Metal-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Transformations.

Enantioconvergent catalysis has expanded asymmetric synthesis to new methodologies able to convert racemic compounds into a single enantiomer. This review covers recent advances in transition-metal-catalyzed transformations, such as radical-based cross-coupling of racemic alkyl electrophiles with nucleophiles or racemic alkylmetals with electrophiles and reductive cross-coupling of two electrophiles mainly under Ni/bis(oxazoline) catalysis. C-H functionalization of racemic electrophiles or nucleophiles can be performed in an enantioconvergent manner. Hydroalkylation of alkenes, allenes, and acetylenes is an alternative to cross-coupling reactions. Hydrogen autotransfer has been applied to amination of racemic alcohols and C-C bond forming reactions (Guerbet reaction). Other metal-catalyzed reactions involve addition of racemic allylic systems to carbonyl compounds, propargylation of alcohols and phenols, amination of racemic 3-bromooxindoles, allenylation of carbonyl compounds with racemic allenolates or propargyl bromides, and hydroxylation of racemic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of 1,2-diamines.

The asymmetric catalytic synthesis of 1,2-diamines has received considerable interest, especially in the last ten years, due to their presence in biologically active compounds and their applications for the development of synthetic building blocks, chiral ligands and organocatalysts. Synthetic strategies based on C-N bond-forming reactions involve mainly (a) ring opening of aziridines and azabenzonorbornadienes, (b) hydroamination of allylic amines, (c) hydroamination of enamines and (d) diamination of olefins. In the case of C-C bond-forming reactions are included (a) the aza-Mannich reaction of imino esters, imino nitriles, azlactones, isocyano acetates, and isothiocyanates with imines, (b) the aza-Henry reaction of nitroalkanes with imines, (c) imine-imine coupling reactions, and (d) reductive coupling of enamines with imines, and (e) [3+2] cycloaddition with imines. C-H bond forming reactions include hydrogenation of CN bonds and C-H amination reactions. Other catalytic methods include desymmetrization reactions of meso-diamines.

Synthesis of Vicinal anti-Amino Alcohols from N-tert-Butanesulfinyl Aldimines and Cyclopropanols.

The stereoselective synthesis of vicinal amino alcohols derivatives from 1-substituted cyclopropanols and chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines is described. Cyclopropanols are easily prepared from carboxylic esters upon reaction with ethylmagnesium bromide in the presence of titanium tetraisopropoxide and undergo carbon-carbon bond cleavage by means of diethylzinc to produce, upon base deprotonation, enolized zinc homoenolates, which react with chiral sulfinyl imines in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner.

Pseudo-multicomponent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition involving metal-free generation of unactivated azomethine ylides.

The pseudo-multicomponent reaction between propargyl amine, an aldehyde and an electron-deficient alkene is described. The C-H activation takes place thermally and allows the obtaining of cycloadducts in very good yields with high diastereoselectivities. The relative configuration is determined by X-ray diffraction analysis of the chiral molecule, obtained as a single diastereoisomer, using a chiral maleimide. A brief study of the stability of the possible ylides involved in the process is also mentioned, confirming the high diastereoselectivity observed. The high functional group density of these cycloadducts permits the synthesis of complex heterocycles. After allylation or propargylation of the pyrrolidine nitrogen atom, RCM-DA cycloaddition or cyclotrimerization with an alkyne is studied, respectively. In this last example, the resulting tetracyclic structures are of potential interest as drugs for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.

Enantioselective 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Using (Z)-α-Amidonitroalkenes as a Key Step to the Access to Chiral cis-3,4-Diaminopyrrolidines.

The enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between imino esters and (Z)-nitroalkenes bearing a masked amino group in the ß-position was studied using several chiral ligands and silver salts. The optimized reaction conditions were directly applied to the study of the scope of the reaction. The determination of the absolute configuration was evaluated using NMR experiments and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). The reduction and hydrolysis of both groups was performed to generate in an excellent enantiomeric ratio the corresponding cis-2,3-diaminoprolinate.

Conjugated Ynones in Organic Synthesis.

