Remote steric effect on the regioselectivity of Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation

Studies on the regioselectivities for the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD) of conjugated dienoates, trienoates, dienones and dienamides are described. Excellent regioselectivities were obtained in straight chain dienoates, all trienoates, ketones and amides. The remote branched iso-propyl and tert-butyl groups of dienoates greatly lowered the normally excellent regiocontrol. This observation is rationalized in terms of substrate conformational changes, and the steric interaction between the branched methyl group of iso-propyl or tert-butyl groups and the ethyl group on the (DHQD)₂PHAL ligand.     

Asymmetric dihydroxylation catalyzed by ionic polymer-supported osmium tetroxide

Osmium tetroxide was immobilized onto a short-length PEGylated ionic polymer, which exhibited excellent catalytic performance in OsO4-catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation. The resulting polymer was recycled five times without any loss of yield or enantioselectivity. In addition to the immobilization of osmium, the polymer also exhibited an ability to immobilize a significant amount of chiral ligand.     

Catalytic asymmetric dihydroxylation of olefins using polysulfone-based novel microencapsulated osmium tetroxide

A polysulfone based novel polymer-supported osmium catalyst has been developed. The catalyst was prepared from commercially available polysulfone, based on a microencapsulation technique and was employed in the asymmetric dihydroxylation of various olefins using (DHQD)₂PHAL as the chiral ligand and NMO as the co-oxidant in H₂O-acetone-CH₃CN (1:1:1). The catalyst was recovered by simple filtration and was reused to obtain excellent yields with good enantioselectivity up to five times.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (S)-timolol via kinetic resolution of terminal epoxides and dihydroxylation of allylamines

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of (S)-timolol has been described using chiral Co-salen-catalyzed kinetic resolution of less expensive (±)-epichlorohydrin with 3-hydroxy-4-(N-morpholino)-1,2,5-thiadiazole in good overall yield (55%) and excellent enantioselectivity (98%). Synthesis of (S)-timolol has also been achieved using hydrolytic kinetic resolution as well as asymmetric dihydroxylation routes in 90% ee and 56% ee, respectively.     

Osmium-catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation by carbon dioxide-activated hydrogen peroxide and N-methylmorpholine

An improved process has been developed for the osmium-catalyzed dihydroxylation of olefins via in situ formation of NMO from NMM using CO₂ catalysis and H₂O₂. All olefins examined were selectively cis-dihydroxylated to their corresponding diols in good to excellent yields, and by the use of chiral ligands, high enantiomeric excesses were obtained.     

Catalytic asymmetric dihydroxylation of olefins with recyclable osmate-exchanged chloroapatite catalyst

An osmate-exchanged chloroapatite (CAP-OsO₄) catalyst was prepared by an ion-exchange technique. CAP-OsO₄ efficiently catalyses asymmetric dihydroxylation of olefins including α,β-unsaturated esters and amides to afford the corresponding diols in high yields and enantioselectivities. The catalyst was reused for several cycles with consistent activity.     

Asymmetric dihydroxylation of heteroaromatic acrylates

N- and O-Heteroaromatic acrylates were dihydroxylated with high ees and good yields. While the AD of pyridyl and pyrryl acrylates afforded diverse yields under the present reaction condition, some corresponding N-substituted pyridyl and pyrryl acrylates (1d, 1e, 1g) proved to be appropriate substrates. The diols obtained can be used as chiral building blocks for the synthesis of various biologically active molecules.     

Insights into base-free OsO4-catalyzed aminohydroxylations employing chiral ligands

Attempts to perform the OsO₄-catalyzed enantioselective base-free aminohydroxylation of β,β-disubstituted enoates are described. Low yields and racemic products were obtained in the presence of standard chiral ligands, suggesting the occurrence of a “Second Cycle” process due to slow hydrolysis of the amino alcohol product from the Os metal center. Support for this hypothesis was provided by the slightly improved enantioselectivity (60:40 er) obtained with an amino alcohol ligand. Based on density functional theory calculations, it is proposed that the lack of significant enantioselectivity is due to a low-energy (3 + 2) oxo/imido cycloaddition transition state without the chiral ligand in the Second Cycle that outcompetes protonolysis in the First Cycle.     

Formation of chiral tertiary homoallylic alcohols via Evans aldol reaction or enzymatic resolution and their influence on the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation

Enantioenriched tertiary homoallylic alcohol derivatives (S)-2c and (S)-2a were obtained via Evans aldol methodology and enzymatic resolution of racemic tertiary acetate 2e, respectively. In order to study asymmetric 1,3-induction of the stereogenic center present in 2, congener (R)-2a as well as its O-protected derivatives (R)-2b-d were submitted to Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation to yield the diastereomeric 1,2,4-triol derivatives (2R,4R)- and (2S,4R)-3a-d, revealing that neither the substrate nor the Sharpless catalyst exert any stereocontrol. Similar observations were made for the less bulky alkynyl-substituted derivative 12b. However, by using a directed dihydroxylation, the anti product (2R,4R)-3a was favored.     

A highly enantioselective synthesis of (−)- and (+)-juglomycin A through Dötz annulation and asymmetric dihydroxylation

A highly enantioselective synthesis of (−)- and (+)-juglomycin A, a quinone antibiotic is described. The synthesis is completed in eight steps, and 19% overall yield and in a high enantioselectivity of 99.5% [for (−)-juglomycin A] and 98.5% [for (+)-juglomycin A]. The synthetic strategy features an efficient combination of the Dötz annulation reaction and asymmetric dihydroxylation as the keys steps.     

