Direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of thioamides: a concise asymmetric synthesis of (R)-fluoxetine

A direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of aromatic aldehydes and thioamides is described. A soft Lewis acid/hard Brønsted base cooperative catalyst comprising (R,R)-Ph-BPE/[Cu(CH₃CN)₄]PF₆/Li(OC₆H₄-p-OMe) promoted the title reaction efficiently, triggered by in situ generation of the active thioamide enolate through a soft–soft interaction of Cu(I) and the thioamide. The aldol product was transformed into (R)-fluoxetine, an antidepressant agent.     

Direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of hydroxyketones: asymmetric Zn catalysis with a Et(2)Zn/linked-BINOL complex

Full details of our newly developed catalyses with asymmetric zinc complexes as mimics of class II zinc-containing aldolase are described. A Et(2)Zn/(S,S)-linked-BINOL complex was developed and successfully applied to direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions of hydroxyketones. A Et(2)Zn/(S,S)-linked-BINOL 1 = 2/1 system was initially developed, which efficiently promoted the direct aldol reaction of 2-hydroxy-2'-methoxyacetophenone (7d). Using 1 mol % of (S,S)-linked-BINOL 1 and 2 mol % of Et(2)Zn, we obtained 1,2-dihydroxyketones syn-selectively in high yield (up to 95%), good diastereomeric ratio (up to 97/3), and excellent enantiomeric excess (up to 99%). Mechanistic investigation of Et(2)Zn/(S,S)-linked-BINOL 1, including X-ray analysis, NMR analysis, cold spray ionization mass spectrometry (CSI-MS) analysis, and kinetic studies, provided new insight into the active oligomeric Zn/(S,S)-linked-BINOL 1/ketone 7d active species. On the basis of mechanistic investigations, a modified second generation Et(2)Zn/(S,S)-linked-BINOL 1 = 4/1 with molecular sieves 3A (MS 3A) system was developed as a much more effective catalyst system for the direct aldol reaction. As little as 0.1 mol % of (S,S)-linked-BINOL 1 and 0.4 mol % of Et(2)Zn promoted the direct aldol reaction smoothly, using only 1.1 equiv of 7d as a donor (substrate/ligand = 1000). This is the most efficient, in terms of catalyst loading, asymmetric catalyst for the direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction. Moreover, the Et(2)Zn/(S,S)-linked-BINOL 1 = 4/1 system was effective in the direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of 2-hydroxy-2'-methoxypropiophenone (12), which afforded a chiral tetrasubstituted carbon center (tert-alcohol) in good yield (up to 97%) and ee (up to 97%), albeit in modest syn-selectivity. Newly developed (S,S)-sulfur-linked-BINOL 2 was also effective in the direct aldol reaction of 12. The Et(2)Zn/(S,S)-sulfur-linked-BINOL 2 = 4/1 system gave aldol adducts anti-selectively in good ee (up to 93%). Transformations of the aldol adducts into synthetically versatile intermediates were also described.     

Direct catalytic enantio- and diastereoselective aldol reaction of thioamides

A direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of thioamides using a soft Lewis acid/hard Br?nsted base cooperative catalyst comprising (R,R)-Ph-BPE/[Cu(CH(3)CN)(4)]PF(6)/LiOAr is described. Exclusive enolate generation from thioacetamides through a soft-soft interaction with the soft Lewis acid allowed for a direct aldol reaction to α-nonbranched aliphatic aldehydes, which are usually susceptible to self-condensation under conventional basic conditions. A hard Lewis basic phosphine oxide has emerged as an effective additive to constitute a highly active ternary soft Lewis acid/hard Br?nsted base/hard Lewis base cooperative catalyst, enabling a direct enantio- and diastereoselective aldol reaction of thiopropionamides. Strict control of the amount of the hard Lewis base was essential to drive the catalytic cycle efficiently with a minimized retro-aldol pathway, affording syn-aldol products with high stereoselectivity. Divergent transformation of the thioamide functionality is an obvious merit of the present aldol methodology, allowing for a facile transformation of the aldol product into the corresponding aldehyde, ketone, amide, amine, and ketoester. An aldehyde derived from the direct aldol reaction was subjected to a second direct aldol reaction, which proceeded in a catalyst-controlled manner to provide 1,3-diols with high stereoselectivity.     

