Synthesis of (−)-(5R,6S)-6-acetoxyhexadecan-5-olide by l-proline-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions

The natural mosquito attractant pheromone, (−)-(5R,6S)-6-acetoxyhexadecan-5-olide 1, was synthesized from readily available aldehyde 3 and cyclopentanone 4 using l-proline catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions as the key step.     

Synthesis of enantiomerically pure (3R,4R,5R)-4-hydroxy isoleucine lactone

A short four-step synthesis of (3R,4R,5R)-4-hydroxyisoleucine lactone with total control of stereochemistry is reported, the key intermediate being the didehydroamino acid derivative arising from an aldol dehydration reaction between a glycine anion equivalent and butan-2,3-dione.     

First stereoselective synthesis of (4aS,5R)-4,4a,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-4a,5-dimethyl-2(3H)-naphthalenone

The synthesis of enantiomerically pure (4aS,5R)-hexahydro-4a,5-dimethyl-2(3H)-naphthalenone (−)-1 is described for the first time. The synthesis starts from (R)-3-methylcyclohexanone and involves the preparation of Piers enol lactone 6 in its enantiopure form as the key intermediate. Treatment of (+)-6 with methyl lithium followed by an intramolecular aldol reaction gives the bicyclic enone (−)-1.     

Synthesis of (−)-(5R,6S)-6-acetoxyhexadecanolide based on l-proline-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions

A convenient method for proline-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions using synthons of straight-chain aliphatic aldehydes, and aldehydes bearing a 1,3-dithiane moiety at the β-position, has been developed. This method was successfully applied to the synthesis of (−)-(5R,6S)-6-acetoxyhexadecanolide, an oviposition attractant pheromone of the female Culex mosquito.     

Tetrahydrobenzo[5]helicenediol derivatives as additives for efficient proline-catalyzed asymmetric List-Lerner-Barbas aldol reactions of bulky aldehyde substrates

Proline-catalyzed asymmetric List-Lerner-Barbas aldol reactions of bulky aldehyde substrates could be efficiently carried out with dibromo-substituted helical diols P-4a/M-4a as additives. In the case of 9-anthraldehyde, the aldol product was obtained in 83% yield and 99% ee. An edge-to-face π-π stacking between the anthracenyl group in TS(R) and the phenyl group of the additive might contribute to the increase of enantioselectivity.     

Modified synthesis of methyl (1R,2R,3E,5R)-3-(hydroxyimino)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxylate from (R)-4-menthen-3-one

A modified stereospecific synthesis of potentially biologically and pharmacologically active methyl (1R,2R,3E,5R)-3-(hydroxyimino)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexanecarboxylate from (R)-4-menthen-3-one was developed using sequential 1,4-conjugate addition of Norman reagent catalyzed by CuI?CBF₃?Et₂O?CCuCl₂ and ozonolysis?Creduction of the intermediate (R,R,R)-vinylmenthone by hydroxylamine hydrochloridein MeOH.     

Synthesis of (±)-2R,4R,5S-2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexanone and (±)-2R,4S,5R-2-methoxy-5-nitro-4-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexanone as colchicine mimetics

Colchicine mimetic (±)-4S,5R-4-nitro-5-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexene (1) was epoxidized to afford a mixture of epoxides. The epoxides were separately converted in two steps, with high stereoselectivity, to two regioisomeric α-methoxyketones. One regioisomer, (±)-2R,4S,5R-2-methoxy-5-nitro-4-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexanone (17), proved to be about 12-fold more potent than synthetic precursor 1 against HCT-116 tumor cells while the other regioisomer, (±)-2R,4R,5S-2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexanone (16), and the synthetic intermediates tested showed no improvement in potency.     

Efficient total synthesis of manzacidin B

The highly diastereoselective synthesis of the marine natural product, (?)-manzacidin B, is described. A novel copper-catalyzed aldol reaction of the α-methylserine-derived aldehyde with an isocyanoacetate possessing (1R)-camphorsultam as the chiral auxiliary proceeded in a highly diastereoselective manner to give the (4R,5R,6R)-adduct, which was converted into manzacidin B in a few steps.     

Highly stereoselective asymmetric aldol routes to tert-butyl-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1-oxiran-2-yl)ethyl)carbamates: Building blocks for novel protease inhibitors

Enantioselective syntheses of tert-butyl ((S)-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1-((S)-oxiran-2-yl)ethyl)carbamate and ((S)-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1-((R)-oxiran-2-yl)ethyl)carbamate are described. We utilized asymmetric syn- and anti-aldol reactions to set both stereogenic centers. We investigated ester-derived Ti-enolate aldol reactions as well as Evans’ diastereoselective syn-aldol reaction for these syntheses. We have converted optically active ((S)-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1-((S)-oxiran-2-yl)ethyl)carbamate to a potent β-secretase inhibitor.     

Dibenzylaminoacetates as useful synthetic equivalents of glycine in the synthesis of α-amino-β-hydroxyacids1

The stereochemical course of three new simple methodologies for the preparation of α-amino-β-hydroxyacids starting from dibenzylaminoacetates as synthetic equivalents of glycine is described. While the aldol-type condensation via lithium enolates gave results highly dependent on the aldehyde employed, producing in some cases diastereoselectivities up to 5:1 for the anti isomers, the acid-catalysed aldol condensation of silyl ketene acetals yielded predominantly syn adducts with selectivities from 5:1 to 32:1. Finally the acylation-reduction procedure gave the best results in terms of yields and stereoselectivities, affording syn isomers with excellent induction (⩾ 13 : 1).     

Highly diastereoselective aldol additions to five-ring N,O-acetals

Highly diastereoselective aldol additions of pure (2R,4S)-2-tert-butyloxazolidinone-3,4-dicarboxylic acid 3-tert-butyl ester 4-methyl ester 1 are reported. While achiral carbonyl compounds lead to mixtures of diastereomers, the double stereodifferentiation of chiral aldehydes gave a single product isomer. The relative and absolute configurations of the aldol products were assigned by NOESY.     

Exploration of chiral induction on epoxides in lipase-catalyzed epoxidation of alkenes using (2R,3S,4R,5S)-(–)-2,3:4,6-di-O-isopropylidiene-2-keto-l-gulonic acid monohydrate

Epoxidation of alkenes by peracid, generated in situ from (2R,3S,4R,5S)-(?)-2,3:4,6-di-O-isopropylidiene-2-keto-l-gulonic acid monohydrate [(?)-DIKGA] and hydrogen peroxide by lipase catalysis induces chirality on the product epoxides with moderate to good enantioselectivity (35–71%). Alkoxy/aralkyloxy styrenes however did not undergo any epoxidation. (R)-(+)-4-Hydroxy styrene-7,8-oxide was formed and isolated with moderate enantiomeric excess (57%) but was found to have poor stability.     

On the easy oxidation of (R)-2-[N-(1-phenylethyl)amino]-1-cyclopentenedithiocarboxylic acid to its disulfide dimer

The physical and spectroscopic data of (R)-2-[N-(1-phenylethyl)amino]-1-cyclopentenedithiocarboxylic acid are reviewed and the synthesis of (R)-di-[2-(N-(1-phenylethyl)amino]-1-cyclopentenedithiocarboxylic acid disulfide is described. The product resulting from the conjugate addition of the dithioacid to 2(5H)-furanone is also characterised.     

Nitrilimine cycloaddition to 4-(pyrazol-5-yl)carbonyl-2-azetidinone and 4-(pyrazol-4-yl)carbonyl-2-azetidinone

The higly stereoselective nitrilimine cycloaddition onto the novel 3(R*)-phenyl-4(S*)-cinnamoyl-2-azetidinone 2 gave 4-(4,5-dihydropyrazol-5-yl)carbonyl-2-azetidinone 5 as the major product and 4-(4,5-dihydropyrazol-4-yl)carbonyl-2-azetidinone 6 as the minor one. Ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) oxidation of the cycloadducts gave the title compounds with good overall yield.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (2R,3R,6R)-N-methyl-6-(deca-1′,3′,5′-trienyl)-3-methoxy-2-methylpiperidine, an insecticidal alkaloid

An insecticidal piperidine alkaloid, (2R,3R,6R)-N-methyl-6-(deca-1′,3′,5′-trienyl)-3-methoxy-2-methylpiperidine, was efficiently synthesized in a stereoselective manner starting from d-alanine. Chiral center at C-6 was controlled by hydrogenation of imine and side chain was introduced by Julia olefination. The absolute configuration of natural product was determined to be 2R, 3R, 6R.     

