Enantioselective Copper‐Catalyzed Alkylation of Quinoline N‐Oxides with Vinylarenes

An asymmetric copper‐catalyzed alkylation of quinoline N ‐oxides with chiral Cu–alkyl species, generated by migratory insertion of a vinylarene into a chiral Cu−H complex, is reported. A variety of quinoline N ‐oxides and vinylarenes underwent this Cu‐catalyzed enantioselective alkylation reaction, affording the corresponding chiral alkylated N‐heteroarenes in high yield with high‐to‐excellent enantioselectivity. This enantioselective protocol represents the first general and practical approach to access a wide range of chiral alkylated quinolines.     

Enantioselective Propargylation of Polyols and Desymmetrization of meso 1,2‐Diols by Copper/Borinic Acid Dual Catalysis

A copper/borinic acid dual catalytic reaction enabled the enantioselective propargylation of aliphatic polyols. Readily available reagents and catalysts were used in this transformation, which displayed good to excellent chemo‐ and stereoselectivity for a broad array of substrates. The method was also applicable to the desymmetrization of meso 1,2‐diols to furnish products with three stereogenic centers and a terminal alkyne group in one operation.     

Enantioselective Rhodium‐Catalyzed Dearomative Arylation or Alkenylation of Quinolinium Salts

A highly enantioselective rhodium(I)‐catalyzed dearomative arylation or alkenylation of easily available N‐alkylquinolinium salts is reported, thus providing an effective and practical approach to the synthesis of dihydroquinolines in up to 99 % ee. This reaction tolerates a wide range of functional groups with respect to both the organic boronic acids and the quinoline starting materials. Moreover, the synthetic utility of this protocol is demonstrated in the formal asymmetric synthesis of bioactive tetrahydroquinoline and the total syntheses of (?)‐angustureine and (+)‐cuspareine.     

In‐situ Generated and Premade 1‐Copper(I) Alkynes in Cycloadditions

The copper(I)‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) was discovered in 2002, which has become the most remarkable example for “click chemistry” to date. In CuAAC reaction, 1‐copper(I) alkyne has been recognized to be a key intermediate. However, many contradictory experimental results for this intermediate were reported in literature. For example, only the in‐situ generated 1‐copper(I) alkyne was used, while the premade 1‐copper(I) alkyne proved to be inefficient under the standard conditions. The kinetic studies indicated that CuAAC reaction had a strict second‐order dependence on Cu(I) and the DFT studies demonstrated that 1‐copper(I) alkyne intermediate should be a dinuclear copper(I) complex. But these results were inconsistent with the structure of the premade 1‐copper(I) alkyne. Although hundreds of structurally different ligands were reported to significantly enhance the efficiency of CuAAC reaction, their functions were assigned to prevent the oxidation and the disproportionation of Cu(I) ion. Based on the investigation of the references and our works, we proposed that the in‐situ generated 1‐copper(I) alkyne in CuAAC reaction is not identical with the premade 1‐copper(I) alkyne. The ligands may play dual roles to activate the 1‐copper(I) alkyne by blocking the polymerization of the in‐situ formed 1‐copper(I) alkynes and dissociating the polymeric structures of the premade 1‐copper(I) alkynes. As a result, we first disclosed that carboxylic acids can function as such activators and a novel carboxylic acid‐catalyzed CuAAC strategy was developed, which has been proven to be the most convenient and highly efficient CuAAC method to date. Furthermore, highly efficient and regioselective methods for the syntheses of 1,4,5‐trisubstituted 1,2,3‐triazoles were developed by using the premade 1‐copper(I) alkynes as substrates, in which the novel function of the premade 1‐copper(I) alkynes as excellent dipolarophiles was first disclosed and applied. In this article, a series of works reported by our group for the in‐situ generated and the premade 1‐copper(I) alkynes in cycloadditions are reviewed.     

