Tetrahydro‐1,5‐benzoxazepines and tetrahydro‐1H‐1,5‐benzodiazepines by a tandem reduction‐reductive amination reaction

A tandem reduction‐reductive amination reaction has been applied to the synthesis of (±)‐4‐alkyl‐2,3,4,5‐tetrahydro‐1,5‐benzoxazepines and (±)‐4‐alkyl‐1‐benzoyl‐2,3,4,5‐tetrahydro‐1H‐1,5‐benzodiazepines. The nitro aldehydes and ketones required for 1,5‐benzoxazepine ring closures were prepared by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of the alkoxides from several 3‐buten‐1‐ol derivatives with 2‐fluoro‐1‐nitrobenzene followed by ozonolysis. Precursors for the 1,5‐benzodiazepines were prepared by similar addition of N‐(3‐butenyl)benzamide anions to 2‐fluoro‐1‐nitrobenzene followed by ozonolysis. Catalytic hydrogenation of the nitro carbonyl compounds using 5% palladium‐on‐carbon in methanol then gave the target heterocycles by a tandem reduction‐reductive amination sequence. The 1,5‐benzoxazepines were isolated in high yield following chromatographic purification; the 1,5‐benzodiazepines were isolated as solids directly from the hydrogenation mixture and possessed differentiated functionality on the two nitrogen atoms.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of substituted tetrahydroquinoline-4-carboxylic esters by a tandem reduction-reductive amination reaction

A diastereoselective synthesis of 1-methyl-2-alkyl- and 2-alkyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-4-carboxylic esters has been developed from methyl (2-nitrophenyl)acetate (1). The method involves alkylation of 1 with an allylic halide, ozonolysis of the double bond, and catalytic hydrogenation. The final hydrogenation initiates a tandem sequence involving (1) reduction of the aromatic nitro group, (2) condensation of the aniline or hydroxylamine(8) nitrogen with the side chain carbonyl, (3) reduction of the resulting nitrogen intermediate, and (4) reductive amination of the tetrahydroquinoline with formaldehyde produced in the ozonolysis to give a methyl (+/-)-1-methyl-2-alkyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-4-carboxylate. Removal of the formaldehyde prior to hydrogenation gives the simple (+/-)-2-alkyl derivatives. The products are isolated in high yield as single diastereomers having the C-2 alkyl group cis to the C-4 carboxylic ester. The reaction has been extended to the synthesis of tricyclic structures with similar high diastereoselection.     

Amination of N-aryl prolinol via ring expansion and contraction: application to the chiral ligand for the catalytic asymmetric reaction

Chiral diaminophosphines 4 were prepared from (S)-prolinol-derived aminophosphine oxide 5 by bromination with ring expansion followed by amination with ring contraction and reduction, using trichlorosilane. In the presence of 4 as a ligand, palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate (11) with a dialkyl malonate-BSA-LiOAc system was successfully carried out with good enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee).     

Total Syntheses of (+)‐Grandilodine C and (+)‐Lapidilectine B and Determination of their Absolute Stereochemistry

Enantioselective total syntheses of the Kopsia alkaloids (+)‐grandilodine C and (+)‐lapidilectine B were accomplished. A key intermediate, spirodiketone, was synthesized in 3 steps and converted into the chiral enone by enantioselective deprotonation followed by oxidation with up to 76 % ee. Lactone formation was achieved through stereoselective vinylation followed by allylation and ozonolysis. The total synthesis of (+)‐grandilodine C was achieved by palladium‐catalyzed intramolecular allylic amination and ring‐closing metathesis to give 8‐ and 5‐membered heterocycles, respectively. Selective reduction of a lactam carbonyl gave (+)‐lapidilectine B. The absolute stereochemistry of both natural products was thereby confirmed. These syntheses enable the scalable preparation of the above alkaloids for biological studies.     