This review article will consider the preparation and application of ynones in synthetic organic chemistry. Concerning the preparation of these bifunctional compounds, several methodologies starting from propargyl alcohols, acyl derivatives, both by using alkynylmetal reagents or by transition metal (mainly palladium and copper) catalyzed alkynylations, carbon monoxide (carbonylation of terminal alkynes and alkenes), and other substrates will be discussed. The reactivity and synthetic applications of ynones will be focused on conjugate additions with boron-, carbon-, nitrogen-, oxygen-, and other heteroatom-containing nucleophiles, as well as radicals. Then, cycloaddition processes will include [2 + 2] cycloadditions, [3 + 2] 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions (with azides, nitrones, azomethine imines and ylides, nitrile oxides, diazo compounds, and other dipoles), and [4 + 2] cycloadditions (mainly Diels-Alder-type reactions). The reduction of the triple bond, addition to the carbonyl group (using carbon- and heteronucleophiles and reductions), and other not so commonly used processes (such as aldol reactions, cyclizations, and isomerizations) will be considered at the end.

Chemodivergent reactions.

An important strategy for the efficient generation of diversity in molecular structures is the utilization of common starting materials in chemodivergent transformations. The most studied solutions for switching the chemoselectivity rely on the catalyst, ligand, additive, solvent, temperature, time, pressure, pH and even small modifications in the substrate. In this review article several processes have been selected such as inter- and intramolecular cyclizations, including carba-, oxa-, thia- and oxazacyclizations promoted mainly by Brønsted or Lewis acids, transition metals and organocatalysts, as well as radical reactions. Catalyst-controlled intra- and intermolecular cyclizations are mainly described to give five- and six-membered rings. Cycloaddition reactions involving (2+2), (3+2), (3+3), (4+1), (4+2), (5+2), (6+2) and (7+2) processes are useful reactions for the synthesis of cyclic systems using organocatalysts, metal catalysts and Lewis acid-controlled processes. Addition reactions mainly of carba- and heteronucleophiles to unsaturated conjugated substrates can give different adducts via metal catalyst-, Lewis acid- and solvent-dependent processes. Carbonylation reactions of amines and phenols are carried out via ligand-controlled transition metal-catalyzed multicomponent processes. Ring-opening reactions starting mainly from cyclopropanols, cyclopropenols and epoxides or aziridines are applied to the synthesis of acyclic versus cyclic products under catalyst-control mainly by Lewis acids. Chemodivergent reduction reactions are performed using dissolving metals, sodium borohydride or hydrogen transfer conditions under solvent control. Oxidation reactions include molecular oxygen under solvent control or using different dioxiranes, as well as chemodivergent palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reactions using boronic acids are applied to aromatic and allenic compounds. Other chemodivergent reactions such as alkylations and allylations under transition metal catalysis, dimerization of acetylenes, bromination of benzylic substrates, and A3-couplings are performed via catalyst- or reaction condition-dependent processes.

Stereodivergent routes in organic synthesis: marine natural products, lactones, other natural products, heterocycles and unnatural compounds.

Enantio- and diastereodivergent routes to marine-origin natural products with different sizes of cyclic ethers and lactones have been used in order to assign stereochemical features. Kainoid amino acids such as isodomoic acids have been synthesized using diastereodivergent routes. The bis(indole) alkaloid dragmacidin F has been prepared by enantiodivergent strategies as well as furanoterpenes and the tetracyclic agelastatin A. Natural products containing five-membered lactones like quercus lactones, muricatacins, goniofufuranones, methylenolactocins and frenolicin B have been synthesized using stereodivergent routes. Macrolides are very abundant lactones and have been mainly prepared from the corresponding seco-acids by lactonization, such as lasiodiplodin, zaeralanes, macrosphelides and haloprins, or by ring-closing metathesis, such as aspercyclides, microcarpalides, macrolides FD-891 and 892, and tetradic-5-en-9-olides. Other natural products including cyclic ethers (such as sesamin, asarinin, acetogenins, centrolobines and nabilones), alcohols (such as sulcatol), esters (such as methyl jasmonates), polycyclic precursors of fredericamycin, amino alcohols (such as ambroxol and sphingosines), isoprostanes, isofurans, polyketide precursors of anachelins, brevicomins, gummiferol, shikimic acid and the related compounds, and the pheromone disparlure have been synthesized stereodivergently. Heterocyclic systems such as epoxides, theobroxides and bromoxones, oxetan-3-ones, 5- to 8-membered cyclic ethers, azetidones, γ-lactams, oxazolidinones, bis(oxazolines), dihydropyridoisoindolines and octahydroisoquinolines have been prepared following stereodivergent routes. Stereodivergent routes to unnatural compounds such as alkenes, dienes, allenes, cyclopropanes, alcohols, aldols, amines, amino alcohols, ß-amino acids, carboxylic acids, lactones, nitriles and α-amino nitriles have been considered as well.

