Dual catalyst control in the enantioselective intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction

The intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction has been achieved with unprecedented levels of enantioselectivity. Using a co-catalyst system involving pipecolinic acid and N-methylimidazole, cyclic MBH products have been obtained with enantiomer ratios of 92:8 (84% ee). In addition, reactions may be carried out with a "kinetic resolution quench" involving acetic anhydride and an asymmetric acylation catalyst such that ee enhancement occurs to deliver products with >98% ee with an isolated yield of 50%. [reaction: see text]     

The enantioselective intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction catalyzed by amino acid-derived phosphinothiourea

A series of chiral bifunctional phosphinothioureas derived from l-amino acids have been developed to promote the enantioselective intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction. The process afforded the cyclic hydroxyl enones with up to 84% ee and good yields under mild conditions.     

Chiral bisphosphazides as dual basic enantioselective catalysts

Chiral bisphosphazides complexed with lithium salts efficiently catalyze the direct enantioselective 1,4-addition of dialkyl malonates to acyclic enones. Spectroscopic studies on the stoichiometry of the bisphosphazide and lithium salt have indicated the formation of a 1:1 species as the active enantioselective catalyst. It is suggested that the catalyst generates a complex of the protonated phosphazide and the chiral nucleophile as the key intermediate. The phosphazide moiety appears to be a promising dual basic functionality for stereo- and chemoselective catalytic transformations.     

Chiral aminophosphines as catalysts for enantioselective double-Michael indoline syntheses

The bisphosphine-catalyzed double-Michael addition of dinucleophiles to electron-deficient acetylenes is an efficient process for the synthesis of many nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Because the resulting heterocycles contain at least one stereogenic center, this double-Michael reaction would be even more useful if an asymmetric variant of the reaction were to be developed. Aminophosphines can also facilitate the double-Michael reaction and chiral amines are more readily available in Nature and synthetically; therefore, in this study we prepared several new chiral aminophosphines. When employed in the asymmetric double-Michael reaction between ortho-tosylamidophenyl malonate and 3-butyn-2-one, the chiral aminophosphines produced indolines in excellent yields with moderate asymmetric induction.     

Chiral hydroxythiols as catalysts for enantioselective borane ketone reductions

Several chiral 1,2- and 1,3-hydroxythiols derived from (R)-camphor, (1S)-(+)-10-camphorsulfonyl chloride, cysteine and cystine derivatives were prepared and evaluated as catalysts in borane ketone reductions. Under the best experimental conditions (10 mol% catalyst, THF, 35°C), a 95% yield of (R)-1-phenylethanol of 64% ee was obtained in the borane reduction of acetophenone.     

The vinylogous intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction: synthesis of functionalized cyclopentenes and cyclohexenes with trialkylphosphines as nucleophilic catalysts

The development of the vinylogous intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction for the synthesis of functionalized cyclopentenes and cyclohexenes is described. The reaction involves the trialkyphosphine-catalyzed cyclization of 1,6- or 1,7-diactivated 1,5-hexadienes or 1,6-heptadienes, containing carboxyaldehyde, methyl ketone, or methoxycarbonyl as the olefin activating groups. A representative example of this reaction is the Me(3)P-catalyzed cyclization of 1a in tert-amyl alcohol, which provides the substituted cyclopentene 2a in 95% yield and with 97:3 regioselectivity.     

Chiral 1,2-diaminocyclohexane as organocatalyst for enantioselective aldol reaction

A simple and commercially available chiral 1,2-diaminocyclohexane as catalyst, hexanedioic acid as co-catalyst could efficiently catalyze the asymmetric aldol reaction in MeOH-H₂O. Cyclic ketones as aldol substrates gave the anti-β-hydroxyketone products with moderate to good yields, diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity (up to 78% yield, >20:1 anti/syn, 94% ee). Hydroxyacetone as aldol substrate afforded the syn-α, β-dihydroxyketones as major products in up to 85% yield with good enantioselectivity (up to >20:1 syn/anti, 93% ee).     

Chiral 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diammonium salt catalysts for the enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction with alpha-acyloxyacroleins

[reaction: see text] A diammonium salt of chiral 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine and trifluoromethanesulfonimide (Tf(2)NH) shows excellent catalytic activity and enantioselectivity for the Diels-Alder reaction of alpha-acyloxyacroleins with cyclic dienes. For example, in the presence of 5 mol % of the ammonium catalyst, the Diels-Alder reaction of alpha-(cyclohexanecarbonyloxy)acrolein with cyclopentadiene proceeded in EtCN at -75 degrees C to give the adducts in 88% yield with 92% exo and 91% ee. This catalyst can be easily prepared in situ by mixing the commercially available chiral diamine and Tf(2)NH.     

Chiral binaphthyl-derived amine-thiourea organocatalyst-promoted asymmetric Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction

[reaction: see text] A new bifunctional binaphthyl-derived amine thiourea organocatalyst has been developed to promote enantioselective Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction of cyclohexenone with a wide range of aldehydes. The process, catalyzed by the amine thiourea, affords synthetically valuable chiral allylic alcohol building blocks in high yields and high enantioselectivities.     