General and practical catalytic enantioselective Strecker reaction of ketoimines: significant improvement through catalyst tuning by protic additives

Significant improvement in enantioselectivity and catalyst activity was achieved for the catalytic enantioselective Strecker reaction. Using a catalyst (1-2.5 mol %) prepared from Gd(OⁱPr)₃ and d-glucose derived ligand 1, and in the presence of 2,6-dimethylphenol as an additive, high enantioselectivity was obtained from a wide range of ketoimines, including heteroaromatic and cyclic ketoimines. The new method was applied to an efficient catalytic asymmetric synthesis of sorbinil, a therapeutic agent for diabetic complications.     

Recent topics on catalytic asymmetric 1,4-addition

Catalytic asymmetric 1,4-addition (conjugate addition; Michael addition) is one of the most powerful methods for carbon-carbon bond formation. Following the first efficient catalyst system developed by Feringa, which is composed of Cu(OTf)₂ and phosphoramidite with dialkylzincs, a variety of chiral catalysts have been reported for the catalytic asymmetric conjugate addition. In this digest review, we will first summarize novel chiral ligands that work efficiently for cyclic and acyclic enones and demonstrate the wide applicability of Michael acceptors. We will also introduce unique phenomena that include the nonlinear effect and reversal of enantioselectivity. Organomagnesium reagents have also been used instead of organozincs. Finally, we introduce the recent examples of the synthesis of natural products based on the catalytic asymmetric reaction. The rare experimental studies into the mechanism of copper-catalyzed 1,4-addition reported by Kitamura and Noyori’s group are also introduced.     

Direct catalytic asymmetric aldol additions of methyl ynones. Spontaneous reversal in the sense of enantioinduction

In this Communication, we report the direct, catalytic, asymmetric aldol addition of methyl ynones using our dinuclear zinc catalyst. A spontaneous reversal in the sense of enantioinduction was observed for these reactions; formation of the (S)-enantiomer is favored in the early stages (69% ee after 5 min), whereas the (R)-enantiomer is isolated as the major product after prolonged reaction times (97% ee after 22 h). It could be shown that this reversal in enantioselectivity is due to formation of a new catalytic species which incorporates the aldol product.     

Anti-selective direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of thiolactams

An anti-selective direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of thiolactam is described. A soft Lewis acid/hard Br?nsted base cooperative catalyst comprised of mesitylcopper/(R,R)-Ph-BPE exhibited high catalytic performance to produce an anti-aldol product with high stereoselectivity. The highly chemoselective nature of the present catalysis allows for the use of enolizable aldehydes as aldol acceptors. The diverse transformations of the thiolactam moiety highlight the synthetic utility of the present anti-aldol protocol.     

Solvent-free synthesis of propargylamines via A3 coupling reaction and organic pollutant degradation in aqueous condition using Cu/C catalyst

The present report focuses on the efficient and operationally simple synthesis of biomass-derived carbon as support to immobilize copper particles as a catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of propargylamines from furfural via the A³ coupling reaction. This new catalyst showed remarkable catalytic performance leading to a 97% yield within 5 h at 80 °C using 5 mg (0.0022 mmol Cu) of Cu/C catalyst under solvent-free condition. Moreover, nitro-substituted compounds such as 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) are highly toxic and not easily degradable. Hence, a quick and effective method is required to neutralize these toxic compounds. The synthesized active support Cu/C catalyst having various electron-donating groups containing small amounts of Cu plays an essential role in the catalytic reduction of 4-NP (0.1 g). Using only 3 mg (0.0013 mmol Cu) of Cu/C catalyst and NaBH₄ (10 mmol), a 99% yield (100% selectivity) in the aqueous condition at 25 °C was achieved. The catalytic reduction follows the pseudo-first-order kinetics with reaction rate constant of 0.028 s⁻¹. Moreover, results demonstrate that the Cu/C catalyst has superior catalytic activity due to the presence of electron-donating molecules such as O, S, and N atoms, which enable synergistic effect in enhancing the overall catalytic performance. Notably, the recoverability and recyclability of the synthesized catalyst were evaluated for up to four cycles, which confirmed its stability in these cycles.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of 3‐(α‐Hydroxy‐β‐carbonyl) Oxindoles by a ScIII‐Catalyzed Direct Aldol‐Type Reaction

A direct catalytic asymmetric aldol‐type reaction of 3‐substituted‐2‐oxindoles with glyoxal derivatives and ethyl trifluoropyruvate, catalyzed by a chiral N,N′‐dioxide–Sc(OTf)₃ (Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl) complex, has been developed that tolerates a wide range of substrates. The reaction proceeds in good yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 93 % yield, 99:1 diastereomeric ratio (dr), and >99 % enantiomeric excess (ee)) under mild conditions, to deliver 3‐(α‐hydroxy‐β‐carbonyl) oxindoles with vicinal quaternary–tertiary or quaternary–quaternary stereocenters. Even with 1 mol % catalyst loading or on scaleup (10 mmol of starting material), maintenance of ee was observed, which showed the potential value of the catalyst system. In studies probing the reaction mechanism, a positive nonlinear effect was observed and Sc^III‐based enolate intermediates were detected by using ESIMS. On the basis of the experimental results and previous reports, a possible catalytic cycle was assumed.     

