Catalysis of the Michael addition reaction by late transition metal complexes of BINOL-derived salens

Salen metal complexes incorporating two chiral BINOL moieties have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The X-ray structures show that this new class of Ni-BINOL-salen catalysts contains an unoccupied apical site for potential coordination of an electrophile and naphthoxides that are independent from the Lewis acid center. These characteristics allow independent alteration of the Lewis acidic and Br?nsted basic sites. These unique complexes have been shown to catalyze the Michael reaction of dibenzyl malonate and cyclohexenone with good selectivity (up to 90% ee) and moderate yield (up to 79% yield). These catalysts are also effective in the Michael reaction between other enones and malonates. Kinetic data show that the reaction is first order in the Ni*Cs-BINOL-salen catalyst. Further experiments probed the reactivity of the individual Lewis acid and Br?nsted base components of the catalyst and established that both moieties are essential for asymmetric catalysis. All told, the data support a bifunctional activation pathway in which the apical Ni site of the Ni*Cs-BINOL-salen activates the enone and the naphthoxide base activates the malonate.     

Development of catalytic asymmetric reactions via chiral palladium enolates

This article describes the generation of chiral palladium enolates and their application to several kinds of catalytic asymmetric reactions. Two methods to generate chiral enolates were developed using novel cationic palladium complexes 1 and 2 . In these processes, water or a hydroxo ligand on palladium metal plays an important role as a nucleophile to promote the transmetallation or as a Brønsted base to abstract an acidic α‐proton of the carbonyl group. These enolates showed sufficient reactivity with various electrophiles. Using a chiral Pd enolate as a key intermediate, highly enantioselective reactions such as catalytic aldol reactions, Mannich‐type reactions, Michael reactions, and fluorination reactions were developed. The unique structures of the palladium enolate complexes were elucidated and reaction mechanisms are proposed. © 2004 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 4: 231–242; 2004: Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ) DOI 10.1002/tcr.20017     

Enantio- and diastereoselective Michael reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to nitroolefins catalyzed by a bifunctional thiourea

We synthesized a new class of bifunctional catalysts bearing a thiourea moiety and an amino group on a chiral scaffold. Among them, thiourea 1e bearing 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzene and dimethylamino groups was revealed to be highly efficient for the asymmetric Michael reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to nitroolefins. Furthermore, we have developed a new synthetic route for (R)-(-)-baclofen and a chiral quaternary carbon center with high enantioselectivity by Michael reaction. In these reactions, we assumed that a thiourea moiety and an amino group of the catalyst activates a nitroolefin and a 1,3-dicarbonyl compound, respectively, to afford the Michael adduct with high enantio- and diastereoselectivity.     

Acid-base catalysis of chiral Pd complexes: development of novel catalytic asymmetric reactions and their application to synthesis of drug candidates

Using the unique character of the chiral Pd complexes 1 and 2, highly efficient catalytic asymmetric reactions have been developed. In contrast to conventional Pd(0)-catalyzed reactions, these complexes function as an acid-base catalyst. Thus active methine and methylene compounds were activated to form chiral palladium enolates, which underwent enantioselective carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions such as Michael reaction and Mannich-type reaction with up to 99% ee. Interestingly, these palladium enolates acted cooperatively with a strong protic acid, formed concomitantly during the formation of the enolates to activate electrophiles, thereby promoting the C-C bond-forming reaction. This palladium enolate chemistry was also applicable to electrophilic enantioselective fluorination reactions, and various carbonyl compounds including beta-ketoesters, beta-ketophosphonates, tert-butoxycarbonyl lactone/lactams, cyanoesters, and oxindole derivatives could be fluorinated in a highly enantioselective manner (up to 99% ee). Using this method, the catalytic enantioselective synthesis of BMS-204352, a promising anti-stroke agent, was achieved. In addition, the direct enantioselective conjugate addition of aromatic and aliphatic amines to alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compound was successfully demonstrated. In this reaction, combined use of the Pd complex 2 having basic character and the amine salt was the key to success, allowing controlled generation of the nucleophilic free amine. This aza-Michael reaction was successfully applied to asymmetric synthesis of the CETP inhibitor torcetrapib.     

1,8-DIAZABICYCLO[5.4.0]UNDEC-7-ENE (DBU): A POWERFUL CATALYST FOR THE MICHAEL ADDITION REACTION OF β-KETOESTERS TO ACRYLATES AND ENONES

ABSTRACT

The Michael addition reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and enones was carried out in the presence of a catalytic amount of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) in ethanol under the mild reaction condition furnished Michael adducts in excellent yield.     

