Reformatsky Reaction to Alkynyl N- tert-Butanesulfinyl Imines: Lewis Acid Controlled Stereodivergent Synthesis of ß-Alkynyl-ß-Amino Acids.

A highly diastereoselective Refortmatsky reaction to N- tert-butanesulfinyl propargylaldimines and ketimines is presented. The reaction proceeded with excellent yields and diastereoselectivities provided by the sulfinyl group in the presence of Me3Al. The use of TBSOTf as a Lewis acid promoter switched the sense of the stereoinduction. Thus, this methodology allowed the stereodivergent asymmetric synthesis of ß-alkynyl ß-amino acid derivatives, from the same sulfinyl configuration, by simply changing the Lewis acid promoter.

"Anti-Michael addition" of Grignard reagents to sulfonylacetylenes: synthesis of alkynes.

In this work, the addition of Grignard reagents to arylsulfonylacetylenes, which undergoes an "anti-Michael addition", resulting in their alkynylation under very mild conditions is described. The simplicity of the experimental procedure and the functional group tolerance are the main features of this methodology. This is an important advantage over the use of organolithium at -78 °C that we previously reported. Moreover, the synthesis of diynes and other examples showing functional group tolerance in this anti-Michael reaction is also presented.

Synthesis of enantiomerically pure anti-1,2-diaryl and syn-1,2-alkylaryl vic-selenoamines.

Phenylselenyl benzylcarbanion stabilized by an (S)-2-p-tolylsulfinyl group evolves in a highly stereoselective way in the reactions with (S)-N-(p-tolylsulfinyl)imines at -98 °C affording diastereomerically pure 1,2-selenoamino derivatives in good yields. The syn or anti relationship of the obtained compounds depends on the alkyl or aryl character of the imine. They are easily transformed into enantiomerically pure (1R,2S)-1-aryl[or (1S,2S)-1-alkyl]-2-(phenylseleno)-2-phenylethylamines by reaction with t-BuLi and subsequent methanolysis of the generated sulfinamide derivatives with TFA.

Asymmetric synthesis of quaternary α-amino acid derivatives and their fluorinated analogues.

In this work, we describe the asymmetric synthesis of a series of fluorinated and non-fluorinated quaternary α-amino acid derivatives. This methodology involves the diastereoselective addition of chiral 2-p-tolylsulfinyl benzylcarbanions to either imines containing a 2-furyl moiety or trifluoromethyl α-imino esters. Synthetic practicality of this method is demonstrated by short (two-steps) and convenient preparation of 2-(trifluoromethyl)indoline-2-carboxylates.

Asymmetric synthesis of (S)-(-)-xylopinine. Use of the sulfinyl group as an ipso director in aromatic SE.

Optically pure (S)-(-)-xylopinine 2 was prepared in three steps in 52% overall yield. Thus, condensation of the carbanion derived from (S)-4 with the (S)-(E)-sulfinylimine 5 gave a 2:1 mixture of tetrahydroisoquinolines 6a and 6b, differing only in configuration at sulfur. N-Desulfinylation of this mixture gave the diastereomeric sulfoxides which, without separation, were converted into (S)-(-)-xylopinine (2) with loss of the sulfinyl moieties under Pictet-Spengler conditions. This unprecedented ipso electrophilic substitution of a sulfinyl group may have synthetic implications beyond that described in this work.

Abnormal behaviour of allenylsulfones under Lu's reaction conditions: synthesis of enantiopure polyfunctionalised cyclopentenes.

Formal [3+2] cycloadditions of 5-alkoxyfuran-2(5H)-ones 1 and 2 with allenylsulfones 3-5, promoted by different nucleophiles, afford 3-alkoxy-5-arylsulfonyl-3,3 a,6,6 a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]furan-1-ones in good yields with complete control of both regio- and pi-facial selectivity. The incorporation of a sulfinyl group on the furanone ring enhances the reactivity of the furanones and allows the synthesis of optically pure, bicyclic adducts in good yields. Allenylsulfones evolve through a different mechanism to that proposed for allenoates (Lu's reaction) and afford bicyclic adducts in which the sulfonyl group is joined to C-5. This has advantages on the stereochemical control of further reactions leading to enantiomerically pure polyfunctionalised cyclopentenes and cyclopentanes.

Asymmetric synthesis of indolines through intramolecular shifting of aromatic sulfinyl groups. Role of the pi,pi-stacking interactions in these unusual S(N)Ar processes.

