Catalysis of 3-pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid and related pyrrolidine derivatives in enantioselective anti-Mannich-type reactions: importance of the 3-acid group on pyrrolidine for stereocontrol

The development of enantioselective anti-selective Mannich-type reactions of aldehydes and ketones with imines catalyzed by 3-pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid and related pyrrolidine derivatives is reported in detail. Both (3R,5R)-5-methyl-3-pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid and (R)-3-pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid efficiently catalyzed the reactions of aldehydes with alpha-imino esters under mild conditions and afforded anti-Mannich products with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities (anti/syn up to 99:1, up to >99% ee). For the reactions of ketones with alpha-imino esters, (R)-3-pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid was an efficient catalyst (anti/syn up to >99:1, up to 99% ee). Evaluation of a series of pyrrolidine-based catalysts indicated that the acid group at the beta-position of the pyrrolidine ring of the catalyst played an important role in forwarding the carbon-carbon bond formation and in directing anti-selectivity and enantioselectivity.     

TiCl3/PhN2-mediated radical addition of ethers to aldimines generated in situ under aqueous conditions

Ti(III)-mediated one-electron reduction of phenyldiazonium cation, followed by phenyl radical α-H atom abstraction from ethers, leads to one-pot radical addition of ethers to the C-atom of imines generated in situ from the corresponding aldehydes and imines under aqueous conditions. The reaction is not limited to aromatic aldehydes and may be applied to imines generated in situ from formaldehyde and enolizable aldehydes.     

Chemoselective Synthesis of Substituted Imines,Secondary Amines,and β‐Amino Carbonyl Compounds from Nitroaromatics through Cascade Reactions on Gold Catalysts

Substituted imines, α,β‐unsaturated imines, substituted secondary amines, and β‐amino carbonyl compounds have been synthesized by means of new cascade reactions with mono‐ or bifunctional gold‐based solid catalysts under mild reaction conditions. The related synthetic route involves the hydrogenation of a nitroaromatic compound in the presence of a second reactant such as an aldehyde, α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compound, or alkyne, which circumvents an ex situ reduction process for producing the aromatic amine. The process is shown to be highly selective towards other competing groups, such as double bonds, carbonyls, halogens, nitriles, or cinnamates, and thereby allows the synthesis of different substituted nitrogenated compounds. For the preparation of imines, substituted anilines are formed and condensed in situ with aldehydes to provide the final product through two tandem reactions. High chemoselectivity is observed, for instance, when double bonds or halides are present within the reactants. In addition, we show that the Au/TiO₂ system is also able to catalyze the chemoselective hydrogenation of imines, so that secondary amines can be prepared directly through a three‐step cascade reaction by starting from nitroaromatic compounds and aldehydes. On the other hand, Au/TiO₂ can also be used as a bifunctional catalyst to obtain substituted β‐amino carbonyl compounds from nitroaromatics and α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Whereas gold sites promote the in situ formation of anilines, the intrinsic acidity of Ti species on the support surface accelerates the subsequent Michael addition. Finally, two gold‐catalyzed reactions, that is, the hydrogenation of nitro groups and a hydroamination, have been coupled to synthesize additional substituted imines from nitroaromatic compounds and alkynes.     

Amino acid catalyzed direct asymmetric aldol reactions: a bioorganic approach to catalytic asymmetric carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions.

