Highly stereoselective synthesis of β,γ-disubstituted and α,β,γ-trisubstituted butyrolactones

β,γ-Disubstituted butyrolactones were produced effectively and steroeselectively from arsonium ylides generated in situ and substituted olefins. The transformation could be realized in one-pot or in two steps, which depended on the electronic properties of the olefins. With the adjustment of the solvent and in the presence of EtOH, α,β,γ-trisubstituted butyrolactones were also obtained in high yield from arsonium ylides and substituted olefins.     

Expedient synthesis of β,β-disubstituted α-methylenepropionates

Baylis-Hillman alcohols are excellent sources of the allylic halides ArCHCH(CH₂X)(CO₂R) (X=Br, Cl; R¹=Me, Et, Bu^t). The Z double bond isomers are attained in high isomeric purity (>14:1, Z/E). The halides are chemo- and regiospecifically transformed into the acrylates (ArCHR²)C(CH₂)(CO₂R¹) on treatment with Zn(R²)₂ (R²=Me, Et, CH₂TMS, CH₂SiMe₂OMe) or PrZnBr in the presence of catalytic amounts of copper(I) salts (0.5-20 mol%) in high yield.     

Calcium-mediated stereoselective reduction of α,β-epoxy ketones

The development of a calcium-mediated stereoselective reduction of α,β-epoxy ketones is reported. The corresponding α,β-epoxy alcohols are obtained in very good anti diastereoselectivity using Ca(OTf)₂ and NaBH₄. Furthermore, we have shown that our method can diastereoselectively reduce α,β-aziridinyl ketones.     

An efficient boric acid-mediated preparation of α-hydroxyamides

An efficient methodology for the preparation of α-hydroxyamides via boric acid-mediated addition of isonitriles onto aldehydes has been developed. The reaction of isonitriles with α-boronobenzaldehyde takes place under intramolecular catalysis conditions to provide functionalized benzoxaboroles.     

Preparation of sugar derived β,β′-dihydroxy α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids

A novel strategy for the preparation of β,β′-dihydroxy α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids bearing a sugar moiety has been developed. The procedure is based on two Henry reactions: the first Henry reaction involves a sugar aldehyde and nitroethanol to furnish a sugar derived α-hydroxymethyl α-nitroalkanol while the second Henry reaction is between this nitro sugar and formaldehyde. This sequence provided the expected epimers of sugar derived α,α-dihydroxymethyl α -nitroalkanols, from which the corresponding β,β′-dibenzyloxy α-N-benzyloxycarbonylamino esters were easily obtained. All rights reserved.     

Development of catalysts for the stereoselective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated ketones

Iridium phosphinitoxazoline complexes were found to be new efficient catalysts for the asymmetric hydrogenation of arylated α,β-unsaturated ketones. Linear as well as cyclic substrates are hydrogenated with similar success, giving selectivities of up to 99.7% ee.     

A highly stereoselective conversion of α,β-epoxy esters to α-hydroxy esters. An efficient route to optically active α-hydroxyesters

α,β-Epoxy esters were cleanly converted to α-hydroxy esters with retention of the configurations at the α-carbon atoms via MgI₂-promoted regioselective oxirane ring-opening followed by tributyltin hydride-reduction.     

Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition of sodium tetraarylborates to β,β-disubstituted α,β-unsaturated esters

A rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition of sodium tetraarylborates to β,β-disubstituted α,β-unsaturated esters has been developed. Highly efficient asymmetric catalysis has also been described to create quaternary carbon stereocenters at the β-position of esters by tuning the ester group of substrates and employing a readily available chiral diene ligand.     

Oxazoline-mediated highly stereoselective synthesis of α,β-substituted-β-aminoalkanamides, potential precursors of unnatural β-amino acids

The reaction of α-lithiated-2-alkyl-2-oxazolines 1-Li with aliphatic, aromatic and heteroaromatic N-cumyl nitrones results in the stereoselective formation of N-cumyl-1,6-dioxa-2,9-diazaspiro[4,4]nonanes 3 which equilibrate with the hydroxylamino derivatives 4. Such equilibrating mixtures can be easily transformed into β-amino alkanamides 5 under reductive conditions, whereas acidic hydrolysis with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) furnishes high yields of β-phenylamino alkanamides 6 via a cumene hydroperoxide-type rearrangement. Derivatives 5 and 6 provide a backbone of potentially useful unnatural β^2,2,3-amino acids.     

