A new asymmetric synthetic route to substituted piperidines

An asymmetric synthesis of substituted piperidines has been described. β-Cyclodextrin- or oxazaborolidine-catalyzed asymmetric reduction of α-azido aryl ketones to the corresponding alcohols has been employed as the key step along with ring closing metathesis and selective dihydroxylation.     

Cryptates XXIV: Structure and stability of mononuclear and binuclear cation inclusion complexes of cylindrical macrotricyclic ligands

The cylindrical macrotricyclic ligands 1–3 yield inclusion complexes, [3]-cryptates, with various metal cations. NMR. studies indicate the successive formation of a mononuclear and a binuclear complex. The former is probably unsymmetrical undergoing fast intramolecular cation exchange; the latter is symmetrical, with a cation located on each macrocyclic subunit of the macrotricyclic system. A heteronuclear (Ag²⁺, Pb²⁺) complex has been observed. The stability constants of the mononuclear and binuclear alkali and alkaline-earth cation complexes of ligands 1–3 have been determined by potentiometric methods. The stabilities are comparable to those of the complexes of the isolated macrocyclic subunit 5b . The binuclear complexes are almost as stable as the mononuclear one even in highly charged species like for instance the complex of ligand 2 with two barium cations. Cylindrical macrotricyclic ligands are topologically well suited for the designed positioning of two metal cations in a binuclear inclusion complex.     

A new synthetic route to (−)-cassine via asymmetric aminohydroxylation

(−)-Cassine has been synthesized by a new route, asymmetric aminohydroxylation followed by reductive amination.     

Asymmetric exchange of cyclopalladated ligands: A new route to optically active phosphapalladacycles

An asymmetric version of the cyclopalladated ligand exchange reaction was developed. This procedure involves the use of prochiral phosphines in an aprotic medium. A benzylaminate palladacycle bearing the primary amino group and the bulky But substituent at the C* stereo-center serves as a chirality inductor. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2112–2129, December, 2006.     

Mannich reaction as a new route to pyridine-based polyaminocarboxylic ligands

The Mannich reaction was successfully employed to obtain two pyridine-based ligands 1 and 2. The latter represents the first example of a Mannich reaction leading to a 12-membered pyridine-containing macrocycle. [reaction: see text]     

Asymmetric exchange of cyclopalladated ligands with a high level of asymmetric induction: a new route to optically active phosphapalladacycles

The first example of an asymmetric CH bond activation with chirality transfer (up to 91% ee) from an enantiopure CN-palladacycle is described. This asymmetric version of cyclopalladated ligand exchange was elaborated in an aprotic medium using prochiral phosphines as substrates and an enantiopure benzylaminate palladacycle bearing a primary amino group and a bulky tert-Bu substituent on the side chain as the palladation agent.     

A short asymmetric route to the bromophycolide A and D skeleton

An asymmetric synthesis of the bromophycolide D ring system has been achieved in seven steps from a known geranylgeranylated benzoate, via bromonium-promoted transannular cyclization of a macrocyclic intermediate.     

A general and convenient route to oxazolyl ligands

A diverse range of chiral and achiral oxazolyl ligands, which have many applications including catalysis and luminescent devices, are synthesized simply in three steps from readily available and inexpensive phenol and amino alcohol starting materials. The method can be applied to ligands with electron-donating/-withdrawing and sterically demanding/undemanding substituents, and can conveniently be scaled up to >25 g of product.     

A new route to mer-Tricarbonyls of manganese(I) containing N-donor chelate ligands

It has been shown that new mer-tricarbonyls mer-[Mn(CO)₃L(tmed)]ClO₄, (tmed = N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine, L = P(OMe)₃, P(OEt)₃, P(O-iPr)₃) can be readily obtained from the reaction between fac-Mn(CO)₃(tmed)Br, AgClO₄, and L at room temperature, whereas at 0°C fac-isomers are produced. The opposite is the case for L = CN-t-Bu; mer-[Mn(CO)₃(CN-t-Bu)(tmed)]ClO₄ is observed at 0°C, and the fac-isomer is stable at 25°C.     

