Direct catalytic diastereoselective Mannich reactions: the synthesis of protected α-hydroxy-β-aminoketones

The combination of Mg(ClO₄)₂, 2,2′-bipyridine and N-methylmorpholine generates an effective catalyst system for the direct addition of α-carbonate-substituted ketones to aryl N-Ts imines. Methyl-carbonate-substituted ketones deliver acyclic α-hydroxy-β-aminoketone derivates, while ketones substituted with α-iso-propenyl-carbonates furnish cyclic carbamate adducts. In both cases the anti-configured Mannich products dominate.     

Enantioselective synthesis of quaternary α-aminophosphonates via conjugate addition of α-nitrophosphonates to enones

Enantioselective Michael addition of α-nitrophosphonates to enones for the synthesis of α-aminophosphonates is reported for the first time. The reaction proceeds in good to high yields and moderate to high selectivity in the presence of a new quinine thiourea catalyst. The quaternary nitrophosphonates were conveniently transformed to cyclic quaternary α-aminophosphonates via in situ reduction-intramolecular cyclization or Baeyer-Villiger oxidation followed by in situ reduction-intramolecular cyclization.     

Enantioselective synthesis of stimulus-responsive amino acid via asymmetric α-amination of aldehyde

Development of a methodology to control the function of peptides and proteins is an indispensable task in the field of chemical biology and drug delivery. Recently, we reported synthesis of racemic stimulus-responsive amino acids and their application for controlling peptidyl function. In this study, we report enantioselective synthesis of a key intermediate of stimulus-responsive amino acids via asymmetric α-amination reaction of an aldehyde. The obtained chiral intermediate was converted to an Fmoc protected UV-responsive amino acid with (S)-configuration, and it was successfully incorporated into a model peptide by Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis.     

Enantioselective synthesis of α-stereogenic γ-keto esters via formal umpolung

A feasible method has been developed for the enantioselective synthesis of α-stereogenic γ-keto esters. By employing nitro(phenylsulfonyl)methane as an acyl anion equivalent, the integrated Michael addition reaction-oxidative methanolysis protocol allows the preparation of various γ-keto esters with high optical purities.     

Samarium diiodide-promoted electrophilic amination of ketone enolates: efficient synthesis of quaternary carbon-containing α-aminated ketones

An efficient and practical electrophilic amination method that allows the preparation of useful quaternary carbon-containing α-aminoketones was developed. The reaction proceeds regiospecifically via a samarium enolate intermediate at room temperature in the presence of mild reducing agent SmI₂. Unlike the most reported lithium enolate cases, this new amination method does not require the use of strong base such as BuLi or LDA.     

Enantioselective electrophilic bond construction to the α-carbon of α-aminoacids

In this report, we describe three possibilities for aminoacid synthesis using an enantioselective electrophilic process. Thus, enantioselective carboxylation, alkylation and protonation of Schiff bases yield optically active aminoacids with e.e. up to 76%.     

Primary amine catalyzed electrophilic amination of α,α-disubstituted aldehydes

Organocatalytic α-amination of α,α-disubstituted aldehydes promoted by 9-amino-(9-deoxy)-epi-quinine is described. α-Hydrazino aldehydes bearing a quaternary stereogenic center are obtained in good to excellent yields and enantioselectivities.     

Enantioselective synthesis of α-deuterium labelled chiral α-amino acids via dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic azlactones

Catalytic dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of racemic azlactones with EtOD using squaramide-based dimeric cinchona alkaloid organocatalysts is shown to be a highly effective strategy for the preparation of enantiomerically pure α-deuterated chiral α-amino acids.     

Asymmetric synthesis of differentially protected α-alkyl succinates

The alkylation of the chiral iron acyls [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Fe(CO)(PPh₃)COCH₂R] (R = H, Me, n-Pr, n-Bu, i-Bu, n-C₅H₁₁) with t-butyl bromoacetate takes place highly stereoselectively to provide a series of novel iron succinoyl complexes, which on oxidative decomplexation lead directly to chiral α-alkyl succinates.     

Selective synthesis of α-fluoro-β-keto- and α-fluoro-β-aminophosphonates via electrophilic fluorination by selectfluor

A series of α-mono- and α,α-difluoro-β-ketophosphonates were synthesized in moderate to good yields with excellent selectivities via electrophilic fluorination by Selectfluor. Subsequently, synthetic potential of the obtained α-monofluoro-β-ketophosphonates was demonstrated by their application in synthesis of α-monofluoro-β-aminophosphonates, useful building blocks in the preparation of phosphapeptides.     

