A generalised route for the synthesis of β-furyl-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes through Suzuki reactions

A general method for the synthesis of β-(2-furyl)-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is described using the Suzuki coupling reaction of furan-2-boronic acids and β-bromo-α,β-unsaturated aldehyde derivatives.     

Microwave-assisted Pd-catalyzed synthesis of fused steroidal and non-steroidal pyrimidines from β-halo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

A Pd-catalyzed protocol has been developed for the synthesis of fused steroidal and non-steroidal pyrimidines from β-halo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes under microwave irradiation. The β-halo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes are synthesized from corresponding ketones using Vilsmeier formylation reaction. This synthetic protocol is utilized to synthesize some more novel steroidal pyrimidine derivatives and are currently being evaluated for their biological activities.     

Catalytic asymmetric aziridination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

The development, scope, and application of the highly enantioselective organocatalytic aziridination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The aminocatalytic azirdination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes enables the asymmetric formation of β-formyl aziridines with up to >19:1 d.r. and 99% ee. The aminocatalytic aziridination of α-monosubstituted enals gives access to terminal α-substituted-α-formyl aziridines in high yields and up to 99% ee. In the case of the organocatalytic aziridination of disubstituted α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, the transformations were highly diastereo- and enantioselective and give nearly enantiomerically pure β-formyl-functionalized aziridine products (99% ee). A highly enantioselective one-pot cascade sequence based on the combination of asymmetric amine and N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis (AHCC) is also disclosed. This one-pot three-component co-catalytic transformation between α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, hydroxylamine derivatives, and alcohols gives the corresponding N-tert-butoxycarbonyl and N-carbobenzyloxy-protected β-amino acid esters with ee values ranging from 92-99%. The mechanisms and stereochemistry of all these catalytic transformations are also discussed.     

The Knoevenagel-Doebner reaction on 1,2-O-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene) derivatives of D-gluco- and D-manno-furanose

The synthesis of new α,β-unsaturated furanuronic acid derivatives of α-gluco-, β-gluco- and β-manno-chloraloses via a convenient one pot procedure using the Knoevenagel-Doebner reaction approach are described. The dialdofuranose derivatives were reacted with malonic acid under Knoevenagel-Doebner reaction conditions and (E)-α,β-unsaturated furanuronic acid derivatives were obtained.     

N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed reactions of α-bromo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes/α,β-dibromoaldehydes with 1,3-dinucleophilic reagents

Carbenes ring true: N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyzed reactions of α-bromo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes/α,β-dibromoaldehydes with 1,3-dinucleophilic reagents, such as 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, β-enamino ketones, and β-enamino esters through umpolung processes gave functionalized 3,4-dihydropyranones and 3,4-dihydropyridinones. The availability of the starting materials, lack of external oxidant, and usefulness of the products make this strategy attractive.     

Synthesis of 1-hydrocarbon substituted cyclopropyl silyl ketones

The synthesis of cyclopropyl silyl ketones possessing a hydrocarbon group at 1-position of three-membered ring was investigated. The reaction of sulfoxonium ylide with α,β-unsaturated acylsilanes derived from α,β-unsaturated aldehydes did not afford the desired acylsilane derivatives. Instead, the corresponding silyl enol ethers were yielded exclusively. On the other hand, the Corey-Chaykovsky cyclopropanation of α-substituted α,β-unsaturated aldehydes proceeded well to give 1-substituted cyclopropyl aldehydes. The silyl substitution of formyl proton in the obtained aldehydes via umpolung of carbonyl group afforded the target acylsilanes.     

Réaction du diméthylcuprate de lithium avec les dérivés carbonylés α,β-insaturés α-fluorés et α-chlorés

Depending on the nature of the halogen, α-fluoro- and α-chloro-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds (whose reduction potentials are greater than ? 2.4V) react in different ways with lithium dimethylcuprate. With α-fluoro derivatives, both 1,2- and 1,4-addition is observed, their ratios depend on the steric hindrance of the β-position. 1,4-Addition products are obtained from aldehydes and β-monosubstituted α-chloro-α,β-ethylenic ketones and esters. β,β-Disubstituted α-chloro ketones and esters give only reduction of halogen via halogen-metal exchange.     

