Efficient preparation of highly optically active (S)-(-)-2,3-allenols and (R)-(+)-2,3-allenyl acetates by a clean novozym-435-catalyzed enzymatic separation of racemic 2,3-allenols

Novozym-435 has been found to be an effective biocatalyst for the kinetic resolution of a series of racemic 2,3-allenols, affording highly optically active (S)-(-)-2,3-allenols and (R)-(+)-2,3-allenyl acetates in high yields and with excellent ee values. The reaction of 3-(n-butyl)-3,4-pentadien-2-ol (1 a) was successfully performed on a 10 g scale to afford the corresponding (S)-(-)-2,3-allenol (1 a) and (R)-(+)-2,3-allenyl acetate (2 a) in synthetically useful amounts and with high ee values. The advantages of this reaction are the ready availability of the starting materials, high stereoselectivities for both (-)-2,3-allenols and (+)-2,3-allenyl acetates, the use of a relatively high substrate concentration, and a lower catalyst loading. The resulting (S)-(-)-2,3-allenol 1 a can be converted into the corresponding chiral 2,5-dihydrofuran and the vinylic epoxide.     

One-pot synthesis of new aza- and diaza-aminophenanthrenes

The synthesis of a series of benzo(iso)quinoline and phenanthroline derivatives has been achieved using an efficient one-pot procedure. It proceeds through a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling followed by a Dieckmann-Thorpe ring closure under microwave irradiation and provides easy access to building blocks not readily available through other methods.     

One-pot three-component catalytic synthesis of fully substituted pyrroles from readily available propargylic alcohols, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and primary amines

A simple and highly efficient method for the preparation of fully substituted pyrroles, from readily accessible secondary propargylic alcohols, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and primary amines, has been developed. The one-pot multicomponent reaction, which is catalysed by the system [Ru(eta(3)-2-C(3)H(4)Me)(CO)(dppf)][SbF(6)]/CF(3)CO(2)H (dppf: 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocene), involves initial propargylation of the 1,3-dicarbonyl compound promoted by CF(3)CO(2)H and subsequent condensation between the resulting gamma-keto alkyne and the primary amine to afford a propargylated beta-enamino ester or ketone, which undergoes a ruthenium-catalysed 5-exo-dig annulation to form the final pyrrole.     

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric amination and imidation of 2,3-allenyl phosphates

[reaction: see text] Asymmetric amination of 2,3-allenyl phosphates with nitrogen nucleophiles such as amines, hydroxylamines, and imides can be performed efficiently using a combination of zerovalent palladium complexes and SEGPHOS or MeOBIPHEP ligand, affording the corresponding optically active 1-aminated derivatives with enantiomeric excess of up to 97% ee.     

Rational design of complex molecular structures starting from readily available precursors

The review summarizes recent advances in the selective synthesis of complex molecular systems starting from simple readily available precursors. Such systems have a great potential for application in pharmacology, medicine, and materials science. The efficiency of the application of catalysis and structural studies for the development of new methods of synthesis is demonstrated.     

Synthesis of beta-lactams bearing functionalized side chains from a readily available precursor

The reaction of chlorosulfonyl isocyanate (CSI) with alkenes provides beta-lactams in quantity, and the products have frequently been used for ring-opening polymerization to generate nylon-3 materials. Prior uses of this approach have focused almost entirely on beta-lactams with purely hydrocarbon substitutents. We show how a variety of beta-lactams bearing protected polar substituents can be generated from CSI-derived building blocks.     

N-t-butanesulfinyl amide: An optimised and versatile access from readily available starting materials

We report the synthesis of t-butanesulfinylphthalimide and its complete regioselective ring opening by a range of nucleophiles. Further treatment of the obtained N-t-butanesulfinyl amides under basic conditions has been shown to give t-butanesulfinamide. Although the involvement of chiral nucleophiles in this process did not allow the isolation of enantiomerically pure t-butanesulfinamide, we have accessed in a rapid and efficient fashion the original compounds bearing two H-bond sites and two chiral centers that shall potentially exhibit some organocatalytic activity by comparison with known structurally related compounds.     

Synthesis,structure and reactivity of a macrocyclic imine: aza-[13]-macrodiolides

The in situ synthesis and subsequent reactions of macrocylic imine 2 are reported. The imine was trapped with cyanotrimethylsilane to give α-amino nitrile aza-[13]-macrodiolides in a 1:1 ratio of diastereomers. A crystal structure of the syn α-cyano nitrile diastereomer, 7a, provided insights into the lack of selectivity in reactions of 2 relative to macrocyclic alkene 1. Reactions to functionalize the syn diastereomer 7a are also reported.     

