Enantioselective γ-addition reaction of rhodanines to allenoates catalyzed by chiral phosphine-carbamate

Phosphine-catalyzed enantioselective γ-additions of rhodanines to allenoates have been developed for the first time. With the employment of chiral cyclohexane-based phosphines, a wide range of substituted rhodanine derivatives containing tertiary chiral centers were constructed in good yields and high enantioselectivities.     

Enantioselective chlorination of β-keto esters and amides catalyzed by chiral copper（Ⅱ） complexes of squaramide-linked bisoxazoline ligand

Enantioselective chlorination of b-keto esters and amides catalyzed by squaramide-linked bisoxazoline ligand–Cu（OAc）2complexes was investigated. The corresponding chlorinated products were obtained in excellent yields with moderate enantioselectivities. The effect of solvent, temperature, Lewis acid, and ligand structure on the reaction is discussed. This was the first investigation of catalytic asymmetric achlorination of b-keto amides. This study has highlighted that a simple chiral squaramide–oxazoline with cheap Cu（OAc）2 H2 O complexes can catalyze this chlorination.     

Enantioselective oxysulfenylation and oxyselenenylation of olefins catalyzed by chiral Brønsted acids

This paper describes Brønsted acid catalyzed enantioselective oxysulfenylation and oxyselenenylation of olefins. Enantiomerically enriched tetrahydrofurans are formed with up to 63% ee with dibenzoyl-d-tartaric acid and its derivatives as catalyst. Chiral β-carboxyl sulfides and selenides have also been obtained with up to 50% and 84% ee, respectively, via enantioselective desymmetrization of thiiranium and seleniranium ions in the presence of catalytic amounts of chiral binaphthol derived N-triflyl phosphoramide.     

Enantioselective α-hydroxylation of β-keto esters catalyzed by chiral S-timolol derivatives

A screen of aryloxy aminopropanol organocatalysts derived from the β-blocker inhibitor S-timolol determined the most active catalyst of asymmetric α-hydroxylation of β-keto esters. (R)-1-(tert-butylamino)-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenoxy) propan-2-ol (3k) was the most effective derivative, enantioselectively catalyzing α-hydroxylation of β-keto esters using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the oxidant in hexane to afford the corresponding products in excellent yield and with good enantioselectivity (up to 96% yield, 88% ee).     

Enantioselective α-chlorination of β-oxo esters catalyzed by chiral diterpenoid alkaloid derivatives

Easily accessible diterpenoid alkaloid derivatives have been used as organocatalysts in the enantioselective α-chlorination of β-oxo esters. The treatment of β-oxo esters with N-chlorophthalimide (NCP) as a chlorine source under mild reaction conditions afforded the corresponding α-chlorinated β-oxo esters in excellent yields (up to 98%) and with moderate enantioselectivities (up to 68% ee) in 30 min.     

Enantioselective biomimetic transamination of α-keto acids catalyzed by H4-naphthalene-derived axially chiral biaryl pyridoxamines

Asymmetric biomimetic transamination is a highly attractive method for synthesis of chemically and biologically important chiral amino acids and chiral amines. Development of chiral pyridoxamines/pyridoxals is the key for the reaction. New axially chiral biaryl pyridoxamines based on H₄-naphathene skeleton have been developed. The pyridoxamines display good enantioselectivity and high catalytic activity in asymmetric biomimetic transamination of α-keto acids, affording various optically active unnatural amino acids in 61–98% yields with up to 91% ee’s.     

N-bromosuccinimide mediated decarboxylative sulfonylation of β-keto acids with sodium sulfinates toward β-keto sulfones: Evaluation of human carboxylesterase 1 activity

A N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) mediated decarboxylative sulfonylation of β-keto acids with sodium sulfinates is developed. The transformation exhibits a broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance. Preliminary mechanistic studies showed that this reaction is likely to proceed through a nucleophilic substitution of β-keto acid with sulfonyl bromide pathway. All synthesized β-keto sulfones were evaluated the inhibitory effect against human carboxylesterase 1 (CES1). This investigation offers an expedient strategy for efficient synthesis of β-keto sulfones that are widely present in biologically active natural products and pharmaceutical agents.     

Enantioselective direct aza hetero-Diels-Alder reaction catalyzed by chiral Brønsted acids

[Structure: see text] The first chiral Br?nsted acid-catalyzed asymmetric direct aza hetero-Diels-Alder reaction has been described. The phosphoric acids, prepared from binol and H8-binol derivatives, have shown catalytic ability for the reaction of cyclohexenone with N-PMP-benzaldimine. A chiral phosphoric acid, derived from 3,3-di(4-chloropheneyl)-H8-binol, exhibited superior enantioselectivity, affording fairly good yields and enantioselectivities for the reaction of a range of aromatic aldimines with cyclohexenone.     

Enantioselective α-hydrazination of α-fluoro-β-ketoesters catalyzed by chiral nickel complexes

The catalytic enantioselective electrophilic α-hydrazination promoted by chiral nickel complexes is described. Treatment of α-fluoro-β-ketoesters with azodicarboxylates as electrophilic amination reagents under mild reaction conditions afforded the corresponding α-amino α-fluoro-β-ketoesters with high yields (80-96%) and enantioselectivities (up to 78% ee).     

Enantioselective Mannich reaction of γ-malonate-substituted α,β-unsaturated esters with N-Boc imines catalyzed by chiral bifunctional thiourea-phosphonium salts

A novel enantioselective Mannich reaction of γ-malonate-substituted α, β-unsaturated esters with N-protected arylaldimines was realized by using asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis (APTC). With amino acid-derived bifunctional thiourea-phosphonium salts as a catalyst, a series of enantio-enriched Mannich products could be synthesized under very mild and simple reaction conditions with high yields and enantioselectivities.     

