Thiourea-catalyzed asymmetric formal [3+2] cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with nitroolefins

A chiral thiourea catalyst possessing an amine function catalyzes an asymmetric [3+2] cycloaddition of azomethine ylides to nitroolefins to provide highly functionalized pyrrolidines with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to 98:1:1 dr, 92% ee). The reaction proceeds in a stepwise manner consisting of Michael addition and subsequent intramolecular aza-Henry reaction. Both reactions are promoted by the thiourea catalyst, and the reaction rate of the latter step is efficiently enhanced by the addition of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol.     

Chiral Lewis acid-catalyzed highly enantioselective [4 + 3] cycloaddition reactions of nitrogen-stabilized oxyallyl cations derived from allenamides

A chiral Lewis acid-catalyzed highly enantioselective [4 + 3] cycloaddition reaction of allenamide-derived nitrogen-stabilized chiral oxyallyl cations is described here. The use of bisoxazoline ligand and CuOTf2 provides high enantioselectivity, especially with [SbF6]- as the counteranion.     

Au-catalyzed asymmetric formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition of isocyanoacetates with maleimides

An efficient protocol for the Au(I)-catalyzed asymmetric formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition of isocyanoacetates with phenylmaleimide has been developed. In the presence of cationic Au(I)/DTBM-segphos complex, excellent diastereoselectivity and high levels of enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee) have been attained with a variety of α-substituted isocyanoacetates. The synthetic potential of the resulting enantioenriched 1-pyrrolines has been demonstrated by the preparation of highly substituted pyrrolidines bearing a quaternary stereocenter.     

Organocatalyzed enantioselective formal [4 + 2] cycloaddition of 2,3-disubstituted indole and methyl vinyl ketone

A formal [4 + 2] cycloaddition of 2,3-disubstituted indoles with vinyl methyl ketone was realized in the presence of a catalytic amount of quinine-derived primary amine and pentafluorobenzoic acid. This method provides bridged-ring indoline scaffolds containing two quaternary carbon centers with excellent yields and enantioselectivity (up to 98% yield and 98% ee).     

Gold-catalyzed chemoselective formal (3+2)-Annulation reaction between β-naphthols and methyl aryldiazoacetate

A chemoselective domino annulation reaction of β-naphthols with methyl aryldiazoacetate is described. The gold catalyst promoted C–H functionalization of β-naphthols, whereas a rhodium or copper complex led to O–H insertion reactions. Consecutive intramolecular lactonization occurred after site-selective alkylation at the 1-position of β-naphthol, providing functionalized naphthofuranone derivatives. The product was transformed into a chiral molecule bearing an all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center with high enantioselectivity.     

New alkaloid-like heterocycles via formal aza-[3+2] cycloaddition reaction of cyclic enaminones with cyclopropenones

The formal aza-[3+2] cycloaddition reactions of cyclopropenones and cyclic enaminones, including a chiral one, were employed for the first time in the direct formation of new pyrrolidine and indolizidine derivatives. The regiochemistry of cyclization is dependent of both ring size and steric factors of enaminones.     

Enantioselective N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed formal [3+2] cycloaddition using α-aroyloxyaldehydes and oxaziridines

An enantioselective N-heterocyclic carbene catalysed formal [3+2] cycloaddition has been developed for the synthesis of oxazolindin-4-one products. The reaction of oxaziridines and α-aroyloxyaldehydes under N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis provides the formal cycloaddition products with excellent control of the diastereo- and enantioselectivity (12 examples, up to >95:5 dr, >99:1 er). A matched-mismatched effect between the enantiomer of the catalyst and oxaziridine was identified, and preliminary mechanistic studies have allowed the proposal of a model to explain these observations.     

