Highly enantioselective construction of 3-hydroxy oxindoles through a decarboxylative aldol addition of trifluoromethyl α-fluorinated gem-diols to N-benzyl isatins

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of biologically important 3-hydroxyoxindoles: an update

Oxindole scaffolds are prevalent in natural products and have been recognized as privileged substructures in new drug discovery. Several oxindole-containing compounds have advanced into clinical trials for the treatment of different diseases. Among these compounds, enantioenriched 3-hydroxyoxindole scaffolds also exist in natural products and have proven to possess promising biological activities. A large number of catalytic asymmetric strategies toward the construction of 3-hydroxyoxindoles based on transition metal catalysis and organocatalysis have been reported in the last decades. Additionally, 3-hydroxyoxindoles as versatile precursors have also been used in the total synthesis of natural products and for constructing structurally novel scaffolds. In this review, we aim to provide an overview about the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of biologically important 3-substituted 3-hydroxyoxindoles and 3-hydroxyoxindole-based further transformations.

Successive C-C bond cleavage, fluorination, trifluoromethylthio- and pentafluorophenylthiolation under metal-free conditions to provide compounds with dual fluoro-functionalization

The selective C-C bond cleavage and simultaneous formation of two C-F bonds and one C-S bond in β-keto esters with nucleophilic fluorination reagents such as DAST under metal-free/catalyst-free conditions is disclosed. Double fluorination at two remote carbons with additional dialkylamino-sulfenylation provided unique fluorinated compounds in good to high yields. This method can be applied for the successive C-C bond cleavage/fluorination/trifluoromethylthiolation of β-keto esters using trifluoromethyl-DAST (CF3-DAST) providing different type of fluorinated and trifluoromethylthiolated compounds via a shunt pathway. Doubly fluoro-functionalized compounds obtained in these reactions are unique and difficult to synthesize by other methods.

Asymmetric synthesis of quaternary α-fluoro-β-keto-amines via detrifluoroacetylative Mannich reactions

Efficient asymmetric detrifluoroacetylative Mannich addition reactions between 2-fluoro-1,3-di-ketones/hydrates and chiral N-sulfinyl-imines via C-C bond cleavage were reported, which afforded C-F quaternary α-fluoro-β-keto-amines with excellent yields and high diastereoselectivity.

An unprecedented protocol for the synthesis of 3-hydroxy-3-phenacyloxindole derivatives with indolin-2-ones and α-substituted ketones

A reaction between indolin-2-ones and α-substituted ketones was developed and a wide range of 3-hydroxy-3-phenacyloxindoles were obtained in good yield.

IBX-promoted domino reaction of α-hydroxy amides: a facile one-pot synthesis of isatins

A novel and temperature-controlled oxidation of α-hydroxy amides in the presence of IBX is described.

Construction of Vicinal Tetrasubstituted Stereocenters with a C-F Bond through a Catalytic Enantioselective Detrifluoroacetylative Mannich Reaction

An efficient asymmetric detrifluoroacetylative Mannich reaction of 2-fluoro-1,3-diketones/hydrates with isatin-derived ketimines catalyzed by a chiral copper(II)-diamine complex has been realized. The reaction afforded a series of 3-substituted 3-amino-2-oxindoles bearing fluorine-containing vicinal tetrasubstituted stereocenters in high yields (up to 99%) with excellent diastereoselectivities (up to >20:1 dr) and enantioselectivities (up to 94% ee).

Diastereoselective Addition of Metal α-Fluoroenolates of Carboxylate Esters to N-tert-Butylsulfinyl Imines: Synthesis of α-Fluoro-β-amino Acids

We report a diastereoselective addition reaction of fluoroacetate and α-alkylated fluoroacetate to N-tert-butylsulfinyl imines. This method provides a concise route to α-fluoro-β-amino acids containing fluorinated quaternary stereogenic carbon centers with very good yields and high diastereoselectivities. This protocol has the benefit of using abundant and readily accessible starting materials and is operationally simple. Additionally, the stereochemical outcome of the present reaction was different from that of the previously known addition of comparable nonfluorinated, brominated, and chlorinated enolates to N-sulfinyl imines, suggesting that an open transition state (rather than a closed one) is involved in the current fluoroalkylation reaction.

A catalytic asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of olefinic azlactones and isatins: facile access to chiral spirooxindole dihydropyranones

A catalytic asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) reaction has been achieved through hydrogen-bond directed γ-addition of olefinic azlactones to isatins. This methodology provides an efficient access to spirooxindole dihydropyranones in moderate to good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities.

Assembly of Fluorinated Quaternary Stereogenic Centers through Catalytic Enantioselective Detrifluoroacetylative Aldol Reactions

A Cu-catalyzed asymmetric detrifluoroacetylative aldol addition reaction of 2-fluoro-1,3-diketones/hydrates to aldehydes in the presence of base and chiral bidentate ligand was developed. The reaction was carried out under convenient conditions and tolerated a wide range of substrates, resulting in fluorinated quaternary stereogenic α-fluoro-β-hydroxy ketone products with good chemical yields, diastereo- and enantioselectivities. This catalytic asymmetric detrifluoroacetylative aldol addition reaction provides a new approach for the preparation of biologically relevant products containing C-F quaternary stereogenic centers.

Generalized access to fluorinated β-keto amino compounds through asymmetric additions of α,α-difluoroenolates to CF3-sulfinylimine

CF3-containing chiral imines readily react with α,α-difluoroenolates affording a novel type of β-keto-amino compounds featuring the R-CO-CF2-CH(NH2)-CF3 moiety. The reactions feature exceptional generality allowing preparation of various aromatic, hetero-aromatic and aliphatic derivatives in high yields and diastereoselectivity. The products are configurationally stable and can be transformed to more functionalized complex compounds.

Construction of chiral bridged tricyclic benzopyrans: enantioselective catalytic Diels-Alder reaction and a one-pot reduction/acid-catalyzed stereoselective cyclization

An asymmetric two-step approach to chiral bridged tricyclic benzopyrans, core structures featured in various natural products, is described. In the synthesis, an unprecedented enantioselective catalytic decarboxylative Diels-Alder reaction is developed using readily available coumarin-3-carboxylic acids and aldehydes as reactants under mild reaction conditions. Notably, the decarboxylation-assisted release of the catalyst enables the process to proceed efficiently with high enantio- and diastereoselectivity. Furthermore, a one-pot procedure for either a LiAlH4 - or NaBH4 -mediated reduction with subsequent acid-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of the Diels-Alder adducts was identified for the efficient formation of the chiral bridged tricyclic benzopyrans.

Asymmetric Aldol Reaction of 3-Acetyl-2H-chromen-2-ones and Isatins Catalyzed by a Bifunctional Quinidine Urea Catalyst

The asymmetric aldol reaction of 3-acetyl-2H-chromen-2-ones and isatins has been realized by using a bifunctional quinidine-derived urea as the catalyst. The corresponding 3-hydroxyoxindole derivatives containing a 2H-chromen-2-one moiety were obtained in good yields and high enantioselectivities. When (Z)-ethyl 2-benzylideneacetoacetate was used as the substrate, a mixture of two diastereomers (both Z and E) was obtained due to the isomerization of the double bond under the reaction conditions.

Aqueous Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction of unprotected isatins with cyclic enones

The readily available bicyclic imidazolyl alcohol 1 is a unique catalyst for the aqueous Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction between unprotected isatins and cyclic enones that gives access to a variety of potentially very useful 3-substituted 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles in an operationally simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly way. The hydroxyl group of the catalyst is believed to stabilize the betaine intermediate formed in the first step of the MBH reaction.