Amine‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Epoxidation of α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes

The direct organocatalytic enantioselective epoxidation of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes with different peroxides is presented. Proline, chiral pyrrolidine derivatives, and amino acid‐derived imidazolidinones catalyze the asymmetric epoxidation of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes. In particular, protected commercially available α,α‐diphenyl‐ and α,α‐di(β‐naphthyl)‐2‐prolinols catalyze the asymmetric epoxidation reactions of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes with high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities to furnish the corresponding 2‐epoxy aldehydes in high yield with up to 97:3 dr and 98 % ee. The use of non‐toxic catalysts, water and hydrogen peroxide, urea hydroperoxide or sodium percarbonate as the oxygen sources could make this reaction environmentally benign. In addition, one‐pot direct organocatalytic asymmetric tandem epoxidation‐Wittig reactions are described. The reactions were highly diastereo‐ and enantioselective and provide a rapid access to 2,4‐diepoxy aldehydes. Moreover, a highly stereoselective one‐pot organocatalytic asymmetric cascade epoxidation‐Mannich reaction, which proceeds via the combination of iminium and enamine activation, is presented. The mechanism and stereochemistry of the amino acid‐ and chiral pyrrolidine‐catalyzed direct asymmetric epoxidation of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes are also discussed.     

Highly Enantioselective Epoxidation of α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones Catalyzed by Primary‐Secondary Diamines

The asymmetric epoxidation of α,β‐unsaturated ketones has been achieved by using functional and readily accessible primary‐secondary diamines as the catalysts, giving the useful alkyl epoxy products with good yields and high enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee).     

Towards a Greener Epoxidation Method: Use of Water‐Surfactant Media and Catalyst Recycling in the Platinum‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Epoxidation of Terminal Alkenes with Hydrogen Peroxide

Remarkable improvements in enantioselectivity as well as recycle were observed in the catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of terminal alkenes with a chiral, electron‐poor platinum(II ) catalyst with hydrogen peroxide as terminal oxidant in water‐surfactant media.     

Highly Efficient Asymmetric Epoxidation of Electron‐Deficient α,β‐Enones and Related Applications to Organic Synthesis

The asymmetric epoxidation of electron‐deficient olefins has been achieved using inexpensive and readily available prolinols as catalysts with good to excellent yields and enantioselectivities. The utility of the resulting chiral epoxides was illustrated by elaboration to several synthetically useful compounds featuring a concise synthesis of (−)‐(5R,6S)‐balasubramide.     

Diastereoselective and Enantioselective Epoxidation of Acyclic β‐Trifluoromethyl‐β,β‐Disubstituted Enones by Hydrogen Peroxide with a Pentafluorinated Quinidine‐Derived Phase‐Transfer Catalyst

An efficient catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of β‐trifluoromethyl‐β,β‐disubstituted unsaturated ketones has been achieved by a pentafluorine‐substituted phase‐transfer catalyst with hydrogen peroxide (30%). Thus, the β‐trifluoromethyl‐α,β‐epoxy ketones with a quaternary carbon centre were obtained in excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 100:1 dr) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99.7% ee). Low catalyst loading, recycle of catalyst, environmentally benign oxidant and easy transformation of the epoxides into medicinally important trifluoromethylated intermediate make our protocol much more practical.     

Asymmetric 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition Reaction between α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes and Nitrones Catalyzed by Well‐Defined Iridium or Rhodium Catalysts

Reaction of the complexes (S_M,R_C)‐[(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)M{(R)‐Prophos}(H₂O)](SbF₆)₂ (M=Rh, Ir) with α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes diastereoselectively gave complexes (S_M,R_C)‐[(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)M{(R)‐Prophos}(enal)](SbF₆)₂ which have been fully characterized, including an X‐ray molecular structure determination of the complex (S_Rh,R_C)‐[(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)Rh{(R)‐Prophos}(trans‐2‐methyl‐2‐pentenal)](SbF₆)₂. These enal complexes efficiently catalyze the enantioselective 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of the nitrones N‐benzylideneaniline N‐oxide and 3,4‐dihydroisoquinoline N‐oxide to the corresponding enals. Reactions occur with excellent regioselectivity, perfect endo selectivity and with enantiomeric excesses up to 94 %. The absolute configuration of the adduct 5‐methyl‐2,3‐diphenylisoxazolidine‐4‐carboxaldehyde was determined through its (R)‐(−)‐α‐methylbenzylamine derivative.     

Convenient Preparation of Chiral α,β‐Epoxy Ketones via Claisen–Schmidt Condensation‐Epoxidation Sequence

A novel Clasisen–Schmidt condensation‐epoxidation sequence of aldehydes and ketones was developed to produce a series of chiral α,β‐epoxy ketones under asymmetric phase‐transfer catalytic conditions. The organocatalytic method reported here can afford chiral α,β‐epoxy ketones under mild conditions with moderate to good yields and up to 96 % ee.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Epoxidation of 2‐Cyclopentenones

The first highly efficient asymmetric epoxidation of 2‐cyclopentenones has been developed. Using a newly designed and readily available Cinchona amine catalyst, 2‐cyclopentenones are reacted with hydrogen peroxide to give the corresponding epoxycyclopentanones in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities.     

Organocatalytic Asymmetric Sulfa‐Michael Addition to α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones

The highly enantioselective organocatalytic sulfa‐Michael addition to α,β‐unsaturated ketones has been accomplished using benzyl and tert‐butyl mercaptans as the sulfur‐centered nucleophiles. Optically active products are obtained in high yields and good to excellent stereocontrol (up to 96 % ee) from a large variety of enones. Central to these studies has been the use of the catalytic primary amine salt A , derived from 9‐amino‐(9‐deoxy)‐epi‐hydroquinine and D ‐N‐Boc‐phenylglycine, in which both the cation and the anion are chiral, that exhibits high reactivity and selectivity for iminium ion catalysis with enones.     