Novel type of heterogenized CuCl2 catalytic systems for oxidative carbonylation of methanol

A novel type of heterogenized CuCl₂ catalysts was designed for the oxidative carbonylation of methanol to dimethyl carbonate (DMC) taking account of the plausible reaction mechanism and intermediates. To prevent severe corrosion of the reaction equipment materials due to Cl^? while keeping the catalytic activity of the homogeneous CuCl₂ catalyst, we adopted, as supports (or ligands) of CuCl₂, four polymers, bearing a 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) or pyridine (py) unit, namely, poly(2,2′-bipyridine-5,5′-diyl) (Pbpy), poly(pyridine-2,5-diyl) (Ppy), poly(N,N′-bisphenylene-2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylic amide) (Bpya), and poly(4-methyl-4′-vinyl-2,2′-bipyridine) (Pvbpy), together with one chelate compound, 8-quinolinol. The catalytic activity, stability of heterogenized CuCl₂ and their corrosivities to stainless steels were examined in the liquid-phase reaction of the oxidative carbonylation of methanol. These polymer-supported catalysts showed considerable catalytic activity and stability for the DMC synthesis. In particular, the Pbpy-CuCl₂ and Ppy-CuCl₂ catalysts exhibited high DMC yields and selectivity comparable to those of the homogeneous CuCl₂ catalyst. This high activity appears to be associated with the presence of the π-conjugated system in the polymers, which affect the redox reactions of Cu involved in the catalytic reaction. All of the polymer-supported CuCl₂ catalysts could be easily recycled after filtration, and the initial catalytic activity was maintained after three times of use. The corrosive characters of the catalysts were closely related to CuCl₂ leaching from the supports, which reflects the ability of supports to coordinate Cu. These experimental results suggest that both the electronic structure and the coordination ability of the polymer supports are key factors for the development of an effective catalytic system.     

[bmim]BF4/[Cu(Im12)2]CuCl2 as a novel catalytic reaction medium for click cyclization

Herein, a new application of an ionic liquid containing copper (I), ([Cu(Im¹²)₂]CuCl₂), is introduced. This ionic liquid was used as an efficient catalyst for the click cyclization between organic azides and terminal alkynes in various solvents. Then, the mixture of [bmim]BF₄/[Cu(Im¹²)₂]CuCl₂ was used as a green catalytic medium for the multicomponent click synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted-1H-1,2,3-triazoles from α-halo ketones. The reactions were performed efficiently in this mixture and excellent yields were obtained in all cases. This catalytic reaction medium was recycled five times without significant loss of activity.     

Effect of copper precursors on the catalytic activity of Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts prepared by different copper precursors were used for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO _x with NH₃. The Cu/ZSM-5 catalyst prepared by the copper nitrate (Cu/ZSM-5-N) presented the best performance among the Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts and showed above 90 % NO _x conversion at 225–405 °C. The average particle size of CuO was 5.82, 9.20, and 11.01 nm over Cu/ZSM-5-N, Cu/ZSM-5-S (prepared by copper sulfate), and Cu/ZSM-5-C (prepared by copper chloride), respectively. The Cu/ZSM-5-N catalyst showed the highly dispersed copper species, the strong surface acidity, and the excellent redox ability compared with the Cu/ZSM-5-C and Cu/ZSM-5-S catalysts. The Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ existed in the Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts and the abundant Cu⁺ over Cu/ZSM-5-N might be responsible for the superior SCR activity.     

L-Proline catalyzed aldol reactions between acetone and aldehydes in supercritical fluids: An environmentally friendly reaction procedure

The direct asymmetric aldol reaction between various aldehydes and acetone catalyzed by l-proline catalyst was successfully carried out in supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) fluids. The enantioselectivity of 84% ee to the targeted product was achieved under 20 MPa, 40 °C, and 15 mol% of the catalyst in supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) fluid. The effects of reaction parameters, such as temperature, pressure, catalyst loading and different substituted aldehydes on both enantioselectivity and aldol yield were discussed. The titled reaction was also performed in 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, and the obtained results were compared with those in scCO₂. This new reaction procedure provides an environmental asymmetric aldol reaction system as compared with that in organic solvents.     

