Chemo- and stereoselective monobenzoylation of 1,2-diols catalyzed by organotin compounds

A new facile method for monoacylation of diols has been developed. A variety of cyclic and acyclic diols, in particular 1,2-diols, were selectively monobenzoylated in good yields by the reaction with benzoyl chloride in the presence of a catalytic amount of dimethyltin dichloride and inorganic bases such as potassium carbonate. Furthermore, the method was successfully applied to a kinetic resolution of racemic 1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol using a chiral organotin catalyst. The ee was dependent on the kind of base, water as an additive, and the reaction temperature.     

Kinetic resolution of α-substituted alkanoic acids promoted by homobenzotetramisole

A new method for catalytic nonenzymatic kinetic resolution of α-substituted alkanoic acids has been developed, which relies on their activation with DCC followed by enantioselective alcoholysis of the intermediate symm-anhydrides in the presence of the amidine-based catalyst homobenzotetramisole (HBTM). Moderate to excellent selectivity factors (s=5-96) have been obtained in the case of several classes of substrates, namely, α-aryl-, α-aryloxy/alkoxy-, α-halo-, α-azido-, and α-phthalimido-alkanoic acids. Under similar conditions, α-(arylthio/alkylthio)-alkanoic acids undergo dynamic kinetic resolution providing corresponding esters in up to 92% ee and up to 93% yield.     

Rhodium-catalyzed kinetic resolution of tertiary homoallyl alcohols via stereoselective carbon-carbon bond cleavage

A nonenzymatic kinetic resolution of tertiary homoallyl alcohols has been developed through a rhodium-catalyzed retro-allylation reaction under simple conditions. Selectivity factors of up to 12 have been achieved by employing (R)-H8-binap as the ligand, and the reaction can be conducted on a preparative scale.     

Kinetic resolution of N-acyl-β-lactams via benzotetramisole-catalyzed enantioselective alcoholysis

The first nonenzymatic kinetic resolution of β-lactams has been achieved. Alcoholysis of their N-aroyl derivatives in the presence of a simple chiral acyl transfer catalyst, benzotetramisole, produces β-amino acid derivatives with excellent enantioselectivity.     

Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Sequential Reactions: Deracemization of Secondary Benzylic Alcohols

The deracemization of secondary benzylic alcohols proceeds successfully by a two‐step process with the appropriate combination of two different ruthenium complexes for catalysis in the first oxidation and second reduction steps. The sequential catalytic system provides a novel approach to obtaining optically active alcohols, including diols, in high yields with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 95 % ee), in contrast to the conventional kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols.     

Kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols using amidine-based catalysts

Kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols has been traditionally achieved via enzymatic enantioselective esterification and ester hydrolysis. However, there has long been considerable interest in devising nonenzymatic alternative methods for this transformation. Amidine-based catalysts (ABCs), a new class of enantioselective acyl transfer catalysts developed in our group, have demonstrated, inter alia, high efficacy in the kinetic resolution of benzylic, allylic, and propargylic secondary alcohols and 2-substituted cycloalkanols, and thus provide a viable alternative to enzymes.     

Kinetic Resolution of 1,1′‐Biaryl‐2,2′‐Diols and Amino Alcohols through NHC‐Catalyzed Atroposelective Acylation

We present here a highly efficient NHC‐catalyzed kinetic resolution of a wide range of 1,1′‐biaryl‐2,2′‐diols and amino alcohols to provide them in uniformly ≥99 % ee. This represents the first highly enantioselective catalytic acylation of axially chiral alcohols. The aldehyde backbone that is incorporated into the chiral acyl azolium intermediate was found to have a significant effect on the enantioselectivity of the process.     

Application of a one-pot lipase resolution strategy for the synthesis of chiral γ- and δ-lactones

A successful one-pot reduction of γ-ketoesters, δ-ketoesters and lactones to the corresponding 1,4- and 1,5-diols followed by a lipase catalyzed kinetic resolution coupled with hydrolysis to afford optically active diols is described. The synthetic utility of this one-pot method was illustrated by the oxidation of these chiral diols to respective chiral γ-butyrolactone and δ-lactones. Lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia, immobilized on ceramic afforded the product with high enantiomeric excess in good yields under mild reaction conditions. This approach has been used to develop a convenient enantioselective route for several γ- and δ-lactones using achiral and corresponding racemic starting material.     

Synthesis of Optically Pure Terminal Epoxide and 1,2‐Diol via Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution Catalyzed by New Heterometallic Salen Complexes

The inactive chiral (salen)Co complex is easily activated by InCl₃ and TlCl₃ Lewis acids by forming heterometallic salen complexes. These complexes show very high catalytic activity for the synthesis of enantiomerically enriched terminal epoxides (>99% ee) and 1,2‐diols simultaneously via hydrolytic kinetic resolution. Strong synergistic effects of different Lewis acids, Co‐In and Co‐Tl, were exhibited in the catalytic process. The system described is very simple and efficient.     

手性钌螯合催化剂的合成及在α⁃羟基酯的动态动力学氢化反应中的应用

设计并合成了一系列基于(R)-2-(二苯基膦基)-1-苯基-N-(2′-吡啶甲基)-1-乙胺及其衍生物的手性钌螯合催化剂. 采用核磁共振波谱及高分辨质谱对其进行表征, 并给出单晶结构. 以α-羟基酯类化合物为研究对象, 通过酯的动态动力学氢化还原反应, 发展了一种合成手性二醇的方法.研究结果表明, 该催化体系能有效实现酯的氢化还原, 并获得一定的对映选择性.     