Asymmetric synthesis and Lewis acid mediated type II carbonyl ene cyclisations of (R)-2-isopropyl-5-methylhex-5-enal

The asymmetric synthesis of (R)-2-isopropyl-5-methylhex-5-enal in 98% ee is described. It was discovered that the key alkylation step employing an Evans chiral auxiliary and 3-methylbut-3-en-1-yl trifluoromethanesulphonate as the alkylating agent led to significant competing O-alkylation, a phenomenon not previously reported. Type II carbonyl ene cyclisation of the aldehyde with a range of Lewis acids led to either the (R,R)- or (R,S)-5-methylidenecyclohexanols without concurrent racemisation of the alpha stereogenic centre of the aldehyde. Conditions for effecting the easy racemisation of a model enantiomerically pure aldehyde, (S)-2-methylbutanal, were developed. In an effort to secure a dynamic kinetic resolution procedure, these conditions were applied to (R)-2-isopropyl-5-methylhex-5-enal. However, a competing and dominant Prins cyclisation occurred instead leading to a mixture of all possible cycloadducts, all of which were obtained in 98% ee. Any unreacted aldehyde was found to be enantiomerically pure.     

Studies on the transformation of nitrosugars into iminosugars III: synthesis of (2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-2-(hydroxymethyl)azepane-3,4,5,6-tetraol and (2R,3R,4R,5R,6S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)azepane-3,4,5,6-tetraol

A divergent synthesis of the two novel polyhydroxylated azepanes (2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-2-(hydroxymethyl)azepane-3,4,5,6-tetraol and (2R,3R,4R,5R,6S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)azepane-3,4,5,6-tetraol from d-mannose is described. The method involves a Henry reaction between dimethyl-tert-butylsilyl 2,3-O-isopropylidene-α-d-lyxo-pentodialdo-1,4-furanoside and 2-nitroethanol followed by a reductive ring closure of the resulting epimeric nitro aldols. Glycosidase inhibition tests showed that (2R,3R,4R,5R,6S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)azepane-3,4,5,6-tetraol exhibits a weak but selective inhibition against α-l-fucosides.     

anti-Selective aldol reactions of chiral alcohol substituted γ-benzyloxyl vinylogous urethanes and the synthesis of 3-benzyloxyl-4-hydroxylalkan-2-ones

The anti-selective aldol reaction of chiral alcohol-substituted γ-benzyloxy vinylogous urethanes is described. The use of (1S,2R,4R)-1-(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)-7,7-dimethylbicyclo[2,2,1]-heptan-2-ol as a chiral auxiliary in the aldol reaction of a vinylogous urethane enolate was found to provide anti-products in good yields with moderate to excellent enantioselectivities. The major anti-vinylogous urethane lactones were transformed into 3-benzyloxyl-4-hydroxylalkan-2-ones in good yields.     

Synthesis and crystal structure of (4S,5R)-2-[2-(hydroxyethyl)imino]-3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-thiazolidine

Acid hydrolysis of l-N-[N′-(2-vinyloxy)ethylcarbamothioyl]ephedrine was studied. The synthesized (4S,5R)-2-[2-(hydroxyethyl)imino]-3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-thiazolidine was studied by means of X-ray diffraction.     

Studies on the role of Lewis basicity of the aldehydes utilized in the enantioselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction promoted by chiral 1,3,2-oxazaborolidin-5-ones

N-Tosyl-2-1,3,2-oxazaborolidin-5-one 1 was used to probe the role of the Lewis basicity of aldehydes utilized in Mukaiyama aldol reactions promoted by oxazaborolidin-5-ones. Eight aldehydes were each allowed to undergo a Mukaiyama aldol reaction with ketene silyl acetal derived from methyl isobutanoate. Lewis basicity of the aldehydes was determined computationally. The best results were obtained with isobutyl aldehyde and 3,4,5-trimethoxy benzaldehyde (91% and 85% ee). The best fit of ee as a function of Lewis basicity gave a correlation of R²=0.79 [when two ortho-substituted aldehydes were excluded] suggesting that Lewis basicity of O_CHO can play a role in reactions of aldehydes promoted by 1.