in enantiomerically pure ferrocenylamine ligands containing both planar and multiple centers of chirality (multiple stereogenic C-atoms) was demonstrated in the Au^I-catalyzed reaction of aldehydes and isocyanoesters. Synthetic methodology was developed for the synthesis of ferrocenylamine ligands with two and three chiral centers of known absolute configuration in the C-side chain in addition to the planar chirality of the molecule. The diastereo- and enantioselectivity of the Au^I-catalyzed formation of the trans- and cis-dihydrooxazoles 5 and 6 , respectively, from benzaldehyde ( 1 ) and methyl isocyanoacetate ( 2 ) depend upon the sequence of chirality (absolute configuration of the chiral centers) in the side chain of the ferrocenylamine ligands. Particularly significant effects were observed upon the enantioselectivity for the minor cis-dihydrooxazole 6 , for which, in certain cases, resulted in a change in the enantiomeric dihydrooxazole 6 produced in excess with a change in the absolute configuration of a distant chiral center. Significant effects upon diastereo- and enantioselectivity were observed when chiral ferrocenylamine ligands containing free OH groups were utilized. Using ligands containing a free OH group gave 6 with an absolute configuration opposite to that produced by the corresponding ester and carbamate derivatives. The possible mechanisms for the transmission of chiral information in the proposed stereoselective transition state (TS) was discussed, including both the formation of a stereogenic N-atom and steric effects based upon Newman's rule of six.     

Sphericities of Double Cosets,Double Coset Representations,and Fujita’s Proligand Method for Combinatorial Enumeration of Stereoisomers

The concepts of double coset representations and sphericities of double cosets are proposed to characterize stereoisomerism, where double cosets are classified into three types, i.e., homospheric double cosets, enantiospheric double cosets, or hemispheric double cosets. They determine modes of substitutions (i.e., chirality fittingness), where homospheric double cosets permit achiral ligands only; enantiospheric ones permit achiral ligands or enantiomeric pairs; and hemispheric ones permit achiral and chiral ligands. The sphericities of double cosets are linked to the sphericities of cycles which are ascribed to right coset representations. Thus, each cycle is assigned to the corresponding sphericity index (a _d , c _d , or b _d ) so as to construct a cycle indices with chirality fittingness (CI-CFs). The resulting CI-CFs are proved to be identical with CI-CFs introduced in Fujita’s proligand method (S. Fujita, Theor. Chem. Acc. 113 (2005) 73–79 and 80–86). The versatility of the CI-CFs in combinatorial enumeration of stereoisomers is demonstrated by using methane derivatives as examples, where the numbers of achiral plus chiral stereoisomers, those of achiral stereoisomers, and those of chiral stereoisomers are calculated separately by means of respective generating functions.     

Jozimine A2: The First Dimeric Dioncophyllaceae‐Type Naphthylisoquinoline Alkaloid,with Three Chiral Axes and High Antiplasmodial Activity

A new dimeric naphthylisoquinoline alkaloid, jozimine A₂ ( 2 ), was isolated from the root bark of an Ancistrocladus species from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its absolute stereostructure was determined by chemical, spectroscopic, and chiroptical methods, and confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. Jozimine A₂ ( 2 ) is one of the as yet very rare naphthylisoquinoline dimers whose central biaryl axis is rotationally hindered. Moreover, it is the first natural dimer of a Dioncophyllaceae‐type alkaloid, that is, lacking oxygen functions at C6, and bearing R configurations at C3 in its two isoquinoline portions. Despite this decreased steric hindrance, the outer biaryl axes are chiral, too, so that jozimine A₂ ( 2 ) has three consecutive stereogenic axes and, together with the four stereogenic centers, seven elements of chirality and is C₂‐symmetric. The new dimer exhibits excellent, and specific, antiplasmodial activity. To further confirm its stereostructure and for likewise testing the bioactivities of its (unnatural) atropo‐diastereomer, compound 2 was prepared by semi‐synthesis from the co‐occurring (and likewise synthetically available) dioncophylline A ( 5 ), along with its atropo‐diastereomer, 3′‐epi‐ 2 .     

Organic Stereochemistry. Part 8

This review terminates our general presentation of the principles of stereochemistry with special reference to the biomedicinal sciences. Here, we discuss and illustrate the principles of prostereoisomerism, and apply these to product and substrate? product stereoselectivity in drug metabolism. The review begins with an overview of the concept of prostereoisomerism, discussing such aspects as homotopic, enantiotopic, and diastereotopic groups and faces. The main part of this review is dedicated to drug and xenobiotic metabolism. Here, the concept of prostereoisomerism proves particularly helpful to avoid confusing metabolic reactions in which an existing stereogenic element (e.g., a stereogenic center) influences the course of the reaction (substrate stereoselectivity), with metabolic reactions which create a stereogenic element (almost always a stereogenic center; product stereoselectivity). Specifically, examples of product stereoselectivity will be taken from functionalization reactions (so‐called phase‐I reactions) and conjugation (so‐called phase‐II reactions). Cases where stereoisomeric substrates show distinct product stereoselectivities (substrate? product stereoselectivity) will also be presented.     

