Bifunctional‐Thiourea‐Catalyzed Diastereo‐ and Enantioselective Aza‐Henry Reaction

Bifunctional thiourea 1 a catalyzes aza‐Henry reaction of nitroalkanes with N‐Boc‐imines to give syn‐β‐nitroamines with good to high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivity. Apart from the catalyst, the reaction requires no additional reagents such as a Lewis acid or a Lewis base. The N‐protecting groups of the imines have a determining effect on the chirality of the products, that is, the reaction of N‐Boc‐imines gives R adducts as major products, whereas the same reaction of N‐phosphonoylimines furnishes the corresponding S adducts. Various types of nitroalkanes bearing aryl, alcohol, ether, and ester groups can be used as nucleophiles, providing access to a wide range of useful chiral building blocks in good yield and high enantiomeric excess. Synthetic versatility of the addition products is demonstrated by the transformation to chiral piperidine derivatives such as CP‐99,994.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic conjugate addition of α-nitroacetate to α,β-unsaturated ketones in water

The catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition reaction of α-nitroacetate to α,β-unsaturated ketones promoted by chiral bifunctional organocatalysts is described. The treatment of α-nitroacetate to α,β-unsaturated ketones under aqueous-phase reaction conditions afforded the corresponding Michael adducts with high enantioselectivity. The conjugate addition adducts are easily converted to chiral δ-keto nitroalkanes and δ-keto esters.     

Enantioselective conjugate addition of nitro compounds to α,β-unsaturated ketones: an experimental and computational study

A series of chiral thioureas derived from easily available diamines, prepared from α-amino acids, have been tested as catalysts in the enantioselective Michael additions of nitroalkanes to α,β-unsaturated ketones. The best results are obtained with the bifunctional catalyst prepared from L-valine. This thiourea promotes the reaction with high enantioselectivities and chemical yields for aryl/vinyl ketones, but the enantiomeric ratio for alkyl/vinyl derivatives is very modest. The addition of substituted nitromethanes led to the corresponding adducts with excellent enantioselectivity but very poor diastereoselectivity. Evidence for the isomerization of the addition products has been obtained from the reaction of chalcone with [D(3)]nitromethane, which shows that the final addition products epimerize under the reaction conditions. The epimerization explains the low diastereoselectivity observed in the formation of adducts with two adjacent tertiary stereocenters. Density functional studies of the transition structures corresponding to two alternative activation modes of the nitroalkanes and α,β-unsaturated ketones by the bifunctional organocatalyst have been carried out at the B3LYP/3-21G* level. The computations are consistent with a reaction model involving the Michael addition of the thiourea-activated nitronate to the ketone activated by the protonated amine of the organocatalyst. The enantioselectivities predicted by the computations are consistent with the experimental values obtained for aryl- and alkyl-substituted α,β-unsaturated ketones.     

Conjugate addition of aromatic amines to ethenetricarboxylates

The conjugate addition of amines is considered to be a useful reaction in synthetic organic chemistry. The reaction of reactive electrophilic olefins, ethenetricarboxylates, and aromatic amines with and without catalytic Lewis acids such as ZnCl₂ and ZnBr₂ at room temperature gave amine adducts in high yields. The products were converted to α-amino acid, dl-aspartic acid derivatives. Using Lewis acids such as Sc(OTf)₃ and Zn(OTf)₂ at higher temperature (40-80 °C), the reaction of ethenetricarboxylates and N-methylaniline gave an aromatic substitution product. A catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition using a chiral Lewis acid was also investigated. For example, the reaction of 1,1-diethyl 2-tert-butyl ethenetricarboxylate with N-methylaniline in the presence of chiral bisoxazoline-Cu(II) complex in THF at −20 °C for 17 h gave an amine adduct in 91% yield and 78% ee. On the other hand, the reaction with aniline and primary aniline derivatives gave adducts with almost no ee%.     

