A Flexible Approach to Azasugars: Asymmetric Total Syntheses of (+)‐Castanospermine, (+)‐7‐Deoxy‐6‐epi‐castanospermine,and (+)‐1‐epi‐Castanospermine

The asymmetric total synthesis of natural azasugars (+)‐castanospermine, (+)‐7‐deoxy‐6‐epi‐castanospermine, and synthetic (+)‐1‐epi‐castanospermine has been accomplished in nine to ten steps from a common chiral building block (S)‐ 8 . The method features a powerful chiral relay strategy consisting of a highly diastereoselective vinylogous Mukaiyama‐type reaction with either chiral or achiral aldehydes (≥95 % de; de=diastereomeric excess) and a diastereodivergent reduction of tetramic acids, which allows formation of three continuous stereogenic centers with high diastereoselectivities. The method also provides a flexible access to structural arrays of 5‐(α‐hydroxyalkyl)tetramic acids, such as 17/34 , and 5‐(α‐hydroxyalkyl)‐4‐hydroxyl‐2‐pyrrolidinones, such as 18 and 25/35 a . The method constitutes the first realization of the challenging chiral synthons A and D and thus of the conceptually attractive retrosynthetic analysis shown in Scheme 1 in a highly enantioselective manner.     

Synthesis of 8‐Desmethoxy Psymberin: A Putative Biosynthetic Intermediate Towards the Marine Polyketide Psymberin

The synthesis of a putative biosynthetic precursor of psymberin including a formal synthesis of the natural product is described. The key step towards the densely functionalized tetrahydropyran core was an enantioselective catalytic Mukaiyama aldol reaction using a titanium(IV)–BINOL catalyst system. syn‐Selective reduction followed by ozonolysis led to a rapid assembly of the tetrahydropyran ring. This flexible approach also allows the synthesis of similar fragments of other complex molecules such as bryostatins and pederins. The syn‐selective coupling between the tetrahydropyran and the aromatic aldehyde was achieved using a boron‐mediated aldol reaction which was followed by further transformations to complete the synthesis of the precursor as well as the formal synthesis of the natural product.     

Enantioselective Addition of Cyclic Enol Silyl Ethers to 2‐Alkenoyl‐Pyridine‐N‐Oxides Catalysed by CuII–Bis(oxazoline) Complexes

Asymmetric reactions involving (E)‐3‐aryl‐1‐(pyridin‐2‐yl‐N‐oxide)prop‐2‐en‐1‐ones and cyclic enol silyl ethers show good yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99.9 % ee) when catalysed by bis(oxazoline)–Cu^II complexes. Different reaction pathways can be followed by different enol silyl ethers: with 2‐(trimethylsilyloxy)furan, a Mukaiyama–Michael adduct is obtained, whereas a hetero Diels–Alder cycloadduct was formed by using (1,2‐dihydronaphthalen‐4‐yloxy)trimethylsilane. In the latter reaction, the absolute configuration of the product is consistent with a reagent approach to the less hindered Re face of the coordinated substrate in the reactive complex.     

C1‐Symmetric Aminosulfoximines in Copper‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Vinylogous Mukaiyama Aldol Reactions

Vinylogous Mukaiyama‐type aldol reactions have been catalyzed by a combination of Cu(OTf)₂ and readily available C₁‐symmetric aminosulfoximines. After a fine‐tuning of the reaction conditions and an optimization of the modularly assembled ligand structure, high stereoselectivities and excellent yields have been achieved in catalyzed reactions involving various electrophile/nucleophile combinations. The relative and absolute configurations of two products were assigned by X‐ray single crystal structure analysis and a comparison of calculated and experimental CD spectra.     

Application of Organolithium and Related Reagents in Synthesis,Part 31: Effective Conversion of 3‐Arylphthalides into 2‐(1‐Aryl‐3‐oxo‐4‐alkoxycarbonyl‐butyl)benzoic Acids

A convenient three‐step protocol preparation of the ortho‐alkylated (long‐chain substituent with terminal methylcarbonyl or acetoacetate moiety) aromatic carboxylic acids 15 or 16 from benzoic acids anilides 10 was developed, which exploited the reductive alkylation of phthalides 13 with dimethyl‐6‐methylene‐4‐(trimethoxysiloxy)‐1,3‐diox‐4‐ene (9) as a key step.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of β‐Lactams by Using D‐Mannitol‐Derived Oxazolidin‐2‐one as a Chiral Auxiliary

Abstract

Chiral oxazolidin‐2‐ones containing isopropylidene and cyclohexylidene functionalities, readily available from D‐mannitol, have been demonstrated to undergo highly diastereoselective β‐lactam synthesis via the Staudinger reaction with Mukaiyama reagent. Stereoselectivity for cis‐β‐lactam was the result of the [2?+?2] cycloaddition reaction of ketene to trans imines, and cyclohexylidene showed better yield and stereoselectivity than the isopropylidene auxiliary.     