Direct asymmetric catalytic aldol reactions have been successfully performed using aldehydes and unmodified ketones together with commercially available chiral cyclic secondary amines as catalysts. Structure-based catalyst screening identified L-proline and 5,5-dimethyl thiazolidinium-4-carboxylate (DMTC) as the most powerful amino acid catalysts for the reaction of both acyclic and cyclic ketones as aldol donors with aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes to afford the corresponding aldol products with high regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivities. Reactions employing hydroxyacetone as an aldol donor provide anti-1,2-diols as the major product with ee values up to >99%. The reactions are assumed to proceed via a metal-free Zimmerman-Traxler-type transition state and involve an enamine intermediate. The observed stereochemistry of the products is in accordance with the proposed transition state. Further supporting evidence is provided by the lack of nonlinear effects. The reactions tolerate a small amount of water (<4 vol %), do not require inert reaction conditions and preformed enolate equivalents, and can be conveniently performed at room temperature in various solvents. In addition, reaction conditions that facilitate catalyst recovery as well as immobilization are described. Finally, mechanistically related addition reactions such as ketone additions to imines (Mannich-type reactions) and to nitro-olefins and alpha,beta-unsaturated diesters (Michael-type reactions) have also been developed.     

Convenient synthesis of α-amino amides using low-valent tantalum prepared from TaCl5 and Zn

We have developed a general preparation method of α-amino amides from imines and isocyanates using low-valent tantalum prepared from TaCl₅ and Zn in situ. This method was successfully applied to various imines derived from benzaldehyde derivatives with electron-withdrawing or electron-donating substituents, heteroaromatic aldehydes, and an aliphatic, α-branched aldehyde, giving the corresponding α-amino amides in high yields.     

3-Pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid for direct catalytic asymmetric anti-Mannich-type reactions of unmodified ketones

We report the development of direct catalytic, enantioselective, anti-selective Mannich-type reactions between unmodified ketones and alpha-imino esters under mild conditions. The reactions were performed using 5-10 mol % of (R)-3-pyrrolidinecarboxylic or (R)-beta-proline as catalyst in an environmentally benign solvent, 2-PrOH, at room temperature. The anti-Mannich products were obtained in good yields with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to anti/syn >99:1, 99% ee). While (3R,5R)-5-methyl-3-pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid is an excellent catalyst for the anti-Mannich-type reactions of aldehydes, it did not efficiently catalyze the corresponding Mannich-type reactions of ketones; (R)-3-pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid did efficiently catalyze the Mannich-type reactions of ketones. (S)-Proline or (S)-2-pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid has been reported to catalyze the Mannich-type reactions of ketones to afford the syn-products. Thus, the position of the carboxylic acid group on the pyrrolidine ring directs the stereoselection of the catalyzed reaction, providing either syn- or anti-Mannich products.     

Reactions of sulfur- and phosphorus-substituted fluoroalkylating silicon reagents with imines and enamines under acidic conditions

Nucleophilic fluoroalkylation reactions of imines and enamines with α-phenylthio, α-phenylsulfonyl, and α-diethylphosphoryl substituted fluorinated silanes have been investigated. The reactions are promoted by hydrofluoric acid generated in situ from potassium hydrodifluoride and trifluoroacetic acid. Sulfur reagents worked well with both imines and enamines, whereas phosphorus reagent efficiently coupled only with enamines.     

Organocatalytic synthesis of α-hydroxy and α-aminophosphonates

A new and highly flexible procedure is described for the synthesis of α-amino- and α-hydroxy phosphonates. In the presence of a catalytic amount of oxalic acid (10 mol %), trimethyl phosphite reacts with aldehydes or imines (generated in situ from an aldehyde and an amine) to yield the corresponding coupled products in good yield.     

Conjugate addition of lithium ester enolates to 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides: a novel synthesis of functionalized esters and lactones having a tertiary or a quaternary carbon at the β-position

Addition of the lithium ester enolates to 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were synthesized from chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide and ketones or aldehydes, gave esters having a tertiary or a quaternary carbon at the 3-position, and chlorine and sulfinyl groups at the 4-position in high to quantitative yields. The adducts were converted to various esters having methyl, formyl, and hydroxycarbonyl groups at the 3-position. A novel method for the synthesis of γ-lactones, including spiro-type γ-lactones and α-methylene γ-lactones, was realized from the adducts in good overall yields. The scope and limitations of this method and the mechanism of the reactions are also discussed.     

