MgI2-catalyzed halo aldol reaction: a practical approach to (E)-beta-iodovinyl-beta'-hydroxyketones

A novel generation of 1-iodo-3-siloxy-1,3-butadienes has been developed by reacting trimethylsilyl iodide (TMS-I) with alpha, beta-unsaturated ketones in dichloromethane at 0 degrees C without the use of any catalyst. The halo aldol reaction of these butadiene intermediates with aldehydes was efficiently carried out by using magnesium iodide as the catalyst. Twelve beta-iodo-alpha,beta-unsaturated-beta'-hydroxyketones (halo aldols) have been synthesized under the new condition with excellent geometric selectivity and good chemical yields (>80% chemical yields for 11 examples).     

Direct asymmetric aldol reaction of hydroxyacetone promoted by chiral tertiary amines

The tertiary amine-catalyzed direct asymmetric aldol reaction of hydroxyacetone with a variety of aromatic aldehydes is developed. Using 5-10 mol % of quinidine as catalyst, the direct aldol condensation products were obtained in reasonable yields and with asymmetric induction (up to 47% ee). The present approach is extended to asymmetric organocatalytic strategies for the preparation of 1,2-diols.     

Synthesis of novel chiral Schiff-base ligands and their application in asymmetric nitro aldol (Henry) reaction

Chiral Schiff-bases prepared from chiral amino alcohols catalyze the enantioselective Henry (nitro aldol) reaction between nitromethane and p-nitrobenzaldehyde in the presence of Cu(OTf)₂ and Zn(OTf)₂. Zn(OTf)₂ promoted the reaction yield, while Cu(OTf)₂ promoted the enantiomeric excess. The highest enantioselectivities were observed with ligand 3 (44% ee) and ligand 5 (47% ee).     

Combining chiral elements: a novel approach to asymmetric phase-transfer catalyst design

A new dicationic asymmetric phase-transfer catalyst, designed by combining chiral elements, is described. Catalytic testing using standard glycine imino ester alkylations shows good yields and moderate enantioselectivities.     

Synthesis of chiral organocatalysts derived from aziridines: application in asymmetric aldol reaction

We report the synthesis of a new series of highly efficient chiral organocatalysts derived via the regio- and stereoselective ring opening of chiral aziridines with azide anions. The catalysts have proved to be very efficient for a direct asymmetric aldol reaction, both with cyclic as well as acyclic ketones in brine with 2 mol % of catalyst loading, and afforded the products in excellent yields (up to 99%) and enantioselectivities (up to >99%). The chiral aldol adduct obtained has further been converted to a chiral azetidine ring via a convenient pathway.     

Efficient asymmetric synthesis of biologically important tryptophan analogues via a palladium-mediated heteroannulation reaction.

A novel and concise synthesis of optically active tryptophan derivatives was developed via a palladium-catalyzed heteroannulation reaction of substituted o-iodoanilines with an internal alkyne. The required internal alkyne 14a or 25 was prepared in greater than 96% de via alkylation of the Sch?llkopf chiral auxiliary 19 employing diphenyl phosphate as the leaving group. The Sch?llkopf chiral auxiliary was chosen here for the preparation of L-tryptophans would be available from D-valine while the D-isomers required for natural product total synthesis would originate from the inexpensive L-valine (300-g scale). Applications of the palladium-catalyzed heteroannulation reaction were extended to the first asymmetric synthesis of L-isotryptophan 38 and L-benz[f]tryptophan 39. More importantly, the optically pure 6-methoxy-D-tryptophan 62 was prepared by this protocol on a large scale (>300 g). This should permit entry into many ring-A oxygenated indole alkaloids when coupled with the asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reaction. In addition, an improved total synthesis of tryprostatin A (9a) was accomplished in 43% overall yield employing this palladium-mediated process.     

A modular approach to catalyst hydrophobicity for an asymmetric aldol reaction in a biphasic aqueous environment

Catalyst 5, an ion pair consisting of a hydrophilic cation and a lipophilic anion, fulfils the solubility requirements needed to couple efficiency (enantioselectivities and anti-diastereoselectivities up to > or = 99%) and catalyst recyclability in asymmetric aldol reactions under aqueous biphasic conditions.     

New and effective proline-based catalysts for asymmetric aldol reaction in water

New proline diamide organocatalysts with Pro-Phe peptide bonds were synthesized and their catalytic activities in asymmetric direct aldol reactions of aliphatic ketones with aromatic aldehydes were investigated. Catalyst 6a showed good enantioselectivity at 0?°C in the presence of p-nitrobenzoic acid as cocatalyst in water.     

A novel asymmetric hydroarsination reaction promoted by a chiral organopalladium complex

The dissymmetrical chiral bidentate (R)-(+)-1-(diphenylphosphino)-2-(diphenylarsino)propane was prepared stereoselectively via the novel asymmetric hydroarsination reaction between diphenylarsine and diphenyl-1-propenyl-(E)-phosphine using di-mu-chlorobis{(S)-1-[1-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-2-naphthalenyl-C,N}dipalladium(II) as the chiral reaction promoter.     

L-selectride-mediated highly diastereoselective asymmetric reductive aldol reaction: access to an important subunit for bioactive molecules

L-selectride reduction of a chiral or achiral enone followed by reaction of the resulting enolate with optically active alpha-alkoxy aldehydes proceeded with excellent diastereoselectivity. The resulting alpha,alpha-dimethyl-beta-hydroxy ketones are inherent to a variety of biologically active natural products.     

