Enantioselective N?H Insertion Reaction of α‐Aryl α‐Diazoketones: An Efficient Route to Chiral α‐Aminoketones

A highly enantioselective N H insertion reaction of α‐diazoketones was developed by using cooperative catalysis by dirhodium(II) carboxylates and chiral spiro phosphoric acids. The insertion reaction provides a new access route to diverse chiral α‐aminoketones, which are versatile building blocks in organic synthesis, with fast reaction rates, good yields and high enantioselectivity under mild and neutral conditions.     

Enantioselective Palladium‐Catalyzed Insertion of α‐Aryl‐α‐diazoacetates into the O?H Bonds of Phenols

A palladium‐catalyzed asymmetric O H insertion reaction was developed. Palladium complexes with chiral spiro bisoxazoline ligands promoted the insertion of α‐aryl‐α‐diazoacetates into the O H bond of phenols with high yield and excellent enantioselectivity under mild reaction conditions. This palladium‐catalyzed asymmetric O H insertion reaction provided an efficient and highly enantioselective method for the preparation of synthetically useful optically active α‐aryl‐α‐aryloxyacetates.     

Note: Helix or No Helix of β‐Peptides Containing β3hAla(αF) Residues?

A remote ⁴J(F,H) coupling (F? C(α)? C(O)? N? H) of up to 4.2 Hz in α‐fluoro amides with antiperiplanar arrangement of the C? F and the C?O bonds (dihedral angle F? C? C?O ca. 180°) confirms that previous NMR determinations, using the XPLOR‐NIH procedure, of the secondary structures of β‐peptides containing β³hAla(αF) and β³hAla(αF₂) residues were correct. In contrast, molecular‐dynamics (MD) simulations, using the GROMOS program with the 45A3 force field, led to an incorrect conclusion about the relative stability of secondary structures of these β‐peptides. The problems encountered in NMR analyses and computations of the structures of backbone‐F‐substituted peptides are briefly discussed.     

Rhodium‐catalyzed coupling reactions of β‐ or α,β‐substituted vinylpyridines with alkenes via C?H bond activation

β‐ or α,β‐Substituted vinylpyridines react with 3,3‐dimethylbut‐1‐ene in the presence of Wilkinson catalyst [RhCl(PPh₃)₃] to give the corresponding alkylated products along with unusually isomerized products. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 13:346–350, 2002; Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.10045     

Regioselective Insertion of o‐Carborynes into the α‐C?H Bond of Tertiary Amines: Synthesis of α‐Carboranylated Amines

o‐Carboryne can undergo α‐C H bond insertion with tertiary amines, thus affording α‐carboranylated amines in very good regioselectivity and isolated yields. In this process, the nucleophilic addition of tertiary amines to the multiple bond of o‐carboryne generates a zwitterionic intermediate. An intramolecular proton transfer, followed by a nucleophilic attack leads to the formation of the final product. Thus, regioselectivity is highly dependent upon the acidity of α‐C H proton of tertiary amines. This approach serves as an efficient methodology for the preparation of a series of 1‐aminoalkyl‐o‐carboranes.     

Redox‐Triggered C?C Coupling of Diols and Alkynes: Synthesis of β,γ‐Unsaturated α‐Hydroxyketones and Furans by Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Hydrohydroxyalkylation

Direct ruthenium‐catalyzed C C coupling of alkynes and vicinal diols to form β,γ‐unsaturated ketones occurs with complete levels of regioselectivity and good to complete control over the alkene geometry. Exposure of the reaction products to substoichiometric quantities of p‐toluenesulfonic acid induces cyclodehydration to form tetrasubstituted furans. These alkyne‐diol hydrohydroxyalkylations contribute to a growing body of merged redox‐construction events that bypass the use of premetalated reagents and, hence, stoichiometric quantities of metallic by‐products.     

α,β‐Unsaturated and Saturated Derivatives of Be,Mg, and Ca: Are They Carbon or Metal Acids in the Gas Phase?