Stereodivergent routes in organic synthesis: carbohydrates, amino acids, alkaloids and terpenes.

The natural occurrence of enantiomers and diastereomers is often encountered. In addition, the synthesis of these stereoisomers is important for structure determination and for the study of structure-activity relationships. Stereodivergent routes simplify the access to these molecules starting from a common material. This review is focused on the synthesis of carbohydrates, amino acids, alkaloids and terpenes using this efficient strategy. In the case of carbohydrates, such as monosaccharides, carbasugars, aminosugars and azasugars, carbohydrates are usually employed as common starting materials. As a very common strategy, configurations of hydroxy groups are inverted by SN2 methods playing with protection and deprotection processes. For the synthesis of acyclic α-AAs, diastereoselective methods using mainly Garner's aldehyde have been described. Diastereodivergent routes allowed the synthesis of ß-hydroxy- and ß-amino-α-amino acids, as well as of ß- and γ-amino acids. Heterocyclic and cyclic amino phosphonic acids were synthesized using diastereodivergent routes. Alkaloids containing five- and six-membered saturated azaheterocycles needed multistep stereodivergent routes and other alkaloids, such as enantiomers of balanol, vincamine, anatoxin and codeine, and diastereomeric isochaetominines C and galanthamines. In the terpene field, sesquiterpenes ß-santalene, α-curcumene and α-cuparenone and the diterpene scopadulcic acid A have been synthesized using enantiodivergent routes.

Stereodivergent Catalysis.

This review covers diastereo- and enantiodivergent catalyzed reactions in acyclic and cyclic systems using metal complexes or organocatalysts. Among them, nucleophilic addition to carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen double bonds, α-functionalization of carbonyl compounds, allylic substitutions, and ring opening of oxiranes and aziridines are considered. The diastereodivergent synthesis of alkenes from alkynes is also included. Finally, stereodivergent intramolecular and intermolecular cycloadditions and other cyclizations are also reported.

Metal-catalyzed regiodivergent organic reactions.

Metal-catalyzed regiodivergent reactions allow control over regioselectivity in the synthesis of a wide range of organic products. Starting from the same material, it is possible to prepare different regioisomers just by appropriately choosing the catalyst or by modifying the reaction conditions. Therefore, these regiodivergent methodologies should be included as the key factor in the concept of efficiency and atom economy in synthetic organic chemistry. The synthetic potential of this subject has been demonstrated mainly in addition reactions to unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds, allylic and propargylic nucleophilic substitutions, C-H activation reactions, cross-couplings, and intramolecular or intermolecular cyclizations. This review article overviews the development and rationalization of regiodivergence in these fundamental reactions in the last 15 years.

Switching Diastereoselectivity in Catalytic Enantioselective (3+2) Cycloadditions of Azomethine Ylides Promoted by Metal Salts and Privileged Segphos-Derived Ligands.

Catalytic enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between imino esters and electrophilic alkenes, employing chiral metal complexes derived from copper(I) and silver(I) salts and (S)-DM- or (S)-DTBM-Segphos as ligands produces diastereodivergently exo- or endo-cycloadducts, respectively. The effect of the functional group of the dipolarophile and the fine tuning of the catalyst plays an important role in promoting reverse diastereoselectivities. The origins of experimentally observed enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity data, as well as the origin of the observed switched endo/exo ratios, are also explained by means of density functional theory calculations.

Synthesis of 3-substituted 3-fluoro-2-oxindoles by deacylative alkylation.

