Direct Asymmetric Mannich‐Type Reaction of α‐Isocyanoacetates with Ketimines using Cinchona Alkaloid/Copper(II) Catalysts

The enantioselective direct Mannich‐type reaction of ketimines with α‐isocyanoacetates has been developed. Excellent yields and enantioselectivity were observed for the reaction of various ketimines and α‐isocyanoacetates using cinchona alkaloid/Cu(OTf)₂ and a base. Both enantiomers of the products could be obtained by using pseudoenantiomeric chiral catalysts. This process offers an efficient route for the synthesis of α,β‐diamino acids.     

Copper-Catalyzed Regioselective [3+3] Annulations of Alkynyl Ketimines with α-Cyano Ketones: the Synthesis of Polysubstituted 4H-Pyran Derivatives with a CF3-Containing Quaternary Center

Regioselective [3+3] annulation of alkynyl ketimines with α-cyano ketones for the synthesis of polysubstituted 4H-pyran derivatives with a quaternary CF₃-containing center has been realized by using Cu(OAc)₂ as the catalyst. The novel strategy tolerates a wide range of α-CF₃ alkynyl ketimines and α-cyano ketones with both aryl and alkyl substitutents. A preliminary asymmetric synthesis of chiral product 3 has been attempted by using copper and chiral thiourea as the cocatalyst with excellent yields (86-99 %) and good enantioselectivities (71–78 % ee). Furthermore, product 3 aa could be obtained on a gram-scale reaction with 75 % yield and 99 % ee after recrystallization. Several products were also transformed readily. Control experiments indicate that the reaction involves a process with a base-catalyzed or chiral thiourea-catalyzed Mannich-type reaction followed by a highly regioselective copper-catalyzed ring-closing reaction on the alkynyl moiety in a 6-endo-dig fashion.     

Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of α‐Difluoromethyl Amines from N‐tert‐Butylsulfinyl Ketimines and Difluoromethyl Phenyl Sulfone

The first highly efficient and stereoselective difluoromethylation of structurally diverse N‐tert‐butylsulfinyl ketimines has been achieved with an in situ generated PhSO₂CF₂^? anion, which provides a powerful synthetic method for the preparation of a variety of structurally diverse homochiral α‐difluoromethyl tertiary carbinamines, including α‐difluoromethyl allylic amines and α‐difluoromethyl propargylamines. The stereocontrol mode of the present diastereoselective difluoromethylation of ketimines was found to be different from that of other known fluoroalkylations of N‐tert‐butylsulfinyl aldimines, which suggests that a cyclic six‐membered transition state may be involved in the reaction.     

Organocatalyzed Double C(sp3)−H Alkylation of Cyclic N-Sulfonyl Ketimines with 3-Chloropropiophenones: Selective Access to 2,3,6-Trisubstituted Pyridines

An efficient sequential one-pot, two-step pseudo-four-component reaction between 3/4-methyl N-sulfonyl ketimines with 3-chloropropiophenones triggered by DIPEA/NaHCO₃ as a cooperative base and subsequent aza-cyclization using NH₄OAc is reported. This transition-metal-oxidant-free technique concocts new C−C/C=C/C=N−C bonds selectively, guaranteeing acceptable yields of 2,3,6-trisubstituted pyridines possessing ortho-hydroxyaryl/benzenesulfonamide and propiophenone moieties at C2 and C3 positions, respectively. Interestingly, while replacing methyl-substituents with straight alkyl chains of N-sulfonyl ketimines, only a monoalkylation reaction happened with in situ-generated vinyl ketones to deliver promising yields of 3-picoline derivatives. Moreover, the synthetic transmutation of prepared pyridine derivative led to several important classes of pyridocoumarin, 5H-chromenopyridine, and di(pyridin-3-yl) methane derivatives.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Aza‐Reformatsky Reaction with Cyclic Imines

