Base‐Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroamination of Cyclohexa‐2,5‐dienes: Insights into the Mechanism through DFT Calculations and Application to the Total Synthesis of epi‐Elwesine

The base‐catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination of 1‐ethylaminocyclohexa‐2,5‐dienes is described. The transformation proceeds through isomerization of the cyclohexa‐1,4‐dienyl fragment into the corresponding conjugated 1,3‐diene prior to the hydroamination step. Attaching a chiral glycinol ether auxiliary on the amino group allows the protonation to occur with complete diastereocontrol. The resulting lithium amide then adds onto the 1,3‐dienyl moiety, affording the desired fused pyrrolidine ring along with the corresponding lithium allylic anion. Protonation of the latter then proceeds with high regiocontrol to favor the resulting allylic amines. In contrast, when the reaction was performed on primary amines, fused pyrrolidines bearing a homoallylic amino group were obtained. The stereochemical course of the process and determination of the reaction pathways were established based on calculations performed at the DFT level. Finally, application of the methodology to the enantioselective synthesis of (+)‐epi‐elwesine, a crinane alkaloid, is described.     

A general nickel-catalyzed hydroamination of 1,3-dienes by alkylamines: catalyst selection, scope, and mechanism

A simple colorimetric assay of various transition-metal catalysts showed that the combination of DPPF, Ni(COD)(2), and acid is a highly active catalyst system for the hydroamination of dienes by alkylamines to form allylic amines. The scope of the reaction is broad; various primary and secondary alkylamines react with 1,3-dienes in the presence of these catalysts. Detailed mechanistic studies revealed the individual steps involved in the catalytic process. These studies uncovered unexpected thermodynamics for the addition of amines to pi-allyl nickel complexes: instead of the thermodynamics favoring the reaction of a nickel allyl with an amine to form an allylic amine, the thermodynamics favored reaction of a nickel(0) complex with allylic amine in the presence of acid to form a Ni(II) allyl. The realization of these thermodynamics led us to the discovery that nickel and some palladium complexes in the presence or absence of acid catalyze the exchange of the amino groups of allylic amines with free amines. This exchange process was used to reveal the relative thermodynamic stabilities of various allylic amines. In addition, this exchange reaction leads to racemization of allylic amines. Therefore, the relative rate for C-N bond formation and cleavage influences the enantioselectivity of diene hydroaminations.     

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).     

Fragmentation of Homoallylic Alkoxides. Preparation of 1-(3′-cyclopentenyl)-2-alkanones from 2-substituted bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-ols

The potassium 2-substituted bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-alkoxides derived from alcohols 2–9 at 30° in hexamethylphosphoric triamide (HMPA) afford 1-(3′-cyclopentenyl)-2-alkanones 10–19 via heterolytic C(1), C(2)-allylic bond cleavage in the substrate alkoxide followed by intramolecular protonation of the resultant transient allylic anion.     

Fragmentation of Homoallylic Alkoxides. Thermolysis of potassium 2-substituted bicyclo [2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-alkoxides

Thermolysis of the potassium 2-substituted bicyclo [2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-alkoxides derived from alcohols 2–17 at 90–120° in hexamethylphosphoric triamide affords unsaturated ketones resulting from allylic bond cleavage. The mechanistic and synthetic aspects of this anionic fragmentation are discussed with reference to the formation of 1-(3′-cyclohexenyl)-2-alkanones 18–28 via initial heterolytic C(1), C(2)-bond cleavage in the substrate alkoxide and regioselective, intramolecular protonation of the resultant transient allylic anion.     

Purine N-oxides—XLI : The 3-acyloxypurine 8-substitution reaction: On the mechanism of the reaction

The 3-acyloxypurine 8-substitution reaction involves elimination of the 3-acyloxy group and nucleophilic substitution at C-8 to yield 8-substituted xanthines or guanines. In aqueous solutions the reaction of 3-acetoxyxanthine proceeds slowly below pH 2, but is greatly accelerated with an increase of the pH from 3 to 7. It is proposed that the slow reaction involves heterolytic cleavage of the 3-acetoxy moiety from 3-acetoxyxanthine to yield a nitrenium ion at N-3 followed by intermolecular nucleophilic substitution of the incipient carbonium ion at the allylic C-8 position, also the most probable mechanism in polar aprotic solvents. The beginning of the fast reaction coincides with the beginning of ionization of the imidazole hydrogen of 3-acetoxyxanthine. It is proposed that this ionization induces a similar but more rapid departure of the 3-acetoxy group from the anion of 3-acetoxyxanthine to produce dehydroxanthine. The latter, upon protonation, yields the same reactive carbonium ion at C-8 that is formed in the slow reaction. Some reduction of 3-acetoxyxanthine to xanthine accompanies the fast reaction. That reduction has the characteristics of a free-radical mediated reaction. It is proposed that reduction results from a homolytic cleavage of the NO bond in the 3-acetoxyxanthine anion to produce a radical-anion, which abstracts hydrogen from water to yield xanthine. These reaction mechanisms and possible alternatives are evaluated.     

