Asymmetric synthesis of 1,2,3-trisubstituted indanes via an enantioselective copper(II)-catalyzed asymmetric nitroaldol reaction followed by an intramolecular Michael cyclization

Herein we describe a novel approach for the synthesis of a chiral 1,2,3-trisubstituted indane, a privileged substructure in medicinal chemistry, via an enantioselective nitroaldol reaction and subsequent intramolecular Michael addition. The asymmetric copper(II)-catalyzed reactions of ortho-formyl cinnamates, ortho-formyl cinnamonitrile, or ortho-formyl α-benzalketones with nitromethane were carried out using the C1-symmetric chiral secondary diamine L1 as a ligand, which afforded the nitroaldol products in high yields (up to 92%) and with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97%) under mild conditions. The notable effect of the base and the dosage of nitromethane on the reaction are also discussed.     

Chiral Palladium(II)-catalyzed asymmetric glyoxylate-Ene reaction: alternative approach to the enantioselective synthesis of alpha-hydroxy esters

An effective chiral palladium catalyst [Pd(CH(3)CN)(2)(S)-Tol-BINAP](SbF(6))(2) (2b) is developed for asymmetric glyoxylate-ene reactions. This palladium dicationic catalyst provides a simple but efficient approach to the asymmetric synthesis of alpha-hydroxy esters in excellent yields with high enantioselectivities at relatively higher reaction temperature (60 degrees C).     

Copper(II)-catalyzed exo and enantioselective cycloadditions of azomethine imines

A strategy for exo and enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine imines to 2-acryloyl-3-pyrazolidinone is described. The corresponding cycloadducts are isolated with high diastereoselectivities (up to >96:4 exo/endo) and enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee).     

Copper(II)-catalyzed hydrosilylation of ketones using chiral dipyridylphosphane ligands: highly enantioselective synthesis of valuable alcohols

In the presence of PhSiH(3) as the reductant, the combination of enantiomeric dipyridylphosphane ligands and Cu(OAc)(2)·H(2)O, which is an easy-to-handle and inexpensive copper salt, led to a remarkably practical and versatile chiral catalyst system. The stereoselective formation of a selection of synthetically interesting β-, γ- or δ-halo alcohols bearing high degrees of enantiopurity (up to 99.9% enantiomeric excess (ee)) was realized with a substrate-to-ligand molar ratio (S/L) of up to 10,000. The present protocol also allowed the hydrosilylation of a diverse spectrum of alkyl aryl ketones with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee) and exceedingly high turn-over rates (up to 50,000 S/L molar ratio in 50 min reaction time) in air, under very mild conditions, which offers great opportunities for the preparation of various physiologically active targets. The synthetic utility of the chiral products obtained was highlighted by the efficient conversion of optically enriched β-halo alcohols into the corresponding styrene oxide, β-amino alcohol, and β-azido alcohol, respectively.     

Copper(I)-catalyzed reaction of diaryl buta-1,3-diynes with cyclic amines: an atom-economic approach to amino-substituted naphthalene derivatives

1,4-Diaryl-1,3-butadiynes react with cyclic amines, such as pyrrolidine, piperidine, and morpholine in the presence of a catalytic amount of CuCl to afford amino-substituted naphthalene derivatives with good to high yields. The new catalytic procedure provides an atom-economic, one-pot synthetic method for the synthesis of naphthalene derivatives from easily available 1,4-diaryl-1,3-butadiynes.     

Copper(II)-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of nitro esters to 2-enoyl-pyridine N-oxides

A highly enantioselective Michael addition of nitro esters to 2-enoyl-pyridine N-oxides was developed by using chiral copper catalysts. The Michael addition products can be obtained in high yields and with up to 96% ee.     

Axially chiral BINIM and Ni(II)-catalyzed highly enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of azomethine ylides and N-arylmaleimides

Axially chiral BINIM-Ni(II) complexes are effective catalysts in the asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of azomethine ylides and N-arylmaleimides to give the corresponding adducts in good yields and up to 95% enantiomeric excesses.     

