Development of Chemo‐ and Enantioselective Palladium‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation of α‐Nitroesters

We describe the development of a Pd‐catalyzed decarboxylative asymmetric allylic alkylation of α‐nitro allyl esters to afford acyclic tetrasubstituted nitroalkanes. Optimization of the reaction parameters revealed unique ligand and solvent combinations crucial for achieving chemo‐ and enantioselective C‐alkylation of electronically challenging benzylic nitronates and sterically encumbered 2‐allyl esters. Substrates were efficiently accessed in a combinatorial fashion by a cross‐Claisen/ α‐arylation sequence. The method provides functional group orthogonality that complements nucleophilic imine allylation strategies for α‐tertiary amine synthesis.     

A Mechanistic Analysis of the Palladium‐Catalyzed Formation of Branched Allylic Amines Reveals the Origin of the Regio‐ and Enantioselectivity through a Unique Inner‐Sphere Pathway

A recently reported palladium‐catalyzed allylic substitution of vinyl‐substituted cyclic carbonates (VCCs) with aryl amines represents a rare example of a regio‐ and enantioselective synthesis of α,α‐disubstituted allylic N‐aryl amines. However, the underlying reasons for this unusual selectivity profile remain elusive. In the present work, density functional theory (DFT) calculations in combination with mechanistic control experiments were performed to elucidate in detail this allylic amination manifold and the origin of the regio‐ and enantioselectivity. The combined data show that after oxidative addition of the VCC to Pd⁰, the nucleophilic attack via an originally proposed outer‐sphere pathway gives, however, the opposite regioisomer compared to the experimental results. Instead, nucleophilic attack of the amine reagent via a unique type of chelation‐assisted, inner‐sphere pathway accounts for the experimentally observed “branched” regioselectivity and high enantio‐control.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Decarbonylative Dehydration for the Synthesis of α‐Vinyl Carbonyl Compounds and Total Synthesis of (−)‐Aspewentins A,B, and C

The direct α‐vinylation of carbonyl compounds to form a quaternary stereocenter is a challenging transformation. It was discovered that δ‐oxocarboxylic acids can serve as masked vinyl compounds and be unveiled by palladium‐catalyzed decarbonylative dehydration. The carboxylic acids are readily available through enantioselective acrylate addition or asymmetric allylic alkylation. A variety of α‐vinyl quaternary carbonyl compounds are obtained in good yields, and an application in the first enantioselective total synthesis of (−)‐aspewentins A, B, and C is demonstrated.     

Enantioselective Synthesis of Acyclic α‐Quaternary Carboxylic Acid Derivatives through Iridium‐Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation

The first highly enantioselective iridium‐catalyzed allylic alkylation that provides access to products bearing an allylic all‐carbon quaternary stereogenic center has been developed. The reaction utilizes a masked acyl cyanide (MAC) reagent, which enables the one‐pot preparation of α‐quaternary carboxylic acids, esters, and amides with a high degree of enantioselectivity. The utility of these products is further explored through a series of diverse product transformations.