Asymmetric synthesis of γ-nitroesters by an organocatalytic one-pot strategy

An enantioselective synthesis of γ-nitroesters by a one-pot asymmetric Michael addition/oxidative esterification of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The procedure is based on merging the enantioselective organocatalytic nitroalkane addition with an N-bromosuccinimide-based oxidation. The γ-nitroesters are obtained in good yields and enantioselectivities, and the method provides an attractive entry to optically active γ-aminoesters, 2-piperidones, and 2-pyrrolidones.     

Expanding the scope of the asymmetric anti-aldol addition of chiral N-amino cyclic carbamate hydrazones

An asymmetric anti-aldol addition process of ketone-derived donors that is not limited by the structure of the ketone is described. This is achieved by merging the enantioselective α,α-bisalkylation of N-amino cyclic carbamate (ACC) hydrazones with the asymmetric anti-aldol addition of ACC hydrazones. The products of this process are obtained with essentially perfect stereoselectivity. Using this procedure it is possible to gain access to ketone-based anti-aldol addition products that are inaccessible in a controlled sense via direct aldol methods.     

Enantioselective Formal C(sp2)−H Vinylation

An enantioselective formal C(sp²)?H vinylation of prochiral 2,2‐disubstituted cyclopentene‐1,3‐dione is presented. This vinylative desymmetrization is realized by using a two‐step procedure that consists of a catalytic enantioselective vinylogous Michael addition of deconjugated butenolides to cyclopentene‐1,3‐dione and a base‐mediated decarboxylation. The overall process utilizes deconjugated butenolides as the source of the highly substituted vinyl unit. Five‐membered carbocycles containing a remote all‐carbon quaternary stereogenic center are obtained in good yields and with good to high enantioselectivities.     

Asymmetric conjugate addition reactions of Meldrum's acid derived acceptors employing chiral phosphoramidite ligands

[reaction: see text] The enantioselective conjugate addition reaction of Et(2)Zn to Meldrum's acid derived acceptors, mediated by a catalyst formed from Cu(O(2)CCF(3))(2) and a phosphoramidite ligand, is reported. Adducts are obtained in useful yields and up to 94% ee.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Decarbonylative Dehydration for the Synthesis of α‐Vinyl Carbonyl Compounds and Total Synthesis of (−)‐Aspewentins A,B, and C

The direct α‐vinylation of carbonyl compounds to form a quaternary stereocenter is a challenging transformation. It was discovered that δ‐oxocarboxylic acids can serve as masked vinyl compounds and be unveiled by palladium‐catalyzed decarbonylative dehydration. The carboxylic acids are readily available through enantioselective acrylate addition or asymmetric allylic alkylation. A variety of α‐vinyl quaternary carbonyl compounds are obtained in good yields, and an application in the first enantioselective total synthesis of (?)‐aspewentins A, B, and C is demonstrated.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Decarbonylative Dehydration for the Synthesis of α‐Vinyl Carbonyl Compounds and Total Synthesis of (−)‐Aspewentins A,B, and C

The direct α‐vinylation of carbonyl compounds to form a quaternary stereocenter is a challenging transformation. It was discovered that δ‐oxocarboxylic acids can serve as masked vinyl compounds and be unveiled by palladium‐catalyzed decarbonylative dehydration. The carboxylic acids are readily available through enantioselective acrylate addition or asymmetric allylic alkylation. A variety of α‐vinyl quaternary carbonyl compounds are obtained in good yields, and an application in the first enantioselective total synthesis of (−)‐aspewentins A, B, and C is demonstrated.     

Enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes catalyzed by N-(9-phenylfluoren-9-yl) beta-amino alcohols

A set of secondary N-phenylfluorenyl beta-amino alcohols have been prepared and evaluated as catalysts for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde. The influence of the substituents on the stereogenic centers of the ligand has been studied, and enantioselectivities up to 97% have been obtained. Those ligands with bulky groups in the carbinol stereocenter and small groups alpha to the nitrogen atom displayed the best catalytic activity and enantioselectivity. The most enantioselective ligand (4e) was found to possess general applicability for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to a variety of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes.     

Formation of vinyl-, vinylhalide- or acyl-substituted quaternary carbon stereogenic centers through NHC-Cu-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate additions of Si-containing vinylaluminums to β-substituted cyclic enones

A catalytic method for enantioselective conjugate addition (ECA) of Si-containing vinylaluminum reagents to β-substituted cyclopentenones and cyclohexenones is described. Reactions are promoted by 1.0-5.0 mol % of a bidentate NHC-Cu complex, which is prepared from air-stable CuCl(2)?2H(2)O and used in situ, and typically proceed to completion within 15-20 min. The requisite vinylmetals are generated efficiently by a site-selective hydroalumination of an alkyne with dibal-H. The desired products, containing a quaternary carbon stereogenic center, are obtained in 48-95% yield after purification and in 89:11 to >98:2 enantiomer ratio (er). The vinylsilane moiety within the products can be functionalized to afford acyl, vinyliodide, or desilylated alkenes in 67% to >98% yield and with >90% retention of the alkene's stereochemical identity. The utility of the catalytic process is illustrated in the context of a concise enantioselective synthesis of riccardiphenol B.     

