Conversion of tertiary alcohols to tert-alkyl azides by way of quinone-mediated oxidation-reduction condensation using alkyl diphenylphosphinites

A novel method for the preparation of alkyl azides from alcohols by way of oxidation-reduction condensation is described. In this reaction, the sterically-hindered tert-alkyl phosphinites that are prepared from the corresponding alcohols are converted into tert-alkyl azides with almost complete inversion of their stereochemistry: the obtained alkyl azides are then successfully reduced to afford the corresponding amines on treatment with LiAlH₄, thus, a versatile method for the preparation of chiral amines from the corresponding chiral alcohols is established.     

One-Pot Synthesis of Enantioenriched β-Amino Secondary Amides via an Enantioselective [4+2] Cycloaddition Reaction of Vinyl Azides with N-Acyl Imines Catalyzed by a Chiral Brønsted Acid

A catalytic enantioselective synthesis of β-amino secondary amides was achieved using vinyl azides as the enamine-type nucleophile and chiral N-Tf phosphoramide as the chiral Brønsted acid catalyst through a five-step sequential transformation in one pot. The established sequential transformation involves an enantioselective [4+2] cycloaddition reaction of vinyl azides with N-acyl imines as the key stereo-determining step that is efficiently accelerated by a chiral N-Tf phosphoramide catalyst in a highly enantioselective manner in most cases. Further generation of the iminodiazonium ion intermediate through ring opening of the cycloaddition product and subsequent skeletal rearrangement involving Schmidt-type 1,2-aryl group migration followed by recyclization of the resulting nitrilium ion were also initiated by the same acid catalyst. Final acid hydrolysis of the recyclized products in the same pot gave rise to enantioenriched β-amino amides through C−C bond formation at the α-position of the secondary amides.     

N-benzoylimido complexes of palladium. Synthesis, structural characterisation and structure-reactivity relationship

Benzoyl azides, ArC(O)N3, 2, (Ar = phenyl or substituted phenyl), react with [Pd2Cl2(dppm)2], 1, [dppm = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane] with the formation of novel [Pd2Cl2(mu-NC(O)Ar)(dppm)2], 3, benzoylnitrene complexes that were structurally characterised by multinuclear magnetic resonance and IR spectroscopy and, in several instances, by single crystal X-ray diffraction. As shown by crystallographic studies, the C2P4Pd2 rings adopt extended twist-boat conformations with methylene groups bending towards the bridging benzoylimido moieties. X-ray diffraction studies have revealed the chiral nature of the imido complexes, the chiral element being the propeller-like C2P4Pd2 ring. Structural data accumulated on complexes 3 such as short C-N distances (1.32 A), elongated C=O bonds (1.30 A) as well as the outstandingly high barrier to internal rotation around the N-C(O) linkage (88.3 kJ mol(-1)) are in line with extensive ppi-ppi interaction between the bridging nitrogen and the carbonyl carbon atoms. Theoretical calculations indicate an electron shift from the dimer towards the apical nitrogen atom, which, in turn, facilitates the donation of electrons towards the carbonyl moiety. To elucidate the structure-reactivity relationship of benzoyl azides towards 1, crystallographic and solution IR spectroscopic studies were carried out on a series of para-substituted benzoyl azides. The reaction obeys the Hammett equation. The large positive value of the reaction constant indicates that the azides act as electrophiles in the reaction studied. The enhanced reactivity of 2-nitrobenzoyl azide has been attributed to a decreased conjugation of the phenyl and carbonyl moieties in this reagent.     

Oxidation of azides by the HOF.CH3CN: a novel synthesis of nitro compounds

The HOF.CH3CN complex, readily prepared by passing F2 through aqueous acetonitrile, is an exceptionally efficient oxygen transfer agent. It is unique in its capacity to oxidize various azides into the corresponding nitro derivatives. This method requires short reactions times and room temperature or below, and the desired nitro compounds were usually isolated in very good yields. The respective nitroso derivatives are believed to be the intermediates in this reaction. Functional groups such as aromatic rings, ketones, nitriles, halides, alcohols, and esters are tolerated. Sulfides react with HOF.CH3CN usually at the same rate as azides. Amines and olefins, however, react faster, so they have to be protected first. Nitro derivatives with various oxygen isotopes can be made using the labeled H18OF.CH3CN. In the case of chiral azides the stereochemistry around the nitrogen-bonded carbons is retained.     