A Powerful Chiral Counteranion Motif for Asymmetric Catalysis

Room to swing a cat : A chiral disulfonimide has been designed as a powerful new motif for asymmetric catalysis. As a first illustration, a highly efficient and enantioselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction has been developed (see scheme). The actual catalyst is proposed to be an N‐silyl imide which is generated in situ.

     

Chiral Metal–Organic Framework Hollow Nanospheres for High‐Efficiency Enantiomer Separation

Chiral ZIF‐8 hollow nanospheres with d ‐histidine as part of chiral ligands (denoted as H‐d ‐his‐ZIF‐8) were prepared for separation of (±)‐amine acids. Compared to bulk d ‐his‐ZIF‐8 without a hollow cavity, the prepared H‐d ‐his‐ZIF‐8 showed 15 times higher separation capacity and higher ee values of 90.5 % for alanine, 95.2 % for glutamic acid and 92.6 % for lysine, respectively.     

Conjugate Addition of a Silyl Ketene Acetal to α,β‐Unsaturated Lactones

Abstract

Conjugate addition of a silyl ketene acetal [Me₂C?C (OMe)OSiMe₃] to α,β‐unsaturated lactones (namely, 5,6‐dihydro‐2H‐pyran‐2‐one, 2(5H)‐furanone as Michael acceptor) occurs efficiently at room temperature in the presence of a nucleophilic catalyst, tetra‐n‐butyl ammonium bibenzoate (TBABB), in THF as well as Lewis acid catalysts such as Yb(OTf)₃ and I₂ in CH₂Cl₂, giving the corresponding 1,4‐adducts in excellent yields.     

Catalyzed Vinylogous Mukaiyama Aldol Reactions with Controlled Enantio‐ and Diastereoselectivities

In control : A new catalytic vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction provides products with high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities (up to 99 % de and ee; see scheme). The relative and absolute stereochemistry of a representative product was rigorously assigned by NMR and CD spectroscopies (measured and calculated), X‐ray diffraction, and quantum‐chemical calculations.

     

An Efficient Stereoselective Total Synthesis of Bioactive (3R,5R)‐1‐(4‐Hydroxyphenyl)‐7‐phenylheptane‐3,5‐diol via Asymmetric Aldol Reaction

An efficient stereoselective total synthesis of (3R,5R)‐1‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐7‐phenylheptane‐3,5‐diol ( 1 ) is reported based on the Mukaiyama aldol reaction. The total synthesis of compound 1 was accomplished with 30% overall yield in simple eight steps from commercially available trans‐cinnamaldehyde.     

On triazoles XLV [1]. synthesis of 5,7‐diamino‐1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a] [1,3,5]triazines

Dedicated to Professor András Messmer on the occasion of his 80^th birthday The reaction of differently substituted 5‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazoles ( 5 ) with isothiourea derivatives ( 3 ) to yield isomeric 5,7‐diamino‐1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a][1,3,5]triazines ( 6 and 7 ), previously described as not proceeding in melt, was performed in different solvents as well as in the melt at 150‐160°. It was proved that the above reaction had rather general validity. The structure of isomers 6 and 7 were proved spectroscopically. The structure of 6/5 (Q = ethylamino) was corroborated with single crystal X‐ray diffraction determination, as well.     

The Structure Elucidation and Total Synthesis of β‐Lipomycin

Here we describe the synthesis of β‐lipomycin, a secondary metabolite isolated from the fermentation broth of Corallococcus coralloides. The synthesis relies on the structural assignment made by a statistical method, the so‐called profile hidden Markov model. Using this protocol, not only the configuration of the secondary alcohol, but also of the adjacent methyl branch could be deduced. The synthesis therefore not only provides access to this natural product but also confirms the validity of this approach for configurational assignment at methyl branches of modular polyketides.     

Asymmetric Copper‐Catalyzed Vinylogous Mukaiyama Michael Addition of Cyclic Dienol Silanes to Unsaturated α‐Keto Phosphonates

A highly stereoselective vinylogous Mukaiyama Michael reaction (VMMR) leading to α‐keto phosphonate‐containing γ‐butenolides with two stereogenic centers is described. The presented transformation is catalyzed by a combination of a commercially available C₂‐symmetric bisoxazoline (BOX) ligand and a copper salt and tolerates a variety of nucleophiles and electrophiles. The stereoselectivities of the reactions are good to excellent and the products are obtained in moderate to high yields.     

Serendipity: Werner's argument that the `two‐only forms' (green and violet) of [CoCl2(en)2]+ salts demanded his octahedral model was correct. True?

