New chiral morpholine-pyrrolidine ligands affecting asymmetric selectivity in copper catalyzed Henry reaction

In this study, several chiral diamine (35, 36, 37 and 39), triamine (24 and 25), diaminol (38, 42 and 43) and triaminol ligands (29 and 30) having chiral morpholine and pyrrolidine moieties conjugated constitutes, were prepared from commercially available (S)-2-amino-2-phenylacetic acid and (S)-proline. These ligands were complexed with copper (II) salt in situ and applied to asymmetric Henry reaction. Asymmetric addition of various structurally divergent aldehydes and nitromethane in the presence of 5?mol% of chiral ligand with CuCl₂ furnished corresponding β-nitro alcohol in good yields (up to 55–79%) with good enantioselectivity (up to 89%).     

Probing electronic effects in the asymmetric Heck reaction with the BIPI ligands

[structure: see text] The new BIPI ligands are phosphinoimidazolines that can be electronically tuned in three different ligand regions to explore electronic effects in asymmetric catalysis. Their application to the asymmetric Heck reaction (AHR) in the creation of a chiral quaternary center is described. Enantioselectivity is shown for the first time to depend linearly on phosphine electron density. Changing the ligand basicity by variation of the R(2) or R(3) substituents reverses facial selectivity.     

Recent progress in copper catalyzed asymmetric Henry reaction

Henry reaction is one of the most classical reactions to construct synthetically useful product nitro alcohol, which as a privileged skeleton is widely distributed in various pharmaceuticals. This review summarizes the recent progress of copper-catalyzed asymmetric Henry reaction from 2011 to 2016. The significant progress that has been made in this area will be highlighted and some of challenges that the author believes may be hindering further progress will be revealed.     

Highly enantioselective Henry reaction catalyzed by chiral tridentate heteroorganic ligands

New tridentate enantiomerically pure heteroatom catalysts, containing hydroxyl, sulfinyl and amino groups, proved to be highly efficient in the enantioselective nitroaldol (Henry) reaction to give the desired adducts in very high yields (up to 90%) and with ees up to 98%. The influence of the stereogenic centres located on the sulfinyl sulfur atom and in the amine moiety is also discussed.     

Rhodium catalyzed asymmetric Pauson-Khand reaction using SDP ligands

~~Rhodium catalyzed asymmetric Pauson-Khand reaction using SDP ligands1. Khand, I. U., Knox, G R., Pauson, P. L. et al., Organocobalt complexes, Part Ⅱ. Reaction of acetylenehexacarbonyldicobalt complexes, (R1C2R2)Co2(CO)6, with norbomene and its deri…     

Ligand electronic effects in the palladium catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reaction with planar chiral diphosphine-oxazoline ferrocenyl ligands

A series of planar chiral diphosphine-oxazoline ferrocenyl ligands with different electronic properties were successfully used in the asymmetric allylic substitutent reaction. The enantioselectivity of this reaction was affected by the electronic nature of the ligands. When the electronic effect was coincident with the steric effect of ligand, a higher ee value was observed.     

New chiral thiols and C2-symmetrical disulfides of Cinchona alkaloids: ligands for the asymmetric Henry reaction catalyzed by CuII complexes

Seven Cinchona alkaloids were reacted with thioacetic acid and Bu₃P/diethyl diazadicarboxylate in THF at 0–25 °C to give the corresponding thiolacetates with complete inversion of configuration at the substitution center. The thus obtained chiral thiolesters were converted into thiols and these compounds were oxidized to the respective disulfides of C₂-symmetry. Both C-9 thioles and disulfides were tested as chiral ligands in the Cu-catalyzed asymmetric Henry reaction. When the thiol derivatives of an 8,9-like configuration were applied in the reaction of benzaldehyde and nitromethane, the obtained nitroaldol was of the same absolute configuration as the catalyst and the observed enantioselectivity was up to 83% ee. These ligands gave higher ees than the corresponding thioethers, disulfides, and thioles of 8,9-unlike configuration. The results obtained are in agreement with the proposed transition-state model involving nucleophilic attack of a deprotonated nitromethane directed preferably at one side of the O-complexed benzaldehyde.     

Practical asymmetric Henry reaction catalyzed by a chiral diamine-Cu(OAc)2 complex

The chiral diamine ligand 3 was designed and synthesized from (R,R)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine, (S)-2,2'-dibromomethyl-1,1'-binaphthalene, and o-xylylene dibromide. The resulting 3-Cu(OAc)2 complex was a highly efficient catalyst for the Henry reaction, giving the various nitroaldols with over 90% ee (up to >99%). The reaction was performed in n-propyl alcohol at room temperature, and the Henry adducts were produced in high yield with excellent enantiomeric excess; these attributes are desirable in a catalyst for practical use.     

Chemoselective Henry reaction catalyzed by electro-generated base

Chemoselective synthesis of 2-nitroalkanols catalyzed by electro-generated base (EGBs) in the presence of acetonitrile and lithium perchlorate has been studied by cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis techniques. Cathodic reduction of nitromethane at platinum cathode produces organic anion which acts as EGBs and undergoes condensation with carbonyl group of substituted aldehydic substrate to produce 2-nitroalkanols in 75–85 % yields. The controlled nucleophilicity of EGBs in organic solvent during electrochemical reaction makes it chemoselective which is a unique feature of this work.     

Chiral 1,1′-binaphthylazepine derived amino alcohol catalyzed asymmetric Henry reaction

The catalytic asymmetric Henry reaction of nitromethane to various aldehydes has been developed using a chiral binaphthylazepine derived amino alcohol and Cu(OAc)₂·H₂O as the catalyst. High yields and good enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee) were obtained for both aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. Moreover, this catalytic system also works well for the diastereoselective Henry reaction to afford the corresponding adducts in up to 95:5 syn/anti selectivity and 95% enantioselectivity.     