Enantiospecific and regioselective rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation: diastereoselective approach to quaternary carbon stereogenic centers

The enantiospecific and regioselective rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of a series of chiral nonracemic allylic carbonates, followed by ozonolysis and reductive lactonization, provides a convenient route to optically active gamma-lactones. Sequential alkylation and reductive alkylation furnished the alpha-quaternary-beta-ternary substituted gamma-lactone derivative as a >/=10:1 mixture of diastereoisomers.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of linear‐fused tricyclic nitrogen heterocycles by a tandem reduction‐reductive amination reaction

A two‐step diastereoselective synthesis of linear‐fused tricyclic nitrogen heterocycles has been developed from cyclic β‐ketoesters. The cyclization substrates are readily prepared by alkylation of the methyl 2‐oxo‐cycloalkanecarboxylates with 2‐nitrobenzyl bromide. Hydrogenation of these substrates initiates a reaction sequence involving (1) reduction of the aromatic nitro group, (2) condensation of the resulting hydroxyl‐amine or aniline nitrogen with the cycloalkanone and (3) reduction of the imine. The products are isolated in high yield as single diastereomers having the trans‐fused ring junction. The observed selectivity is rationalized in terms of a steric effect imposed by the ester group in the final reductive amination step which directs the incoming hydrogen to the opposite face of the molecule. By comparison, reductive cyclizations of substrates lacking the stereodirecting ester group give mixtures of cis and trans products with a preference for the cis‐fused heterocycle.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Sequential Allylic Amination and Olefin Hydroacylation Reactions: Enantioselective Synthesis of Seven‐Membered Nitrogen Heterocycles

Dynamic kinetic asymmetric amination of branched allylic acetimidates has been applied to the synthesis of 2‐alkyl‐dihydrobenzoazepin‐5‐ones. These seven‐membered‐ring aza ketones are prepared in good yield with high enantiomeric excess by rhodium‐catalyzed allylic substitution with 2‐amino aryl aldehydes followed by intramolecular olefin hydroacylation of the resulting alkenals. This two‐step procedure is amenable to varied functionality and proves useful for the enantioselective preparation of these ring systems.     

Catalyst and pressure dependent reductive cyclizations for the diastereo‐selective synthesis of hexahydropyrrolo[1,2‐a]quinoline‐5‐carboxylic esters

A diastereoselective synthesis of 1,2,3,3a,4,5‐hexahydropyrrolo[1,2‐a]quinoline‐5‐carboxylic esters has been developed using a tandem reduction‐double reductive amination reaction. The nitro dicarbonyl cyclization substrates were synthesized by alkylation of methyl (2‐nitrophenyl)acetate with 2‐bromomethyl‐1,5‐hexadiene derivatives, followed by ozonolysis. Catalytic hydrogenation of each substrate gave the target heterocycle, along with a deacylated product and an adduct resulting from capture of the intermediate hydroxylamine by the side chain carbonyls. The product ratio varied dramatically with the catalyst and the hydrogen pressure. Cyclization to the title compounds was highly diastereoselective, producing each hexahydropyrrolo[1,2‐a]‐quinoline as a single stereoisomer with the all‐cis geometry. The competing processes have not been observed in previous heterocyclization studies but can be attributed to greater strain in the system, which slows the final ring closure.     

Asymmetric synthesis of trans-2,3-piperidinedicarboxylic acid and trans-3,4-piperidinedicarboxylic acid derivatives

Asymmetric syntheses of (2S,3S)-3-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-2-piperidinecarboxylic acid (1b), (3R,4S)-4-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-3-piperidinecarboxylic acid (2b), and their corresponding N-Boc and N-Cbz protected analogues 8a,b and 17a,b are described. Enantiomerically pure 1b has been synthesized in five steps starting from L-aspartic acid beta-tert-butyl ester. Tribenzylation of the starting material followed by alkylation with allyl iodide using KHMDS produces the key intermediate 5a in a 6:1 diastereomeric excess. Upon hydroboration, the alcohol 6a is oxidized, and the resulting aldehyde 7 is subjected to a ring closure via reductive amination, providing 1b in an overall yield of 38%. Optically pure 2b has been synthesized beginning with N-Cbz-beta-alanine. The synthesis involves the induction of the first stereogenic center using Evans's chemistry and sequential LDA-promoted alkylations with tert-butyl bromoacetate and allyl iodide. Further elaboration by ozonolysis and reductive amination affords 2b in an overall yield of 28%.     

