Design, preparation, and implementation of an imidazole-based chiral biaryl P,N-ligand for asymmetric catalysis

The Asymmetric A³(Aldehyde⁻Alkyne⁻Amine) Coupling: Highly Enantioselective Access to Propargylamines

The recent developments in asymmetric A³ (aldehyde⁻alkyne⁻amine) coupling has been summarized in this review. Several interesting modifications of the ligands enabled the highly enantioselective synthesis of chiral propargylamines, which are further used in the construction of nitrogen-containing chiral building blocks.

Asymmetric synthesis of atropisomeric pyrazole via an enantioselective reaction of azonaphthalene with pyrazolone

The first catalytic asymmetric reaction of azonaphthalene with pyrazolone has been established. A wide range of axially chiral pyrazole derivatives have been achieved in good yields (68–99%) with excellent enantioselectivities (83–98% ee) by utilizing chiral phosphoric acid as a catalyst.

Establishment of atropisomerism in 3-indolyl furanoids: a synthetic, experimental and theoretical perspective

A number of axially chiral 3-indolyl furanoids have been synthesized and the individual enantiomers are found to be configurationally stable and isolable at room temperature.

Highly Enantioselective Synthesis of Propargyl Amides through Rh-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydroalkynylation of Enamides: Scope, Mechanism, and Origin of Selectivity

Chiral propargyl amides are particularly useful structural units in organic synthesis. The enantioselective synthesis of propargyl amide is highly desirable. Conventional approach involves the use of a stoichiometric amount of metal reagent or chiral auxiliary. In comparison, direct alkynylation with terminal alkyne is attractive because it avoids the use of stoichiometric organometallic reagent. The asymmetric coupling of aldehyde, amine, and alkyne (A³-coupling) provides an efficient method for the synthesis of N-alkyl and N-aryl-substituted propargyl amines, but this strategy is not amenable for the direct enantioselective synthesis of propargyl amide. We have developed a new strategy and report here a Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydroalkynylation of enamides. Alkynylations occur regioselectively at the α position of an enamide to produce chiral propargyl amides. High yield and enantioselectivity were observed. Previous alkynylation methods to prepare chiral propargyl amine involve the nucleophilic addition to an electron-deficient imine. In contrast, our current approach proceeds through regioselective hydroalkynylation of an electron-rich alkene. Kinetic studies indicated that migratory insertion of the enamide to the rhodium hydride is turnover limiting. Computational studies revealed the origin of regio- and enantioselectivities. This novel strategy provides an efficient method to access chiral propargyl amides directly from terminal alkynes.

Synthesis and Reactivity of Propargylamines in Organic Chemistry

Propargylamines are a versatile class of compounds which find broad application in many fields of chemistry. This review aims to describe the different strategies developed so far for the synthesis of propargylamines and their derivatives as well as to highlight their reactivity and use as building blocks in the synthesis of chemically relevant organic compounds. In the first part of the review, the different synthetic approaches to synthesize propargylamines, such as A³ couplings and C-H functionalization of alkynes, have been described and organized on the basis of the catalysts employed in the syntheses. Both racemic and enantioselective approaches have been reported. In the second part, an overview of the transformations of propargylamines into heterocyclic compounds such as pyrroles, pyridines, thiazoles, and oxazoles, as well as other relevant organic derivatives, is presented.

Chiral cobalt(ii) complex catalyzed Friedel–Crafts aromatization for the synthesis of axially chiral biaryldiols

An efficient Lewis-acid-catalyzed asymmetric Friedel–Crafts aromatization between p-benzoquinone derivatives and 2-naphthols has been developed by using a chiral cobalt(ii) complex of N,N′-dioxide.