Asymmetric hydroformylation of styrene using rhodium and platinum complexes of diphosphites containing chiral chelate backbones and chiral 1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinane moieties

Several chiral diphosphite ligands containing six stereogenic centres were synthesised and tested in order to study chiral cooperativity in the Rh- and Pt-catalysed asymmetric hydroformylation of styrene. The ligands were prepared either by the reaction of 2,4-pentanediol enantiomers with (4R,6R)-4,6-dimethyl-2-chloro-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinane or that of (1S,3S)-1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanediol with 4,6-dimethyl-2-chloro-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinane enantiomers. Thus the chirality was varied both in the chelate backbone and in the terminal groups of the ligands. In case of Pt-catalysed hydroformylation, the stereogenic elements in the bridge have been found to be determinate for the product configuration with a cooperative effect from the terminal groups when the constellations are matched with 40% e.e. maximum enantioselectivity. Some coordination chemistry and the crystal structure determination of these ligands are also reported.     

Easy Access to Enantiomerically Pure Heterocyclic Silicon-Chiral Phosphonium Cations and the Matched/Mismatched Case of Dihydrogen Release

Phosphonium ions are widely used in preparative organic synthesis and catalysis. The provision of new types of cations that contain both functional and chiral information is a major synthetic challenge and can open up new horizons in asymmetric cation-directed and Lewis acid catalysis. We discovered an efficient methodology towards new Si-chiral four-membered CPSSi* heterocyclic cations. Three synthetic approaches are presented. The stereochemical sequence of anchimerically assisted cation formation with B(C₆F₅)₃ and subsequent hydride addition was fully elucidated and proceeds with excellent preservation of the chiral information at the stereogenic silicon atom. Also the mechanism of dihydrogen release from a protonated hydrosilane was studied in detail by the help of Si-centered chirality as stereochemical probe. Chemoselectivity switch (dihydrogen release vs. protodesilylation) can easily be achieved through slight modifications of the solvent. A matched/mismatched case was identified and the intermolecularity of this reaction supported by spectroscopic, kinetic, deuterium-labeling experiments, and quantum chemical calculations.     

Construction of Axially Chiral Compounds via Central‐to‐Axial Chirality Conversion

Central‐to‐axial chirality conversion represents a fascinating class of chemical processes consisting of the destruction of stereogenic centers and the simultaneous installation of axial chiral elements, which provides efficient methods for the preparation of axially chiral compounds. Using the strategy, a wide range of axially chiral compounds, including biaryls, heterobiaryls, aromatic amides, allenes and vinyl arenes, have been synthesized with high efficiency and excellent enantioselectivity. In addition, central‐to‐axial chirality conversion strategy has been applied to the synthesis of natural products. The strategy has undoubtedly become and will continue to be a hot research topic in the field of asymmetric catalysis and synthesis. In this minireview, we selected some examples to introduce the developments and trends in the central‐to‐axial chirality conversion strategy up to April 2020.     

From Axial Chirality to Central Chiralities: Pinacol Cyclization of 2,2′-Biaryldicarbaldehyde to trans-9,10-Dihydrophenanthrene-9,10-diol

Two salient features —the stereoselectivity to give only the trans-diol, and the stereospecificity to transmit the axial chirality (in case the starting biphenyl is configurationally stable) onto two stereogenic centers of the product—characterize the pinacol cyclization of 2,2′-biaryldicarbaldehydes (see reaction). The accessibility of trans-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-9,10-diols provides the new enantiopure C₂-symmetric diol 1 , which shows potential utility in asymmetric synthesis.     

Intramolecular synergistic catalysis for asymmetric alternating copolymerization of CO2 and meso-epoxides

Asymmetric alternating copolymerization of meso-epoxides and carbon dioxide (CO₂) is an efficient route to produce isotactic polycarbonates with main-chain chirality involving two contiguous stereogenic centers. Based on multi-chiral induction and bimetallic synergistic catalysis, herein, we design novel binaphthol-linked dinuclear aluminum complexes bearing quaternary ammonium salts anchored on the ligand with multiple chiralities for asymmetric copolymerization of CO₂ and meso-epoxides, affording the completely alternating polycarbonates with up to 99% enantioselectivity. Also, they are discovered to be highly active and enantioselective in catalyzing alternating copolymerization of phthalic anhydride and meso-epoxides in a controlled manner. The linked-chain length and steric hindrance at the para-position on the phenolate moieties of the ligand have significant effects on both activity and enantioselectivity. Notably, the bifunctional, multichiral complexes prove to be highly enantioselective and selective even at a low catalyst loading of 20 ppm, indicating an intramolecular synergistic effect between the tethered quaternary ammonium salts and the metallic ions.     

Planar Chiral Phosphoramidites with a Paracyclophane Scaffold: Synthesis,Gold(I) Complexes,and Enantioselective Cycloisomerization of Dienynes

The key structural feature of the new phosphoramidites is a paracyclophane scaffold in which two aryl rings are tethered by both a 1,8‐biphenylene unit and a O?P?O bridge. Suitable aryl substituents generate planar chirality. The corresponding gold(I) complexes promote the cycloisomerization of prochiral nitrogen‐tethered dienynes. These reactions afford bicyclo[4.1.0]heptene derivatives displaying three contiguous stereogenic centers, with very high diastereoselectivity and up to 95 % ee.