Synthesis of 3,4‐dihydro‐1(2H)‐isoquinolinonesxs

Approaches toward the preparative‐scale synthesis of target 3,4‐dihydro‐1(2H)‐isoquinolinones 1–3 are presented. Compounds 1 and 2 were prepared via a Schmidt rearrangement on easily obtained indanone precursors, but in low overall yield. A better method to make this class of compounds is exemplified by the large‐scale synthesis of 2 via a Curtius rearrangement sequence. Thus, high‐temperature thermal cyclization of an in situ formed styryl isocyanate from precursor 8 in the presence of tributylamine gave the corresponding 1(2H)‐isoquinolinone ( 9 ). Catalytic hydrogenation of 9 provided the desired 3,4‐dihydro‐5‐methyl‐1(2H)‐isoquinolinone ( 2 ) in 65 % overall yield. Similar reduction of a commercially available 5‐hydroxy‐1(2H)‐isoquinolinone precursor 10 followed by an O ‐alkylation/amination sequence gave target 3 in good overall yield. The route proceeding via the Curtius rearrangement is recommended for large scale synthesis of other 3,4‐dihydro‐1(2H)‐isoquinolinones. Only when deactivating substituents or sensitive functionality within the benzenoid ring render the high temperature ring closure of the intermediate isocyanate inefficient might a Schmidt rearrangement protocol be the method of choice.     

Incorporation of an Amino Function in a (1S,2S,3R)-3-Hydroxy-2-methoxy-1-cyclohexane Carboxylic Acid

(1S,2S,3R)-3-Hydroxy-2-methoxy-1-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid was synthesized for the construction of an amino acid to be used in a constrained ring didemnin B analog ( 2 ). The amine functionality was introduced into the cyclohexane ring by reductive amination using sodium triacetoxyborohydride or by oxime formation followed by reduction.     

Regio- and enantiospecific rhodium-catalyzed arylation of unsymmetrical fluorinated acyclic allylic carbonates: inversion of absolute configuration

The transition metal-catalyzed allylic substitution with unstabilized carbon nucleophiles represents an important cross-coupling reaction for the construction of ternary carbon stereogenic centers. We have developed a new regio- and enantiospecific rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of acyclic unsymmetrical chiral nonracemic allylic alcohol derivatives with aryl zinc bromides. This study demonstrates that the hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate rhodium catalyst and zinc(II) halide salt are crucial for efficiency, while the addition of lithium bromide to the catalyst is necessary for obtaining optimal regiospecificity. The stereochemical course of this reaction was established through the synthesis of (S)-ibuprofen, which demonstrated that the alkylation proceeds with net inversion of absolute configuration consistent with direct addition of the nucleophile to the metal center followed by reductive elimination.     

Electrochemical Reduction of Cyclohex-2-enones

The electrochemical reduction of the cyclohex-2-enones 1a–1e (mercury cathode, CH₃CN, Bu₄NBF₄) was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry, d.c. polarography, coulometry and chemical product analysis. Compounds 1a–1c give a mixture of the hydrodimers 4 and 5 via formation of the radical anion 2 by an irreversible one electron transfer, followed by protonation and dimerization of the allylic radical 3 . The 6-halocyclohex-2-enones 1d and 1e exhibit two distinct reduction waves. The first corresponds to an irreversible two electron transfer with formation of the halide anion and the enolate anion 6 which gives 1b by protonation. The second wave corresponds to a quasi-reversible one electron transfer to 6 to afford the radical dianion 7 (Scheme 2).     