The fluorination of 3-acetyl-2-oxindoles with N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide under Lewis acid catalysis using Mg(ClO4)2 gives the starting compounds 3-acetyl-3-fluoro-2-oxindoles. These compounds are subjected to base-promoted deacylative alkylation (DaA) for the in situ generation of 3-fluoro-2-oxindole enolates under very mild reaction conditions using Triton B (1 equiv.) and alkyl halides and Michael acceptors as electrophilic reagents. The corresponding 3-alkylated-3-fluoro-2-oxindoles are obtained in good to very high yields. In addition, the palladium-catalyzed deacylative allylation is carried out with allylic alcohols using LiOtBu as the base and 6 mol% of Pd(OAc)2 and dppp, giving the resulting 3-allylated 3-fluoro-2-oxindoles in good yields. This methodology allows a simple synthesis of 3-alkylated-3-fluoro-2-oxindoles, which are difficult to obtain by other routes.

Cooperative Catalysis with Coupled Chiral Induction in 1,3-Dipolar Cycloadditions of Azomethine Ylides.

1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions (1,3-DC) between imino esters (as precursors of N-metallated azomethine ylides) and π-deficient alkenes are promoted by cooperative asymmetric Lewis acid/Brønsted base catalysis. The components of these catalytic pairs are silver salts derived from enantiopure commercially available BINOL-based phosphoric acids and Cinchona alkaloids. Chiral phosphoric silver(I) salts promote HOMO raising of in situ formed 1,3-dipoles, whereas protonated cinchona alkaloids generate a LUMO lowering for the dipolarophiles resulting in a global acceleration of the 1,3-DC. The best results were obtained with BINOL-derived silver phosphate and hydrocinchonine. Matching between both cooperative metallo- and organocatalyst results in an enhanced enantiomeric excess, superior to that reached by both separate components. NOESY experiments and DFT calculations are compatible with a non-covalent interaction (hydrogen bond) between both catalysts, which results in close contacts and mutually coupled chiral environments.

Deacylative alkylation (DaA) of N-methyl-3-acetyl-2-oxindole for the synthesis of symmetrically 3,3-disubstituted 2-oxindoles. An access gate to anticancer agents and natural products.

The synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted N-methyloxindoles, starting from 3-acetyl-2-hydroxy-1-methyloxindole employing a sequential one-pot synthesis, is studied. The process involves a first alkylation in the presence of 1 equiv. of both organic halide and Triton B and the second one employs another 1.5 equiv. of each in moderate to high yields. This procedure is compared with the results obtained from the direct dialkylation of N-methyloxindole. The metathesis of one of the corresponding diallylated product was also studied obtaining the spiranic oxindole. All these methodologies are directed towards the access to anticancer agents and natural biologically active products.

Diastereoselective [3 + 2] vs [4 + 2] Cycloadditions of Nitroprolinates with α,ß-Unsaturated Aldehydes and Electrophilic Alkenes: An Example of Total Periselectivity.

Diastereoselective multicomponent reactions of enantioenriched 4-nitroprolinates, obtained by enantiocatalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (1,3-DC) of imino esters and nitroalkenes, with α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes and electrophilic alkenes proceed with total periselectivity depending on the structure of the aldehyde employed. This process evolves through a [3 + 2] 1,3-DC when cinnamaldehyde is used in the presence of an azomethine ylide, giving the corresponding highly substituted pyrrolizidines with endo selectivity. However, in the case of the α,ß-unsaturated aldehyde, which contains a hydrogen atom at the γ position, an amine-aldehyde-dienophile (AAD) [4 + 2] cycloaddition takes place by formation of an intermediate 1-amino-1,3-diene, affording highly functionalized cyclohexenes with high endo diastereoselectivity. This AAD process only occurred when a nitro group is bonded to the 4-position of the initial enantiomerically enriched pyrrolidine ring. DFT calculations have been carried out with the aim of explaining this different behavior between pyrrolidines with or without a nitro group, demonstrating the strong nitro-group-dependent periselectivity. The results of these computational studies also support the experimentally obtained absolute configuration of the final adducts.

