Highly Efficient Asymmetric Hydrogenation Catalyzed by Iridium Complexes with Tridentate Chiral Spiro Aminophosphine Ligands.

ConspectusCatalytic asymmetric hydrogenation is one of the most reliable, powerful, and environmentally benign methods for the synthesis of chiral molecules with high atom economy and has been successfully applied in the industrial production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and fragrances. The key to achieving highly efficient and highly enantioselective hydrogenation reactions is the design and synthesis of chiral catalysts.Our recent studies involving iridium complexes of bidentate chiral spiro aminophosphine ligands (Ir-SpiroAP) have revealed that adding another coordinating group on the nitrogen atom to form a tridentate ligand can provide catalysts with markedly higher stability, enantioselectivity, and efficiency. Specifically, chiral Ir-SpiroAP catalysts bearing an added pyridine group (designated Ir-SpiroPAP) exhibit high activity and excellent enantioselectivity in the asymmetric hydrogenation of a wide range of carbonyl compounds, including aryl ketones, ß- and δ-ketoesters, α,ß-unsaturated ketones and esters, and racemic α-substituted lactones, as well as highly electron-deficient alkenes such as α,ß-unsaturated malonates and analogues. The efficiency of the Ir-SpiroPAP catalysts is extremely high: in the hydrogenation of aryl ketones, turnover numbers reach 4.5 million, which is the highest value reported to date for a molecular catalyst. Moreover, when a thioether or a bulky triarylphosphine group is added to afford tridentate ligands designated SpiroSAP and SpiroPNP, respectively, the resulting iridium catalysts show high efficiency and enantioselectivity for asymmetric hydrogenation of ß-alkyl-ß-ketoesters and dialkyl ketones, which are challenging substrates. Furthermore, chiral spiro catalysts containing an added oxazoline moiety (Ir-SpiroOAP) show high enantioselectivity for asymmetric hydrogenation of α-keto amides and racemic α-aryloxy lactones. The above-described catalysts have been used for enantioselective synthesis of chiral pharmaceuticals and other bioactive compounds.We have shown that chiral spiro ligands that combine a rigid skeleton with tridentate coordination stabilize iridium catalysts. The careful tailoring of the substituents on the ligand creates a chiral environment around the active metal center of the catalyst that can precisely discriminate between the two faces of a substrate carbonyl group. These factors are key for controlling the activity, enantioselectivity, and turnover numbers of asymmetric hydrogenation catalysts. We expect that catalysts based on iridium, and other transition metals, coordinated by tridentate chiral ligands with a rigid skeleton will find more applications in asymmetric hydrogenation and other asymmetric transformations.

Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrosulfonylation of 1,3-Dienes with Sulfonyl Hydrazides.

A highly enantio- and regioselective hydrosulfonylation of 1,3-dienes with sulfonyl hydrazides has been realized by using a palladium catalyst containing a monodentate chiral spiro phosphoramidite ligand. The reaction provided an efficient approach to synthetically useful chiral allylic sulfones. Mechanistic studies suggest that the reaction proceeds through the formation of an allyl hydrazine intermediate and subsequent rearrangement to the chiral allylic sulfone product. The transformation of the allyl hydrazine intermediate to the product is the enantioselectivity-determining step.

Alkenyl Exchange of Allylamines via Nickel(0)-Catalyzed C-C Bond Cleavage.

A functional group exchange reaction between allylamines and alkenes via nickel-catalyzed C-C bond cleavage and formation was developed. This reaction provides a novel protocol, which does not require the use of unstable imine substrates, for the synthesis of allylamines, which are widely used in the production of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals.

Scalable Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (-)-Goniomitine.

A scalable enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-goniomitine has been developed by using an iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of an exocyclic enone ester to control the configuration of the molecule. The synthesis begins from commercially available starting materials, and proceeds through an integrated asymmetric ketone hydrogenation, Johnson-Claisen rearrangement, and one-pot oxidation/deprotection/cyclization process. With this highly efficient and scalable strategy, (-)-goniomitine was synthesized in eleven steps with 27 % overall yield, and formal enantioselective syntheses of (+)-1,2-dehydroaspidospermidine, (+)-aspidospermidine, and (+)-vincadifformine were also achieved.

Nickel(0)-Catalyzed Hydroalkylation of 1,3-Dienes with Simple Ketones.

We developed a highly regioselective addition of 1,3-dienes with simple ketones by nickel-hydride catalyst bearing DTBM-SegPhos ligand. A wide range of aromatic and aliphatic ketones directly coupled with 1,3-dienes, providing synthetically useful γ,δ-unsaturated ketones in high yield and regioselectivity. The asymmetric version of the reaction was also realized in high enantioselectivity by using novel chiral ligand DTBM-HO-BIPHEP. The utility of this hydroalkylation was demonstrated by facile product modification and enantioselective synthesis of ( R)-flobufen.