Cyclization of N-aryl substituted 1-aryl-2[2-p-tolylsulfinyl]phenyl propylamines under LDA, LHMDS, or KHMDS provides a new approach for synthesizing optically pure 2,3-disubstituted indolines. Both the scope and the limitations of this method have been investigated. The pi,pi-stacking interactions are crucial for these unprecedented intramolecular S(N)Ar processes, in which a sulfinyl group located on a slightly deactivated ring is substituted by amide anions under mild conditions. X-ray and NMR proofs supporting these pi,pi-stacking interactions are presented.

Stereoselective addition of alpha-methylsulfenyl benzyl carbanions to N-sulfinylketimines: asymmetric synthesis of alpha,alpha-dibranched beta-sulfanyl amines.

(R)- and (S)-N-sulfinylketimines react with the ortho-sulfinyl benzyl carbanion derived from (S)-1 affording epimeric mixtures at the benzylic carbon of alpha,alpha-dibranched beta-sulfanyl amines. The N-sulfinyl group completely controls the configuration at the quaternary carbon bonded to the nitrogen, whereas the C-sulfinyl group is responsible for the level of asymmetric induction. High stereoselectivity can be achieved when the configuration at the sulfur atoms of the reagents are opposite (matched pair). After a two-step desulfinylation process, this reaction provides a procedure for synthesizing diastereomerically pure syn-1,2-sulfanyl amines containing a chiral quaternary carbon adjacent to nitrogen.

Synthesis and stereoselective halogenolysis of optically pure benzylstannanes.

In this work we show that lithium ortho-sulfinyl benzylcarbanions are highly efficient reagents for the synthesis of optically pure benzylstannanes by reacting with halotriorganyl tin (up to >98:2 dr). The stereoselectivity of these reactions is opposite to those observed with carbon electrophiles. Bromolysis of the obtained ortho-sulfinylbenzylstannanes with Br(2) in the presence of CuBr takes place in a highly stereoselective way (up to 90:10 dr) with retention of the configuration, which allows the synthesis of optically pure 2-sulfinylated benzyl bromides. Different experiments support the proposed mechanistic rationalization for both processes.

1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of diazoalkanes to (S)-(+)-3-[(4-methylphenyl)sulfinyl]-5,6-dihydropyran-2-one. Synthesis of optically pure cyclopropanes by denitrogenation of sulfinyl and sulfonyl pyrazolines.

The addition of diazomethane and diazoethane to enantiopure (S)-(+)-3-[(4-methylphenyl)sulfinyl]-5,6-dihydropyran-2-one (3) afforded the corresponding pyrazolines 4 and 6-exo in good yields and with almost complete pi-facial selectivity. When the reaction is effected in the presence of Yb(OTf)(3), the facial selectivity is inverted to give the pyrazolines 5 and 7-exo. The denitrogenation of optically pure sulfinyl pyrazolines 4-7-exo into the corresponding cyclopropanes with Yb(OTf)(3) occurred with complete retention of configuration but moderate chemoselectivity and yields. These results were significantly improved starting from sulfonyl pyrazolines, which afforded optically pure 3-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptan-2-ones with yields ranging between 65% (17 and ent-17) and > or = 95% (16 and ent-16).

Stereoselective control of planar alpha-dimethylsulfonium benzyl carbanions. Synthesis of optically pure trans-aziridines.

(R)-N-sulfinylimine and (S)-N-sulfinylimine react with the ylide derived from (S)-dimethyl-[2-(p-toluenesulfinyl)phenyl]sulfonium salt, affording trans-2,3-disubstituted aziridines. A complete trans selectivity in low facial diastereoselectivity is observed when the configuration at the sulfur atoms of the reagents is the same. Otherwise, when their configurations are different, the reaction evolved with total facial diastereoselectivity and the cis/trans ratio ranged between 1/4.2 and 1/9. Theoretical calculations indicate the reaction proceeds mainly by evolution of a planar free carbanion. The relative stability of the transition states predicts a trans/cis ratio that is in excellent agreement with the experimental results.

Remote stereocontrol mediated by a sulfinyl group: synthesis of allylic alcohols via chemoselective and diastereoselective reduction of gamma-methylene delta-ketosulfoxides.

The efficiency of the sulfinyl group as a remote controller of the chemoselectivity and diastereoselectivity of the reduction of alpha, beta-unsaturated alpha-[2-(p-tolylsulfinyl)phenyl] substituted ketones 1 has been demonstrated in reactions carried out under NaBH4 in the presence of Yb(OTf)3 as the chelating agent. The starting unsaturated ketones have been prepared from the corresponding 2-(p-tolylsulfinyl) benzyl alkyl (and aryl) ketones 2 by insertion of the methylidene group under modified Mannich conditions, exploiting ultrasound irradiation to obtain the aminomethylation adducts and silica gel treatment to produce its complete elimination. Desulfinylation of the reduction products yielded the corresponding vinyl carbinols with high enantiomeric purity.

