Development of a general, enantioselective organocatalytic Mukaiyama-Michael reaction with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

LUMO-lowering organocatalysis has been extended to promote the conjugate addition of S-alkyl and 1-pyrrolyl silylketene acetals to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, yielding both, syn and anti Mukaiyama-Michael products with high levels of enantioselectivity. This strategy allows for the generation of chemically useful 1,5-dicarbonyl systems and again highlights the utility of organocatalysis.     

Cinchona-based primary amine-catalyzed enantioselective aza-Michael reactions of pyrroles with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

The cinchona-based primary amine-catalyzed enantioselective aza-Michael reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with 4,5-dihalo-1H-pyrrole-2-carbonitriles as the N-centered heteroaromatic nucleophile, followed by chemoselective reduction provided the corresponding chiral aza-Michael products in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (90–97% ee).     

Asymmetric organocatalytic Michael/α-alkylation reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehyde with chloroacetophenone

Asymmetric organocatalytic Michael/α-alkylation reactions of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with chloroacetophenones have been developed. The biologically useful cyclopropane motifs were synthesized with high yields and up to >99% ee, >30:1 dr through Jørgensen-Hayashi catalyst under mild conditions.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic conjugate addition of α-nitroacetate to α,β-unsaturated ketones in water

The catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition reaction of α-nitroacetate to α,β-unsaturated ketones promoted by chiral bifunctional organocatalysts is described. The treatment of α-nitroacetate to α,β-unsaturated ketones under aqueous-phase reaction conditions afforded the corresponding Michael adducts with high enantioselectivity. The conjugate addition adducts are easily converted to chiral δ-keto nitroalkanes and δ-keto esters.     

Catalytic enantioselective conjugate additions with α,β-unsaturated sulfones

We describe the development of a highly efficient catalytic asymmetric conjugate addition to α,β-unsaturated sulfones. Utilizing practical bifunctional organic catalysts and involving air- and moisture-tolerant conditions, conjugate additions of a wide range of Michael donors to α,β-unsaturated sulfones proceeded in excellent enantioselectivity/diastereoselectivity and high yield. This efficient and operationally simple new catalytic asymmetric reaction should provide a versatile approach for the asymmetric synthesis of chiral sulfones bearing all-carbon quaternary stereocenters.     

Catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition of indoles to simple α,β-unsaturated ketones

Chiral [Al(salen)Cl] complex (10 mol%) in the presence of 2,6-lutidine (10 mol%) was found to be effective in catalysing the enantioselective Friedel-Crafts-type conjugate addition of indoles (3) to (E)-arylcrotyl ketones (2), furnishing the corresponding β-indolyl ketones in excellent yield and high enantioselectivity (ee up to 89%).     

Reaction of α,β-unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones with cyclic enamines

The reactions of ,-unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones containing aromatic and heteroaromatic substituents with 1-morpholinocyclopentene, 1-morpholinocyclohexene, and 1-methyl-4-morpholino-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine were studied. The reactions proceeded stereospecifically to give the corresponding bicyclo[3.2.1]octane, bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane, and azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives.     

Reaction of unsymmetrical α,β-unsaturated ketones with thiobarbituric acid

Carbocyclization of unsymmetrical 1,5-diarylpenta-1,4-dien-3-ones with thiobarbituric acid afforded previously unknown 7,11-diaryl-3-thioxo-2,4-diazaspiro[5.5]undecane-1,5,9-triones with high regio- and stereoselectivity. The same spiro compounds were also synthesized by three-component condensation of thiobarbituric acid with the corresponding aromatic aldehydes and 4-arylbut-3-en-2-ones.     

Reaction of α,β-unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones with ethyl cyanoacetate

β-Aryl-substituted α,β-unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones react with ethyl cyanoacetate to give the corresponding Michael addition products, ethyl 3-aryl-2-cyano-6,6,6-trifluoro-5-oxohexanoates, which are formed as mixtures of two diastereoisomers. The reaction time and product yield depend on electron-donating properties of the substituent in the initial ketone. The reaction is not accompanied by intramolecular cyclization of the Michael adducts.     

Highly enantioselective and efficient organocatalytic aldol reaction of acetone and β,γ-unsaturated α-keto ester

An effective organocatalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of acetone to β,γ-unsaturated α-keto ester has been developed. In the presence of 5 mol % of 9-amino (9-deoxy)-epicinchona alkaloid and 10 mol % of 4-nitrobenzoic acid, the aldol adducts containing a chiral tertiary alcohol moiety were obtained in excellent yields and enantioselectivities.     

Mechanisms of the α,α-diphenylprolinol trimethylsilyl ether-catalyzed enantioselective aza-Michael reaction

Depending on the nature of the aza-Michael donor, the C-N bond formation in the α,α-diphenylprolinol trimethylsilyl ether-catalyzed aza-Michael reactions was found to proceed via either (i) an iminol intermediate in a stepwise reaction, or (ii) a concerted reaction. This is contrary to the commonly proposed iminium mechanism for organocatalyst-catalyzed aza-Michael reactions. The iminol intermediate is formed from the reaction between the catalyst and the amine (Michael donor). These proposed mechanisms are able to account for the experimentally observed product enantioselectivity.     

Conjugate addition to α,β-unsaturated ketones with mixed lithium triorganozincates

Lithium Triorganozincates of the type RR′₂ZnLi, where R′ = Me and R = n-Bu or sec-Bu, efficiently transfer the R group in a 1,4 fashion to α,β-unsaturated ketones.     

Organocatalytic enantioselective Michael addition reactions of fluoromalonates with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

A new organocatalytic enantioselective Michael addition of α-fluoromalonate to enals has been developed.The process is efficiently catalyzed by readily available chiral diphenylpyrolinol TES ether under mild reaction conditions to afford versatile highly enantioenriched fluorinated aldehydes.     

Chiral Brønsted acid-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective arylation of α,β-unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones

The interesting examples of chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective arylation of α,β-unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones were reported. The reaction proceeded well and the desired products were obtained in good yields (up to 99%) with moderate to good enantioselectivities (up to 88% ee). Several desired products were obtained with excellent optical purities after a single recrystallization. Subsequent reduction of enantiopure products with NaBH₄ afforded two diastereomers of chiral trifluoromethyl-substituted secondary alcohols with high enantioselectivities (98% ee).     

Water-compatible iminium activation: highly enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition of malonates to α,β-unsaturated enones

The highly enantioselective Michael addition of malonates to α,β-unsaturated ketones in water was reported to be catalyzed by a primary-secondary diamine catalyst containing a long alkyl chain. This asymmetric Michael addition process was found to be effective for a variety of α,β-unsaturated ketones.     

Copper-catalyzed enantioselective 1,4-conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to α,β- and α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated ketones

An enantioselective Cu(II)-catalyzed conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to α,β- or α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated ketones with chiral cyclohexane-based amidophosphine ligands was developed. With 2 mol% of Cu(OAc)₂·H₂O/L5, the conjugate addition of diethylzinc to α,β-unsaturated ketones was achieved in good-to-excellent yields (up to 98%) and high enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee). This catalytic system was shown to be efficient for the 1,4-conjugate addition of Et₂Zn to (2E,4E)-1,5-diphenylpenta-2,4-dien-1-one with 85% yield and 90% ee. Moreover, with 1 mol% of Cu(OTf)₂/L11, the conjugate addition of α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated ketones was accomplished with 1,4-regioselectivity, good yields (79–86%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee).