Regio- and diastereoselective functionalization of (−)-cytisine

(−)-N-Benzyl cytisine has been stereoselectively substituted in moderate to high yields on its carbon 6 (Csp³ α to the pyridone nitrogen). The reaction involved the in situ trapping of the carbanion formed by reaction of lithium diisopropyl amide (LDA) and its reaction with electrophiles (alkyl, allyl, benzyl halides, non-enolizable aldehydes, and Weinreb amide). In the absence of an electrophile or with its addition after the formation of the carbanion, a dimeric structure was isolated (yield: 42%) resulting from the 1,4-addition of the carbanion on the pyridone ring of another cytisine molecule. Deprotection of the benzyl group (Olofson's reagent) allowed the formation of 6-substituted derivatives of the natural product, cytisine, a potent agonist of nicotinic receptors of subtype α₄β₂.     

Carbanions en α de sites coordonnes au fer-tricarbonyle: I. carbanion derivant du (butadienyl-2 fer-tricarbonyle)-2 dithiane-1,3

In contrast to complexed cations, little is known about carbanions which are adjacent to tricarbonyliron coordinated sites, especially in the case of acyclic ligands they seem difficult to synthesize. The present work devoted to such dithiane-stabilized carbanions has shown that this is true for the trimethylenemethane- and 1-butadienedithiane complexes. However, a reactive ambidentate carbanionic species was obtained by deprotonation of the dienetricarbonyliron complex of 2-(2-butadienyl)-1,3-dithiane.Another surprising result with the 2-(2-butadienyl)-1,3-dithiane complex anion was the observation of a sharp dichotomy in its reactions with alkyl halides on the one hand and aldehydes or water on the other. With the former electrophiles, 2-substituted 1,3-dithianediene complexes are obtained. The latter lead to sulphur disubstituted trimethylenemethane complexes, the electrophile being bonded to the carbon atom 4 of the starting diene unit.The corresponding uncomplexed carbanion shows analogous reactivity but with the carbonyl electrophiles bonded to the former 1 of the diene.     

Chemoselective synthesis of highly substituted 1,2-allenyl ketones, furans, and 2-alkynyl ketones from reaction of lithium selenolates with 1-(1-alkynyl)cyclopropyl ketones and electrophiles

A homo-Michael addition reaction of lithium selenolates with 1-(1-alkynyl)cyclopropyl ketones and the subsequent reaction with electrophiles such as PhSeBr, NFSI and NCS is reported. Based on the nature of electrophiles, this reaction may afford highly substituted 1,2-allenyl ketones or furans (E(+) = PhSe(+)) and 2-alkynyl ketones (E(+) = F(+), Cl(+), active halides) as the final products, respectively.     

Highly selective 5-substitution of 3-methylthiophene via directed lithiation

Lithiation of 3-methylthiophene with lithium 2,2,6,6-tetra-methylpiperidide (LiTMP) is highly selective at the 5-position, and reaction with a range of electrophiles gives high yields of the corresponding 2,4-disubstituted thiophenes, even when unhindered electrophiles are used.     

A simple and efficient method for synthesis of 5-substituted 2'-deoxyuridine nucleosides using metal-halogen exchange reaction of 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine sodium salt

Treatment of the sodium salt of 2'-deoxy-3', 5'-bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-5-iodouridine (3) with n-BuLi effected regioselective lithiation at the 5-position and the following reaction with various electrophiles afforded 5-substituted 2'-deoxyuridines including 1b, the precursor of stable spin-labeled 1a, in good yields.     

Efficient approach to 3,3-bissilyl carbonyl and enol derivatives via retro-[1,4] brook rearrangement of 3-silyl allyloxysilanes

A facile and highly stereoselective retro-[1,4] Brook rearrangement of 3-silyl allyloxysilanes has been discovered. While basic hydrolysis of the formed (Z)-3,3-bissilyl lithium enolates provides 3,3-bissilyl carbonyl compounds efficiently, trapping the species with various electrophiles including alkyl halides leads to the exclusive O-substituted (Z)-3,3-bissilyl enol derivatives that can undergo a Sakurai reaction with aldehyde to produce the synthetically useful 1,2-diol diastereoselectively.     

