Rhodium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of arylboronates and diazoesters and tandem alkylation reaction for the synthesis of quaternary α,α-heterodiaryl carboxylic esters

A rhodium-catalyzed one-pot three-component coupling reaction was developed for the synthesis of quaternary α,α-heterodiaryl carboxylic esters. This reaction involves cross-coupling of the arylrhodium(I) complexes with α-aryldiazoacetates to form oxa-π-allylrhodium complexes. With KOtBu and alkyl halides, tandem alkylation of the allyl complex occurs to form a quaternary stereocenter at the carbenic carbon.     

Investigating the reaction mechanism and organocatalytic synthesis of α,α'-dihydroxy ketones

A biomimetic TK one-pot reaction using hydroxypyruvate and aldehydes to generate α,α'-dihydroxy ketones in water has recently been described. To investigate this tertiary-amine mediated reaction mechanism two approaches were used. Firstly, (13)C labelled lithium hydroxypyruvate was synthesised and used to establish where hydroxypyruvate is incorporated in the product. In separate experiments reaction intermediates were also successfully intercepted and structurally identified using ESI-MS with tandem mass spectrometry ESI-MS/MS. These studies indicated that two mechanisms appear to be operating, one involving the addition of the tertiary amine catalyst to hydroxypyruvate, the other an aldol-based mechanism. Since the first mechanism may enable facial stereodifferentiation in the addition of intermediates to the aldehyde, a preliminary study on the use of chiral catalysts was performed and the first asymmetric organocatalytic synthesis of α,α'-dihydroxy ketones in aqueous media achieved, in up to 50% ee, using a quinine ether catalyst.     

Activation of mixed carboxylic α-bromotoluoyl anhydrides by silver tetraflouroborate. Synthesis of ester and thiol esters

Mixed carboxylic α-bromotoluoyl anhydrides were activated by silver tetrafluoroborate through intramolecular cyclization and reacted with alcohols or thiols giving the corresponding esters or thiol esters in good yileds with the elimination of phthalide.     

Stereoselective synthesis of α,α-difluoro-β,γ-alkenyl ketones by free-radical reaction of iododifluoromethyl ketones with alkynes

A method for stereoselective synthesis of α,α-difluoro-γ-iodo-β,γ-alkenyl ketones via radical difluoroacetylation of iododifluoromethyl ketones with terminal and internal alkynes was reported. This methodology provides a straightforward access to 3,3-disubstitued allylic difluorides.     

Asymmetric synthesis of α-amino acids by reduction of N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimine esters

A highly regio- and diastereoselective reduction of various N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimine esters with L-Selectride resulting in the formation of α-amino acids is reported. This method is quite general and also practical for the preparation of both enantiomers of aryl or aliphatic α-amino acids in high yields.     

Solvent-free synthesis of β-enamino ketones and esters catalysed by recyclable iron(III) triflate

A novel application of highly stable Fe(OTf)₃ as an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of a variety of β-enamino ketones and esters under solvent-free conditions is described. Notably, this protocol of a “green synthesis”, which produced β-enamino ketones and esters by the reaction of a variety of β-dicarbonyl compounds and primary amines, exhibits attractive properties including high yields, short reaction periods, lower loading of catalyst and chemo- and regio-selectivity. In addition, the catalyst was easily recovered from the reaction system and readily reused with minimal loss of activity.     

Stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydropyran new derivatives underlain by α-allyl ketones

Decarboxylation of α-allyl-substituted acetoacetic esters afforded α-allyl ketones that were reduced with L-selectride [LiBH(s-Bu)₃] in alcohols RCH(OH)CH₂CH₂CH=C(Me)CH₂R'. The latter reacted with methyl 4-hydroxy-3-formylbenzoate and methyl orthoformate in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid to provide trans-tetrahydropyrano[3,2-с][1]benzopyran. In reaction of the E-isomer of alcohol Me₂CHCH(OH) CH₂CH₂CH=C(Me)CH₂CH₂Ph with CF₃SO₃H a stereoselective cyclization occurred with the formation of 2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyran; Prins reaction with 4-bromobenzaldehyde and salicylaldehyde in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate also proceeded stereoselectively giving a substituted tetrahydropyrano-[3,2-c][1]-benzopyran.     

Silicon-containing esters of α-cyanoacrylic acid: synthesis and properties

A number of cyanoacetates have been synthesized: cyanoacetoxymethyitrimethylsilane (1), cyanoacetoxymethylpentamethyldisiloxane (2), cyanoacetoxyetoxymethylpentamethyldisiloxane (3). They were converted by the Knoevenagel reaction to novel esters of a-cyanoacrylic acid (4–13) containing silicon atoms in the ester groups and having the general formula RCH=C(CN)COOCH₂X (where R=H, 4-MeOC₆H₄, MeCH=CH, 2-furyl; X=SiMe₃, SiMe₂OSiMe₃, CH₂OCH₂SiMe₂OSiMe₃). These compounds are capable of copolymerization with esters of cyanoacrylic acid which are the precursors to adhesives for cold curing.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 949–952, May, 1993.     