A catalytic highly enantioselective aza‐Reformatsky reaction with cyclic aldimines and ketimines for the synthesis of chiral β‐amino esters with good yields and excellent enantioselectivities is reported. A readily available diaryl prolinol is used as a chiral ligand, ZnMe₂ as a zinc source and ethyl iodoacetate as reagent in the presence of air atmosphere. The reaction with cyclic ketimines generates a quaternary stereocenter with excellent levels of enantioselectivity. Furthermore, five‐membered N‐sulfonyl ketimines were used as electrophiles with good enantiomeric excesses, under the optimized reaction conditions. Moreover, several chemical transformations were performed with the chiral β‐amino esters.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Mannich‐Type Reaction of N‐Alkylidene‐α‐Aminoacetonitrile with Ketimines

Optically active vicinal diamines are versatile chiral building blocks in organic synthesis. A soft Lewis acid/hard Brønsted base cooperative catalyst allows for an efficient stereoselective coupling of N‐alkylidene‐α‐aminoacetonitrile and ketimines to access this class of compounds bearing consecutive tetra‐ and trisubstituted stereogenic centers. The strategic use of a soft Lewis basic thiophosphinoyl group for ketimines is the key to promoting the reaction, and aliphatic ketimines serve as suitable substrates with as little as 3 mol % catalyst loading.     

Direct Catalytic Asymmetric Vinylogous Additions of α,β‐ and β,γ‐Butenolides to Polyfluorinated Alkynyl Ketimines

We report a Zn‐ProPhenol catalyzed asymmetric Mannich reaction between butenolides and polyfluorinated alkynyl ketimines to obtain vinylogous products featuring two contiguous tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers. Notably, this is the first successful use of ketimines in the ProPhenol Mannich process, and the reaction offers a new approach for the preparation of pharmaceutically relevant products possessing trifluoromethylated tetrasubstituted alkylamines. The reaction can be performed on large scale with reduced catalyst loading without impacting its efficiency. Moreover, the acetylene moiety can be further elaborated using various methods.     

Efficient Synthesis of 9H‐Pyrrolo[1,2‐α]Indoles via Michael Addition–Condensation of 3‐Substituted Indoles with α,β‐Unsaturated Ketimines

By employing copper dibromide as a catalyst, Michael addition–condensation of 3‐substituted indoles with α,β‐unsaturated ketimines was realized. The reactions afforded a large variety of 9H‐pyrrolo[1,2‐α ]indoles with good yields (up to 99 %). In addition, a plausible reaction mechanism was proposed.     

Control of N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed Reactions of Enals: Asymmetric Synthesis of Oxindole‐γ‐Amino Acid Derivatives

A strategy to control the switch between a non‐cycloaddition reaction and a cycloaddition reaction of enals, using N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyisis, has been developed. The new scalable protocol leads to γ‐amino‐acid esters bearing a tetrasubstituted stereocenter in good yields and high stereoselectivities by homo‐Mannich reactions of enals and isatin‐derived ketimines. By simply changing the N‐ketimine substituent to an ortho‐hydroxy phenyl group, the corresponding spirocyclic oxindolo‐γ‐lactams are obtained.     

Palladium(II)‐catalyzed cyclization of W‐(2′,4′‐dienyl)‐2‐alkynamides to α‐alkylidene‐γ‐butyrolactams

In the presence of CuCl₂, N‐(2′, 4′‐dienyl)‐2‐alkynamides can be converted to α‐alkylidene‐σ‐butyrolactams under the catalysis of palladium(II). In this reaction, CuCl₂ is used to oxidize Pd(0) to regenerate Pd(II), or the carbon‐palladium bond is quenched by the oxidative cleavage reaction of CuCl₂.     