Chemists of the late 19th century, including Alfred Werner, prepared salts containing either green or violet cations of composition [CoCl₂(en)₂]⁺ (en is ethylenediamine, C₂H₈N₂); we now refer to these as trans‐dichloro and cis‐dichloro species. We have discovered a third salt, purple in color, containing cations of the same elemental composition and whose asymmetric unit composition is [CoCl₂(en)₂]₂Cl₂·3H₂O, in which the cobalt cations are a cis:trans dichloro pair. Such a discovery would undermine Werner's argument that if only two forms can be prepared, his octahedral theory was proven. Probably because his students never examined their crystals under a microscope, they failed to observe the `third' species, thereby ruining Werner's argument since he relied strictly on color to identify them. That was fortunate since our purple salt would have led him to abandon, or certainly delay, his momentous discovery. Our crystals consist of a 1:1 mixture of the cis and trans cations, thereby sharing the same elemental analysis and conductivity as the single salts, but not their crystal structure, inasmuch as X‐ray diffraction had not even been discovered then. Serendipitously, our discovery would have been a great boon to his theoretical acumen, while his `two‐color' argument may have doomed him.     

Synthesis and preliminary use of naphthyl quinazoline and isoquinoline oxazolines for asymmetric allylic oxidation

This paper is dedicated to Professor Jerald S. Bradshaw, undergraduate mentor of MBA, with warmth and gratitude for his encouragement and outstanding leadership. Four new oxazoline ligands, 4‐naphthyl‐2‐phenylquinazoline 4 and 1‐naphthylisoquinoline 5 were made using Suzuki coupling, a Pictet‐Gams reaction, and S‐amino alcohol. Preliminary use as ligands for asymmetric copper catalyzed allylic oxidation with cyclohex‐ene and perester showed promise providing S‐cyclohexenyl benzoate product in moderate enantioselectivity (64%ee).     

Transformation of Glucose into a Novel Carbasugar Amino Acid Dipeptide Isostere

The synthesis of a novel carbasugar amino acid (15), starting from D‐glucose and using the Ferrier rearrangement as a key step, is reported. Compound 15 is implemented as dipeptide isostere in the synthesis of a Leu‐enkephalin analog.     

Comparison of Cu‐ZSM‐5 Zeolites and Cu‐MOF‐505 Metal‐Organic Frameworks as Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Mukaiyama Aldol Reaction: A DFT Mechanistic Study

The density functional theory (DFT) model ONIOM(M06L/6‐311++G(2df,2p):UFF was employed to reveal the catalytic activity of Cu^II in the paddle‐wheel unit of the metal‐organic framework (MOF)‐505 material in the Mukaiyama aldol reaction compared with the activity of Cu‐ZSM‐5 zeolites. The aldol reaction between a silyl enol ether and formaldehyde catalyzed by the Lewis acidic site of both materials takes place through a concerted pathway, in which the formation of the C? C bond and the transfer of the silyl group occurs in a single step. MOF‐505 and Cu‐ZSM‐5 are predicted to be efficient catalysts for this reaction as they strongly activate the formaldehyde carbonyl carbon electrophile, which leads to a considerably lower reaction barrier compared with the gas‐phase system. Both MOF‐505 and Cu‐ZSM‐5 catalysts stabilize the reacting species along the reaction coordinate, thereby lowering the activation energy, compared to the gas‐phase system. The activation barriers for the MOF‐505, Cu‐ZSM‐5, and gas‐phase system are 48, 21, and 61 kJ mol^?1, respectively. Our results show the importance of the enveloping framework by stabilizing the reacting species and promoting the reaction.     

Cover Picture: Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society 2/2013

This paper entitled Development of the Ireland–Claisen Rearrangement of Allyl‐2‐alkoxyacetate Bearing an Allylic Amine and the Transformation to 3‐hydroxy‐4‐hydroxy‐methylpyrrolidine was awarded Best Article Award in 2012. The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Science Council, in support of this research. A special acknowledgment also goes to the editorial and reviewers for their supporting in awarding our paper as one of the Best Articles in 2012. Noteworthily, the honor should belong to late Professor Yung‐Son Hon, as his initiative thoughts and extraordinary dedication went a long way in influencing the ideas in this article. For more information on this article, turn to J. Chin. Chem. Soc. 2012 , 59 (3), 273‐282.     

Synthesis of spirolactones by 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions to methyl (S)‐3‐[(E)‐cyanomethylidene]‐2‐oxotetrahydrofuran‐5‐carboxylate

Dedicated to Professor Emeritus Miha Ti?ler on the occasion of his 75th birthday Treatment of methyl (S)‐5‐[(E)‐(dimethylamino)methylidene]‐2‐oxotetrahydrofuran‐5‐carboxylate ( 2 ) with potassium cyanide in acetic acid gave (S)‐5‐[(E)‐cyanomethylidene]‐2‐oxotetrahydrofuran‐5‐car‐boxylate ( 3 ), which was used as chiral dipolarophile in 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions. Reactions of 3 with diazomethane ( 4 ) and nitrile oxides 5a‐c afforded spirolactones 6–8 in 24‐34% diastereomeric excess, while with diazomethane ( 4 ) in the presence of triethylamine, methyl 3‐cyanomethyl‐2‐methoxyfuran‐5‐carboxylate ( 12 ) was obtained.