Recent advances in the semi-pinacol rearrangement of α-hydroxy epoxides and related compounds

Radical aryl migration reactions and synthetic applications

This review provides a comprehensive summary of radical aryl migration reactions, highlighting their mechanistic studies and synthetic applications.

Visible light promoted carbodifluoroalkylation of allylic alcohols via concomitant 1,2-aryl migration

A novel visible light promoted carbodifluoroalkylation of allylic alcohols is disclosed.

An iodine(iii) mediated oxidative rearrangement of enamines: efficient synthesis of α-amino ketones

An iodine(iii) mediated chemoselective oxidative rearrangement of β,β-diarylenamines to α-amino ketones has been accomplished with excellent yield.

Catalytic asymmetric semipinacol rearrangements

Over the past few decades, the semipinacol rearrangement has been widely applied in the field of organic synthesis. However, its catalytic asymmetric version has not caught much attention until the beginning of the 21st century. Significant breakthroughs have been made due to the efforts of organic chemists. These important progressions are summarized in this paper.

Propargylic cation-induced intermolecular electrophilic addition–semipinacol rearrangement

A novel propargylic electrophile-induced tandem intermolecular addition–semipinacol rearrangement was developed for the synthesis of a series of synthetically useful β-propargyl spirocyclic ketones. Its synthetic application was demonstrated by efficient construction of the key tricyclic moiety of daphlongamine E.

Direct syntheses of spiro- and fused-hydrofurans by a tunable tandem semipinacol rearrangement/oxa-Michael addition protocol

A highly chemoselective one-pot reaction has been developed involving a tandem semipinacol rearrangement/oxa-Michael addition sequence in which the in situ generated ketol diene intermediate can be transformed specifically to either the spiro- or fused-dihydrofuran products (see scheme). This one-pot tandem reaction represents a general synthetic methodology for the syntheses of the two different kinds of furan derivatives.

Highly selective catalyst-dependent competitive 1,2-C→C, -O→C, and -N→C migrations from β-methylene-β-silyloxy-β-amido-α-diazoacetates

Transition-metal catalysts direct 1,2-C→C, -O→C, and -N→C migrations from β-methylene-β-silyloxy-β-amido-α-diazoacetates with high selectivity. The key to achieving this unique display of differential selectivities relies on steric and stereoelectronic control by their catalytically generated metal carbenes.

New catalytic approaches towards the enantioselective halogenation of alkenes

The addition of electrophilic reagents to the carbon-carbon double bond is one of the most fundamental reactions in organic chemistry. Halogen electrophiles constitute probably the most important class of electrophiles and have been widely used to induce electrophilic addition reactions to alkenes like halolactonizations or dihalogenations. Despite their long history and high importance, catalytic, asymmetric variants of these reactions have been underdeveloped until very recently. During the last two years this has changed and many novel approaches have been reported. This review aims to cover these new developments through discussing the common themes as well as the suggested mechanistic scenarios.

Stereoselective construction of quaternary carbon stereocenters via a semipinacol rearrangement strategy

Quaternary carbon stereocenters are found in a broad range of organic compounds, including important bioactive natural products and medicinal agents. Given their ubiquity and the significant synthetic challenges they present, quaternary carbon stereocenters have long attracted great interest from synthetic organic chemists. Numerous efforts have been devoted to their construction, leading to a spectrum of strategies for creating stereogenic quaternary carbon centers. In this context, the semipinacol rearrangement has proven successful. In this extension of the pinacol rearrangement, the 1,2-carbon-to-carbon migration in a 1,2-diol has been expanded to include leaving groups other than the hydroxyl group. Over the past decade, our laboratory has explored the semipinacol rearrangement strategy for the stereoselective construction of quaternary carbon stereocenters. We have investigated various substrates, including 2,3-epoxy alcohols (also termed α-hydroxy epoxides), 2,3-aziridino alcohols, and allylic alcohols. Several promoters that effect the semipinacol rearrangement have been identified, including Lewis acids based on Al, Sm, B, Zn, and Ti for the rearrangement of α-hydroxy epoxides and 2,3-aziridino alcohols; cationic halogen species for the rearrangement of allylic alcohols; and cinchona alkaloids and chiral phosphoric acid for the asymmetric semipinacol rearrangement. Our research efforts have led to a series of valuable synthetic methods, including (1) a tandem semipinacol rearrangement and Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction, (2) a tandem semipinacol rearrangement and Tishchenko reaction, (3) a tandem semipinacol rearrangement with either an allylation or a propargylation, (4) a tandem semipinacol rearrangement and Schmidt reaction, (5) a semipinacol rearrangement of 2,3-aziridino alcohols, (6) a semipinacol rearrangement of allylic alcohols induced by halogen cation, (7) a tandem aziridination and semipinacol rearrangement of allylic alcohols, and (8) asymmetric semipinacol rearrangements with chiral organic catalysts. One hallmark of these reactions is the creation of stereogenic quaternary carbon centers with high levels of stereocontrol. In this Account, we describe the development of these synthetically useful methodologies and their successful application to the total syntheses of natural products. Our results demonstrate that the semipinacol rearrangement of carefully designed substrates constitutes an efficient approach to the stereoselective construction of quaternary carbon centers. These reactions have produced a broad array of useful compounds that lend themselves to further elaboration. Furthermore, the total synthesis of a series of alkaloids, with significant bioactivity and intriguing molecular architecture, was achieved through these semipinacol rearrangement strategies, highlighting their synthetic value.