Nickel(0)-Catalyzed Hydroarylation of Styrenes and 1,3-Dienes with Organoboron Compounds.

A Ni-catalyzed hydroarylation of styrenes and 1,3-dienes with organoboron compounds has been developed. The reaction offers a highly selective approach to diarylalkanes and allylarenes under redox-neutral conditions. In this hydroarylation reaction, a new strategy that uses the proton of methanol to generate the active catalyst species Ni-H was developed. The Ni-catalyzed hydroarylation, combined with a Ir-catalyzed C-H borylation, affords a very efficient and straightforward access to a retinoic acid receptor agonist.

Nickel(0)-Catalyzed Hydroalkenylation of Imines with Styrene and Its Derivatives.

A nickel(0)-catalyzed hydroalkenylation of imines with styrene and its derivatives is described. A wide range of aromatic and aliphatic imines directly coupled with styrene and its derivatives, thus providing various synthetically useful allylic amines with up to 95 % yield. The reaction offers a new atom- and step-economical approach to allylic amines by using alkenes instead of alkenyl-metallic reagents. Experiments and DFT calculations showed that TsNH2 promotes the proton transfer from the coordinated olefin to the imine, accompanied by a new C-C bond formation.

Divergent Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Mulinane Diterpenoids.

A concise, divergent, asymmetric total syntheses of mulinane diterpenoids has been achieved. Specifically, a new strategy was developed featuring a key intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction to construct the chiral fused 5-6-6 tricyclic motif, followed by sequential Birch reduction, conjugate methylation, and homologation/ring-expansion reactions to furnish the desired 5-6-7 tricyclic skeleton bearing five contiguous stereocenters. With this efficient strategy, seven mulinane diterpenoids and two analogues were synthesized via late-stage functional modification or functionalization in 8.6-20 % overall yields and 11-15 steps.

Nickel-Catalyzed Hydroacylation of Styrenes with Simple Aldehydes: Reaction Development and Mechanistic Insights.

The first nickel-catalyzed intermolecular hydroacylation reaction of alkenes with simple aldehydes has been developed. This reaction offers a new approach to the selective preparation of branched ketones in high yields (up to 99%) and branched selectivities (up to 99:1). Experimental data provide evidence for reversible formation of acyl-nickel-alkyl intermediate, and DFT calculations show that the aldehyde C-H bond transfer to a coordinated alkene without oxidative addition is involved. The origin of the reactivity and regioselectivity of this reaction was also investigated computationally, which are consistent with experimental observations.

Advances on Bioactive Polysaccharides from Medicinal Plants.

In recent decades, the polysaccharides from the medicinal plants have attracted a lot of attention due to their significant bioactivities, such as anti-tumor activity, antioxidant activity, anticoagulant activity, antidiabetic activity, radioprotection effect, anti-viral activity, hypolipidemic and immunomodulatory activities, which make them suitable for medicinal applications. Previous studies have also shown that medicinal plant polysaccharides are non-toxic and show no side effects. Based on these encouraging observations, most researches have been focusing on the isolation and identification of polysaccharides, as well as their bioactivities. A large number of bioactive polysaccharides with different structural features and biological effects from medicinal plants have been purified and characterized. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the most recent developments in physiochemical, structural features and biological activities of bioactive polysaccharides from a number of important medicinal plants, such as polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus, Dendrobium plants, Bupleurum, Cactus fruits, Acanthopanax senticosus, Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Aloe barbadensis Miller, and Dimocarpus longan Lour. Moreover, the paper has also been focused on the applications of bioactive polysaccharides for medicinal applications. Recent studies have provided evidence that polysaccharides from medicinal plants can play a vital role in bioactivities. The contents and data will serve as a useful reference material for further investigation, production, and application of these polysaccharides in functional foods and therapeutic agents.

Palladium-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of alkynes with formic acid.

A palladium-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of alkynes with formic acid has been developed. The method provides acrylic acid and derivatives in good yields with high regioselectivity without the need to handle toxic CO gas.

Development of Chiral Spiro P-N-S Ligands for Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of ß-Alkyl-ß-Ketoesters.

The chiral tridentate spiro P-N-S ligands (SpiroSAP) were developed, and their iridium complexes were prepared. Introduction of a 1,3-dithiane moiety into the ligand resulted in a highly efficient chiral iridium catalyst for asymmetric hydrogenation of ß-alkyl-ß-ketoesters, producing chiral ß-alkyl-ß-hydroxyesters with excellent enantioselectivities (95-99.9% ee) and turnover numbers of up to 355,000.

Remote ester group leads to efficient kinetic resolution of racemic aliphatic alcohols via asymmetric hydrogenation.

