AgF/TFA-promoted highly efficient synthesis of α-haloketones from haloalkynes

A AgF/TFA-promoted highly efficient synthesis of a wide range of α-haloketones from haloalkynes is described. The reactions are conducted under convenient conditions and provide products in moderate to excellent yields, with broad substrate scope, including a variety of aromatic chloroalkynes and bromoalkynes.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric Michael-type/Wittig reaction of phosphorus ylides: synthesis of chiral α-methylene-δ-ketoesters

An asymmetric Michael-type reaction of phosphorus ylides and α,β-unsaturated ketones under the catalysis of a chiral ion pair catalyst has been described. The ion pair catalyst containing a chiral counteranion was prepared by simply mixing 9-amino-(9-deoxy)-epi-quinine with l-N-Boc-proline. The optically active α-methylene-δ-ketoesters could be obtained with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee) under mild reaction conditions.     

Axially chiral dicarboxylic acid catalyzed asymmetric semipinacol rearrangement of cyclic β-hydroxy-α-diazo esters

The development of axially chiral dicarboxylic acid catalyzed desymmetrizing asymmetric semipinacol rearrangement of symmetrically substituted six-membered cyclic β-hydroxy-α-diazo esters is reported as a means to give chiral cycloheptanones with good enantioselectivities.     

Catalyst-free selenylation/semipinacol rearrangement cascades of alkenyl cyclobutanols: synthesis of β-selenylated cyclopentanones

A simple and practical strategy to access β-selenated cyclic ketone derivatives through the catalyst-free selenylation and semipinacol rearrangement sequence of 1-(1-arylvinyl)cyclobutanols was developed. This reaction employs the easily accessible and shelf-stable benzeneselenyl bromide as an electrophilic selenium source, and the reaction has advantages of mild reaction conditions and broad substrate scope.     

A highly efficient and straightforward stereoselective synthesis of novel chiral α-acetylenic ketones

A very efficient and straightforward synthesis of novel chiral α-acetylenic ketones of type 3 has been developed. Starting from commercially available l-(−)-serine 4, and through the Garner's aldehyde 5, ethynyloxazolidine 2 was formed in good overall yield. Condensation of the corresponding lithium acetylide 7 with different aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes 5 and 8a–h at low temperatures yielded the respective propargylic alcohols 9a–i. Subsequent mild oxidation of 9a–i with 10-I-4-iodinane oxide (IBX) 12 afforded chiral α-acetylenic ketones 3a–i almost quantitatively.     

A highly efficient stereoselective synthesis of β-lactams

An efficient strategy for a one-pot, single step synthesis of β-lactams employing an imidazolidinone based chiral auxiliary with various aldimines via asymmetric Mannich-type reaction has been described.     

Organocatalytic synthesis of α-hydroxy and α-aminophosphonates

A new and highly flexible procedure is described for the synthesis of α-amino- and α-hydroxy phosphonates. In the presence of a catalytic amount of oxalic acid (10 mol %), trimethyl phosphite reacts with aldehydes or imines (generated in situ from an aldehyde and an amine) to yield the corresponding coupled products in good yield.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of trifluoromethyl-substituted diarylpyrrolines: enantioselective conjugate cyanation of β-aryl-β-trifluoromethyl-disubstituted enones

Ether way: the cinchona-alkaloid-catalyzed title reaction was achieved in high yields with high to excellent ee values for the first time, and affords key intermediates for the biologically important 2 having a trifluoromethylated all-carbon quaternary chiral center. Ether-type catalysts (1) are more efficient in this transformation than the conventional hydroxy analogues.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of hydroxyacetone with β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters: facile access to chiral tertiary alcohols

An efficient direct asymmetric aldol reaction between hydroxyacetone and β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters has been successfully developed. In the presence of 9-amino-9-deoxy-epi-cinchonine and trifluoroacetic acid, the direct aldol reaction of O-protected hydroxyacetone proceeded in a highly enantioselective manner, affording the desired adducts containing a chiral tertiary alcohol in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities. The aldol products obtained are valuable precursors for the synthesis of 2-substituted glycerol derivatives.     

A catalytic asymmetric ring-expansion reaction of isatins and α-alkyl-α-diazoesters: highly efficient synthesis of functionalized 2-quinolone derivatives

Asymmetric expansion: A catalytic asymmetric ring-expansion reaction of the title compounds occurs in the presence of a Sc(OTf)(3) catalyst bearing an N,N'-dioxide-based ligand. Highly functionalized 2-quinolone derivatives containing a chiral C4-quaternary stereocenter were obtained in high yields and high levels of selectivity under mild reaction conditions (see scheme; Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl).     

Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate reduction of β-substituted α,β-unsaturated phosphonates: an efficient synthesis of optically active β-stereogenic alkylphosphonates

A series of chiral alkylphosphonates bearing β-stereogenic center were synthesized in good enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee) via the CuH-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate reduction of β-substituted α,β-unsaturated phosphonates under optimal conditions using Cu(OAc)₂·H₂O as the copper source, (R)-SEGPHOS as the ligand, PMHS as the siloxane, and t-BuOH as the additive.     

