Catalytic Asymmetric Inverse‐Electron‐Demand Oxa‐Diels–Alder Reaction of In Situ Generated ortho‐Quinone Methides with 3‐Methyl‐2‐Vinylindoles

The first catalytic asymmetric inverse‐electron‐demand (IED) oxa‐Diels–Alder reaction of ortho‐quinone methides, generated in situ from ortho‐hydroxybenzyl alcohols, has been established. By selecting 3‐methyl‐2‐vinylindoles as a class of competent dienophiles, this approach provides an efficient strategy to construct an enantioenriched chroman framework with three adjacent stereogenic centers in high yields and excellent stereoselectivities (up to 99 % yield, >95:5 d.r., 99.5:0.5 e.r.). The utilization of ortho‐hydroxybenzyl alcohols as precursors of dienes and 3‐methyl‐2‐vinylindoles as dienophiles, as well as the hydrogen‐bonding activation mode of the substrates met the challenges of a catalytic asymmetric IED oxa‐Diels–Alder reaction.     

Diastereo‐ and Enantioselective Construction of a Bispirooxindole Scaffold Containing a Tetrahydro‐β‐carboline Moiety through an Organocatalytic Asymmetric Cascade Reaction

The first catalytic asymmetric construction of a new class of bispirooxindole scaffold‐containing tetrahydro‐β‐carboline moiety has been established through chiral phosphoric acid‐catalyzed three‐component cascade Michael/Pictet–Spengler reactions of isatin‐derived 3‐indolylmethanols, isatins, and amino‐ester, which afforded structurally complex and diverse bispirooxindoles with one quaternary and one tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers in excellent stereoselectivities (all >95:5 diastereomeric ratio (d.r.), up to 98:2 enantiomeric ratio (e.r.)). This intriguing class of chiral bispirooxindoles integrated the two important structures of tetrahydro‐β‐carboline and bispirooxindole, both of them possessing significant bioactivities. This approach also combined the merits of asymmetric organocatalysis and multicomponent tandem reaction, which provided a unique strategy for the preparation of structurally rigid bispiro‐architectures with concomitant creation of multiple quaternary stereogenic centers.     

Synthesis of Chiral Aminocyclopropanes by Rare‐Earth‐Metal‐Catalyzed Cyclopropene Hydroamination

The search for efficient and selective routes for the synthesis of chiral aminocyclopropane derivatives is of great interest and importance as these structures are important components of biologically active natural products and pharmaceuticals. We herein report the enantioselective intermolecular hydroamination of substituted cyclopropenes with various amines catalyzed by chiral half‐sandwich rare‐earth‐metal complexes. This method constitutes a 100 % atom‐efficient route for the synthesis of a variety of chiral α‐aminocyclopropane derivatives in high yields (up to 96 %) and excellent stereoselectivity (up to >20:1 d.r. and 99 % ee) under mild reaction conditions (25 °C).     

Peptide‐Catalyzed Fragment Couplings that Form Axially Chiral Non‐C2‐Symmetric Biaryls

We have demonstrated that small, modular, tetrameric peptides featuring the Lewis‐basic residue β‐dimethylaminoalanine (Dmaa) are capable of atroposelectively coupling naphthols and ester‐bearing quinones to yield non‐C₂‐symmetric BINOL‐type scaffolds with good yields and enantioselectivity. The study culminates in the asymmetric synthesis of backbone‐substituted scaffolds similar to 3,3′‐disubstituted BINOLs, such as (R)‐TRIP, with good (94:6 e.r.) to excellent (>99.9:0.1 e.r.) enantioselectivity after recrystallization, and a diastereoselective net arylation of the minimally modified nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) naproxen.     

