Iridium-catalyzed selective N-allylation of hydrazines

A highly chemo- and regioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic amination is described. The reaction of various hydrazones and hydrazides with allylic carbonates proceeds at ambient temperature in the presence of an [Ir(COD)Cl]₂/pyridine catalyst, ammonium iodide, and diethylzinc to afford the corresponding N-allylation products in high yields with excellent chemo- and regioselectivities. Only the more nucleophilic nitrogen of a given hydrazine derivative undergoes the C-N bond formation to yield a branched allylic isomer as the exclusive product.     

Nickel-catalyzed enantioselective alkylative coupling of alkynes and aldehydes: synthesis of chiral allylic alcohols with tetrasubstituted olefins

A highly efficient nickel-catalyzed asymmetric alkylative coupling of alkynes, aldehydes, and dimethylzinc has been realized by using bulky spirobiindane phosphoramidite ligands, affording allylic alcohols with a tetrasubstituted olefin functionality in high yields, high regioselectivities, and excellent enantioselectivities.     

Highly regioselective Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation of fluorobis(phenylsulfonyl)methane

A highly regioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of fluorobis(phenylsulfonyl)methane has been studied. Using different allylic carbonates, a variety of terminal mono-fluoromethylated compounds were achieved in 85-99% yields with high regioselectivities.     

Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric coupling reaction of allylic ethers with arylboronic acids

An asymmetric allylic substitution of simple allylic ethers with arylboronic acids in the presence of a rhodium(I)/(R)-DTBM-SEGPHOS catalyst has been developed. The reactions proceeded smoothly at room temperature to give the corresponding branch products with excellent regioselectivities and good to excellent enantioselectivities.     

Palladium-catalyzed deracemization of allylic carbonates in water with formation of allylic alcohols: hydrogen carbonate ion as nucleophile in the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution and kinetic resolution

The palladium-catalyzed deracemization of racemic cyclic and acyclic allylic methyl carbonates in water in the presence of N,N'-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexanediylbis[2-(diphenylphophino)benzamide] proceeds with high enantioselectivities to give the corresponding allylic alcohols in high yields. This deracemization involves a palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution with the in-situ-formed hydrogen carbonate ion and an irreversible decomposition of the intermediate allylic hydrogen carbonates, with formation of the corresponding allylic alcohols. The palladium-catalyzed reaction of racemic cyclic allylic acetates with potassium hydrogen carbonate in water in the presence of the chiral bisphosphane proceeds with a highly selective kinetic resolution to give the corresponding allylic alcohols and allylic acetates.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of Allylic Sulfonic Acids: Enantio‐ and Regioselective Iridium‐Catalyzed Allylations of Na2SO3

An enantioselective allylation reaction of allylic carbonates with sodium sulfite (Na₂SO₃) catalyzed by Ir complex was accomplished, providing allylic sulfonic acids in good to excellent yields with a high level of enantio‐ and regioselectivities. (R)‐2‐Phenyl‐2‐sulfoacetic acid, a key intermediate for the synthesis of Cefsulodin and Sulbenicillin, was synthesized as well.     

Asymmetric organocatalytic allylic substitution of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates with allylamines for the synthesis of 2,5-dihydropyrroles

The asymmetric allylic substitution reaction of MBH carbonates with allylamines has been developed, which affords N-allyl-β-amino-α-methylene esters in high yields and enantioselectivities. After a subsequent ring-closure metathesis of the products, a series of optically active 2,5-dihydropyrroles could be obtained smoothly in high yields without any loss of enantioselectivity. Finally, a tentative mechanism for rationalization of the reaction has been proposed.     

Guanidine–Copper Complex Catalyzed Allylic Borylation for the Enantioconvergent Synthesis of Tertiary Cyclic Allylboronates

An enantioconvergent synthesis of chiral cyclic allylboronates from racemic allylic bromides was achieved by using a guanidine–copper catalyst. The allylboronates were obtained with high γ/α regioselectivities (up to 99:1) and enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee), and could be further transformed into diverse functionalized allylic compounds without erosion of optical purity. Experimental and DFT mechanistic studies support an S_N2′ borylation process catalyzed by a monodentate guanidine–copper(I) complex that proceeds through a special direct enantioconvergent transformation mechanism.     

Iridium-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective allylation of ketone enolates

The regio- and enantioselective alpha-allylation of unstabilized ketone enolates with unsymmetrical allylic carbonates to form the branched substitution products in the presence of metallacyclic iridium catalysts is reported. The products, branched gamma,delta-unsaturated ketones, were obtained from readily available silyl enol ethers and achiral Boc-protected allylic alcohols in high regioselectivities and enantioselectivities (91-96% ee). The combination of CsF and ZnF2 was shown to promote this reaction and suppress the formation of diallylation byproducts. In addition, iridium complexes derived from simple phosphoramidite ligands were shown to catalyze this reaction with excellent selectivities, and spectroscopic data show that a cyclometalated Ir precatalyst is formed in situ. This process provides an enantioselective access to synthetically important bifunctional compounds, which are generally accessible, but in racemic form, through Claisen rearrangements. Ten examples of the reactions of aromatic, as well as aliphatic, substrates are reported.     

