A one-pot catalysis: the strategic classification with some recent examples

Asymmetric organocatalysis combined with metal catalysis: concept, proof of concept, and beyond

Asymmetric catalysis has been considered to be the most intriguing means for building collections of functionalized optically active compounds. In particular, metal and organocatalysis have been well established to allow many fundamentally different reactions. Metal catalysis has enabled the participation of a much broader scope of chemical bonds in organic transformations than are allowed by organocatalysis, while organocatalysis permits a broader scope of functional groups to undergo a diverse range of enantioselective transformations, individually, simultaneously, or sequentially. Theoretically, the combination of organocatalysts and metal complexes could probably render new transformations through the simultaneous or sequential activation and reorganization of multiple chemical bonds if the superior features of both the catalysts are adopted. In 2001, both our research group and Takemoto's group separately described an asymmetric allylation of glycine imino esters with allyl acetate catalyzed by palladium complexes and chiral ammonium salts. In these cases, the oxidative addition of palladium complexes to allyl acetate formed the π-allylic fragments, while the chiral ammonium salts were actually responsible for controlling the stereoselectivity. These reactions in fact marked the beginning of asymmetric organo/metal combined catalysis. Since then, asymmetric organocatalysis combined with metal catalysis, including cooperative catalysis, relay catalysis, and sequential catalysis, has been a versatile concept for the creation of unknown organic transformations. Sequential catalysis describes a one-pot reaction involving two or more incompatible catalytic cycles. Alternatively, cooperative and relay catalyses require high compatibility of principally distinct catalysts and will be the focus of this Account. The catalysts in cooperative catalytic reactions must be able to simultaneously and individually activate both substrates to drive a bond-forming reaction, while relay catalysis is basically defined as a cascade process in which two or more sequential bond-forming transformations are independently catalyzed by distinct catalysts. In the past decade, we have discovered a variety of binary catalytic systems consisting of metals, including Rh(II), Pd(0), Au(I), and Mg(II), and chiral organocatalysts, including chiral phosphoric acids and quinine-based bifunctional molecules, for cooperative catalysis and relay catalysis, allowing the accomplishment of many unprecedented asymmetric transformations. In this Account, these achievements will be summarized, particularly focusing on the description of the concept and proof of the concept, to demonstrate the robustness of combined organo/metal catalysis in the creation of efficient enantioselective transformations. In addition, elegant studies from other laboratories using chiral phosphoric acid/Au(I) for the establishment of asymmetric cascade reactions involving the carbon-carbon triple bond functionality and typical combined organo/metal catalytic systems, very recently disclosed, will also be highlighted.

Asymmetric formation of bridged benzoxazocines through an organocatalytic multicomponent dienamine-mediated one-pot cascade

An organocatalytic one-pot cascade leading to the stereoselective formation of novel bridged benzoxazocines is presented. The developed methodology is based on the first example of a γ-selective-Mannich-initiated cascade reaction and allows for direct annulation of the bridged benzoxazocines by incorporation of various α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, electron-rich anilines, and electron-deficient salicylaldehydes. The synthetic applicability of the products is demonstrated by relevant transformations.

Enantioselective construction of [6,5,6]-carbocyclic systems by organo/metal-catalyzed sequential reactions

An efficient strategy for the enantioselective construction of [6,5,6]-carbocyclic compounds has been established via one-pot reaction of (E)-4-(2-ethynylphenyl)but-3-en-2-ones with maleimide sequentially catalyzed by cinchona alkaloid-based primary amine and gold complex (Ph3PAuNTf2). This methodology provided a facile approach to access the [6,5,6]-tricyclic skeleton in fairly good yield and with perfect enantioselectivities (98% to >99% ee).

All-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers in acyclic systems through the creation of several C-C bonds per chemical step

In the past few decades, it has become clear that asymmetric catalysis is one of the most powerful methods for the construction of carbon-carbon as well as carbon-heteroatom bonds in a stereoselective manner. However, when structural complexity increases (i.e., all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center), the difficulty in reaching the desired adducts through asymmetric catalytic reactions leads to a single carbon-carbon bond-forming event per chemical step between two components. Issues of efficiency and convergence should therefore be addressed to avoid extraneous chemical steps. In this Perspective, we present approaches that tackle the stimulating problem of efficiency while answering interesting synthetic challenges. Ideally, if one could create all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers via the creation of several new carbon-carbon bonds in an acyclic system and in a single-pot operation from simple precursors, it would certainly open new horizons toward solving the synthetic problems. Even more important for any further design, the presence of polyreactive intermediates in synthesis (bismetalated, carbenoid, and oxenoids species) becomes now an indispensable tool, as it creates consecutively the same number of carbon-carbon bonds as in a multi-step process, but in a single-pot operation.

One-Pot Asymmetric Nitro-Mannich/Hydroamination Cascades for the Synthesis of Pyrrolidine Derivatives: Combining Organocatalysis and Gold Catalysis

The highly enantioselective preparation of trisubstituted pyrrolidine derivatives employing a one-pot nitro-Mannich/hydroamination cascade is reported. This cascade approach utilizes an asymmetric bifunctional organocatalytic nitro-Mannich reaction followed by a gold-catalyzed allene hydroamination reaction. The products are afforded in good yields and excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities.

Hydroxyamination of aryl C-H bonds with N-hydroxycarbamate by synergistic Rh/Cu catalysis at room temperature

A novel hydroamination of aryl C-H bonds has been accomplished using N-Boc-hydroxyamine via synergistic combination of rhodium and copper catalysis. The merger of two robust catalytic systems has allowed for the development of a mild and sustainable protocol for the direct formation of benzo[c]isoxazol-3(1H)-ones.

Enantioselective heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalysis

This highlight describes the state-of-the-art applications of appropriately designed heterogeneous chiral Brønsted acid catalysts and their applications in organic synthesis.

When gold meets chiral Brønsted acid catalysts: extending the boundaries of enantioselective gold catalysis

This review describes the development in the use of Au(i)/Brønsted acid binary catalytic systems to enable an enantioselective transformation in one-pot that cannot be achieved by gold catalysts alone.

One-pot synthesis of polysubstituted 3-acylpyrroles by cooperative catalysis

Polysubstituted 3-acylpyrroles were synthesized from readily available unsaturated ketones and N-substituted propargylated amines via an aza-Michael/alkyne carbocyclization cascade followed by oxidation in one pot.

Highly enantioselective oxidative tandem cyclization reaction: a chiral ligand and an anion cooperatively control stereoselectivity

The unprecedented combination of a palladium(ii) complex with a chiral Bu-QUOX ligand and a chiral phosphoric acid enables the highly efficient asymmetric oxidative tandem cyclization reaction, providing a straightforward method to access chiral 6,5-bicyclic aza-heterocycles in moderate to good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities.

Palladium catalyzed N–H bond insertion and intramolecular cyclization cascade: the divergent synthesis of heterocyclics

A palladium-catalyzed one-pot procedure of N–H insertion and Heck cyclization/base promoted cyclization has been developed.