Fragmentation of carbohydrate anomeric alkoxyl radicals. A new synthesis of chiral beta-iodo azides, vinyl azides, and 2H-azirines

[reaction: see text] The reaction of 3-azido-2,3-dideoxy-hexopyranose compounds from the d-gluco, d-galacto, d-lacto, and l-arabino carbohydrate series, with (diacetoxyiodo)benzene and iodine, generated 2-azido-1,2-dideoxy-1-iodo-alditols with one carbon less than the starting carbohydrate. These beta-iodo azides could be transformed by dehydroiodination into vinyl azides, which in turn afforded 3-monosubstituted 2H-azirines under thermal conditions. These beta-iodo azides and 2H-azirines may be interesting chiral synthons for the preparation of more complex heterocyclic systems.     

Sterically biased 3,3-sigmatropic rearrangement of chiral allylic azides: application to the total syntheses of alkaloids

We describe a tandem Mitsunobu/3,3-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic azides on a chiral auxiliary system that favors one regioisomer thanks to its exceptional steric bias. The sequence may be completed by the oxidative cleavage of the auxiliary or by a ring-closing metathesis reaction that produces a carbo- or heterocycle directly and a recyclable form of the chiral auxiliary. Applications of the methodology to the total synthesis of (+)-coniine, (+)-lentiginosin, and (+)-pumiliotoxin C are reported.     

Kinetic resolution by copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition

The use of chiral pybox ligands imparts enantioselectivity to the Cu^I-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction, in the form of kinetic resolution of α-chiral azides and desymmetrization of gem-diazides. While levels of selectivity are modest, the results show unequivocally that the process benefits from ligand-accelerated catalysis.     

Synthesis of highly functionalized chiral nitriles by radical fragmentation of beta-hydroxy azides. Convenient transformation of aldononitriles into 1,4- and 1,5-iminoalditols

The synthesis of highly functionalized nitriles by an alkoxyl radical fragmentation of cyclic beta-hydroxy azides is described. The alkoxyl radicals were generated by reaction of the alcohols with (diacetoxyiodo)benzene and iodine under mild conditions compatible with the presence of sensitive substituents and the protective groups most frequently used in carbohydrate chemistry. To explore the scope and limitations of this methodology, experiments were carried out using a variety of beta-hydroxy azides of the carbohydrate (1-6, 33, and 41), monoterpenoid (21 and 22), and steroid (23-25) families of natural products. Of special interest are the aldopentonitriles (15-18, 34, and 42) and aldotetrononitriles (19 and 20) synthesized from the corresponding 2-azido-2-deoxycarbohydrates. To demonstrate the versatility of these aldononitriles as chiral synthons, 1,4-imino-1-deoxysugar (37) and 1,5-imino-1-deoxysugar (43) analogues of the polyhydroxypyrrolidine and -piperidine types were prepared.     

Sterically biased 3,3-sigmatropic rearrangement of azides: efficient preparation of nonracemic alpha-amino acids and heterocycles

[reaction: see text] Homochiral alpha-amino acids, heterocycles, and carbocycles are efficiently constructed via a short sequence of reactions starting from the chiral auxiliary p-menthane-3-carboxaldehyde. The key feature of the sequence is a highly selective tandem Mitsunobu/3,3-sigmatropic rearrangement of hydrazoic acid that procures enantiomerically enriched allylic azides. The sequence is either terminated by oxidative cleavage to provide amino acids or by ring-closing metathesis to provide heterocycles or carbocycles bearing nitrogen.     

