ABSTRACT
α-Phenylthioaldehydes are readily prepared using a simple multi-step procedure and herein are introduced as a new precursor for the NHC-catalysed generation of acyl azolium and azolium enolate intermediates that are of widespread synthetic interest and utility. Treatment of α-phenylthioaldehydes with an NHC precatalyst and base produces an efficient redox rearrangement via a Breslow intermediate, elimination of thiophenolate, and subsequent rebound addition to the generated acyl azolium to give the corresponding thiol ester. In the presence of an external alcohol, competition between redox rearrangement and redox esterification can be controlled through judicious choice of the N-aryl substituent within the NHC precatalyst and the base used in the reaction. With NEt3 as base, NHCs bearing electron-withdrawing (N-C6F5 or N-C6H2Cl3) substituents favour redox rearrangement, while triazolium precatalysts with electron-rich N-aryl substituents (N-Ph, N-Mes) result in preferential redox esterification. Using DBU, redox esterification is preferred due to transesterification of the initially formed thiol ester product. Additionally, α-phenylthioaldehyde-derived azolium enolates have been used in enantioselective formal [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions to access dihydropyridinone heterocycles with high enantioselectivity (up to >95 : 5 dr, 98 : 2 er).
ABSTRACT
The dominated approaches for asymmetric aldol reactions have primarily focused on the aldol carbon-carbon bond-forming events. Here we postulate and develop a new catalytic strategy that seeks to modulate the reaction thermodynamics and control the product enantioselectivities via post-aldol processes. Specifically, an NHC catalyst is used to activate a masked enolate substrate (vinyl carbonate) to promote the aldol reaction in a non-enantioselective manner. This reversible aldol event is subsequently followed by an enantioselective acylative kinetic resolution that is mediated by the same (chiral) NHC catalyst without introducing any additional substance. This post-aldol process takes care of the enantioselectivity issues and drives the otherwise reversible aldol reaction toward a complete conversion. The acylated aldol products bearing quaternary/tetrasubstituted carbon stereogenic centers are formed in good yields and high optical purities.
ABSTRACT
Optically active α-aryloxycarboxylic acids and their derivatives are important functional molecules. Disclosed here is a carbene-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution and transesterification reaction for access to this class of molecules with up to 99% yields and 99:1 er values. Addition of a chiral carbene catalyst to the ester substrate leads to two diastereomeric azolium ester intermediates that can quickly epimerize to each other and thus allows for effective dynamic kinetic resolution to be realized. The optically enriched ester products from our reaction can be quickly transformed to chiral herbicides and other bioactive molecules.
Subject(s)
Esters , Catalysis , Esterification , Esters/chemistry , Methane/analogs & derivatives , StereoisomerismABSTRACT
A catalytic dynamic kinetic resolution and asymmetric acylation reaction of hydroxyphthalides is developed. The reaction involves formation of a carbene catalyst derived chiral acyl azolium intermediate that effectively differentiates the two enantiomers of racemic hydroxyphthalides. The method allows quick access to enantiomerically enriched phthalidyl esters with proven applications in medicine. It also enables asymmetric modification of natural products and other functional molecules that contain acetal/ketal groups, such as corollosporine and fimbricalyxlactoneâ C.
ABSTRACT
Di(hetero)arylmethane is a unique structural motif for natural and synthetic functional molecules. To date, it remains challenging to functionalize the diaryl methyl sp3 carbon-hydrogen bond directly in an enantioselective manner. This is likely due to the relatively inert nature of the carbon-hydrogen bond and the difficult enantiofacial discrimination of two sterically similar aryl substituents. Here we disclose an N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed direct oxidative coupling of enals and di(hetero)arylmethanes. Our method allows for highly enantioselective transformation of diaryl methanes and quick access to benzimidazole fused lactams.
ABSTRACT
A very efficient route to the diastereoselective synthesis of polyhydroxy pyrrolidines, piperidines and azepanes from an aldehyde derivative of ribose is reported. Asymmetric α-amination of aldehydes using proline catalysed hydrazination is the key step in the synthesis. The method utilizes the stereocenters present in ribose and the extra carbon atoms present in the target molecules are incorporated using Wittig reactions. The incorporation of the amino group is carried out asymmetrically to account for additional stereocenters. This synthetic route to iminocyclitols has the potential to be extended for the synthesis of a large class of such compounds starting from other sugar derived aldehydes.