A highly efficient method for kinetic resolution of racemic aliphatic alcohols without conversion of the hydroxyl group has been realized; the method involves hydrogenation mediated by a remote ester group and is catalyzed by a chiral iridium complex. This powerful, environmentally friendly method provides chiral δ-alkyl-δ-hydroxy esters and δ-alkyl-1,5-diols in good yields with high enantioselectivities even at extremely low catalyst loading (0.001 mol %).

Transition metal-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of enamides and enamines.

Transition metal-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of enamides and enamines is one of the most important methods for the preparation of optically active amines. This review describes the recent developments of highly efficient catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of enamides, and enamines. It specifically focuses on the substrates because hydrogenation of enamides and enamines is highly dependent on the substrates although the chiral metal catalysts play a significant role.

Barley Protein LFBEP-C1 from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum dy-1 Fermented Barley Extracts by Inhibiting Lipid Accumulation in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the lipid-lowering activity of LFBEP-C1 in high glucose-fed Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Methods: In this study, the fermented barley protein LFBEP-C1 was prepared and tested for its potential anti-obesity effects on C. elegans. The worms were fed Escherichia coli OP50 ( E. coli OP50), glucose, and different concentrations of LFBEP-C1. Body size, lifespan, movement, triglyceride content, and gene expression were analyzed. The results were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison test. Results: Compared with the model group, the head-swing frequency of C. elegans in the group of LFBEP-C1 at 20 µg/mL increased by 33.88%, and the body-bending frequency increased by 27.09%. This indicated that LFBEP-C1 improved the locomotive ability of C. elegans. The average lifespan of C. elegans reached 13.55 days, and the body length and width of the C. elegans decreased after LFBEP-C1 intake. Additionally, LFBEP-C1 reduced the content of lipid accumulation and triglyceride levels. The expression levels of sbp-1, daf-2, and mdt-15 significantly decreased, while those of daf-16, tph-1, mod-1, and ser-4 significantly increased after LFBEP-C1 intake. Changes in these genes explain the signaling pathways that regulate lipid metabolism. Conclusion: LFBEP-C1 significantly reduced lipid deposition in C. elegans fed a high-glucose diet and alleviated the adverse effects of a high-glucose diet on the development, lifespan, and exercise behavior of C. elegans. In addition, LFBEP-C1 regulated lipid metabolism mainly by mediating the expression of genes in the sterol regulatory element-binding protein, insulin, and 5-hydroxytryptamine signaling pathways.

Recent advances in transition metal-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of unprotected enamines.

Transition metal-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of enamines is undoubtedly a useful and environment-friendly method for the preparation of optically pure chiral amines and amine derivatives. Over the last few decades, the use of transition metal catalysts containing chiral phosphorus or phosphine-oxazoline ligands attracted much attention for the hydrogenation of unprotected enamines. A number of efficient chiral catalysts have been developed, and some of them have shown high potential for the application in the synthesis of optical chiral amines in both laboratory and industry. This tutorial review focuses on the contributions concerning the transition metal-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of unprotected enamines for the synthesis of chiral amines and amine derivatives.

Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of δ-ketoesters: highly efficient approach to chiral 1,5-diols.

High turnover: An highly efficient catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of δ-aryl-δ-ketoesters has been realized by using the chiral spiroiridium catalyst (R)-1. Chiral 1,5-diol products are obtained with excellent enantioselectivity and turnover numbers (TONs) as high as 100,000. TOF = turnover frequency.

Asymmetric hydrogenation of α,α'-disubstituted cycloketones through dynamic kinetic resolution: an efficient construction of chiral diols with three contiguous stereocenters.

Chiral diols with three contiguous stereocenters were synthesized by a highly enantioselective ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of racemic α,α'-disubstituted cycloketones involving dynamic kinetic resolution. This new catalytic asymmetric method provides a concise route to the alkaloid (+)-γ-lycorane.

Synthesis of α,ß-unsaturated γ-amino esters with a quaternary center by ruthenium-catalyzed codimerization of N-acetyl α-arylenamines and acrylates.

Ruthenium-catalyzed highly selective codimerization of N-acetyl α-arylenamines with ethyl acrylates is reported. This codimerization reaction provides a new efficient method for the synthesis of α,ß-unsaturated γ-amino esters with a quaternary center.

Total Synthesis of the Alleged Structure of (+)-Fimbricalyxoid A.

An enantioselective total synthesis of the alleged structure of (+)-fimbricalyxoid A is reported. The synthetic strategy features a pyridine-N-oxidate-mediated SN2' reaction to introduce an oxygen functionality at position C3 of the A-ring and a sequential three-step process via the cleavage of the C-O bonds and hemiketalization to form the 3,20-oxybridge. With this strategy, the target molecule was synthesized in 19% overall yield and 12 steps from our previously synthesized cis-fused octahydrophenanthrene (+)-6.