Phosphoramidite gold(I)-catalyzed diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of 3,4-substituted pyrrolidines

In this article the utility of phosphoramidite ligands in enantioselective Au(I) catalysis was explored in the development of highly diastereo- and enantioselective Au(I)-catalyzed cycloadditions of allenenes. A Au(I)-catalyzed synthesis of 3,4-disubstituted pyrrolidines and γ-lactams is described. This reaction proceeds through the enantioselective Au(I)-catalyzed cyclization of allenenes to form a carbocationic intermediate that is trapped by an exogenous nucleophile, resulting in the highly diastereoselective construction of three contiguous stereogenic centers. A computational study (DFT) was also performed to gain some insight into the underlying mechanisms of these cycloadditions. The utility of this new methodology was demonstrated through the formal synthesis of (-)-isocynometrine.     

Modular iminopyridine ligands. Application to the enantioselective copper(II)-catalyzed Henry reaction

Chiral iminopyridines prepared in a modular fashion from monoterpenic (camphor-derived) ketones and pyridinylalkylamines catalyze the enantioselective Henry (nitro aldol) reaction between nitromethane and o-anisol in the presence of copper(II) acetate, with high yields and good ee (up to 86%) under straightforward experimental conditions without the need for air or moisture exclusion.     

Copper(I)-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective tandem reductive aldol reaction

[Structure: see text] An efficient method for the enantioselective tandem reductive aldol reaction of methyl acrylate with aldehydes is reported. By using a copper(I) precursor and a proper diphosphane ligand, high reactivities can be reached, with TOF up to 40,000 h-1. Taniaphos-based ligands lead to enantioselectivities of up to 97% in the case of the major syn diastereoisomer.     

Room temperature Au(I)-catalyzed exo-selective cycloisomerization of acetylenic acids: an entry to functionalized gamma-lactones

A highly efficient gold-catalyzed cyclization reaction of various functionalized acetylenic acids is described. The cyclizations are conducted in the presence of Au(I) catalyst in acetonitrile at room temperature in a short reaction time. The reaction conditions are compatible with several functional groups, such as ester, alkene, alkyne, chloro, and free or protected alcohol, and lead to original gamma-lactones in good to excellent yields.     

Palladium(0)-catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck reaction and Rh(I)-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of polymer-supported dehydroalanine system

We have developed a practical route for the synthesis of peptides containing unnatural amino acids. Mizoroki-Heck reaction of polymer-supported dehydroalanine, followed by asymmetric hydrogenation was accomplished using Pd(0) and Rh(I)-DuPHOS catalysts, respectively, leading to 36 dipeptides containing phenylalanine derivatives with high stereocontrol.     

Development of new chiral phosphine-salen type ligands and their application in the Cu(I)-catalyzed enantioselective Henry reaction

Chiral phosphine-salen type ligand L4 prepared from (R)-2-(diphenylphosphino)-1,1′-binaphthyl-2′-amine was found to be a fairly effective chiral ligand for Cu(I)-promoted enantioselective Henry reactions of arylaldehydes with nitromethane to give the corresponding adducts in moderate enantioselectivities and moderate to good yields.     

Versatile synthesis of (Z)-1-alkylidene-1,3-dihydroisobenzofurans and 1H-isochromenes by palladium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 2-alkynylbenzyl alcohols

An easy synthesis of (Z)-1-alkylidene-1,3-dihydroisobenzofurans and 1H-isochromenes by palladium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of readily available 2-alkynylbenzyl alcohols under neutral conditions is reported. Reactions were carried out at 70-100°C in the presence of catalytic amounts (1-2%) of PdI₂ in conjunction with 2 equiv. of KI for 1.5-24 h. The preference towards the 5-exo-dig cyclization mode (leading to 1,3-dihydroisobenzofurans) or the 6-endo-dig cyclization mode (leading to isochromenes) turned out to be dependent on the substitution pattern of the substrate as well as reaction conditions. In several cases, by properly adjusting the reaction conditions, the same substrate could be selectively converted into either the dihydroisobenzofuran or the 1H-isochromene derivative.     

Palladium(II)-catalyzed three-component coupling reaction initiated by acetoxypalladation of alkynes: an efficient route to gamma,delta-unsaturated carbonyls

[formula: see text] A divalent palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction of electron-deficient alkynes and acrolein or MVK (methyl vinyl ketone) was developed. The reaction provides an efficient method to synthesize gamma,delta-unsaturated carbonyls. A mechanism involving acetoxypalladation of alkyne, followed by insertion of alkene and protonolysis of the C-Pd bond, is proposed. The protonolysis of the carbon-palladium bond with the assistance of bidentate nitrogen containing ligands is the key step in this tandem reaction.     