Desymmetrization‐Oriented Enantioselective Synthesis of Silicon‐Stereogenic Silanes by Palladium‐Catalyzed C−H Olefinations

A palladium‐catalyzed chelation‐assisted enantioselective C?H olefination of symmetrically diaryl‐substituted tetraorganosilicon derivatives was developed, enabling the generation of nitrogen‐containing silicon‐stereogenic tetraorganosilicon compounds with modest to good yields and good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 95.5:4.5 e.r.). The Thorpe–Ingold effect exerted by the substituents on silicon was observed to have a profound influence on formation of olefinated products which were further converted into other relevant chiral organosilanes without the loss of enantiomeric purity, thus demonstrating the synthetic utility of the developed enantioselective olefination.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Azide–Ynamide Cyclization to Generate α‐Imino Copper Carbenes: Divergent and Enantioselective Access to Polycyclic N‐Heterocycles

Here an efficient copper‐catalyzed cascade cyclization of azide‐ynamides via α‐imino copper carbene intermediates is reported, representing the first generation of α‐imino copper carbenes from alkynes. This protocol enables the practical and divergent synthesis of an array of polycyclic N‐heterocycles in generally good to excellent yields with broad substrate scope and excellent diastereoselectivities. Moreover, an asymmetric azide–ynamide cyclization has been achieved with high enantioselectivities (up to 98:2 e.r.) by employing BOX‐Cu complexes as chiral catalysts. Thus, this protocol constitutes the first example of an asymmetric azide–alkyne cyclization. The proposed mechanistic rationale for this cascade cyclization is further supported by theoretical calculations.     

Nickel(II)‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Propargyl and Allyl Claisen Rearrangements to Allenyl‐ and Allyl‐Substituted β‐Ketoesters

Highly efficient catalytic asymmetric Claisen rearrangements of O‐propargyl β‐ketoesters and O‐allyl β‐ketoesters have been accomplished under mild reaction conditions. In the presence of the chiral N,N′‐dioxide/Ni^II complex, a wide range of allenyl/allyl‐substituted all‐carbon quaternary β‐ketoesters was obtained in generally good yield (up to 99 %) and high diastereoselectivity (up to 99:1 d.r.) with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee).     

Enantioselective Organocatalytic Intramolecular Aza‐Diels–Alder Reaction

A highly efficient catalytic enantioselective intramolecular Povarov reaction was developed with primary anilines as 2‐azadiene precursors. A wide variety of angularly fused azacycles were obtained without column chromatography in high to excellent yields and with excellent diastereo‐ and enantioselectivity (d.r.>99:1 and up to e.r. 99:1). Furthermore, the catalyst loading could be lowered to 1 mol %, and the obtained azacycles could be used as key intermediates for further transformations to generate additional molecular diversity.     

One‐Pot Organocatalytic Enantioselective Michael/Povarov Domino Strategy for the Construction of Spirooctahydroacridine‐3,3′‐oxindole Scaffolds

An asymmetric organocatalytic one‐pot strategy for the construction of spirooctahydroacridine‐3,3′‐oxindole scaffolds has been successfully developed by means of a domino Michael/Povarov reaction sequence. The one‐pot protocol affords the chiral spirocyclohexaneoxindoles bearing an octahydroacridine motif with five stereocenters in good to high yields (up to 89 % yield) with excellent to perfect diastereoselectivities (up to >20:1 d.r.) and enantioselectivities (up to >99 % ee). This highly efficient one‐pot domino procedure will allow diversity‐oriented syntheses of this intriguing class of compounds with potential biological activities.     

Cu/Graphene/Clay Nanohybrid: A Highly Efficient Heterogeneous Nanocatalyst for Synthesis of New 5‐Substituted‐1H‐Tetrazole Derivatives Tethered to Bioactive N‐Heterocyclic Cores

A series of new 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles bearing bioactive N‐heterocyclic cores were synthesized through [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions between alkyl nitriles (RCN) and NaN₃ in the presence of Cu/aminoclay/reduced graphene oxide nanohybrid (Cu/AC/r‐GO nanohybrid) as a heterogeneous nanocatalyst in water/i‐PrOH (50:50, V/V) media at reflux condition. The influence of factors on a sample reaction including solvent type, temperature, and catalyst amount was discussed. This current protocol has many advantages including inexpensiveness, environmentally benign, broad substrate scope, excellent yields, and easy work‐up procedure. The Cu/AC/r‐GO used in this protocol is a low‐cost catalyst that proved to have considerable chemical and thermal stabilities. This non‐hygroscopic catalyst can be easily recycled, reused, and stored for many consecutive reaction runs without significant loss in its reactivity.     

