10b-Substituted hexahydropyrrolo-isoquinolines: studies on diastereoselective formation of a quaternary carbon stereocenter via N-acyliminium ion cyclization

The stereoselective synthesis of hexahydro-pyrroloisoquinolines with a quaternary carbon stereocenter is described. The presented methodology employs the addition of a Grignard reagent to the carbonyl group of imide 1, derived from l-tartaric acid, followed by acetylation and BF₃·Et₂O induced cyclization. The acetylation-cyclization sequence can be run either as a one-pot process, or stepwise in a selected solvents. The crucial step, an acid-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction via an N-acyliminium ion offers high stereoselectivity, which has been shown to be strongly dependent on the size of the R¹ substituents and the reaction conditions, that is, choice of solvent, amount of a Lewis acid, temperature, and concentration of the substrate. Based on the results observed, participation of solvent in the cyclization, via an N-acyliminium cation is proposed.     

Efficient highly diastereoselective synthesis of 1,8a-dihydro-7H-imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]oxazines

1-Alkyl imidazoles react smoothly with dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates in the presence of pyridine carboxaldehydes to diastereoselectively produce 1,8a-dihydro-7H-imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]oxazine derivatives in excellent yields.     

Studies in stereoselective [2+2]-cycloadditions with dichloroketene

During the investigation of the reaction of dichloroketene with cyclic enoxy-lactones and acyclic enoxy-ester substrates it was found that only the acylic variants effectively participated in the [2+2]-cycloaddition. Although a complete understanding of the reasons for this are lacking, molecular mechanics calculations do suggest that an out of plane twist of the cabonyl group in the acyclic compounds may be partially responsible. After screening a variety of chiral auxiliaries it was found that useful levels of diastereoselectivity (2.6-10.8:1) could be obtained in this cycloaddition reaction when (R)-2,2-diphenylcyclopentanol was used as the chiral auxiliary.     

Addition of γ-silyloxyallyltins on ethyl glyoxylate: evaluation of the influence of the experimental conditions on the stereochemical course of the reaction

Ethyl glyoxylate was reacted with α-substituted γ-(t-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-allyltributyltin in order to obtain selectively each diastereomer of ethyl 3-(t-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-2-hydroxyhex-4-enoate and subsequently the corresponding diols. Diastereomers syn-E, anti-E and anti-Z were obtained in good yields with good to high selectivities and the obtained results were rationalized by consideration of cyclic or open transition states in agreement with the experimental conditions and with the structure of the starting reagents.     

Sequential Baylis-Hillman/RCM protocol for the stereoselective synthesis of (+)-MK7607 and (+)-streptol

Sequential Baylis-Hillman/ring-closing metathesis (RCM) approach toward the total synthesis of (+)-MK7607 and (+)-streptol starting from (R,R)-tartaric acid is reported.     

Achiral β-amino alcohols as efficient ligands for the ruthenium-catalysed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of sulfinylimines

Some achiral β-amino alcohols have been shown as efficient ligands for the ruthenium-catalysed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of N-(tert-butylsulfinyl)imines in isopropanol. The ruthenium complex prepared from [RuCl₂(p-cymene)]₂ (2.5 mol %) and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (5 mol %) leads to α-branched chiral primary amines with very high optical purities (up to 98% ee) by the diastereoselective reduction of the imines followed by removal of the sulfinyl group under mild acidic conditions. Short reaction times (2-3 h) were needed to complete the reduction reactions when they were performed at 50 °C.     

Amidate ligand design effects in zirconium-catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination of aminoalkenes

In situ generated axially chiral zirconium biphenyl amidate complexes are efficient precatalysts for the enantioselective intramolecular hydroamination of aminoalkenes, generating α-substituted pyrrolidines and piperidine with up to 74% ee. Five new chelating amide proligands and three new zirconium amidate complexes have been prepared and fully characterized in this investigation of ligand structure/catalyst function. Solid-state molecular structures of the complexes suggest that the observed moderate and highly variable enantioselectivities are a consequence of the multiple isomers accessible to this family of complexes, including a κ²-(O,O)-bonding motif. Thermal stability studies of the complexes further revealed the tendency of these complexes to undergo diastereoselective dimerization to afford homochiral dimers. These dimeric precatalysts are less efficient when used for the cyclization of aminoalkenes in comparison to their monomeric precursors. These results illustrate the variable coordination modes accessible to amidate ligands and suggest steric factors that must be considered in advanced ligand design.     

Stereoselective conjugate addition of nitrogen nucleophiles to 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-nitropropene

In order to access 1,2-diamines incorporating perfluorinated groups, the Michael-like addition of nitrogen nucleophiles to 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-nitropropene has been investigated using racemic and optically pure nucleophiles such as amines, amides, oxazolidin(on)es, and thiazolidin(on)es. Complete diastereoselectivity of the addition was achieved with 4-phenylthiazolidine-2-thione.     

Diastereoselective Petasis Mannich reactions accelerated by hexafluoroisopropanol: a pyrrolidine-derived arylglycine synthesis

A diastereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidine-derived arylglycines has been developed using the Petasis boronic acid Mannich reaction. High diastereoselectivities in the reactions of chiral amines, aryl boronic acids, and glyoxylic acid monohydrate have been demonstrated for the first time. Key to the implementation of this method is the discovery that hexafluoroisopropanol accelerates the Petasis process, reducing reaction times from multiple days to less than 24 h.     

An Unprecedented Domino Double Allylsilane [3+2] Cycloaddition/Wagner–Meerwein Rearrangement/Friedel–Crafts Alkylation/Elimination Reaction Sequence Leading to a Novel Pentacyclic Ring System

A stereoselective synthesis of the disilyl derivatives 3 is achieved by the title reaction, an unprecedented Lewis acid promoted domino reaction, between the cross-conjugated dienone 1 and the allylsilanes 2 . The configurations of the five stereogenic centers of this novel ring system are established in the first step of the reaction sequence, the double [3+2] cycloaddition.