1,3-Dicarbonyl compounds in stereoselective domino and multicomponent reactions

Ultrasound mediated, green innovation for the synthesis of polysubstituted 1,4-dihydropyridines

An atom efficient protocol via a one-pot four-component cyclocondensation reaction catalyzed by copper(i) iodide in aqueous medium under ultrasonic irradiation has been developed for the synthesis of novel polysubstituted 1,4-dihydropyridines.

Diastereoselective and regiodivergent oxa-[3 + 2] cycloaddition of Achmatowicz products and cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds

Development of two novel oxa-[3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of Achmatowicz products with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds for rapid and highly efficient assembly of polycyclic furopyranones is described. Plausible mechanisms were proposed.

CaCl2, Bisoxazoline, and Malonate: A Protocol for an Asymmetric Michael Reaction

A mild protocol for the asymmetric Michael addition of dimethyl malonate to various α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds was developed. The salient feature of this methodology is that a cheap and environmentally friendly Lewis acid, CaCl2, was used as a catalyst. An aminoindanol- and pyridine-derived ligand provided in the presence of CaCl2 Michael adducts in moderate to high enantioselectivities. The scope of the reaction was demonstrated.

Recyclable organocatalyst-promoted one-pot Michael/aza-Henry/lactamization reactions for fluorinated 2-piperidinones bearing four stereogenic centres

A highly efficient method for asymmetric synthesis of fluorinated 2-piperidinones bearing four stereogenic centres is introduced.

Organocatalytic multicomponent synthesis of enantioenriched polycyclic 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridines: key substrate selection enabling regio- and stereoselectivities

A completely regioselective and highly enantioselective organocatalytic multicomponent synthesis of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridines is described.

Gold and silver catalysis: from organic transformation to bioconjugation

A summary of gold (including AuNPs, Au(i) and Au(iii) complexes) and silver(i) catalysis and their application in bioconjugation reactions.

Condition-determined multicomponent reactions of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and formaldehyde

By means of changing the reaction parameters, different products could be generated selectively starting from the same combination of substrates involving 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and formaldehyde. This strategy enabled us to access diverse molecules without changing both starting material and reactor, maximizing thus the multifunctionality of the synthetic system. For example, starting from a 1,3-dicarbonyl compound, formaldehyde and 1,1-diphenylethylene, two kinds of products could be selectively formed including (i) a densely substituted dihydropyran and (ii) a C2-cinnamyl substituted 1,3-dicarbonyl compound. A one-pot three-component reaction of phenacylpyridinium salt, 1,3-dicarbonyl compound, and formaldehyde was also investigated, which produced either 2,4-diacyl-2,3-dihydrofuran or 2,4-diacyl-2-hydroxylmethyl-2,3-dihydrofuran in good to excellent yield.

Origin of the enantioselectivity in organocatalytic Michael additions of β-ketoamides to α,β-unsaturated carbonyls: a combined experimental, spectroscopic and theoretical study

The organocatalytic enantioselective conjugate addition of secondary β-ketoamides to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds is reported. Use of bifunctional Takemoto's thiourea catalyst allows enantiocontrol of the reaction leading either to simple Michael adducts or spirocyclic aminals in up to 99 % ee. The origin of the enantioselectivity has been rationalised based on combined DFT calculations and kinetic analysis. This study provides a deeper understanding of the reaction mechanism, which involves a predominant role of the secondary amide proton, and clarifies the complex interactions occurring between substrates and the catalyst.

Rapid pseudo five-component synthesis of intensively blue luminescent 2,5-di(hetero)arylfurans via a Sonogashira-Glaser cyclization sequence

2,5-Di(hetero)arylfurans are readily accessible in a pseudo five-component reaction via a Sonogashira–Glaser coupling sequence followed by a superbase-mediated (KOH/DMSO) cyclization in a consecutive one-pot fashion. Besides the straightforward synthesis of natural products and biologically active molecules all representatives are particularly interesting due to their bright blue luminescence with remarkably high quantum yields. The electronic structure of the title compounds is additionally studied with DFT computations.

Synthesis of β-ketoesters from renewable resources and Meldrum's acid

β-Ketoesters are valuable building blocks for the synthesis of compounds with different biological activities.

Efficient three-component coupling reactions catalyzed by Cu0-nanoparticles stabilized on modified montmorillonite

In situgeneration of Cu⁰-nanoparticles into the nanopores of environmentally benign modified montmorillonite clay and their catalytic performance in three component (A³) coupling reactions of aldehyde, amine and alkyne to synthesize propargylamines with excellent yields and selectivity.

Asymmetric synthesis of trisubstituted tetrahydrothiophenes bearing a quaternary stereocenter via double Michael reaction involving dynamic kinetic resolution

The stereoselective synthesis of highly functionalized tetrahydrothiophenes bearing three contiguous stereocenters, one of them quaternary, can be achieved by reacting trans-α-cyano-α,β-unsaturated ketones and trans-tert-butyl 4-mercapto-2-butenoate in the presence of a readily available amine thiourea. The products are obtained in high yield, good diastereoselectivity, and excellent enantioselectivity. The overall formation of tetrahydrothiophenes occurs via a cascade double Michael reaction involving a highly efficient process of dynamic kinetic resolution.

Recent developments in asymmetric multicomponent reactions

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) receive increasing attention because they address both diversity and complexity in organic synthesis. Thus, in principle diverse sets of relatively complex structures can be generated from simple starting materials in a single reaction step. The ever increasing need for optically pure compounds for pharmaceutical and agricultural applications as well as for catalysis promotes the development of asymmetric multicomponent reactions. In recent years, asymmetric multicomponent reactions have been applied to the total synthesis of various enantiopure natural products and commercial drugs, reducing the number of required reaction steps significantly. Although many developments in diastereoselective MCRs have been reported, the field of catalytic enantioselective MCRs has just started to blossom. This critical review describes developments in both diastereoselective and catalytic enantioselective multicomponent reactions since 2004. Significantly broadened scopes, new techniques, more environmentally benign methods and entirely novel MCRs reflect the increasingly inventive paths that synthetic chemist follow in this field. Until recently, enantioselective transition metal-catalyzed MCRs represented the majority of catalytic enantioselective MCRs. However, metal contamination is highly undesirable for drug synthesis. The emergence of organocatalysis greatly influences the quest for new asymmetric MCRs.