Manipulation of Spiroindolenine Intermediates for Enantioselective Synthesis of 3‐(Indol‐3‐yl)‐Pyrrolidines

By manipulating the reactivity of spiroindolenine species, a sequential Michael/retro‐Mannich/Mannich reaction of ω‐indol‐3‐yl α,β‐unsaturated ketones was developed. In the presence of 10 mol % of a chiral phosphoric acid as the catalyst, a series of 3‐(indol‐3‐yl)‐pyrrolidines were synthesized in high yields (up to 91 %) with excellent stereoselectivities (up to 92 % ee, >19:1 d.r.). The products obtained here undergo diverse functional‐group transformations. The mechanistic proposal of this reaction is supported by DFT calculations.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of Hydrocarbazoles Catalyzed by an Octahedral Chiral‐at‐Rhodium Lewis Acid

A bis‐cyclometalated chiral‐at‐metal rhodium complex catalyzes the Diels–Alder reaction between N‐Boc‐protected 3‐vinylindoles (Boc=tert‐butyloxycarbonyl) and β‐carboxylic ester‐substituted α,β‐unsaturated 2‐acyl imidazoles with good‐to‐excellent regioselectivity (up to 99:1) and excellent diastereoselectivity (>50:1 d.r.) as well as enantioselectivity (92–99 % ee) under optimized conditions. The rhodium catalyst serves as a chiral Lewis acid to activate the 2‐acyl imidazole dienophile by two‐point binding and overrules the preferred regioselectivity of the uncatalyzed reaction.     

Cy‐SaBOX/Copper(II)‐Catalyzed Highly Diastereo‐ and Enantioselective Synthesis of Bicyclic N,O Acetals

Facile and effective access for the asymmetric construction of the useful and important skeleton of the bicyclic N,O‐acetals is described. Cu^II/SaBOX could catalyze the reaction of β,γ‐unsaturated α‐ketoesters with cyclic enamines efficiently, thus affording the desired products in excellent yields with excellent stereoselectivities (21 examples; up to 99 % yields; up to >95:5 d.r.; and 95–99 % ee). This reaction can be well performed on gram scale, even with only 1 mol % catalyst loading. The single‐crystal structures of the copper complexes lead to a good understanding of the stereo‐synergistic effects of the sidearm.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of [2,3]‐Fused Indoline Heterocycles through Inverse‐Electron‐Demand Aza‐Diels–Alder Reaction of Indoles with Azoalkenes

An unprecedented catalytic asymmetric inverse‐electron‐demand aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of indoles with in situ formed azoalkenes is reported. A diverse set of [2,3]‐fused indoline heterocycles were achieved in generally good yields (up to 97 %) with high regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity (>20:1 d.r.), and with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee).     

A Green Synthesis of 7‐amino‐5‐(4‐aroyl)‐1,3‐dimethyl‐2,4‐dioxo‐1,2,3,4,5,8‐hexahydropyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐6‐carbonitrile Derivatives by a One‐pot Three‐component Reaction

The synthesis of polyfunctionalized 7‐amino‐5‐(4‐aroyl)‐1,3‐dimethyl‐2,4‐dioxo‐1,2,3,4,5,8‐hexahydropyrido[2,3‐d ]pyrimidine‐6‐carbonitrile derivatives by a green approach was achieved via one‐pot three‐component reaction of arylglyoxals, malononitrile, and 1,3‐dimethyl‐6‐aminouracil in the presence of urea as organocatalyst in EtOH:H₂O (1:1) at 60°C. This protocol provides a mild and fast procedure to structurally diverse bicyclic pyridopyrimidines in good to excellent yields.     