Chiral phosphine lewis bases catalyzed asymmetric aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of N-sulfonated imines with activated olefins

In the aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of N-sulfonated imines (N-arylmethylidene-4-methylbenzenesulfonamides and others) with methyl vinyl ketone, ethyl vinyl ketone, and acrolein, we found that, in the presence of a catalytic amount of chiral phosphine Lewis base such as (R)-2'-diphenylphosphanyl-[1,1']binaphthalenyl-2-ol LB1 (10 mol %) and molecular sieve 4A, the corresponding aza-Baylis-Hillman adducts could be obtained in good yields with good to high ee (70-95% ee) at low temperature (approximately -30 to -20 degrees C) or at room temperature in THF, respectively. In CH2Cl2 upon heating at 40 degrees C, the aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of N-sulfonated imines with phenyl acrylate or naphthyl acrylate gave the adducts in good to high yields (60-97%) with moderate ee (52-77%). The mechanistic insight has been investigated by 31P and 1H NMR spectroscopic measurements. The key enolate intermediate, which has been stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonding, has been observed by 31P and 1H NMR spectroscopy. An effective bifunctional Lewis base and Bronsted acid phosphine Lewis base system has been disclosed in this catalytic, asymmetric aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction.     

Chiral bifunctional organocatalysts in asymmetric aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions of ethyl (arylimino)acetates with methyl vinyl ketone and ethyl vinyl ketone

The bifunctional chiral phosphine Lewis base (R)-2'-diphenylphosphino-[1,1'-binaphthalene]-2-ol is an effective organocatalyst in the asymmetric aza-MBH reaction of ethyl (arylimino)acetates 1 with MVK and EVK to give the corresponding adducts in moderate to good yields and good to high enantiomeric excesses under mild conditions.     

Catalytic, asymmetric aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of N-sulfonated imines with activated olefins by quinidine-derived chiral amines

The chiral nitrogen Lewis base, tricyclic cinchona alkaloid derivative TQO, is an effective promoter in the catalytic, asymmetric aza‐Baylis–Hillman reaction of N‐sulfonated imines Ar? CH?NR′ 1 (R′ = Ts, Ms, Ns, SES) with various activated olefins such as methyl vinyl ketone (MVK), ethyl vinyl ketone (EVK), acrolein, methyl acrylate, phenyl acrylate, or α‐naphthyl acrylate to give the corresponding adducts in moderate to good yields with good to high ee (up to 99 %) at ?30 °C or 45 °C in various solvents, including DMF/MeCN (1:1, v/v). The first such reaction of 1 with the simplest Michael acceptor MVK and methyl acrylate has been achieved with excellent enantioselectivity. The adducts derived from MVK and EVK had the opposite absolute configuration to those from acrolein, methyl acrylate, phenyl acrylate, and α‐naphthyl acrylate. A plausible mechanism has been proposed on the basis of previous reports and the authors’ investigations. An effective bifunctional chiral nitrogen Lewis base–Brønsted acid system has been revealed in this type of aza‐Baylis–Hillman reaction.     

Remote Sulfonamido Group Enhances Reactivity and Selectivity for Asymmetric Michael Addition of Nitroalkanes to α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes

The pyrrolidine–camphorsulfonamide‐based catalyst 1 a catalyzes the enantioselective conjugate addition of nitroalkanes to α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of five equivalents of water in iPrOH to give the corresponding chiral Michael adducts in good yields and high enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee) with a catalyst loading as low as 1 mol %.     

Catalytic and enantioselective aza-ene and hetero-Diels-Alder reactions of alkenes and dienes with azodicarboxylates

Lewis acids such as Cu(OTf)(2), Zn(OTf)(2), Yb(OTf)(3) and Nd(OTf)(3) catalyze the aza-ene reaction of alkenes with azodicarboxylates, giving the allylic amination adducts. The use of bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)azodicarboxylate as the amination reagent and Cu(OTf)(2) and Yb(OTf)(3) as the catalysts gave the aza-ene reaction of different alkenes, leading to the corresponding allyl amines in high yields. Chiral copper complexes prepared from Cu(OTf)(2) and chiral bisoxazoline ligands were found to catalyze the enantioselective aza-ene reaction of azodicarboxylates with alkenes and the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction with cyclopentadiene, giving the corresponding aza-ene- and hetero-Diels-Alder adducts, respectively, in good yields and moderate enantioselectivities.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric transformations of modified Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts

Chiral Lewis basic tertiary amines or phosphines can enable properly modified Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) adducts to undergo asymmetric allylic substitutions with a wide range of nucleophiles. In addition, assisted by a Br?nsted base, chiral Lewis bases can also catalytically convert modified MBH adducts into allylic ylides, which can be engaged in a variety of asymmetric annulation reactions. This tutorial review will focus on such chiral Lewis base-catalysed asymmetric transformations of MBH adducts, especially those developed over the past five years, allowing for the rapid construction of densely functionalised chiral molecules with high levels of regio- and stereoselectivities.     

Asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reactions of N-sulfinyl dienophiles using chiral bis(oxazoline)-copper(II) and -zinc(II) triflates

Asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) reactions of N-sulfinyl dienophiles using bis(oxazoline)-copper(II) and -zinc(II) triflates are described. The cycloadditions with cyclic and acyclic 1,3-dienes have been studied. In most cases, good enantioselectivities (70-98% ee) and yields (60-85%) were obtained with stoichiometric amounts of the Lewis acids. Cyclic dienes gave the endo adducts as major products, while acyclic dienes provided cis adducts. The HDA adducts have been transformed into N-protected alpha-amino acid methyl esters, amino alcohols, and homoallylic amines. A stereochemical model, which accounts for the enantiofacial selectivity of the HDA reaction by a tetrahedral metal center, has been proposed. Mechanistic studies revealed positive nonlinear effects, assumed to arise from the formation of less-reactive heterochiral complexes. Investigation of the temperature dependence of the enantioselectivity indicated that at least two selective reaction steps exist in the zinc-catalyzed reaction. Reactions run with 10 mol % chiral Lewis acid gave poor yields and selectivities. However, in combination with TMSOTf (100 mol %), high yields (68-86%) and enantioselectivities (97-98% ee) were obtained.     

Novel imidazolidine-tetrazole organocatalyst for asymmetric conjugate addition of nitroalkanes

The Michael addition of nitroalkanes to alpha,beta-unsaturated enones catalyzed by a novel chiral imidazolidine-2-yltetrazole organocatalyst has been investigated. The new more soluble organocatalyst decreases reaction times and improves enantioselectivities compared to other catalysts. The Michael addition adducts were obtained with up to 92% ee. [reaction: see text]     

Synthesis of beta-substituted alpha-amino acids via Lewis acid promoted enantioselective radical conjugate additions

[Chemical reaction: See text] Lewis acid promoted radical conjugate additions to beta-substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated alpha-nitro esters and amides were investigated. With achiral Lewis acids, there was competition between the desired radical conjugate addition and undesired alkene reduction mediated by Bu3nH. Zinc Lewis acids provided the greatest amounts of addition products with both substrate classes. Studies with Bu3nD indicated that the acidic alpha-stereocenter of the alpha-nitro ester products does not racemize under controlled workup conditions. The corresponding alpha-nitro amides racemized significantly during chromatography, but this problem could be greatly minimized by subjecting the crude adducts to subsequent transformations. Indium-mediated reduction of the nitro group followed by acylation of the resulting amine provided good yields of beta-substituted alpha-amino acid derivatives with mimimal levels of racemization. Attempts to use chiral Lewis acids in a stereoselective variant of this process revealed that Kanemasa's DBFOX/Ph ligand (14a) was uniquely effective. Moderate to good ee's and low dr's were obtained with amide substrates. Determination of the absolute configurations of the syn and anti isomers of adduct 7b showed that the hydrogen atom abstraction step was significantly more stereoselective than the radical conjugate addition step. A model for substrate binding to the chiral Lewis acid is presented.     

Catalytic,asymmetric aza-Baylis–Hillman reaction of N-sulfonated imines with 2-cyclohexen-1-one and 2-cyclopenten-1-one in the presence of a chiral phosphine Lewis base

In the aza-Baylis–Hillman reaction of N-sulfonated imines with 2-cyclohexen-1-one or 2-cyclopenten-1-one, we found that by using (R)-2′-dimethylphosphanyl-[1,1′]binaphthalenyl-2-ol LB1 as a chiral phosphine Lewis base, the corresponding Baylis–Hillman adducts 2 or 3 can be obtained in good yields and moderate enantiomeric excess. The structure of this chiral phosphine Lewis base on chiral induction in this reaction has also been discussed.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric conjugate addition of nitroalkanes to alpha,beta-unsaturated enones using novel imidazoline catalysts

