Asymmetric multicomponent domino reactions and highly enantioselective conjugated addition of thiols to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes

An organocatalytic asymmetric multicomponent domino and a conjugated addition reaction to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes are presented. The development is based, first, on an organocatalyzed highly enantioselective nucleophilic thiol addition to the beta-carbon atom in the iminium ion intermediate, followed by an electrophilic amination of the alpha-carbon atom to the enamine intermediate. The multicomponent reactions proceed to give enantiopure amino-thiols in moderate to good yields. Furthermore, the organocatalyzed thiol addition to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes takes place in good yields and excellent enantioselectivities.     

Reformatsky-type reaction of chiral nonracemic alpha-bromo-alpha'-sulfinyl ketones with aldehydes. Synthesis of enantiomerically pure 2-methyl-1,3-diol moieties

Chiral nonracemic alpha-bromo-alpha'-sulfinyl ketones were shown to react with aldehydes in the presence of SmI(2) in a Reformatsky-type reaction to give the corresponding adduct with excellent syn diastereoselectivity. Further reduction of the Reformatsky adducts furnished anti- and syn-2-methyl-1,3-diol moieties in excellent yields and diastereoselectivities.     

Thermodynamics and kinetics of imidazole formation from glyoxal, methylamine, and formaldehyde: a computational study

Density functional theory calculations, including Poisson-Boltzmann implicit solvent and free energy corrections, are applied to study the mechanism of experimentally observed imidazole formation from the reaction of glyoxal and methylamine in solution. Our calculations suggest that a diimine species is an important intermediate in the reaction. Under acidic conditions, we find that the diimine acts as a nucleophile in attacking the carbonyl group of either formaldehyde or glyoxal to first generate an acyclic enol intermediate, which then goes on to close the ring and form imidazoles. Our results confirm that formaldehyde and, by extension, other small aldehydes are likely to be incorporated into imidazole ions in the presence of glyoxal and primary amines in clouds and aqueous aerosol. This is a new mechanism of aerosol formation by formaldehyde, the most abundant aldehyde in the atmosphere. The amount of aerosol formed will depend on the amounts of glyoxal and amines present.     

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed intermolecular hydroacylation of cyclopropenes

We report the first intermolecular NHC-catalyzed hydroacylation of electron-neutral olefins. Treatment of aromatic aldehydes with cyclopropenes under mild conditions affords valuable acylcyclopropanes in moderate to high yields with an excellent level of diastereocontrol. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that product formation occurs via a concerted syn hydroacylation pathway.     

Electrophilic cyclization of (Z)-selenoenynes: synthesis and reactivity of 3-iodoselenophenes

We present here our results of the electrophilic cyclization reaction of (Z)-selenoenynes with different electrophiles such as I(2), ICl, PhSeBr, and PhSeCl. The cyclization reaction proceeded cleanly under mild reaction conditions, and 3-substituted selenophenes were formed in moderate to excellent yields. We observed that the nature of solvent and structure of (Z)-selenoenyne were important to the cyclization reaction. In addition, the obtained 3-iodoselenophenes were readily transformed to more complex products using a metal-halogen exchange reaction with n-BuLi and trapping the intermediate formed with aldehydes, furnishing the desired secondary alcohols in good yields. Conversely, using the palladium or copper catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with terminal alkynes or alkyl alcohols, we were able to convert 3-iodoselenophene to Sonogashira or Ullmann type products, respectively, in good yields.     

Aqueous Knoevenagel Condensation Catalyzed by Aminopropyl-functionalized MCM-41

Since much more attention has been paid to the sustainable development, many researchers try to improve conventional chemical process and find new and more, environmentally friendly routes1. Aqueous-phase reactions are of interest as environ- mentally ben…     

Iron(II)-catalyzed amidation of aldehydes with iminoiodinanes at room temperature and under microwave-assisted conditions

A method for the amidation of aldehydes with PhI=NTs/PhI=NNs as the nitrogen source and an inexpensive iron(II) chloride + pyridine as the in situ formed precatalyst under mild conditions at room temperature or microwave assisted conditions is described. The reaction was operationally straightforward and accomplished in moderate to excellent product yields (20-99%) and with complete chemoselectivity with the new C-N bond forming only at the formylic C-H bond in substrates containing other reactive functional groups. By utilizing microwave irradiation, comparable product yields and short reaction times of 1 h could be accomplished. The mechanism is suggested to involve insertion of a putative iron-nitrene/imido group to the formylic C-H bond of the substrate via a H-atom abstraction/radical rebound pathway mediated by the precatalyst [Fe(py)(4)Cl(2)] generated in situ from reaction of FeCl(2) with pyridine.     

