Thermische Lactonisierung von Estern γ-Brom-α, β-ungesättigter Carbonsäuren zu Δα-Butenoliden. Direkte γ-Bromierung von α, β-ungesättigten Säuren

By heating with iron powder at 120–150° some γ-bromo-α, β-unsaturated carboxylic methyl esters, and, less smothly, the corresponding acids, were lactonized to Δ^7alpha;-butenolides with elimination of methyl bromide. The following conversions have thus been made: methyl γ-bromocrotonate ( 1c ) and the corresponding acid ( 1d ) to Δ^α-butenolide ( 8a ), methyl γ-bromotiglate ( 3c ) and the corresponding acid ( 3d ) to α-methyl-Δ^α-butenolide ( 8b ), a mixture of methyl trans- and cis-γ-bromosenecioate ( 7c and 7e ) and a mixture of the corresponding acids ( 7d and 7f ) to β-methyl-Δ^α-butenolide ( 8c ). The procedure did not work with methyl trans-γ-bromo-Δ^α-pentenoate ( 5c ) nor with its acid ( 5d ). Most of the γ-bromo-α, β-unsaturated carboxylic esters ( 1c, 7c, 7e and 5c ) are available by direct N-bromosuccinimide bromination of the α, β-unsaturated esters 1a, 7a and 5a ; methyl γ-bromotiglate ( 3c ) is obtained from both methyl tiglate ( 3a ) and methyl angelate ( 4a ), but has to be separated from a structural isomer. The γ-bromo-α, β-unsaturated esters are shown by NMR. to have the indicated configurations which are independent of the configuration of the α, β-unsaturated esters used; the bromination always leads to the more stable configuration, usually the one with the bromine-carrying carbon anti to the carboxylic ester group; an exception is methyl γ-bromo-senecioate, for which the two isomers (cis, 7e , and trans, 7d ) have about the same stability. The N-bromosuccinimide bromination of the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids 1b , 3b , 4b , 5b and 7b is shown to give results entirely analogous to those with the corresponding esters. In this way γ-bromocrotonic acid ( 1 d ), γ-bromotiglic acid ( 3 d ), trans- and cis-γ-bromosenecioic acid ( 7d and 7f ) as well as trans-γ-bromo-Δ^α-pentenoic acid ( 5d ) have been prepared. Iron powder seems to catalyze the lactonization by facilitating both the elimination of methyl bromide (or, less smoothly, hydrogen bromide) and the rotation about the double bond. α-Methyl-Δ^α-butenolide ( 8b ) was converted to 1-benzyl-( 9a ), 1-cyclohexyl-( 9b ), and 1-(4′-picoly1)-3-methyl-Δ^α-pyrrolin-2-one ( 9 c ) by heating at 180° with benzylamine, cyclohexylamine, and 4-picolylamine. The butenolide 8b showed cytostatic and even cytocidal activity; in preliminary tests, no carcinogenicity was observed. Both 8b and 9c exhibited little toxicity.     

Reaction of 2-aminobenzimidazole with bifunetional carboxylie acid derivatives. Formation of pyrimido[1,2-a] benzimidazolones

2-Aminobenzimidazole reacts with α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid chlorides or esters to give only pyrimido [1,2-a] benzimidazol-2-(1H) ones. β-Ethoxymethylenemalonie acid derivatives or β-ketocarboxylic acid derivatives give only pyrimido [1,2-a] benzimidazol-4-(1H)ones. Structural assignments based on nmr and chemical manipulations are discussed.     

Asymmetric synthesis of β-fluoroaryl-β-amino acids

The conjugate addition of lithium (R)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amide to a range of β-fluoroaryl-α,β-unsaturated esters gave the corresponding β-amino esters with high diastereoselectivity and in good isolated yields. Sequential treatment of the resultant β-fluoroaryl-β-amino esters under optimised hydrogenolysis conditions, followed by ester hydrolysis with 2.0 M aq HCl, provided access to a range of β-fluoroaryl-β-amino acids in good yield.     

Novel and practical asymmetric synthesis of β2,3-amino esters using asymmetric Michael addition of chiral amine

A practical method for the synthesis of chiral β^2,3-amino esters having various substituents was developed, which is characterized by an asymmetric Michael addition reaction of a chiral lithium amide with trisubstituted (E)-α,β-unsaturated esters. We found that a highly face-selective protonation occurred by the quick addition of water to the enolate intermediate derived from the Michael addition reaction to afford N-protected β^2,3-amino esters in moderate to excellent yields. This finding was made possible by the facile preparation of geometrically pure trisubstituted (E)-α,β-unsaturated esters, which was established recently by our group. The subsequent deprotection of the amino group in the Michael adduct by using N-iodosuccinimide (NIS) efficiently provided β^2,3-amino esters having various substituents.     