Enantio- and Regioselective Copper-Catalyzed 1,2-Dearomatization of Pyridines

A copper-catalyzed dearomative alkynylation of pyridines is reported with excellent regio- and enantioselectivities. The synthetically valuable enantioenriched 2-alkynyl-1,2-dihydropyridine products afforded are generated from the readily available feedstock, pyridine, and commercially available terminal alkynes. The three-component reaction between a pyridine, a terminal alkyne, and methyl chloroformate employs copper chloride and StackPhos, a chiral biaryl P,N- ligand, as the catalytic system. Under mild reaction conditions, the desired 1,2-addition products are delivered in up to 99 % yield with regioselectivity ratios up to 25 : 1 and enantioselectivities values of up to 99 % ee. Activated and non-activated terminal alkynes containing a wide range of functional groups are well tolerated. Even acetylene gas delivered mono-alkynylated products in high yield and ee. Application of the methodology in an efficient enantioselective synthesis of the chiral piperidine indolizidine, coniceine, is reported.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of Spirocyclic β‐Lactams through Copper‐Catalyzed Kinugasa/Michael Domino Reactions

The first copper‐catalyzed highly chemo‐, regio‐, diastereo‐, and enantioselective Kinugasa/Michael domino reaction for the desymmetrization of prochiral cyclohexadienones is described. In the presence of a chiral copper catalyst, alkyne‐tethered cyclohexadienones couple with nitrones to generate the chiral spirocyclic lactams with excellent stereoselectivity (up to 97 % ee, >20:1 dr). The new method provides direct access to versatile highly functionalized spirocyclic β‐lactams possessing four contiguous stereocenters, including one quaternary and one tetra‐substituted stereocenter.     

Enantioselective Propargylation of Polyols and Desymmetrization of meso 1,2-Diols by Copper/Borinic Acid Dual Catalysis

A copper/borinic acid dual catalytic reaction enabled the enantioselective propargylation of aliphatic polyols. Readily available reagents and catalysts were used in this transformation, which displayed good to excellent chemo- and stereoselectivity for a broad array of substrates. The method was also applicable to the desymmetrization of meso 1,2-diols to furnish products with three stereogenic centers and a terminal alkyne group in one operation.     

Synthesis of N‐Arylated 1,2‐Dihydroheteroaromatics Through the Three‐Component Reaction of Arynes with N‐Heteroaromatics and Terminal Alkynes or Ketones

The reaction of benzynes with N‐heteroaromatics including quinolines, isoquinolines, and pyridines and various terminal alkynes or ketones with an α‐hydrogen in the presence of KF and 18‐crown‐6 in THF at room temperature for 8 h gave various N‐arylated 1,2‐dihydroheteroaromatics in good to moderate yields. Some of these product structures are found in various naturally occurring and biologically active heterocyclic compounds. The reaction involves an unusual multiple construction of new C? C, C? N, and C? H bonds and the cleavage of a C? H bond in one pot. It is likely that the three‐component coupling proceeds through the nucleophilic addition of quinoline to benzyne, which generates a zwitterionic species. The latter then attracts a proton from terminal alkyne (or ketone) to generate an N‐arylated quinolinium cation and an acetylide anion. Further reaction of these two ions provides the final substituted 1,2‐dihydroquinolines. In the reaction, the terminal alkyne acts first as a proton donor and then as a nucleophile. The application of a three‐component coupling reaction product, 1,2‐dihydro‐2‐pyridinyl alkyne in a stereospecific [4+2] Diels–Alder cycloaddition reaction with N‐phenyl maleimide to give an isoquinuclidine derivative, an important core present in various natural products, is demonstrated.     

Gold(I)/Chiral Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydroamination–Hydroarylation of Alkynes: The Effect of a Remote Hydroxyl Group on the Reactivity and Enantioselectivity

The catalytic enantioselective hydroamination–hydroarylation of alkynes under the catalysis of (R₃P)AuMe/(S)‐3,3′‐bis(2,4,6‐triisopropylphenyl)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl‐2,2′‐diyl hydrogenphosphate ((S)‐TRIP) is reported. The alkyne was reacted with a range of pyrrole‐based aromatic amines to give pyrrole‐embedded aza‐heterocyclic scaffolds bearing a quaternary carbon center. The presence of a hydroxyl group in the alkyne tether turned out to be very crucial for obtaining products in high yields and enantioselectivities. The mechanism of enantioinduction was established by carefully performing experimental and computational studies.     

