Asymmetric radical cyclization reactions of axially chiral N-allyl-o-iodoanilides to form enantioenriched N-acyl dihydroindoles

Radical cyclizations of enantiomerically enriched N-allyl-o-iodoanilides provide N-acyl-3-alkyl-2,3-dihydroindoles in good yields and with good to excellent levels of chirality transfer from the N-Ar axis to the new stereocenter. In competitive cyclizations of N-acryloyl-N-allyl-o-iodoanilides, the addition of an o-methyl group reverses the regioselectivity of the radical cyclization from the acryloyl group to the allyl group. Approximate rate constants for representative radical cyclizations have been measured to provide insight into the origin of these observations.     

Asymmetric aza-Diels-Alder reactions of an N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-imino ester

Diastereoselective aza-Diels-Alder (aza-DA) reactions of an N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-imino ester with different dienes including activated and non-activated dienes in the presence of BF₃·OEt₂ are described. Diastereoselectivities up to 99% were observed for acyclic unactivated dienes. The absolute configurations of two aza-DA products have been solved by X-ray analysis.     

Asymmetric synthesis of axially chiral benzamides and anilides utilizing planar chiral arene chromium complexes

Optically active axially chiral 2,6-disubstituted benzamides and anilides were stereoselectively prepared by utilizing planar chiral (arene)chromium complexes. Nucleophilic addition to enantiomerically pure planar chiral tricarbonyl(N,N-diethyl-2-methyl-6-formyl- (or 6-acyl)benzamide)chromium complex gave axially chiral 2-methyl-6-substituted N,N-diethyl benzamide chromium complexes with high selectivity. An alternative method for the preparation of axial chiral benzamides or anilides is an enantiotopic lithiation at the benzylic methyl of prochiral tricarbonylchromium complexes of N,N-diethyl-2,6-dimethylbenzamide and N-methyl-N-acyl-2,6-dimethylaniline with a chiral lithium amide followed by electrophilic substitution. The resulting axially chiral chromium-complexed benzamides and anilides were oxidized in air to give chromium-free axially chiral benzamides and anilides in enantiomerically enriched form without axial bond rotation at room temperature.     

Asymmetric Kumada-Corriu cross-coupling reaction with Pd2(dba)3 and an N-Ar axially chiral mimetic-type ligand catalyst

A catalyst comprised of Pd₂(dba)₃·CHCl₃ and an N-Ar axially chiral mimetic-type ligand, (S)-N-[2-(diphenylphosphanyl)naphthalene-1-yl]-2-(piperidinylmethyl)piperidine, provides good enantioselectivities for the asymmetric Kumada-Corriu cross-coupling reaction of 1-phenylethylmagnesium chloride and E-β-bromostyrene derivatives with which it is more difficult to achieve high enantioselectivity. Furthermore, in the case of styrene derivatives bearing both vinyl and aryl bromide groups, the chemoselective asymmetric cross-coupling reaction of the vinyl bromide group is observed. This N-Ar axially chiral mimetic-type ligand allows easy synthesis of a wide variety of analogues, and starting from the initial ligand, the enantioselectivity of coupling products is improved by modifying the structure in the ligand.     

Synthetic applications in radical/radical cationic cascade reactions

Oxidative photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reactions have been performed with various cyclic cyclopropyl(vinyl) silyl ethers bearing an olefinic or acetylenic side chain. The reactions result in bi- to tetracyclic ring systems via a fragmentation-radical/radical cationic addition reaction pathway with well defined ring juncture. The mode of cyclisation (endo/exo) can be partially controlled by addition of nucleophiles due to the suppression of radical cationic reaction pathways. Quantum chemical calculation of the cyclisation transition states underline the experimentally found selectivities. Additional mechanistic studies concerning the saturation step reveal that the final radical is saturated mostly by the solvent and traces of water in the solvent.     

Free radical reactions of carbohydrate derivatives in the synthesis of carbocyclic compounds

The benzyloxy group at C(4) of the pyranose ring in 3,4-disubstituted and 3-deoxy carbohydrate derivatives affects the direction of intramolecular free-radical C(2)-C(6) cyclization. A possible mechanism of the formation of the tetrahydrofuran ring was proposed.For Part 3, see Ref. 1.Deceased.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 767–773, April, 1995.The present work was partially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No. 93-03-5834) and the International Science Foundation (Project No. MOM 000).     

Ruthenium catalysts bearing N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in atom transfer radical reactions

The catalytic activity of ruthenium-p-cymene complexes bearing N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) or polymerisation (ATRP) strongly depends on the substituents of the carbene ligand, thereby providing a nice illustration of the importance of organometallic engineering and ligand fine tuning in homogeneous catalysis.     