Asymmetric synthesis of α,α-disubstituted α-amino alcohol derivatives

Herein we report the asymmetric synthesis of α,α-disubstituted α-amino alcohol derivatives 22, 25 and 26, key intermediates of a novel immunomodulator, using Seebach’s method. This synthetic method can be applied to the large scale synthesis of chiral sphingosine 1-phosphate-1 (S1P₁) receptor agonists, with significant improvements to the previously reported method with regard to the reaction temperature.     

An unexpected directing effect in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of α,α-disubstituted ketones

α,α-Disubstituted ketones containing an aromatic ring or alkene are reduced in high enantiomeric excess using an asymmetric transfer hydrogenation catalyst. The sense of reduction indicates that the unsaturated region of the ketone adopts a position adjacent to the Ru-bound η(6)-arene ring in the reduction transition state.     

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of α,β-disubstituted α,γ-diaminophosphonic acid precursors by Michael addition of α-substituted nitrophosphonates to nitroolefins

Michael additions of α-substituted nitrophosphonates to various nitroolefins are shown to proceed with high diastereo- and enantioselectivity when catalyzed by a quinine-derived thiourea-tertiary amine bifunctional catalyst and generate α,γ-diaminophosphonic acid precursors with contiguous quaternary and tertiary stereocenters.     

Reagents for stereoselective preparation of N-carbamyl β-D-glucuronides

Carbamyl glucuronidation is an increasingly well-recognized route of metabolism for secondary amine drugs. Proper characterization of these metabolites requires the synthesis of authentic standards. O-protected glucuronyl p-nitrophenyl carbonates can be prepared with high selectivity for the β-configuration at the anomeric center and efficiently transfer the β-glucuronylcarbonyl group to secondary amines, constituting an effective and versatile method for preparation of these metabolites.     

Synthesis and stereoselective oxidation of α-thio-β-chloropropenyloxazolidin-2-ones

The investigation of the stereoselective reaction of α-thiopropanoyloxazolidin-2-ones with NCS to yield α-thio-β-chloropropenyloxazolidin-2-ones is described. Diastereoselective sulfur oxidation of the resulting α-thio-β-chloropropenyloxazolidin-2-ones shows modest diastereocontrol. However, via a combination of diastereoselective oxidation and subsequent kinetic resolution in the sulfoxide oxidation, diastereoselectivities of up to 94% de have been achieved.     

Asymmetric additions of α-sulfoxide carbanion on imines

The formation of the anion of methyl p-tolyl sulfoxide was studied in various experimental conditions. This allowed to get a very good control of diastereoselectivity during addition of the above carbanion on many imines. Various stereoisomerically pure aminosulfoxides have been prepared by this approach.     

Enantioselective synthesis of α,α-disubstituted amines from nitroalkenes

Disubstituted nitroalkenes were converted into enantiomerically enriched amines (isolated as their hydrochloride salts) with enantiomeric excesses of 88 to >95% in three steps: (a) highly stereoselective conjugate addition of the potassium salt of 4-phenyloxazolidin-2-one; (b) radical-mediated removal of the nitro group; (c) cleavage of the oxazolidinone.     

Catalytic, asymmetric synthesis of α,α-disubstituted amino acids

Copper(salen) complex 1 has been found to catalyse the asymmetric alkylation of enolates derived from a variety of amino acids. There is a clear relationship between the size of the side chain in the substrate and the enantioselectivity of the process, so that the enantioselectivity decreases in the order alanine>aminobutyric acid>allylglycine>leucine>phenylalanine>valine. A transition state model which accounts for the influence of the size of the side chain on the enantioselectivity of the reactions is presented.