A New Family of Cinchona-Derived Amino Phosphine Precatalysts: Application to the Highly Enantio- and Diastereoselective Silver-Catalyzed Isocyanoacetate Aldol Reaction

Catalytic Isonitrile Insertions and Condensations Initiated by RNC-X Complexation

Isonitriles are delicately poised chemical entities capable of being coaxed to react as nucleophiles or electrophiles. Directing this tunable reactivity with metal and non-metal catalysts provides rapid access to a large array of complex nitrogenous structures ideally functionalized for medicinal applications. Isonitrile insertion into transition metal complexes has featured in numerous synthetic and mechanistic studies, leading to rapid deployment of isonitriles in numerous catalytic processes, including multicomponent reactions (MCR). Covering the literature from 1990-2014, the present review collates reaction types to highlight reactivity trends and allow catalyst comparison.

Addition of H-phosphonates to quinine-derived carbonyl compounds. An unexpected C9 phosphonate-phosphate rearrangement and tandem intramolecular piperidine elimination

The Abramov reaction, a base-catalyzed nucleophilic addition of dialkyl H-phosphonates (phosphites) to carbonyl compounds, was performed with oxidized quinine derivatives as the substrates. Homologous aldehydes obtained from the vinyl group reacted in a typical way which led to α-hydroxyphosphonates, first reported compounds containing a direct P-C bond between the quinine carbon skeleton and a phosphorus atom. For the C9 ketones a phosphonate-phosphate rearrangement, associated with a tandem elimination of the piperidine fragment, was evidenced.

Generation of stereochemically defined tetrasubstituted enolborinates by 1,4-hydroboration of α,β-unsaturated morpholine carboxamides with (diisopinocampheyl)borane

On all fours: The title reaction with (Ipc)2 BH provides tetrasubstituted enolborinates which undergo aldol reactions with aldehydes to form products with all-carbon quaternary centers with exceptional diastereo- and enantioselectivity. A change to the substitution pattern of the starting amide leads to either diastereomer of the α-methyl-α-ethyl-β-hydroxy carboxamide (1 or 2).

Direct synthesis of β-hydroxy-α-amino acids via diastereoselective decarboxylative aldol reaction

A straightforward metal-free synthesis of anti-β-hydroxy-α-amino acids is described. The organic base-mediated decarboxylative aldol reaction of cheap, readily available α-amidohemimalonates with various aldehydes afforded under very mild conditions anti-β-hydroxy-α-amido esters in high yields and complete diastereoselectivity. Simple one-pot subsequent transformations enabled the corresponding anti-β-hydroxy-α-amino acids or in a few examples their syn diastereomers to be obtained directly using epimerization conditions.

A new family of cinchona-derived bifunctional asymmetric phase-transfer catalysts: application to the enantio- and diastereoselective nitro-Mannich reaction of amidosulfones

A new family of bifunctional H-bond donor phase-transfer catalysts derived from cinchona alkaloids has been developed and evaluated in the enantio- and diastereoselective nitro-Mannich reaction of in situ generated N-Boc-protected imines of aliphatic, aromatic, and heteroaromatic aldehydes. Under optimal conditions, good reactivity and high diastereoselectivities (up to 24:1 dr) and enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee) were obtained using a 9-amino-9-deoxyepiquinidine-derived phase-transfer catalyst possessing a 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylurea H-bond donor group at the 9-position.