Rhodium-catalyzed olefin isomerization/enantioselective intramolecular Alder-ene reaction cascade

The olefin isomerization/enantioselective intramolecular Alder-ene reaction cascade was achieved by using a cationic rhodium(I)/(R)-BINAP complex as a catalyst. A variety of substituted dihydrobenzofurans and dihydronaphthofurans were obtained from phenol- or naphthol-linked 1,7-enynes, respectively, with good yields and ee values.     

Synthetic control leading to chiral compounds

A highly diastereoselective cross aldol reaction is developed using divalent tin enolates formed from stannous trifluoromethanesulfonate and carbonyl compounds. The reaction is extended to a highly enantioselective cross aldol reaction employing chiral diamines derived from (S)-proline as ligands.     

Organocatalytic highly enantioselective nitroaldol reaction of alpha-ketophosphonates and nitromethane

[reaction: see text] The first organocatalytic highly enantioselective nitroaldol reaction of alpha-ketophosphonates and nitromethane has been realized by using cupreine (2) or 9-O-benzylcupreine (3) as the catalyst. Both catalysts are highly reactive and highly enantioselective. alpha-Hydroxy-beta-nitrophosphonates have been synthesized in good yields and excellent enantioselectivities (>or=90% ee) at a low catalyst loading (5 mol %). These nitroaldol products may be reduced to the biologically significant beta-amino-alpha-hydroxyphosphonates with complete retention of the stereochemistry.     

Mukaiyama-Michael reactions with acrolein and methacrolein: a catalytic enantioselective synthesis of the C17-C28 fragment of pectenotoxins

Enantioselective iminium-catalyzed reactions with acrolein and methacrolein are rare. A catalytic enantioselective Mukaiyama-Michael reaction that readily accepts acrolein or methacrolein as substrates, affording the products in good yields and 91-97% ee, is presented. As an application of the methodology, an enantioselective route to the key C17-C28 segment of the pectenotoxin using the Mukaiyama-Michael reaction as the key step is described.     

Catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-N-acylaziridines with TMSCN

A catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-N-p-nitrobenzoylaziridines with TMSCN was developed using a chiral gadolinium catalyst generated from Gd(OiPr)3 and d-glucose-derived ligand 1. In this reaction, the addition of a catalytic amount of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) improved enantioselectivity. High enantioselectivity was obtained from a range of meso-aziridines at 0-60 degrees C. The product could be easily transformed into beta-amino acids. Thus, the developed catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization reaction allowed for efficient catalytic synthesis of chiral cyclic beta-amino acids. The incorporation of TFA into the catalyst complex was observed using ESI-MS. Generation of this new complex might be the origin of the improved enantioselectivity.     

PdII‐Catalyzed Enantioselective C(sp3)−H Activation/Cross‐Coupling Reactions of Free Carboxylic Acids

Pd^II‐catalyzed enantioselective C(sp³)?H cross‐coupling of free carboxylic acids with organoborons has been realized using either mono‐protected amino acid (MPAA) ligands or mono‐protected aminoethyl amine (MPAAM) ligands. A diverse range of aryl‐ and vinyl‐boron reagents can be used as coupling partners to provide chiral carboxylic acids. This reaction provides an alternative approach to the enantioselective synthesis of cyclopropanecarboxylic acids and cyclobutanecarboxylic acids containing α‐chiral tertiary and quaternary stereocenters. The utility of this reaction was further demonstrated by converting the carboxylic acid into cyclopropyl amine without loss of optical activity.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (-)-roccellaric acid

[reaction in text] A new strategy for the synthesis of anti-4,5-disubstituted gamma-butyrolactones starting from inexpensive furan-2-carboxylic methyl ester was developed. By applying this methodology, the enantioselective synthesis of (-)-roccellaric acid ((-)-17) was accomplished using a copper(I)-catalyzed asymmetric cyclopropanation, a tin(IV)-catalyzed retroaldol/lactonization sequence of cyclopropanols, and a ruthenium-catalyzed intermolecular metathesis reaction as key steps.     

Enantioselective N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysis by the Umpolung of α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones

N‐Heterocyclic carbene‐catalyzed formation of β‐anionic intermediates from enones has been employed in the enantioselective synthesis of 2‐aryl propionates. The reaction was achievable using a homochiral 4‐MeOC₆H₄ morpholinone catalyst allowing the first example of enantioselective catalysis by umpolung of α,β‐unsaturated ketones. The reaction is high yielding, and shows robustness with reasonable generality. A mechanism is proposed in which the enantiodetermining protonation is achieved using either hexafluoroisopropanol or the formed naphthol product.     

