Recent developments in enantioselective multicatalysed tandem reactions

Enantioselective magnesium-catalyzed transformations

This review updates the major progress in the field of enantioselective transformations promoted by chiral magnesium catalysts, covering the literature since 2007, illustrating the power of these green catalysts to promote many types of reactions.

One-pot synthesis of N-heterocycles and enimino carbocycles by tandem dehydrative coupling–reductive cyclization of halo-sec-amides and dehydrative cyclization of olefinic sec-amides

We report a versatile approach for the one-pot synthesis of substituted pyrrolidine, piperidine, indolizidine, and quinolizidine ring systems, and enimino carbocycles.

Enantioselective Generation of Adjacent Stereocenters in a Copper-Catalyzed Three-Component Coupling of Imines, Allenes, and Diboranes

A highly enantio- and diastereoselective copper-catalyzed three-component coupling affords the first general synthesis of homoallylic amines bearing adjacent stereocenters from achiral starting materials. The method utilizes a commercially available NHC ligand and copper source, operates at ambient temperature, couples readily available simple imines, allenes, and diboranes, and yields high-value homoallylic amines that exhibit versatile amino, alkenyl, and boryl units.

Diastereodivergent combined carbometalation/zinc homologation/C-C fragmentation reaction as an efficient tool to prepare acyclic allylic quaternary carbon stereocenters

A new strategy has been developed to construct enantiomerically enriched acyclic allylic quaternary carbon stereocenters in a single-pot operation through a combined carbometalation/zinc homologation/fragmentation sequence. Proper tuning of the reaction conditions enables the synthesis of the two enantiomers starting from a single enantiomer of the starting material.

Enantioselective Organocatalyzed Transformations of β-Ketoesters

The β-ketoester structural motif continues to intrigue chemists with its electrophilic and nucleophilic sites. Proven to be a valuable tool within organic synthesis, natural product, and medicinal chemistry, reports on chiral β-ketoester molecular skeletons display a steady increase. With the reignition of organocatalysis in the past decade, asymmetric methods available for the synthesis of this structural unit has significantly expanded, making it one of the most exploited substrates for organocatalytic transformations. This review provides comprehensive information on the plethora of organocatalysts used in stereoselective organocatalyzed construction of β-ketoester-containing compounds.

Construction of enantioenriched polysubstituted hexahydropyridazines via a sequential multicatalytic process merging palladium catalysis and aminocatalysis

An efficient multicatalytic strategy for the construction of nitrogen-containing heterocycles has been reported. The powerful combination of organic and metal catalysis in a single vessel allowed the formation of enantioenriched polysubstituted cyclic 6-membered hydrazines bearing a quaternary stereocenter in good yields and selectivities.

Synergistic chiral iminium and palladium catalysis: Highly regio- and enantioselective [3 + 2] annulation reaction of 2-vinylcyclopropanes with enals

A cooperative catalytic strategy of chiral iminium catalysis by regioselective activation of the C=C bond in enals and a transition metal promoting to open the 2-vinylcyclopropanes for highly regio- and enantioselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 2-vinylcyclopropanes with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes has been developed.

(Thio)urea-mediated synthesis of functionalized six-membered rings with multiple chiral centers

Organocatalysis, now running its second decade of life, is being considered one of the main tools a synthetic chemist has to perform asymmetric catalysis. In this review the synthesis of six-membered rings, that contain multiple chiral centers, either by a ring closing process or by a functionalization reaction on an already existing six-membered ring, utilizing bifunctional (thio)ureas will be summarized. Initially, the use of primary amine-thioureas as organocatalysts for the above transformation is being discussed, followed by the examples employing secondary amine-thioureas. Finally, the use of tertiary amine-thioureas and miscellaneous examples are presented.

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of anti-α,β-Diamino Acid Derivatives

A novel approach to chiral anti-α,β-diamino acid derivatives through tandem orthogonal organocatalysis has been developed. Chiral phosphoric acid catalysts control the chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective addition of hydroxylamines to alkylideneoxazolones, while a phosphine catalyst promotes the isomerization of Z- alkylideneoxazolones to the more reactive E- alkylideneoxazolones.

Multicomponent Strategy for the Synthesis of Prostaglandin E2 Methyl Ester under Anion Relay Chelation Control

Starting with four components, the enantioselective synthesis of prostaglandin E2 methyl ester has been achieved through a highly stereoselective heteroatom-directed conjugate addition reaction and cyclopentanone ring cyclization as the key steps. This asymmetric strategy includes (i) an asymmetric Reformatsky reaction; (ii) conjugate addition of a chiral vinyllithium reagent; (iii) cyclization to form a sulfonylated cyclopentanone in one-pot; followed by (iv) allylation of the side chain. Four carbon-carbon bond-forming processes and three stereogenic centers were established, with the steps from (ii) to (iii) being achieved in a one-pot process.

Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-supported 9-amino(9-deoxy)epi-quinidine organocatalyst for the asymmetric α-amination of aldehydes

Core–shelled MNP-supported 9-amino(9-deoxy)epi-quinidine exhibited excellent diastereoselectivities (syn/anti = 95–98/2–5) and remarkable enantioselectivities (95–98% ee syn) in 75–89% yields in heterogeneous α-amination.

