The Asymmetric Aza‐Claisen Rearrangement: Development of Widely Applicable Pentaphenylferrocenyl Palladacycle Catalysts

Systematic studies have been performed to develop highly efficient catalysts for the asymmetric aza‐Claisen rearrangement of trihaloacetimidates. Herein, we describe the stepwise development of these catalyst systems involving four different catalyst generations finally resulting in the development of a planar chiral pentaphenylferrocenyl oxazoline palladacycle. This complex is more reactive and has a broader substrate tolerance than all previously known catalyst systems for asymmetric aza‐Claisen rearrangements. Our investigations also reveal that subtle changes can have a big impact on the activity. With the enhanced catalyst activity, the asymmetric aza‐Claisen rearrangement has a very broad scope: the methodology not only allows the formation of highly enantioenriched primary allylic amines, but also secondary and tertiary amines; allylic amines with N‐substituted quaternary stereocenters are conveniently accessible as well. The reaction conditions tolerate many important functional groups, thus providing stereoselective access to valuable functionalized building blocks, for example, for the synthesis of unnatural amino acids. Our results suggest that face‐selective olefin coordination is the enantioselectivity‐determining step, which is almost exclusively controlled by the element of planar chirality.     

Asymmetric synthesis of homoallylic amines bearing adjacent stereogenic centers by addition of substituted allylic zinc reagents to N-tert-butanesulfinylimines

A highly diastereoselective addition of substituted racemic allylic zinc reagents to chiral N- tert-butanesulfinylimines resulting in the formation of homoallylic amines is reported. This method is quite general and also efficient for the preparation of enantiomerically pure homoallylic amines bearing quaternary centers and also adjacent quaternary centers.     

Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions using P-chirogenic diaminophosphine oxides: DIAPHOXs

This paper describes the development of a new class of chiral phosphorus ligand: aspartic acid-derived P-chirogenic diaminophosphine oxides, DIAPHOXs, and their application to several Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions. Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation was initially examined in detail using diaminophosphine oxides 1a, resulting in the highly enantioselective construction of quaternary stereocenters. Mechanistic investigations revealed that 1a is activated by N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide-induced tautomerization to afford a trivalent diamidophosphite species 12, which functions as the actual ligand. Furthermore, asymmetric allylic amination was examined using Pd-DIAPHOX catalyst systems, providing a variety of chiral allylic amines.     

Concise syntheses of nonracemic gamma-fluoroalkylated allylic alcohols and amines via an enantiospecific palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reaction

Alpha-fluoroalkylated allyl mesylates reacted with various carboxylates and amines in the presence of tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) catalyst to give the corresponding gamma-fluoroalkylated (E)-allylic alcohol derivatives and amines, respectively, in excellent yields. In almost all cases, no other regio- and stereoisomers were produced. Application of this palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reaction to various nonracemic mesylates afforded chiral gamma-fluoroalkylated allylic alcohol derivatives and amines without any loss of enantiomeric excess through the reaction.     

Enantioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic amination of ammonia and convenient ammonia surrogates

Iridium-catalyzed, asymmetric allylation of ammonia as a nucleophile occurs with stereoselectivity to form a symmetric diallylamine, and related allylation of the inexpensive ammonia equivalent potassium trifluoroacetamide or the highly reactive ammonia equivalent lithium di-tert-butyliminodicarboxylate forms a range of conveniently protected, primary, alpha-branched allylic amines in high yields, high branched-to-linear regioselectivities, and high enantiomeric excess. The reactions of ammonia equivalents were conducted with a catalyst generated from a phosphoramidite containing a single stereochemical element.     

Identification of an activated catalyst in the iridium-catalyzed allylic amination and etherification. Increased rates, scope, and selectivity

Studies were conducted to determine possible intermediates in the highly enantioselective, iridium-catalyzed amination and etherification of allylic carbonates, and these studies revealed that cyclometalation of the phosphoramidite ligand is likely to generate the active catalyst. The square-planar [Ir(COD)(L1)Cl] (L1 = P(BINOL)(bisphenethylamine)) did not react with cinnamyl carbonate, but did react with amine to generate an Ir(I) trigonal bipyramidal complex coordinated by COD, a cyclometalated kappa2-phosphoramidite, and a kappa1-phosphoramidite. This complex reacted with phosphines to generate products from replacement of the kappa1-phosphoramidite. These cyclometalated complexes were highly active catalysts for allylic amination and etherification and retained the high selectivity of the original catalyst system. In addition, these complexes combined with [Ir(cod)Cl]2 catalyzed reactions of amines with lower loadings, catalyzed reactions of alkylamines and aromatic amines that did not react with the original catalyst system, and catalyzed reactions of phenoxides under milder conditions.     