A Catalyst‐Enabled Diastereodivergent Aza‐Diels–Alder Reaction: Complementarity of N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes and Chiral Amines

Highly efficient and diastereodivergent aza‐Diels–Alder reactions have been developed to access either diastereomeric series of benzofuran‐fused δ‐lactams and dihydropyridines in nearly perfect stereoselectivity (d.r. >20:1, >99 % ee for all examples). The complementarity of N‐heterocyclic carbene and chiral amine as the catalyst was demonstrated for the first time, together with an excellent level of catalytic efficiency (1 mol % loading).     

Asymmetric Synthesis of Enantioenriched 2‐Aryl‐2,3‐Dihydrobenzofurans by a Lewis Acid Catalyzed Cyclopropanation/Intramolecular Rearrangement Sequence

A cyclopropanation/intramolecular rearrangement initiated by the Michael addition of in situ generated ortho‐quinone methides (o‐QMs) has been developed for the enantioselective synthesis of 2‐aryl‐2,3‐dihydrobenzofurans containing two consecutive stereogenic centers, including a quaternary carbon atom. In the presence of a chiral oxazaborolidinium ion catalyst, the reaction proceeded in excellent yields (up to 95 %) with excellent stereoselectivity (up to >99 ee, up to >20:1 d.r.).     

Squaramide‐Catalyzed Asymmetric aza‐Friedel–Crafts/N,O‐Acetalization Domino Reactions Between 2‐Naphthols and Pyrazolinone Ketimines

N‐Boc ketimines derived from pyrazolin‐5‐ones were explored to develop an unprecedented domino aza‐Friedel–Crafts/N,O‐acetalization reaction with 2‐naphthols. The novel method requires a catalyst loading of only 0.5 mol % of a bifunctional squaramide catalyst, is scalable to gram amounts, and provides a new series of furanonaphthopyrazolidinone derivatives bearing two vicinal tetra‐substituted stereogenic centers in excellent yields (95–98 %) and stereoselectivity (>99:1 d.r. and 97–98 % ee ). A different reactivity was observed in the case of 1‐naphthols and other electron‐rich phenols, which led to the aza‐Friedel–Crafts adducts in 70–98 % yield and 47–98 % ee .     

Highly Efficient Formal [2+2+2] Strategy for the Rapid Construction of Polycyclic Spiroindolines: A Concise Synthesis of 11‐Demethoxy‐16‐epi‐myrtoidine

A novel formal [2+2+2] strategy for the stereoselective elaboration of polycyclic indole alkaloids is described. Upon treatment with the catalyst InCl₃ (5 mol %), tryptamine‐derived enamides reacted readily with methylene malonate, thus enabling rapid and gram‐scale access to versatile tetracyclic spiroindolines with excellent diastereoselectivity (21 examples, up to 95 % yield, up to d.r.>95:5). This strategy provides a concise approach to alkaloids isolated from Strychnos myrtoides, as demonstrated by a short synthesis of 11‐demethoxy‐16‐epi‐myrtoidine.     

Multicomponent Synthesis of Chiral Bidentate Unsymmetrical Unsaturated N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes: Copper‐Catalyzed Asymmetric CC Bond Formation

A multicomponent strategy was applied to the synthesis of chiral bidentate unsaturated hydroxyalkyl‐ and carboxyalkyl‐N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors. The newly developed low‐cost chiral ligands derived from amino alcohols and amino acids were evaluated in copper‐catalyzed asymmetric conjugated addition and asymmetric allylic alkylation, which afforded the desired tertiary and quaternary carbon stereocenters with excellent regio‐ and enantioselectivities (up to 99:1 e.r.).