The Direct Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Protected Aryl ?-Hydroxy-?-Amino Acids

Asymmetric magnesium catalysis for important chiral scaffold synthesis

Magnesium catalysts are widely used in catalytic asymmetric reactions, and a series of catalytic strategies have been developed in recent years. Herein, in this review, we have tried to summarize asymmetric magnesium catalysis for the synthesis of important chiral scaffolds. Several important optically active motifs that are present in classic chiral ligands or natural products synthesized by Mg(II) catalytic methods are briefly discussed. Moreover, the representative mechanisms for different magnesium catalytic strategies, including in situ generated magnesium catalysts, are also shown in relation to synthetic routes for obtaining these important chiral scaffolds.

Advances of α-activated cyclic isothiocyanate for the enantioselective construction of spirocycles

The efficient and enantioselective synthesis of pharmaceutically important spirocycles has attracted the focus of organic and medicinal chemists. In this context, with the excellent reactivity of α-activated isothiocyanate as formal 1,3-dipoles in the (3 + 2) cyclization process, the cyclic isothiocyanates featuring important pharmacophores, such as oxindole, pyrazolone, and indanone moieties, have emerged as powerful precursors to access a variety of spirocycles with highly structural diversities. In addition, the facile transformations of these spirocycles have shown potential applications in drug design. This review will cover the recent advances of α-activated cyclic isothiocyanates in the enantioselective construction of spirocycles since 2015, and the applications of corresponding products in organic and medicinal chemistry.

Catalytic enantioselective alkylation of 2-alkoxy-tetrahydrofurans

A nickel(ii)-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of non-resonance-stabilized oxocarbenium ions with carboxylic acid derivatives on a large scale has been disclosed.

An Efficient and Practical Procedure for Preparation of Gem-Diacetates from Aldehydes Catalysed by Magnesium Perchlorate

A mild and efficient method for the preparation of gem-diacetates from aldehydes with acetic anhydride is described using a catalytic amount of magnesium perchlorate giving excellent yields under solvent-free conditions.

Catalytic enantioselective oxidative coupling of saturated ethers with carboxylic acid derivatives

Catalytic enantioselective C–C bond forming process through cross-dehydrogenative coupling represents a promising synthetic strategy, but it remains a long-standing challenge in chemistry. Here, we report a formal catalytic enantioselective cross-dehydrogenative coupling of saturated ethers with diverse carboxylic acid derivatives involving an initial oxidative acetal formation, followed by nickel(II)-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation. The one-pot, general, and modular method exhibits wide compatibility of a broad range of saturated ethers not only including prevalent tetrahydrofuran and tetrahydropyran, but also including medium- and large-sized cyclic moieties and acyclic ones with excellent enantioselectivity and functional group tolerance. The application in the rapid preparation of biologically active molecules that are difficult to access with existing methods is also demonstrated.

Cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) is a powerful method for C-C bond formation however the enantioselective variant is underdeveloped. Here, the authors show a formal enantioselective CDC method involving unactivated ethers and carboxylic acid derivatives allowing for the rapid preparation of biologically active molecules.

Enantioselective synthesis of anti-3-alkenyl-2-amido-3-hydroxy esters: application to the total synthesis of (+)-alexine

A straightforward synthesis of anti-3-alkenyl-2-amido-3-hydroxy esters from the corresponding racemic α-amino-β-keto esters by using a ATH/DKR protocol has been developed. This method gives moderate to excellent yields with high chemo-, diastereo- and enantioselectivities for a broad range of substrates. In order to highlight the versatility of the methodology it was applied in an efficient asymmetric synthesis of the polyhydroxylated pyrrolizidine alkaloid (+)-alexine.

A straightforward synthesis of anti-3-alkenyl-2-amido-3-hydroxy esters from the corresponding racemic α-amino-β-keto esters by using a ATH/DKR protocol has been developed.

Access to Anti or Syn 2-Amino-1,3-diol Scaffolds from a Common Decarboxylative Aldol Adduct

A straightforward synthetic pathway allowing the access to anti or syn 2-amino-1,3-diol scaffolds is presented. The strategy relies on a diastereoselective organocatalyzed decarboxylative aldol reaction of a N-Boc-hemimalonate that is easily formed from commercial N-Boc-diethyl malonate. Although this method has been optimized previously with the N-Bz-hemimalonate analogue, this key step was reinvestigated with the N-Boc derivative to improve the required reaction time, the yield, and the diastereoselectivity. The new conditions enhance this transformation, and quantitative yields and anti/syn ratios up to 96:4 can be obtained. The anti aldol product was easily isolated in pure form and then taken forward as the key precursor in the preparation of both a set of ten N-/O-alkylated anti 2-amino-1,3-diol derivatives and the syn congeners.

Catalytic enantioselective aldol reactions

Recent developments in catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions have been summarized.