A new efficient route to 2-substituted azulenes based on sulfonyl group directed lithiation

Directed lithiation of p-tolyl 1-azulenyl sulfone (1) at the 2-position of the azulenyl group was achieved by using lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (LTMP). The azulenyllithium thus generated could be efficiently trapped with various electrophiles to form 2-substituted derivatives 2 in moderate to good yields. p-Tolyl 2-trimethylsilyl-1-azulenyl sulfone (2a) was transformed into cyclic sulfone derivative 3a through the directed lithiation in the p-tolyl group and subsequent intramolecular ring closure at the 8-position. 2-(Phenylsulfanyl)-1-azulenyl p-tolyl sulfone (2b) suffered from desulfonylation to form 2-phenylsulfanylazulene (4). The Suzuki coupling reaction of 2-iodo-1-azulenyl p-tolyl sulfone (2d) with arylboronic acids followed by desulfonylation efficiently gave 2-arylazulenes 10.     

Anion reaction of 1,3-benzoxathiole-3-oxide with several electrophilic compounds

The reaction of benzoxathiole-3-oxide with LDA in THF or THF/hexane or THF/HMPA gave a carbanion which was reacted with methyl iodide, aromatic aldehydes or carbon dioxide. The conformational stability (-diastereoselectivity) of the carbanion and the asymmetric induction due to the prochiral electrophiles (β-diastereoselectivity) was studied. The temperature and the solvent effects on the - and β-diastereoselectivity are discussed.     

Divergent chemical synthesis of prolines bearing fluorinated one-carbon units at the 4-position via nucleophilic 5-endo-trig cyclizations

N-[3-(Trifluoromethyl)homoallyl]sulfonamides, prepared via ring opening of (S)-glycidyl ethers or 2-aryloxiranes with 1-(trifluoromethyl)vinyllithium, underwent intramolecular addition or S(N)2'-type reaction in the normally disfavored 5-endo-trig fashion, leading to 2-substituted 4-(trifluoromethyl)- or 4-(difluoromethylene)pyrrolidines. Both alpha- and beta-face-selective hydrogenation of the 4-difluoromethylene group afforded syn- and anti-4-(difluoromethyl)pyrrolidines, respectively. These sequences, followed by the oxidation of a 2-hydroxymethyl or 2-aryl group, successfully provided prolines with a trifluoromethyl, difluoromethylene, or difluoromethyl group at the 4-position, including optically active prolines.     

Synthesis and reactivity of lithium tri(quinolinyl)magnesates

2-, 3- and 4-Bromoquinolines were converted to the corresponding lithium tri(quinolinyl)magnesates at −10°C when exposed to Bu₃MgLi in THF. The resulting organomagnesium derivatives were quenched with various electrophiles or involved in metal-catalyzed coupling reactions with heteroaryl halides to afford functionalized quinolines.     

[(SIPr)Ag(CF2H)]: A Shelf-Stable,Versatile Difluoromethylation Reagent

Due to its unique physical and electrophilic properties, the difluoromethyl group (−CF₂H) has been playing an irreplaceable role in the field of pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry. Methods that could efficiently incorporate the difluoromethyl group into the target molecules are increasing in the recent years. Developing a stable and efficient difluoromethylating reagent is thus highly attractive. In this review, we describe the development of a nucleophilic difluoromethylation reagent [(SIPr)Ag(CF₂H)], including its elemental reaction, difluoromethylation reaction with different types of electrophiles, and its application in the synthesis of a nucleophilic and an electrophilic difluoromethylthiolating reagent.     

The Effect of Lithium Ion on the Regioselectivity of Substitution Reactions of Zinc Sulfolenylate

The addition of lithium cation to zinc sulfolenylates significantly changes the regioselectivity of its reaction toward carbonyl electrophiles. The more lithium salt is added, the more the reactions prefer to take place at the α-position of the sulfolenylate.     

Deprotonation of lithiated benzenes

The deprotonation energies of all possible lithiobenzenes (C(6)Li(n)H(6-n), n = 0-5) were computed at B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p). Based on natural population analysis, the conjugate bases can be thought of as salts between a polyanionic phenyl core and associated lithium cations. The most stable structures maximize the electrostatic attraction between these two species, typically by positioning the lithium cations to bridge in the ring plane across two adjacent carbanion centers. Favorable deprotonation occurs when the formal carbanion centers are adjacent to each other and then the proton is removed from an adjacent carbon. The deprotonation free energies range from 365.0 to 397.2 kcal mol(-1), with most of them less than the deprotonation free energy of benzene (391.8 kcal mol(-1)).     