Asymmetric organocatalysis of 4 + 3 cycloaddition reactions

Treatment of several 4-trialkylsilyloxypentadienals with a chiral secondary amine, trifluoroacetic acid, and a diene resulted in the formation of 4 + 3 cycloaddition products, which were enantiomerically enriched. This represents the first examples of the asymmetric organocatalysis of the 4 + 3 cycloaddition reaction. 2,5-Dimethylfuran reacted with 4-trimethylsilyloxy-2,4-pentadienal in the presence of catalytic amounts of chiral amine and acid to afford a cycloadduct in 64% yield as a single diastereomer with an enantiomeric excess of 89%.     

Enantioselective synthesis of dihydropyrazoles by formal [4+1] cycloaddition of in situ-derived azoalkenes and sulfur ylides

An unprecedented strategy to access highly enantioenriched dihydropyrazoles is described. It involves formal [4+1] cycloadditions of in situ-derived azoalkenes and sulfur ylides catalyzed by a chiral copper/Tol-BINAP complex. A variety of synthetically and biologically important dihydropyrazoles have been obtained with high enantioselectivities (up to 97:3 er) in good yields (83-97%).     

Enantioselective synthesis of axially chiral hydroxy carboxylic acid derivatives by rhodium-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition

Axially chiral hydroxy carboxylic acid derivatives were successfully synthesized with high yields and ee values by the cationic rhodium(I)/axially chiral biaryl bisphosphine complex-catalyzed enantioselective [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition. Axially chiral hydroxy and dihydroxy carboxylic acid derivatives, bearing the aryl group at the ortho-position of the alkoxycarbonyl group, were also synthesized with high regio- and enantioselectivity.     

Development of catalytic asymmetric 1,4-addition and [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions using chiral calcium complexes

Catalytic asymmetric 1,4-addition and [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions using chiral calcium species prepared from calcium isopropoxide and chiral bisoxazoline ligands have been developed. Glycine Schiff bases reacted with acrylic esters to afford 1,4-addition products, glutamic acid derivatives, in high yields with high enantioselectivities. During the investigation of the 1,4-addition reactions, we unexpectedly found that a [3 + 2] cycloaddition occurred in the reactions with crotonate derivatives, affording substituted pyrrolidine derivatives in high yields with high enantioselectivities. On the basis of this finding, we investigated asymmetric [3 + 2] cycloadditions, and it was revealed that several kinds of optically active substituted pyrrolidine derivatives containing contiguous stereogenic tertiary and quaternary carbon centers were obtained with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities. In addition, optically active pyrrolidine cores of hepatitis C virus RNA-dependent polymerase inhibitors and potential effective antiviral agents have been synthesized using this [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. NMR spectroscopic analysis and observation of nonamplification of enantioselectivity in nonlinear effect experiments suggested that a monomeric calcium species with an anionic ligand was formed as an active catalyst. A stepwise mechanism of the [3 + 2] cycloaddition, consisting of 1,4-addition and successive intramolecular Mannich-type reaction was suggested. Furthermore, modification of the Schiff base structure resulted in a modification of the reaction course from a [3 + 2] cycloaddition to a 1,4-addition, affording 3-substituted glutamic acid derivatives with high diasterero- and enantioselectivities.     

Highly enantioselective [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions catalyzed by a chiral N-methyl-oxazaborolidinium cation

The reaction of lithium aryl borohydrides with salts of beta-amino alcohols provides a new route for the synthesis of oxazaborolidines. This method also leads to the first synthesis of hitherto elusive N-methyl oxazaborolidine cations, specifically the cationic proline derivative 3. Compound 3 is a strong chiral Lewis acid which is very effective for catalysis of [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions in good yield and with high enantioselectivity. Several diverse examples illustrate the scope of these catalytic reactions.     

An entry to a chiral dihydropyrazole scaffold: enantioselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition of nitrile imines

We have developed a versatile strategy to access dihydropyrazoles in highly enantioenriched form. Dipolar cycloaddition of electron-deficient acceptors and in situ-generated nitrile imines proceeds with high regio- and enantioselectivity using 10 mol % chiral Lewis acid catalyst. A variety of dihydropyrazoles that incorporate functionality for further manipulation have been prepared.     