Studies on rotational barriers of N-C axially chiral compounds: increase in the rotational barrier by aromatization

The rotational barriers in axially chiral quinolin-2-one and quinazolin-2-one possessing N-(ortho-tert-butyl)phenyl group were found to significantly increase in comparison with those of corresponding dihydroquinolin-2-one and dihydroquinazolin-2-one. Analysis of transition state structure during N-Ar bond rotation based on DFT calculation indicates that the increase in the rotational barrier is due to considerable distortion of the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic part.     

Axially chiral phosphine-oxazoline ligands in silver(I)-catalyzed asymmetric Mannich reaction of N-Boc aldimines with trimethylsiloxyfuran

Axially chiral phosphine-oxazoline ligand L6 was found to be a fairly effective chiral ligand in silver(I)-catalyzed asymmetric Mannich reaction of N-Boc aldimines with trimethylsiloxyfuran to give the corresponding adducts in up to 97% yield, 7:1 dr and 86% ee (major diastereoisomer).     

Synthesis and application of axially chiral biscarbolines with functional N-O and sulfone for 1,2-transfer hydrogenations of ketimines

A series of axially chiral biscarboline-based sulfones were synthesized from l-tryptophane and applied for enantioselective 1,2-transfer hydrogenations of ketimines using trichlorosilane. The catalyst 4e, which had a tertiary butyl group, exhibited a good conversion and high enantioselectivities up to 96%ee in the series of reactions.     

Metal-catalysed radical cyclisations leading to N-heterocycles: new approaches to gabapentin and pulchellalactam

The copper(I) or ruthenium(II)-mediated radical cyclisation of halo-amides has been utilised to afford functionalised pyrrolidinones via 5-endo-trig or 5-exo-trig radical cyclisation pathways. This methodology has been applied to novel and concise syntheses of the anti-epileptic drug gabapentin and the biologically active natural product pulchellalactam.     

Tandem aza-Claisen rearrangement and ring-closing metathesis reactions: the stereoselective synthesis of functionalised carbocyclic amides

A one-pot, tandem process has been developed for the efficient synthesis of functionalised carbocyclic amides. A substituted cyclopentenyl trichloroacetamide was synthesised using a tandem thermal aza-Claisen rearrangement and RCM process, while an analogous cyclohexenyl trichloroacetamide was generated with high diastereoselectivity using a tandem MOM-ether directed metal-catalysed aza-Claisen rearrangement and RCM process.     

Polarity matching of radical trapping: high yielding 3-exo and 4-exo cyclizations

A catalyzed synthesis of cyclopropanes and cyclobutanes via radical chemistry is described. The method that generally proceeds in high yields uses epoxides as radical precursors and titanocene(III) complexes as the electron transfer catalysts (see scheme). The key to the success of the transformation is constituted by the chemoselectivity of radical reduction. Electrophilic enol radicals generated through cyclization are reduced rapidly whereas their precursors, nucleophilic alkyl radicals, remain unaffected.     

Novel chiral bifunctional l-thiazoline-amide derivatives: design and application in the direct enantioselective aldol reactions

Several novel chiral bifunctional l-thiazoline-amide derivatives were simply synthesized from commercially available l-cysteine and l-proline in high yield. These catalysts were subsequently applied to the direct enantioselective aldol reactions of various aldehydes, which are rarely reported in the literature. The products with anti configuration were obtained up to 97% ee and 99% dr when the l-thiazoline-amide derivatives were used. A plausible transition state model was proposed to explain the observed enantio and diastereoselectivities.     

Synthesis of substituted pyrrolidines by sequential radical cyclization and N-acyliminium ion reactions

Readily available N-acyl-2-pyrrolines are converted into functionalized -alkoxy-β-iodopyrrolidines by N-iodosuccinimide promoted alcohol addition to the enamine group. These compounds are readily cyclized using a sodium cyanoborohydride-catalytic tributylstannane system affording functionalized pyrrolidines in good yields. The cyclized products undergo N-acyliminium ion reactions, such as BF₃·OEt₂ mediated addition of allyltrimethylsilane.     

N-Phenyltriazolinedione as an initiator in the radical addition of thiophenol to alkenes

N-Phenyltriazolinedione is found to be an efficient initiator in the radical (anti-Markovnikov) addition of thiophenol to 2-methyl-2-butene. A second, minor, product (an alcohol, from oxygen addition) was also obtained, and a possible mechanistic scheme is proposed.