Chiral bis(oxazoline) copper(II) complexes: versatile catalysts for enantioselective cycloaddition, Aldol, Michael, and carbonyl ene reactions

The emergence of sulfoxides as efficient ligands in transition metal catalysis

Sulfoxides are capable of forming stable complexes with transition metals and there have been many comprehensive studies into their binding properties. However, the use of sulfoxides, particularly chiral sulfoxides, as ligands in transition metal catalysis is rather less well developed. This review aims to describe these catalytic studies and covers new developments that are showing very promising results and that have led to a renewed interest in this field.

Octahedral Chiral-at-Metal Iridium Catalysts: Versatile Chiral Lewis Acids for Asymmetric Conjugate Additions

Octahedral iridium(III) complexes containing two bidentate cyclometalating 5-tert-butyl-2-phenylbenzoxazole (IrO) or 5-tert-butyl-2-phenylbenzothiazole (IrS) ligands in addition to two labile acetonitrile ligands are demonstrated to constitute a highly versatile class of asymmetric Lewis acid catalysts. These complexes feature the metal center as the exclusive source of chirality and serve as effective asymmetric catalysts (0.5-5.0 mol % catalyst loading) for a variety of reactions with α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, namely Friedel-Crafts alkylations (94-99% ee), Michael additions with CH-acidic compounds (81-97% ee), and a variety of cycloadditions (92-99% ee with high d.r.). Mechanistic investigations and crystal structures of an iridium-coordinated substrates and iridium-coordinated products are consistent with a mechanistic picture in which the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds are activated by two-point binding (bidentate coordination) to the chiral Lewis acid.

A Maitland-Japp inspired synthesis of dihydropyran-4-ones and their stereoselective conversion to functionalised tetrahydropyran-4-ones

The Maitland-Japp reaction has been extended to the synthesis of highly functionalised dihydropyran-4-ones. These dihydropyran-4-ones can in turn be converted stereoselectively into tetrahydropyran-4-ones with tertiary and quaternary stereocentres via the one-pot addition of hydride or carbon nucleophiles and trapping with carbon electrophiles. The utility of this method is demonstrated by providing access to the functionalised tetrahydropyran units present in a component of the Civet fragrance and the anticancer polyketide lasonolide A.

Diastereoselective and enantioselective conjugate addition reactions utilizing α,β-unsaturated amides and lactams

The conjugate addition reaction has been a useful tool in the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. The utility of this reaction has been demonstrated in the synthesis of many natural products, materials, and pharmacological agents. In the last three decades, there has been a significant increase in the development of asymmetric variants of this reaction. Unfortunately, conjugate addition reactions using α,β-unsaturated amides and lactams remain underdeveloped due to their inherently low reactivity. This review highlights the work that has been done on both diastereoselective and enantioselective conjugate addition reactions utilizing α,β-unsaturated amides and lactams.

Asymmetric Lewis acid catalysis directed by octahedral rhodium centrochirality

A rhodium-based asymmetric catalyst is introduced which derives its optical activity from octahedral centrochirality. Besides providing the exclusive source of chirality, the rhodium center serves as a Lewis acid by activating 2-acyl imidazoles through two point binding and enabling a very effective asymmetric induction mediated by the propeller-like C2-symmetrical ligand sphere. Applications to asymmetric Michael additions (electrophile activation) as well as asymmetric α-aminations (nucleophile activation) are disclosed, for which the rhodium catalyst is found to be overall superior to its iridium congener. Due to its straightforward proline-mediated synthesis, high catalytic activity (catalyst loadings down to 0.1 mol%), and tolerance towards moisture and air, this novel class of chiral-at-rhodium catalysts will likely to become of widespread use as chiral Lewis acid catalysts for a large variety of asymmetric transformations.

The N,N′-dioxide/Ni(ii)-catalyzed asymmetric inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels–Alder reaction of methyleneindolinones with hetero-substituted alkenes

The asymmetric inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels–Alder reaction of methyleneindolinones with hetero-substituted alkenes catalyzed by chiral N,N′-dioxide/Ni(ii) complexes has been accomplished, affording dihydropyran-fused indoles in up to 99% yield, >95 : 5 dr and 99% ee.

The first 4,4′-imidazolium-tagged C2-symmetric bis(oxazolines): application in the asymmetric Henry reaction

Highly efficient and recyclable imidazolium-tagged bis(oxazolines), with an imidazolium tagged onto the 4,4′-position of the box, have been designed and prepared for the first time.

Base-free Knoevenagel condensation catalyzed by copper metal surfaces

Commercially available dendritic copper powder catalyses Knoevenagel condensation under mild conditions with high isolated yields obtained by filtration of Cu and subsequent recrystallization.

Chiral ligands derived from monoterpenes: application in the synthesis of optically pure secondary alcohols via asymmetric catalysis

The preparation of optically pure secondary alcohols in the presence of catalysts based on chiral ligands derived from monoterpenes, such as pinenes, limonenes and carenes, is reviewed. A wide variety of these ligands has been synthesized and used in several catalytic reactions, including hydrogen transfer, C-C bond formation via addition of organozinc compounds to aldehydes, hydrosilylation, and oxazaborolidine reduction, leading to high activities and enantioselectivities.