Asymmetric ring opening of terminal epoxides via kinetic resolution catalyzed by chiral (salen)Co mixture

The highly enantioselective hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of racemic terminal epoxides by bimetallic chiral (salen)Co and (salen)Co(III)-OAc mixture provides a simple and effective method for the synthesis of enantiomerically enriched terminal epoxides (ee > 99%) and diols. At the equimolar amounts of bimetallic chiral (salen)Co and (salen)Co(II)-OAc, the catalytic activity increases more than two times in comparison with (salen)Co(III)-OAc used alone. The mixed catalytic system can be recycled and reused. No significant loss of catalytic activity was observed after three runs.     

Double Catalytic Kinetic Resolution (DoCKR) of Acyclic anti‐1,3‐Diols: The Additive Horeau Amplification

The concept of a synergistic double catalytic kinetic resolution (DoCKR) as described in this article was successfully applied to racemic acyclic anti ‐1,3‐diols, a common motif in natural products. This process takes advantage of an additive Horeau amplification involving two successive enantioselective organocatalytic acylation reactions, and leads to diesters and recovered diols with high enantiopurities. It was first developed with C ₂‐symmetrical diols and then further extended to non‐C ₂‐symmetrical anti diols to prepare useful chiral building blocks. The protocol is highly practical as it only requires 1 mol % of a commercially available organocatalyst and leads to easily separable products. This procedure was applied to the shortest reported total synthesis of (+)‐cryptocaryalactone, a natural product with anti‐germinative activity.     

Lipase‐Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of C1‐ and C2‐Symmetric Racemic Axially Chiral 2,2′‐Dihydroxy‐1,1′‐biaryls

We have discovered that the racemization of configurationally stable, axially chiral 2,2′‐dihydroxy‐1,1′‐biaryls proceeds with a catalytic amount of a cyclopentadienylruthenium(II) complex at 35–50 °C. Combining this racemization procedure with lipase‐catalyzed kinetic resolution led to the first lipase/metal‐integrated dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic axially chiral biaryl compounds. The method was applied to the synthesis of various enantio‐enriched C₁‐ and C₂‐symmetric biaryl diols in yields of up to 98 % and enantiomeric excesses of up to 98 %, which paves the way for new developments in the field of asymmetric synthesis.     

Obtaining enriched compounds via a tandem enantioselective reaction and kinetic resolution polishing sequence

Herein we describe a tandem method of coupling an enantioselective reaction with a nonenzymatic kinetic resolution to prepare highly enantioenriched compounds. The procedure employs a moderately selective enantioselective reaction on a ketone or aldehyde to form an enriched alcohol followed by a kinetic resolution of the alcohol to generate ee's of >99% in yields greater than what is possible with a kinetic resolution. This method highlights an avenue to quickly acquire highly enriched compounds without developing and optimizing a new methodology.     

Palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidative kinetic resolution of alcohols with an achiral exogenous base

Substitution of exogenous (-)-sparteine for a more practical achiral base in the aerobic oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols is described. Carbonate bases are the most effective of those screened and allow for effective kinetic resolution of benzylic, allylic, and aliphatic substrates. The procedure was also successfully extended to the oxidative desymmetrization of meso diols.     

Enantioselective epoxidation of unfunctionalized simple olefins by non-racemic molybdenum(VI)(oxo-diperoxo) complexes

Molybdenum(VI)(oxo-diperoxo) complexes bearing bidentate ligands with hydroxy and carbonyl functions show asymmetric induction in the stoichiometric epoxidation of simple prochiral olefins. The influence of the ligand and alkene structure on the enantiomeric excess of the oxiranes has been investigated. The addition of chiral diols to the molybdenum(VI)(oxo-diperoxo) reagents gives high enantiomeric excesses probably because of an efficient kinetic resolution of the oxiranes formed.     

Scope, kinetics, and mechanistic aspects of aerobic oxidations catalyzed by ruthenium supported on alumina

The Ru/Al(2)O(3) catalyst was prepared by modification of the preparation of Ru(OH)(3).n H(2)O. The present Ru/Al(2)O(3) catalyst has high catalytic activities for the oxidations of activated, nonactivated, and heterocyclic alcohols, diols, and amines at 1 atm of molecular oxygen. Furthermore, the catalyst could be reused seven times without a loss of catalytic activity and selectivity for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol. A catalytic reaction mechanism involving a ruthenium alcoholate species and beta-hydride elimination from the alcoholate has been proposed. The reaction rate has a first-order dependence on the amount of catalyst, a fractional order on the concentration of benzyl alcohol, and a zero order on the pressure of molecular oxygen. These results and kinetic isotope effects indicate that beta-elimination from the ruthenium alcoholate species is a rate-determining step.     

Nonenzymatic acylative kinetic resolution of Baylis-Hillman adducts

The first efficient nonenzymatic acylative kinetic resolution of Baylis-Hillman adducts is reported. Chiral pyridine catalyst 1a and an optimized analogue 1e are capable of promoting the synthetically useful enantioselective acylation (the efficiency of which is outstanding for sp(2)-sp(2) carbinol substrates, s = 3.5-13.1, ee up to 97%) of Baylis-Hillman adducts derived from recalcitrant precursors which are currently difficult to synthesize utilizing benchmark asymmetric Baylis-Hillman reaction catalyst technology. A novel one-pot synthesis-kinetic resolution process involving a DBU-catalyzed Baylis-Hillman reaction and subsequent 1e/DBU-mediated enantioselective acylation has also been developed.     

A dual-catalysis/anion-binding approach to the kinetic resolution of allylic amines

A dual-catalysis approach enables the small-molecule catalyzed kinetic resolution of allylic amines by acylation. By employing 2 mol % of each 4-(pyrrolidino)pyridine (PPY) and a readily available chiral hydrogen-bonding cocatalyst, the first nonenzymatic kinetic resolution of allylic amines was accomplished with s factors of up to 20.