Direct catalytic enantioselective amination of ketones for the formation of tri- and tetrasubstituted stereocenters.

Herein, we report a Zn-ProPhenol catalyzed direct asymmetric amination reaction of unactivated aryl and vinyl ketones using di-tert-butyl azodicarboxylate as a cheap and practical electrophilic nitrogen source. Importantly, this methodology works with both α-branched and unbranched ketones for the construction of tri- and tetrasubstituted N-containing stereocenters. The reaction can be run at gram-scale with low catalyst loadings and features a recoverable and reusable ligand. Finally, the enantioenriched hydrazine products can be readily converted into versatile building blocks such as α-amino carbonyl compounds and ß-amino alcohols.

A Catalytic Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (-)-Perophoramidine.

We report a catalytic asymmetric total synthesis of the ascidian natural product perophoramidine. The synthesis employs a molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of an oxindole nucleophile and a monosubstituted allylic electrophile as a key asymmetric step. The enantioenriched oxindole product from this transformation contains vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters, and is obtained in high yield along with high levels of regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity. To install the second quaternary stereocenter in the target, the route utilizes a novel regio- and diastereoselective allylation of a cyclic imino ether to deliver an allylated imino ether product in near quantitative yield and with complete regio- and diastereocontrol. Oxidative cleavage and reductive amination are used as final steps to access the natural product.

Ruthenium-catalyzed two-component addition to form 1,3-dienes: optimization, scope, applications, and mechanism.

A two component coupling of an allene and an activated olefin to form 1,3-dienes has been developed. The requisite allenes are synthesized either from terminal alkynes by a one carbon homologation using copper(I) iodide, paraformaldehyde, and diisopropylamine, via an ortho ester-Claisen rearrangement from a propargylic alcohol, or via a Wittig type reaction on a ketene generated in situ from an acid chloride. Mono- through tetrasubstituted allenes could be synthesized by these methods. Either cyclopentadienylruthenium(II) cyclooctadiene chloride or cyclopentadienylruthenium(II) trisacetonitrile hexafluorophosphate catalyze the addition reaction. When the former catalyst is employed, an alkyne activator is added to help generate the active catalyst. Through systematic optimization studies, a range of conditions was examined. The optimal conditions consisted of the use of cerium(III) trichloride heptahydrate as a cocatalyst in dimethylformamide as a solvent at 60 degrees C. The reaction was found to be chemoselective, and a wide range of functionality was tolerated, including esters, alcohols, nitriles, and amides. When substituted allenes are used, good selectivity can be obtained with proper substitution. A mechanism involving a ruthenacycle is proposed to account for the selectivity or lack thereof in product formation. With disubstituted allenes, selectivity is obtained when beta-hydrogen elimination is favored from a specific site. In tri- and tetrasubstituted allenes, steric issues concerning the C-C bond forming event appear to be the dominant factor in determining product formation. This process represents a highly atom-economical synthesis of 1,3-dienes in a controlled fashion. The utility of the 1,3-diene products was demonstrated by their use in Diels-Alder reactions to form a variety of cyclic systems including polycyclic structures. This sequence represents a convergent atom economic method for ring formation by a series of simple additions.

Synthesis of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes via a Ru-catalyzed addition.

The synthesis of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes typically involves reactions that lack atom economy such as olefination protocols. The use of various ruthenium complexes to effect the addition of terminal alkynes to alkenes is explored as an atom economical strategy. Two new ruthenium complexes have been discovered that effect this reaction at ambient temperature, cyclopentadienylruthenium (triphenylphosphine) camphorsulfonate and cyclopentadienylruthenium tris(acetonitrile) hexafluorophosphate. Using these complexes as catalysts, reactions proceed at ambient temperature in acetone or DMF, respectively. Regioselectivity favoring the formation of a 1,1-disubstituted over a 1,2-disubstituted alkene typically ranges from 9:1 to >25:1. The reaction demonstrates extraordinary chemoselectivity-even di- and trisubstituted alkenes such as present in the products do not compete with the starting monosubstituted alkene. Free hydroxyl groups as well as silyl and PMB ethers are tolerated as are ketones, esters, and amides. The mechanism of the reaction is believed to invoke formation of a metallacyclopentene. To account for the chemo- and regioselectivity, the initial formation of the metallacycle is believed to be reversible. While formation of the 2,5-disubstituted ruthenacyclopentene, which produces the linear product, is believed to be kinetically preferred, the rate of beta-hydrogen elimination from the 2,4-disubstituted ruthenacyclopentene, which produces the branched product, is believed to be faster. Thus, the competition between the rate of beta-hydrogen elimination and cycloreversion rationalizes the results.

gem-Diacetates as carbonyl surrogates for asymmetric synthesis. Total syntheses of sphingofungins E and F.