Organocatalytic Enantioselective Aziridination of α‐Substituted α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes: Asymmetric Synthesis of Terminal Aziridines

The first example of a highly enantioselective organocatalytic aziridination of α‐substituted α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The reaction is catalyzed by simple chiral amines and gives access to highly functional terminal azirdines containing an α‐tertiary amine stereocenter in high yields and enantiomeric ratios (95.5:4.5–98:2).     

A Simple Organocatalytic Enantioselective Cyclopropanation of α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes

A highly chemo‐ and enantioselective organocatalytic cyclopropanation of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes with bromomalonate and 2‐bromoacetoacetate esters is presented. The reaction is catalyzed by chiral amines and gives access to 2‐formylcyclopropanes in high yields and up to 99 % ee.     

Base–Base Bifunctional Catalysis: A Practical Strategy for Asymmetric Michael Addition of Malonates to α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes

Lewis base–Brønsted base bifunctional catalysis is a novel and practical strategy for the asymmetric Michael addition. The addition of malonates to a series of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes can take place under base–base bifunctional catalytic conditions using 0.5–5 mol% of (S)‐2‐[diphenyl(trimethylsilyloxy)methyl]pyrrolidine as catalyst and 5–30 mol% of lithium 4‐fluorobenzoate as additive base with up to 99% ee.     

Heck Arylation of α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes

The Heck arylation of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes is strongly dependent on the catalyst, the solvent and the base. Optimized conditions yielded either selectively cinnamyl derivatives (83%) or double arylation products (88% based on aryl conversion). A new α‐arylation of β,β‐disubstituted acrolein is also realized.     

Organocatalyst‐Mediated Dehydrogenation of Aldehydes to α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes,and Oxidative and Enantioselective Reaction of Aldehydes and Nitromethane Catalyzed by Diphenylprolinol Silyl Ether

A one‐pot transformation of aldehydes into α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes was developed using both N‐benzyl‐N‐methylamine and 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone (DDQ) as catalysts and MnO₂ as a terminal oxidant. An oxidative and enantioselective reaction of aldehydes and nitromethane was established using both diphenylprolinol silyl ether and DDQ as a catalyst with MnO₂ as a terminal oxidant, in which synthetically important β‐substituted γ‐nitro aldehydes were obtained with excellent enantioselectivity.

     

Cinchona Alkaloid‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Amination of α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones: An Asymmetric Approach to Δ2‐Pyrazolines

Δ²‐Pyrazolines are of significant medicinal and synthetic interest due to their therapeutic properties and utility in the synthesis of 1,3‐diamines, yet few asymmetric methods exist to prepare them. An unprecedented and highly enantioselective organocatalytic synthesis of 2‐pyrazolines was achieved through an asymmetric conjugate addition catalyzed by 9‐epi‐amino Cinchona alkaloids followed by deprotection‐cyclization, which furnished chiral 2‐pyrazolines in 46–78% yield and 59–91% ee. This bifunctional catalytic methodology thus provides easy access to a considerable range of optically active 3,5‐dialkyl 2‐pyrazolines.     

Organocatalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Protected α,β‐Diamino Acids

In the presence of the readily available quinine‐derived catalyst 4d , highly diastereo‐ and enantioselective Mannich reactions of tosyl‐protected imines and α‐isothiocyanato imides proceeded to afford the protected α,β‐diamino acids, useful building blocks for natural products and biologically active compounds, in good to excellent yields.     

Enantioselective Organocatalytic Conjugate Addition of Aldehydes to α,β‐Unsaturated Thiol Esters

The first example of an organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition of aldehydes to α,β‐unsaturated thiol esters promoted by chiral diphenylprolinol silyl ether is presented. The reaction occurs with good yields, diastereoselectivity and excellent enantioselectivity.     

Enantiodivergent Brucine Diol‐Catalyzed 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition of Azomethine Ylides with α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones

Enantiodivergent catalyst systems were developed using metals with different ionic radii and a multifunctional brucine diol (BD) ligand. The catalytic use of purported 1:1 Cu‐BD complexes in the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with chalcones resulted in the selective formation of endo‐pyrrolidines in 87–96% ees with an absolute stereochemical outcome of (2R,3S,4R,5S). In contrast, an opposite absolute stereochemical outcome was observed by using the catalysts derived from Ag(I) salts and BD. The demonstration of enantiodivergent approaches to a broad class of substrates/reaction types underlines their synthetic value in asymmetric synthesis.

     

Bis(3,5‐dimethylphenyl)‐(S)‐pyrrolidin‐2‐ylmethanol: an Improved Organocatalyst for the Asymmetric Epoxidation of α,β‐Enones

The asymmetric epoxidation of α,β‐enones by the readily available bis(3,5‐dimethylphenyl)‐(S)‐pyrrolidin‐2‐ylmethanol and tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) is described. Stereoelectronic substitution on the aryl moiety of diaryl‐2‐pyrrolidinemethanols was found to significantly affect the efficiency with respect to the previously reported (S)‐diphenyl‐2‐pyrrolidinemethanol. Improved reactivity and enantioselectivity were achieved with bis(3,5‐dimethylphenyl)‐(S)‐pyrrolidin‐2‐ylmethanol at reduced catalyst loading (20 mol %) with ees up to 94% for chalcone epoxides under mild reaction conditions, whereas (S)‐diphenyl‐2‐pyrrolidinemethanol afforded a maximum ee of 80%. Interestingly, the methodology is applicable to the epoxidation of more challenging aliphatic or enolizable enones with good control of the asymmetric induction (up to 87% ee).