A new rigid benzene‐bridged macrotricyclic ligand

A macrotricyclic ligand composed of two benzene rings connected by four 2,2′‐oxydiphenoxide bridges ( 2 ) has been prepared by treating 1,2,4,5‐tetrakis[2‐(2‐hydroxyphenoxy)phenoxymethyl]benzene with 1,2,4,5‐tetrakis(bromomethyl)benzene in acetonitrile in the presence of potassium carbonate. Ligand 2 is of interest because of its similarity to macrocycle 1 which interacts strongly with cesium ions. The proposed more direct route of treating an excess of 2,2′‐oxydiphenol with 1,2,4,5‐tetrakis(bromomethyl)benzene to prepare 2 did not give the desired macrocycle but gave bis(tribenzo‐11‐crown‐3) ( 8 ). An X‐ray crystal structure study of 2 showed that the benzene rings which are linked by the four 2,2′‐oxydiphenoxide bridges are connected in a nonsymmetric pattern. The structure of 8 was also determined using X‐ray diffraction methods, and is reported.     

A new route to spirooxindoles

[reaction: see text]Reaction of indole amides 5 with tributylstannane gave spiroindolenines 9 which are readily converted into spiropyrrolidinyloxindoles. This tricyclic system is found in a number of interesting natural products.     

A concise asymmetric route to the antibiotic macrolides patulolide A and pyrenophorin

In this letter, we describe an enantiospecific route to patulolide A and pyrenophorin through the synthesis of known protected seco acid precursors starting from commercially available (S)-ethyl lactate.     

A new route to alkenylcyclobutenes

Reaction of titanium cyclobutylidene complexes, prepared by the desulfurizative titanation of 1,1-bis(phenylthio)cyclobutanes with Cp₂Ti[P(OEt)₃]₂, with alkynes gave 1-(alk-1-enyl)cyclobutenes.     

A facile asymmetric route to (-)-aphanorphine

8O-methylaphanorphine was synthesized from 4-methoxyphenylacetaldehyde in 36% overall yield and in nine steps, featuring the formation of ring B via a Friedel-Crafts alkylative cyclization with the concomitant stereospecific introduction of the benzylic quaternary carbon center. The current work constitutes an efficient enantioselective formal synthesis of 3-benzazepine marine alkaloid (-)-aphanorphine.     

A new route to metallacycloalkanes

Reaction of the bis-alkenyl complex cis-[Pt(PPh3)2(CH2CH2CH=CH2)2] with Grubbs 1st generation catalyst gives, in high yield, the metallacycloalkene cis-[Pt(PPh3)2(CH2CH2CH=CHCH2CH2)], which can be hydrogenated to the metallacycloalkane cis-[Pt(PPh3)2(CH2)6].     

Carboranylphosphites as new ligands for Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation

First representatives of chiral carborane-based phosphite ligands were synthesized. The enantiomeric excess in the Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of dimethyl itaconate with the use of these ligands reaches 67% in CH₂Cl₂ and 62% in supercritical CO₂, the ee and conversion being strongly dependent on the hydrogen pressure. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 337–340, February, 2008.     

A new efficient route for multigram asymmetric synthesis of alkannin and shikonin

A short and convergent approach for the synthesis of alkannin, shikonin and shikalkin is presented. A Hauser-type annulation of cyanophthalide 26 with enone 7 affords the complete aromatic system in just one step with concomitant attachment of the entire side chain. Subsequent Corey's oxazaborolidine mediated asymmetric reduction of the above advanced intermediate, leads to the required isomer in high enantiomeric excess. Finally, a selective and high yielding deprotection protocol furnishes the title compounds as pure crystalline precipitates. Thus, a multigram synthesis of shikonin, alkannin and shikalkin is achieved in high yield and enantioselectivity.     

A new route to the phosphindole system

A new and possibly general route to the hitherto relatively inaccessible simple substituted phosphindoles, utilizing the extreme readiness of simple phosphole sulfides to undergo Diels-Alder dimerization, is described. The synthesis reported here is that of 3,6-dimethyl-l-phenylphosphin-dole sulfide which is prepared in good yield in two simple steps from the readily available 3-methyl-l-phenylphosphole.