New glyco-oxazolidin-2-ones as chiral auxiliaries in boron-mediated asymmetric aldol reactions

Two new chiral glyco-oxazolidin-2-one auxiliaries based on d-glucose are described. Some N-acyl derivatives were synthesized and used in dialkylboron-mediated asymmetric aldol reactions. All reactions delivered as the major diastereomer those predicted by the Zimmerman–Traxler model and were separated by column chromatography and mostly isolated in moderate to good yields.     

New N-terminal prolyl-dipeptide derivatives as organocatalysts for direct asymmetric aldol reaction

A series of new N-terminal prolyl-dipeptide derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated as organocatalysts for the direct asymmetric aldol reaction of acetone with electron-deficient aromatic aldehydes. At room temperature, the presence of 10 mol % of catalysts 2 and 5 efficiently catalyzes the direct asymmetric aldol reaction to give the aldol adducts with modest to excellent enantiomeric excesses (ee) values, which are up to 96%.     

Oxazolidinones as chiral auxiliaries in asymmetric aldol reactions applied to total synthesis

Asymmetric aldol reactions of oxazolidinones as chiral auxiliaries have been achieved and attracted significant consideration as one of the most powerful synthetic tools for the carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions. The methodology has been highly successful in the stereoselective construction of a number of natural products, antibiotics, and other medicinally important compounds. The present review is focused on the utility and versatility of oxazolidinones (Evans chiral auxiliaries) in the asymmetric aldol condensations for the total synthesis of natural products and complex targets.     

Synthesis of a biphenyl-based axially chiral amino acid as a highly efficient catalyst for the direct asymmetric aldol reaction

A biphenyl-based axially chiral amino acid (S)-2 has been designed and synthesized. The new amino acid (S)-2 has been found to be a more efficient catalyst than (S)-1 in the direct asymmetric aldol reaction of acetone with aldehydes. For instance, the use of only 0.1 mol % of (S)-2 was sufficient to complete the reaction between acetone and 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, giving the corresponding aldol adduct in good yield with an excellent enantioselectivity.     

Direct asymmetric aldol reaction of aryl ketones with aryl aldehydes catalyzed by chiral BINOL-derived zincate catalyst

Direct asymmetric aldol reaction of aryl ketones with aryl aldehydes catalyzed by chiral metal complex is reported for the first time herein. Two novel semicrown chiral ligands 1a and 1b were synthesized from (S)- and (R)-BINOL, respectively, and then employed to catalyze the direct asymmetric aldol addition of aryl ketones to aryl aldehydes. Introduced with 2.0 equiv of diethylzinc, 1b had higher enantioselectivity than 1a. Up to 97% yield and up to 80% enantioselectivity were achieved.     

Molecular switch based on a biologically important redox reaction

Building on our earlier report of a single-molecule probe, we show how biologically important redox centers, nicotinamide and quinone, incorporated into a fluorophore-spacer-receptor molecular structure, form redox active molecular switches, with the photoinduced electron-transfer behavior of each depending on the oxidation state of the receptor subunit. The switch based on nicotinamide (3/6) is strongly fluorescent in its oxidized state (Phi(F) approximately 1.0) but nonfluorescent in the reduced state (Phi(F) < 0.001) due to electron transfer from the reduced nicotinamide to the photoexcited fluorophore. The fluorescence can be reversibly switched off and on chemically by successive reduction with NaBH(3)CN and oxidation with tetrachlorobenzoquinone and switched electrochemically over 10 cycles without significant degradation. A similar switch based on quinonimine turned out to be nonfluorescent in both reduced and oxidized states: in addition to a similar quenching mechanism in the reduced state, quenching also occurs in the oxidized state, due to electron transfer from the fluorophore to the receptor. Ab initio quantum chemical calculations of orbital energy levels were used to corroborate these quenching mechanisms. Calculations predicted photoinduced electron transfer to be energetically favorable in all cases where quenching was observed and unfavorable in all cases where it was not. Application of the perylene analogue as a biosensor has also been demonstrated by coupling the switch to the catalytic pathway of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase, a common NADH/NAD(+)-utilizing enzyme.     

Palladium-catalyzed carboxamidation reaction and aldol condensation reaction cascade: a facile approach to ring-fused isoquinolinones

Palladium-catalyzed carboxamidation reaction and aldol condensation reaction cascade are very useful for the synthesis of various ABC ring substituted fused isoquinolinones.     

Boron-mediated aldol reaction of carboxylic esters: complementary anti- and syn-selective asymmetric aldol reactions

The boron-mediated aldol reaction of carboxylic esters is described in detail. Contrary to the general belief that carboxylic esters are inert under the condition of the boron enolate formation, propionate esters are enolized with certain combinations of a boron triflate and an amine. More importantly, the stereochemical course of the aldol reaction can be controlled by the judicious selection of the enolization reagents. Treatment of propionate esters with c-Hex2BOTf and triethylamine produces anti-aldol products, and that with Bu2BOTf and diisopropylethylamine gives syn-aldol products selectively after reaction with aldehydes. Complementary anti- and syn-selective asymmetric aldol reactions with structurally related, readily available chiral norephedrine-derived propionate esters are developed.