Visible-Light-Mediated Liberation and In Situ Conversion of Fluorophosgene

The first example for the photocatalytic generation of a highly electrophilic intermediate that is not based on radical reactivity is reported. The single-electron reduction of bench-stable and commercially available 4-(trifluoromethoxy)benzonitrile by an organic photosensitizer leads to its fragmentation into fluorophosgene and benzonitrile. The in situ generated fluorophosgene was used for the preparation of carbonates, carbamates, and urea derivatives in moderate to excellent yields via an intramolecular cyclization reaction. Transient spectroscopic investigations suggest the formation of a catalyst charge-transfer complex-dimer as the catalytic active species. Fluorophosgene as a highly reactive intermediate, was indirectly detected via its next downstream carbonyl fluoride intermediate by NMR. Furthermore, detailed NMR analyses provided a comprehensive reaction mechanism including a water dependent off-cycle equilibrium.     

The oxidation of aldehydes to acids with calcium hypochlorite [Ca(OCl)2]

Calcium hypochlorite is an efficient reagent for the oxidation of aldehydes to the corresponding acids. Reactions are carried out at ambient temperature in aqueous acetonitrile-acetic acid solution. Aliphatic aldehydes and aromatic aldehydes with electron withdrawing groups afford good to excellent yields. Nuclear chlorination is the preferred reaction in aromatic aldehydes with electron donating groups.     

p-Benzosemiquinone radical anion on silver nanoparticles in water

This communication reports the SERS observation of p-benzosemiquinone radical anion, produced on reduction of p-benzoquinone by Ag nanoparticles at the metal-water interface. The species is positively identified by comparison of the SERS spectrum with the resonance Raman spectra of the radical anion in aqueous solution. This is a rare SERS observation of a radical intermediate formed by surface reaction on nanosize silver particles in solution.     

Direct amination of homoenolates catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbenes

N-Heterocyclic carbenes derived from N-mesityl-N-methyltriazolium salts are effective catalysts for generating homoenolate species from alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes. The unique intermediate adds to the electrophilic nitrogen of 1-acyl-2-aryldiazenes, and the resulting activated carbonyl unit undergoes an intramolecular acylation event. This formal [3+2] cycloaddition between alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes and acylaryldiazenes, catalyzed by an N-heterocyclic carbene, produces substituted pyrazolidinones in good yields. This new NHC-catalyzed reaction accommodates aromatic and alkyl alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes and various aromatic diazenes. A chiral triazolium salt catalyzes the formation of the pyrazolidinone product in moderate yield and good enantioselectivity. The pyrazolidinones can undergo reductive N-N bond cleavage to give beta-amino acid derivatives.     

Convenient photooxidation of alcohols using dye sensitised zinc oxide in combination with silver nitrate and TEMPO

A novel photooxidative system using dye sensitised zinc oxide in combination with silver nitrate and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO) in an aqueous solution is described. Under visible light irradiation the selective oxidation of alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes and ketones was effected in good to excellent yields.     

二氧化硫脲:一锅合成吡喃并[4,3-b] 吡喃类化合物的高效可重复使用有机催化剂（英文）简

A series of pyrano[4,3-b]pyran derivatives have been synthesized in excellent yields by the reaction of aromatic aldehydes with malononitrile or cyanoacetate and 4-hydroxy-6-methylpyran-2-one in water at 80℃, with the transformation being catalyzed by an aqueous solution of thiourea dioxide (TUD). Upon completion of the reaction, the product was isolated by filtration or extraction and the remaining aqueous TUD solution could be reused several times without any discernible impact on its catalytic activity. This procedure offers several advantages over existing procedures, including high yields, operational simplicity, the use of a non-toxic catalyst and solvent, short reaction time and minimum pollution of the environment, making it a useful and attractive process for the preparation of pyrano[4,3-b]pyran derivatives.     