Intermolecular hydroaminations via strained (E)-cycloalkenes

A photoinduced procedure for the intermolecular hydroamination of alkenes using azoles is described. This reaction occurs in modest to good yield for 6- and 7-membered cyclic alkenes. Upon irradiation at 254 nm in the presence of methyl benzoate and a small amount of triflic acid as an additive (20 mol %), imidazoles, pyrazoles, triazoles, and tetrazole can react with the alkene to afford complex Markovnikov adducts. The proposed mechanism involves photoisomerization to generate highly strained (E)-cycloalkene intermediates and (E)-cycloalkene protonation followed by reaction with the azole nucleophile. Alkene isomerization was found to be a competing side reaction under these conditions.     

Synthetic Efforts toward the Lycopodium Alkaloids Inspires a Hydrogen Iodide Mediated Method for the Hydroamination and Hydroetherification of Olefins

Progress toward the total syntheses of a diverse set of fawcettimine‐type Lycopodium alkaloids via a “Heathcock‐type” 6–5–9 tricycle is disclosed. This route features an intermolecular Diels–Alder cycloaddition to rapidly furnish the 6–5‐fused bicycle and a highly chemoselective directed hydrogenation to build the azonane fragment. While conducting these synthetic studies, trimethylsilyl iodide was found to effect a hydroamination reaction to furnish the tetracyclic core of serratine and related natural products. This observation has been expanded into a general method for the room temperature hydroamination of unactivated olefins with tosylamides utilizing catalytic “anhydrous” HI (generated in situ from trimethylsilyl iodide and water). The presence of the iodide anion is critical to the success of this Brønsted acid catalyzed protocol, possibly due to its function as a weakly coordinating anion. These conditions also effect the analogous hydroetherification reaction of alcohols with unactivated olefins.     

Gold-catalyzed intermolecular hydroalkoxylation of allenes; difference in mechanism between hydroalkoxylation and hydroamination

A wide range of alcohols 2 react with various allenes 1 in the presence of ClAuPPh₃/AgOTf catalyst at ambient temperature without solvent to produce allylic ethers 3. Contrary to the hydroamination, which proceeds through high chiral-face selectivity for chiral allenes to give the corresponding chiral allylic amines, transfer of chirality is not observed in the hydroalkoxylation, suggesting that the mechanism of the gold-catalyzed hydroalkoxylation is different from that of hydroamination.     

Gold versus silver-catalyzed amination of allylic alcohols

Direct substitution of the hydroxy group in allylic alcohols by different nitrogenated nucleophiles is performed using low loadings of cationic gold(I) or silver salts as catalysts. Sulfonamides, carbamates and aromatic amines can be used as nucleophiles. Comparative studies between the best catalysts, cationic (triphenylphosphite)gold(I) complex and silver triflate, demonstrate that the former catalyst shows, in general, better performance than silver, working at lower loadings, in shorter reaction times and at lower temperatures. Representative allylic alcohols are used giving good γ-regioselectivity, specially in the case of penta-1,4-dien-3-ol and (E)-1-phenylbut-2-en-1-ol affording the corresponding allylic sulfonamides with total regio and stereoselectivity by a hydroamination mechanism. In the case of crotyl alcohol and (E)-4-phenylbut-3-en-2-ol mainly and exclusively α-substituted sulfonamides were obtained, respectively, by a cationic mechanism.     

Mechanistic Study of Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Hydroamination of Alkynes: Outer or Inner Sphere Mechanism?

An experimental mechanistic study of the gold(I)‐catalyzed hydroamination shows the formation of conformationally flexible auro‐iminium salts Au‐Im , which originate from the protonation of a vinyl gold species. Rotation around the C CAu bond is the reason for the loss of stereospecificity of protodeauration, which explains the stereochemical result of the Stradiotto reaction. The ambiguity about inner or outer sphere mechanism is thus resolved in favor of the outer sphere mechanism.     

Mechanistic Study of Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Hydroamination of Alkynes: Outer or Inner Sphere Mechanism?