The gas-phase acidity of R--XH (R=H, CH(3), CH(2)CH(3), CH==CH(2), C[triple chemical bond]CH; X=Be, Mg, Ca) alkaline-earth-metal derivatives has been investigated through the use of high-level CCSD(T) calculations by using a 6-311+G(3df,2p) basis set. BeH(2) is a stronger acid than BH(3) and CH(4) for two concomitant reasons: 1) the dissociation energy of the Be--H bond is smaller than the dissociation energies of the B--H and C--H bonds, and 2) the electron affinity of BeH(.) is larger in absolute value than those of BH(2) (.) and CH(3) (.). The acidity also increases on going from BeH(2) to MgH(2) due to these two same factors. Quite importantly, despite the fact that the X--H bonds in the R--XH (X=Mg, Ca) derivatives exhibit the expected X(delta+)--H(delta-) polarity, they behave as metal acids in the gas phase and only Be derivatives behave as carbon acids in the gas phase. The ethylberyllium hydride exhibits an unexpected high acidity compared with the methyl derivative because deprotonation of the system is accompanied by a cyclization that stabilizes the anion. Similarly to that found for derivatives that contain heteroatoms from groups 14, 15, and 16, the unsaturated compounds are stronger acids than the saturated counterparts, with the only exception of the Ca-vinyl derivative. Most importantly, among ethyl, vinyl, and ethynyl derivatives containing a heteroatom of the main group of the Periodic Table, those containing Be, Mg, and Ca are among the strongest gas-phase acids.     

Conformationally Biased Mimics of Mannopyranosylamines: Inhibitors of β‐Mannosidases?

The enol ether 7 was prepared by cleavage of the N−O bond of the known isoxazolidine 3 , followed by N‐alkylation to 4 , silylation and oxidation to the N‐oxide 6 , and Cope elimination. Cu‐Catalysed cyclopropanation of 7 led to the diastereoisomeric cyclopropanes 8 and 9 , which were subjected to a Curtius degradation. The resulting carbamates 12 and 16 were deprotected to the ammonium salts 14 and 18 , respectively. Both salts adopt a B_1,4 conformation, similarly as the ester 8 , while the isomeric ester 9 exists in a ca. 6 : 4 equilibrium of the ⁴C₁ and B_1,4 conformers. The β‐mannoside mimic 14 does not inhibit snail β‐mannosidase at 10 mM , but the α‐mannoside mimic 18 inhibits Jack bean α‐mannosidase (IC₅₀=80 μM ). These results are in keeping with the postulate that glycoside cleavage of β‐D ‐glycopyranosides requires a conformational change in agreement with the principle of stereoelectronic control.     

Organocatalytic Enantioselective Oxidative C?H Alkenylation and Arylation of N‐Carbamoyl Tetrahydropyridines and Tetrahydro‐β‐carbolines

The first organocatalytic enantioselective C H alkenylation and arylation reactions of N‐carbamoyl tetrahydropyridines and tetrahydro‐β‐carbolines (THCs) are described. The metal‐free processes represent an efficient and straightforward approach to a variety of structurally and electronically diverse α‐substituted tetrahydropyridines and THCs in good yields with excellent regio‐ and enantioselectivities. Preliminary control experiments provide important insights into the reaction mechanism.     

Nano‐Cu2O‐Catalyzed Formation of C?C and C?O Bonds: One‐Pot Domino Process for Regioselective Synthesis of α‐Carbonyl Furans from Electron‐Deficient Alkynes and 2‐Yn‐1‐ols

The formation of carbon–carbon and carbon–oxygen bonds continues to be an active and challenging field of chemical research. Nanoparticle catalysis has attracted considerable attention owing to its environmentally benign and high activity toward the reactions. Herein, we described a novel and effective nano‐Cu₂O‐catalyzed one‐pot domino process for the regioselective synthesis of α‐carbonyl furans. Various electron‐deficient alkynes with 2‐yn‐1‐ols underwent this process smoothly in moderate to good yields in the presence of air at atmospheric pressure. It is especially noteworthy that a novel 2,4,5‐trisubstituted 3‐ynylfuran was formed in an extremely direct manner without tedious stepwise synthesis. Additionally, as all of the starting materials are readily available, this method may allow the synthesis of more complex α‐carbonyl furans. An experiment to elucidate the mechanism suggested that the process involved a carbene intermediate.     

Nucleophilic Attack of α‐Aminoalkyl Radicals on Carbon?Nitrogen Triple Bonds to Construct α‐Amino Nitriles: An Experimental and Computational Study

A new reactivity pattern of α‐aminoalkyl radicals, involving nucleophilic attack on C?N triple bonds under thermal conditions, has been developed to construct α‐amino nitriles. In contrast to previous C? H functionalization of tertiary amines involving α‐aminoalkyl radicals, this methodology does not require the use of photocatalytic conditions or a transition‐metal catalyst. Inexpensive and nontoxic phenylacetonitrile was chosen as cyano source for this α‐aminonitrile forming reaction. A plausible mechanism is proposed based upon experimental and computational results. An α‐aminoalkyl radical intermediate and benzoyl cyanide have been shown to be key intermediates in this green and mild radical process. Nucleophilic attack of the α‐aminoalkyl radical on the C?N bond of PhCOCN followed by an elimination step forms the desired α‐aminonitrile and an acyl radical.