Cu(I)-catalyzed enantioselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 1-alkylallenylsilane with alpha-imino ester: asymmetric synthesis of dehydroproline derivatives

[reaction: see text] The catalytic, enantioselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 1-alkyl-substituted allenylsilanes with alpha-imino ester has been achieved by means of [Cu(MeCN)(4)]BF(4)/(R)-DM-SEGPHOS catalyst to afford silyl-substituted dehydroproline derivatives in high yields and enantioselectivities.     

The synthesis of chiral tridentate ligands from l-proline and their application in the copper(II)-catalyzed enantioselective Henry reaction

A series of chiral tridentate ligands derived from readily available enantiopure l-proline were designed and synthesized. The ligands together with Cu(OAc)₂ were successfully used in asymmetric Henry reactions. Various structurally divergent aldehydes and nitromethane were converted into versatile β-nitro alcohols in MeOH at room temperature with very good yields (up to 85%) and enantioselectivities (up to 86%).     

Structural control in palladium(II)-catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylation by new chiral phosphine-phosphite and pyridine-phosphite ligands

The ligands 6-[(diphenylphosphanyl)methoxy]-4,8-di-tert-butyl-2,10-dimethoxy-5,7-dioxa-6-phosphadibenzo[a,c]cycloheptene, 1, (S)-4-[(diphenylphosphanyl)methoxy]-3,5-dioxa-4-phosphacyclohepta[2,1-a;3,4a′]dinaphthalene, (S)-2, and (S)-4-[(diphenylphosphanyl)methoxy]-2,6-bis-trimethylsilanyl-3,5-dioxa-4-phosphacyclohepta[2,1-a;3,4-a′]dinaphthalene, (S)-3, (S)-2-(3,5-dioxa-4-phosphacyclohepta[2,1-a;3,4-a′]dinaphthalen-4-yloxymethyl)pyridine, (S)-4, and (S)-2-(3,5-dioxa-4-phosphacyclohepta[2,1-a;3,4-a′]dinaphthalen-4-yloxy)pyridine, (S)-5, have been easily prepared.The cationic complexes [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)(L-L′)]CF₃SO₃ (L–L′=1–(S)-5) and [Pd(η³-PhCHCHCHPh)(L–L′)]CF₃SO₃ (L–L′=(S)-2–(S)-4) were synthesized by conventional methods starting from the complexes [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)Cl]₂ and [Pd(η³-PhCHCHCHPh)Cl]₂, respectively. The behavior in solution of all the π-allyl- and π-phenylallyl-(L–L′)palladium derivatives 6–14 was studied by ¹H, ³¹P{¹H}, ¹³C{¹H} NMR and 2D-NOESY spectroscopy. As concerns the ligands (S)-4 and (S)-5, a satisfactory analysis of the structures in solution was possible only for palladium–allyl complexes [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)((S)-4)]CF₃SO₃, 11, and [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)((S)-5)]CF₃SO₃, 12, since the corresponding species [Pd(η³-PhCHCHCHPh)((S)-4)]CF₃SO₃, 13, and [Pd(η³-PhCHCHCHPh)((S)-5)]CF₃SO₃, 14, revealed low stability in solution for a long time. The new ligands (S)-2–(S)-5 were tested in the palladium-catalyzed enantioselective substitution of (1,3-diphenyl-1,2-propenyl)acetate by dimethylmalonate. The precatalyst [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)((S)-2)]CF₃SO₃ afforded the allyl substituted product in good yield (95%) and acceptable enantioselectivities (71% e.e. in the S form). A similar result was achieved with the precatalyst [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)((S)-3)]CF₃SO₃. The nucleophilic attack of the malonate occurred preferentially at allylic carbon far from the binaphthalene moiety, namely trans to the phosphite group. When the complexes containing ligands (S)-4 and (S)-5 were used as precatalysts, the product was obtained as a racemic mixture in high yield. The number of the configurational isomers of the Pd-allyl intermediates present in solution in the allylic alkylation and the relative concentrations are considered a determining factor for the enantioselectivity of the process.