The use of bifunctional catalyst systems in the asymmetric addition of alkynylzinc to aldehydes

The bifunctional ligand 2a showed a more enhanced reactivity than that of the corresponding amino alcohol ligand in the asymmetric addition of alkynylzinc to benzaldehyde. The bifunctional ligand 2a can catalyze the addition of phenylacetylene to various types of aldehydes including aromatic aldehydes, aliphatic aldehydes, and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with high enantioselectivity (81–98% ee). The conditions of this catalytic process are both mild and simple.     

Enantioselective addition of alkynylzinc to arylaldehydes catalyzed by azetidino amino alcohols bearing an additional stereogenic center

Chiral azetidino amino alcohol ligands bearing an additional stereogenic center were readily prepared and used as catalysts for the asymmetric addition of alkynylzinc to aromatic aldehydes with enantioselectivities of up to 87% ee. The relationship between the reaction enantioselectivity and the structure of the chiral ligands was also evaluated in this reaction. The experimental results showed that the enantioselectivity level of the reaction was greatly influenced by the second stereogenic center attached to azetidine ring, but the stereochemical sense was only determined by the configuration of the azetidine ring. A possible transition structure for the catalytic asymmetric addition was also proposed.     

De novo chiral amino alcohols in catalyzing asymmetric additions to aryl aldehydes

[reaction: see text] A de novo structural class of chiral amino alcohol catalysts has been identified through a synergistic effort combining novel architectures from [4 + 3] cycloadditions and quantum mechanical interaction field predictions that closely match subsequent experimental measurements.     

Highly enantioselective alkynylzinc addition to aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by self-assembled titanium catalysts

A highly enantioselective catalyst generated by a combination of BINOL and another ligand with Ti(OiPr)4 was found to be highly effective for the alkynylzinc addition to aromatic aldehydes with enantioselectivities as high as >99%.     

Hydroxyamides versus amino alcohols in the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde

Two series of structurally related enantiopure isoborneols (10-amino- and 10-amino-10-oxoisoborneols) have been obtained from ketopinic acid and compared as chiral ligands for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde in the absence of Ti(O-i-Pr)₄. The results obtained (chemical yields and enantiomeric excesses) show that identical structural factors (functionalization grade and symmetry group) exert very different effects on both series. The observed differences have been rationalized on the basis of the coordination ability of each ligand type to form the corresponding reactive zinc-chelate catalyst.     

Asymmetric diethylzinc addition and phenyl transfer to aldehydes using chiral cis-cyclopropane-based amino alcohols

A new series of amino alcohols with a chiral cyclopropane backbone have been developed and used in the catalytic asymmetric diethylzinc addition and phenyl transfer to various types of aldehydes. These cyclopropane-based chiral amino alcohols show high enantioselectivity in the addition of organozincs to aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. For diethylzinc addition to aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes, up to 97% ee and 93% ee are obtained, respectively. For the phenyl transfer to aromatic aldehydes, the best enantioselectivity was 89% ee.     

Synthesis of chiral ferrocenyl aziridino alcohols and use in the catalytic asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

A series of novel chiral ferrocenyl aziridino alcohols 5a–i were conveniently synthesized from L-serine and ferrocenecarboxaldehyde. These compounds have been used as chiral catalysts in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes and the effects of the ligand structures on the enantioselectivity was studied. Enantioselectivities up to 98.8% have been obtained.     

The asymmetric addition of phenylacetylene to aldehydes

Enantioselective formation of C-C bonds is an area of intense research.Among them, the asymmetric addition of alkynyl reagents to aldehydes is very useful for the synthesis of chiral secondary propargyl alcohols, which are very important building blocks for many chiral organic compounds, and the acetylene and hydroxyl founctional group of propargyl alcohol can be easily transfered into many other structures.1Recently, many significant chiral ligands have been disclosed.2 Here, we report our r…     

Polystyrene-supported amino alcohol ligands for the heterogeneous asymmetric addition of phenyl zinc reagents to aldehydes

A family of polystyrene-supported amino alcohols, characterized by a high catalytic activity in alkyl transfer from zinc to formyl groups has been successfully tested in the enantioselective addition of phenyl zinc reagents to aldehydes to afford chiral diarylmethanols. Enantioselectivities higher than 90% (mean ee 90.5%; eight examples) are recorded with aromatic aldehydes in what represents the first successful use of heterogeneous, polymeric reagents for enantiocontrol in the phenylation of aldehydes.     

Organocatalyzed asymmetric α-hydroxyamination of α-branched aldehydes: asymmetric synthesis of optically active N-protected α,α-disubstituted amino aldehydes and amino alcohols

Enantioselective direct α-hydroxyamination and α-aminoxylation of α-branched aldehydes using a proline-derived tetrazole catalyst is described herein. α-Hydroxyamination adducts with up to 90% ee were obtained by the reaction of nitrosobenzene with unactivated α-branched aldehydes under mild reaction conditions.     