Catalytic cross-benzoin/Michael/acetalization cascade for asymmetric synthesis of trifluoromethylated γ-butyrolactones

A sequential NHC-amine catalytic cascade reaction has been developed. This approach incorporates a highly chemoselective intermolecular cross-benzoin reaction and a highly regioselective Michael-acetalization cascade.

Diastereo- and enantioselective construction of cyclohexanone-fused spirospyrazolones containing four consecutive stereocenters through asymmetric sequential reactions

The diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of cyclohexanone-fused spirospyrazolones through an asymmetric Michael/Michael/aldol cascade reaction catalyzed by squaramide and diphenylprolinol silyl ether, followed by a sequential oxidation was developed.

Sequential Au(i)/chiral tertiary amine catalysis: a tandem C–H functionalization of anisoles or a thiophene/asymmetric Michael addition sequence to quaternary oxindoles

We report an unprecedented sequential Au(i)/bifunctional tertiary amine catalysis, which enables a tandem C–H functionalization of weak nucleophiles (anisoles or thiophenes) and asymmetric Michael addition for the highly enantioselective synthesis of quaternary oxindoles.

A solution to achieve good reusability of MNPs Fe3O4-supported (S)-diphenylprolinoltrimethylsilyl ether catalysts in asymmetric Michael reactions

A PVP-modified MNPs Fe₃O₄-supported Jøgensen–Hayashi catalyst to achieved good reusability with high yields and unchangeable excellent stereoselectivities in the asymmetric Michael addition of propanal to nitroalkenes.

Asymmetric sequential Au(i)/chiral tertiary amine catalysis: an enone-formation/cyanosilylation sequence to synthesize optically active 3-alkenyloxindoles from diazooxindoles

A gold-catalyzed enone-formation and asymmetric cyanosilylation sequence is developed, providing enantioenriched 3-alkenyloxindoles from diazooxindoles, furans and trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN).

Organoamine-functionalized graphene oxide as a bifunctional carbocatalyst with remarkable acceleration in a one-pot multistep reaction

In this work, we reported the synthesis of bifunctional carbocatalyst with acid-base dual-activation mechanism by introducing organoamines on the basal planes of graphene oxide (GO). Interestingly, GO-supported primary amine (AP-GO) exclusively promoted one-pot Henry-Michael reactions with excellent activity to give synthetically valuable multifunctionalized nitroalkanes. Notably, it also exhibited significantly higher activity than those using propylamine, activated carbon-supported primary amine, and mesoporous silica-supported primary amine as the catalysts. This superior catalytic performance originated from the unique properties of AP-GO, which provided the acid-base cooperative effect by the appropriate positioning of primary amines on their basal planes and carboxyl acids along their edges and the decreased diffusion resistance of the reactants and the intermediates during the multistep catalytic cycles because of its open two-dimensional sheet-like structure. Moreover, it could be readily recycled by simple filtration and subsequently reused without significant loss of its catalytic activity in a six times run test.

Synthesis of functionalized γ-lactones via a three-component cascade reaction catalyzed by consecutive N-heterocyclic carbene systems

Two consecutive N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalytic systems were combined in a one-pot cascade reaction for the assembly of aromatic aldehydes and 2-haloenals into a structurally complex γ-lactone backbone.

Domino transformation of isoxazoles to 2,4-dicarbonylpyrroles under Fe/Ni relay catalysis

The domino reaction of 5-alkoxy- or 5-aminoisoxazoles, under metal relay catalysis, with symmetric 1,3-diketones gives 4-acylpyrrole-2-carboxylic acid derivatives in high yield.

Enantioselective construction of spiro-1,3-indandiones with three stereocenters via organocatalytic Michael-aldol reaction of 2-arylideneindane-1,3-diones and nitro aldehydes

Asymmetric domino reaction between 2-arylideneindane-1,3-dione and nitro aldehyde has been developed for the construction of an enantioenriched spiro-1,3-indandione framework with three stereocenters.

Deracemisation of profenol core by combining laccase/TEMPO-mediated oxidation and alcohol dehydrogenase-catalysed dynamic kinetic resolution

A one-pot two-step chemoenzymatic protocol to deracemise a profen-like derivative has been designed.

Metal/organo relay catalysis in a one-pot synthesis of methyl 4-aminopyrrole-2-carboxylates from 5-methoxyisoxazoles and pyridinium ylides

Methyl 4-aminopyrrole-2-carboxylates were easily synthesized by the reaction of 5-methoxyisoxazoles with phenacylpyridinium salts under hybrid relay catalysis leading to 1-(5-methoxycarbonyl-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)pyridinium salts followed by a one pot Zincke cleavage.

Enantioselective cooperative catalysis

This review focuses on enantioselective cooperative catalytic reactions, wherein two catalysts work simultaneously to form products which cannot be obtained by the use of a single catalyst alone, which have attracted considerable attention in recent years.