Electrochemical radical arylsulfonylation/semipinacol rearrangement sequences of alkenylcyclobutanols: Synthesis of β-sulfonated cyclic ketones

Electrochemical oxidative radical sulfonylation/semipinacol rearrangement sequences of alkenylcyclobutanols have been developed. The reaction proceeds in an undivided electrochemical cell equipped with platinum plate electrodes employing sodium iodide as a redox catalyst and a supporting electrolyte. This approach is environmentally benign by using shelf-stable arylsulfonyl hydrazides as arylsulfonyl radical precursor and electrons as oxidizing reagents. The present protocol offers a facile way to prepare β-sulfonated cyclic ketone derivatives.     

Photo-induced phosphorus radical involved semipinacol rearrangement reaction:Highly synthesis ofγ-oxo-phosphonates

Hydroxyphosphoric acids display the unique biological activities,and they have some attractive prospects as clinical drug moleculars.Herein,a new approach for the synthesis ofγ-oxo-phosphonates(the precursor of hydroxyphosphoric acid)has been established through the semipinacol rearrangement tactic involved the photo-induced phosphorus radical process.Most important,this transformation is avoid of the external oxidants,and occurs very well under the sunlight irradiation,meanwhile theγ-oxo-phosphonate was easily derivatized to obtainγ-hydroxyphosphoric acid,thus highlights the synthesis value of this method.     

Organocatalytic α-amination-allylation-RCM strategy: enantioselective synthesis of cyclic hydrazines

A highly enantioselective method for the synthesis of cyclic hydrazines by using organocatalytic α-amination-allylation-RCM strategy is described. Proline-catalyzed α-amination of aldehydes followed by indium-mediated one-pot allylation of the crude α-hydrazino aldehydes produces 1,2-aminoalcohols in high enantio- and diastereoselectivities. The 1,2-aminoalcohols are further converted into cyclic hydrazines by using ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reaction.     

Expedient synthesis of highly substituted pyrroles via tandem rearrangement of α-diazo oxime ethers

An efficient rhodium-catalyzed synthesis of 2H-azirines and pyrroles has been developed. Novel rearrangement of α-oximino ketenes derived from α-diazo oxime ethers provides 2H-azirines bearing quaternary centers and allows for subsequent rearrangement to highly substituted pyrroles in excellent yields.     

Novel and practical asymmetric synthesis of β2,3-amino esters using asymmetric Michael addition of chiral amine

A practical method for the synthesis of chiral β^2,3-amino esters having various substituents was developed, which is characterized by an asymmetric Michael addition reaction of a chiral lithium amide with trisubstituted (E)-α,β-unsaturated esters. We found that a highly face-selective protonation occurred by the quick addition of water to the enolate intermediate derived from the Michael addition reaction to afford N-protected β^2,3-amino esters in moderate to excellent yields. This finding was made possible by the facile preparation of geometrically pure trisubstituted (E)-α,β-unsaturated esters, which was established recently by our group. The subsequent deprotection of the amino group in the Michael adduct by using N-iodosuccinimide (NIS) efficiently provided β^2,3-amino esters having various substituents.     

Regio- and diastereoselective Reformatsky reaction of chiral fluoroalkyl α,β-unsaturated N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines: Efficient asymmetric synthesis of β-fluoroalkyl β-vinyl β-amino esters

Highly regio- and diastereoselective Reformatsky reaction of stable, chiral fluoroalkyl α,β-unsaturated N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines was developed, which provided an efficient method for the asymmetric synthesis of structurally diverse β-tetrasubstituted β-fluoroalkyl β-vinyl β-amino esters in good yields and with excellent diastereoselectivities (dr up to 96:4).     

Practical and efficient synthesis of chiral 2,4-disubstituted oxazolines from β-phosphonoamides

Herein we report a practical and efficient method for the synthesis of optically active 2,4-disubstituted oxazolines (S)-1a–h in good to excellent yields. The target compounds were prepared in good yield through the Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction of β-phosphonoamide 3 bearing l-phenylalaninol with commercially available aryl aldehydes followed by the cyclodehydration of the corresponding N-(cinnamoyl)-(S)-phenylalaninol derivatives (S)-2a–h. Additionally, the cyclodehydration of β-phosphonoamide (S)-3 followed by the Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction of β-phosphono-oxazoline (S)-4 with aryl aldehydes also gave the 2,4-disubstituted oxazolines (S)-1a–h.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric nitrocyclopropanation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

A novel organocatalytic highly enantioselective nitrocyclopropanation reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The 1-nitro-2-formylcyclopropane derivatives synthesized from this catalytic transformation were converted to the corresponding β-nitromethyl-acid esters, which are excellent precursors of GABA analogues such as Baclofen, by subsequent organocatalytic chemoselective ring-opening.