Highly diastereoselective addition of nitromethane anion to chiral alpha-amidoalkylphenyl sulfones. Synthesis of optically active alpha-amino acid derivatives

Optically active syn-alpha-amidoalkylphenyl sulfones can be prepared from chiral aldehydes in anhydrous conditions using benzenesulfinic acid. These sulfones in basic conditions give N-acylimines that react with sodium methanenitronate to afford the corresponding nitro adducts with high anti diastereoselectivity. PM3 semiempirical calculations provide a rationale for the observed opposite stereoselectivity. The obtained nitro derivatives undergo a Nef reaction followed by a methylation giving optically active beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acid and alpha,beta-diamino acid esters in good yield. These amino acid derivatives are important building blocks for the preparation of biologically active compounds.     

The first stereoselective synthesis of optically active thiosulfinates

Treatment of optically active $\text{p}$-toluenesulfinamides (1) with thiols (2) in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid was found to give optically active $\text{p}$-toluenethio-sulfinates (3) with predominant inversion of configuration. Stereospecificity of this reaction varies from 30 to 80%. Some mechanistic aspects of the reaction are also discussed.     

Telluronium salts mediated aziridination of chiral N-tert-butylsulfinylimines: highly stereoselective synthesis of optically active vinylaziridines

[reaction: see text] Optically active cis-2-substituted vinylaziridines are synthesized by the reaction of N-tert-butylsulfinylimines with telluronium ylides with excellent diastereoselectivity in good to excellent yields.     

A direct,stereoselective synthesis of optically active conhydrines

2-Pyridylethylcarbinol (I) has been resolved and the antipodes hydrogenated as free bases. The (+) form gave (+) conhydrine (II) while the (-) form afforded the levorotatory base stereoselectively with minor contamination of the other epimer. Hydrogenation of racemic I as well as of 2-pyridyl ethyl ketone in acid solution led formerly to the mixture of both racemates.     

Asymmetric synthesis of deoxypolypropionate units via stereoselective hydrogenation of optically active cycloheptatriene

Optically active polypropionate units were synthesized in 9-11 steps from 3,5-dimethylphenol. The sequence consists of the Buchner reaction controlled by a chiral 2,4-pentanediol tether and diastereoselective hydrogenation over Raney nickel. [reaction: see text]     

Highly enantioselective synthesis of optically active hydroxyaldehydes using a chiral catalyst

Optically active hydroxyaldehydes arc synthesized in 88–94% e.e. by the catalytic enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc using N,N-dibutylnorephedrine.     

Unprecedented stereoselective synthesis of catalytically active chiral Mo3CuS4 clusters

Cluster excision of polymeric {Mo3S7Cl4}n phases with chiral phosphane (+)-1,2-bis[(2R,5R)-2,5-(dimethylphospholan-1-yl)]ethane ((R,R)-Me-BPE) or with its enantiomer ((S,S)-Me-BPE) yields the stereoselective formation of the trinuclear cluster complexes [Mo3S4{(R,R)-Me-BPE}3Cl3]+ ([(P)-1]+) and [Mo3S4{(S,S)-Me-BPE}3Cl3]+ ([(M)-1]+), respectively. These complexes possess an incomplete cuboidal structure with the metal atoms defining an equilateral triangle and one capping and three bridging sulfur atoms. The P and M symbols refer to the rotation of the chlorine atoms around the C3 axis, with the capping sulphur atom pointing towards the viewer. Incorporation of copper into these trinuclear complexes affords heterodimetallic cubane-type compounds of formula [Mo3CuS4{(R,R)-Me-BPE}3Cl4]+ ([(P)-2]+) or [Mo3CuS4{(S,S)-Me-BPE}3Cl4]+ ([(M)-2]+), respectively, for which the chirality of the trinuclear precursor is preserved in the final product. Cationic complexes [(P)-1]+, [(M)-1]+, [(P)-2]+, and [(M)-2]+ combine the chirality of the metal cluster framework with that of the optically active diphosphane ligands. The known racemic [Mo3CuS4(dmpe)3Cl4]+ cluster (dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphanyl)ethane) as well as the new enantiomerically pure Mo3CuS4 [(P)-2]+ and [(M)-2]+ complexes are efficient catalysts for the intramolecular cyclopropanation of 1-diazo-5-hexen-2-one (3) and for the intermolecular cyclopropanation of alkenes, such as styrene and 2-phenylpropene, with ethyl diazoacetate. In all cases, the cyclopropanation products were obtained in high yields. The diastereoselectivity in the intermolecular cyclopropanation of the alkenes and the enantioselectivity in the inter- or intramolecular processes are only moderate.     