Reaction of Carbon Anions With Iron α,β-Unsaturated Ketimine Complexes

Complexes (η⁴-PhCH=CHCR=NPh)Fe(CO)₃, where R=H(1a) and CH₃ were synthesized in excellent yield from the reaction of the corresponding α,β-unsaturated ketimines with excess Fe₂(CO)₉. Reaction of la with (Ph)₂CHLi and (CH₃)₂(NC)CLi at ?78°C or ambient temperature followed by acid quenching gave trans-PhCH=CHCHRNHPh, where R=CHPH₂ and C(CH₃)₂CN, respectively, in good yield. In the presence of 1 atm. of CO the reaction of 1a with (CH₃)₂(NC)CLi, followed by CuCl₂ oxidation resulted in the formation of a carbamyl choride, trans-PhCH=CHCH[C(CH₃)₂CN]N(Ph)COCl. This species was converted to a carbamate compound trans-PhCH=CHCH[C(CH₃)₂ - CN]N(Ph)COOCH₃ in MeOH in the presence of Ag⁺.     

Efficient conversion of fructose to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural by functionalized γ‐Al2O3 beads

Millimeter size γ‐Al₂O₃ beads were prepared by alginate assisted sol–gel method and grafting organic groups with propyl sulfonic acid and alkyl groups as functionalized γ‐Al₂O₃ bead catalysts for fructose dehydration to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (5‐HMF). Experiment results showed that the porous structure of γ‐Al₂O₃ beads was favorable to the loading and dispersion of active components, and had an obvious effect on the properties of the catalyst. The lower calcination temperature of γ‐Al₂O₃ beads increased the specific surface area, the hydrophobicity and the activity of catalysts. Competition between the reaction of alkyl groups and ‐SH groups with surface hydroxyl during the preparation process of the catalyst influenced greatly the acid site densities, hydrophobic properties and activity of the catalyst. With an increase in the alkyl group chain, the hydrophobicity of catalysts increased obviously and the activity of the catalyst was enhanced. The most hydrophobic catalyst C₁₆‐SO₃H‐γ‐Al₂O₃–650°C exhibited the highest yield of 5‐HMF (84%) under the following reaction conditions: reaction medium of dimethylsulfoxide/H₂O (V/V, 4:1), catalyst amount of 30 mg, temperature of 110°C and reaction time of 4 hr.     

Fragmentation Mechanism of Trans—α—Aryl—β—enamino Esters

Electron impact-induced fragmentation mechanism of Trans-α-Aryl-β-enamino esters were investigated using mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry and high resolution accurate mass data It was found that the main characteristic fragmentations of compounds studied were:an odd electron ion M^ -EtOH was formed by losing a neutral molecule of ethanol;and the skeletal rearrangements took place;and the ring opening reaction happened after losing a carbon monoxide;and the typical McLafferty rearrangement underwent in ester group.The cycliztion reation caused by losing neutral molecule of TsNH2 due to the ortho-effects of substituted group of gromatic ring was also observed.     

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of α-trifluoromethylated α-propargylamines by acetylide addition to chiral CF3-substituted N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines

A convenient and practical method for the preparation of enantiomerically pure α-trifluoromethylated α-propargylamines is described. A range of enantiopure α-trifluoromethylated α-propargyl sulfinamides were obtained by the addition of lithium acetylides generated in situ with n-BuLi and terminal alkynes to diverse chiral CF₃-substituted (S)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines in moderate to excellent yields (56–97%) and with uniformly excellent diastereoselectivities (>99:1) by using Ti(OⁱPr)₄ as the catalyst and THF as the polar solvent. Enantiomerically pure α-trifluoromethylated α,α-dibranched propargyl amines were then readily obtained in excellent yields (87–97%) by acidic cleavage of the tert-butanesulfinyl group.     

Synthesis of β‐Hydroxy α‐Sulfanyl Esters by Using Nanocrystalline Magnesium Oxide

Aldol‐type reaction between electron deficient aldehydes and sulfonium salts to afford the corresponding β‐hydroxy α‐sulfanyl esters in moderate‐to‐good yields by using nanocrystalline MgO is described. The sulfanyl group is a useful group for further transformations in organic synthesis. Low R_f‐value isomer is anti‐configured as revealed by X‐ray diffraction study and consistent with the assignment of ¹H‐NMR spectrum.     

