Multicomponent Reactions for the Synthesis of Complex Piperidine Scaffolds

Intermolecular [3+3] ring expansion of aziridines to dehydropiperi-dines through the intermediacy of aziridinium ylides

The importance of N-heterocycles in drugs has stimulated diverse methods for their efficient syntheses. Methods that introduce significant stereochemical complexity are attractive for identifying new bioactive amine chemical space. Here, we report a [3 + 3] ring expansion of bicyclic aziridines and rhodium-bound vinyl carbenes to form complex dehydropiperidines in a highly stereocontrolled rearrangement. Mechanistic studies and DFT computations indicate that the reaction proceeds through formation of a vinyl aziridinium ylide; this reactive intermediate undergoes a pseudo-[1,4]-sigmatropic rearrangement to directly furnish heterocyclic products with net retention at the new C-C bond. In combination with asymmetric silver-catalyzed aziridination, enantioenriched scaffolds with up to three contiguous stereocenters are rapidly delivered. The mild reaction conditions, functional group tolerance, and high stereospecificity of this method are well-suited for appending piperidine motifs to natural product and complex molecules. Ultimately, our work establishes the value of underutilized aziridinium ylides as key intermediates for converting small, strained rings to larger N-heterocycles.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Polysubstituted Piperidines through Visible-Light-Driven Silylative Cyclization of Aza-1,6-Dienes: Experimental and DFT Studies

A visible-light-driven radical silylative cyclization of aza-1,6-dienes featuring an acrylonitrile or acrylate moiety and an electron-neutral olefin was developed, which allows for stereoselective synthesis of densely functionalized piperidines in a highly atom-economical manner. Depending on the substitution pattern of the electron-neutral olefin, poor-to-excellent diastereoselectivity was observed. It was suggested that the 6-exo-trig cyclization was initiated by a chemoselective addition of silyl radical toward electron-deficient olefin and the geometry of the remaining olefin is closely associated with the cis-stereoselectivity. DFT calculations supported that a transition state with a cyano group locating at the axial position of the forming piperidine ring might be involved, in which either the increase of 1,3-diaxial repulsion or the lack of hydrogen bonding interaction will diminish diastereoselectivity.

Fully diastereoselective synthesis of polysubstituted, functionalized piperidines and decahydroquinolines based on multicomponent reactions catalyzed by cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate

The cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN)-catalyzed, three-component reaction between primary amines, β-dicarbonyl compounds, and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes in ethanol heated to reflux, constitutes a general, one-pot synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines. Their reduction with sodium triacetoxyborohydride furnished piperidine derivatives bearing up to five substituents with full diastereoselectivity in a hitherto inaccessible stereochemical arrangement. The reaction proceeded with no significant loss of enantiomeric purity under mild reduction conditions that are compatible with several functional groups that are normally sensitive to reduction. Octahydroquinolin-5-one derivatives, which were prepared by a modified version of the initial multicomponent reaction, were not suitable substrates for the sodium triacetoxyborohydride mediated reduction, but they were transformed into the corresponding decahydroquinolines, including a precursor of the amphibian alkaloid pumiliotoxin C, by catalytic hydrogenation under a variety of conditions.

Schiff bases: a short survey on an evergreen chemistry tool

The review reports a short biography of the Italian naturalized chemist Hugo Schiff and an outline on the synthesis and use of his most popular discovery: the imines, very well known and popular as Schiff Bases. Recent developments on their “metallo-imines” variants have been described. The applications of Schiff bases in organic synthesis as partner in Staudinger and hetero Diels-Alder reactions, as “privileged” ligands in the organometallic complexes and as biological active Schiff intermediates/targets have been reported as well.

Synthesis of polysubstituted 2-piperidinones via a Michael addition/nitro-Mannich/lactamization cascade

An efficient and practical method has been developed for the diversity-oriented synthesis of polysubstituted 2-piperidinones via four-component reaction between substituted nitrostyrenes, aromatic aldehydes, ammonium acetate, and dialkyl malonates for the generation of a wide range of structurally interesting and pharmacologically significant compounds. It is worth mentioning that in the course of this reaction, the formation of products was highly stereoselective. Two differently stereochemical classes of polysubstituted 2-piperidinones depended on the substitutent position of aromatic aldehyde.