Intermediates Formed in the Reactions of Organocuprates with α,β‐Unsaturated Nitriles

Conjugate additions of organocuprates are of outstanding importance for organic synthesis. To improve our mechanistic understanding of these reactions, we have used electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for the identification of the ionic intermediates formed upon the treatment of LiCuR₂ ? LiCN (R=Me, Bu, Ph) with a series of α,β‐unsaturated nitriles. Acrylonitrile, the weakest Michael acceptor included, did not afford any detectable intermediates. Fumaronitrile (FN) yielded adducts of the type Li_n?1Cu_nR_2n(FN)_n^?, n=1–3. When subjected to fragmentation in the gas phase, these adducts were not converted into the conjugate addition products, but re‐dissociated into the reactants. In contrast, the reaction with 1,1‐dicyanoethylene furnished the products of the conjugate addition without any observable intermediates. Tri‐ and tetracyanoethylene proved to be quite reactive as well. The presence of several cyano groups in these substrates opened up reaction pathways different from simple conjugate additions, however, and led to dimerization and substitution reactions. Moreover, the gas‐phase fragmentation behavior of the species formed from these substrates indicated the occurrence of single‐electron transfer processes. Additional quantum‐chemical calculations provided insight into the structures and stabilities of the observed intermediates and their consecutive reactions.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of N,Cα,Cα‐Trisubstituted α‐Amino Acid Derivatives Using 1H‐Imidazol‐4(5H)‐ones as Key Templates

1H‐Imidazol‐4(5H)‐ones are introduced as novel nucleophilic α‐amino acid equivalents in asymmetric synthesis. These compounds not only allow highly efficient construction of tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers, but unlike hitherto known templates, provide direct access to N‐substituted (alkyl, allyl, aryl) α‐amino acid derivatives.     

Polymer-Attached Thiazolium Salts-Catalyzed Addition of Aldehydes to α, β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds

A homogeneous catalyst, 3-benzyl-5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methyl-1,3-thiazolium chloride, for addition of aldehydes to activated double bond, was attached to 20% cross-linked polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer. The attached catalysts could be easily removed from the reaction mixture. Polymer-attached thiazolium salts in the presence of triethylamine are active catalysts for addition of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes to α,β-unsaturated ketones to yield γ-diketones.     

The Synthesis of β,γ- and α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes via Polyene Epoxides

A substitute for the Darzens glycidic ester synthesis for converting unsaturated ketones or aldehydes into the homologated β,γ- or α,β-unsaturated aldehydes employing sulfur ylides is described. The carbonyl group is converted into the unsaturated oxirane which is then rearranged to the new aldehyde. High yields of isomerically pure aldehydes are available by this method and the process is of practical importance in the conversion of β-ionone into the β-C₁₄-aldehyde, a key intermediate in the Isler synthesis of vitamin A. The efficient preparation of α- and β-cyclocitral by the novel process is also described.     

Ligand‐Controlled Regiodivergent Palladium‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative Allylation Reaction to Access α,α‐Difluoroketones

α,α‐Difluoroketones possess unique physicochemical properties that are useful for developing therapeutics and probes for chemical biology. To access the α‐allyl‐α,α‐difluoroketone substructure, complementary palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative allylation reactions were developed to provide linear and branched α‐allyl‐α,α‐difluoroketones. For these orthogonal processes, the fluorination pattern of the substrate enabled the ligands to dictate the regioselectivity of the transformations.     

镍催化α,β-不饱和醛的选择性α,β-双芳基化反应

三组分双官能化反应是一种高效、简便构建C―C键、C―X键的方式. 双键广泛存在于众多有机化合物中, 对双键的双官能化反应研究有巨大的应用潜力. 本工作以Ni(COD)₂为催化剂, 以芳基溴化镁、芳基溴化物为芳基化试剂, 实现了3-芳基-2-丙烯醛亚胺中碳碳双键的双芳基化反应. 该反应建立了一个新的镍催化α,β-不饱和醛的α,β-双芳基化方法, 可以高度区域选择性地向底物分子中引入两个不同取代的芳环, 得到多种2,3,3-三芳基丙醛骨架的产物. 利用这一反应作为核心步骤实现了天然产物Quebecol的简便合成. 机理研究表明, 该反应可能经历了亲核加成、金属交换、还原消除的历程.     

Direct Catalytic Asymmetric Vinylogous Conjugate Addition of Unsaturated Butyrolactones to α,β‐Unsaturated Thioamides

Soft Lewis acid/Brønsted base cooperative catalysts have enabled direct catalytic asymmetric vinylogous conjugate addition of α,β‐ and β,γ‐unsaturated butyrolactones to α,β‐unsaturated thioamides with perfect atom economy. When using α‐angelica lactone and its derivatives as pronucleophiles, as little as 0.5 mol % catalyst loading was sufficient to complete the reaction necessary to construct consecutive tri‐ and tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers in a highly diastereo‐ and enantioselective fashion.     

Enantioselective Synthesis of Functionalized Nitrocyclopropanes by Organocatalytic Conjugate Addition of Bromonitroalkanes to α,β‐Unsaturated Enones

A general enantioselective synthesis of functionalized nitrocyclopropanes by organocatalytic conjugate addition of a variety of bromonitroalkanes to α,β‐unsaturated enone systems is presented. The process, efficiently catalyzed by the salts of 9‐amino‐9‐deoxyepiquinine 1 d serves as a powerful approach to the preparation of synthetically and biologically important cyclopropanes with high levels of enantio‐ and diastereoselectivities. Since only 0.6 equivalents of bromonitromethane are used as a reagent, (S)‐ 2 e is obtained enantiomerically pure by employing chiral 1 d as a highly efficient catalyst for its kinetic resolution (97 % ee at 51 % conversion, selectivity s=120).     

Solvolytic Ring-opening of Alkoxychlorofluorocyclopropanes: A Ready Access to Fluorinated α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes and Ketones

Alkoxychlorofluorocyclopropanes are easily prepared by chlorofluorocarbene addition to en-ethers in a two-phase system and converted by simple heating in an aqueous solvent mixture to 2-fluoro-2-alkenals which can be reduced to the corresponding alcohols.