Dynamic kinetic resolution of alpha,beta-unsaturated lactones through asymmetric copper-catalyzed conjugate reduction: application to the total synthesis of eupomatilone-3

Synthesis of the Tetracyclic Framework of Polycyclic Spiro Lignan Natural Products

Polycyclic spiro lignans are a new family of lignan natural products recently isolated from Gymnotheca involucrata. The first synthesis of two model substrates of this rare family of natural products was achieved in six steps. An efficient strategy that features Suzuki coupling and Friedel-Crafts acylation was employed to construct the ABC tricyclic fluorene framework. Subsequently, Grignard reaction followed by acid-mediated cyclization furnished the spiro cyclic ether ring D.

Synthesis of γ-Lactones via the Kowalski Homologation Reaction: Protecting-Group-Free Divergent Total Syntheses of Eupomatilones-2,5,6, and 3-epi-Eupomatilone-6

A highly efficient synthesis of functionalized chiral γ-butyrolactone scaffolds has been described. The basis of the approach is the Kowalski ester homologation that is modified for our proposed transformation. The newly developed methodology combines a divergent synthetic strategy to permit a straightforward protecting-group-free asymmetric total syntheses of eupomatilones-2,5,6, and 3-epi-eupomatilone-6 in five or six steps from commercial starting materials, making it one of the shortest syntheses reported to date.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Gonytolide A: Strategic Use of an Aryl Halide Blocking Group for Oxidative Coupling

The first synthesis of the chromanone lactone dimer gonytolide A has been achieved employing vanadium(V)-mediated oxidative coupling of the monomer gonytolide C. An o-bromine blocking group strategy was employed to favor para- para coupling and to enable kinetic resolution of (±)-gonytolide C. Asymmetric conjugate reduction enabled practical kinetic resolution of a chiral, racemic precursor and the asymmetric synthesis of (+)-gonytolide A and its atropisomer.

Atropoenantioselective Redox-Neutral Amination of Biaryl Compounds through Borrowing Hydrogen and Dynamic Kinetic Resolution

We report herein a novel atropoenantioselective redox-neutral amination of biaryl compounds triggered by a cascade of borrowing hydrogen and dynamic kinetic resolution under the cooperative catalysis of a chiral iridium complex and an achiral Brønsted acid. This protocol features broad substrate scope and good functional-group tolerance, and allows the rapid assembly of axially chiral biaryl compounds in good to high yields and with high to excellent enantioselectivity.

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Butenolides and Butyrolactones

γ-Butenolides, γ-butyrolactones, and derivatives, especially in enantiomerically pure form, constitute the structural core of numerous natural products which display an impressive range of biological activities which are important for the development of novel physiological and therapeutic agents. Furthermore, optically active γ-butenolides and γ-butyrolactones serve also as a prominent class of chiral building blocks for the synthesis of diverse biological active compounds and complex molecules. Taking into account the varying biological activity profiles and wide-ranging structural diversity of the optically active γ-butenolide or γ-butyrolactone structure, the development of asymmetric synthetic strategies for assembling such challenging scaffolds has attracted major attention from synthetic chemists in the past decade. This review offers an overview of the different enantioselective synthesis of γ-butenolides and γ-butyrolactones which employ catalytic amounts of metal complexes or organocatalysts, with emphasis focused on the mechanistic issues that account for the observed stereocontrol of the representative reactions, as well as practical applications and synthetic potentials.

Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Allylic Azides via Asymmetric Dihydroxylation

The catalytic enantioselective preparation of densely functionalized amines is a fundamental synthetic challenge. To address this challenge, we report for the first time that the Winstein rearrangement can be enlisted as the racemization pathway in a dynamic kinetic resolution of allylic azides. Alkene functionalization by Sharpless dihydroxylation affords tertiary azides in excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99:1 er). This approach establishes the chirality of the tertiary azide, obviates the need to directly forge either a congested C-N or C-C bond at the new nitrogenous stereocenter, and establishes additional functionality. Several examples demonstrate further elaboration of this functionality.