Direct substitution of primary allylic amines with sulfinate salts

The NH(2) group in primary allylic amines was substituted directly by sulfinate salts with excellent regio- and stereoselectivities. In the presence of 0.1 mol % [Pd(allyl)Cl](2), 0.4 mol % 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (dppb), and excess boric acid, a range of α-unbranched primary allylic amines were smoothly substituted with sodium sulfinates in an α-selective fashion to give structurally diverse allylic sulfones in good to excellent yields with exclusive E selectivity. Replacing dppb with 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) allowed unsymmetric α-chiral primary allylic amines to be transformed into the corresponding allylic sulfones in good to excellent yields with excellent retention of ee. Importantly, the reaction complements known asymmetric methods in substrate scope via its unique ability to provide α-chiral allylic sulfones with high optical purity starting from unsymmetric allylic electrophiles.     

Direct, enantioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic amination of racemic allylic alcohols

The direct route: Iridium-catalyzed direct conversion of branched allylic alcohols into enantioenriched branched primary allylic amines is highly regio- and enantioselective (see scheme; coe=cyclooctene).     

Ruthenium-catalyzed linear selective allylic aminations of monosubstituted allyl acetates

The ruthenium-catalyzed highly linear selective allylic amination of monosubstituted allylic acetates with secondary amines was developed. The regioselectivity was controlled by the Ru₃(CO)₁₂/2-DPPBA catalyst, and a linear-type aminated product was obtained as a single regioisomer.     

Stannylated allyl carbonates as versatile building blocks for the diversity oriented synthesis of allylic amines and amides

Stannylated allylic carbonates are suitable substrates for Pd-catalyzed allylic aminations. In DMF and with [allylPdCl](2) as catalyst the stannylated allyl amines formed can be directly coupled with electrophiles according to the Stille protocol, giving rise to highly functionalized building blocks in excellent yields.     

Catalytic asymmetric rearrangement of allylic N-aryl trifluoroacetimidates. A useful method for transforming prochiral allylic alcohols to chiral allylic amines

[reaction: see text] A useful method for the conversion of prochiral allylic alcohols to chiral allylic amines of high enantiopurity is reported. N-(4-Methoxyphenyl)trifluoroacetimidates are excellent substrates for the palladium(II)-catalyzed allylic imidate rearrangement as the allylic trifluoroacetamide products can be deprotected in two steps to provide chiral nonracemic allylic amines. Di-mu-chlorobis[(eta(5)-(S)-(pR)-2-(2'-(4'-isopropyl))oxazolinylcyclopentadienyl,1-C,3'-N))(eta(4)-tetraphenylcyclobutadiene)cobalt]dipalladium (6a, COP-Cl) is a superior catalyst because it does not require activation with silver salts and provides rearranged allylic trifluoroacetamides in good yields and high enantiomeric purities.     

Iridium complex-catalyzed allylic amination of allylic esters

Iridium complex-catalyzed allylic amination of allylic carbonates was studied. The solvent strongly affected the catalytic activity. The use of a polar solvent such as EtOH is essential for obtaining the products in high yield. The reaction of (E)-3-substituted-2-propenyl carbonate and 1-substituted-2-propenyl carbonate with pyrrolidine in the presence of a catalytic amount of [Ir(COD)Cl](2) and P(OPh)(3) (P/Ir = 2) gave a branch amine with up to 99% selectivity. Both secondary and primary amines could be used for this reaction. When a primary amine was used, selective monoallylation occurred. No diallylation product was obtained. The reaction of 1,1-disubstituted-2-propenyl acetate with amines exclusively gave an alpha,alpha-disubstituted allylic amine. This reaction provides an alternative route to the addition of an organometallic reagent to ketimines for the preparation of such amines. The reaction of (Z)-3-substituted-2-propenyl carbonate with amines gave (Z)-linear amines with up to 100% selectivity. In all cases, no (E)-linear amine was obtained. The selectivities described here have not been achieved in similar palladium complex-catalyzed reactions.     

Allylic Imidate Rearrangements Catalyzed by Planar Chiral Palladacycles

The discovery that palladacycles are efficient catalysts for the allylic imidate rearrangement has resulted in the successful application of several such complexes to this reaction based on planar chiral iron and cobalt containing metallocenes. These palladacycles enable the efficient and highly enantioselective synthesis of a wide variety of protected allylic amines, which are valuable building blocks for use in asymmetric synthesis.     