Operationally convenient method for preparation of sulfonamides containing α,α-difluoro-β-amino carbonyl moiety

We report here that the reactions of in situ generated unprotected α,α-difluoroenolates with various N-sulfonyl imines take place under operationally convenient conditions affording a novel type of fluorinated sulfonamides of high pharmaceutical potential. The reactions feature structural generality, excellent yields and can be easily scaled up for practical preparation of the target fluorine-containing sulfonamides.     

Aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman-type reactions: highly enantioselective organocatalytic addition of unmodified α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to N-Boc protected imines

Highly enantioselective catalytic routes to Boc protected aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman-type products are presented. The organocatalytic asymmetric reactions between unmodified α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and N-Boc protected aryl imines proceed with excellent chemo- and enantioselectivity to give the corresponding compounds in good yields with 97-99% ee.     

Montmorillonite KSF clay catalyzed one-pot synthesis of α-aminonitriles

Aryl imines, formed in situ from aldehydes and amines undergo smoothly nucleophilic addition with trimethylsilyl cyanide on the surface of montmorillonite KSF clay under mild reaction conditions to afford the corresponding α-aminonitriles in excellent yields. The solid acid can be recovered and recycled in subsequent reactions with a gradual decrease of activity.     

Ultrasound-assisted rapid and efficient synthesis of propargylamines

Ultrasound was used for the addition of metal acetylides to in situ generated imines to generate propargylamines in good to excellent yields using copper iodide in water at ambient temperature. This process is an efficient alternative to traditional heated reactions. A variety of aldehydes and amines were used for this reaction.     

Employing homoenolates generated by NHC catalysis in carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions: state of the art

Homoenolate is a reactive intermediate that possesses an anionic or nucleophilic carbon β to a carbonyl group or its synthetic equivalent. The recent discovery that homoenolates can be generated from α,β-unsaturated aldehydes via N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) catalysis has led to the development of a number of new reactions. A majority of such reactions include the use of carbon-based electrophiles, such as aldehydes, imines, enones, dienones etc. resulting in the formation of a variety of annulated as well as acyclic products. The easy availability of chiral NHCs has allowed the development of very efficient enantioselective variants of these reactions also. The tolerance showed by NHCs towards magnesium and titanium based Lewis acids has been exploited in the invention of cooperative catalytic processes. This tutorial review focuses on these and other types of homoenolate reactions reported recently, and in the process, updates the previous account published in 2008 in this journal.     

Controlling Stereoselectivity in the Aminocatalytic Enantioselective Mannich Reaction of Aldehydes with In Situ Generated N‐Carbamoyl Imines

A simple and convenient method for the direct, aminocatalytic, and highly enantioselective Mannich reactions of aldehydes with in situ generated N‐carbamoyl imines has been developed. Both α‐imino esters and aromatic imines serve as suitable electrophilic components. Moreover, the judicious selection of commercially available secondary amine catalysts allows selective access to the desired stereoisomer of the N‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl (Boc) or N‐carbobenzyloxy (Cbz) Mannich adducts, with high control over the syn or anti relative configuration and almost perfect enantioselectivity. Besides the possibility to fully control the stereochemistry of the Mannich reaction, the main advantage of this method lies in the operational simplicity; the highly reactive N‐carbamate‐protected imines are generated in situ from stable and easily handled α‐amido sulfones.     

Sterically Hindered and Deconjugative α-Regioselective Asymmetric Mannich Reaction of Meinwald Rearrangement-Intermediate

Compared to γ-addition, the α-addition of α-branched β,γ-unsaturated aldehydes faces larger steric hindrance and disrupts the π–π conjugation, which might be why very few examples are reported. In this article, a highly diastereo- and enantioselective α-regioselective Mannich reaction of isatin-derived ketimines with α-, β- or γ-branched β,γ-unsaturated aldehydes, generated in situ from Meinwald rearrangement of vinyl epoxides, is realized by using chiral N,N′-dioxide/Sc^III catalysts. A series of chiral α-quaternary allyl aldehydes and homoallylic alcohols with vicinal multisubstituted stereocenters are constructed in excellent yields, good d.r. and excellent ee values. Experimental studies and DFT (density functional theory) calculations reveal that the large steric hindrance of the ligand and the Boc (tButyloxy carbonyl) protecting group of imines are critical factors for the α-regioselectivity.     