Binap and Phosphoramidites as Privileged Chiral Ligands for the Metal-Catalyzed Enantioselective 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of Azomethine Ylides.

2,2'-Bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl (binap) and phosphoramidites are privileged chiral ligands that have been tested in the coinage-metal-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of metalloazomethine ylides and electrophilic alkenes. Silver(I), copper(II), and gold(I) salts have been evaluated in all of these reactions. Maleimides, acrylates, fumarates, 1,2-bis(phenylsulfonyl)ethylene, and enones reacted with imino esters to give the corresponding endo-prolinates, such as hepatitis C (HCV) inhibitors, in high diastereo- and enantioselectivity using either binap-silver and -gold(I) or phosphoramidite-silver complexes. In the case of nitroalkenes, exo-4-nitroprolinates were obtained using silver or copper(II) phosphoramidite complexes. Azlactones reacted with maleimides and acrylates to give pyrrolines only in the presence of binap-gold(I) complexes. The observed enantioselectivity and mechanism of these 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions were studied for the most relevant examples by means of DFT calculations.

The Hiyama Cross-Coupling Reaction: New Discoveries.

In this account recent developments in the Hiyama cross-coupling reaction from 2010 up today are presented. The most important methodology involves formation of biaryl systems by using aryl bromides or iodides and aryl trialkoxy silanes: other variants are far less studied. The most useful procedures are collected paying special attention to the synthetic application of this methodology in synthetic organic chemistry.

1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions of azomethine imines.

Azomethine imines are considered 1,3-dipoles of the aza-allyl type which are transient intermediates and should be generated in situ but can also be stable and isolable compounds. They react with electron-rich and electron-poor olefins as well as with acetylenic compounds and allenoates mainly by a [3 + 2] cycloaddition but they can also take part in [3 + 3], [4 + 3], [3 + 2 + 2] and [5 + 3] with different dipolarophiles. These 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions (1,3-DC) can be performed not only under thermal or microwave conditions but also using metallo- and organocatalytic systems. In recent years enantiocatalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions have been extensively considered and applied to the synthesis of a great variety of dinitrogenated heterocycles with biological activity. Acyclic azomethine imines derived from mono and disubstituted hydrazones could be generated by prototropy under heating or by using Lewis or Brønsted acids to give, after [3 + 2] cycloadditions, pyrazolidines and pyrazolines. Cyclic azomethine imines, incorporating a C-N bond in a ring, such as isoquinolinium imides are the most widely used dipoles in normal and inverse-electron demand 1,3-DC allowing the synthesis of tetrahydro-, dihydro- and unsaturated pyrazolo[1,5-a]isoquinolines in racemic and enantioenriched forms with interesting biological activity. Pyridinium and quinolinium imides give the corresponding pyrazolopyridines and indazolo[3,2-a]isoquinolines, respectively. In the case of cyclic azomethine imines with an N-N bond incorporated into a ring, N-alkylidene-3-oxo-pyrazolidinium ylides are the most popular stable and isolated dipoles able to form dinitrogen-fused saturated and unsaturated pyrazolopyrazolones as racemic or enantiomerically enriched compounds present in many pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and other useful chemicals.

Enantioselective solvent-free synthesis of 3-alkyl-3-hydroxy-2-oxoindoles catalyzed by binam-prolinamides.

BINAM-prolinamides are very efficient catalyst for the synthesis of non-protected and N-benzyl isatin derivatives by using an aldol reaction between ketones and isatins under solvent-free conditions. The results in terms of diastereo- and enantioselectivities are good, up to 99% de and 97% ee, and higher to those previously reported in the literature under similar reaction conditions. A high variation of the results is observed depending on the structure of the isatin and the ketone used in the process. While 90% of ee and 97% ee, respectively, is obtained by using (Ra)-BINAM-l-(bis)prolinamide as catalyst in the addition of cyclohexanone and α-methoxyacetone to free isatin, 90% ee is achieved for the reaction between N-benzyl isatin and acetone using N-tosyl BINAM-l-prolinamide as catalyst. This reaction is also carried out using a silica BINAM-l-prolinamide supported catalyst under solvent-free conditions, which can be reused up to five times giving similar results.