Rh2(S-PTAD)4-catalyzed asymmetric cyclopropenation of aryl alkynes

Rh₂(S-PTAD)₄ is an effective catalyst for the asymmetric cyclopropenation of aryl alkynes using a siloxyvinyldiazoacetate as the carbenoid precursor. Upon deprotection of the silyl protecting group, highly enantioenriched cyclopropenes bearing geminal acceptor groups can be accessed. These cyclopropenes undergo regioselective rhodium(II)-catalyzed ring expansion to furans.     

Asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-cardiobutanolide via an iterative asymmetric dihydroxylation in PEG

The stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-cardiobutanolide, a polyhydroxylated natural product, is achieved in high yield through Lu and Guo diene synthesis, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, and one-pot deprotection-lactonization. The utility of a recyclable reagent system in PEG for asymmetric dihydroxylation is demonstrated.     

Osmium catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation of methyl trans-cinnamate in ionic liquids, followed by supercritical CO2 product recovery

In this work, osmium-catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD) of methyl trans-cinnamate was studied. Osmium and chiral ligand catalysts were immobilized in ionic liquid only, without any other reaction solvents, while the recovery of the product was performed by extraction with supercritical CO₂, and compared with results obtained by extractions with organic solvents such as hexane and diethyl ether. In supercritical CO₂ extraction experiments, optimal extraction pressure was found and ionic liquid chosen, so that the highest reaction yields coupled with lowest osmium content in the crude product can be achieved. Finally, recycle experiments of the same (ionic liquid + catalytic system) mixture were successfully conducted. Application of ionic liquids and supercritical CO₂ in osmium catalyzed AD allows for the isolation of the diol basically without contamination with osmium, in high yield and enantiomeric excess, and it makes possible the efficient reuse of ionic liquid solvent and the catalytic system.     

First total synthesis of (±)-epocarbazolin A and epocarbazolin B, and asymmetric synthesis of (−)-epocarbazolin A via Shi epoxidation

Epoxidation of the trisilyl-protected carbazomadurins A and B with dimethyldioxirane followed by desilylation provides a simple route to racemic epocarbazolin A and a non-diastereoselective access to epocarbazolin B. The Shi epoxidation has been applied to an asymmetric synthesis of the non-natural (−)-epocarbazolin A.     

Double stereodifferentiation in asymmetric dihydroxylation: application to the first diastereoselective synthesis of -xylo-[2R,3S,4S]-C18-phytosphingosine

The first diastereoselective synthesis of xylo-(2R,3S,4S)-C₁₈-phytosphingosine (1) has been achieved by double stereodifferentiation of enantiomerically enriched terminal olefin 14 using (DHQD)₂–PHAL ligand in an asymmetric dihydroxylation with a diastereomeric ratio of 83:17. This phytosphingosine was fully characterized by the physical and spectral data of the corresponding tetraacetate 21.     

AuCl3/AgSbF6-catalyzed rapid epoxide to carbonyl rearrangement

An efficient epoxide to carbonyl rearrangement using catalytic AuCl₃/AgSbF₆ has been presented. The reactions are fast and high yielding. β-Hydrogen migration takes place exclusively when hydrogen and methyl or substituted methyl groups are present at β-carbon of epoxide. When phenyl/acetyl/benzoyl and hydrogen are available at same carbon atom, migration of the former is preferred over the latter.     

Asymmetric synthesis of thymine nucleoside analogues based on the isochroman core

Diastereoisomeric analogues of d4T having an isochroman core as the glycone moiety have been prepared in seven steps. Starting from phthalaldehyde, two chiral centres analogous to the α/β anomers of D/L sugars were created. The first was obtained enantiomerically pure via asymmetric dihydroxylation and the second via cyclisation of an aldehyde group with a primary hydroxyl group. Retention of chiral integrity at the C₄ site enabled enantiomerically pure nucleoside analogues to be obtained.     

An electrophilic cleavage procedure for the asymmetric dihydroxylation: direct enantioselective synthesis of cyclic boronic esters from olefins

A variation within the osmium-catalysed asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD) of olefins is described that yields cyclic boronic esters from olefins in a straight-forward manner. This process represents the first real product alteration in asymmetric dihydroxylation, since all previous protocols lead to free diols exclusively. A protocol based on the Sharpless AD conditions (for enantioselective oxidation of prochiral olefins) was developed that gives cyclic boronic esters with excellent enantiomeric excesses (ee's). Some of the ee's are higher than those reported for conventional AD. The unprecedented role of phenyl boronic acid on the course of the AD reaction was investigated in detail. PhB(OH)2 does not interfere with the chiral ligand, leaving the enantioselective step of olefin oxidation intact. The main role of the boronic acids-apart from protecting the diol products against potential overoxidation-relies on removing the diol entity in an electrophilic cleavage, which is in contrast to the conventional hydrolytic cleavage of the AD protocols. Thus, a mechanistically new cleavage for enantioselective dihydroxylation reactions is introduced within the present work.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 2-substituted cyclic amines

Cyanomethylenetributylphosphorane-mediated ring closure for the asymmetric synthesis of 2-substituted cyclic amines such as azetidines, pyrrolidines and a piperidine is reported. The desired stereochemistry at the 2-position was fixed using (S)-tert-butyl sulfinamide as a chiral auxiliary.