Comparative study of Cu(II) catalytic sites immobilized onto different polymeric supports

The catalysts with copper(II) ions stabilized onto different polymeric matrixes are prepared on either bulk (Cu/chitosan, Cu/polyethyleneimine-polyacrylic acid (PPA), and Cu-diiminate-impregnated polystyrene, polyarylate, or polymethylmethacrylate) or composite supports (egg-shell type Cu/chitosan/SiO₂ and Cu/PPA/SiO₂). The morphology of the samples and peculiarities of Cu(II) cationic sites are studied by SEM and ESR methods, and the catalyst activities are compared in oxidation of o- and p-dihydroxybenzenes by air in water. The catalytic activity of Cu(II) centers is governed by the coordination of isolated copper ions: for the most active catalysts, i.e., Cu/chitosan and Cu/PPA, the symmetry of isolated Cu²⁺-sites approximates a coordinatively unsaturated square-planar structure. At the same time, accessibility of active sites to water differs for different polymers, so the contribution of hydrophilicity to the reaction pattern cannot be excluded. Redox transformations of the active sites in the course of catalytic tests do not cause copper leaching from the polymer matrix. The binary composite systems with a film of low-loaded hydrofilic Cu-polymer supported on macroporous SiO₂ demonstrate substantially higher activity in oxidation of hydroquinone and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, as compared with the bulk Cu/polymer samples. In turn, the specific activity of Cu/chitosan/SiO₂ exceeds significantly that of Cu/PPA/SiO₂ due to stabilization of a thinner and more uniform film of chitosan at the surface of silica.     

Catalytic evaluation of copper (II) N-salicylidene-amino acid Schiff base in the various catalytic processes

N-Salicylidene amino acid Schiff base sodium sulfonate salt, as a tridentate dibasic chelating ligand, was obtained from the common condensation of salicylaldehyde-5-sodium sulfonate with tyrosine (HPST). The internal formed ligand coordinated to Cu²⁺ ion in an aqueous media affording new Cu (II)-complex (Cu-PST), which characterized by various physico-chemicals spectral tools. The mononuclear complex was evaluated as a homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst in the (ep)oxidation protocols of 1,2-cyclooctene and benzyl alcohol. Heterogeneously, Cu-PST was immobilized on Fe₃O₄-SiO₂, as nanoparticles. The heterogeneous catalyst was characterized by infrared, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, Brunauer−Emmett−Teller and magnetism. Homogeneously, the temperature, solvent and oxidant influences were examined in the catalytic reactions to realize the best reaction conditions. Cu-catalyst exhibited better catalytic performance in the (ep)oxidation processes homogeneously than that in the heterogeneous phase at 80°C for 2 hr in acetonitrile. Reusability of the homogeneous catalyst was for a maximum of three times in the (ep)oxidation reaction, whereas the heterogeneous catalyst was active for six times. A mechanistic pathway was proposed for both catalysts, comparatively.     

Direct catalytic asymmetric mannich reactions of malonates and beta-keto esters

The first catalytic asymmetric direct Mannich reaction of malonates and beta-keto esters has been developed. Malonates react with an activated N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester catalyzed by chiral tert-butyl-bisoxazoline/Cu(OTf)(2) to give the Mannich adducts in high yields and with up to 96% ee. These reactions create a chiral quaternary carbon center and it is demonstrated that this new direct Mannich reactions provides for example a new synthetic procedure for the formation of optically active beta-carboxylic ester alpha-amino acid derivatives. A series of different beta-keto esters with various ester substituents has been screened as substrates for the catalytic asymmetric direct Mannich reaction and it was found that the best results in terms of yield, diastereo- and enantioselectivity were obtained when tert-butyl esters of beta-keto esters were used as the substrate. The reaction of different beta-keto tert-butyl esters with the N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester gave the Mannich adducts in high yields, diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee) in the presence of chiral tert-butyl-bisoxazoline/Cu(OTf)(2) as the catalyst. To expand the synthetic utility of this direct Mannich reaction a diastereoselective decarboxylation reaction was developed for the Mannich adducts leading to a new synthetic approach to attractive optically active beta-keto alpha-amino acid derivatives. Based on the stereochemical outcome of the reactions, various approaches of the N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester to the chiral bisoxazoline/Cu(II)-substrate intermediate are discussed.     