Advances in Stereoconvergent Catalysis from 2005 to 2015: Transition-Metal-Mediated Stereoablative Reactions, Dynamic Kinetic Resolutions, and Dynamic Kinetic Asymmetric Transformations

Stereoconvergent catalysis is an important subset of asymmetric synthesis that encompasses stereoablative transformations, dynamic kinetic resolutions, and dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformations. Initially, only enzymes were known to catalyze dynamic kinetic processes, but recently various synthetic catalysts have been developed. This Review summarizes major advances in nonenzymatic, transition-metal-promoted dynamic asymmetric transformations reported between 2005 and 2015.

A highly enantioselective access to chiral chromanones and thiochromanones via copper-catalyzed asymmetric conjugated reduction of chromones and thiochromones

The chromanone scaffold is a privileged structure in heterocyclic chemistry and drug discovery.

N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Pyranones

The dynamic kinetic resolution of 6-hydroxypyranones with enals or alkynals through an asymmetric redox esterification is catalyzed by a chiral N-heterocyclic carbene. The resulting esters are obtained in good to high yields and with high levels of enantio- and diastereocontrol. The reaction products are further derivatized to obtain functionalized sugar derivatives and natural products.

Identification of a new lactone contributing to overripe orange aroma in Bordeaux dessert wines via perceptual interaction phenomena

Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of a typical sensory concept for Bordeaux dessert wines, including the world famous wines of Sauternes. Volatile compounds from several chemical families (thiols, aldehydes, and lactones) were identified and correlated with aromatic typicality in these wines. However, these studies were unable to indicate "key" aromas of overripe fruits, especially overripe orange. The alternative strategy developed in this research combined both analytical and sensory studies of fractions of dessert wine extracts obtained by semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Multidimensional gas chromatography coupled to olfactometry and mass spectrometry (MDGC-O/MS) was applied to some of the HPLC fractions recalling "overripe fruit", and a new lactone, 2-nonen-4-olide, was identified. Reconstitution and omission tests using the HPLC fractions highlighted the importance of specific compounds, particularly 2-nonen-4-olide, in the expression of overripe orange notes. Although this lactone presents minty and fruity odors, its key contribution to the typical aroma of orange in Bordeaux dessert wines was revealed through perceptual blending.

NHC-Cu(I) catalysed asymmetric conjugate silyl transfer to unsaturated lactones: application in kinetic resolution

The scope of the asymmetric silyl transfer to unsaturated lactones utilising a C2-symmetric NHC-Cu(I) catalyst has been established and kinetic resolutions mediated by silyl transfer have been used to prepare enantiomerically enriched anti-4,5-disubstituted 5-membered lactones. The method has been exploited in an expedient synthesis of (+)-blastmycinone.

Volatile composition of oyster leaf (Mertensia maritima (L.) Gray)

Oyster leaf (Mertensia maritima), also called vegetarian oyster, has a surprising oyster-like aroma. Its volatile composition was investigated here for the first time. In total, 109 compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and quantified by GC-FID. The use of GC-olfactometry on both polar and nonpolar columns allowed the detection of the molecules having an oyster-like, marine odor. Four compounds were identified and confirmed by synthesis: (Z)-3-nonenal, (Z)-1,5-octadien-3-ol, (Z,Z)-3,6-nonadienal, and (Z)-1,5-octadien-3-one. After evaluation of freshly prepared reference samples, these compounds were confirmed to be reminiscent of the oyster-like marine notes perceived in the tasting of cut leaves.

Catalytic dynamic kinetic resolutions with N-heterocyclic carbenes: asymmetric synthesis of highly substituted β-lactones

New DKR type: An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic α-substituted β-keto esters has been developed. This method relies on the epimerization of an NHC-enol intermediate before subsequent aldol/acylation events. Highly substituted β-lactones are produced in good yield with good to excellent selectivities (see scheme).

Enantio- and diastereoselective intermolecular Stetter reaction of glyoxamide and alkylidene ketoamides

A triazolinylidene carbene catalyzed intermolecular Stetter reaction of glyoxamide and alkylidene ketoamides has been developed. 1,4-Dicarbonyl products are afforded in good to excellent yields, enantioselectivities, and diastereoselectivities. Further derivatization of the products affords useful intermediates for organic synthesis.

Palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions employing dialkylbiaryl phosphine ligands

The cores of many types of polymers, ligands, natural products, and pharmaceuticals contain biaryl or substituted aromatic structures, and efficient methods of synthesizing these structures are crucial to the work of a broad spectrum of organic chemists. Recently, Pd-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming processes, particularly the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction (SMC), have risen in popularity for this purpose. The SMC has many advantages over other methods for constructing these moieties, including mild conditions, high tolerance toward functional groups, the commercial availability and stability of its reagents, and the ease of handling and separating byproducts from its reaction mixtures. Until 1998, most catalysts for the SMC employed triarylphosphine ligands. More recently, new bulky and electron-rich phosphine ligands, which can dramatically improve the efficiency and selectivity of such cross-coupling reactions, have been introduced. In the course of our studies on carbon-nitrogen bond-forming reactions, we found that the use of electron-rich and bulky phosphines enhanced the rate of both the oxidative addition and reductive elimination processes; this was the beginning of our development of a new family of ligands, the dialkylbiarylphosphines L1-L12. These ligands can be used for a wide variety of palladium-catalyzed carbon-carbon, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-oxygen bond-forming processes as well as serving as supporting ligands for a number of other reactions. The enhanced reactivity of these catalysts has expanded the scope of cross-coupling partners that can be employed in the SMC. With use of such dialkylbiarylphosphine ligands, the coupling of unactivated aryl chlorides, aryl tosylates, heteroaryl systems, and very hindered substrate combinations have become routine. The utility of these ligands has been successfully demonstrated in a wide number of synthetic applications, including industrially relevant processes. In this Account, we provide an overview of the use and impact of dialkylbiarylphosphine ligands in the SMC. We discuss our studies on the mechanistic framework of the reaction, which have allowed us to rationally modify the ligand structures in order to tune their properties. We also describe selected applications in the synthesis of natural products and new materials to illustrate the utility of these dialkylbiarylphosphine ligands in various "real-world" synthetic applications.

Copper, silver, and gold complexes in hydrosilylation reactions

The reduction of diverse functional groups is an essential protocol in organic chemistry. Transition-metal catalysis has been successfully applied to the reduction of olefins, alkynes, and many carbonyl compounds via hydrogenation or hydrosilylation; the latter presenting several advantages over hydrogenation. Notably, hydrosilylation generally occurs under mild reaction conditions, and consequently over-reduced products are rarely detected. Moreover, the great majority of hydrosilanes employed in this reaction are easily handled, inexpensive, or both. A large number of multiple bonds can be involved in this context, and the hydrosilylation reaction can be regarded as a useful method for the synthesis of silicon-containing organic molecules or a convenient way of reducing organic compounds. Furthermore, the silyl group can also be retained as a protecting group, a strategy that can be of great usefulness in organic synthesis. Since the first Wilkinson's catalyst-mediated hydrosilylation of ketones in 1972, metals such as rhodium and iridium have attracted most of the attention in this area. A wide array of catalytic systems for hydrosilylation reactions is nowadays available, which has allowed for a great expansion of the synthetic scope of this transformation. After having been overlooked in the early years, group 11 metals (Cu, Ag, and Au), especially copper, have emerged as appealing alternatives for hydrosilylation. The use of a stabilized form of copper hydride, the hexameric [(Ph3P)CuH]6, by Stryker represented a breakthrough in copper-catalyzed reduction reactions. Nowadays, several copper-based catalytic systems compare well with a variety of reported rhodium-based catalysts, which generally suffer from the high cost of the catalyst. Tertiary phosphine ligands are the most widely used in these transformations. However, other families such as N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have shown promising activities. Compared with copper, little attention has been paid to silver- or gold-based catalysts. Silver salts have been considered inert towards hydrosilylation, and they are often employed as innocent anion exchange reagents for the in situ generation of cationic transition metal catalysts. Despite the rare reports available, they have already shown interesting reactivity profiles, for example, in the chemoselective reduction of aldehydes in the presence of ketones. Furthermore, 1,2-hydride delivery is favored over 1,4-reductions for alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, in contrast with most copper-based systems.