Asymmetric addition of trimethylsilylcyanide to N-benzylimines catalyzed by recyclable chiral dimeric V(V) salen complex

Chiral dimeric vanadium (V) salen complex (10 mol%) derived from 5,5-Methylene di-[(S,S)-{N-(3-tert-butyl salicylidine)-N′-(3′,5′-di-tert-butyl salicylidene)]-1,2-cyclohexanediamine] with vanadyl suphate followed by auto oxidation was used as efficient catalyst for enantioselective Strecker reaction of N-benzylimines with TMSCN at −30 °C. Excellent yield (92%) of α-aminonitrile and high chiral induction was achieved (ee up to 94%) in case of 2-methoxy substituted N-benzylimines in 10 h. The catalytic system worked well up to four cycles with retention of enantioselectivity.     

A quantum chemical study on the mechanism of chiral N-oxides-catalyzed Strecker reaction

The mechanism for the Strecker reaction of silyl cyanide (H₃SiCN) and benzaldehyde N-methylimine (PhCHNCH₃) catalyzed by chiral 3,3′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine N,N′-dioxide was investigated using the density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. The calculations revealed that the non-catalyzed reaction proceeded in a concerted way via a five-membered ring transition state, while the catalytic one occurred stepwisely via a hexacoordinate hypervalent silicate intermediate. It was predicted that both non-catalyzed and catalytic Strecker reactions involved two competitive reaction pathways, that is, addition followed by isomerization or isomerization followed by addition. The calculations indicated that two reaction pathways were comparable for both non-catalyzed and catalytic Strecker reactions. In the catalytic reaction, the strong electron donor (N-O) of chiral N-oxide played an important role in enhancing the reactivity and nucleophilicity of H₃SiCN by coordinating O atom to the Si atom of H₃SiCN. Chiral N-oxide could be used as a good catalyst for the reaction, which was in agreement with the experimental observations.     

General and practical catalytic enantioselective Strecker reaction of ketoimines: significant improvement through catalyst tuning by protic additives

Significant improvement in enantioselectivity and catalyst activity was achieved for the catalytic enantioselective Strecker reaction. Using a catalyst (1-2.5 mol %) prepared from Gd(OⁱPr)₃ and d-glucose derived ligand 1, and in the presence of 2,6-dimethylphenol as an additive, high enantioselectivity was obtained from a wide range of ketoimines, including heteroaromatic and cyclic ketoimines. The new method was applied to an efficient catalytic asymmetric synthesis of sorbinil, a therapeutic agent for diabetic complications.     

Aza-Henry reaction of ketimines catalyzed by guanidine and phosphazene bases

A general catalytic addition of nitromethane to simple N-diphenylphosphinoyl ketimines is achieved using either 10 mol % 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (TMG) or 10 mol % phosphazene (t-Bu-P1) as organic base catalysts in good to high yields. On the other hand, N-sulfinylketimines also furnished the aza-Henry product in good yield with moderate diastereoselectivity (3:1). Thus, the methodology developed here is a good template for developing the first organocatalytic approach towards the aza-Henry reaction of ketimines.     

Enantio- and diastereoselective construction of vicinal quaternary and tertiary carbon centers by catalytic Michael reaction of α-substituted β-keto esters to cyclic enones

A catalytic enantio- and diastereoselective Michael reaction was achieved to construct vicinal quaternary and tertiary carbon centers in one step. Using 5 mol % of La(O-i-Pr)₃ and 10 mol % of a new N-linked-BINOL type ligand, the reaction of α-substituted β-keto esters to cyclic enones provided the corresponding Michael adducts in up to quantitative yield with a diastereomeric ratio up to 86/14 and enantiomeric excess up to 86% for the major isomer. An alternative catalyst preparation method using La(OTf)₃ instead of La(O-i-Pr)₃ was also examined.     

Novel thiolated amino-alcohols as chiral ligands for copper-catalyzed asymmetric nitro-aldol reactions

Thiolated amino-alcohols have been synthesized and evaluated as a potential new class of chiral ligands for copper-catalyzed nitro-aldol reactions. The model nitro-aldol reaction took place smoothly at ambient temperature in the presence of catalytic amounts (5-15 mol %) of the ligands and copper(II) acetate to afford the nitro-aldol product in good to excellent yield without accompanying dehydration. Amino-alcohol ligands bearing N-(2-alkylthio)benzyl substituents provided only modest enantioselectivities (22-46% ee) while those carrying N-2-thienylmethyl substituents provided better enantioselectivities (up to 75% ee). A range of aromatic aldehydes were acceptable for the nitro-aldol reaction with nitromethane, giving moderate to good enantioselectivities (69-88% ee).     