Direct asymmetric Michael reactions of cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and enamines catalyzed by chiral bisoxazoline-copper(II) complexes

The catalytic direct Michael addition of cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and enamines to unsaturated 2-ketoesters is presented. A series of different 4-hydroxycoumarins, 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-pyrone, 3-hydroxy-1H-phenalene-1-one, 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, and various enamines of cyclic 1,3-diketones all add to unsaturated 4-substituted 2-ketoesters in an enantioselective manner. The reaction is catalyzed by chiral bisoxazoline-copper(II) complexes and proceeds in the absence of base to afford Michael adducts in good to high yields and with up to 98% ee. The products formed are substructures found in skeletons of important biological and pharmaceutical molecules. The scope and potential of the new reaction are discussed as well as the mechanism for the catalytic enantioselective reaction.     

A chiral acrylate equivalent for metal-free Diels-Alder reactions: endo-2-acryloylisoborneol

The principle of metal-free activation of enones toward the Diels-Alder reaction with dienes is demonstrated by exploiting the capability of Br?nsted acids to activate alpha'-hydroxyenones through hydrogen bonding. The diastereoselective application of such a principle is nicely realized by using a newly designed family of camphor-based chiral enones, which upon catalytic action of either trifluoroacetic or triflic acid lead to the corresponding cycloadducts with high chemical and stereochemical efficiency.     

Highly enantioselective direct Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to β-fluoroalkyl-α-nitroalkenes

Cinchona alkaloid catalysts were used in the Michael addition reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to β-fluoroalkyl-α-nitroalkenes for the first time. The catalytic system performed well over a broad scope of substrates including β-keto esters and 1,3-diketones with high diastereoselectivities and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) under mild conditions. A wide range of useful fluorinated chiral building blocks was synthesized.     

Tetrakis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)propane: highly effective Brønsted acid catalyst for vinylogous Mukaiyama-Michael reaction of alpha,beta-enones with silyloxyfurans

1,1,3,3-Tetrakis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)propane was found as an excellent Br?nsted acid catalyst for the Mukaiyama-Michael reaction of alpha,beta-enones with 2-silyloxyfurans; using beta,beta-disubstituted enones as a Michael acceptor, an excellent yield construction of quaternary carbon centers could be achieved; in addition, very low catalyst loading of Br?nsted acid was used in a range from 0.05 to 1.0 mol%.     

Catalytic enantioselective Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to nitroalkenes catalyzed by well-defined chiral ru amido complexes

Well-defined chiral Ru amido complexes promoted asymmetric Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds including malonates, beta-keto esters, and 1,3-diketones to nitroalkenes to give the corresponding adducts with excellent ees and in excellent yields.     

Enantioselective synthesis of enol lactones from tandem Michael addition/lactonization catalyzed by a chiral squaramide catalyst

The enantioselective tandem Michael addition reaction of dimedone and related 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with α,β-unsaturated N-acylated succinimides catalyzed by a chiral squaramide catalyst has been investigated. This reaction provides a new approach for the synthesis of chiral enol lactones in good yields with moderate to high enantioselectivities (up to 88% ee) through the enantioselective Michael addition followed by lactonization and removal of the succinimide auxiliary.     

Bifunctional transition metal-based molecular catalysts for asymmetric syntheses

The discovery and development of conceptually new chiral bifunctional transition metal-based catalysts for asymmetric reactions is described. The chiral bifunctional Ru catalyst was originally developed for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones and imines and is now successfully applicable to enantioselective C-C bond formation reaction with a wide scope and high practicability. The deprotonation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with the chiral amido Ru complexes leading to the amine Ru complexes bearing C- or O-bonded enolates, followed by further reactions with electrophlies gives C-C bond formation products. The present bifunctional Ru catalyst offers a great opportunity to open up new fundamentals for stereoselective molecular transformation including enantioselective C-H and C-C as well as C-O, C-N bond formation.     

Diethylzinc-Mediated Cross-Coupling Reactions between Dibromoketones and Monobromo Carbonyl Compounds

A novel route to synthesize 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds is described. α,α-Dibromoketones generate zinc enolates through a diethylzinc-mediated halogen-metal exchange and react with α-bromocarbonyl compounds to furnish 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds via a second generation of zinc enolates. This cross-coupling reaction is enabled by the chemoselective formation of zinc enolates from α,α-dibromoketones in the presence of α-bromocarbonyl compounds. Chiral 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds can be obtained via the enantioselective bromination of aldehydes using a chiral secondary amine catalyst and a subsequent cross-coupling reaction between the resulting chiral α-bromoaldehydes and α,α-dibromoacetophenones.     

