Neue Entwicklungen bei asymmetrischen Phasentransferreaktionen

Isothiourea-Catalyzed Enantioselective Functionalisation of Glycine Schiff Base Aryl Esters via 1,6- and 1,4-Additions

The enantioselective α-functionalisation of glycine Schiff base aryl esters through isothiourea catalysis is successfully demonstrated for 1,6-additions to para-quinone methides (21 examples, up to 95:5 dr and 96:4 er) and 1,4-additions to methylene substituted dicarbonyl or disulfonyl Michael acceptors (17 examples, up to 98:2 er). This nucleophilic organocatalysis approach gives access to a range of α-functionalised α-amino acid derivatives and further transformations of the activated aryl ester group provide a straightforward entry to advanced amino acid-based esters, amides or thioesters.

Recent Asymmetric Phase-Transfer Catalysis with Chiral Binaphthyl-Modified and Related Phase-Transfer Catalysts over the Last 10 Years

In this personal account, we describe our recent advances in the three types of phase-transfer catalysis for various transformations including asymmetric induction: Firstly, asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis with Maruoka-type C₂ -symmetric chiral biaryl-modified tetraalkylammonium salts and phosphonium salts; Secondly, asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis under base-free and neutral conditions; Thirdly, hydrogen-bonding catalysis using tetraalkylammonium and trialkylsulfonium salts. These three different strategies are illustrated by using various phase-transfer catalyzed transformations.

α-Amination of Carbonyl Compounds by Using Hypervalent Iodine-Based Aminating Reagents Containing a Transferable (Diarylmethylene)amino Group

Hypervalent iodine-based aminating reagents containing a transferable (diarylmethylene)amino group can be used for the α-amination of simple carbonyl compounds such as esters, amides, and ketones in the presence of a lithium base. The (diarylmethylene)amino groups of the products can be readily modified, thus providing access to primary amines and diarylmethylamines. The developed method features transition-metal-free conditions and a simple one-pot procedure without the need to prepare enolate equivalents separately, thus offering a general and practical approach to the synthesis of a wide variety of α-amino carbonyl compounds. Experimental mechanistic investigations indicate that this amination proceeds through a unique radical coupling of an α-carbonyl radical with an iminyl radical; they are generated through a single-electron transfer between a lithium enolate and the hypervalent iodine reagent.

Propeller, Linear, Cruciform and Stellate Spiro-bicarbazolium Salts

A general synthetic approach to halogenated tetraaryl-ammonium salts has been developed and illustrated crystallographically. Bromide ammonium salts used as common synthetic intermediates together with Suzuki coupling of these bromides to a family of boronic acids provided a simplified strategy for arylation. Resolution of the C₂ subset of spiro-bicarbazolium derivatives led to the first examples of enantiopure spiro-bicarbazoliums and the assignment of their absolute configuration by comparison of computational and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. An ECD comparison with Prelog's spirobifluorenes is provided. The absolute configuration of the meta-bromide spiro-bicarbazolium salt was confirmed by anomalous scattering. Cruciform and stellate tetra-substituted salts provide a test of the limits of the methodology, and their structures suggest them to be candidates for MOF building blocks.

Asymmetric Organocatalysis Under Mechanochemical Conditions

Asymmetric organocatalysis is a robust methodology providing access to numerous valuable compounds while having green chemistry principles in mind. The realization of organocatalytic transformation under solvent-free mechanochemical conditions brings additional benefits in terms of yields, selectivities, and, last but not least overall improved sustainability. This overview describes developments in the use of mechanochemistry as a vehicle for asymmetric organocatalytic transformations. The material is organized according to main catalytic activation modes, starting with covalent activation and proceeding to non-covalent activation modes. The advantages of mechanochemical organocatalytic reactions are particularly highlighted, but in some cases also, limitations are mentioned. Possibilities for target compound synthesis are also discussed.

Stereodivergent Construction of Csp3 -Csp3 Bonds Bearing Vicinal Stereocenters by Synergistic Palladium and Phase-Transfer Catalysis

Synergistic catalysis has emerged as one of the most powerful tools for stereodivergent formation of Csp³ -Csp³ bonds bearing vicinal stereocenters. Despite the many successes that have been achieved in this field, stereodivergent Csp³ -Csp³ coupling reactions involving stabilized nucleophiles remain challenging because of the competing single-catalysis pathway. Herein, we report a synergistic palladium/phase-transfer catalyst system that enables diastereodivergent Csp³ -Csp³ coupling reactions of 1,3-dienes with stabilized nucleophile oxindoles. Both the syn and anti coupling products, bearing quaternary and tertiary vicinal stereocenters, could be selectively produced in good yields with high enantio- and diastereoselectivities. Non-covalent activation of the stabilized nucleophile via chiral ion pair in a biphasic system is a crucial success factor in achieving diastereodivergence.