Rh-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of α,β- and β,β-Disubstituted Unsaturated Boronate Esters

A highly enantioselective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated boronate esters catalyzed by Rh-(S)-DTBM-Segphos complex has been developed. Both (Z)-α,β- and β,β-disubstituted substrates can be successfully hydrogenated to afford chiral boronates with excellent enantioselectivities, up to 98 % ee. Furthermore, the obtained chiral boronate esters, as important versatile synthetic intermediates are successfully transformed to the corresponding chiral alcohols, amines and other important derivatives with maintained enantioselectivities.     

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of bis(pinacolato)diboron with vinyl triflates β-substituted by a carbonyl group: efficient synthesis of β-boryl-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and their synthetic utility

Cross-coupling reaction of bis(pinacolato)diboron with β-(trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy)-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds was carried out in the presence of PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂-2PPh₃ (3 mol%) and KOPh in toluene or K₂CO₃ in dioxane for the synthesis of cyclic and acyclic β-boryl-α,β-unsaturated esters, amides, and ketones in high yields. The vinylboronates thus obtained readily participated in carboncarbon bond formation such as cross-coupling with vinyl triflates and 1,4-addition to α,β-unsaturated ketones.     

Lewis acid-promoted reaction of β,γ-unsaturated α,α-dimethoxy esters with silyl nucleophiles

The Lewis acid-promoted reaction of β,γ-unsaturated α,α-dimethoxy esters, which are easily prepared by the acetalization of β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters, with silyl nucleophiles is presented. By employing trimethylsilyl enolate and allyltrimethylsilane as nucleophiles, the BF₃-promoted reactions of a series of β,γ-unsaturated α,α-dimethoxy esters bearing aromatic and aliphatic substituents proceeded at the γ-position in an SN2′ manner to furnish γ-substituted α,β-unsaturated α-methoxy esters in good yields with high regioselectivity. In contrast, the reaction using trimethylsilyl cyanide predominantly occurred at the α-position, and the reaction of silyl hydride resulted in a mixture of α- and γ-regioisomers in favor of the γ-substitution products.     

Homolgation of β-silyl-α,β-unsaturated esters

Treatment of β-trimethylsilyl-α,β-unsaturated esters with diazomethane results in a stereospecific homolgation to the corresponding γ-trimethylsilyl-α,β-unsaturated esters.     

HBTU Mediated Synthesis of α,β-Unsaturated γ-Lactams from E-α,β-Unsaturated γ-Amino Acids

The α,β-unsaturated γ-lactams have been found in many biologically active peptide natural products. Due to their biological activities, extensive efforts have been made in the literature to synthesize the α,β-unsaturated γ-lactams. Here, we are reporting the spontaneous transformation of E-α,β-unsaturated γ-amino acids into α,β-unsaturated γ-lactam through in-situ activation of free carboxylic acid using peptide coupling reagent HBTU and base DIPEA at room temperature. The transformation also involves the E→Z isomerization of α,β-unsaturated γ-amino acids. The reaction is also compatible with the peptides consisting of E-α,β-unsaturated amino acids at the C-terminus. The α,β-unsaturated γ-lactams were isolated in very good yields. Even though the reaction required very mild conditions, the products were isolated in the form of a racemic mixture. However, the products can be separated under a chiral environment. No α,β-unsaturated γ-lactams were observed if the reaction was performed in the presence of free amines. In addition, no racemization was observed during the peptide synthesis. The analysis of the reactions of various substrates revealed that amide NH and γ-CH are important for lactamization. No α,β-unsaturated γ-lactams or E→Z isomerization products were observed in the case of N-Me-(E)-α,β-unsaturated γ-amino acids, whereas in the case of E-α,β-unsaturated γ,γ-dimethyl amino acid α,β-unsaturated γ-lactam was isolated, however, with low yield.     