Inter- and intramolecular differentiation of enantiotopic dioxane acetals through oxazaborolidinone-mediated enantioselective ring-cleavage reaction: kinetic resolution of racemic 1,3-alkanediols and asymmetric desymmetrization of meso-1,3-polyols

Acetals derived from racemic 1,3-alkanediols undergo kinetic resolution in chiral oxazaborolidinone-mediated ring-cleavage reaction with nucleophiles such as enol silanes and allylic silanes. Enantioselectivity of the reaction is affected by nucleophiles, the N-sulfonyl groups of oxazaborolidinones, and the substituents attached to the acetal carbon. For disubstituted acetals rac-1 and for trisubstituted acetal rac-2, derived from syn-2,4-dimethyl-1,3-pentanediol, satisfactory enantioselectivity is obtained by using methallylsilane 7b,c as a nucleophile in combination with N-mesyloxazaborolidinone 4a. On the other hand, enantioselective reaction of trisubstituted acetal rac-3b, derived from anti-2,4-dimethyl-1,3-pentanediol, is realized by using silyl ketene acetal 5e in combination with N-tosyloxazaborolidinone 4b. The reaction conditions optimized for the kinetic resolution, or enantiomer differentiating reaction, of the racemic acetals are successfully applied to asymmetric desymmetrization of meso-1,3-polyols through intramolecular differentiation of the enantiotopic acetal moieties of the bis-acetal derivatives. The utility of the ring-cleavage reaction as a method for enantioselective terminal differentiation of prochiral polyols is demonstrated in convergent asymmetric synthesis of pentol derivative 35 corresponding to the C(19)[bond]C(27) ansa-chain of rifamycin S.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 2-amino-3-hydroxynorbornene-2-carboxylic acid derivatives

The enantioselective synthesis of 2-amino-3-hydroxynorbornene-2-carboxylic acid derivatives (5) was studied using the Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and different dienophiles, i.e., alkyl 5-oxo-2-phenyloxazol-4-methylenecarbonates (1) or 2-benzoylamino-3-alkoxycarbonyloxy-acrylates (12), operating with different Lewis acids and both with thermal and with ultrasound conditions. The enantioselective synthesis of the exo/endo compounds 5c,d and 5'c,d was achieved starting from the chiral menthyl acrylates 12b,c using Mg(ClO(4))(2) as the catalyst and ultrasound. The cycloadducts were obtained in very good yield, in mild conditions, in short time, and in good diastereomeric excess (exo, 80%; endo, 87%). Finally, the use of alkylidene-oxazolones or acrylates and EtAlCl(2) or Mg(ClO(4))(2) as the catalyst allowed control of the cycloaddition reaction in favor of the exo or endo products.     

BINOL-phosphoric acids-catalyzed furylogous pinacol rearrangement of 1-[5-(hydroxy-diaryl-methyl)-furan-2-yl]-cyclobutanols into spiro cyclopentanones

A BINOL-phosphoric acid-catalyzed furylogous Pinacol rearrangement is developed. This reaction produces spiro cyclopentanone in good yields under mild conditions. The enantioselective version of this reaction is also investigated using chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) as the catalyst.     

Cu(I)-catalyzed direct enantioselective cross aldol-type reaction of acetonitrile

Direct catalytic enantioselective cross aldol-type reaction of an acetate surrogate was developed using Cu alkoxide-chiral phosphine complexes as catalysts. Chemoselective activation and deprotonation of the donor substrate (acetonitrile) by the soft metal alkoxide in a strongly donating solvent (HMPA) are key to success in this reaction. Useful chemical yields and promising enantioselectivities are produced using either DTBM-SEGPHOS or a tuned BIPHEP as a chiral ligand. [reaction: see text]     

De novo asymmetric syntheses of D- and L-talose via an iterative dihydroxylation of dienoates

[reaction: see text] A short and highly efficient route to D- and L-talo-gamma-lactones has been developed. The key transformation was the sequential osmium-catalyzed bis-dihydroxylation reaction of substituted 2,4-dienoates. When the first dihydroxylation reaction is performed on (2Z,4E)-dienoates with use of the Sharpless AD-mix procedure, a regio- and enantioselective dihydroxylation resulted along with an in situ lactonization. A subsequent dihydroxylation, using OsO4/NMO in MeOH conditions, resulted in an exceedingly diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of talo-gamma-lactone.     