Exploiting Configurational Lability in Aza-Sulfur Compounds for the Organocatalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Sulfonimidamides

Methods for establishing the absolute configuration of sulfur‐stereogenic aza‐sulfur derivatives are scarce, often relying on cumbersome protocols and a limited pool of enantioenriched starting materials. We have addressed this by exploiting, for the first time, a feature of sulfonimidamides in which it is possible for tautomeric structures to also be enantiomeric. Such sulfonimidamides can readily generate prochiral ions, which we have exploited in an enantioselective alkylation process. Selectivity is achieved using a readily prepared bis‐quaternized phase‐transfer catalyst. The overall process establishes the capability of configurationally labile aza‐sulfur species to be used in asymmetric catalysis.

Study of Ground State Interactions of Enantiopure Chiral Quaternary Ammonium Salts and Amides, Nitroalkanes, Nitroalkenes, Esters, Heterocycles, Ketones and Fluoroamides

Chiral phase-transfer catalysis provides high level of enantiocontrol, however no experimental data showed the interaction of catalysts and substrates. 1 H NMR titration was carried out on Cinchona and Maruoka ammonium bromides vs. nitro, carbonyl, heterocycles, and N-F containing compounds. It was found that neutral organic species and quaternary ammonium salts interacted via an ensemble of catalyst + N-C-H and (sp2 )C-H, specific for each substrate studied. The correspondent BArF salts interacted with carbonyls via a diverse set of + N-C-H and (sp2 )C-H compared to bromides. This data suggests that BArF ammonium salts may display a different enantioselectivity profile. Although not providing quantitative data for the affinity constants, the data reported proofs that chiral ammonium salts coordinate with substrates, prior to transition state, through specific C-H positions in their structures, providing a new rational to rationalize the origin of enantioselectivity in their catalyses.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Acyclic Orthogonally Functionalized Compounds Bearing a Quaternary Stereocenter Using Chiral Ammonium Salt Catalysis

We herein report an asymmetric protocol to access a series of orthogonally functionalized acyclic chiral target molecules containing a quaternary stereogenic center by carrying out the enantioselective α-alkylation of novel orthogonally functionalized dioxolane-containing cyanoacetates under chiral ammonium salt catalysis. By using just 1 mol % of Maruoka's spirocyclic ammonium salt catalysts enantioselectivities up to e.r.=97.5 : 2.5 could be achieved and further functional group manipulations of the products were carried out as well.

A Unified Catalytic Asymmetric (4+1) and (5+1) Annulation Strategy to Access Chiral Spirooxindole-Fused Oxacycles

A unified catalytic asymmetric (N+1) (N=4, 5) annulation reaction of oxindoles with bifunctional peroxides has been achieved in the presence of a chiral phase-transfer catalyst (PTC). This general strategy utilizes peroxides as unique bielectrophilic four- or five-atom synthons to participate in the C-C and the subsequent umpolung C-O bond-forming reactions with one-carbon unit nucleophiles, thus providing a distinct method to access the valuable chiral spirooxindole-tetrahydrofurans and -tetrahydropyrans with good yields and high enantioselectivities under mild conditions. DFT calculations were performed to rationalize the origin of high enantioselectivity. The gram-scale syntheses and synthetic utility of the resultant products were also demonstrated.

Green Chemistry Meets Asymmetric Organocatalysis: A Critical Overview on Catalysts Synthesis

Can green chemistry be the right reading key to let organocatalyst design take a step forward towards sustainable catalysis? What if the intriguing chemistry promoted by more engineered organocatalysts was carried on by using renewable and naturally occurring molecular scaffolds, or at least synthetic catalysts more respectful towards the principles of green chemistry? Within the frame of these questions, this Review will tackle the most commonly occurring organic chiral catalysts from the perspective of their synthesis rather than their employment in chemical methodologies or processes. A classification of the catalyst scaffolds based on their E factor will be provided, and the global E factor (EG factor) will be proposed as a new green chemistry metric to consider, also, the synthetic route to the catalyst within a given organocatalytic process.