Facile room-temperature assembly of the 1,2,4-oxadiazole core from readily available amidoximes and carboxylic acids

A one-pot ambient-temperature procedure for the synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted-1,2,4-oxadiazoles from amidoximes and carboxylic acids under superbase-promoted conditions is reported.     

One-pot and stereoselective synthesis of 2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one with a phosphanylidene or phosphono-succinate substituent

The one-pot synthesis of 2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzodiazepins-2-one bearing phosphanylidene (ylide) or phosphono-succinate substituent is described. In this four-component reaction, benzodiazepine derived from condensation of o-phenylenediamine and diketene is trapped with the trialkyl phosphite-dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylate zwitterion. In the presence of H₂O, the ylide functional group is hydrolyzed to the corresponding phosphonate. The configuration of the products is selective and only one of the two possible rotamers or diastereomers is formed exclusively in high yield.     

Highly regioselective three-component palladium-catalyzed synthesis of 5-vinyloxazolidin-2-ones from 2,3-allenyl amines,organic iodides,and carbon dioxide

A highly regioselective Pd(0)-catalyzed synthesis of 5-vinyloxazolidin-2-ones from 2,3-allenic amines, organic iodides, and CO₂ under mild conditions has been developed.     

A new class of readily available and conformationally rigid phosphino-oxazoline ligands for asymmetric catalysis

A new class of conformationally rigid phosphino-oxazoline ligands 3 were synthesized via an efficient ortho-substitution of phenyl glycinol as the key step. Divergent synthetic routes for easy ligand modulation, as well as a procedure suitable for scale-up synthesis, were established. The catalytic potential of ligands 3 has been demonstrated in the highly enantioselective Ir-catalyzed hydrogenation of alkenes and Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution and intermolecular Heck reactions.     

One-pot asymmetric synthesis of 2- and 2,3-disubstituted tetrahydrofuran derivatives

A novel and convenient one-pot asymmetric synthesis of 2- and 2,3-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans has been achieved in 56-81% yields and 86-99% ee from aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes via an allyl/crotyl/alkoxyallylboration-hydroboration-iodination-cyclization reaction sequence.     

Efficient two-step synthesis of 3-halo-3-enals or 2-halo-2-alkenyl ketones from propargylic bromides via a unique cationic 1,2-aryl or proton shift in electrophilic addition reaction of 2,3-allenols with X+

The reaction of readily available 1-substituted 2,3-allenols with Br2, NBS, or I2 afforded the not-easily-available but synthetically useful 3-halo-3-alkenals or 2-halo-2-alkenyl ketones in good yields via a sequential electrophilic interaction of X+ with the allene moiety , a 1,2-aryl or proton shift, and a H+-elimination process; the structures of the products were established by X-ray diffraction study.     

Studies on the regio- and stereoselectivity of halohydroxylation of 1,2-allenyl sulfides or selenides

It was observed that the halohydroxylation of 1,2-allenyl sulfides or selenides with Br2 (CuBr2 or NBS) or I2 and water demonstrated a fairly good regioselectivity (i.e., the C=C bond that is remote from the S or Se atom was halohydroxylated with the halogen atom connecting to the middle carbon atom and the hydroxyl group connecting to the non-S terminal carbon or Se-substituted terminal carbon atom of the allene moiety), leading to the synthesis of synthetically important 3-organosulfur or seleno-2-haloallylic alcohols. The stereoselectivity depends on the nature of X+ and S or Se, showing a Z-selectivity with the matched Lewis acid-base pair.     

Proline-based N-oxides as readily available and modular chiral catalysts. Enantioselective reactions of allyltrichlorosilane with aldehydes

[reaction: see text]. A proline-based N-oxide is identified that serves as an effective catalyst for the reaction of allyltrichlorosilane with aryl and alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes at room temperature to afford the desired homoallylic alcohols in up to 92% ee. The chiral catalyst can be easily prepared from optically pure proline in three simple steps and 60% overall yield.     

Efficient synthesis of 3-chloromethyl-2(5H)-furanones and 3-chloromethyl-5,6-dihydropyran-2-ones via the PdCl2-catalyzed chlorocyclocarbonylation of 2,3- or 3,4-allenols

A mild and efficient methodology involving PdCl2-catalyzed chlorocyclocarbonylation of 2,3- or 3,4-allenols with CuCl2 for the synthesis of 3-chloromethyl-2(5H)-furanones and 3-chloromethyl-5,6-dihydropyran-2-ones was developed. This reaction proceeded in a highly regioselective manner, i.e., the chlorine atom was introduced to the terminal position of the allene moiety while the lactone linkage was formed between the center carbon atom of the allene moiety and the hydroxyl oxygen, which was established by the X-ray single crystal diffraction study of gamma-lactone 3p. The highly optically active 3-chloromethyl-2(5H)-furanones could be easily prepared from the readily available optically active 2,3-allenols. A mechanism for this reaction was proposed.