Enantioselective synthesis of 10-allylanthrones via iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution reaction

A highly enantioselective allylic substitution reaction of anthrones with aromatic or aliphatic allyl carbonates was realized by using iridium catalyst prepared from [Ir(COD)Cl]₂ and BHPphos. Substituted 10-allylanthrones were obtained in excellent yields and with excellent enantioselectivity and regioselectivity (up to 98% yield, 99% ee) under mild conditions.     

Enantioselective, palladium-catalyzed alpha-arylation of N-Boc-pyrrolidine

This communication discloses the first instance of the enantioselective Pd-catalyzed alpha-arylation of N-Boc-pyrrolidine. The methodology relies on Beak's sparteine-mediated, enantioselective deprotonation of N-Boc-pyrrolidine to form the 2-pyrrolidinolithium specices in high enantiomeric ratio (er). Transmetalation of this intermediate with zinc chloride generates the stereochemically rigid, 2-pyrrolidinozinc reagent, which was readily coupled to a variety of functionalized aryl halides at room temperature using a catalyst generated from Pd(OAc)2 and PtBu3-HBF4. A diverse array of 2-aryl-N-Boc-pyrrolidines was synthesized using this methodology, providing adducts consistently in a 96:4 er. A survey of the stoichiometry revealed that as little as 0.3 equiv of zinc could be used in the coupling reaction, and the 2-pyrrolidinozinc reagent was found to exhibit stereochemical stability up to 60 degrees C. The method allows for the most convergent and reliable preparation of a broad range of functionalized 2-aryl-N-Boc-pyrrolidines in high enantioselectivity, which is highlighted in this report by the enantioselective synthesis of (R)-nicotine.     

Vanadium-catalyzed asymmetric oxidation of alpha-hydroxy esters using molecular oxygen as stoichiometric oxidant

A vanadium-catalyzed method for the oxidative kinetic resolution of alpha-hydroxyesters, using oxygen as the terminal oxidant, is described. The catalyst is generated in situ from vanadium(V) tri-iso-propoxyoxide in combination with a tridentate ligand derived from 3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylaldehyde and (S)-tert-leucinol. The reaction allows for the enantioselective synthesis of both aromatic and aliphatic secondary alcohols, including those containing olefins and alkynes.     

Thiourea-catalyzed Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction

Here, we describe our studies on the thiourea-catalyzed Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction. Chemoselective activation of carbonyl compounds via hydrogen bonding to thiourea as a catalyst is the key to drastic rate acceleration of this reaction. The application of chiral bis-thiourea-type organocatalysts, which can form a chiral double hydrogen-bonding network, is effective for enantioselective MBH reaction. A cooperative system of bis-thiourea compounds, synthesized from 1,2-diaminocyclohexane, and a Lewis base effectively promotes the MBH reaction at lower temperature, affording the MBH adducts in 33-95% yield with 44-90% ee. A plausible transition state model of the enantioselective MBH reaction is presented.     

Enantioselective syntheses of carbanucleosides from the Pauson-Khand adduct of trimethylsilylacetylene and norbornadiene

A new enantioselective approach to carbanucleosides from Pauson-Khand (PK) adduct 1 is disclosed. The chiral cyclopentenone 1 is readily accessible in enantiomerically pure form via PK reaction of trimethylsilylacetylene and norbornadiene using N-benzyl-N-diphenylphosphino-tert-butyl-sulfinamide as a chiral P,S ligand. (-)-Carbavir and (-)-Abacavir were enantioselectively synthesized starting from (-)-1. The key steps of the sequence are a photochemical conjugate addition of a hydroxymethyl radical, a retro-Diels-Alder reaction, and a palladium catalyzed allylic substitution to introduce the nucleobase.     

A catalytic asymmetric vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction

A vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction, conducted using 10 mol % of a BITIP catalyst and B(OMe)3 as an additive, effects an enantioselective four-carbon chain extension to give versatile E-alpha,beta-unsaturated thiol esters.     

Gold(I)-catalyzed stereoselective olefin cyclopropanation

A triphenylphosphinegold(I)-catalyzed cyclopropanation of olefins using propargyl esters as gold(I)-carbene precursors is reported. This reaction provided the basis for the use of a DTBM-SEGPHOS gold(I) complex as a catalyst in the enantioselective (up to 94% ee) preparation of vinyl cyclopropanes with high cis-selectivity.