A new chiral anthracene for the asymmetric Diels-Alder/retro-Diels-Alder sequence

(-)-(R)-9-(1,2-Dimethoxyethyl)anthracene (8) is successfully employed as a chiral template in the Diels-Alder/retro-Diels-Alder sequence for the preparation of alpha,beta-unsaturated lactams. The cycloadditions proceed with complete diastereoselectivity, and regioselectivity in subsequent transformations of the carbonyl groups is also excellent. Flash vacuum pyrolysis accomplishes the cycloreversion.     

A facile approach to trans-4,5-pyrrolidine lactam and application in the synthesis of nemonapride and streptopyrrolidine

An efficient approach to trans-4-hydroxylpyrrolidine lactams 1 starting from amino acid is described. The utility of this method has been demonstrated in the synthesis of antipsychotic nemonapride 3 and antiangiogenic streptopyrrolidine 4. Compared four synthetic stereoisomers of natural streptopyrrolidine 4 in term of spectroscopic and physical data, the absolute structure of the natural product was proposed as (4S,5S)-configuration.     

Asymmetric synthesis of ceramide sphingolipid based on (2S,3S,4S)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)pyrrolidine lactam

A facile approach to the versatile chiral building block 2 was developed based on glutamic acid, whereby a new method for asymmetric synthesis of sex pheromone 1 was explored from cheap glutamic acid.     

Studies toward the synthesis of roseophilin: lactam formation and Wittig/aldol methodology

In this communication, we introduce our retrosynthetic approach to the synthesis of roseophilin. An interesting, new Wittig/aldol methodology is described. Also discussed is macrocyclization of an azide acid to form an unsaturated lactam.     

Tandem intramolecular Diels–Alder/retro-Diels–Alder cycloaddition of 2H-chromen-2-one as dienes with the expulsion of CO_2

To study the intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloadditon of 2H-chromen-2-one as a diene, a series of chiral N-allyl-N-benzylamides that contain a 2H-chromen-2-one moiety were designed for the synthesis of benzo[f]isoindol-1-ones via an intramolecular Diels-Alder and a subsequent retro-Diels-Alder cycloaddition with the expulsion of CO₂. Both the yield (80%-89%) and absolute stereocontrol of the tandem reaction were high when an electron-withdrawing group was attached to the dienophile. The double bond in the styrene substructure remained in the products could be further derivatized by dihydroxylation.     

Tandem inverse electron demand Diels-Alder, retro-Diels-Alder and intramolecular Diels-Alder sequences: one-pot synthesis of diaza-polycycles

A new and straightforward methodology is described for the construction of complex nitrogen-containing polycycles from substituted 1,2,4-triazines and enamines, prepared in situ from carbonyl components and allylic amines. The transformation proceeds via a pericyclic reaction cascade (inverse electron demand Diels-Alder then retro-Diels-Alder then intramolecular Diels-Alder) forming the polycyclic systems in good to excellent yield and with high diastereoselectivity in a one-pot procedure. The scope and limitations of the methodology are described as are preliminary studies to extend its synthetic utility.     

Enantioselective alkylation of lactams and lactones via lithium enolate formation using a chiral tetradentate lithium amide in the presence of lithium bromide

Enantioselective alkylation of lactams and lactones can be realized up to 98% ee by deprotonation with a chiral tetradentate lithium amide (4b) in the presence of lithium bromide, and subsequent alkylation with active alkylating agents in non-chelating solvents.     

An enyne metathesis/Diels-Alder reaction sequence towards the synthesis of cup-shaped 5/5/6-tricyclic architectures

A strategy to synthesize the 5/5/6-tricyclic framework of presilphiperfolane natural products is described, involving a model dienyne compound (I). The key steps are an enyne metathesis reaction to introduce the diene part and a Diels-Alder cycloaddition to reveal the tricyclic architecture.     

Flexible approach for the asymmetric synthesis of (−)-hyacinthacine A1 and its 7a-epimer

The diastereoselective nucleophilic addition of organic boronic ester to 3-hydroxy-2-substituted N-acyliminium ions 9 led to the formation of 2,5-cis-pyrrolidine 10, from which a convenient synthesis of (−)-7a-epi-1 was developed. In addition, an efficient asymmetric synthesis of (−)-hyacinthacine A1 1 was achieved through the reduction/ring-opening process.     

A facile synthesis of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-l-ribitol (LRB) and (−)-8a-epi-swainsonine from d-glutamic acid

A facile synthesis of (−)-8a-epi-swainsonine 2 and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-l-ribitol (LRB) 4 has been achieved by using the versatile building block 3, which was available from cheap d-glutamic acid. The new forming stereogenic center in synthesis of 2 was constructed by highly selective reduction of the ketone 13 with Li(t-BuO)₃AlH in THF (dr=95:5).     

A new cationic,chiral catalyst for highly enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions

[reaction: see text] The Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene and 2-methacrolein is catalyzed by a chiral Lewis acid to form the exo adduct in 96% yield and 96% ee.     