Substitution Reactions of Sulchemfonylated Sulfolenes with the Carbanion of Dimethyl Malonate

The reactions of 4-alkyl-4-(phenylsulfonyl)-2-sulfolenes with excess carbanion of dimethyl malonate in refluxing THF have been studied. The substitution reaction takes place at the 3-position via an addition-elimination process so that 3,4-disubstituted 2-sulfolenes are obtained. These products are isomerized to the corresponding3-sulfolenes under basic conditions.     

Beyond benzyl grignards: facile generation of benzyl carbanions from styrenes

Benzylic functionalization is a convenient approach towards the conversion of readily available aromatic hydrocarbon feedstocks into more useful molecules. However, the formation of carbanionic benzyl species from benzyl halides or similar precursors is far from trivial. An alternative approach is the direct reaction of a styrene with a suitable coupling partner, but these reactions often involve the use of precious-metal transition-metal catalysts. Herein, we report the facile and convenient generation of reactive benzyl anionic species from styrenes. A Cu(I)-catalyzed Markovnikov hydroboration of the styrenic double bond by using a bulky pinacol borane source is followed by treatment with KOtBu to facilitate a sterically induced cleavage of the C-B bond to produce a benzylic carbanion. Quenching this intermediate with a variety of electrophiles, including CO(2), CS(2), isocyanates, and isothiocyanates, promotes C-C bond formation at the benzylic carbon atom. The utility of this methodology was demonstrated in a three-step, two-pot synthesis of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (±)-flurbiprofen.     

Reactions of ketone dilithio α,β-dianions with imines and hydrazones: an anionic access to γ-amino ketones

The reactions of ketone dilithio α,β-dianions with imines and hydrazones were investigated. The nucleophilic addition reaction to C-N double bonds took place selectively at the β-position of dianions to form lithium Z-enolates containing a lithium amide portion, which is then transformed into γ-amino ketones and related compounds by the subsequent reaction with electrophiles.     

Functionalization of N-[(silyl)methyl]-beta-lactam carbanions with carbon electrophiles

Latent acidity of alpha-alkyl-alpha-amino-N-[(silyl)methyl]-beta-lactams enabled a concise entry to lithium nonenolate N-methyl-azetidinone carbanions lithiated alpha' to the beta-lactam nitrogen, owing to the stabilizing "alpha-effect" of one or two trimethylsilyl groups. (n)BuLi/TMEDA and (t)BuLi/TMEDA were the bases of choice for complete deprotonation of di- and monosilylated beta-lactams, respectively. Trapping of the resulting carbanions with alkyl halides provided the corresponding N-[(alpha'-silyl)-alkyl]-beta-lactams, while carbon dioxide and related electrophiles such as benzyl chloroformates or isocyanates, afforded the corresponding silicon-free N-carboxymethyl-, N-benzyloxycarbonylmethyl-, and N-amidomethyl-beta-lactams in a single synthetic step. Likely structures of these unprecedented lithiated N-[(silyl)methyl]-beta-lactams were studied by MO calculations (B3LYP/6-31G**), and the origin of their relative stability was briefly discussed.     

(Diethylphosphinyl)difluoromethyllithium. — Preparation and synthetic application —

The action of lithium diisopropylamide on diethyl difluoromethylphosphonate gives the title reagent which reacts with various electrophiles to introduce difluoromethylene or difluoromethyl unit.     

Sonogashira coupling of functionalized trifloyl oxazoles and thiazoles with terminal alkynes: synthesis of disubstituted heterocycles

[reaction: see text] This paper describes Sonogashira cross-coupling of functionalized 2-, 4-, and 5-trifloyl oxazoles and thiazoles with terminal alkynes. This methodology has been extended to 2,4-ditrifloylthiazoles, which results in regioselective cross-coupling at the C2-position of the thiazole. The resulting 2-alkynyl-4-trifloylthiazoles are effective electrophiles in a second palladium(0)-mediated cross-coupling reaction.     

High stereoselective preparation of O-protected 2-trifluoromethyl 3-bromoallylic alcohols from 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes

A highly stereoselective lithium-bromine exchange reaction of 2-trifluoromethyl-3,3-dibromoallylic alcohols is described. (E)- and (Z)-2-trifluoro-3-bromoallylic alcohols were obtained in THF and hexane, respectively. The lithium carbenoid intermediate was stable even at -40 degrees C and could be trapped by various electrophiles to afford functionalized 2-trifluoromethyl-3-bromoallylic alcohols. [reaction: see text]