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

Enantioselective formation of cyano-bearing all-carbon quaternary stereocenters: desymmetrization by copper-catalyzed N-arylation

The enantioselective construction of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters is one of the most challenging fields in asymmetric synthesis. An asymmetric desymmetrization strategy offers an indirect and efficient method for the formation of all-carbon stereocenters. An enantioselective formation of cyano-bearing all-carbon quaternary stereocenters in 1,2,3,4,-tetrahydroquinolines and 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[b]azepines by copper-catalyzed desymmetric N-arylation is demonstrated. The cyano group at the prochiral center plays a key role for the high enantioselectivity and works as an important functional group for further transformations. DFT studies provide a model which successfully accounts for the origin of enantioselectivity.

Enantioselective construction of quaternary stereogenic carbon atoms by the Lewis base catalyzed additions of silyl ketene imines to aldehydes

Silyl ketene imines derived from a variety of α-branched nitriles have been developed as highly useful reagents for the construction of quaternary stereogenic centers via the aldol addition reaction. In the presence of SiCl4 and the catalytic action of a chiral phosphoramide, silyl ketene imines undergo extremely rapid and high yielding addition to a wide variety of aromatic aldehydes with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Of particular note are the high yields and selectivities obtained from electron-rich, electron-poor, and hindered aldehydes. Linear aliphatic aldehydes did react with good diastereo- and enantioselectivity in the presence of nBu4N(+)I(-), but branched aldehydes were much less reactive. Semiempirical calculations provided a rationalization of the observed diastereo- and enantioselectivity via open transitions states.

Enantioselective construction of remote quaternary stereocentres

Small molecules that contain all-carbon quaternary stereocentres-carbon atoms bonded to four distinct carbon substituents-are found in many secondary metabolites and some pharmaceutical agents. The construction of such compounds in an enantioselective fashion remains a long-standing challenge to synthetic organic chemists. In particular, methods for synthesizing quaternary stereocentres that are remote from other functional groups are underdeveloped. Here we report a catalytic and enantioselective intermolecular Heck-type reaction of trisubstituted-alkenyl alcohols with aryl boronic acids. This method provides direct access to quaternary all-carbon-substituted β-, γ-, δ-, ε- or ζ-aryl carbonyl compounds, because the unsaturation of the alkene is relayed to the alcohol, resulting in the formation of a carbonyl group. The scope of the process also includes incorporation of pre-existing stereocentres along the alkyl chain, which links the alkene and the alcohol, in which the stereocentre is preserved. The method described allows access to diverse molecular building blocks containing an enantiomerically enriched quaternary centre.

Construction of quaternary stereogenic carbon centers through copper-catalyzed enantioselective allylic cross-coupling with alkylboranes

A combination of an in situ generated chiral Cu(I) /DTBM-MeO-BIPHEP catalyst system and EtOK enabled the enantioselective SN 2'-type allylic cross-coupling between alkylborane reagents and γ,γ-disubstituted primary allyl chlorides with enantiocontrol at a useful level. The reaction generates a stereogenic quaternary carbon center having three sp(3) -alkyl groups and a vinyl group. This protocol allowed the use of terminal alkenes as nucleophile precursors, thus representing a formal reductive allylic cross-coupling of terminal alkenes. A reaction pathway involving addition/elimination of a neutral alkylcopper(I) species with the allyl chloride substrate is proposed.

Organometallic intermediate-based organic synthesis: organo-di-lithio reagents and beyond

Metal-mediated organic reactions have become one of the great frontiers of organic synthesis.

Stereodefined acyclic trisubstituted metal enolates towards the asymmetric formation of quaternary carbon stereocentres

Formation of highly diastereo- and enantiomerically enriched quaternary stereocentres from stereodefined acyclic trisubstituted metal enolates.