Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of chiral γ-butyrolactones

A tandem catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction/cyclization of β,γ-didehydro-γ-lactones with aldehydes was achieved using chiral tin dibromide as a chiral precatalyst and sodium alkoxide as a base precatalyst. Optically active trans-β,γ-disubstituted γ-butyrolactones were selectively obtained in moderate to high yields with up to 99% ee from γ-aryl-substituted β,γ-didehydro-γ-butyrolactones and bulky aliphatic aldehydes.     

Catalytic, enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of γ-butyrolactones incorporating quaternary stereocentres

A new, highly enantio- and diastereoselective catalytic asymmetric formal cycloaddition of aryl succinic anhydrides and aldehydes which generates paraconic acid (γ-butyrolactone) derivatives is reported.     

Enantioselective hydrogenation of β-keto sulfones with chiral Ru(II)-catalysts: synthesis of enantiomerically pure butenolides and γ-butyrolactones

A series of β-hydroxy sulfones were synthesized with high enantioselectivities via a new enantioselective ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogenation using MeO-BIPHEP as a ligand. Some β-hydroxy sulfones were used in the synthesis of optically active butenolides and γ-butyrolactones with high yields and enantioselectivities over 95%.     

A concise synthesis of highly functionalized α,β-unsaturated γ-butyrolactones through ring contraction of 2H-pyran-2-ones

2-Oxo-5-(1-arylvinyl)-4-piperidin-1-yl-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-carbonitriles 3 have been synthesized through ring contraction of suitably functionalized 2H -pyran-2-ones 1 by a carbanion generated in situ from nitromethane 2 in good yield. In some cases their counterpart tautomers 2-oxo-5-(1-arylethylidene)-4-piperidin-1-yl-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-carbonitriles 4 have also been isolated and characterized as minor products.     

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.     

Organo-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of some β-silyl γ-alkyl γ-butyrolactones as intermediates for natural products

The enantioselective synthesis of some β-silyl γ-alkyl γ-butyrolactones has been achieved by an organo-catalyzed Michael addition of enolizable aldehydes onto a silylmethylene malonate followed by a silicon-facilitated Bayer–Villiger oxidation of the β-silyl aldehyde adducts as the key step. γ-Alkyl γ-butenolides were obtained from the β-silyl γ-alkyl γ-butyrolactones by Fleming–Tamao oxidation of the silyl group to a hydroxy group and subsequent elimination. These butenolides are the advanced intermediates of some natural products such as (+)-γ-caprolactone, (+)-methylenolactocine, and (?)-quercus lactone.     

Cascade enantioselective synthesis of γ-aryl-γ-butyrolactones with a delayed stereoselective step

Enantioselective synthesis of γ-aryl-γ-butyrolactones is achieved using (S)-1-phenylethylamine as a chiral auxiliary. The synthesis involves cascade formation-destruction-formation of the chiral centre with a delayed stereoselective step. The actual stereoselective step has been found to be intramolecular nucleophilic attack on a diastereotopic carbocation formed, thereby resulting in the formation of non-racemic γ-aryl-γ-butyrolactones.     

Enantioselective synthesis of β-amino-diacids

An efficient route to orthogonally protected β-amino-diacids is described: chiral derivative 3 was shown to be a precursor of enantiopure substituted β-amino acids. The key step of the procedure is a diastereoselective reduction of β-enaminolactones 5 by NaBH₃CN in CH₂Cl₂. A study concerning the regio- and diastereoselectivity of alkylation of β-enaminolactone 3 is also presented.     

Synthesis of densely functionalized α-methylene γ-butyrolactones via an organocatalytic one-pot allylic-alkylation–cyclization reaction

The tertiary amine-catalyzed one-pot allylic-alkylation–cyclization (AAC) reaction has been developed, which provided an efficient synthetic route for the preparation of densely functionalized α-methylene-γ-cyano-γ-butyrolactones with various substituents at the β-position and the γ-position.     

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 total synthesis of amphidinolide f

A common-intermediate approach is utilized in the total synthesis of amphidinolide?F to access both the C1-C8 and the C18-C25 portions of the macrolide. A silver-catalyzed rearrangement/cyclization was employed to construct the two tetrahydrofuran rings. A Felkin-controlled, dienyl lithium addition to an α-chiral aldehyde incorporated both the C9-C11 diene and the alcohol at C8. An umpolung sulfone alkylation/oxidative desulfurization sequence is employed to couple the two moieties.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (−)-γ-jasmolactone

The title compound was prepared in seven steps starting from the commercially available 4-ketopimelic acid. The key step features an enantioselective lactonization promoted by PPL.     

Asymmetric synthesis of α-alkyl-α-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones

A new enantioselective approach to α-alkyl-α-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones employing (1R,2S)-ephedrine-derived chiral allyl morpholinones as starting materials is described.     

Stereoselective routes to aryl substituted γ-butyrolactones and their application towards the synthesis of highly oxidised furanocembranoids

Titanium chelate addition of aryl nucleophiles to cyclopropyl aldehyde 6 followed by a tin-catalyzed one-pot retro-aldol, acetalisation and lactonisation sequence afforded cis and trans γ-aryllactone acetals. A γ-furyllactone derived by this approach was further transformed in two steps to model compounds for the oxidised northeastern sectors of selected Pseudopterogorgia diterpenoids.     

Enantioselective synthesis of herbertane sesquiterpenes: synthesis of (−)-α-formylherbertenol

The synthesis of 4-hydroxy-3-[(1S)-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentyl]benzaldehyde [(−)-α-formylherbertenol 1], a herbertane-type sesquiterpene isolated from the leafy liverwort Herberta adunca, from β-cyclogeraniol is described. The synthesis is based on the previously described preparation of an enantiopure 1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentane synthon from which the characteristic aromatic moiety of 1 is elaborated, using a Robinson annulation and a palladium-catalysed methoxycarbonylation of an aryl triflate as key synthetic steps. The synthesis of the natural sesquiterpene (−)-α-herbertenol, also a natural sequiterpene, using the same methodology is also described.     

Enantioselective synthesis of optically pure β-amino ketones and γ-aryl amines by Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation

A series of optically pure β-amino ketones have been synthesized in high enantioselectivities (ee > 99%) by Rh-DuanPhos-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of readily prepared β-keto enamides. Further reduction of these β-amino ketones with hydrogen and Pd/C leads to the formation of a variety of protected enantiomerically pure γ-aryl amines (ee > 99%), which are key building blocks in many bioactive molecules.     

Enantioselective synthesis of γ-lactones from thioglycolic acid: Syntheses of (−)-muricatacin and 5-epi-(−)-muricatacin

An approach for the enantioselective synthesis of functionalized γ-lactones and its application to the syntheses of (−)-muricatacin 1a and 5-epi-(−)-muricatacin 1b is reported. A sequential oxidation of the intermediate 4 with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid was conducted to realize the reaction mechanism.     

Silver-catalyzed spirolactonization: first synthesis of spiroisoindole-γ-methylene-γ-butyrolactones

γ-Acetylenic carboxylic acids are cyclized to spirolactones under mild conditions, in the presence of Ag₂CO₃ catalyst. The corresponding spiro-5-alkylidene-γ-butyrolactones were isolated in high yields, and this process constitutes an easy and efficient route to analogous structures of natural products of biological interest.