Chiral phosphine-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 3-substituted benzofuran-2(3H)-ones or oxindoles with Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates

An efficient chiral phosphine-catalyzed asymmetric substitution reaction of MBH carbonates with 3-substituted benzofuran-2(3H)-ones or 3-substituted oxindoles has been described in this context, giving the corresponding allylic alkylation products bearing adjacent quaternary and tertiary stereogenic centers in high yields, moderate diastereoselectivities and high enantioselectivities under mild conditions.     

Pd-catalyzed regioselective and stereospecific Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of allylic carbonates with arylboronic acids

The Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction of unsymmetric 1,3-disubstituted secondary allylic carbonates with arylboronic acids has been developed in a wet solvent under a base-free system to afford allyl-aryl coupling products in a high level of isolated yields with complete regio- and E/Z-selectivities with good to excellent chemoselectivities. The coupling reaction of optically active allyl carbonates gave allyl-aryl coupling products with excellent enantioselectivities with inversion of the stereochemistry. This coupling method was successfully applied to the synthesis of (S)-naproxen.     

Direct asymmetric allylic alkenylation of N-itaconimides with morita-baylis-hillman carbonates

The asymmetric allylic alkenylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates with N-itaconimides as nucleophiles has been developed using a commercially available Cinchona alkaloid catalyst. A variety of multifunctional chiral α-methylene-β-maleimide esters were attained in moderate to excellent yields (up to 99%) and good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 91% ee). The origin of the regio- and stereoselectivity was verified by DFT methods. Calculated geometries and relative energies of various transition states strongly support the observed regio- and enantioselectivity.     

Chiral bicyclic guanidine-catalyzed enantioselective reactions of anthrones

Chiral bicyclic guanidine 1 was found to be an excellent catalyst for reactions between anthrones and various dienophiles. The catalyst can tolerate a range of substituents and substitution patterns, making several anthrone derivatives suitable for this reaction. Both Diels-Alder and Michael adducts were obtained in excellent yields, high regioselectivities, and high enantioselectivities. This is the first case of a highly enantioselective base-catalyzed anthrone Diels-Alder reaction.     

Catalytic asymmetric vinylation and dienylation of ketones

A solution to the long-standing problem of catalytic asymmetric vinylation of ketones is reported. Vinylzinc reagents are generated via hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes followed by transmetalation to zinc. In the presence of our catalyst, which is formed in situ from a bis(sulfonamide) diol ligand (1) and titanium tetraisopropoxide, the vinylzinc reagent undergoes 1,2-addition to a variety of ketones and enones with enantioselectivities (typically >90%) and high yields. This method is tolerant of functional groups, including alkyl, aryl and vinyl halides, esters, silyl protected alcohols, sulfides, and alkenes. Thus, enantioenriched tertiary allylic alcohols bearing a variety of functional groups can be prepared. It has also been found that 2,2-disubstituted vinylzinc reagents, substitution patterns not accessible through hydrozirconation, can be added to ketones with high enantioselectivities to generate trisubstituted allylic alcohols. Furthermore, we have developed an asymmetric addition of dienyl groups to ketones in the presence of our catalyst. This method enables the synthesis of dienols in high yields with enantioselectivities as high as 94%.     

Organocatalyzed regio- and enantioselective allylic trifluoromethylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts using Ruppert-Prakash reagent

The organocatalyzed regioselective allylic trifluoromethylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts using Ruppert-Prakash reagent was achieved in high to excellent yields via a successive S(N)2'/S(N)2' mode for the first time. The reaction was extended to the asymmetric allylic trifluoromethylation by the use of a bis-cinchona alkaloid catalyst with high enantioselectivities up to 94% ee.     

Palladium-catalyzed preparation of α-allyl esters and α,β-unsaturated esters from saturated esters via their silyl acetals

Reaction of ketene silyl acetals with allylic carbonates in the presence of palladium-phosphine catalyst in dioxane gives α-allyl esters in high yields. When the reaction is carried out with phosphine-free palladium catalyst in nitriles, α,β-unsaturated esters are obtained in good yields.     

Rh-catalyzed highly enantioselective formation of functionalized cyclopentanes and cyclopentanones

A catalyst system, [Rh(COD)Cl](2)-BINAP-AgSbF(6), has been developed as a second-generation catalyst for the cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes tethered by carbon chains. Cyclopentanes and cyclopentanones, which can contain functional groups, such as the 1,4-dienes, vinyl ether, aldehyde etc., were obtained from readily available starting materials in high yields and selectivities. Both regioselectivities and enantioselectivities are excellent: only 1,4-dienes were observed and in over 99% ee.     

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.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic asymmetric allylic alkylation. Bis(phenylsulfonyl)methane addition to MBH carbonates

The highly enantioselective asymmetric allylic alkylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates with bis(phenylsulfonyl)methane is presented. The reaction is simply catalyzed by cinchona alkaloid derivatives affording the final alkylated products in good yields and enantioselectivities.     

Highly enantioselective allylic alkylation of 5H-oxazol-4-ones with Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates

An organocatalytic enantioselective allylic alkylation of 5H-oxazol-4-ones with Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates has been developed. With 10?mol% of commercially available cinchonidine, a wide range of substituted 5H-oxazol-4-one derivatives were constructed in good-to-excellent yields with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The allylic alkylation adducts obtained are valuable precursors for the synthesis of chiral α-alkyl α-hydroxycarboxylic acid derivatives, which represent a series of versatile building blocks in many biologically active compounds.