A highly enantioselective Strecker reaction catalyzed by titanium-N-salicyl-β-aminoalcohol complexes

N-salicyl-β-amino alcohols 1 were synthesized and evaluated as ligands for catalytic asymmetric Strecker reactions. N-Benzhydrylaldimines derived from aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes reacted with TMSCN in the presence of 10 mol% of Ti-1 complex to give the Strecker products in excellent yields and in up to >98% ee. The presence of a protic additive is essential to ensure good conversion and reaction rate. The reaction conditions are simple and the stereochemical outcome is predictable from the configuration of the ligands, both enantiomers of which are readily synthesized.     

Cu-nanoparticles: a chemoselective catalyst for the aza-Michael reactions of N-alkyl- and N-arylpiperazines with acrylonitrile

A novel method for effecting the aza-Michael reactions of N-alkyl- and N-arylpiperazines with acrylonitrile using Cu-nanoparticles is described. The method features the use of 10 mol % Cu (14-17 nm) nanoparticles under mild reaction conditions to afford the addition products in good to excellent yields. The Cu-nanoparticles selectively catalysed the aza-Michael reaction of N-alkyl- and N-arylpiperazines in the presence of aromatic amino or aliphatic hydroxy groups.     

Diversity-oriented pyrazol-3-one synthesis based on hydrazinodipeptide-like units prepared via the Ugi reaction

N-Cyanoacetyl-N′-trifluoroacetyl-N′-alkylhydrazines, prepared via hydrazino-Ugi reaction, provided different pyrazol-3-ones when exposed to mildly acidic and mildly basic conditions at 60 °C. These approaches offer a facile access to two different pyrazol-3-one-containing chemotypes in a diversity-oriented fashion, in only two chemical operations from simple precursors.     

Simple access to pentacyclic oxazinoisoquinolines via an unexpected transformation of aminomethylnaphthols

Unexpected reactions between 1-α-aminobenzyl-2-naphthol, 1-aminomethyl-2-naphthol, N-benzyl-1-α-aminobenzyl-2-naphthol and 6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline to furnish naphth[1,2-e][1,3]oxazino[2,3-a]isoquinolines are reported. The reaction conditions involved classical heating at 80 °C in MeCN for 22 h (57-62%), or the use of microwave conditions (100 °C), which allowed a reduction of the reaction time to 90 min and resulted in somewhat higher yields (73-82%).     

Axially chiral dicarboxylic acid-catalyzed asymmetric imino aza-enamine reaction/oxidation as a Strecker reaction surrogate

Axially chiral dicarboxylic acid-catalyzed highly enantioselective imino aza-enamine reaction was elaborated into a surrogate of the asymmetric Strecker reaction building on the fact that the N,N-dialkylhydrazone moiety can be easily converted to the cyanide moiety by treatment with peracid.     

Iridium-catalyzed double incorporation reaction of N-benzylmaleimide to styrene via ortho-C-H bond activation, initiated by precoordination of the double bond of styrene to iridium

Reaction of styrene with N-benzylmaleimide in the presence of [IrCl(cod)]₂ (5 mol %) and bpy (10 mol %) in an autoclave (1 MPa of Ar) at 150 °C for 18 h stereoselectively led to the formation of a new cyclic product. The structure of the product suggests that a novel iridium-catalyzed double incorporation reaction takes place via a metallacyclopentane formed after ortho-C-H activation.     

Synthesis of pyrimidinyl arylglycines through subsequent Mitsunobu and Petasis reactions

The synthesis of highly functionalized pyrimidinyl arylglycines is presented. The highlight in our synthetic sequence includes selective O-alkylation of 2-(benzylsulfanyl)-4(3H)-pyrimidinones with N-Boc β-aminoalcohols under Mitsunobu conditions, Petasis reaction with glyoxylic acid and phenylboronic acid and nucleophilic ipso-substitution of the activated sulfur with morpholine. The unexpected spontaneous Smiles rearrangement of several pyrimidinyl amines is also discussed.     

Fluorimetric determination of phytic acid in urine based on replacement reaction

A sensitive fluorimetric method for determination of phytic acid in human urine samples was described. The method was based on a fluorimetric replacement reaction, in which the added phytic acid replaced the Cu²⁺ ion from Cu²⁺-gelatin complex, liberating the fluorescent gelatin molecule. The fluorescence of the solution was accordingly recovered proportionally to the amount of the foreign phytic acid. The excitation wavelength was 273.5 nm and the characteristic emission wavelength was 305.0 nm, respectively. The calibration graph was obtained by plotting the recovered fluorescent intensity at maximum 305.0 nm against the added standard phytic acid, and was divided into two sections. One section was linear over the range of 0.40-2.40 mg L⁻¹ with a linear regression equation of I_f = −0.895 + 15.146c (R² > 0.9993), and the other over the range of 2.40-9.20 mg L⁻¹ with a linear regression equation of I_f = −29.526 + 26.113c (R² > 0.9996), respectively. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) at 95% confidence degree for a 2.0 mg L⁻¹ of standard phytic acid within 1 month was less than 1.26% (n = 5), indicating the procedure is reproducible. The detection and the quantification limits of phytic acid were estimated to be 0.23 and 0.40 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of phytic acid in urine samples and the found concentrations of phytic acid in urine were in the range of 0.49-0.75 mg L⁻¹ with recoveries of 96.2-108.8%. Comparison of the obtained results with the reported HPLC was performed, indicating the proposed method was reliable.     