Titanium-mediated reductive cross-coupling reactions of imines with nitriles: an efficient route for the synthesis of α-aminoketones or 1,2-diketones

The reaction of imines with low-valent titanium species, generated in situ by using Ti(OⁱPr)₄/2 c-C₅H₉MgCl reagent, affords titanium–imine complex, which can couple with nitriles to provide 2,5-diazatitanacyclopentenes. α-Aminoketones are obtained in good yields by quenching the corresponding 2,5-diazatitanacyclopentenes with aqueous HCl solution. However, when the reaction is first quenched with MeOH in air followed by addition of aqueous HCl solution, 1,2-diketones are formed in good to high yields.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (+)-patulolide C via proline-catalyzed sequential α-aminooxylation and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination

The enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-patulolide C isolated from Penicillium urticae has been achieved from commercially available 9-decen-1-ol. Jacobsen’s kinetic resolution and sequential α-aminooxylation and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) olefination followed by Yamaguchi lactonization are used as the key reaction steps.     

Enantioselective synthesis of syn- and anti-1,3-aminoalcohols via β-aminoketones and subsequent reduction/dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation

β-Aminoketones obtained from imines in an organocatalytic Mannich reaction were transformed to enantio- and diastereomerically pure 1,3-aminoalcohols with two stereogenic centers via a combined reduction/dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation. Both syn and anti diastereomers were obtained in high yield, dr, and ee.     

Enantioselective synthesis of antibiotic (+)-rancinamycin III derivative and two protected carbasugars of the α-d-talo-series from furan

The synthesis of (+)-1, a carbasugar related to rancinamycin III, has been achieved from diene (+)-3 in two steps using as the key step the transformation of alkyne (−)-2, obtained by resolution of alcohol 6, into diene (+)-3 by treatment with Na/MeOH. Moreover, reduction of the carbonyl group in (+)-1 affords diol (+)-19, in which different protection strategies of the hydroxy groups allows one to obtain, selectively, protected derivatives of α-d-carbatalopyranose (+)-4a and its 6-desoxy derivative (+)-4b to be obtained selectively.     

Enantioselective synthesis of α-fluoro-β(3)-amino esters: synthesis of enantiopure, orthogonally protected α-fluoro-β(3)-lysine

The scope of a tandem conjugate addition-fluorination sequence performed on α,β-unsaturated esters using the enantiopure lithium amide derived from (S)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amine, and the electrophilic fluorinating agent N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide has been investigated. Using this method, α-fluoro-β(3)-amino esters can be obtained in up to quantitative yield and 80:20 to >99:1 dr. This simple methodology does not rely on the use of α-amino acids from the chiral pool and thus provides the potential for the preparation of enantiopure α-fluoro-β(3)-amino acids with a wide variety of side chains. Its utility was demonstrated through the synthesis of orthogonally protected (2S,3S)-α-fluoro-β(3)-lysine.     

Enantioselective synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyran derivatives via organocatalytic Michael reaction of α,β-unsaturated enones

A simple chiral diamine catalyst (1a) was successfully applied in the asymmetric Michael reaction between cyclic dimedone and α,β-unsaturated ketones. Both acyclic enones with aryl or alkyl β-substituents and cyclic enones were tolerated well in the reaction. The desired adducts were obtained in high yields (up to 98%) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee). The additives were found to increase the reactivity dramatically. The biologically active 2,4-disubstituted polyhydroquinoline scaffold was conveniently prepared through an ammoniation from the generated 3,4-dihydropyran product.     

Enantioselective synthesis of functionalized α-amino acids via a chiral guanidine catalyzed Michael addition reaction

Several chiral guanidines were evaluated as catalysts for the Michael reaction of glycine derivatives 7 with acrylic esters 8. The best result (30.4% ee) was obtained when 7b was reacted with 8b under the catalysis of guanidine 1 in THF.     

Enantioselective synthesis of tertiary alcohols through a zirconium-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation of pyrroles with α-ketoesters

Chiral complexes of 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol-based ligands with zirconium tert-butoxide catalyze the Friedel-Crafts alkylation of pyrroles with α-ketoesters to afford tertiary alcohols in good yields and ee up to 98%. The reaction is also of application to 4,7-dihydroindole to give C2-alkylated indoles after oxidation with p-benzoquinone.     

Enantioselective synthesis of α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids by Rh-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with protected dehydroamino acid

We have determined that a cationic rhodium(I)/BINAP complex catalyzes a [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with a protected dehydroamino acid, leading to protected α-amino acids bearing a quaternary carbon center in high yield with high enantioselectivity.     

Enantioselective synthesis of gabapentin analogues via organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition of α-branched aldehydes to β-nitroacrylates

Michael addition reaction of α-branched aldehydes to β-nitroacrylates was successfully carried out by using a mixed catalyst consisting of a primary amino acid, L-phenylalanine, and its lithium salt to give β-formyl-β'-nitroesters having a quaternary carbon centre in good yields (up to 85%) with high enantioselectivity (up to 98% ee). By using benzyl β-nitroacrylates as Michael acceptors, the obtained β-formyl-β'-nitroesters were converted into various 4,4-disubstituted pyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acids including analogues of gabapentin (Neurotin(?)) in one step from the Michael adducts in high yields.