1,4-Addition of silicon dienoates to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes catalyzed by in situ-generated silicon Lewis acid

In situ-generated silyl methide species (R(3)Si-CTf(2)R') effectively catalyzed the reaction of β-substituted α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with silicon dienoates such as 3-bromo-2-TESO-furan to give the corresponding γ-adducts with excellent 1,4-selectivity and good anti selectivity.     

Convenient preparation of (Z)-α-halo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes: synthesis of a Laurencia flexilis toxin

The CrCl₂-mediated two-carbon halo-homologation of aryl, alkenyl, and aliphatic aldehydes with chloral ethyl hemiacetal or bromal affords (Z)-α-chloro- and (Z)-α-bromo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, respectively, in good to excellent yields and high stereoselectivity. The utility of this methodology was illustrated by a synthesis of 2-chloropentadec-2(Z)-enal, a toxin isolated from the marine red alga Laurencia flexilis.     

A Facile Synthesis of α-Phenylchalcogeno(S,Se) α,β-Unsaturated Esters from Ethyl α-Bromo-α-phenylchalcogeno Acetates

Ethyl α-bromo-α-phenylseleno acetate 1 and ethyl α-bromo-α-phenylthio acetate 2 react with aldehydes in the presence of dibutyltelluride to give α-phenylchalcogeno-α,β-unsaturated esters, with Z preferential stereochemistry.     

An efficient tandem aldol condensation-thia-Michael addition process

An efficient synthesis of β-aryl-β-mercapto ketones is achieved via a tandem aldol condensation-thia-Michael addition process using an aqueous medium and diethylamine. Addition of different thiols to α,β-unsaturated ketones, formed in situ from the condensation of acetophenone derivatives with aldehydes, led to a rapid and high yielding synthesis of the products under very mild conditions using no expensive additive or catalyst. Products which precipitated spontaneously in the reaction mixtures were separated by simple filtration and purified by recrystallization.     

Simple, chemoselective, and diastereoselective Reformatsky-type synthesis of α-bromo-α-fluoro-β-lactams

The chemoselective and diastereoselective synthesis of syn-α-bromo-α-fluoro-β-lactams was achieved using the diethylzinc-mediated Reformatsky-type reaction of ethyl dibromofluoroacetate with imines. The reaction led to diastereomerically pure β-lactams in good to moderate yields (up to 78% yield) with only small amounts of aziridine derivatives. Noncyclized 3-amino-2-bromo-2-fluoro carboxylic esters, usual Reformatsky adducts, were not formed. In contrast, reactions carried out under typical Reformatsky conditions using zinc metal were poorly chemoselective, leading to mixtures of β-lactams and aziridine derivatives.     

Intramolecular gold(III) catalysed Diels–Alder reaction of 1-(2-furyl)-hex-1-en-5-yn-3-ol derivatives: a short and generalised route for the synthesis of hydroxyphenanthrene derivatives

Gold(III) catalysed intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction of various 1-(2-furyl)-hex-1-en-5-yn-3-ol derivatives has been studied to synthesise hydroxyphenanthrenes and other polynuclear aromatic hydroxyl compounds. The required precursors were synthesised by indium mediated propargylation of suitable β-furyl-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes.     