Catalytic Asymmetric Formal [3+2] Cycloaddition of 2-Isocyanatomalonate Esters and Unsaturated Imines: Synthesis of Highly Substituted Chiral γ-Lactams

Unlike their isocyano and isothiocyanato analogues, isocyanato esters remain almost unexplored as formal 1,3-dipoles in asymmetric catalytic reactions. The first asymmetric formal [3+2] cycloaddition involving isocyanato esters and electrophilic alkenes is reported. Diisopropyl 2-isocyanatomalonate reacts with α,β-unsaturated N-(o-anisidyl) imines in the presence of a Mg(OTf)₂ -BOX complex to give highly substituted chiral pyrrolidinones featuring a conjugate exocyclic double bond with excellent yields and enantiomeric excesses up to 99 %. Several transformations of the resulting heterocycles, including the synthesis of a pyroglutamic acid derivative, have been carried out.

Enantioselective magnesium-catalyzed transformations

This review updates the major progress in the field of enantioselective transformations promoted by chiral magnesium catalysts, covering the literature since 2007, illustrating the power of these green catalysts to promote many types of reactions.

Organocatalytic synthesis of enantioenriched 1,2,4-triazolines containing a chiral quaternary carbon center

A tertiary amine catalyzed asymmetric cyclization of isothiocyanates and azodicarboxylates towards the synthesis of chiral 1,2,4-triazolines has been described.

Organocatalyzed enantioselective Michael addition/cyclization cascade reaction of 3-isothiocyanato oxindoles with arylidene malonates

Both enantiomers of functionalized 3,2′-pyrrolidinyl spirooxindoles were obtainedviaa Michael-cyclization cascade reaction using pseudoenantiomeric cinchona alkaloid derived thiourea based bifunctional catalysts.

Catalytic Asymmetric Direct Aldol Reaction of α-Alkyl Azlactones and Aliphatic Aldehydes

An unprecedented highly diastereoselective and enantioselective aldol reaction of α-alkyl azlactones and aliphatic aldehydes was achieved with cinchona alkaloid catalysts. To our knowledge, this reaction provides the first useful catalytic asymmetric access toward β-hydroxy-α-amino acids bearing alkyl substituents, which are structural motifs embedded in many natural products.

Stereocontrolled synthesis of syn-β-Hydroxy-α-amino acids by direct aldolization of pseudoephenamine glycinamide

β-Hydroxy-α-amino acids figure prominently as chiral building blocks in chemical synthesis and serve as precursors to numerous important medicines. Reported herein is a method for the synthesis of β-hydroxy-α-amino acid derivatives by aldolization of pseudoephenamine glycinamide, which can be prepared from pseudoephenamine in a one-flask protocol. Enolization of (R,R)- or (S,S)-pseudoephenamine glycinamide with lithium hexamethyldisilazide in the presence of LiCl followed by addition of an aldehyde or ketone substrate affords aldol addition products that are stereochemically homologous with L- or D-threonine, respectively. These products, which are typically solids, can be obtained in stereoisomerically pure form in yields of 55-98 %, and are readily transformed into β-hydroxy-α-amino acids by mild hydrolysis or into 2-amino-1,3-diols by reduction with sodium borohydride. This new chemistry greatly facilitates the construction of novel antibiotics of several different classes.

Catalytic asymmetric 1,2-addition of α-isothiocyanato phosphonates: synthesis of chiral β-hydroxy- or β-amino-substituted α-amino phosphonic acid derivatives

α-Amino phosphonic acid derivatives are considered to be the most important structural analogues of α-amino acids and have a very wide range of applications. However, approaches for the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of such useful compounds are very limited. In this work, simple, efficient, and versatile organocatalytic asymmetric 1,2-addition reactions of α-isothiocyanato phosphonate were developed. Through these processes, derivatives of β-hydroxy-α-amino phosphonic acid and α,β-diamino phosphonic acid, as well as highly functionalized phosphonate-substituted spirooxindole, can be efficiently constructed (up to 99 % yield, d.r. >20:1, and >99 % ee). This novel method provides a new route for the enantioselective functionalization of α-phosphonic acid derivatives.

Construction of contiguous tetrasubstituted chiral carbon stereocenters via direct catalytic asymmetric aldol and Mannich-type reactions

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of unnatural amino acids with vicinal tetrasubstituted chiral carbon stereocenters is described. In the first part, direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of simple non-activated ketone electrophiles with α-substituted α-isothiocyanato ester donors was realized. A Mg/Schiff base catalyst promoted the aldol reaction, and α-amino-β-hydroxy esters were obtained in up to 98% ee and 98:2 d.r. In the second part, the Mg/Schiff base catalyst and a Sr/Schiff base catalyst were utilized for stereodivergent direct asymmetric Mannich-type reaction of ketimines. The Mg/Schiff base catalyst gave syn-α,β-diamino esters, while the Sr/Schiff base catalyst produced anti-α,β-diamino esters in good to high enantioselectivity, up to 97% ee.