Cooperative Catalytic Reactions Using Distinct Transition‐Metal Catalysts: Ruthenium‐ and Copper‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Propargylic Alkylation

The enantioselective propargylic alkylation of propargylic alcohols with β‐ketoesters in the presence of a thiolate‐bridged diruthenium complex and a copper complex as co‐catalyst affords the corresponding propargylic alkylated products in excellent yields as a mixture of two diastereoisomers with high enantioselectivity (up to 95 % enantiomeric excess (ee)). The findings reported herein not only open up a new type of enantioselective propargylic substitution reaction, but also a new aspect of cooperative catalytic reactions using distinct transition metals to realize a useful transformation that cannot be achieved by a single catalyst.     

Enantioselective Synthesis of Isoquinolines: Merging Chiral‐Phosphine and Gold Catalysis

The highly enantioselective synthesis of dihydroisoquinoline derivatives from aromatic sulfonated imines tethered with an alkyne moiety, through a one‐pot asymmetric relay catalysis of chiral‐phosphine and gold catalysts, is reported. Enantiomerically enriched dihydroisoquinoline derivatives were afforded in good yields and good‐to‐excellent ee values under mild conditions, based on the asymmetric aza‐Morita‐Baylis–Hillman reaction. Dihydroisoquinoline derivatives containing two chiral centers were also synthesized through further transformations.     

A Three‐Component Enantioselective Cyclization Reaction Catalyzed by an Unnatural Amino Acid Derivative

A new diastereo‐ and enantioselective three‐component cyclization reaction is described. The reaction takes place between a ketone, a carboxylic acid, and a nitroalkene to yield a bicyclic octahydro‐2H‐indol‐2‐one scaffold possessing three chiral centers. This reaction involves a rearrangement of the nitro group under simple thermal conditions. A plausible mechanism is proposed for this new reaction based on DFT calculations and isotope‐labeling experiments. A new concise enantioselective synthesis of the alkaloid (+)‐pancracine is presented as an example of the potential of this novel organocatalytic cyclization reaction in the synthesis of natural products.     

A Modified System for the Synthesis of Enantioenriched N‐Arylamines through Copper‐Catalyzed Hydroamination

Despite significant recent progress in copper‐catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination chemistry, the synthesis of chiral N‐arylamines, which are frequently found in natural products and pharmaceuticals, has not been realized. Initial experiments with N‐arylhydroxylamine ester electrophiles were unsuccessful and, instead, their reduction in the presence of copper hydride (CuH) catalysts was observed. Herein, we report key modifications to our previously reported hydroamination methods that lead to broadly applicable conditions for the enantioselective net addition of secondary anilines across the double bond of styrenes, 1,1‐disubstituted olefins, and terminal alkenes. NMR studies suggest that suppression of the undesired reduction pathway is the basis for the dramatic improvements in yield under the reported method.     

Lactone Synthesis by Enantioselective Orthogonal Tandem Catalysis

In this work, we report enantioselective orthogonal tandem catalysis for the one pot conversion of Meldrum's acid derivatives and alkynes into δ‐lactones. This new transformation, which resembles a formal [4+2] cycloaddition with concomitant decarboxylation and loss of acetone, proceeds in high yields and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee) over a broad substrate scope. The products are densely functionalized and ripe for further transformations, as demonstrated here by both ring‐opening reactions and reduction to saturated lactones. It was discovered that a new and serendipitously formed Ag^I‐Me‐StackPhos complex efficiently catalyzes the highly selective 6‐endo‐dig cyclization, completely reversing the regiochemistry that has been previously reported in related systems. More generally, in this study we identify a pair of compatible catalysts for alkyne difunctionalization that operate concurrently, which enable the alkyne to act as both a nucleophile and an electrophile in sequential one‐pot transformations.     

On the Mechanism of Copper(I)‐Catalyzed Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition

The copper(I)‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction regiospecifically produces 1,4‐disubstituted‐1,2,3‐triazole molecules. This heterocycle formation chemistry has high tolerance to reaction conditions and substrate structures. Therefore, it has been practiced not only within, but also far beyond the area of heterocyclic chemistry. Herein, the mechanistic understanding of CuAAC is summarized, with a particular emphasis on the significance of copper/azide interactions. Our analysis concludes that the formation of the azide/copper(I) acetylide complex in the early stage of the reaction dictates the reaction rate. The subsequent triazole ring‐formation step is fast and consequently possibly kinetically invisible. Therefore, structures of substrates and copper catalysts, as well as other reaction variables that are conducive to the formation of the copper/alkyne/azide ternary complex predisposed for cycloaddition would result in highly efficient CuAAC reactions. Specifically, terminal alkynes with relatively low pK_a values and an inclination to engage in π‐backbonding with copper(I), azides with ancillary copper‐binding ligands (aka chelating azides), and copper catalysts that resist aggregation, balance redox activity with Lewis acidity, and allow for dinuclear cooperative catalysis are favored in CuAAC reactions. Brief discussions on the mechanistic aspects of internal alkyne‐involved CuAAC reactions are also included, based on the relatively limited data that are available at this point.     