An efficient method for the preparation of 3-hydroxyl-5-substituted 2-pyrrolidones and application in the divergent synthesis of (−)-preussin and its analogues

An asymmetric method to (S,R)-α-hydroxyl-γ-amino alcohols 12 through a diastereoselective addition of Grignard reagents to β-chiral aldimines 11 is described. Subsequent oxidation/cyclization with Sarett reagent provided a novel approach to lactams 14, a flexible building block whose utility was demonstrated in the divergent synthesis of antifungal agent (−)-preussin 5 and its three analogues 23, 24, 25.     

An efficient,one-pot,three-component procedure for the synthesis of chiral spirooxindolopyrrolizidines via catalytic highly enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

The catalytic, highly regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective synthesis of a small library of chiral spirooxindolopyrrolizidines via a three-component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azomethine ylides, derived from isatin, with electron-deficient dipolarophiles, 3-(2-alkenoyl)-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones, is described. A chiral copper(II) complex of cyclohexane-1,2-bis(arylmethyleneamine) catalyzed this process at room temperature. The reaction mechanism is discussed on the basis of the assignment of the absolute configuration of the cycloadducts.     

A practical new chiral controller for asymmetric Diels-Alder and alkylation reactions

[formula: see text] The enantiomerically pure hydroxy sulfones (+)- and (-)-2 have been prepared from 1,2-epoxycyclohexane by a simple and practical procedure. The acrylate esters of these alcohols undergo BCl3-catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions with a variety of dienes at -78 to -55 degrees C in CH2Cl2 or C7H8 with high dienophile face selectivity (Table 1). The chiral esters so formed are readily cleaved with recovery of the controllers (+)- or (-)-2. Esters of (+)- and (-)-2 can be converted to Z-potassium enolates and alkylated with high face selectivity.     

Synthesis and examination of amine-cyanocarboxyboranes, the boron analogues of α-cyanocarboxylic acids: X-ray structural study of the first lactam containing a boron atom in the lactam ring

The first representatives of chiral boron atom-containing amine-cyanomethoxycarbonyl boranes (A · BH(CN)COOMe) have been synthesized either from the corresponding amine-bromocyanomethoxycarbonylborane complexes with [Bu₄N]CN or from Me₃N · BH(CN)COOMe and an amine in a base-exchange reaction. Acid hydrolyses of methyl esters generated the free acids (A · BH(CN)COOH), which are isoelectronic to the α-cyano carboxylic acids. Their pK_a values and hydrolysis half-lives in acidic medium (that is rate of proton reduction) have been determined. Similarly to the alpha cyano carboxylic acids, the cyano group attached to the boron (in alpha position to the COOH group) increased the acid strength of carboxy boranes with 2.0-2.5 orders of magnitude. Independently from the type of the amine, pK_a values of the amine-cyanocarboxyboranes (6.34-5.82) decrease consistently with the increase of pK_b values of the amines. Hydrolytic decomposition rate of the alkylamine complexes increases with increasing pK_b values of the amines while the opposite was found for pyridine base complexes. When considering both types of the amines, hydrolysis half-lives of the complexes range over several orders of magnitude from 0.005 to 400 h. Based on these observations protonation of the amine nitrogen atom appears to be the rate determining step in the hydrolysis process. With loss of methanol, 2-NH₂-py · BH(CN)COOMe transformed into a five membered lactam derivative. X-ray diffraction revealed that the pyridine ring is coplanar with the five membered lactam ring. In the crystal two molecules are connected in a head to tail arrangement by strong intermolecular H-bonds between N(2)-H and the carbonyl oxygen (O1) with a donor and acceptor distance of 2.867(3) Å. Three new cyanomethoxycarbonylborates having the composition of K[BH_n(CN)_3−nCOOMe] (n = 1, 2) and K[B(OH)(CN)₂COOMe] have also been synthesized and their properties examined.     

New developments in the synthesis of pyrrolizidinone-based dipeptide isosteres

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of acrylamide with the cyclic nitrone derived from proline tert-butyl ester has been employed in the synthesis of bicyclic Gly-(s-cis)Pro isosteres suitably protected for the Fmoc-based solid phase peptide synthesis. (R)-1-Phenylethylamine was introduced as chiral auxiliary to resolve racemic intermediates and obtain enantiopure compounds. Using methacrylamide as dipolarophile, the analogous Ala-Pro mimetics have been prepared in racemic form, whereas the same strategy applied to methyl itaconate failed to give the corresponding Asp-Pro mimetic.     

Asymmetric synthesis of a chiral arsinophosphine via a metal template promoted asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction between diphenylvinylphosphine and 2-furyldiphenylarsine

The asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction between 2-furyldiphenylarsine and diphenylvinylphosphine was achieved stereospecifically by utilizing an organoplatinum reaction promoter containing the ortho-metalated (R)-(1-(dimethylamino) ethyl)-naphthalene as the chiral auxiliary. The optically pure (+)-As-P heterobidentate cycloadduct could be liberated from the template product by successive treatment with concentrated hydrochloric acid and aqueous potassium cyanide.