Catalytic, highly enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reactions of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds to trifluoropyruvate. A simple approach for the formation of optically active aromatic and heteroaromatic hydroxy trifluoromethyl esters.

A new catalytic enantioselective synthetic method for the formation of optically active aromatic and heteroaromatic hydroxy-trifluoromethyl ethyl esters is presented. This catalytic enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction of trifluoromethyl pyruvate with aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds is catalyzed by a chiral bisoxazoline copper(II) complex and proceeds in good yield and with high enantiomeric excess. For a series of substituted indoles, the corresponding 3-substituted hydroxy-trifluoromethyl ethyl esters are formed in up to 93% yield and 94% ee. Pyrrole and 2-substituted pyrroles also react with trifluoromethyl pyruvate in a highly enantioselective aromatic electrophilic reaction and up to 93% ee and good yields are obtained. Furanes and thiophenes give the corresponding 2-hydroxy-trifluoromethyl ethyl esters in high enantiomeric excess; however, the yields of the products are only moderate. Various types of aromatic compounds react in this catalytic reaction with trifluoromethyl pyruvate to give the aromatic electrophilic addition product in good yield. To obtain high enantiomeric excess (> 80% ee) it is necessary that aromatic amines are protected with sterically demanding protecting groups such as benzyl or allyl. This prevents coordination of the amine nitrogen atom to the catalyst, as aromatic amines having a N,N-dimethyl group probably coordinate to the catalyst, leading to a significant reduction of the enantioselective properties of the catalyst. On the basis of the experimental results and the absolute configuration of the formed chiral center, the mechanism for the catalytic enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction is discussed.     

A green chemistry approach to a more efficient asymmetric catalyst: solvent-free and highly concentrated alkyl additions to ketones

There is a great demand for development of catalyst systems that are not only efficient and highly enantioselective but are also environmentally benign. Herein we report investigations into the catalytic asymmetric addition of alkyl and functionalized alkyl groups to ketones under highly concentrated and solvent-free conditions. In comparison with standard reaction conditions employing toluene and hexanes, the solvent-free and highly concentrated conditions permit reduction in catalyst loading by a factor of 2- to 40-fold. These new conditions are general and applicable to a variety of ketones and dialkylzinc reagents to provide diverse tertiary alcohols with high enantioselectivities. Using cyclic conjugated enones, we have performed a tandem asymmetric addition/diastereoselective epoxidation using the solvent-free addition conditions followed by introduction of a 5.5 M decane solution of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) to generate epoxy alcohols. This one-pot procedure allows access to syn epoxy alcohols with three contiguous stereocenters with excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivities and high yields. Both the solvent-free asymmetric additions and asymmetric addition/diastereoselective epoxidation reactions have been conducted on larger scale (5 g substrate) with 0.5 mol % catalyst loadings. In these procedures, enantioselectivities equal to or better than 92% were obtained with isolated yields of 90%. The solvent-free and highly concentrated conditions are a significant improvement over previous solvent-based protocols. Further, this chemistry represents a rare example of a catalytic asymmetric reaction that is highly enantioselective under more environmentally friendly solvent-free conditions.     

A formal enantioselective acetate Mannich reaction: the nitro functional group as a traceless agent for activation and enantiocontrol in the synthesis of beta-amino acids

A two-step procedure involving the enantioselective addition of alpha-nitro esters to imines, followed by reductive denitration, provides a convenient new enantioselective synthesis of beta-amino acids. Specifically, beta-phenyl alanine derivatives with up to 98% ee are formed in good yield (64-88%) over two steps. The utility of the approach is demonstrated through the first enantioselective synthesis of the key beta-amino acid of (+)-chaenorhine.     

An enantioselective synthesis of (+)-polyoxamic acid via phase-transfer catalytic conjugate addition and asymmetric dihydroxylation

A new enantioselective synthetic method of (+)-polyoxamic acid is reported. (+)-Polyoxamic acid could be obtained in 7 steps with 46% overall yield from diphenylmethyl-glycineimine tert-butyl ester via an enantioselective phase-transfer conjugate addition (99% yield, 96% ee) and an asymmetric dihydroxylation (98% yield, 94% de) as the key reactions.     