Highly enantio- and diastereoselective Brassard type hetero-Diels-Alder approach to 5-methyl-containing alpha,beta-unsaturated delta-lactones

Two efficient new chiral copper (II) Schiff base complexes were developed for the highly enantio- and diastereoselective HDA reaction of Brassard type diene 1b with aldehydes, to afford the corresponding 5-methyl-containing alpha,beta-unsaturated delta-lactone derivatives in moderate yields, high enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) and excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 99:1 anti/syn). On the basis of the absolute configuration of 4a-4j disclosed by X-ray diffraction and CD analysis, a possible transition-state model for the enantio- and diastereoselective catalytic reaction has been proposed.     

A new type of catalytic tandem 1,4-addition-aldol reaction which proceeds through an (oxa-pi-allyl)rhodium intermediate

The reaction of 9-aryl-9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes (B-Ar-9BBN) with alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones and aldehydes in the presence of 3 mol % [Rh(OMe)(cod)](2) in toluene at 20 degrees C for 2 h gave high yields of the tandem 1,4-addition-aldol reaction products with high syn selectivity. The reaction proceeds through the catalytic cycle consisting of 1,4-addition of an organorhodium species to an alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone and the aldol addition of the resulting (oxa-pi-allyl)rhodium intermediate to an aldehyde.     

Sevelamer as an efficient and reusable heterogeneous catalyst for the Knoevenagel reaction in water

A catalyst system of Sevelamer, a phosphate-binding drug, has been prepared and used in the Knoevenagel reaction of aromatic aldehydes in water to produce substituted electrophilic alkenes. The products were obtained in excellent yields. Several novel, related catalytic systems showed promising catalytic properties for aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes. The Sevelamer catalyst can be recovered using simple filtration and reused numerous times（up to 15 times） in the aqueous Knoevenagel reaction without any significant lowering of activity.     

Improved Erlenmeyer Synthesis with 5‐Thiazolone and Catalytic Mn(II) Acetate. Crystal Structure Confirmation of the Reaction Stereochemistry

2‐Phenylthiazolin‐5‐one ( 5 , a thioazlactone) condenses with various aldehydes in the presence of the mild base Mn(II) acetate as catalyst in CH₂Cl₂ solution. This leads to the corresponding Erlenmeyer reaction products ( 6 ) in excellent yields in the case of aromatic aldehydes and moderate yields in others. The mildness of the reaction conditions is apparently enabled by the aromaticity of the (putative) intermediate thiazolone anion. The structure and stereochemistry (Z) of the product derived from i‐BuCHO was confirmed by single crystal X‐ray diffraction. This study overcomes key limitations of the classical Erlenmeyer synthesis and also introduces the relatively nontoxic Mn(II) acetate as a reagent in heterocyclic chemistry.     

An efficient Bi/NH4I-mediated addition reaction for the highly diastereoselective synthesis of homoallylic alcohols in aqueous media

An efficient water-based bismuth-mediated addition reaction of carbonyl compound with cyclic allylic halide was developed.The reactions proceeded smoothly in aqueous DMF in the presence of ammonium iodide to afford the corresponding syn-homoallylic alcohols in moderate to good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities(>99:1 syn:anti).Reversal of product diastereoselectivity was observed when heteroaryl aldehyde possessing an adjacent chelating nitrogen atom was employed as substrate.     

Tandem three-component reactions of aldehyde, alkyl acrylate, and dialkylmalonate catalyzed by ethyl diphenylphosphine

A new highly efficient three-component reaction of alkyl acrylate, aldehyde and dialkyl malonate using ethyl diphenylphosphine as organocatalyst has been described. Various highly functional compounds bearing hydroxyl groups and the ester functions can be easily prepared in moderate to good yields according to our one-step procedure. The reactions are believed to proceed via Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions of alkyl acrylate and aldehydes, followed by the Michael addition reactions of dialkyl malonates. Our reactions indicated that the intermediate species formed in the phosphine-catalyzed MBH reaction are an effective organic base to catalyze the Michael addition reactions of dialkyl malonates to the preformed MBH adducts.     

NaBF4催化合成二吲哚甲烷类化合物

在乙醇水溶液中,以Na BF4为催化剂,通过吲哚与芳香醛间的串联反应合成了二吲哚甲烷衍生物。考察了催化剂种类、反应介质、温度、反应时间等因素对反应的影响,在优化条件下以较高产率得到了一系列目标产物。