Totally regio- and stereoselective behavior of mono- and diactivated cyclic alkenes in the Lu reaction: synthesis of enantiopure functionalized cyclopentanes.

5-Alkoxyfuran-2(5H)-ones and their optically pure 3-p-tolylsulfinyl derivatives, synthetic equivalents of the acyclic esters, react with dipoles generated from allenoates and PPh(3) (Lu reaction), in a completely regioselective, pi-facial selective and endo-selective manner, yielding bicyclic adducts, which are easily converted into optically pure highly substituted cyclopentane derivatives.

A new entry to enantiopure polysubstituted cyclopropanes: stereoselective denitrogenation of sulfinylpyrazolines under Yb(OTf)3 catalysis.

[Structure: see text] Chemoselective and completely stereoselective denitrogenation of optically pure pyrazolines, derived from 3-sulfinylfuran-2(5H)-ones, into cyclopropanes can be achieved under substoichiometric Yb(OTf)3 catalysis. Reactions evolve in almost quantitative yields with complete retention of the configuration at both carbons flanking the nitrogen atoms. The resulting enantiomerically pure polysubstituted cyclopropanes, containing up to five substituens, can be desulfinylated with Ra-Ni providing polysubstituted cyclopropanecarboxylic acid derivatives.

Stereocontrolled reactions mediated by a remote sulfoxide group: synthesis of optically pure anti-beta-amino alcohols.

[reaction: see text] A one-step synthesis of enantiomerically pure anti-1,2-amino alcohol derivatives has been achieved by reaction of prochiral oxygenated 2-p-tolylsulfinylbenzyl carbanions with N-sulfinylimines bearing the same configuration at sulfur.

Facile synthesis of optically pure 1,2-diaryl (and 1-Alkyl-2-aryl) ethyl and propylamines.

A concise high-yielding route to synthetically useful 1,2-diaryl (and 1-alkyl-2-aryl) ethyl and propylamines in high enantiomeric purity is described. The key step of this route is the completely stereoselective addition of lithium (R)-ortho-(p-toluenesulfinyl)benzylic carbanions to (S)-N-p-toluenesulfinylimines, which takes place in very high or quantitative yields. N-Desulfinylation and C-desulfinylation of the resulting adducts can be achieved with no loss of optical purity employing conventional methods (TFA and Raney-Ni, respectively).

First highly stereoselective synthesis of fungicide systhane.

[reaction: see text] Highly enantiopure (R)-2-p-chlorophenyl-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)hexanenitrile 1 (myclobutanil or systhane) was obtained in six synthetic steps from commercially available 1-hexyne (35% yield, 92% ee). The sulfinyl group controls the two key steps of the synthetic sequence, the highly stereoselective hydrocyanation of vinyl sulfoxides with Et(2)AlCN and the further introduction of the proper functionality into the molecule.

A general and expeditious one-pot synthesis of sulfoxides in high optical purity from norephedrine-derived sulfamidites.

A general and simple procedure for preparing any kind of enantiomerically enriched sulfoxide starting from norephedrine-derived N-benzyloxycarbonylsulfamidite 3a is reported. After one-pot reaction of 3a with RMgX, HBF(4), and R'MgX, a variety of sulfoxides 6 are obtained in ee usually higher than 93% and isolated yields ranging between 50 and 78%. The obtained configuration is tunable by simply electing the order of the addition of the reagents. [reaction--see text]

Efficient synthesis of enantiomerically pure alpha-alkyl cyclopropanecarbonitrile derivatives from pyrazolines.

[reaction: see text] Thermolysis of enantiopure sulfonyl pyrazolines 4 and 5, easily obtained from (Z)-3-p-tolylsulfinylacrylonitriles (1), afforded sulfonyl cyclopropanes (6, 7) in a completely stereoselective manner in almost quantitative yields. Both cyclopropanes and alkylidenecyclopropanes, containing one or two chiral carbon atoms, one of them being quaternary, were obtained by hydrogenolysis of the C-S bonding and under the conditions reported by Julia, respectively. The highly stereoselective extrusion of nitrogen suggests a concerted mechanism.

Remote Regiocontrol by a Thioether Group in Diels-Alder Reactions of Naphthazarin: Regioselective Access to Tetracyclic Polyhydroxyquinones.

The synthesis of tetracyclic polyhydroxyquinones 5a and 5b was achieved through a sequence involving two Diels-Alder reactions with 1-methoxy-1,3-cyclohexadiene: the first with 2-(p-tolylthio)naphthazarin and the second on the resulting tricyclic derivative previously transformed into a (p-tolylsulfinyl)naphthazarin. The success of this strategy stemmed from the efficient remote regiocontrol exerted by the thioether substituent in the first step.