Nucleophile Coordination Enabled Regioselectivity in Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic C-H Alkylation.

Branched selectivity in asymmetric allylic C-H alkylation is enabled by using 2-acylimidazoles as nucleophiles in the presence of a chiral phosphoramidite-palladium catalyst. A wide range of terminal alkenes, including 1,4-dienes and allylarenes, are nicely tolerated and provide chiral 2-acylimidazoles in moderate to high yields and with high levels of regio-, and enantio-, and E/Z-selectivities. Mechanistic studies using density-functional theory calculations suggest a nucleophile-coordination-enabled inner-sphere attack mode for the enantioselective carbon-carbon bond-forming event.

Enantioselective Synthesis of 5-Alkylated Thiazolidinones via Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic C-H Alkylations of 1,4-Pentadienes with 5 H-Thiazol-4-ones.

A palladium-catalyzed, enantioselective allylic C-H alkylation of 1,4-pentadienes with 5 H-thiazol-4-ones has been developed. Under the cooperative catalysis of a palladium complex of chiral phosphoramidite ligand and an achiral Brønsted acid, a broad range of substituted 5 H-thiazol-4-ones bearing sulfur-containing tertiary chiral centers were accessed from the allylic C-H alkylation in high levels of yields and enantioselectivities. Alkyl and aryl 1,4-pentadienes led to linear and branched allylation products, respectively.

Enantioselective Aza-Ene-type Reactions of Enamides with Gold Carbenes Generated from α-Diazoesters.

Carbophilic gold carbenes generated from the decomposition of α-diazoesters show high reactivity towards enamides, leading to an unprecedented aza-ene-type reaction. The presence of 0.1 mol % of a chiral Brønsted acid co-catalyst is sufficient to give synthetically relevant γ-keto esters in excellent yields and selectivities (up to 99 % yield, 97 % ee).

Sodium salts of anionic chiral cobalt(III) complexes as catalysts of the enantioselective Povarov reaction.

The sodium salts of anionic chiral cobalt(III) complexes (CCC(-) Na(+) ) have been found to be efficient catalysts of the asymmetric Povarov reaction of easily accessible dienophiles, such as 2,3-dihydrofuran, ethyl vinyl ether, and an N-protected 2,3-dihydropyrrole, with 2-azadienes. Ring-fused tetrahydroquinolines with up to three contiguous stereogenic centers were thus obtained in high yields, excellent diastereoselectivities (endo/exo up to >20:1), and high enantioselectivities (up to 95:5 e.r.).

Asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of diazenes catalyzed by chiral silver phosphate: water participates in the catalysis and stereocontrol.

The chiral silver phosphate was confirmed to efficiently catalyze a highly regio- and enantioselective hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of diazenes to furnish piperazine derivatives in high yields and excellent ee values. DFT calculations revealed that the water molecule participates in the catalysis by coordination to silver phosphate and also found that the hydroxy group of 1-hydroxy-2,3-hexadiene not only formed a hydrogen bond with the oxygen of phosphate but also coordinated to the Ag(I) to simultaneously stabilize the transition states and control the regioselectivity.

Highly enantioselective aldol reactions between acetaldehyde and activated acyclic ketones catalyzed by chiral primary amines.

Highly enantioselective cross-aldol reactions between acetaldehyde and activated acyclic ketones are reported for the first time. Various acyclic ketones, such as saturated and unsaturated keto esters, reacted with acetaldehyde in the presence of a chiral primary amine and a Brønsted acid to afford optically enriched tertiary alcohols in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities. Trifluoromethyl ketones were tolerable under the reaction conditions, thereby affording the trifluoromethyl carbinol in good-to-excellent yields and enantioselectivities. Structural modification of the chiral amines from the same chiral source switched the stereoselectivity of the products. The utility of aldol chemistry was demonstrated in the brief synthesis of functionally enriched δ-lactones. Theoretical calculations on the transition-state structure indicated that the protonated tertiary amine could effectively activate the carbonyl group of a keto ester to promote the addition process through hydrogen-bonding interaction and, simultaneously, provide an appropriate attacking pattern for the approach of the keto ester to the enamine, which is formed from acetaldehyde and the chiral catalyst, on a particular face, resulting in high enantioselectivity.

Chiral gold complex-catalyzed hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of diazenes: highly enantioselective and general for dienes.

A chiral gold(I) complex-catalyzed highly regio- and enantioselective azo hetero-Diels-Alder reaction has been developed. The chiral gold(I) complex acting as a Lewis acid exhibits high efficiency in the activation of urea-based diazene dienophiles. Moreover, this chiral gold catalyst also rendered a cascade intramolecular enyne cycloisomerization/asymmetric azo-HDA reaction.

An asymmetric organocatalytic Povarov reaction with 2-hydroxystyrenes.