The enantioselective Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction and its aza counterpart

The development of asymmetric Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reactions has evolved dramatically over the past few years, parallel to the emerging concept of bifunctional organocatalysis. Whereas organocatalysis is starting to compete with metal-based catalysis in several important organic transformations, the MBH reaction belongs to a group of prototypical reactions in which organocatalysts already display superiority over their metal-based counterparts. This Minireview summarizes recent mechanistic insights and advances in the design and synthesis of small organic molecules for enantioselective MBH and aza-MBH reactions.     

Novel catalysts for the enantioselective Henry reaction

Two novel catalytic systems based on the Cu^II complexes with N-(3,5-dibromo-2-hydroxybenzyl)- and N-(2-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzyl)-(S)-α,α-diphenylprolinols were developed. These systems catalyze the condensation of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde with nitromethane to produce S-nitroaldol with maximum enantiomeric excess of >90% (99% yield). The reactions of nitromethane with aliphatic aldehydes give the corresponding products in the yields above 80% and ee > 90%.     

ortho-Acidic aromatic thiols as efficient catalysts of intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman and Rauhut-Currier reactions

ortho-Mercaptobenzoic acid and ortho-mercaptophenols were discovered as efficient thiol catalysts of both the intramolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) and Rauhut-Currier (RC) reaction. High reaction rates were achieved under mildly basic, aqueous conditions. The unprecedented catalytic activity of these protic nucleophiles could originate from a Brønsted acid induced destabilization of intermediate thioethers and thus represent a unique mechanism of multifunctional Lewis base catalysis.     

Chiral bispyridylamide metal complexes as catalysts for the enantioselective addition of TMSCN to aldehydes

The use of (1R,2R)-N,N′-bis(2-pyridinecarboxyamido)-1,2-diphenylethane metal complexes as catalysts for the enantioselective addition of trimethylsilyl cyanide to aldehydes is described. Enantioselectivities up to 70% ee were obtained with a Ti(IV) catalyst. Complexes with Zr(IV), Sc(III), Yb(III) and Cu(II) afforded less selective catalysts. For the Zr(IV) complex, a rate and selectivity enhancement was observed when adding 0.5 equiv. of water with respect to the catalyst. Studies of the metal complexes involved in the reaction were carried out by means of ¹H NMR spectroscopy. A Zr complex was shown by X-ray crystallography to exhibit distorted octahedral coordination, with the four nitrogen atoms of the doubly deprotonated ligand essentially in one plane.     

Diastero- and enantioselective intramolecular carbometalation reaction

The zinc-catalyzed addition of various alkynes to acylsilanes followed by a Zn-Brook rearrangement and either the Zn-ene-allene or Zn-yne-allene cyclization led to the enantio- and diastereoselective formation of carbocycles in a single-pot operation.     

Enantioselective Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction promoted by L-threonine-derived phosphine-thiourea catalysts

A series of bifunctional phosphine-thiourea organic catalysts based on natural amino acid scaffolds were designed and prepared. L-threonine-derived bifunctional phosphine catalysts were found to be very efficient in promoting asymmetric Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction of acrylates with aromatic aldehydes, affording the desired MBH adducts with up to 90% ee. To gain mechanistic insights into the reaction, the effects of adding various additives on the MBH reaction were investigated. We propose that the hydrogen bonding interactions between the thiourea moiety of the catalyst and the enolate intermediate are crucial for the stereochemical outcome of the reaction. The method described in this report may provide a practical solution to the enantioselective MBH reaction of simple acrylates.     

Highly enantioselective aza Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction catalyzed by bifunctional beta-isocupreidine derivatives

The aza-MBH reaction of imines 1 and beta-naphthyl acrylate 2 in the presence of C-6' modified beta-isocupreidine derivative 1c (0.1 equiv) and beta-naphthol 5 (0.1 equiv) afforded the corresponding (3S)-aza-MBH adducts 4 in high yield and excellent enantiomeric excess. These catalytic conditions allowed the aliphatic imines to be employed for the first time as electrophilic partners of the aza-MBH reaction. The coexistence of two H-bond donors with different acidic strengths was found to be crucial for the observed high enantioselectivity.     

Chiral Phebox-rhodium complexes as catalysts for asymmetric direct aldol reaction

Chiral bis(oxazolinyl)phenyl-rhodium complexes act as catalysts in the combination of AgOTf for direct aldol reaction of ketones and aromatic aldehydes to give the corresponding β-hydroxyketones in high anti-selectivity and a good to high enantioselectivity up to 91% ee.     

Novel sulfonylpolystyrene-supported prolinamides as catalysts for enantioselective aldol reaction in water

Five novel prolinamides derived from 1,n-diamines supported on commercially available sulfonylpolystyrene have been synthesized and successfully applied in diastereo- and enantioselective aldol reaction in water or, in one case, neat conditions. Excellent dr and er were obtained by reaction of different cyclohexanone derivatives with aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes in the presence of the catalysts and AcOH as co-catalyst. The supported organocatalysts work in low loading (5 mol %) exhibiting similar performances than homogeneous prolinamides, and can be reused, after activation, without loss of activity.     

不对称diels-Alder反应中的手性催化剂

本文综述了近年来不对称Diels-Alder反应中手性催化剂研究的进展,对各类手性催化剂的性能和特点作了简要介绍.     

Chiral pyrrolidine derivatives as catalysts in the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

A series of pyrrolidine derivatives with β-amino alcohol moieties prepared from (S)-proline were found to catalyze the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes to yield optically active secondary alcohols with high enantioselectivities. A mechanism accounting for the configurational change with the bulkiness of chiral ligands is proposed.