Polymer-Assisted Solution-Phase Synthesis Under Combined Ultrasound and Microwave Irradiation: Preparation of α,β-Unsaturated Esters and Carboxylic Acids,Key Intermediates of Novel Sigma Ligands

The optimal conditions to prepare α,β-unsaturated methyl esters via Wittig reaction combining polymer-assisted solution-phase synthesis (PASPS) methodology and simultaneous ultrasound and microwave irradiation were established. The effects of temperature, solvent, and irradiation time were discussed. Results clearly indicated the superiority of combined ultrasound and microwave-assisted procedure over microwave-assisted methodology. Moreover, an efficient PASPS procedure to prepare α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids via tandem Wittig olefination and hydrolysis reaction was developed under combined ultrasound and microwave irradiation. Generally, a good conversion of aldehydes to acids was observed. The optimized protocols allowed us to quickly prepare a small collection of either α,β-unsaturated esters or carboxylic acids, key intermediates for the drug-discovery process of new sigma ligands.     

Design of Chiral β-Double Helices from γ-Peptide Foldamers

Chirality is ubiquitous in nature, and homochirality is manifested in many biomolecules. Although β-double helices are rare in peptides and proteins, they consist of alternating L- and D-amino acids. No peptide double helices with homochiral amino acids have been observed. Here, we report chiral β-double helices constructed from γ-peptides consisting of alternating achiral (E)-α,β-unsaturated 4,4-dimethyl γ-amino acids and chiral (E)-α,β-unsaturated γ-amino acids in both single crystals and in solution. The two independent strands of the same peptide intertwine to form a β-double helix structure, and it is stabilized by inter-strand hydrogen bonds. The peptides with chiral (E)-α,β-unsaturated γ-amino acids derived from α-L-amino acids adopt a (P)-β-double helix, whereas peptides consisting of (E)-α,β-unsaturated γ-amino acids derived from α-D-amino acids adopt an (M)-β-double helix conformation. The circular dichroism (CD) signature of the (P) and (M)-β-double helices and the stability of these peptides at higher temperatures were examined. Furthermore, ion transport studies suggested that these peptides transport ions across membranes. Even though the structural analogy suggests that these new β-double helices are structurally different from those of the α-peptide β-double helices, they retain ion transport activity. The results reported here may open new avenues in the design of functional foldamers.     

A Stereospecific Synthesis of (E,Z)-α, β-γ, δ-Diunsaturated Aldehydes,Ketones, and Esters Using the Benary Reaction

The reaction between (Z)-1-alkenyllithium and (E)-β-(N, N-dialkylamino)-α, β-alkenals, (E)-β-(N, N-dialkylamino)-α, β-alkenones or (E)-β-(N, N-dialkylamino)-α, β-alkenoic esters yields mainly (E, Z)-α, β-γ, δ-diunsaturated aldehydes, ketones, or esters and is therefore highly stereospecific.     

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Aldol Reaction of α,β-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids to Alkyl Aryl Ketones: Silanes as Activator and Transient Protecting Group

The first enantioselective reductive aldol reaction of unprotected α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids was developed by employing a copper/bisphosphine catalyst. The reaction features in situ protection and activation of an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid by a hydrosilane. The copper enolate formed in situ reacts with an alkyl aryl ketone to afford the β-hydroxy carboxylic acid with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee). The corresponding gram-scale reaction with a low catalyst loading and the derivatization of the β-hydroxy carboxylic acids highlight the practicality of this transformation.     

1,4-Addition of arylboronic acids to β-aryl-α,β-unsaturated ketones and esters catalyzed by a rhodium(I)-chiraphos complex for catalytic and enantioselective synthesis of selective endothelin A receptor antagonists

An enantioselective synthesis of acyclic β-diaryl ketones and esters via 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to β-aryl-α,β-unsaturated ketones or esters is described. The complex in situ prepared from [Rh(nbd)₂]BF₄ and chiraphos was found to be an excellent catalyst to achieve high enantioselectivities in a range of 83-89% ee for the ketone derivatives and 78-94% ee for tert-butyl β-arylacrylate derivatives. The protocol provided a catalytic method for the enantioselective synthesis of selective endothelin A receptor antagonists (7, 8) reported by SmithKline Beecham and Merck-Banyu. The enantioselection mechanism and efficiency of the chiraphos ligand for β-aryl-α,β-unsaturated ketones and esters are discussed on the basis of results of DFT computational studies on the modes of coordination of the enone substrates to the phenylrhodium(I)-(S,S)-chiraphos complex.     