An efficient and practical procedure for Strecker reaction: a highly diastereoselective synthesis of a key intermediate for (+)-biotin

Treatment of α-amino aldehyde 2, which was prepared through Moffatt oxidation of the corresponding β-amino alcohol 5, with aqueous sodium bisulfite allowed clean conversion to a water-soluble bisulfite adduct 6 [>99% conversion, 89% yield (two steps)]. The aqueous solution of 6 was treated with benzylamine followed by easy-handling NaCN to effect the Strecker reaction to afford α-amino nitrile 3 with high diastereoselectivity and in high yield (syn/anti = 11:1, 95% assay yield). Both the compounds syn-3 and anti-3 were converted to a key intermediate 4 for (+)-biotin through S,N-carbonyl migration in high yields.     

Catalytic enantioselective Strecker reaction of ketoimines using catalytic amount of TMSCN and stoichiometric amount of HCN

Catalyst loading as low as 0.1 mol % was achieved in the enantioselective Strecker reaction of ketoimines. Excellent enantioselectivity was obtained with a combined use of a catalytic amount of TMSCN and a stoichiometric amount of HCN as a reagent, and a chiral gadolinium complex as a catalyst.     

Indium(III) triflate catalyzed tandem azidation/1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of ω,ω-dialkoxyalkyne derivatives with trimethylsilyl azide

The azidation reaction of dialkyl acetal derivatives with trimethylsilyl azide (TMSN₃) was efficiently catalyzed by 1-5 mol % of In(OTf)₃. The major product differed depending on the substrate structure and molar ratio of TMSN₃, that is, aliphatic acetals provided α-azido ether derivatives, while aromatic acetal (benzaldehyde dimethyl acetal) provided gem-diazide, respectively. Furthermore, novel tandem azidation/1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction using alkynyl acetal derivatives gave bicyclic triazolo-heterocyclic compounds, recognized as chemically modified aza-sugar analogues, in high yields under mild conditions.     

Versatile synthesis of chiral 2-substituted-5-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-5H-1,4-benzodiazepines as novel scaffolds for peptidomimetic building

The stereocontrolled synthesis of phenylalanine and tryptophan derived 5-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-5H-1,4-benzodiazepine derivatives is described. This new methodology involves a modified Strecker reaction of N-Boc protected amino aldehydes and methyl anthranilate, reduction of the resulting α-amino nitriles, and lactamization. The resulting 2-substituted-5-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-5H-1,4-benzodiazepines were further functionalized at position 4 by alkylation or acylation reactions. One of these new tryptophan-derived 1,4-benzodiazepines showed significant selective binding affinity at cholecystokinin CCK₁ receptors (IC₅₀=156.5±33.2 nM).     

Rapid amidic hydrolysis: a competitive reaction pathway under basic conditions for N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamide derivatives bearing electron-donating groups

Studies of N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamide derivatives have concluded that the hydroxide-dependent reaction occurs via a specific-base catalyzed deprotonation of the hydroxyl group followed by rate-determining loss of the benzamidate and generation of the aldehyde. The 3-methyl, 4-methyl, and 4-methoxy-N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamide reaction mechanism deviates at higher [HO⁻] with amidic hydrolysis becoming competitive and having reaction half-lives of ∼17 s, in 1 M KOH, I = 1.0 M (KCl), 25 °C. An intramolecular general-base catalyzed mechanism has been suggested for the amidic hydrolysis reaction.     

Catalysis reaction between sodium 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate and hydroxyl ion using captopril as catalyzer and determination of captopril

A novel and simple spectrophotometric method for the determination of Captopril with sodium 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate is established in this paper. The detailed reaction mechanism is proposed and discussed. It is based on the fact that captopril can catalyze the reaction between sodium 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate and hydroxyl ion to form 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone in buffer solution of pH 13.00. Beer's law is obeyed in a range of 0.64-80 μg mL⁻¹ at the maximal absorption wavelength of 442 nm. The equation of linear regression is A = 0.05815 + 0.00589C (μg mL⁻¹), with a linear regression correlation coefficient of 0.9981. The detection limit is 0.3 μg mL⁻¹, R.S.D. is 0.77% and the recovery rate is in range of 96.0-103.8%. Furthermore, the method has been validated and successfully applied to the determination of captopril in pharmaceutical samples.