Bifunctional pyridyl alcohols with the bicyclo[3.3.0]octane scaffold in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

Some new pyridyl alcohols with the cis-bicyclo[3.3.0]octane scaffold were synthesized and used as chiral ligands for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes. Ligands 4 were found to be far superior to the C₂-symmetric ligands 2 in terms of enantioselectivities. Quantitative yields and enantiomeric excesses of up to 92% were obtained when the ligand 4 was used. The carbonyl function in 4 proved to be beneficial for the high enantioselectivities in the addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes. Conversion of the carbonyl group into oxime or oxime ether group led to a sort of more active ligands, which catalyzed the same reaction with rate acceleration.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric sulfa-Michael addition of thiols to 4,4,4-trifluorocrotonates

The first asymmetric sulfa-Michael addition of thiols to 4,4,4-trifluorocrotonates for the construction of a stereogenic center bearing a unique trifluoromethyl group and a sulfur atom has been achieved in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities with a 1 mol % bifunctional organocatalyst. Subsequent transformation led to the expedient preparation of enantioenriched thiochroman-4-one and the key intermediate of the potent inhibitor of MMP-3, (R)-γ-trifluoromethyl γ-sulfone hydroxamate.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric addition of alcohols and thiols to activated electrophiles: efficient dynamic kinetic resolution and desymmetrization protocols

Bifunctional urea-based cinchona alkaloid derivatives have been shown to promote highly efficient DKR reactions of azalactones using an alcohol nucleophile. The optimum catalyst is remarkably insensitive to the steric bulk of the amino acid residue, allowing alanine-, methionine-, and phenylalanine-derived azalactones to undergo DKR with unprecedented levels of enantioselectivity using a synthetic catalyst. The first DKR of these substrates by thiols and the highly enantioselective desymmetrization of a meso-glutaric anhydride by thiolysis are also reported.     

Aromatic l-prolinamide-catalyzed asymmetric Michael addition of aldehydes to nitroalkenes

Two chiral aromatic l-prolinamides were synthesized in high overall yield (95%) from N-Boc-l-proline and served as organocatalysts in asymmetric Michael reactions of aldehydes to nitroalkenes. Under the optimized reaction conditions, (S)-N-tritylpyrrolidine-2-carboxamide 4 was found to be a highly efficient organocatalyst for the Michael addition, and the corresponding Michael adducts were obtained in good yields (up to 94%), with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) and diastereoselectivities (up to 99:1 dr).     

Asymmetric trialkylaluminium addition to aldehydes catalyzed by titanium complexes of N-sulfonylated amino alcohols with two stereogenic centers

The asymmetric methylation, ethylation and allylation of aldehydes using trialkylaluminium reagents catalyzed by titanium(IV) complexes of N-sulfonylated amino alcohols gave excellent enantioselectivities of up to 99% ee.     

Effect of microwave heating in the asymmetric addition of dimethylzinc to aldehydes

Microwave-heated enantioselective additions of dimethylzinc to various aldehydes are reported. Dramatically reduced reaction times and lower catalyst loadings (5%), compared with conventionally used conditions, can be achieved, with excellent yields and just small loss of enantioselectivity (up to 83% enantioselectivity is achieved). In the reaction with aliphatic aldehydes the same enantioselectivity has been achieved for microwave-heated and conventional room temperature conditions.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric michael addition of aldehydes to beta-nitroacroleine dimethyl acetal

[Structure: see text] The organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition of aldehydes to beta-nitroacroleine dimethyl acetal has been studied in detail. The reaction took place with excellent yields and high stereoselectivities when a chiral beta-amino alcohol such as L-prolinol was employed as the catalyst, leaving a formation of highly functionalized enantioenriched compounds containing two differentiated formyl groups together with a nitro moiety.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric addition of aliphatic thiols to nitro olefins and nitrodienes

The N-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl thiourea derivative of readily available chiral 1-benzyl-3-aminopyrrolidine was an effective organocatalyst for the asymmetric sulfa-Michael reaction. The adducts of aliphatic thiols to nitro olefins and nitrodienes were formed in good yields and with up to 87% ee in the presence of 2.5 mol % of the organocatalyst.     

First organocatalyzed asymmetric Michael addition of aldehydes to vinyl sulfones

[reaction: see text] The first asymmetric direct Michael addition of aldehydes to vinyl sulfones catalyzed by N-iPr-2,2'-bipyrrolidine is described. 1,4-Adducts are obtained in good yields and enantioselectivities. The determination of absolute configuration allowed us to postulate a Si,Si transition state model, as shown previously for nitroolefins.