A novel synthetic method for γ-acetoxy-(E)-α,β-unsaturated esters by the palladium catalyzed regio- and stereoselective acetoxylation of β,γ-unsaturated esters

A new synthetic method for γ-acetoxy-α,β-unsaturated esters by the acetoxylation of β,γ-unsaturated esters catalyzed by PdCl₂ in the presence of KOAc and pentyl nitrite in acetic acid is presented. The reaction takes place at γ-position of the esters regioselectively with double bond migration to α,β-position. The E configuration of the double bond was confirmed by NMR analysis. Preliminary investigation to synthesize pyrenophorin and pyrenophorol using this reaction is described.     

Conjugate addition of grignard reagents to N-(α,β-unsaturated)acylpyrazoles. Diastereoselective β-alkylation using 3-phenyl-l-menthopyrazole

The conjugate additions of N-(α,β-unsaturated)acylpyrazoles were carried out by the treatment with Grignard reagents in the presence of cuprous halides. The reaction of 2-(α,β-unsaturated)acyl-3-phenyl-l-menthopyrazoles 3a-h occurred in higher chemical yields and with asymmetric inductions on β-position, where the addition of magnesium bromide as a Lewis acid influenced to the yields and the diastereoselectivities. In the case of α-methylated 2-(α,β-unsaturated)acyl-3-phenyl-l-menthopyrazoles 3i-n , the excellent asymmetric induction on the α-position was also observed through the diastereofacial protonation.     

Synthesis of (Z)-α-chloro-α,β-unsaturated esters with complete stereoselectivity promoted by samarium diiodide

Stereoselective β-elimination in α,α-dichloro-β-hydroxyesters 2 was achieved by using samarium diiodide, yielding (Z)-α-chloro-α,β-unsaturated esters 1. The starting compounds 2 were easily prepared by reaction of the lithium enolate of ethyl dichloroacetate with different aldehydes at −78 °C. A mechanism to explain this process is proposed.     

Trading N and O. Part 2: Exploiting aziridinium intermediates for the synthesis of β-hydroxy-α-amino acids

The β-hydroxy-α-amino acids (S,S)-allo-threonine, (S,S)-β-hydroxyleucine and a range of aryl substituted (S,S)-β-hydroxyphenylalanines were prepared from the corresponding enantiopure anti-α-hydroxy-β-amino esters via a rearrangement protocol, which proceeds via the intermediacy of the corresponding aziridinium ions. The starting anti-α-hydroxy-β-amino esters were prepared in >99:1 dr using our diastereoselective aminohydroxylation procedure, whereby conjugate addition of lithium (R)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amide to an α,β-unsaturated ester is followed by oxidation of the resultant enolate with (−)-camphorsulfonyloxaziridine. Subsequent activation of the hydroxyl group within the anti-α-hydroxy-β-amino esters promoted aziridinium ion formation [which proceeds with inversion of configuration at C(2)], and regioselective ring-opening of the intermediate aziridinium ions with H₂O [which proceeds with inversion of configuration at C(3)] gave the corresponding anti-β-hydroxy-α-amino esters as single diastereoisomers (>99:1 dr). Deprotection of these substrates via sequential hydrogenolysis and ester hydrolysis gave the corresponding β-hydroxy-α-amino acids in good yield and high diastereoisomeric and enantiomeric purity.     

A novel reaction of β,β′-dihydroxy acids or esters with vanadium(V) trichloride oxide. New entry to the stereoselective synthesis of α-fluoro-α,β-unsaturated acids and esters

β,β′-Dihydroxy carboxylic acids and esters, readily prepared from dibromofluoroacetate and aldehydes, underwent deoxygenation, followed by elimination of aldehyde by the action of vanadium(V) trichloride oxide at the reflux temperature of chlorobenzene for 1 h to afford the Z isomers of α-fluoro-α,β-unsaturated acids and esters, respectively, in fair to good yields. This reaction provides a new alternative entry to the stereoselective synthesis of such fluoro compounds.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of (1Z,3E)-2-Ethoxycarbonyl-Substituted 1,3-Dienes via Stille Coupling of (E)-α-Stannyl-α,β-Unsaturated Esters with Alkenyl Halides

Palladium-catalyzed hydrostannylation of alkynyl esters in benzene at room temperature gives stereoselectively (E)-α-stannyl-α,β-unsaturated esters 1 in good yields. (E)-α-Stannyl-α,β-unsaturated esters 1 are difunctional group reagents that undergo Stille coupling reactions with alkenyl halides 2 in the presence of Pd(PPh₃)₄ and CuI co-catalyst to afford stereoselectively (1Z,3E)-2-ethoxycarbonyl-substituted 1,3-dienes 3 in good yields.