Enzymatic and chiral HPLC resolution of α-azido acids and amides

For the first time, enzymatic resolution of α-azido acid amides has been successfully demonstrated with high yields and enantiomeric excess. In one case dynamic kinetic resolution was achieved leading to more than 50% yield of the enantiomerically pure azido acid. Chiral HPLC was also used to separate racemic α-azido acids and the separation process was automated. Two routes to enantiopure α-azido acid building blocks for solid-phase peptide synthesis have, therefore, been established.     

Enantioselective preparation of cis-β-azidocyclopropane esters by cyclopropanation of azido alkenes using a chiral dirhodium catalyst

A diastereo- and enantiocontrolled preparation of the conformationally restricted cis-β-azidocyclopropane esters have been developed. The Rh(2)(S-DOSP)(4) was found to be an efficient catalyst in hexane for the cyclopropanation of azido alkenes with diazo esters, and 19 cis-β-azidocyclopropane esters were prepared in excellent yields. The value of the diastereomer ratio was up to 99:1, and the enantiomeric excess was up to 95%. Furthermore, the relative and absolute configuration was confirmed by X-ray analysis.     

Enantioselective intermolecular iodoacetalization of enol ethers catalyzed by chiral Co(III)-complex-templated Brønsted acids

The chiral Co(III)-complex-templated Brønsted acids were used as efficient bifunctional phase-transfer catalysts for the asymmetric intermolecular iodoacetalization of enol ethers, such as 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran, 2,3-dihydrofuran, ethyl vinyl ether with alcohols and NIS, furnishing the 3-iodoacetals in high yield with up to 83:17 er.     

The CGC enantiomer separation of 2-arylcarboxylic acid esters by using β-cyclodextrin derivatives as chiral stationary phases

Chiral 2-arylcarboxylic acid esters are important intermediates in preparation of enantioenriched 2-arylpropionic acids type Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Enantiomer separation of 2-arylcarboxylic acid esters is crucial for evaluation of the asymmetric synthesis efficiency and the enantiomer excess of chiral 2-arylcarboxylic acid derivatives. The capillary gas chromatography (CGC) enantiomer separation of 17 pairs of 2-arylcarboxylic acid esters enantiomers was conducted by using seven different β-cyclodextrin derivatives (CDs) as chiral stationary phases. It was found that for the 7 pairs of 2-phenylpropionates enantiomers, CDs with both alkyl and acyl substituents especially 2,6-di-O-pentyl-3-O-butyryl-β-cyclodextrin exhibited better enantiomer separation abilities than the other CDs examined. For the 7 pairs of 2-(4-substituted phenyl)propionates enantiomers, 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-β-cyclodextrin possessed better enantiomer separation abilities than the other CDs. Among the 3 pairs of 2-phenylbutyrates enantiomers examined, only methyl 2-phenylbutyrate enantiomers could be separated by three CDs among the 7 CDs tested, while enantiomers of ethyl 2-phenylbutyrate and isopropyl 2-phenylbutyrate couldn't be separated by any of the 7 CDs tested. Besides the structures of CDs, the structures of 2-arylcarboxylic acid esters including different ester moieties, substituents of phenyl, and different carboxylic acids moieties in 2-arylcarboxylic acid esters also affected the enantiomer separation results greatly. The CGC enantiomer separation results of 2-arylcarboxylic acid esters on different CDs are useful for solving the enantiomer separation problem of 2-arylcarboxylic acid esters.     

Addition of aldehydes with allyltrichlorosilane catalyzed by chiral bis-N–O secondary amides

New axially N-oxide amides derived from l-tryptophan were prepared and used as organocatalysts in enantioselective allylation of aromatic aldehydes with allyltrichlorosilanes. The corresponding addition adducts homoallylic chiral alcohols obtained high enantioselectivities (up to 96% ee) when 1 mol % of catalyst was used. The unexpected result is the addition product's absolute configuration is R when (R)-chiral amides was used, in contrast, it was (S) when (R)-chiral methyl ester were used in allylation. It exhibited that the N atoms of amides take part in the transition state procedure.     

Chemoselective conversion of α-unbranched aldehydes to amides, esters, and carboxylic acids by NHC-catalysis

Depending on the N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst utilized, α-unbranched aldehydes selectively provided amides, esters, or carboxylic acids through oxidation by NCS. The α-unbranched aldehyde underwent these reactions chemoselectively in the presence of an aromatic or α-branched aldehyde.     

Enantioselective synthesis of functionalized α-amino acids via a chiral guanidine catalyzed Michael addition reaction

Several chiral guanidines were evaluated as catalysts for the Michael reaction of glycine derivatives 7 with acrylic esters 8. The best result (30.4% ee) was obtained when 7b was reacted with 8b under the catalysis of guanidine 1 in THF.     

Facile synthesis of α, β-unsaturated esters through a one-pot copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation-Wittig reaction

An efficient one-pot synthesis of α, β-unsaturated esters through the aerobic oxidation – Wittig tandem reaction of alcohols and phosphorous ylide is developed. This new method operates under mild reaction conditions, and uses CuI/TEMPO (TEMPO = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl) as co-catalyst and air (O₂) as the oxidant. It tolerates a wide range of functionalized benzylic alcohol and aliphatic alcohols.     

Dynamic kinetic resolution of azlactones catalyzed by chiral Brønsted acids

Chiral Br?nsted acids have been shown for the first time to catalyze the dynamic kinetic resolution of azlactones. 3,3'-Bis-(9-anthryl)-BINOL phosphoric acid 3c is particularly effective in the case of 4-aryl-substituted substrates, producing 85-92% ee's.