Synthesis,structures, photophysical properties,and catalytic characteristics of 2,9-dimesityl-1,10-phenanthroline (dmesp) transition metal complexes

The syntheses of the 2,9-dimesityl-1,10-phenanthroline ( dmesp ) metal complexes, [Cu(dmesp)(MeCN)]PF₆ ( 1 ), [Cu(dmesp)₂]PF₆ ( 2 ), Fe(dmesp)Cl₂ ( 3 ), Co(dmesp)Cl₂ ( 4 ), Ni(dmesp)Cl₂ ( 5 ), Zn(dmesp)Cl₂ ( 6 ), Pd(dmesp)MeCl ( 7 ), Cu(dmesp)Cl ( 8 ), and Pd(dmesp)₂Cl₂ ( 9 ), in good to high yields are described. These complexes were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, HR–MS (ESI and/or APPI), and elemental analysis (CHN). The solid-state structures of complexes 1 – 8 were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis and their photophysical properties were also characterized. To demonstrate the versatility of this new platform, complexes 3 – 5 , 8 , and 9 were employed in the catalytic oligomerization of ethylene using modified methyl aluminoxane (MMAO) as the cocatalyst, where Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes ( 4 and 5 , respectively) were found to exhibit moderate selectivity for catalytic dimerization of ethylene to butenes over tri- or tetramerization. Complex 8 is an effective catalyst of both the commonly encountered “click” reaction and amine arylation chemistries. Complexes 6 and 9 were found to be excellent catalysts for Friedel-Crafts alkylation and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, respectively.     

Dramatic ligand effect in catalytic asymmetric reductive aldol reaction of allenic esters to ketones

A general catalytic asymmetric reductive aldol reaction of allenic esters to ketones is described. Two distinct constitutional isomers were selectively produced depending on the reaction conditions. A combination of CuOAc/(R)-DTBM-SEGPHOS/PCy3 as the catalyst predominantly produced gamma-cis-products in high yield with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). The reaction was applicable to both aromatic and aliphatic ketones, including unsaturated ketones. On the other hand, CuF-Taniaphos complexes produced alpha-aldol products with high diastereo- and enantioselectivity (up to 84% ee). The new Taniaphos derivative L3, containing di(3,5-xylyl)phosphine and morpholine units, produced optimum results in the alpha-selective reaction. The products are versatile chiral building blocks in organic synthesis. Furthermore, the basic reaction pattern (i.e., conjugate addition-aldol reaction) was extended to a catalytic enantioselective alkylative aldol reaction to ketones using dialkylzinc reagents as the initiator.     

Liquid-phase catalytic oxidation of organic substrates by a recyclable polymer-supported copper(II) complex

Chloromethylated polystyrene beads cross-linked with 6.5 % divinylbenzene were functionalized with 2-(2′-pyridyl) benzimidazole (PBIMH) and on subsequent treatment with Cu(OAc)₂ in methanol gave a polymer-supported diacetatobis(2-pyridylbenzimidazole)copper(II) complex [PS-(PBIM)₂Cu(II)], which was characterized by physicochemical techniques. The supported complex showed excellent catalytic activity toward the oxidation of industrially important organic compounds such as phenol, benzyl alcohol, cyclohexanol, styrene, and ethylbenzene. An effective catalytic protocol was developed by varying reaction parameters such as the catalyst and substrate concentrations, reaction time, temperature, and substrate-to-oxidant ratio to obtain maximum selectivity with high yields of products. Possible reaction mechanisms were worked out. The catalyst could be recycled five times without any metal leaching or much loss in activity. This catalyst is truly heterogeneous and allows for easy work up, as well as recyclability and excellent product yields under mild conditions.     

Spinel copper ferrite nanoparticles: Preparation,characterization and catalytic activity

The magnetic CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles have been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic methods, including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), O K, Cu and Fe K ‐edge X‐ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The azide‐alkyne cycloaddition by the reaction of various phenylacetylenes with a mixture of benzyl halides and NaN₃ and also three component (A³) coupling reaction of aldehyde, alkyne and amine catalyzed by CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles under aerobic conditions led to the formation of the 1,4‐disubstituted‐1,2,3‐triazoles and propargylamines in excellent yields. The catalyst can be recovered by applying an external magnetic field for the subsequent cycloaddition reactions and reused without any tangible loss in catalytic efficiency.