Reactions of Alicyclic Epoxy Compounds with Nitrogen-Containing Nucleophiles

The review considers reactions of alicyclic epoxy compounds and their analogs with nitrogen-containing nucleophilic reagents, such as amines, azides, hydrazines, etc., biological aspects of these reactions, and properties of amino alcohols which are practically important organic products and synthons. Reaction mechanisms, including radical and radical ion reaction paths, the results of quantum-chemical studies, stereo- and regioselectivity aspects, and activation of epoxy substrates with achiral and chiral catalysts are discussed. The formation of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic systems via opening of the oxirane ring is described.     

Metal-free sequential [3 + 2]-dipolar cycloadditions using cyclooctynes and 1,3-dipoles of different reactivity

Although metal-free cycloadditions of cyclooctynes and azides to give stable 1,2,3-triazoles have found wide utility in chemical biology and material sciences, there is an urgent need for faster and more versatile bioorthogonal reactions. We have found that nitrile oxides and diazocarbonyl derivatives undergo facile 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions with cyclooctynes. Cycloadditions with diazocarbonyl derivatives exhibited similar kinetics as compared to azides, whereas the reaction rates of cycloadditions with nitrile oxides were much faster. Nitrile oxides could conveniently be prepared by direct oxidation of the corresponding oximes with BAIB, and these conditions made it possible to perform oxime formation, oxidation, and cycloaddition as a one-pot procedure. The methodology was employed to functionalize the anomeric center of carbohydrates with various tags. Furthermore, oximes and azides provide an orthogonal pair of functional groups for sequential metal-free click reactions, and this feature makes it possible to multifunctionalize biomolecules and materials by a simple synthetic procedure that does not require toxic metal catalysts.     

Chemoselectivity of Tertiary Azides in Strain-Promoted Alkyne-Azide Cycloadditions

The strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) is the most commonly employed bioorthogonal reaction with applications in a broad range of fields. Over the years, several different cyclooctyne derivatives have been developed and investigated in regard to their reactivity in SPAAC reactions with azides. However, only a few studies examined the influence of structurally diverse azides on reaction kinetics. Herein, we report our investigations of the reactivity of primary, secondary, and tertiary azides with the cyclooctynes BCN and ADIBO applying experimental and computational methods. All azides show similar reaction rates with the sterically non-demanding cyclooctyne BCN. However, due to the increased steric demand of the dibenzocyclooctyne ADIBO, the reactivity of tertiary azides drops by several orders of magnitude in comparison to primary and secondary azides. We show that this chemoselective behavior of tertiary azides can be exploited to achieve semiorthogonal dual-labeling without the need for any catalyst using SPAAC exclusively.     

Hydrazines and azides via the metal-catalyzed hydrohydrazination and hydroazidation of olefins

The discovery, study, and implementation of the Co- and Mn-catalyzed hydrohydrazination and hydroazidation reactions of olefins are reported. These reactions are equivalent to direct hydroaminations of C-C double bonds with protected hydrazines or hydrazoic acid but are based on a different concept in which the H and the N atoms come from two different reagents, a silane and an oxidizing nitrogen source (azodicarboxylate or sulfonyl azide). The hydrohydrazination reaction using di-tert-butyl azodicarboxylate is characterized by its ease of use, large functional group tolerance, and broad scope, including mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted olefins. Key to the development of the hydroazidation reaction was the use of sulfonyl azides as nitrogen sources and the activating effect of tert-butyl hydroperoxide. The reaction was found to be efficient for the functionalization of mono-, di-, and trisubstituted olefins, and only a few functional groups are not tolerated. The alkyl azides obtained are versatile intermediates and can be transformed to the free amines or triazoles without isolation of the azides. Preliminary mechanistic investigations suggest a rate-limiting hydrocobaltation of the alkene, followed by an amination reaction. Radical intermediates cannot be ruled out and may be involved.     