The equivalent of an asymmetric addition to a carbonyl group with a stabilized anion is accomplished by discriminating between the enantiotopic C-O single bonds of a gem-diacetate. In this way, enantioselective total syntheses of two antifugal agents, sphingofungins E and F, have been accomplished. The synthetic strategy is based on a series of catalytic processes whereby all of the chiral centers are created with high stereoselectivities. The first two stereocenters are introduced by an asymmetric allylic alkylation reaction of gem-diacetate 9 with azlactone 10. The complex of Pd(0) and ligand 14 efficiently catalyzes this key reaction, which differentiates both the enantiotopic leaving groups of a gem-diacetate and enantiotopic faces of the enolate of an azlactone in high enantiomeric excess and diastereomeric excess. From these two stereocenters, the configurations of the remaining two centers are set by a diastereoselective Os(VIII)-catalyzed dihydroxylation reaction with excellent stereocontrol. The trans-alkene is established by Cr(II)-mediated olefination, and a subsequent B-alkyl Suzuki coupling reaction conjoins the polar head unit and the nonpolar, 13-carbon lipid tail. The efficiency of our strategy is illustrated by the completion of syntheses of sphingofungins F and E in 15 and 17 steps, and in 17% and 5% overall yields, respectively.

A three-component coupling approach to cyclopentanoids.

A new approach to 2,3-disubstituted cyclopentenones has been developed. This approach consists of a two-step protocol involving the cyclization of a Z-vinyl bromide under Barbier type conditions to form a cyclopentenol, which is then oxidatively rearranged to generate the cyclopentenone. The Z-vinyl bromide is in turn derived from a ruthenium catalyzed three-component coupling of an alkyne, an enone, and a HBr equivalent. A range of 2,3-disubstituted cyclopentenones has been generated, including short syntheses of jasmone and dihydrojasmone. Further applicability of this strategy is shown in the total syntheses of tetrahydrodicranenone B, rosaprostol, and a selective COX-2 inhibitor.

An enantioselective strategy to macrocyclic bisindolylmaleimides. An efficient formal synthesis of LY 333531.

[reaction: see text]. The ability to employ a bromo alcohol as a nucleophile in a palladium-catalyzed dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation leads to an efficient synthesis of a selective PKC inhibitor under clinical development.

AAA in KAT/DYKAT processes: first- and second-generation asymmetric syntheses of (+)- and (-)-cyclophellitol.

Kinetic resolutions and kinetic asymmetric transformations (KAT) as well as dynamic kinetic resolutions and dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformations (DYKAT) are important synthetic protocols. The feasibility of KAT and DYKAT processes for asymmetric allylic alkylations (AAA) is explored utilizing a single substrate--conduritol B tetraesters. Both processes can be performed resulting in excellent enantioselectivity. The impact of nucleophile and leaving group on the effectiveness of each is outlined. The ability to differentiate the various hydroxyl groups is also described. For this purpose, 4-tert-butyldimethylsiloxy-2,2-dimethylbutyric acid was developed as a nucleophile. The utility of effecting KAT/DYKAT processes through the Pd-catalyzed AAA reaction is demonstrated by efficient syntheses of both enantiomers of the potent glycosidase inhibitor cyclophellitol.

Direct asymmetric aldol reactions of acetone using bimetallic zinc catalysts.

[reaction: see text] The enantioselective aldol reaction using a novel binuclear zinc catalyst of acetone with several aldehydes gave products in good yields (62-89%) with a high level of enantioselectivity (ee = 76-92%).

Geminal dicarboxylates as carbonyl surrogates for asymmetric synthesis. Part I. Asymmetric addition of malonate nucleophiles.

Asymmetric alkylations of allylic geminal dicarboxylates with dialkyl malonates have been investigated. The requisite allylic geminal dicarboxylates are prepared in good yields and high isomeric purities by two catalytic methods, ferric chloride-catalyzed addition of acid anhydrides to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes and palladium-catalyzed isomerization and addition reactions of propargylic acetates. The complex of palladium(0) and the chiral ligand derived from the diamide of trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane and 2-diphenylphosphinobenzoic acid most efficiently catalyzed the asymmetric process to provide allylic carboxylate esters with high ee. By systematic optimization studies, factors affecting the enantioselectivity of the reaction have been probed. In general, higher ee's have been achieved with those conditions which facilitate kinetic capture of the incipient pi-allylpalladium intermediate. These conditions also proved effective for achieving high regioselectivities. The minor regioisomeric product was formed when reactive substrates or achiral ligands were employed for the reaction, and could be minimized through the use of the chiral ligand. Under the established conditions, the alkylation of various gem-dicarboxylates afforded monoalkylated products in high yields with greater than 90% ee. The process constitutes the equivalent of an addition of a stabilized nucleophile to a carbonyl group with high asymmetric induction.