Novel synthesis of β-siloxy esters by condensation of carbonyls and trimethylsilane with α,β-unsaturated esters catalyzed by RhCl3

A novel one pot reaction of α,β-unsaturated esters with carbonyls and trimethylsilane gave good yields of β-siloxy esters. This RhCl₃ catalyzed method improves upon the two step reaction of silyl ketene acetals with carbonyls.     

Catalysis of highly stereoselective Mannich-type reactions of ketones with α-imino esters by a pyrrolidine-sulfonamide. Synthesis of unnatural α-amino acids

The novel pyrrolidine-sulfonamide I has been prepared and used successfully to catalyze Mannich-type reactions between ketones and α-imino esters. The process is used to efficiently synthesize functionalized α-amino acid derivatives with excellent levels of regio-, diastereo-, and enantio-selectivity.     

Stereocontrolled one-pot conversions of α-alkoxy esters to syn- and anti-1,2-diol derivatives

Complementary one-pot methods for the sequential addition of carbon and hydride nucleophiles to α-alkoxy esters leading to syn or anti mono-protected vicinal glycol derivatives are described.     

Synthesis of α-halo-α,α-difluoromethyl ketones by a trifluoroacetate release/halogenation protocol

Three series of α-halo-α,α-difluoromethyl ketones are prepared from highly α-fluorinated gem-diols by exploiting the facile release of trifluoroacetate, followed by immediate trapping of the liberated α,α-difluoroenolate with an electrophilic chlorine, bromine, or iodine source. The products are typically isolated in good yields, even in the case of sensitive, α-iodo-α,α-difluoromethyl ketones. Also, we demonstrate that an α-iodo-α,α-difluoromethyl ketone will participate in a copper-promoted reaction to forge a new carbon-carbon bond.     

Facile and convenient synthesis of aryl hydrazines via copper-catalyzed C–N cross-coupling of aryl halides and hydrazine hydrate

An efficient and convenient method for the synthesis of aryl hydrazines has been developed via copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl bromides and hydrazine with a readily accessible ligand and water as a solvent. The multigram scale procedure is applicable to aryl bromides bearing both moderately electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents in the aromatic nucleus. No column chromatography is required to obtain aryl hydrazine hydrochlorides in good yields.     

Dehydration of α-silylalcohols in the reductive conversion of esters and ketones into alkenes

The conversion of esters and ketones into easily dehydrated α-silylated alcohols, and protodesilylation of the resultant vinylsilanes, gives alkenes under relatively mild acidic conditions.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of α-hydroxy aromatic ketones from α-bromo aromatic ketones in water

A reaction ofα-bromo aromatic ketones in water with microwave irradiation gave the correspondingα-hydroxy aromatic ketones in good yields.The use of microwaves was found to significantly improve yields and shorten the reaction time.This reaction afforded a very clean,convenient method for the synthesis ofα-hydroxy aromatic ketones.     

A synthesis of biaryl ketones via the C–S bond cleavage of thiol ester by a Cu/Ag salt

We report the synthesis of biaryl ketones via an unprecedented copper/silver catalyzed acylative cross-coupling of thiol esters with either an arylboronic acid or a potassium aryltrifluoroborate. This new method proceeds without a requisite Pd-catalyst and Cu(I)TC mediator, and is efficient, versatile, operationally simple, and accommodating functionally diverse thiol esters, arylboronic acids, and potassium aryltrifluoroborates.     

Asymmetric synthesis of α-chiral ketones by the reduction of enones with baker's yeast

Baker's yeast-mediated asymmetric reduction of α,β-unsaturated ketones (enones) having a pyridyl ring affords the corresponding optically active α-substituted ketones (α-chiral ketones) with excellent stereoselectivity. The position of the heteroatom, as well as the bulk of the α-substituent, plays an important role in governing the stereoselectivity in the reduction of a carboncarbon double bond.     

Stereoselective palladium-catalyzed functionalization of homoallylic alcohols: a convenient synthesis of di- and trisubstituted isoxazolidines and β-amino-δ-hydroxy esters

Enantiopure, Boc-protected alkoxyamines 12 and 13, derived from the readily available homoallylic alcohols 4 via a reaction that involves either inversion or retention of configuration, undergo a diastereoselective Pd-catalyzed ring-closing carbonylative amidation to produce isoxazolidines 16/17 (≤50:1 diastereoisomer ratio (d.r.)) that can be readily converted into the N-Boc-protected esters of β-amino-δ-hydroxy acids and their γ-substituted homologues 37. The key carbonylative cyclization proceeds through an unusual syn addition of the palladium and the nitrogen nucleophile across the C=C bond (19→21), as revealed by the reaction of 15, which afforded isoxazolidine 18 with high diastereoselectivity.     

Stereocontrolled reduction of chiral pyrrolidine and piperidine β-enamino esters: formal enantioselective synthesis of (+)-calvine

The results of a study dealing with the chemio- and diastereoselective reduction of chiral pyrrolidine and piperidine β-enamino esters 1, 2 and 3, 4 into β-amino esters are reported. This approach was successfully applied to a formal synthesis of (+)-calvine.