A new catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition of nitroalkanes to acyclic alpha,beta-unsaturated enones catalyzed by novel organic catalysts has been developed. A series of chiral amines has been tested as catalysts for the addition of 2-nitropropane to benzylideneacetone, and it is found that a novel imidazoline catalyst, prepared from phenylalanine, can catalyze a highly enantioselective 1,4-addition reaction. The reaction of various acyclic and cyclic nitroalkanes was found to proceed well with enantioselectivities up to 86% ee, and enantiopure products can be obtained by recrystallization. The potential of the reaction is documented by the reaction of a series of substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated enones with different nitroalkanes. Furthermore, the synthetic applicability of the reaction is demonstrated by the formation of optically active functionalized pyrrolines and pyrrolidines by reductive amination of the products. On the basis of the absolute configuration of the conjugate addition products, the mechanism for the reaction is discussed and a transition state proposed.     

Chiral phosphine Lewis base catalyzed asymmetric aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of N-sulfonated imines with methyl vinyl ketone and phenyl acrylate

In the aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of N-sulfonated imines with methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) promoted by chiral phosphine Lewis base: (R)-2'-diphenylphosphanyl-[1,1']binaphthalenyl-2-ol (10 mol%), the aza-Baylis-Hillman adducts 1 were obtained in good yields with high ee (70-94% ee) at -30 degrees C in THF. In CH2Cl2 upon heating at 40 degrees C, the aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of N-sulfonated imines with phenyl acrylate gave the adducts 2 in high yields (60-97%) with moderate ee (52-77%).     

Direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions of pyruvates: scope and mechanism

The direct aldol reaction of 2-ketoesters catalyzed by chiral bisoxazoline copper(II) complexes has been investigated. First the direct homo-aldol reaction of ethyl pyruvate is reported which proceeds to give diethyl 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-oxoglutarate. This was isolated as the more stable optically active isotetronic acid in good yield and enantiomeric excess in the absence of bases such as amines. Detailed investigations of the use of different chiral Lewis acids as the catalyst, amines, ratios of chiral bisoxazoline copper(II) salts:amine, and solvents gave up to 96% ee of the isotetronic acid. Then the reaction was extended to a cross-aldol reaction of various 2-ketoesters with activated carbonyl compounds to give the cross-aldol adduct with excellent enantiomeric excess. Furthermore, the synthesis of the isotetronic acids was investigated from these cross-aldol adducts giving important information about the formation of the stereogenic centers during the aldol reaction. Based on the absolute configuration of the homo-aldol adduct the mechanism for the aldol reaction is discussed.     

Stereoselective preparation of chiral compounds in Mannich-type reactions of a bicyclic imine and phenols or indole

Mannich-type reactions of a chiral bicyclic imine and various nucleophiles yield the corresponding adducts with good to high diastereoselectivity. The influence of the reaction conditions on the yield and stereochemical outcome is investigated. The configuration of the products is established by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and the major isomers of two adducts are characterized by X-ray crystallography.     

Promotion of Henry reactions using Cu(OTf)2 and a sterically hindered Schiff base: access to enantioenriched β-hydroxynitroalkanes

The steric and electronic properties of chiral Schiff base ligands derived from cinchona alkaloids were evaluated in asymmetric Henry reactions. Amongst these, the sterically hindered ligand 2 showed outstanding catalytic efficiency in the Cu(II) catalyzed asymmetric addition of nitroalkanes to a variety of aldehydes to afford the desired adducts in high yields (up to 97%) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) and moderate to good diastereoselectivities (up to 84:16 dr).     

Catalytic asymmetric addition of beta-keto phosphonates to an activated imine--formation of optically active functionalized phosphonate alpha-amino acid derivatives

The direct stereoselective addition of an activated imine to beta-keto phosphonates in the presence of chiral Lewis acid complexes is developed. The evaluation of different activated imines shows that an N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester adds in a diastereo- and enantioselective fashion to beta-keto phosphonates activated by especially chiral copper(II)-bisoxazoline complexes. An evaluation of Lewis acids, chiral ligands and reaction conditions, such as solvent, bases and other additives, shows that high yields, moderate diastereoselectivity and good enantioselectivity are obtained. The scope of the reaction is demonstrated for the reaction of beta-keto phosphonates and finally, the mechanism for the catalytic stereoselective step is presented.