Catalytic activation through metal enolization of nucleophile precursors and synthetic applications to enantioselective Michael additions.

Catalytic activation methods of nucleophile precursors recently developed in our research group were reviewed in this paper. These include (i) the catalytic double activation method of nucleophile precursors through enol formation and of electrophiles through coordination in alcohols; (ii) the double catalytic activation method by use of both catalytic amounts of chiral Lewis acid and external achiral amine; (iii) the catalytic activation method of nucleophile precursors with a chiral cationic Lewis acid in the presence of molecular sieves; and (iv) the single catalytic activation of nucleophile precursors through metal enolization in alcohol media.

Lewis acid-catalyzed enantioselective hydroxylation reactions of oxindoles and beta-keto esters using DBFOX ligand.

The first catalytic enantioselective hydroxylation reaction of both 3-aryl and 3-alkyl-2-oxindoles using the DBFOX-Zn(II) complex, leading to pharmaceutically important chiral 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles was described. The structure of oxidant was found to play an important role to increase the enantioselectivity. The methodology has successfully applied to the highly enantioselective hydroxylation of beta-keto esters using the DBFOX-Ni(II) complex.

Enantioselective enol lactone synthesis under double catalytic conditions.

[reaction: see text] The reaction of dimedone with 1-(2-alkenoyl)-4-bromo-3,5-dimethylpyrazoles in THF, catalyzed by catalytic amounts of both DBFOX/Ph-nickel(II) perchlorate trihydrate and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine, in the presence of acetic anhydride in THF produces the corresponding enol lactones in high enantioselectivities through enantioselective Michael additions followed by cyclization with removal of the pyrazole auxiliary. Other related nucleophile precursors can be successfully applied in the enantioselective enol lactone synthesis under the double catalytic conditions.

Chiral DBFOX/Ph complex catalyzed enantioselective nitrone cycloadditions to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes.

1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions of nitrones with alpha-alkyl- and alpha-arylacroleins are catalyzed with the DBFOX/Ph complexes of nickel(II) and magnesium(II) salts to produce the sterically controlled isoxazolidine-5-carbaldehydes, while the reactions with alpha-bromoacrolein are effectively catalyzed with the zinc(II) complexes to produce the electronically controlled isoxazolidine-4-carbaldehydes. Enantioselectivities up to 99.5% ee have been observed in the reactions performed at room temperature. [reaction: see text]

Enantioselective Michael additions of nitromethane by a catalytic double activation method using chiral lewis Acid and achiral amine catalysts.

Reactions of nitromethane with 1-(2-alkenoyl)-3,5-dimethylpyrazoles can be effectively catalyzed by R,R-DBFOX/Ph.Ni(ClO4)2.3H2O and achiral amine bases, each in a catalytic loading of 10 mol %, to give 1-(3-substituted 4-nitrobutanoyl)-3,5-dimethylpyrazoles in high chemical yields. Excellent enantioselectivities up to 98% ee have been achieved. The nitro moiety can be easily reduced on Raney nickel at atmospheric pressure, followed by concurrent cyclization, to give enantiomers of 4-substituted 2-pyrrolidinone derivatives after usual workup. This method can be successfully applied to a short step synthesis of (R)-(-)-rolipram.