Enantioselective reductive coupling of 1,3-enynes to heterocyclic aromatic aldehydes and ketones via rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation: mechanistic insight into the role of Brønsted acid additives

Hydrogenation of 1,3-enynes 1a-e in the presence of heterocyclic aromatic aldehydes and ketones using chirally modified cationic rhodium precatalysts results in reductive coupling to afford dienylated alpha-hydroxy heteroarenes 2-23 with exceptional levels of regio- and enantiocontrol. Coupling of enyne 1a to 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde using an achiral rhodium catalyst in the presence of a chiral Akiyama-Terada-type phosphoric acid derived from BINOL as the Br?nsted acid co-catalyst provides the coupling product 2 with substantial levels of optical enrichment (82% ee). This result suggests that substrate protonation and/or formation of a strong hydrogen bond occurs in advance of the stereogenic C-C bond forming event. Further, the high levels of asymmetric induction demonstrate that interaction of the aldehyde with the Br?nsted acid activates the system toward C-C coupling. Reductive coupling of enyne 1a and 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde under an atmosphere of elemental deuterium provides the monodeuterated product deuterio-2, consistent with a catalytic mechanism involving alkyne-carbonyl oxidative coupling followed by hydrogenolytic cleavage of the resulting oxametallacycle. The diene side chain of the coupling products is subject to diverse selective transformations, as demonstrated by the conversion of coupling products 2 and 8 to compounds 24-26 and 27-29, respectively.     

Brønsted acid-catalyzed benzylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl derivatives

The direct alkylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with benzylic alcohols is shown to be efficiently catalyzed by simple Br?nsted acids such as triflic acid (TfOH) and p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTS) to give rise to monoalkylated dicarbonyl derivatives in high yields. In the absence of the nucleophile, substituted alkenes, generated through a formal dimerization reaction, are obtained. The reactions are carried out in air using undried solvents, with water being the only side product of the process.     

Organocatalytic enantioselective Michael addition of 2,4-pentandione to nitroalkenes promoted by bifunctional thioureas with central and axial chiral elements

Two novel bifunctional amine-thiourea organocatalysts 1 and 2, which both bear central and axial chiral elements, have been developed to promote enantioselective Michael reaction between 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and nitro olefins. The catalyst 2 afforded the desired products with good levels of enantioselectivity (up to 96% ee), showing clearly that two chiral elements of 2 are matched, and enhance the stereochemical control.     

Asymmetric Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions catalyzed by chiral Brønsted acids

Chiral BINOL-derived Br?nsted acids catalyze the enantioselective asymmetric Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction of cyclohexenone with aldehydes. The asymmetric MBH reaction requires 2-20 mol % of the chiral Br?nsted acid 2e or 2f and triethylphosphine as the nucleophilic promoter. The reaction products are obtained in good yields (39-88%) and high enantioselectivities (67-96% ee). The Br?nsted-acid-catalyzed reaction is the first example of a highly enantioselective asymmetric MBH reaction of cyclohexenone with aldehydes.     

Brønsted acid catalyzed propargylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl derivatives. Synthesis of tetrasubstituted furans

Simple Br?nsted acids such as p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (PTS) efficiently catalyze a direct substitution of the hydroxyl group in propargylic alcohols with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. Selective propargylation or allenylation is obtained depending on the nature of the alkynol. Reactions can be performed in air in undried solvents with water being the only side product of the process. By applying this reaction as the key step, a range of interesting polysubstituted furans can easily be synthesized in a one-pot procedure. [reaction: see text].     

Scope and mechanism of enantioselective Michael additions of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to nitroalkenes catalyzed by nickel(II)-diamine complexes

Readily prepared Ni(II)-bis[(R,R)-N,N'-dibenzylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine]Br(2) was shown to catalyze the Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to nitroalkenes at room temperature in good yields with high enantioselectivities. The two diamine ligands in this system each play a distinct role: one serves as a chiral ligand to provide stereoinduction in the addition step while the other functions as a base for substrate enolization. Ligand modification within the catalyst was also investigated to facilitate the reaction of aliphatic nitroalkenes, 1,3-diketones, and beta-ketoacids. Ni(II)-bis[(R,R)-N,N'-di-p-bromo-benzylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine]Br(2) was found to be an effective catalyst in these instances. Furthermore, monodiamine complex, Ni(II)-[(R,R)-N,N'-dibenzylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine]Br(2), catalyzed the addition reaction in the presence of water. The proposed model for stereochemical induction is shown to be consistent with X-ray structure analysis.     

Chiral Brønsted acid catalysis for enantioselective Hosomi-Sakurai reaction of imines with allyltrimethylsilane

The chiral Br?nsted acid (1b or 1c) has been shown to initiate the Hosomi-Sakurai reaction of imines with excellent enantioselectivities. The combined Br?nsted acid system has been developed to offer a new class of chiral Br?nsted acid catalysis. The present system proceeds through regeneration of the chiral Br?nsted acid by proton transfer from additional Br?nsted acid to silylated chiral Br?nsted acid, a newly elucidated mechanism for the role of the additional Br?nsted acid.