An organocatalytic asymmetric three-component Povarov reaction involving 2-hydroxystyrenes has been established to provide an efficient method to access structurally diverse cis-disubstituted tetrahydroquinolines in high stereoselectivities of up to >99:1 dr and 97% ee. This protocol also provides an easy access to tetrahydroquinolines with chiral quaternary stereocenters upon using α-alkyl 2-hydroxystyrenes as substrates. The theoretical studies revealed that the Povarov reaction proceeded through a sequential vinylogous Mannich reaction and an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction, wherein the phosphoric acid acted as bifunctional catalyst to activate 2-hydroxystyrene and aldimine simultaneously.

Scaffold-inspired enantioselective synthesis of biologically important spiro[pyrrolidin-3,2'-oxindoles] with structural diversity through catalytic isatin-derived 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions.

Catalytic asymmetric construction of the biologically important spiro[pyrrolidin-3,2'-oxindole] scaffold with contiguous quaternary stereogenic centers in excellent stereoselectivities (up to >99:1 d.r., 98% ee) has been established by using an organocatalytic 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of isatin-based azomethine ylides. This protocol represents the first example of catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions involving azomethine ylides generated in situ from unsymmetrical cyclic ketones. In addition, theoretical calculations were performed on the transition state of the reaction to understand the stereochemistry. Preliminary bioassays with these spiro[pyrrolidin-3,2'-oxindole] revealed that several compounds showed moderate cytotoxicity to SW116 cells.

The catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of ynones with azomethine ylides.

The first catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of electron-deficient carbon-carbon triple bonds with azomethine ylides has been established. This reaction provides an unprecedented approach to access novel 2,5-dihydropyrrole derivatives with potential bioactivities in perfect enantioselectivities of up to >99% ee.

Binaphthol-derived bisphosphoric acids serve as efficient organocatalysts for highly enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides to electron-deficient olefins.

A variety of chiral bisphosphoric acids derived from binaphthols have been evaluated for enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, revealing that the feature of the linker in the catalysts exerted great impact on the stereoselectivity. Among them, the oxygen-linked bisphosphoric acid 1a provided the highest level of stereoselectivity for the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction tolerating a wide range of substrates including azomethine ylides, generated in situ from a broad scope of aldehydes and α-amino esters, and various electron-deficient dipolarophiles such as maleates, fumarates, vinyl ketones, and esters. This reaction actually represents one of the most enantioselective catalytic approaches to access structurally diverse pyrrolidines with excellent optical purity. Theoretical calculations with DFT method on the formation of azomethine ylides and on the transition states of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition step showed that the dipole and dipolarophile were simultaneously activated by the bifunctional chiral bisphosphoric acids through the formation of hydrogen bonds. The effect of the bisphosphoric acids on reactivity and stereochemistry of the three-component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction was also theoretically rationalized. The bisphosphoric acid catalyst 1a may take on a half-moon shape with the two phosphoric acid groups forming two intramolecular hydrogen bonds. In the case of maleates, one phosphate acts as a base to activate the 1,3-dipole, and simultaneously, the two hydroxyl groups in the catalyst 1a may respectively form two hydrogen bonds with the two ester groups of maleate to make it more electronically deficient as a much stronger dipolarophile to participate in a concerted 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with azomethine ylide. However, in the cases involving acrylate and fumarate dipolarophiles, only one hydroxyl group forms a hydrogen bond with the ester functional group to lower the LUMO of the C-C double bond and another one is remained to adjust the acidity and basicity of two phosphoric acids to activate the dipole and dipolarophile more effectively.

New zwitterionic radical salts: dimers in solution and unusual magnetic and luminescent properties in the solid state.

A new and stable zwitterionic (neutral) radical and its perchlorate salts exist as diamagnetic pi-dimers in solution, and pi-stacking 1D chains with interesting magnetic and luminescent properties in solid state.

Highly enantioselective organocatalytic Biginelli and Biginelli-like condensations: reversal of the stereochemistry by tuning the 3,3'-disubstituents of phosphoric acids.

Organocatalytic enantioselective Biginelli and Biginelli-like reactions by chiral phosphoric acids derived from 3,3'-disubstituted binaphthols have been investigated. The size of 3,3'-substituents of the catalysts is able to control the stereochemistry of the Biginelli reaction. By tuning the 3,3'-disubstituents of the phosphoric acids, the stereochemistry of the Biginelli reaction can be reversed. This organocatalytic Biginelli reaction by Brønsted acids 12b and 13 is applicable to a wide range of aldehydes and various beta-keto esters, providing a highly enantioselective method to access DHPMs. 3,3'-Di(triphenylsilyl) binaphthol-derived phosphoric acid afforded Biginelli-like reactions of a broad scope of aldehydes and enolizable ketones with benzylthiourea, giving structurally diverse dihydropyrimidinethiones with excellent optical purity. Theoretical calculations with the ONIOM method on the transition states of the stereogenic center forming step showed that the imine and enol were simultaneously activated by the bifunctional chiral phosphoric acid through formation of hydrogen bonds. The effect of the 3,3'-substituents in phosphoric acids on the stereochemistry of the Biginelli reaction was also theoretically rationalized. The current protocol has been applied to the synthesis of some pharmaceutically interesting compounds and intermediates, such as chiral thioureas, dihydropyrimidines, guanidines, and the precursor of (S)-l-771688.