Aminocatalyzed Synthesis of Enantioenriched Phenalene Skeletons through a Friedel-Crafts/Cyclization Strategy.

A series of enantioenriched phenalene-derived compounds were accessed by a Friedel-Crafts/cyclization strategy. Starting from α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes and 2-naphthol derivatives, high levels of enantioselectivity were obtained through iminium-enamine catalysis. The catalytic system composed of a diphenylprolinol silyl ether organocatalyst and triethylamine as a base was applied to a combination of diversely functionalized substrates. The obtained phenalene-derived architectures are promising building blocks for reaching natural products and exhibit fluorescence properties.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Fused Polycyclic Indazoles through Aminocatalyzed Aza-Michael Addition/Intramolecular Cyclization.

The first example of an asymmetric aminocatalyzed aza-Michael addition of 1H-indazole derivatives to α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes is described. The iminium/enamine cascade process lies at the heart of our strategy, leading to enantioenriched fused polycyclic indazole architectures. Variations on both the α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes and the indazole-7-carbaldehyde heterocycles were studied in order to broaden the scope of the transformation in synthetically interesting directions. The fused polycyclic indazoles exhibit fluorescence properties and can undergo synthetic transformations.

Solvent- and Catalyst-Free Synthesis of Nitrogen-Containing Bicycles through Hemiaminal Formation/Diastereoselective Hetero-Diels-Alder Reaction with Diazenes.

A solvent- and catalyst-free synthesis of nitrogen-containing bicyclic derivatives through a three-bond forming process is reported. Starting from dienals and readily available diazenes, the strategy involving the hemiaminal formation/hetero-Diels-Alder reaction affords the bicyclic products in a highly diastereoselective manner. This simple and green procedure has been applied to a selection of substrates, giving rise to 12 examples of nitrogen-containing bicyclic architectures. These products underwent various synthetic transformations. A sequence involving the cleavage of the hydrazine allowed the preparation of a hydantoin motif bearing an aminopropyl side chain, which is a structure found in natural products. A mechanism has also been suggested to explain the observed selectivities.

Pyridylalkylamine ligands and their palladium complexes: structure and reactivity revisited by NMR.

Pyridylmethylamines or pma are versatile platforms for different catalytic transformations. Five pma-ligands and their respective Pd complexes have been studied by liquid state NMR. By comparing (1)H, (13)C and (15)N chemical shifts for each pma/pma-Pd couple, a general trend for the metallacycle atoms concerns variations of the electronic distribution at the pendant arm, especially at the nitrogen atom of the ligand. Moreover, the increase of the chemical shift of the pendant arm nitrogen atom from primary to tertiary amine is also related to the increase of crowding within the complex. This statement is in good agreement with X-ray data collected for several complexes. Catalytic results for the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction involving the pma-Pd complexes showed within this series that a sterically crowded and electron-rich ligand in the metallacycle was essential to reach the coupling product with a good selectivity. In this context, NMR study of chemical shifts of all active nuclei especially in the metallacycle could give a trend of reactivity in the studied family of pma-Pd complexes.

Synthesis of enantioenriched aza-proline derivatives through gold(I)-catalyzed cyclization of chiral α-hydrazino esters.

A selective gold(I)-catalyzed synthesis of chiral aza-proline derivatives has been developed by ring closure of enantioenriched α-hydrazino esters bearing an alkyne group. These are easily prepared through a synthetic strategy involving two key steps: organocatalyzed electrophilic amination of pent-4-ynal with dialkyl azodicarboxylate promoted by l-proline and functionalization of the triple bond by Sonogashira cross-coupling. This strategy allowed the preparation of a range of enantioenriched α-hydrazino esters that underwent ring closure by using Ph(3)PAuCl/AgBF(4) as a catalytic system. Under these conditions, 5-exo-dig cyclization was favored over 6-endo-dig and aza-proline derivatives were obtained in good yields without epimerization at the stereogenic center. Influence of the catalytic system, hydrazine protecting group and alkyne substitution on the cyclization step has also been investigated.

Enantioselective organocatalytic one-pot amination/aza-Michael/aldol condensation reaction sequence: synthesis of 3-pyrrolines with a quaternary stereocenter.

Primary amine-catalyzed direct conversion of α,α-disubstituted aldehydes into 3-pyrrolines with a quaternary stereocenter is reported. The one-pot enantioselective sequence is based on a α-amination, an aza-Michael addition of hydrazine, an aldol condensation dehydratation and proceeds with good yields and excellent levels of enantioselectivity. Synthetically attractive applications including the formation of aziridinopyrrolidine or epoxypyrrolidine derivatives with good yields and selectivities are also described.

Asymmetric organocatalytic Michael-α-amination sequence for the construction of a quaternary stereocenter.

Combination of secondary and primary amine-catalyzed organocascade Michael-α-amination is described. This sequence afforded α-hydrazino aldehydes bearing a quaternary stereocenter with high yield and excellent stereoselectivity.

Asymmetric synthesis of sphinganine and ent-clavaminol [corrected] H.

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of sphinganine and ent-clavaminol [corrected] H is reported. These sphingoid-type bases were obtained from commercially available fatty acids using highly enantioselective Ru-catalyzed hydrogenation and organocatalytic electrophilic amination reactions to create the stereogenic centers.

Enantioselective Desymmetrization of para-Quinamines through an Aminocatalyzed Aza-Michael/Cyclization Cascade Reaction.

An unprecedented organocatalytic asymmetric desymmetrization of para-quinamines leading to functionalized hydroindoles, a common motif in many alkaloids, has been reported. The ability of diarylprolinol silyl ethers to promote iminium and enamine activation of α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes in one catalytic cycle is the centerpiece of the strategy involving a challenging aza-Michael/intramolecular cyclization cascade reaction. A range of prochiral para-quinamines and α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes were investigated to afford 16 examples of hydroindoles possessing four contiguous stereocenters including one quaternary carbon. The hydroindole structures include multiple orthogonal functionalities, which underwent various transformations.

Merging oxidative dearomatization and aminocatalysis: one-pot enantioselective synthesis of tricyclic architectures.

The combination of oxidative dearomatization and trienamine/enamine activation in a single vessel is described. Under these conditions, a three-bond forming process generates functionalized tricyclic architectures with up to six contiguous stereocenters with excellent stereoselectivities from readily available planar substrates.

Stereoselective organocatalytic one-pot α,α-bifunctionalization of acetaldehyde by a tandem Mannich reaction/electrophilic amination.

The first asymmetric organocatalyzed one-pot α,α-bifunctionalization of acetaldehyde with two different electrophiles is described. A diarylprolinol silyl ether-catalyzed reaction of acetaldehyde with an imine and di-tert-butyl azodicarboxylate affords syn-2,3-diaminoalcohols with excellent ee values of up to 98%. This methodology was successfully applied to the synthesis of a chiral α,ß-diaminocarboxylic acid.