Rhodium(III)/Copper(II)‐Promoted trans‐Selective Heteroaryl Acyloxylation of Alkynes: Stereodefined Access to trans‐Enol Esters

Enol esters are versatile synthetic building blocks which can be elaborated by a wide variety of transformations. The classical synthesis by O‐selective enolate acylation often hampers control of the E/Z selectivity with highly substituted substrates. A rhodium(III)/copper(II)‐mediated process is reported to provide tetrasubstituted enol esters in a trans‐selective fashion. Overall, the reaction consists of a heteroaryl acyloxylation of alkynes. The process is initiated by a rhodium(III)‐catalyzed C2‐selective activation of electron‐rich heteroarenes, such as benzofuran, furan, and thiophene. Upon addition across an alkyne, a transmetalation to copper(II) enables reductive C? O bond formation. The transformation allows the three‐component couplings of heteroarenes, alkynes, and carboxylic acids. Application of the method in the functionalization of bioactive furocoumarin natural products is also described.     

AgOTf‐Catalyzed Electrophilic Cyclization of Triynols with NXS: Rapid Synthesis of Densely Trisubstituted Naphthalenes and Quinolines

A silver triflate‐catalyzed electrophilic cyclization reaction of acyclic triynols with NXS (X=I, Br) under mild conditions is reported. Three reactive functional groups, such as a carbonyl group, an alkyne group, and a halogen, could be selectively installed at the C1, C2, and C3 positions to obtain the naphthalene and quinoline products, respectively. The obtained densely trisubstituted products could be further transformed into more complex aromatic products by manipulating the alkynyl moiety and the other two functional groups as synthons.     

Enantioselective Syntheses of Strychnos and Chelidonium Alkaloids through Regio‐ and Stereocontrolled Cooperative Catalysis

We describe enantioselective syntheses of strychnos and chelidonium alkaloids. In the first case, indole acetic acid esters were established as excellent partner nucleophiles for enantioselective cooperative isothiourea/Pd catalyzed α‐alkylation. This provides products containing indole‐bearing stereocenters in high yield and with excellent levels of enantioinduction in a manner that is notably independent of the N‐substituent. This led to concise syntheses of (?)‐akuammicine and (?)‐strychnine. In the second case, the poor performance of ortho‐substituted cinnamyl electrophiles in the enantioselective cooperative isothiourea/Ir catalyzed α‐alkylation was overcome by appropriate substituent choice, leading to enantioselective syntheses of (+)‐chelidonine, (+)‐norchelidonine, and (+)‐chelamine.     

Enantioselective Palladium(II)‐Catalyzed Oxidative Aminofluorination of Unactivated Alkenes with Et4NF⋅3 HF as a Fluoride Source

The first asymmetric Pd^II‐catalyzed aminofluorination of unactivated alkenes using chiral quinoline‐oxazolines (Quox) as ligands has been developed. This reaction provides easy access to a wide array of enantiomerically enriched β‐fluoropiperidines in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivity. Notably, Et₄NF?3 HF as a readily accessible nucleophilic fluoride source was found to play an essential role in the enantioselective control, and CsOCF₃ also acts a key additive to improve the excellent ee value of products.     

Lewis Acid Catalyzed Enantioselective Desymmetrization of Donor–Acceptor meso‐Diaminocyclopropanes

The first Lewis acid catalyzed enantioselective ring‐opening desymmetrization of a donor–acceptor meso‐diaminocyclopropane is reported. The copper(II)‐catalyzed Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indoles and one pyrrole with an unprecedented meso‐diaminocyclopropane delivered enantioenriched, diastereomerically pure urea products, which are structurally related to natural and synthetic bioactive compounds. The development of a new ligand through the investigation of an underexplored subclass of bis(oxazoline) ligands was essential for achieving high enantioselectivities.