Side arm strategy for catalyst design: modifying bisoxazolines for remote control of enantioselection and related

In asymmetric catalysis, the remote control of enantioselection is usually difficult due to the long distance communication between the chiral center of the catalyst and the reactive site of the substrate. The development of efficient and highly enantioselective catalysts for such reactions is of great importance and highly desirable. The stereocontrol over an asymmetric reaction is a delicate process (ca. 3.0 kcal/mol difference in transition states can lead to >99/1 enantiomeric selectivity at room temperature), it therefore requires fine-tuning on the electronic nature of the central metal together with a precisely created cavity to accommodate the substrates and reagents. We envision that a solution is the design of new catalysts by finding an easy and efficient way to tune the electronic properties, the chiral space, and the shape of the catalytic site. Since an extra coordination group in the organometallic complex could not only alter the microenvironment around the metal center in a three-dimensional manner but also tune the electronic properties of the metal center, about 10 years ago, we introduced a side arm strategy for ligand/catalyst design. This Account describes our efforts toward this goal. Based on this side arm strategy, we have developed two series of ligands based on the bisoxazoline framework; namely, trisoxazoline (TOX) ligands and side armed bisoxazoline (SaBOX). The "side arms" are shown to play multiple roles in different cases, for example, as a ligating group, a steric group, or a directing group, which are dependent on the metal and the functionality at the side arm. Metal catalysts based on these ligands have proven to be highly efficient for a number of asymmetric transformations, including Friedel-Crafts reaction, Kinugasa reaction, Nazarov reaction, 1,2-Stevens rearrangement, Cannizzaro reaction, and cyclopropanation. In comparison with the parent BOX ligands, the metal catalysts based on these TOX and SaBOX ligands usually exhibit higher efficiency and diastereo- and enantioselectivity with better impurity tolerance and stability. Moreover, in several TOX-metal complex catalyzed reactions such as Friedel-Crafts reaction and [3 + 2] cycloaddition, stereoselectivity could be switched based on reaction conditions. These ligands were particularly prominent in the remote controls of enantioselection such as the conjugate additions to alkylidene malonates and ring-opening/cyclization cascades of cyclopropanes, for which high stereoselectivity is usually difficult to achieve due to the poor chiral communication. The works by us and other groups have demonstrated that the side arm strategy can be employed as a general principle for ligand and catalyst design and should not be limited to the BOX scaffolds and the reactions described in this Account. Wide application of the new strategy in organometallic homogeneous catalysis can be anticipated.

Organocatalytic access to enantioenriched dihydropyran phosphonates via an inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels-Alder reaction

The enantioselective inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of the remote olefin functionality in dienamines has been developed by the simultaneous activation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and acyl phosphonates. The dual activation is based on an organocatalyst that activates both the α,β-unsaturated aldehyde, through dienamine formation, and the acyl phosphonate by hydrogen-bonding. The enantioselective reaction results in the formation of dihydropyran frameworks with three contiguous stereogenic centers. Different substitution patterns are possible for both the heterodiene and the dienophile, and the target products are obtained in good yields and up to 92% ee. The potential of the reaction is demonstrated by transformation of the products into valuable and complex synthons.

In-house and synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies of 2-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, protonated salts, complexes with gold(III) and copper(II), and an orthometallation product with palladium(II)

Different salts of the 2-phenyl-1,10-phenanthrolin-1-ium cation, (pnpH)(+), are obtained by reacting 2-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (pnp), C18H12N2, (I), with a variety of anions, such as hexafluoridophosphate, C18H13N2(+)·PF6(-), (II), trifluoromethanesulfonate, C18H13N2(+)·CF3SO3(-), (III), tetrachloridoaurate, (C18H13N2)[AuCl4], (IV), and bromide (as the dihydrate), C18H13N2(+)·Br(-)·2H2O, (V). Compound (I) crystallizes with Z' = 2, with both independent molecules adopting a coplanar conformation. In (II)-(IV), a hydrogen bond exists between the cation and anion, while one of the lattice water molecules serves as a hydrogen-bonded bridge between the cation and anion in (V). Reaction of (I) with HAuCl4 gives the salt complex (IV); however, reaction with KAuCl4 produces the monodentate complex trichlorido(2-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κN(10))gold(III), [AuCl3(C18H12N2)], (VI). Dichlorido(2-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κ(2)N,N')copper(II), [CuCl2(C18H12N2)], (VII), results from the reaction of CuCl2·2H2O and (I), in which the Cu(II) center adopts a tetrahedrally distorted square-planar geometry. The pendent phenyl ring twists to a bisecting position relative to the phenanthroline plane. The square-planar Pd(II) complex, bromido[2-(phenanthrolin-2-yl)phenyl-κ(3)C(1),N,N']palladium(II), [PdBr(C18H11N2)], (VIII), is obtained from the reaction of (I) with [PdCl2(cycloocta-1,5-diene)], followed by addition of bromine. A coplanar geometry for the pendent ring is adopted as a result of the tridentate bonding motif.

Neurotrophic natural products: chemistry and biology

Neurodegenerative diseases and spinal cord injury affect approximately 50 million people worldwide, bringing the total healthcare cost to over 600 billion dollars per year. Nervous system growth factors, that is, neurotrophins, are a potential solution to these disorders, since they could promote nerve regeneration. An average of 500 publications per year attests to the significance of neurotrophins in biomedical sciences and underlines their potential for therapeutic applications. Nonetheless, the poor pharmacokinetic profile of neurotrophins severely restricts their clinical use. On the other hand, small molecules that modulate neurotrophic activity offer a promising therapeutic approach against neurological disorders. Nature has provided an impressive array of natural products that have potent neurotrophic activities. This Review highlights the current synthetic strategies toward these compounds and summarizes their ability to induce neuronal growth and rehabilitation. It is anticipated that neurotrophic natural products could be used not only as starting points in drug design but also as tools to study the next frontier in biomedical sciences: the brain activity map project.

Bis(oxazoline)-copper catalyzed enantioselective hydrophosphonylation of aldehydes

A highly enantioselective copper-catalyzed hydrophosphonylation of aldehydes in the presence of bis(oxazoline) ligand is presented.