CuBr-ZnI2 Combo-Catalysis for Mild CuI-CuIII Switching and sp2 C-H Activated Rapid Cyclization to Quinolines and Their Sugar-Based Chiral Analogues: A UV-Vis and XPS Study

An unprecedented CuBr-ZnI₂ combo-catalyzed mild Cu¹-Cu^III switching activation of sp² C-H of highly electron-rich arenes is reported. Anilines, aldehydes, and terminal alkynes were rapidly coupled together at ambient temperature to construct a ubiquitous quinoline framework through cyclization of the C≡C bond. This smart solvent-free strategy was exploited for the direct synthesis of valuable 4-substituted, 2,4-disubstituted, and thermally labile sugar-based chiral quinolines in good yields. In contrast to the frequently used imine-alkyne cyclization reaction, this uncommonly mild Cu^I-Cu^III combo-catalysis for a rapid three-component cyclization is expected to proceed through the formation of a flexible propargyl amine intermediate, which provides a Cu^I-procatalyst for rapid sp² C-H activation with cyclization involving transient Cu^III species. The in situ generation of transient Cu^III species was confirmed through online ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses.

Mechanistic Studies and Expansion of the Substrate Scope of Direct Enantioselective Alkynylation of α-Ketiminoesters Catalyzed by Adaptable (Phebox)Rhodium(III) Complexes

Mechanistic studies and expansion of the substrate scope of direct enantioselective alkynylation of α-ketiminoesters catalyzed by adaptable (phebox)rhodium(III) complexes are described. The mechanistic studies revealed that less acidic alkyne rather than more acidic acetic acid acted as a proton source in the catalytic cycle, and the generation of more active (acetato-κ(2)O,O')(alkynyl)(phebox)rhodium(III) complexes from the starting (diacetato)rhodium(III) complexes limited the overall reactivity of the reaction. These findings, as well as facile exchange of the alkynyl ligand on the (alkynyl)rhodium(III) complexes led us to use (acetato-κ(2)O,O')(trimethylsilylethynyl)(phebox)rhodium(III) complexes as a general precatalyst for various (alkynyl)rhodium(III) complexes. Use of the (trimethylsilylethynyl)rhodium(III) complexes as precatalysts enhanced the catalytic performance of the reactions with an α-ketiminoester derived from ethyl trifluoropyruvate at a catalyst loading as low as 0.5 mol % and expanded the substrate scope to unprecedented α-ketiminophosphonate and cyclic N-sulfonyl α-ketiminoesters.

Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Amino Skipped Diynes

The Cu-catalyzed synthesis of nonracemic 3-amino skipped diynes via an enantiodetermining C-C bond formation is described using StackPhos as ligand. Despite challenging issues of reactivity and stereoselectivity inherent to these chiral skipped diynes, the reaction tolerates an extremely broad substrate scope with respect to all components and provides the title compounds in excellent enantiomeric excess. The alkyne moieties are demonstrated here to be useful synthetic handles, and 3-amino skipped diynes are convenient building blocks for enantioselective synthesis.

Racemization barriers of atropisomeric 3,3′-bipyrroles: an experimental study with theoretical verification

The activation barrier of racemization was determined for atropisomeric 3,3′-bipyrroles and they are found to be configurationally stable.

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (-)-Martinellic Acid

An enantioselective total synthesis of martinellic acid is described. The pyrroloquinoline alkaloid core is efficiently prepared from a quinoline, employing a method which relies on a newly developed Cu-catalyzed enantioselective alkynylation using the chiral imidazole-based biaryl P,N ligand StackPhos to establish the absolute stereochemistry. The remaining carbon atoms are then installed by means of a diastereoselective Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation and the synthesis is completed after straightforward functional-group manipulation. This new synthetic method enables the most concise enantioselective synthesis of this important class of molecules to date.

Regioselective Synthesis of Highly Substituted Imidazoles via the Sequential Reaction of Allenyl Sulfonamides and Amines

A novel synthesis of imidazoles from electron-withdrawing group-substituted allenyl sulfonamides with amines was developed. The 4- and 5-functionalized imidazoles were constructed regioselectively, which depended on the substituents on the nitrogen atoms.