Pd.Et3B-catalyzed alkylation of amines with allylic alcohols

A combination of catalytic amounts of Pd (0.05 mmol) and Et3B (0.3 mmol) promotes allylic alkylation of primary and secondary aromatic and aliphatic amines (1.0 mmol) by the direct use of allylic alcohols, providing tertiary amines in excellent yields under mild conditions (room temperature approximately 50 degrees C).     

Ruthenium-catalyzed enyne cycloisomerizations. Effect of allylic silyl ether on regioselectivity

The ruthenium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,6- and 1,7-enynes substituted in the terminal allylic position with a tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether group emerges as an effective reaction to form unprecedented five- or six-membered rings possessing a geometrically defined enol silane. Straightforward synthetic access to a variety of achiral 1,6- and 1,7-enynes, as well as chiral ones, is presented. Ruthenium catalysts effect efficiently such single-step cycloisomerization at room temperature in acetone under neutral conditions. The cycloisomerization functions with (E) or (Z) 1,2-disubstituted alkenes. Parameters influencing the enol silane geometry are discussed. The level of selectivity depends on the alkyne substitution, the geometry of the double bond, and the nature of the catalyst. Furthermore, examples of stereoinduction are shown and lead to highly substituted carbo- and heterocycles with excellent diastereocontrol.     

Asymmetric Enzymatic Synthesis of Allylic Amines: A Sigmatropic Rearrangement Strategy

Sigmatropic rearrangements, while rare in biology, offer opportunities for the efficient and selective synthesis of complex chemical motifs. A “P411” serine‐ligated variant of cytochrome P450_BM3 has been engineered to initiate a sulfimidation/[2,3]‐sigmatropic rearrangement sequence in whole E. coli cells, a non‐natural function for any enzyme, providing access to enantioenriched, protected allylic amines. Five mutations in the enzyme substantially enhance its activity toward this new function, demonstrating the evolvability of the catalyst toward challenging nitrene transfer reactions. The evolved catalyst additionally performs the highly enantioselective imidation of non‐allylic sulfides.     

Second generation catalytic asymmetric synthesis of Tamiflu: allylic substitution route

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of Tamiflu, an important antiinfluenza drug, was achieved. After the catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-aziridine 3 with TMSN3, using a Y catalyst (1 mol %) derived from ligand 2, an allylic oxygen function and C1 unit on the C=C double bond were introduced through cyanophosphorylation of enone and allylic substitution with an oxygen nucleophile. This second generation route of Tamiflu is more practical than our previously reported route. [reaction: see text].     

Direct use of allylic alcohols for platinum-catalyzed monoallylation of amines

A new direct catalytic amination of allylic alcohols promoted by the combination of platinum and a large bite-angle ligand DPEphos was developed in which the allylic alcohol was effectively converted to a pi-allylplatinum intermediate without the use of an activating reagent. The use of the DPEphos ligand was essential for obtaining high catalyst activity and high monoallylation selectivity of primary amines, allowing the formation of a variety of monoallylation products in good to excellent yield.     

Direct Regiospecific and Highly Enantioselective Intermolecular α‐Allylic Alkylation of Aldehydes by a Combination of Transition‐Metal and Chiral Amine Catalysts

The first direct intermolecular regiospecific and highly enantioselective α‐allylic alkylation of linear aldehydes by a combination of achiral bench‐stable Pd⁰ complexes and simple chiral amines as co‐catalysts is disclosed. The co‐catalytic asymmetric chemoselective and regiospecific α‐allylic alkylation reaction is linked in tandem with in situ reduction to give the corresponding 2‐alkyl alcohols with high enantiomeric ratios (up to 98:2 e.r.; e.r.=enantiomeric ratio). It is also an expeditious entry to valuable 2‐alkyl substituted hemiacetals, 2‐alkyl‐butane‐1,4‐diols, and amines. The concise co‐catalytic asymmetric total syntheses of biologically active natural products (e.g., Arundic acid) are disclosed.     

Catalytic intermolecular allylic C-H alkylation

The first electrophilic Pd(II)-catalyzed allylic C H alkylation is reported, providing a novel method for formation of sp3-sp3 C C bonds directly from C H bonds. A wide range of aromatic and heteroaromatic linear (E)-alpha-nitro-arylpentenoates are obtained as single olefin isomers in excellent yields directly from terminal olefin substrates and methyl nitroacetate. The use of DMSO as a pi-acidic ligand was found to be crucial for promoting functionalization of the pi-allylPd intermediate. Products from this reaction are valuable synthetic intermediates and are readily transformed to amino esters via selective reduction and optically enriched alpha,alpha-disubstituted amino acid precursors via asymmetric conjugate addition.