Enantioselective iminium-catalyzed epoxidation of hindered trisubstituted allylic alcohols

The reactivity of diastereomeric biaryl iminium cations made of a (Ra)-5,5′,6,6′,7,7′,8,8′-octahydrobinaphthyl core and exocyclic appendages derived from (S)- or (R)-3,3-dimethylbutyl-2-amine was investigated with hindered trisubstituted allylic alcohols—a class of alkenes which had not been previously studied in detail in epoxidation reactions with cyclic iminium catalysts (ee up to 98%). Surprisingly, generally strong matched/mismatched effects are observed not only in terms of reactivity but also on the enantioselectivity of the reaction (Δee up to 16%). Also, for the most hindered substrates, two sets of reaction conditions were tested in a preliminary study and little advantage was found in running reactions in MeCN/water instead of CH₂Cl₂/water/18-C-6. In any case, the presence of the hydroxyl group did not reveal any anchimeric effect.     

Enantioselective synthesis of allylic alcohols by the sequential aminoxylation-olefination reactions of aldehydes under ambient conditions

A novel, highly enantioselective synthesis of O-amino-substituted allylic alcohols by the sequential asymmetric alpha-aminoxylation/Wadsworth-Emmons-Horner olefination reactions of aldehydes is presented.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic allylic amination

A new strategy for catalytic enantioselective allylic amination based on organocatalysis has been developed. Using a commercially available organocatalyst we demonstrate a direct highly enantioselective allylic electrophilic functionalization of alkylidene cyanoacetates and malononitriles with azodicarboxylates. The reaction is broad in scope and proceeds in high yields and with enantioselectivities up to 99%. Furthermore, we demonstrate the synthetic utility of the optically active products formed: highly diastereoselective Diels-Alder reaction, reduction, and formation of optically active building blocks, which are found in various important bioactive compounds such as quinacrine, chloroquine, and analogues thereof.     

Stereoselective dichlorination of allylic alcohol derivatives to access key stereochemical arrays of the chlorosulfolipids

Dichlorination of (Z)-allylic trichloroacetates efficiently and stereoselectively generates the syn,syn hydroxydichloride stereotriad that is prevalent in the understudied polychlorinated sulfolipid class of natural products. Further, the dichlorination of a (Z)-allylic chlorohydrin affords with high selectivity a stereotetrad present in one of the chlorosulfolipids.     

Regioselective hydroformylation of allylic alcohols

A highly regioselective hydroformylation of allylic alcohols is reported toward the synthesis of β-hydroxy-acid and aldehyde products. The selectivity is achieved through the use of a ligand that reversibly binds to alcohols in situ, allowing for a directed hydroformylation to occur. The application to trisubstituted olefins was also demonstrated, which yields a single diastereomer product consistent with a stereospecific addition of CO and hydrogen.     

Palladium-catalyzed allylic alkenylation of allylic alcohols with n-butyl acrylate

Various allylic alcohols reacted with n-butyl acrylate in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic anhydride and palladium catalysts to yield the corresponding n-butyl 2,5-dienoates with high regioselectivity.     

Enantioselective copper-catalyzed allylic acetoxylation of cyclohexene

Heating cyclohexene at 70 °C in the presence of AcOH, t-BuOOH and catalytic amounts of both copper- acetate or -oxide and inexpensive commercial L-amino acids led to preferential formation of (S)-acetylcyclohexene. Up to ca. 30% enantiomeric excess has been attained by this procedure, which directly introduces an optically active center in an allylic position.     

Direct, enantioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic amination of racemic allylic alcohols

The direct route: Iridium-catalyzed direct conversion of branched allylic alcohols into enantioenriched branched primary allylic amines is highly regio- and enantioselective (see scheme; coe=cyclooctene).     

Direct catalytic azidation of allylic alcohols

A direct catalytic azidation of primary, secondary, and tertiary allylic alcohols has been developed. This new azidation reaction affords the corresponding allylic azides in high to excellent yields and regioselectivities. The reaction provides straightforward access to allylic azides that are valuable intermediates in organic synthesis, including the preparation of primary amines or 1,2,3-triazole derivatives.     

Synthesis of allylic alcohols from oxazolinyloxiranes

Lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) (or s-BuLi/TMEDA) in diethyl ether promotes smooth ring opening of oxazolinyl alkyl oxiranes to give oxazolinyl allylic alcohols, which are masked Baylis-Hillman adducts, in good to excellent yields. An E2-E1cb-like syn-beta-elimination is proposed to explain the easy base-promoted isomerization of the studied oxiranes.     

Diastereoselective ireland-claisen rearrangement of allylic alcohols

The “chelation-controlled” Ireland-Claisen rearrangement of allylic glycolate esters is described in which the stereocontrol of the prochiral sp² sites is achieved by the allylic oxygen substitutent.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed reductive amination of allylic alcohols

Straighforward access to various saturated amines from allylic alcohols and isostructural mixture can now be achieved in the presence of arene ruthenium catalyst featuring phosphinesulfonate ligand and a hydrogen donor.     

Gold-catalysed allylic alkylation of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds with allylic alcohols

Friedel-Crafts allylic alkylation of a wide variety of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds with allylic alcohols catalysed by AuCl(3) (5 mol%) under mild conditions at room temperature was accomplished in good to excellent yields (up to 99%) and regioselectivity.     

Enantioselective epoxidation with chiral MN(III)(salen) catalysts: kinetic resolution of aryl-substituted allylic alcohols

A set of aryl-substituted allylic alcohols rac-2 has been epoxidized by chiral Mn(salen*) complexes 1 as the catalyst and iodosyl benzene (PhIO) as the oxygen source. Whereas one enantiomer of the allylic alcohol 2 is preferentially epoxidized to give the threo- or cis-epoxy alcohol 3 (up to 80% ee) as the main product (dr up to >95:5), the other enantiomer of 2 is enriched (up to 53% ee). In the case of 1,1-dimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalen-2-ol (2c), the CH oxidation to the enone 4c proceeds enantioselectively and competes with the epoxidation. The absolute configurations of the allylic alcohols 2 and their epoxides 3 have been determined by chemical correlation or CD spectroscopy. The observed diastereo- and enantioselectivities in the epoxidation reactions are rationalized in terms of a beneficial interplay between the hydroxy-directing effect and the attack along the Katsuki trajectory.     

Gold- and silver-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with allylic alcohols

A highly efficient gold- and silver-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with allylic alcohols has been developed. The reaction was shown to proceed expediently for a wide variety of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and allylic alcohols, including 1° and terminal ones, under very mild conditions at room temperature in good to excellent yields (55-96%).     

Low-valent titanium-mediated stereoselective alkylation of allylic alcohols

We have developed low-valent titanium-mediated 1,3-transpositive cross-coupling reactions of acyclic and cyclic allylic alcohols for the stereoselective introduction of ethyl, 2-silylethyl, 2-phenethyl, and alkenyl groups. Cross-coupling of an allylic alcohol with a vinylsilane or styrene derivative is particularly noteworthy, as an efficient cross-selective coupling of two alkenes has been elusive. The stereochemistry of the cross-coupling alkylation is consistent with syn addition/beta-elimination.