Intramolecular formal aza-[3 + 3] cycloaddition approach to indoloquinolizidine alkaloids. A stereoselective total synthesis of (+/-)-tangutorine

[reaction: see text] A 19-step stereoselective total synthesis of (+/-)-tangutorine is described here. The total synthesis features an intramolecular aza-[3 + 3] formal cycloaddition strategy and also a Heck coupling for constructing the C2-C3 bond. This work provides a novel approach toward the indoloquinolizidine family of alkaloids.     

A rhodium(I)-xylyl-BINAP catalyzed asymmetric ynamide-[2+2+2] cycloaddition in the synthesis of optically enriched N,O-biaryls

A rhodium(I)-xylyl-BINAP catalyzed asymmetric [2+2+2] cycloaddition of achiral conjugated aryl ynamides with various diynes is described here. This asymmetric cycloaddition provides a series of structurally interesting chiral N,O-biaryls with excellent enantioselectivity along with a modest diastereoselectivity with respect to both C-C and C-N axial chirality.     

Facile synthesis of naphthoquinone spiroketals by diastereoselective oxidative [3 + 2] cycloaddition

A highly selective oxidative [3 + 2] cycloaddition of chiral enol ethers and hydroxynaphthoquinone is described. This convergent strategy is amenable to an enantioselective synthesis of beta-rubromycin and related naphthoquinone spiroketals. Several compounds were found to inhibit DNA-polymerase and telomerase in a manner resembling alpha-rubromycin and beta-rubromycin.     

Development of diamidophosphite ligands and their application to the palladium-catalyzed vinyl-substituted trimethylenemethane asymmetric [3 + 2] cycloaddition

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric [3 + 2] cycloaddition of a vinyl-substituted trimethylenemethane (TMM) donor with α,β-unsaturated acyl imidazoles is described. A newly designed bisdiamidophosphite ligand derived from (S,S)-trans-1,2-cyclohexanediamine and (2R,4R)-pentanediol has been instrumental for the development of this process. This transformation generates tetrasubstituted cyclopentanes bearing three contiguous stereocenters in high yields, with good diastereo- and enantioselectivity.     

Highly enantioselective construction of a chiral spirocyclic structure by the [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of diynes and exo-methylene cyclic compounds

The enantioselective [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with alpha-methylene lactones and cyclic ketones gave various chiral spirocyclic compounds. The reaction proceeded with high enantioselectivity when the rhodium-xylylBINAP complex was used as a chiral catalyst. Not only exo-methylene cyclic compounds but also exo-methylene acyclic compounds could be used as coupling partners for diynes. The present protocol provides access to a new chiral library possessing a quaternary carbon center, including a spirocyclic system.     

Enantioselective synthesis of tripodal cyclophanes and pyridinophanes by intramolecular [2+2+2] cycloaddition

An enantioselective intramolecular [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 2-aminophenol-tethered triynes and diyne-nitriles proceeded using the chiral Rh catalysts, and tripodal cyclophanes and pyridinophanes with a long ansa chain (up to [16]pyridinophane) were obtained in acceptable yield with high to almost perfect ee. In the reaction of triynes, we elucidated that the oxygen atom at the alkyne terminus is essential for the excellent enantioselectivity. For the construction of cage-type molecule, the choice of rigid tether, which connects 1,6-diyne moiety with a side carbon chain having alkyne or cyano group on its terminus, was important, and 8-amino-2-naphthol moiety was also a preferable tether.     

Enantioselective Intramolecular [2,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Aldehydes via a Sulfonium Enamine Intermediate

The rearrangement of sulfur-containing aldehydes by using a sulfonium enamine intermediate as a formylcarbene mimetic is reported. This is an enantioselective, organocatalytic [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement enabling chiral cyclic sulfides bearing an α-quaternary chiral center to be prepared in high optical purity. The enantioselectivity is controlled with a cooperative organocatalyst pair consisting of a chiral amine and a chiral phosphoric acid (CPA). The synthetic versatility of this method is demonstrated by its rapid access to structurally diverse chiral spiro S-heterocycles.