Chiral iminophosphorane catalyzed asymmetric Henry reaction of α,β-alkynyl ketoesters

α,β-Alkynyl ketoesters were introduced to the enantioselective Henry reaction (nitroaldol condensation) with nitromethane catalyzed by tartaric acid derived chiral iminophosphoranes. As such, a variety of optically active β-nitro-substituted tertiary alcohols bearing alkyne moieties were obtained in good to excellent yields (42%-99%) and moderate to good level of enantiomeric excess (up to 87% ee).     

DFT study of the asymmetric nitroaldol (Henry) reaction catalyzed by a dinuclear Zn complex

We report the mechanism of asymmetric nitroaldol (Henry) reaction catalyzed by a dinuclear Zn complex using density functional theory. The experimentally proposed catalytic cycle is validated, in which the first step is the deprotonation of nitromethane by the ethyl anion of the catalyst, subsequently a C? C bond formation step, and then the protonation of the resulting alkoxide. Three mechanistic scenarios (differing in binding modes) have been considered for the C? C bond formation step. The origin of the enantioselectivity is discussed. Our calculations supported that the S configurations are the major products, which is in agreement with the experimental observations. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Synthesis of novel thiophene‐based chiral ligands and their application in asymmetric Henry reaction

Novel chiral thiolated amino alcohols were synthesized from norephedrine and thiophene carbaldehydes (methyl‐ or ethyl‐substituted) and applied to the catalytic asymmetric Henry reaction of various aldehydes with nitromethane to provide β‐hydroxy nitroalkanols in high conversion (92%). The reaction was optimized in terms of the metal, solvent, temperature and amount of chiral ligand. The corresponding catalyst with Cu(OTf)₂ and 2‐propanol as the solvent provided the best enantioselectivities (up to 96% ee) of the corresponding nitroalcohols for aliphatic aldehydes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Asymmetric syn-selective Henry reaction catalyzed by the sulfonyldiamine-CuCl-pyridine system

A catalytic asymmetric Henry reaction has been developed with use of a sulfonyldiamine-CuCl complex as a catalyst. A series of new binaphthyl-containing sulfonyldiamine ligands (2a-h) were readily synthesized in two steps starting from commercially available chiral 1,2-diamines. The (R,R)-diamine-(R)-binaphthyl ligand (2d)-CuCl complex smoothly catalyzed the enantioselective Henry reaction with the assistance of pyridine to give the corresponding adduct with high enantiomeric excess (up to 93%). Moreover, the 2d-CuCl-pyridine system promotes the diastereoselective Henry reaction in syn-selective manner to give the adduct in up to 99% yield with 92:8 syn/ anti selectivity. The enantiomeric excess of the syn-adduct was 84% ee.     

Henry reaction catalyzed by Lipase A from Aspergillus niger

The Henry reaction of aromatic aldehydes and nitroalkanes could be performed by catalyst of Lipase A from Aspergillus niger in organic/water medium, and the corresponding Henry products were obtained in yields up to 94%.     

Pyrrole macrocyclic ligands for Cu-catalyzed asymmetric Henry reactions

New chiral perazamacrocycles containing four pyrrole rings have been synthesized by the [2+2] condensation of (R,R)-diaminocyclohexane and 5,5'-(alkane-2,2-diyl)bis(1H-pyrrole-2-carbaldehydes). These macrocycles, differing for the alkyl/aryl meso-substituents, were used as ligands in the copper-catalyzed Henry reactions of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes with nitroalkanes. In the optimized experimental conditions, the condensations of nitromethane and aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes in the presence of catalytic amounts of copper diacetate and methyl-substituted macrocyclic ligand (2:1 ratio) in ethanol at room temperature provided products often with high enantiomeric excesses (up to 95% ee). The positive influence of the macrocyclic structure on the efficiency/enantioselectivity of the catalytic system was demonstrated by comparison with the outcomes of Henry reactions performed using analogous macrocyclic ligands (trianglamines) and open-chain ligands derived from (R,R)-diaminocyclohexane.     

Copper catalyzed tandem asymmetric conjugate addition-cyclization reaction in the presence of chiral phosphoramidite ligands

Copper-catalyzed intramolecular conjugate addition-cyclization in the presence of chiral phosphoramidite ligands was described. Cyclic products with multiple chiral centers were obtained with up to 93:7 diastereomeric ratio and 94% ee.     

Anti-selective direct asymmetric Mannich reaction catalyzed by protease

The anti-selective direct asymmetric Mannich reaction of (hetero) aromatic aldehydes, 4-anisidine and O-protected hydroxyacetones for the synthesis of stereodefined anti-β-amino-α-hydroxycarbonyl compounds was developed. Protease type XIV from Streptomyces griseus (SGP) was used as a biocatalyst in 1,4-dioxane/phosphate buffer under mild reaction conditions. The excellent diastereoselectivities of up to >99:1 (anti/syn) and good enantioselectivities of up to 90% ee were achieved. This method provides a more sustainable complement to chemically catalyzed anti-selective direct asymmetric Mannich reactions.     

Direct asymmetric hydroxyamination reaction catalyzed by an axially chiral secondary amine catalyst

A direct asymmetric hydroxyamination reaction of aldehydes with nitrosobenzene was found to be catalyzed by the novel axially chiral secondary amine catalyst (S)-1d. The resulting optically enriched hydroxyamination products were readily converted to beta-amino alcohols or 1,2-diamines in one pot.     

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).