Die Kristallstrukturen von Me3SiI · β-Picolin und Me3SiI · γ-Picolin Vergleich der Lewis-Basen Pyridin, β-Picolin und γ-Picolin

The Crystal Structure of Me₃SiI · β-Picoline and Me₃SiI · γ-Picoline A Comparison between the Lewis-Bases Pyridine, β-Picoline, and γ-Picoline The reaction of Iodinetrimethylsilane with β- und γ-Picoline (Pic) leads to solid 1 : 1 compounds Me₃SiI · β-Picoline 1 , Me₃SiI · γ-Picoline 2. The reaction was performed at room temperature. Yellow single crystals were obtained by sublimation. Single crystal X-ray investigations confirm that both compounds are ionic [Me₃SiPic]⁺I^?. The comparison of β-Picoline with γ-Picoline and Pyridine (Py) demonstrates that the presence of a methyl group and also its position has no significant influence on the Si? N bond length in compound 1, 2 and on the adduct Me₃SiI · Py.     

A Novel Method for the Synthesis of α,β‐Unsaturated Amides Mediated by Samarium Diiodide

Promoted by Samarium diiodide (SmI₂), α,β‐unsaturated amides were formed from nitrogen anions (formed in situ by the reduction of nitro compounds) and α,β‐unsaturated esters. This reaction contrasts with the conjugate addition between amines and α,β‐unsaturated esters promoted by samarium triiodide (SmI₃) and provides an alternative attractive way to obtain α,β‐unsaturated amides using SmI₂.     

Synthesis of β‐Haloketones by β‐Addition Reactions of α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones with BX3 (X = Br,Cl) as Halide Source

A series of β‐bromoketones and β‐chloroketones were synthesized by the addition reactions of α,β‐unsaturated ketones under BX₃ (X = Br, Cl) and ethylene glycol reaction system. The α,β‐unsaturated ester also was successfully converted to its corresponding β‐bromoester under the reaction condition.     

HAp‐encapsulated γ‐Fe2O3‐supported dual acidic heterogeneous catalyst for highly efficient one‐pot synthesis of benzoxanthenones and 3‐pyranylindoles

A novel method is reported for the synthesis of benzoxanthenone and 3‐pyranylindole derivatives via one‐pot three‐component reactions using a newly synthesized HAp‐encapsulated γ‐Fe₂O₃‐supported dual acidic heterogeneous catalyst, as a reusable and highly efficient nanocatalyst. In this protocol the use of the nanocatalyst provided a green, useful and rapid method to generate products in short reaction times (4–20 min) and in excellent yields (87–96%). The paramagnetic nature of the catalyst provided a simple, trouble‐free and facile approach for the separation of the catalyst by applying an external magnet, and it could be used in eight cycles without significant loss in catalytic efficiency.     

Regio‐ and Enantioselective Synthesis of Trifluoromethyl‐Substituted Homoallylic α‐Tertiary NH2‐Amines by Reactions Facilitated by a Threonine‐Based Boron‐Containing Catalyst

A method for catalytic regio‐ and enantioselective synthesis of trifluoromethyl‐substituted and aryl‐, heteroaryl‐, alkenyl‐, and alkynyl‐substituted homoallylic α‐tertiary NH₂‐amines is introduced. Easy‐to‐synthesize and robust N‐silyl ketimines are converted to NH‐ketimines in situ, which then react with a Z‐allyl boronate. Transformations are promoted by a readily accessible l ‐threonine‐derived aminophenol‐based boryl catalyst, affording the desired products in up to 91 % yield, >98:2 α:γ selectivity, >98:2 Z:E selectivity, and >99:1 enantiomeric ratio. A commercially available aminophenol may be used, and allyl boronates, which may contain an alkyl‐, a chloro‐, or a bromo‐substituted Z‐alkene, can either be purchased or prepared by catalytic stereoretentive cross‐metathesis. What is more, Z‐trisubstituted allyl boronates may be used. Various chemo‐, regio‐, and diastereoselective transformations of the α‐tertiary homoallylic NH₂‐amine products highlight the utility of the approach; this includes diastereo‐ and regioselective epoxide formation/trichloroacetic acid cleavage to generate differentiated diol derivatives.