Synthetic studies on carbapenem antibiotics from penicillins.II. regio- and stereoselective aldol reaction of a chiral azetidinone: a synthesis of optically active 6-epicarpetimycins

Aldol and alkylation reactions of the chiral 4-allylazetidinone 1 gave 3,4-trans-azetidinones as major products, in which 10 was converted in several steps to the optically active 6-epicarpetimycins 2.     

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of optically active atropisomeric anilides through enantioselective N-allylation with chiral Pd-tol-BINAP catalyst

Catalytic asymmetric N-allylation reaction of ortho-tert-butylanilide derivatives with diallyl carbonate proceeds in the presence of tol-BINAP-Pd catalyst to give chiral N-allyl ortho-tert-butylanilides of 32-44%ee in excellent chemical yields (> or = 90%).     

Reaction of allylzinc reagents and zinc enolates of ketones with alpha-amidoalkylphenyl sulfones

Alpha-amidoalkylphenyl sulfones behave as N-acylimino equivalents in the reaction with functionalized allylzinc reagents. The addition products obtained using the zinc derivative of ethyl 2-(bromomethyl)acrylate can be readily transformed into alpha-methylene-gamma-lactams using different cyclization procedures. The allylzinc reagent obtained from 3-bromo-1-acetoxy-1-propene directly affords protected 1,2-amino alcohols with a preference for the anti stereoisomer, regardless of the structure of the alpha-amidoalkylphenyl sulfone employed. This procedure can be extended to the use of zinc enolates obtained from alpha-bromo ketones and leads to the synthesis of N-protected beta-amino ketones.     

Highly stereoselective synthesis of C2-chiral and meso nitroxides from an optically active pyrrolidine

Starting from (2R,5R)-2,5-bis(methoxymethyl)pyrrolidine 1, hydroxylamine cis-3 was synthesized with high stereoselectivity by successive oxidation and addition of PhMgBr. By using PhLi, trans (C₂-chiral) pyrrolidine nitroxide trans-7 was obtained from nitrone 5 derived from hydroxylamine 3. The cis (meso) counterpart cis-7 was produced along with trans-7 when PhMgBr was employed in place of PhLi. Moreover, cis-7 was also obtained selectively by using PhLi and Et₂AlCl with nitrone 5. The change of stereochemical bias observed when EtMgBr and/or nitrone 10 bearing an ethyl group were employed is also discussed.     

Synthesis of 1-aminopyrrolizidine alkaloid (−)-absouline by stereoselective aminoconjugate addition

The diastereoselective aminoconjugate addition of benzylamine and lithiobenzylamine to both E and Z-configured vinylogous proline derivatives has been investigated. The results from this study have enabled the stereoselective synthesis of the 1-aminopyrrolizidine alkaloid (−)-absouline.     

New chiral binaphthyl building blocks: synthesis of the first optically active tetrathiafulvalene dimers

New enantiomerically pure binaphthyl derivatives bearing triphenylphosphine or phosphonate groups have been synthesized and used as building blocks to prepare the first optically active tetrathiafulvalene dimers.     

A chiral pool approach to the synthesis of optically active tetrahalo norbornyl building blocks

Optical antipodes of the mono- and disubstituted polyhalo norbornyl derivatives were prepared in excellent yields. The monosubstituted derivatives 7 were obtained with good enantiopurities. A kaleidoscopic change in the product formation and distribution was observed by changing the chronology of reactions.     

Practical synthesis of optically active styrene oxides via reductive transformation of 2-chloroacetophenones with chiral rhodium catalysts

[reaction: see text] A practical method for the synthesis of optically active styrene oxides has been developed via formation of optically active 2-chloro-1-phenylethanols generated by reductive transformation of ring-substituted 2-chloroacetophenones. The optically active alcohols with up to 98% ee are obtainable from the asymmetric reduction of acetophenones with an S/C = 1000-5000 with a formic acid triethylamine mixture containing a well-defined chiral Rh complex, CpRhCl[(R,R)-Tsdpen].