Recent Advances in Enantioselective Desymmetrizations of Prochiral Oxetanes

Strain relief of oxetanes offers a plethora of opportunities for the synthesis of chiral alcohols and ethers. In this context, enantioselective desymmetrization has been identified as a powerful tool to construct molecular complexity and this has led to the development of elegant strategies on the basis of transition metal, Lewis acid, and Brønsted acid catalysis. This review highlights recent examples that harness the inherent reactivity of prochiral oxetanes and offers an outlook on the immense possibilities for synthetic application.

Unusual Skeletal Reorganization of Oxetanes for the Synthesis of 1,2-Dihydroquinolines

Skeletal reorganization is a type of fascinating transformations owing to their intriguing mechanisms and utility in complex molecule synthesis. However, only a limited amount of examples are known for most functional groups. Herein, we describe such an unusual process of oxetanes. In the presence of In(OTf)₃ as catalyst, oxetane-tethered anilines reacted unexpectedly to form 1,2-dihydroquinolines. This process not only provides expedient access to dihydroquinolines, but also represents a new reaction of oxetane. Mechanistically, it is believed that the reaction proceeds through initial nitrogen attack rather than arene attack followed by a series of bond cleavage and formation events. Control experiments provided important insights into the mechanism.

NHC-Catalyzed Chemoselective Reactions of Enals and Aminobenzaldehydes for Access to Chiral Dihydroquinolines

An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed reaction between α-bromoenals and 2-aminoaldehydes has been developed. Key steps include chemoselective reaction of the NHC catalyst with one of the aldehyde substrates (the bromoenal) to eventually generate an α,β-unsaturated acylazolium intermediate. Addition of the nitrogen atom of aminoaldehyde to the unsaturated azolium ester intermediate followed by intramolecular aldol reaction, β-lactone formation, and decarboxylation leads to chiral dihydroquinolines with high optical purity. The dihydroquinoline products, which are quickly prepared by using this method, can be readily transformed into a diverse set of functional molecules such as pyridines and chiral piperidines.

Sodium salts of anionic chiral cobalt(III) complexes as catalysts of the enantioselective Povarov reaction

The sodium salts of anionic chiral cobalt(III) complexes (CCC(-) Na(+) ) have been found to be efficient catalysts of the asymmetric Povarov reaction of easily accessible dienophiles, such as 2,3-dihydrofuran, ethyl vinyl ether, and an N-protected 2,3-dihydropyrrole, with 2-azadienes. Ring-fused tetrahydroquinolines with up to three contiguous stereogenic centers were thus obtained in high yields, excellent diastereoselectivities (endo/exo up to >20:1), and high enantioselectivities (up to 95:5 e.r.).

Modular, flexible, and stereoselective synthesis of pyrroloquinolines: rapid assembly of complex heterocyclic scaffolds

A novel 1,2-dinucleophile engages two imines in a sequential vinylogous Mannich-Mannich-Pictet-Spengler process to generate complex hexahydropyrrolo[3,2-c]quinolines in a one-pot operation. This methodology provides a rapid, highly modular, and flexible access toward a wide range of products and forms four new σ-bonds and chiral centers each. The diastereoselectivity may be inverted by fine-tuning of reaction conditions and the electronic nature of the imines.

Synthesis of di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted oxetanes by rhodium-catalyzed O-H insertion and C-C bond-forming cyclization

Oxetanes offer exciting potential as structural motifs and intermediates in drug discovery and materials science. Here an efficient strategy for the synthesis of oxetane rings incorporating pendant functional groups is described. A wide variety of oxetane 2,2-dicarboxylates were accessed in high yields, including functionalized 3-/4-aryl- and alkyl-substituted oxetanes and fused oxetane bicycles. Enantioenriched alcohols provided enantioenriched oxetanes with complete retention of configuration. The oxetane products were further derivatized, while the ring was maintained intact, thus highlighting their potential as building blocks for medicinal chemistry.

The asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reaction in the syntheses of biologically relevant compounds

The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction is one of the most powerful transformations in the chemistry toolbox for the synthesis of aza- and oxa-heterocycles embodying multiple stereogenic centers. However, as compared to other cycloadditions, in particular the dipolar cycloadditions and the Diels-Alder reaction, the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction has been much less explored and exploited in organic synthesis. Nevertheless, this powerful transformation has opened up efficient and creative routes to biologically relevant small molecules and different natural products which contain six-membered oxygen or nitrogen ring systems. Recent developments in this field, in particular in the establishment of enantioselectively catalyzed hetero-Diels-Alder cycloadditions steered by a plethora of different catalysts and the application of the resulting small molecules in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry research, are highlighted in this Minireview.

Enantioselective sulfonation of enones with sulfonyl imines by cooperative N-heterocyclic-carbene/thiourea/tertiary-amine multicatalysis

Many hands make light work: In an organocatalytic asymmetric sulfonation of enones, the activation of a sulfonyl imine by an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst led to the release of a sulfinic anion, which underwent nucleophilic addition to the enone. The enantioselectivity of the process was controlled by a chiral thiourea/amine co-catalyst through anion recognition and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Tol=p-tolyl.