A stereoselective approach to γ-functionalized carbonyls exploiting the Cu-promoted S(N)2' reaction

While several efficient processes exist to effect the stereoselective creation of carbon-carbon bonds in the α- and β-position of carbonyls, functionalization of the γ-position is much more challenging. We disclose an alternative methodology exploiting the Cu-promoted S(N)2' reaction to achieve the addition of various nucleophiles upon the allylic lactones 5a-d which lead to the generation of the desired γ-functionalized α,β-unsaturated aldehydes 6 following in situ hydrolysis.     

An investigation of imidazole and oxazole syntheses using aryl-substituted TosMIC reagents

This article describes efficient and mild protocols for preparing polysubstituted imidazoles in a single pot from aryl-substituted tosylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) reagents and imines generated in situ. Traditional imine-forming reactions employing virtually any aldehyde and amine followed by addition of the TosMIC reagent delivers 1,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles with predictable regiochemistry. Employing chiral amines and aldehydes, particularly those derived from alpha-amino acids, affords imidazoles with asymmetric centers appended to N-1 or C-5 with excellent retention of chiral purity. 1,4-Disubstituted imidazoles are also readily prepared by a simple variant of the above procedure. Selecting glyoxylic acid as the aldehyde component of this procedure leads to intermediates such as 48, which readily undergo decarboxylation and elimination of the tosyl moiety to deliver 1,4-disubstituted imidazoles in high yields. Alternatively, using NH(4)OH as the amine component in conjunction with a variety of aldehydes delivers 4, 5-disubstituted imidazoles in moderate to good yields in a single pot while avoiding the need for protecting groups. Finally, the facile preparation of mono- and disubstituted oxazoles from these TosMIC reagents and aldehydes is described.     

(S)-Threonine/α,α-(S)-diphenylvalinol-derived chiral ionic liquid: an immobilized organocatalyst for asymmetric syn-aldol reactions

Chiral ionic liquids containing (S)- or (R)-threonine amide and α,α-(S)-diphenylvalinol units were synthesized In the presence of the (S)-threonine-derived catalyst reactions between ketones with secondary carbon atom(s) at the α-position with respect to the carbonyl group and aromatic (heteroaromatic) aldehydes afforded the corresponding syn-aldols in high yields (up to 99%) and with high diastereo-(syn/anti up to 97:3) and enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee), which was maintained over three reaction cycles.     

A new synthesis of β,γ-unsaturated esters from three components, aldehydes, chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, and tert-butyl acetate, via magnesium carbenoid 1,2-CH and 1,2-CC insertion as the key reaction

Addition reaction of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were derived from various aldehydes, with lithium enolate of tert-butyl acetate at −78 °C in THF gave adducts in high yields. Magnesium carbenoids were generated by treatment of these adducts with Grignard reagents via the sulfoxide-magnesium exchange reaction. When the adducts were derived from alkyl aldehydes or electron-deficient aromatic aldehydes, carbenoid 1,2-CH insertion reaction took place from the magnesium carbenoids to afford β,γ-unsaturated butyric esters having a substituent at the β-position. On the contrary, when the adducts were derived from electron-rich aromatic aldehydes, carbenoid 1,2-CC insertion reaction took place from the magnesium carbenoids to give β,γ-unsaturated butyric esters having the aromatic group at the γ-position. Highly stereospecific 1,2-CC insertion reactions were observed in the latter reactions. This procedure provides a good way for a synthesis of β,γ-unsaturated esters from aldehydes with two carbon-carbon bond-formations.