Highly efficient synthesis of α-amino amidines from ynamides by the Cu-catalyzed three-component coupling reactions

Using ynamides as one of the reacting components, the Cu-catalyzed three-component reaction of sulfonyl or phosphoryl azides and amines affords α-amino amidines in high yields under mild conditions. Synthetic utility of the produced compounds was demonstrated in the diastereoselective alkylation of α-amino amidines bearing a chiral oxazolidinone moiety. It was also shown that α-amino imidates could be readily prepared by employing alcohols instead of amines.     

Efficient amidation from carboxylic acids and azides via selenocarboxylates: application to the coupling of amino acids and peptides with azides

A facile one-pot procedure for the coupling of carboxylic acid and azide via selenocarboxylate and selenatriazoline has been developed and successfully applied to the coupling of amino acids and peptides with azides. Selenocarboxylates are readily prepared by the reaction of the activated carboxylic acids with LiAlHSeH under mild conditions. The selenocarboxylates formed in situ are used to react directly with azides to form the corresponding amides via a selenatriazoline intermediate. Excellent yields were obtained for electron-deficient azides, and moderate to good yields were obtained for electron-rich azides. The selenocarboxylate/azide amidation reaction is clean and chemoselective. It provides an attractive alternative method to the conventional acylation of amines when an amide bond needs to be formed without going through an amine intermediate.     

Lewis acid-mediated reactions of alkyl azides with alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones

[reaction: see text] Alkyl azides react with saturated ketones upon treatment with Lewis acids to afford ring-expansion products through the azido-Schmidt reaction, but this reaction does not proceed when alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones are used. In this study, alkyl azides were reacted with enones in the presence of Lewis acids to give enaminones (vinylogous amides), which formally involve a ring contraction reaction. The mechanism and scope of this reaction is discussed.     

Selective formation of 1,5-substituted sulfonyl triazoles using acetylides and sulfonyl azides

The reaction of acetylides with sulfonyl azides was found to selectively form 1,5-substituted sulfonyl triazoles. This reaction thus provides access to the regioisomeric product as compared to the popular copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The reaction is efficient and selective with a variety of alkyne sources and sulfonyl azides and can incorporate an additional electrophile to yield 1,4,5-trisubstituted sulfonyl triazoles.     

Click chemistry inspired synthesis of ferrocene amino acids and other derivatives

This work reports the synthesis of a wide range of ferrocenyl-amino acids and other derivatives in excellent yield. Diverse amino acid containing azides were synthesized and ligated to ferrocene employing click reaction to access ferrocenyl amino acids. Chiral alcohols, esters, diols, amines containing azido group were tagged to ferrocene via click reaction to generate ferrocene derived chiral derivatives. A novel strategy for direct incorporation of ferrocene into a peptide and a new route to 1, 1′disubstituted ferrocene amino acid derivative are reported.     

Synthesis of 1,2,3-triazolylpyranosides through click chemistry reaction

We have developed an efficient method for the synthesis of functionalized C-glycosyl 1,2,3-triazoles through a Cu(I)-promoted azide–alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between a TMS-protected C-alkynyl-glycoside and organic azides. The reaction was accelerated by ultrasound irradiation and the addition of a base was not necessary to obtain the 1,2,3-triazole product. Moreover, further manipulation of the products led to chiral molecules with a C-glycoside linkage.     

Sulfonyl-PYBOX Ligands Enable Kinetic Resolution of α-Tertiary Azides by CuAAC

We report the first highly selective kinetic resolution of racemic α-chiral azides via Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). Newly developed pyridine-bisoxazoline (PYBOX) ligands, bearing a C4 sulfonyl group, enable effective kinetic resolution of racemic azides derived from privileged scaffolds such as indanone, cyclopentenone, and oxindole, and their asymmetric CuAAC to afford α-tertiary 1,2,3-triazoles with high to excellent ee values. DFT calculations and control experiments reveal that the C4 sulfonyl group decreases the Lewis basicity of the ligand and increases the electrophilicity of the copper center for better recognition of azides, and functions as a shielding group to make the chiral pocket of the catalyst more effective.