First synthesis of a beta(2)-homoamino acid by enantioselective catalysis

The enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc to the activated nitroolefin methyl 3-nitropropenoate is efficiently catalyzed by copper(I) complexes with BINOL-based enantiopure phosphoramidite ligands. The nitroolefin moiety acts as the predominant Michael acceptor, giving rise to the unambiguous formation of 2-alkyl-3-nitro-propanoates. Moderate to excellent enantioselectivities and high chemical yields are obtained. The product can easily be transformed into a beta(2)-homoamino acid. [reaction--see text]     

Facile enantioseparation and recognition of mandelic acid and its derivatives in self‐assembly interaction with chiral ionic liquids

Mandelic acid and its derivatives are important medical intermediates in the pharmaceutical industry. Different stereoisomers exhibited distinct biological properties to human bodies. Given that, enantioselective recognition and separation of mandelic acid are of great importance. In this study, four novel different types of chiral ionic liquids bearing designed functional groups were synthesized and successful enantioselective precipitation with mandelic acid and its derivatives. That is, (R, R)‐chiral ionic liquid 1 can coprecipitated with S‐mandelic acid and its derivatives was observed. In addition, good correlation coefficient is achieved by using electrospray mass spectrum at negative ion pattern for quick analysis of the enantioselective precipitation, which could be served as a method of enantioselective recognition. The possible intermolecular interactions are established after systematical studies by NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations.     

Enantioselective addition of phenylacetylene to aldehydes catalyzed by a d-glucosamine-derived sulfonamide-titanium complex

We present the synthesis of β-hydroxy sulfonamides derived from d-glucosamine and their application as ligands in titanium tetraisopropoxide promoted enantioselective addition of phenylacetylene to benzaldehyde and selected aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. The N-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzenesulfonamido-d-glucosamine derivative was chosen as the most efficient ligand for this addition. The reaction is highly enantioselective for several aromatic aldehydes and enantiomeric excesses up to 92% were obtained.     

Organocatalytic,Enantioselective Synthesis of Cyclohexadienone Containing Hindered Spirocyclic Ethers through an Oxidative Dearomatization/Oxa‐Michael Addition Sequence

An unprecedented enantioselective oxa‐Michael reaction of α‐tertiary alcohols using cinchona‐alkaloid‐based chiral bifunctional squaramide catalysts is reported. An oxidative dearomatization of phenol followed by an enantioselective oxa‐Michael addition sequence provided a broad array of chiral sterically hindered tetrahydrofurans and tetrahydropyrans attached to a cyclohexadienone moiety in spiro fashion. In general, good yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99 %) were observed. The chiral oxo‐cycles obtained have easily been transformed into chromans without disturbing the enantioselectivity.     

Organocatalytic,Enantioselective Synthesis of Cyclohexadienone Containing Hindered Spirocyclic Ethers through an Oxidative Dearomatization/Oxa‐Michael Addition Sequence

An unprecedented enantioselective oxa‐Michael reaction of α‐tertiary alcohols using cinchona‐alkaloid‐based chiral bifunctional squaramide catalysts is reported. An oxidative dearomatization of phenol followed by an enantioselective oxa‐Michael addition sequence provided a broad array of chiral sterically hindered tetrahydrofurans and tetrahydropyrans attached to a cyclohexadienone moiety in spiro fashion. In general, good yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99 %) were observed. The chiral oxo‐cycles obtained have easily been transformed into chromans without disturbing the enantioselectivity.     

Enantioselective conjugate addition of oximes to trisubstituted β-nitroacrylates: an organocatalytic approach to β(2,2)-amino acid derivatives

A highly enantioselective organocatalytic intermolecular conjugate addition of oximes to β-nitroacrylates has been developed. The highly functionalized adducts obtained are valuable precursors for asymmetric synthesis, as demonstrated by the synthesis of β(2,2)-amino acids and oxazolidin-2-ones.     

Direct access to enantiomerically enriched alpha-amino phosphonic acid derivatives by organocatalytic asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of imines

A simple and efficient organocatalytic enantioselective hydrophosphonylation of imines to enantiomerically enriched alpha-amino phosphonates is reported. By using 10 mol % of quinine as the catalyst in the enantioselective addition of diethyl phosphite to N-Boc protected imines, alpha-amino phosphonates are obtained in moderate to good yields and with up to 94% ee.     

Practice and theory of enantioselective complexation gas chromatography

The practice and theory of enantioselective complexation GC is comprehensively reviewed for the first time. A multitude of racemic oxygen-, nitrogen- and sulfur-containing selectands can be separated without prior derivatization into enantiomers by complexation GC on optically active metal(II) bis[3-(perfluoroacyl)-(1R)-camphorate] selectors. Peak inversion is obtained when the selectors with opposite configuration are employed. Applications pertain to chiral analysis in asymmetric synthesis, enzymatic reactions, pheromone and flavour chemistry. Although the use of enantioselective complexation GC has diminished recently with the advent of modified cyclodextrins in enantioselective GC, the inherent principles of enantiorecognition together with other enantioselective phenomena can be elucidated easily by complexation GC. Using the concept of the retention-increment R' which allows the distinction between non-enantioselective and enantioselective contributions to retention, concise thermodynamic parameters of enantioselectivity - deltaD,L(deltaG) are accessible. The enantiomerization of configurationally labile enantiomers can be investigated and quantified by complexation GC. Four distinct enantioselective processes and four different coalescence phenomena have been discerned in complexation GC.