Palladium-catalyzed regiocontrolled alpha-arylation of trimethylsilyl enol ethers with aryl halides

Inter- and intramolecular arylations of trimethylsilyl enol ethers with aryl halides are accomplished regiospecifically in the presence of a palladium catalyst and tributyltin fluoride in refluxing benzene or toluene. The optimal catalyst system called for the use of Pd2(dba)3 and tri-tert-butylphosphine in ca. 1:2 ratio. Aryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides are all effective arylation partners in this reaction. [reaction: see text]     

Enantioselective total syntheses of (+)-arborescidine A, (-)-arborescidine B, and (-)-arborescidine C

Described are the first enantioselective total syntheses of (+)-arborescidine A ((+)-1), (-)-arborescidine B ((-)-2), and (-)-arborescidine C ((-)-3), via routes that proceeded in five steps and 50% overall yield, eight steps and 61% overall yield, and nine steps and 51% overall yield, respectively, from 6-bromotryptamine (7). The syntheses feature the use of the Noyori catalytic asymmetric hydrogen-transfer reaction to introduce chirality in dihydro-beta-carbolines 6 and 8. On the basis of an ample precedent from Noyori's work, the reduction produces dihydro-beta-carbolines, and ultimately the natural products, possessing the R absolute configuration. The synthetic arborescidines displayed optical rotations that were opposite in sign those of the natural products, thereby supporting the S configuration for natural arborescidines A (1) and B (2) and the (3S,17S) configuration for natural arborescidine C (3). Our results are in agreement with the initial stereochemical assignment by Pa?s and co-workers, and are counter to their recently revised assignment.     

A general strategy to elisabethane diterpenes: stereocontrolled synthesis of elisapterosin B via oxidative cyclization of an elisabethin precursor

Described is an efficient synthesis of the complex bioactive natural product, elisapterosin B, a potent in vitro inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rb. The synthesis elisapterosin B, prepared in its enantiomeric form, proceeds by a highly stereocontrolled sequence commencing with a simple glutamic acid derived compound. Pivotal steps in the sequence include (a) a pinacol-type ketal rearrangement to transfer chirality, (b) an IMDA reaction of an E,Z-diene to construct the elisabethin skeleton, and (c) a biosynthesis-inspired oxidative cyclization of the elisabethin precursor to elisapterosin B.     

Hydrogen-bond-promoted hetero-Diels-Alder reactions of unactivated ketones

We report the first examples of hydrogen-bond-promoted acceleration of hetero-Diels-Alder reactions and the use of such catalysis for the hetero-Diels-Alder reactions of simple, unactivated ketones. Several spiro-fused dihydropyans were synthesized in good yields using this procedure. This activation protocol represents an attractive and operationally simple alternative to conventional, Lewis acid catalysis.     

α-Methoxythioanisole. Further Uses as an Umpolung Reagent

The facile lithiation of thioacetals has led to their extensive development as Umpolung reagents of great utility in general organic synthesis.¹ In contrast, the corresponding monothioacetals, such as α-alkoxysulfides, have received little attention for similar synthetic purposes. The most investigated reagent of this class has been the α-lithio derivative (2) of α-methoxy-thioanisole (methoxymethylphenylthioether, 1), which we will henceforth refer to as LMT. The first reported use of LMT was in 1975 by Trost, who showed that it added cleanly to the carbonyl of several bicyclic lactones.² Subsequent studies of LMT have been limited to one example of its addition to a lithiated tosylhydrazone to give eventually an enol ether,³ and several cases of its addition to ketone carbonyls as the first step of an unsaturated aldehyde synthesis.^4,5 We now report a new, convenient and non-hazardous synthesis of α-methoxythioanisole (1), as well as a broad overview of the reactions of its lithio derivative LMT (2) with some representative alkyl halides, epoxides, aldehydes, nitriles, amides, and an ester and an acid chloride.     

Palladium-catalyzed beta-allylation of 2,3-disubstituted indoles

Given the prevalence of the indole nucleus in biologically active compounds, the direct C3-functionalization of 2,3-disubstituted indoles represents an important problem. Described is a general, high-yielding method for the palladium-catalyzed beta-allylation of carba- and heterocycle fused indoles, including complex natural product substrates.     

Reductive Chlorination and Bromination of Ketones via Trityl Hydrazones

A method is presented for the direct transformation of a ketone to the corresponding reduced alkyl chloride or bromide. The process involves the reaction of a ketone trityl hydrazone with tBuOCl to give a diazene which readily collapses to the α‐chlorocarbinyl radical, reduction of which by a hydrogen atom source gives the alkyl chloride product. The use of N‐bromosuccinimide provides the corresponding alkyl bromide. This unique transformation provides a reductive halogenation that complements Barton's redox‐neutral vinyl halide synthesis.     

Expedient, high-yielding synthesis of silyl-substituted salen ligands

Described is an efficient synthesis of silyl-substituted salen ligands, used for the preparation of enantioselective catalysts. The salicylaldehyde precursors are synthesized from the silyl ethers of 2,6-dibromophenols via a one-pot double lithium halogen exchanges, to induce an intramolecular retro-Brook rearrangement and allow introduction of the aldehyde group. Condensation of the salicylaldehyde products with a chiral diamine affords the silyl-substituted salen ligands in high yields. The use of other electrophiles allows easy access to silyl-substituted phenolic esters, ketones, and boronic acids.