Total synthesis of α-1C-galactosylceramide, an immunostimulatory C-glycosphingolipid, and confirmation of the stereochemistry in the first-generation synthesis

A nonisosteric α-C-glycoside analogue of KRN7000 (α-1C-GalCer, 1) was reported to induce a selective type of cytokine release in human invariant natural killer cells in vitro. We report here a very concise synthetic route to 1 and its analogue 1'. The key steps include olefin cross-metathesis, Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, and epoxide opening by NaN(3)/NH(4)Cl. Inversion of configuration at the amide-bearing carbon in the phytosphingosine backbone constructed by epoxide opening in our previous synthesis of 1 was verified, indicating that remote group participation is not involved during the epoxide-opening reaction.

Computational elucidation of the origins of reactivity and selectivity in non-aldol aldol rearrangements of cyclic epoxides

The non-aldol aldol reaction of the isomeric epoxy silyl ethers is controlled by the conformation of the transition states leading to an internal hydride shift. One isomer rearranges to the β-silyloxy ketone whereas the other isomer gives a β-elimination product. Theoretical calculations show that the substrates with substituents that favor the formation of the chairlike transition state rearrange normally while those that do not undergo elimination instead.

Organocatalytic asymmetric halogenation/semipinacol rearrangement: highly efficient synthesis of chiral α-oxa-quaternary β-haloketones

A novel asymmetric halogenation/semipinacol rearrangement reaction catalyzed by cinchona alkaloid derivatives was developed. Two types of β-haloketones (X = Br, Cl) were obtained with up to 95% yield and 99% enantiomeric excess. The desired (+) and (-) enantiomers of the β-haloketones were readily obtained.

Rh2(II)-catalyzed nitro-group migration reactions: selective synthesis of 3-nitroindoles from β-nitro styryl azides

Rhodium carboxylate complexes (1 mol %) catalyze the migration of electron-withdrawing groups to selectively produce 3-substituted indoles from β-substituted styryl azides. The relative order of migratorial aptitude for this transformation is ester ≪ amide < H < sulfonyl < benzoyl ≪ nitro.

Pericyclic reaction of a zwitterionic salt of an enedione-diazoester. A novel strategy for the synthesis of highly functionalized resorcinols

Enedione-diazoesters formed from 3-TBSO-2-diazo-3-butenoates undergo base-catalyzed pericyclization that with dinitrogen extrusion and methyl migration provide a novel and efficient route to 2-carboalkoxyresorcinols. Intercepting the intermediate enolate anion with methyl vinyl ketone leads to the corresponding 4-substituted 2-carboalkoxyresorcinol and suggests generalization of this methodology.

Asymmetric synthesis of D-ribo-phytosphingosine from 1-tetradecyne and (4-methoxyphenoxy)acetaldehyde

An asymmetric synthesis of d-ribo-phytosphingosine (1) was achieved by utilizing the ProPhenol (12)-catalyzed alkynylation of unsaturated aldehyde 8 to afford allylic propargylic alcohol (S)-6 followed by asymmetric epoxidation and opening of propargylic epoxy alcohol anti-5 with NaN(3)/NH(4)Cl. Deprotection and reduction of the resulting acyclic azide 3 then gave 1. Alkyne-azide 3 was subjected to an intramolecular click reaction, generating a bicyclic triazole, which was found to have unexpected vicinal coupling constants. Application of the advanced Mosher method verified the configurations of the three contiguous stereogenic centers of 1. An alkynyl azide analogue of 1, which may be useful as a glycosyl acceptor in the synthesis of alpha-galactosylceramide derivatives, was also readily prepared by this route.