Lewis Acid Catalyzed Enantioselective Desymmetrization of Donor-Acceptor meso-Diaminocyclopropanes.

The first Lewis acid catalyzed enantioselective ring-opening desymmetrization of a donor-acceptor meso-diaminocyclopropane is reported. The copper(II)-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles and one pyrrole with an unprecedented meso-diaminocyclopropane delivered enantioenriched, diastereomerically pure urea products, which are structurally related to natural and synthetic bioactive compounds. The development of a new ligand through the investigation of an underexplored subclass of bis(oxazoline) ligands was essential for achieving high enantioselectivities.

1-Alkynyltriazenes as Functional Analogues of Ynamides.

The chemical reactivity of 1-alkynyltriazenes has been investigated and is found to parallel the reactivity of ynamides. The similarity in reactivity of these two classes of compounds is demonstrated by addition reactions with acids, by cycloaddition reactions with ketenes, tetracyanoethene, and cyclopropanes, as well as by intramolecular cyclization reactions. The presence of reactive triazene groups in the products enables subsequent transformations. Overall, our results suggest that 1-alkynyltriazenes should become valuable reagents in synthetic organic chemistry.

Dynamic kinetic asymmetric [3 + 2] annulation reactions of aminocyclopropanes.

We report the first example of a dynamic kinetic asymmetric [3 + 2] annulation reaction of aminocyclopropanes with both enol ethers and aldehydes. Using a Cu catalyst and a commercially available bisoxazoline ligand, cyclopentyl- and tetrahydrofurylamines were obtained in 69-99% yield and up to a 98:2 enantiomeric ratio using the same reaction conditions. The method gives access to important enantio-enriched nitrogen building blocks for the synthesis of bioactive compounds.

Taming gold(I)-counterion interplay in the de-aromatization of indoles with allenamides.

A careful interplay between the π electrophilicity of a cationic Au(I) center and the basicity of the corresponding counterion allowed for the chemo- and regioselective inter- as well as intramolecular de-aromatization of 2,3-disubstituted indoles with allenamides. The silver-free bifunctional Lewis acid/Brønsted base complex [{2,4-(tBu)2C6H3O}3PAuTFA] assisted the formation of a range of densely functionalized indolenines under mild conditions.

[4 + 2]-Annulations of aminocyclobutanes.

The first [4 + 2]-annulation between aminocyclobutanes and aldehydes to access tetrahydropyranyl amines is reported. With phthalimido cyclobutane dicarboxylates and aromatic aldehydes, tetrahydropyrans were obtained in 53-92% yield and 3:1-17:1 dr using scandium triflate or iron trichloride as catalyst. The use of thymine- or fluorouracil-substituted cyclobutanes gave direct access to six-membered ring nucleoside analogues. Finally, the [4 + 2]-annulation between aminocyclobutanes and enol ethers led to the corresponding cyclohexylamines.