An experimental mechanistic study of the gold(I)‐catalyzed hydroamination shows the formation of conformationally flexible auro‐iminium salts Au‐Im , which originate from the protonation of a vinyl gold species. Rotation around the C? CAu bond is the reason for the loss of stereospecificity of protodeauration, which explains the stereochemical result of the Stradiotto reaction. The ambiguity about inner or outer sphere mechanism is thus resolved in favor of the outer sphere mechanism.     

A catalytic tethering strategy: simple aldehydes catalyze intermolecular alkene hydroaminations

Herein we describe a catalytic tethering strategy in which simple aldehyde precatalysts enable, through temporary intramolecularity, room-temperature intermolecular hydroamination reactivity and the synthesis of vicinal diamines. The catalyst allows the formation of a mixed aminal from an allylic amine and a hydroxylamine, resulting in a facile intramolecular hydroamination event. The promising enantioselectivities obtained with a chiral aldehyde also highlight the potential of this catalytic tethering approach in asymmetric catalysis and demonstrate that efficient enantioinduction relying only on temporary intramolecularity is possible.     

Hg(OTf)2-catalyzed arylene cyclization

Novel Hg(OTf) 2-catalyzed arylene cyclization was achieved with highly efficient catalytic turnover (up to 200 times). The reaction takes place via protonation of allylic hydroxyl group by in situ formed TfOH of an organomercuric intermediate to generate a cationic species. Subsequent smooth demercuration regenerates the catalyst.     

Anti-Markovnikov Hydroamination of Racemic Allylic Alcohols to Access Chiral γ-Amino Alcohols

A ruthenium-catalyzed formal anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of allylic alcohols for the synthesis of chiral γ-amino alcohols is presented. Proceeding via an asymmetric hydrogen-borrowing process, the catalysis allows racemic secondary allylic alcohols to react with various amines, affording enantiomerically enriched chiral γ-amino alcohols with broad substrate scope and excellent enantioselectivities (68 examples, up to >99 % ee).     

Gold-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization of allenes with nitrogen and oxygen nucleophiles and its mechanistic insight

A wide range of nucleophiles, such as amines and alcohols, reacted intermolecularly with various allenes in the presence of gold catalysts to give the corresponding hydrofunctionalization products in high yields. The intermolecular hydroamination of chiral allenes with aromatic and aliphatic amines proceeded with high to good enantioface selectivities to afford the corresponding chiral allylic amines. On the other hand, in the case of the intermolecular hydroalkoxylation of chiral allenes, no chirality transfer was observed. This marked contrast on the chirality transfer indicates that the mechanisms of gold-catalysis between hydroamination and hydroalkoxylation are different.     

Chiral Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Asymmetric Hydroamination of Racemic Allenes and Asymmetric Hydroamination of Dienes

The first highly efficient and practical chiral Brønsted acid catalyzed dynamic kinetic asymmetric hydroamination (DyKAH) of racemic allenes and asymmetric hydroamination of unactivated dienes with both high E/Z selectivity and enantioselectivity are described herein. The transformation proceeds through a new catalytic asymmetric model involving a highly reactive π‐allylic carbocationic intermediate, generated from racemic allenes or dienes through a proton transfer mediated by an activating/directing thiourea group. This method affords expedient access to structurally diverse enantioenriched, potentially bioactive alkenyl‐containing aza‐heterocycles and bicyclic aza‐heterocycles.     

Palladium-catalyzed cascade process to construct 1,2,5-trisubstituted pyrroles

A novel palladium-catalyzed cascade allylic amination/intramolecular hydroamination/isomerization process of protected enynol 1 and primary amine 2 has been explored, which constructs the important 1,2,5-trisubstituted pyrroles. This transformation offers an alternative synthetic methodology capable of generating substituted pyrroles in a straightforward way.     

Gamma-allyl phosphinoyl phenyl sulfone (GAPPS): a conjunctive reagent for the synthesis of EE, EZ, and ET 1,3-dienes

A three-operation conjunctive strategy is available for the synthesis of EE, EZ, and ET dienes. This protocol employs a sequential Wadsworth-Emmons reaction using a GAPPS reagent followed by alkylation of an allylic sulfone anion, and finally ligand-mediated, palladium-catalyzed desulfonylation.     

Tandem base-promoted ring opening/brook rearrangement/allylic alkylation of O-silyl cyanohydrins of beta-silyl-alpha,beta-epoxyaldehydes

[reaction: see text]. Metalated O-silyl cyanohydrins of beta-silyl-alpha,beta-epoxyaldehyde have been found to serve as functionalized homoenolate equivalents by a tandem sequence involving a base-promoted ring opening of the epoxide, Brook rearrangement, and alkylation of the resulting allylic anion.