Catalytic Enantioselective Intermolecular Desymmetrization of 3-Substituted Oxetanes

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.

Mild C-C Bond Formation via Lewis Acid Catalyzed Oxetane Ring Opening with Soft Carbon Nucleophiles

Mild oxetane opening by soft carbon nucleophiles has been developed for efficient C-C bond formation. In the presence of LiNTf₂ or TBSNTf₂ as catalyst, silyl ketene acetals were found to be effective nucleophiles to generate a wide range of highly oxygenated molecules, which are key substructure in natural products like polyketides. Furthermore, intramolecular oxetane opening by a styrene-based carbon nucleophile via a Prins-type process was also achieved with Sc(OTf)₃ as catalyst, leading to efficient formation of the useful 2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]oxepine skeleton.

Hydrogen Bonding Phase-Transfer Catalysis with Ionic Reactants: Enantioselective Synthesis of γ-Fluoroamines

Ammonium salts are used as phase-transfer catalysts for fluorination with alkali metal fluorides. We now demonstrate that these organic salts, specifically azetidinium triflates, are suitable substrates for enantioselective ring opening with CsF and a chiral bis-urea catalyst. This process, which highlights the ability of hydrogen bonding phase-transfer catalysts to couple two ionic reactants, affords enantioenriched γ-fluoroamines in high yields. Mechanistic studies underline the role of the catalyst for phase-transfer, and computed transition state structures account for the enantioconvergence observed for mixtures of achiral azetidinium diastereomers. The N-substituents in the electrophile influence the reactivity, but the configuration at nitrogen is unimportant for the enantioselectivity.

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.

Catalytic Regioselective Isomerization of 2,2-Disubstituted Oxetanes to Homoallylic Alcohols

The selective isomerization of strained heterocyclic compounds is an important tool in organic synthesis. An unprecedented regioselective isomerization of 2,2-disubstituted oxetanes into homoallylic alcohols is described. The use of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (B(C₆ F₅ )₃ )_, a commercially available Lewis acid was key to obtaining good yields and selectivities since other Lewis acids afforded mixtures of isomers and substantial polymerization. The reaction took place under exceptionally mild reaction conditions and very low catalyst loading (0.5 mol %). DFT calculations disclose the mechanistic features of the isomerization and account for the high selectivity displayed by the B(C₆ F₅ )₃ catalyst. The synthetic applicability of the new reaction is demonstrated by the preparation of γ-chiral alcohols using iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation.

Lithium-Catalyzed Thiol Alkylation with Tertiary and Secondary Alcohols: Synthesis of 3-Sulfanyl-Oxetanes as Bioisosteres

3-Sulfanyl-oxetanes are presented as promising novel bioisosteric replacements for thioesters or benzyl sulfides. From oxetan-3-ols, a mild and inexpensive Li catalyst enables chemoselective C-OH activation and thiol alkylation. Oxetane sulfides are formed from various thiols providing novel motifs in new chemical space and specifically as bioisosteres for thioesters due to their similar shape and electronic properties. Under the same conditions, various π-activated secondary and tertiary alcohols are also successful. Derivatization of the oxetane sulfide linker provides further novel oxetane classes and building blocks. Comparisons of key physicochemical properties of the oxetane compounds to selected carbonyl and methylene analogues indicate that these motifs are suitable for incorporation into drug discovery efforts.

Formal asymmetric catalytic thiolation with a bifunctional catalyst at a water-oil interface: synthesis of benzyl thiols

The enantioselective conjugated addition of tritylthiol to in situ generated ortho-quinone methides (o-QMs) is catalyzed by an acid-base bifunctional squaramide organocatalyst. The transformation proceeds with high yield (up to 99 %) and stereoselectivity (up to 97:3 e.r.) using water as solvent under mild conditions. The catalyst system provides a new strategy for the synthesis of optically active benzyl mercaptans. Control experiments suggested that o-QMs are generated by the tertiary amine moiety of the squaramide organocatalyst and that the water-oil biphase is crucial for achieving high reactivity and stereoselectivity.

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.

Phosphoric acid catalyzed desymmetrization of bicyclic bislactones bearing an all-carbon stereogenic center: total syntheses of (-)-rhazinilam and (-)-leucomidine B

In the presence of a catalytic amount of an imidodiphosphoric acid, enantioselective desymmetrization of bicyclic bislactones by reaction with alcohols took place smoothly to afford enantiomerically enriched monoacids having an all-carbon stereogenic center. Concise catalytic enantioselective syntheses of both (-)-rhazinilam and (-)-leucomidine B were subsequently developed using (S)-methyl 4-ethyl-4-formylpimelate monoacid as a common starting material.