Molybdenum/Tungsten-Based Heteropoly Salts in Oxidations

Oxidation represents one of the most important and practical chemical transformations for both organic synthesis, material science and pharmaceutical area. Among the existing strategies, molybdenum/tungsten-based heteropoly salts involved oxidations with low-cost and environmentally benign terminal oxidant and thus have attracted considerable attention in recent years. In this review, we have summarized the recent development of heteropoly salts utilized in oxidations, mainly the peroxomolybdates and peroxotungstates. We wish to highlight the progress made in the past 20 years of this field. Three categories are classified according to the aggregation state of metal oxides. Special attention is paid to the catalytically active peroxometalate species generated during the oxidation process. It is helpful to shed light on the common features that enable highly efficient and selective oxidations. We aim to inspire fellow chemists to explore more functional metalates for catalytic oxidations, especially asymmetric versions. Meanwhile, we attempt to understand the design principles for the discovery of more efficient, selective and economical catalytic systems.

Enantioconvergent Substitution Reactions of Racemic Electrophiles by Organocatalysis

Over the past decades, the development of enantioselective catalysis using organocatalysts has evolved into an active research field and a number of enantioselective transformations have been established. However, despite their being a highly desirable process for the synthesis of organic molecules in an enantioenriched form, the enantioconvergent substitution reactions of racemic electrophiles using organocatalysts still present several challenges. Although intrinsic difficulties in the catalytic stereocontrol abound due to the initial chiral information of racemic electrophiles, in recent years, mechanistically diverse enantioconvergent processes have been intensively investigated in organocatalysis. This Minireview focuses on recent achievements in the development of enantioconvergent substitution reactions of racemic electrophiles using organocatalysts. The contents are classified on the basis of the mechanistic types of enantioconvergent processes.

Accelerating Biphasic Biocatalysis through New Process Windows

Process intensification through continuous flow reactions has increased the production rates of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Catalytic reactions are accelerated through an unconventional and unprecedented use of a high-performance liquid/liquid counter current chromatography system. Product generation is significantly faster than in traditional batch reactors or in segmented flow systems, which is exemplified through stereoselective phase-transfer catalyzed reactions. This methodology also enables the intensification of biocatalysis as demonstrated in high yield esterifications and in the sesquiterpene cyclase-catalyzed synthesis of sesquiterpenes from farnesyl diphosphate as high-value natural products with applications in medicine, agriculture and the fragrance industry. Product release in sesquiterpene synthases is rate limiting due to the hydrophobic nature of sesquiterpenes, but a biphasic system exposed to centrifugal forces allows for highly efficient reactions.

Chiral Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Propargylic Substitution Reaction of Racemic Secondary Propargylic Alcohols with Thiols

Despite the significant progress of the enantioselective reaction using chiral catalysts, the enantioselective nucleophilic substitution reaction at the chiral sp³ -hybridized carbon atom of a racemic electrophile has not been largely explored. Herein, we report the enantioconvergent propargylic substitution reaction of racemic propargylic alcohols with thiols using chiral bis-phosphoric acid as the chiral Brønsted acid catalyst. The substitution products were formed in high yields with high enantioselectivities in most cases. The cation-stabilizing effect of the sulfur functional group introduced at the alkynyl terminus is the key to achieving the efficient enantioconvergent process, in which chiral information originating from not only the racemic stereogenic center but also the formed contact ion pair is completely eliminated from the present system.

Ammonium Salt-Catalyzed Ring-Opening of Aryl-Aziridines with β-Keto Esters

We herein report an ammonium salt-catalyzed protocol for the regioselective ring opening of aryl-aziridines with β-keto esters. The reaction gives access to a variety of highly functionalized target molecules with two consecutive stereo-genic centers and can be rendered enantioselective (up to e.r. = 91:9) by using bifunctional chiral ammonium salt catalysts.

Green Asymmetric Organocatalysis

Asymmetric organocatalysis is becoming one of the main tools for the synthesis of chiral compounds that are needed as medicines, crop protection agents, and other bioactive molecules. It can be effectively combined with various green chemistry methodologies. Intensification techniques, such as ball milling, flow, high pressure, or light, bring not only higher yields, faster reactions, and easier product isolation, but also new reactivities. More sustainable reaction media, such as ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, green solvent alternatives, and water, also considerably enhance the sustainability profile of many organocatalytic reactions.

Pd-Catalyzed Allylation of Imines to Access α-CF3-Substituted α-Amino Acid Derivatives

We herein report a high yielding protocol for the direct α-allylation of easily accessible trifluoropyruvate-derived imines using Pd-catalysis. The reaction gives access to a variety of different α-allylated-α-CF3-amino acids in a straightforward manner, starting from commercially available trifluoropyruvate. We also provide a proof-of-concept for an enantioselective protocol (up to er = 75:25) by using chiral phosphane ligands.