New Chiral N,S—Ligands with Thiophenyl at Benzylic Position.Palladium（Ⅱ）—catalyzed Enantioselective Allylic Alkylation

New chiral N,S-ligands with oxazoline and thiophenyl sub-stituents at benzene ring and benzylic postition have been pre-pared and applied in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reaction to provide the product with high yield and entantioselectivity (82%-93%)ee.     

Regio‐ and Enantioselective Synthesis of N‐Allylindoles by Iridium‐Catalyzed Allylic Amination/Transition‐Metal‐Catalyzed Cyclization Reactions

Regio‐ and enantioselective synthesis of N‐allylindoles was realized through an iridium‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination reaction with 2‐alkynylanilines and subsequent transition‐metal‐catalyzed cyclization reactions. The highly enantioenriched allylic amines prepared from Ir‐catalysis were treated with catalytic amount of NaAuCl₄ ? 2 H₂O or PdCl₂ providing various substituted N‐allylindoles in excellent yields and enantioselectivities.     

Remarkable Differences in Reactivity between Benzothiazoline and Hantzsch Ester as a Hydrogen Donor in Chiral Phosphoric Acid Catalyzed Asymmetric Reductive Amination of Ketones

Described herein are differences in behavior between a Hantzsch ester and a benzothiazoline as hydrogen donors in the chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed asymmetric reductive amination of ketones with p‐anisidine. The asymmetric reductive amination of ketones with a Hantzsch ester as a hydrogen donor provided the corresponding chiral amines exclusively, regardless of the structures of the ketones, whereas a similar transformation with a benzothiazoline provided chiral amines and p‐methoxyphenyl‐protected primary amines in variable yields, depending on the structures of both the ketones and benzothiazolines. Because a benzothiazoline has an N,S‐acetal moiety that is vulnerable to p‐anisidine, the primary amine can be formed through transimination of the benzothiazoline with p‐anisidine followed by reduction of the resulting aldimine with remaining benzothiazoline.     

Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of cephalotaxine analogues

The synthesis of cephalotaxine ring analogues 10 was achieved by two successive intramolecular palladium-catalyzed reactions of 12 via 11, namely an allylic amination and a Heck reaction. The substrates 12 were obtained by alkylation of primary amines 13 with tosylates 14.     

Synthesis of 3,5-O-Benzylidene-2-deoxy-L-riboaldose from 5,5-Dihydroxy-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxane

The asymmetric alkylation of 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxan-5-one was achieved via the RAMP-hydrazone. Regeneration of the ketone followed by setreoselective reduction and ozonolysis, gave the protected 2-deoxy-L-ribose, 3,5-O-benzyldiene-2-deoxy-L-erythro-pentoaldose with 98% e.e. Removal of the benzylidene yielded the unnatural 2-deoxy-L-ribose.     

The effect of alkylating agent on the efficiency and selectivity of new polymeric anion exchangers

New anion exchangers for ion chromatography with functional groups of trimethylammonium and 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl-N,N-dimethylammonium were obtained. The synthesis included consecutive acetylation of a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer containing 25% divinylbenzene, reductive amination of carbonyl groups, and subsequent alkylation. Iodomethane and epichlorohydrin were used as alkylating agents. The chromatographic properties of anion exchangers were studied by means of suppressed ion chromatography with conductometric detection. Anion exchangers with the 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl-N,N-dimethylammonium group are characterized by better selectivity and higher efficiency for polarizable nitrate and bromide ions, as well as for nonpolarizable chloride, fluoride, nitrite, phosphate, and sulfate ions, compared to those of sorbents with the trimethylammonium group.     

Efficient Synthesis of a New Series of Piperidine Ring-Modified Analogs of (±)-threo-Methyl Phenyl(piperidin-2-yl)acetate

A series of novel piperidine ring modified analogs of (±)-threo-methyl phenyl(piperidin-2-yl)acetate was synthesized by direct alkylation and reductive amination procedure, using sodium borohydride over molecular sieves. The chemical structures of these compounds were established based on mass spectra, ¹H NMR spectra, and CHN elemental analysis data. Several significant modifications in the literature methodologies were made to make the reaction more efficient, and good yields were generally obtained.