A novel and efficient direct aldol condensation from ketones and aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by proline-TEA through a new pathway

A novel and efficient direct aldol condensation from various ketones and a wide range of aldehydes was catalyzed by l-proline-TEA (triethylamine) in MeOH at room temperature, affording the corresponding (E)-α,β-unsaturated ketones in excellent yields. By using the method, some complicated (E)-α,β-unsaturated ketone C-glycosides were obtained from unmodified ketone C-glycosides and aldehydes. This reaction proceeds through a new pathway, in which the specific intermediate was captured and identified.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric nitrocyclopropanation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

A novel organocatalytic highly enantioselective nitrocyclopropanation reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The 1-nitro-2-formylcyclopropane derivatives synthesized from this catalytic transformation were converted to the corresponding β-nitromethyl-acid esters, which are excellent precursors of GABA analogues such as Baclofen, by subsequent organocatalytic chemoselective ring-opening.     

A convenient route to 1,4-monoprotected dialdehydes, 1,4-ketoaldehydes, γ-lactols and γ-lactones through radical alkylation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes in organic and organic-aqueous media

α,β-Unsaturated aldehydes were smoothly alkylated by radicals generated through photosensitised hydrogen abstraction of benzophenone. In this way, and by using 1,3-dioxolane as radical precursor, monoprotected 1,4-dialdehydes were obtained from crotonaldehyde, 2-hexenal, 4-methyl-2-pentenal and cyclohexencarboxyaldehyde in a moderate yield, and in a low yield from β-aryl-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. With 2-alkyl-1,3-dioxolanes, monoprotected 1,4-ketoaldehydes were analogously prepared. By using methanol, ethanol and isopropanol as radical precursors γ-lactols were likewise obtained from the above aliphatic aldehydes. These single-step syntheses compared favorably with multi-step approaches previously proposed for some of these compounds. The lactols were conveniently oxidized to the corresponding γ-lactones. An alternative to the photosensitisation in organic medium was the use of mixed aqueous-organic solvent and a hydrosoluble photosensitiser (benzophenone disodium disulfonate was prepared for this purpose and successfully used), which allowed a more convenient work up.     

Regioselective synthesis of α-bromo-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds via photocatalytic α-bromination reactions

A visible light-mediated approach for the preparation of α-bromo-α,β-unsaturated ketones and aldehydes was developed. In comparison to traditional methods that generally take two steps to afford the above compounds, this protocol was highlighted by its operational simplicity, avoiding using hazardous bromine and mild reaction conditions.     

Synthesis of 2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-1-alkyl/aryl-1H-benzo[f]chromen-3-ol derivatives from β-tetralones and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

Organocatalytic domino Michael-hemiacetalization of β-tetralones with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. Treatment of β-tetralones with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of diphenylprolinol silyl ether gave 2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-1-alkyl/aryl-1H-benzo[f]chromen-3-ol derivatives with high to excellent chemical yields (50-99%) and high levels of enantioselectivities (up to 96% ee).     

Stereoselective synthesis of δ-heteroaryl substituted β-hydroxy-γ,δ-unsaturated α-amino acids

Enantiomerically pure δ-heteroaryl substituted β-hydroxy-γ,δ-unsaturated α-amino acids were stereoselectively synthesized starting from (2R)-(+)-2,5-dihydro-3,6-dimethoxy-2-isopropylpyrazine (Schöllkopf’s reagent) and suitable β-heteroaryl-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. The stereocontrolled addition gave a mixture of two diastereoisomers whose configurations were assigned on the basis of spectroscopic data and the accepted model for aldol condensation of the Schöllkopf’s reagent. Upon controlled hydrolysis the adducts were transformed into the corresponding methyl esters of δ-heteroaryl substituted β-hydroxy-γ,δ-unsaturated α-amino acids.     

Chromium-mediated stereoselective synthesis of carbohydrate-derived (E)-α,β-unsaturated esters or amides

A chromium-mediated novel synthesis of carbohydrate-derived di- and trisubstituted (E)-α,β-unsaturated esters or amides from a range of dichloroesters or amides and a variety of sugar aldehydes is reported. The process took place with total stereoselectivity and in high yields. A mechanism based on a sequential chromium-promoted aldol-type reaction and a completely stereoselective β-elimination reaction is proposed to explain these results.