Regio- and enantioselective hydroamination of dienes by gold(I)/menthol cooperative catalysis

Ligand effects, solvent cooperation, and large kinetic solvent deuterium isotope effects in gold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular alkene hydroamination

Kinetic studies on the intramolecular hydroamination of protected variants of 2,2-diphenylpent-4-en-1-amine were carried out under a variety of conditions with cationic gold catalysts supported by phosphine ligands. The impact of ligand on gold, protecting group on nitrogen, and solvent and additive on reaction rates was determined. The most effective reactions utilized more Lewis basic ureas, and more electron-withdrawing phosphines. A DCM/alcohol cooperative effect was quantified, and a continuum of isotope effects was measured with low KIE's in the absence of deuterated alcoholic solvent, increasing to large solvent KIE's when comparing reactions in pure MeOH to those in pure MeOH-d4. The effects are interpreted both within the context of a classic gold π-activation/protodeauration mechanism and a general acid-catalyzed mechanism without intermediate gold alkyls.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective 1,4-Oxyamination of Conjugated gem-Difluorodienes via Coupling with Carboxylic Acids and Dioxazolones

The incorporation of fluorine atoms in organics improves their bioactivity and lipophilicity. Catalytic functionalization of gem-difluorodienes represents one of the most straightforward approaches to access fluorinated alkenes. In contrast to the regular 1,3-dienes that undergo diverse asymmetric di/hydrofunctionalizations, the regio- and enantioselective oxyamination of gem-difluorodienes remains untouched. Herein, we report asymmetric 1,4-oxyamination of gem-difluorodiene by chiral rhodium-catalyzed three-component coupling with readily available carboxylic acid and dioxazolone, affording gem-difluorinated 1,4-amino alcohol derivatives. Our asymmetric protocol exhibits high 1,4-regio- and enantioselectivity with utility in the late-stage modification of pharmaceuticals and natural products. Stoichiometric experiments provide evidences for the π-allylrhodium pathway. Related oxyamination was also realized when trifluoroethanol was used as an oxygen nucleophile.

Iron-catalyzed hydroarylation of 1,3-dienes with indoles

An efficient iron-catalyzed hydroarylation of 1,3-dienes with indoles has been developed for the first time.

Gold(i) complexes bearing a PNP-type pincer ligand: photophysical properties and catalytic investigations

The synthesis and characterization of two dinuclear and five tetranuclear gold(i) complexes bearing the 2,6-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)pyridine diphosphane ligand (DPPMPY) are herein reported.

Cycloisomerization of π-Coupled Heteroatom Nucleophiles by Gold Catalysis: En Route to Regiochemically Defined Heterocycles

Since the dawn of millennium, catalytic gold chemistry is at the forefront to set off diverse organic reactions via unique activation of π-bonded molecules. Within this purview, cycloisomerization of heteroatom nucleophiles linked to a π-system is one of the well recognized chemistry for the construction of numerous heterocyclic cores. Though the rudimentary aspects of this transformation are reviewed by several groups in different timeline, a holistic view on regiochemistry of such reactions went largely overlooked. Hence, this account emphasizes the gold catalyzed regioselective cycloisomerization of structurally distinctive π-connected hetero-nucleophiles leading to different heterocycles documented in the last two decades. From an application perspective, this account also highlights those methodologies which find a role in the total synthesis of natural products. Wherever appropriate, mechanistic details and contributing factors for selectivity are also discussed.

Palladium-Catalyzed Ring-Closing Reaction for the Synthesis of Saturated N-Heterocycles with Aminodienes and N,O-Acetals

An efficient palladium-catalyzed ring-closing reaction of aminodienes with N,O-acetals for the synthesis of saturated N-heterocycles is described. The reaction is consistently operated at room temperature and tolerates a wide range of functional groups with volatile MeOH as the sole byproduct. This method provides rapid and practical access to a broad range of saturated N-heterocycles with diverse structural backbones that are useful building blocks in natural product synthesis and drug discovery.

Palladium/Xu-Phos-catalyzed asymmetric carboamination towards isoxazolidines and pyrrolidines

An efficient palladium-catalyzed enantioselective carboamination reaction of N-Boc-O-homoallyl-hydroxylamines and N-Boc-pent-4-enylamines with aryl or alkenyl bromides was developed, delivering various substituted isoxazolidines and pyrrolidines in good yields with up to 97% ee. The reaction features mild conditions, general substrate scope and scalability. The obtained products can be transformed into chiral 1,3-aminoalcohol derivatives without erosion of chirality. The newly identified Xu-Phos ligand bearing an ortho-OiPr group is responsible for the good yield and high enantioselectivity.

Dinuclear gold catalysis

This review summarizes the recent achievements of dinuclear gold-catalyzed redox coupling, asymmetric catalysis and photocatalysis. The dinuclear gold catalysts show a better catalytic performance than the mononuclear gold catalysts in certain cases.

Copper and palladium co-catalyzed highly regio-selective 1,2-hydroarylation of terminal 1,3-dienes

A practical copper and palladium co-catalyzed highly regio-selective hydroarylation of terminal 1,3-dienes has been developed. This chemistry afforded the terminal alkenyl group containing products, which are a kind of versatile precursor for organic synthesis, from 1,3-dienes by a practical one-step reaction. With good functional group tolerance, this protocol could be used to make a series of bio-active compounds using readily accessible starting materials. The mechanism of this reaction was explored by control experiments and kinetics studies.

Enantioselective gold(i)-catalyzed cyclization/intermolecular nucleophilic additions of 1,5-enyne derivatives

An enantioselective Au(i)-catalyzed cyclization/nucleophilic addition process is developed, starting from 1,5-enyne substrates. A broad scope of O-, N- and C-nucleophiles was introduced in order to provide the corresponding chiral cyclopentene derivatives in moderate to high yields and up to 96 : 4 enantiomeric ratio.

Asymmetric synthesis of allylic compounds via hydrofunctionalisation and difunctionalisation of dienes, allenes, and alkynes

This review article provides an overview of progress in asymmetric synthesis of allylic compounds via hydrofunctionalisation and difunctionalisation of dienes, allenes, and alkynes.

Experimental results and computational insight into sequential reactions of β-(2-aminophenyl)-α,β-ynones with aryl isocyanates/benzoyl isothiocyanate

The selective formation of quinazoline vs. benzoxazine  and benzothiazine derivatives from β-(2-aminophenyl)-α,β-ynones and aryl isocyanates/benzoyl isothiocyanate was explored. DFT calculations provide a plausible rationale.

Gold(I)-Mediated Cycloisomerization/Cycloaddition Enables Bioinspired Syntheses of Neonectrolides B-E and Analogues

Development of a synthetic route to the oxaphenalenone (OP) natural products neonectrolides B-E is described. The synthesis relies on gold-catalyzed 6-endo-dig hydroarylation of an unusual enynol substrate as well as a one-pot Rieche formylation/cyclization/deprotection sequence to efficiently construct the tricyclic oxaphenalenone framework in the form of a masked ortho-quinone methide (o-QM). A tandem cycloisomerization/[4 + 2] cycloaddition strategy was employed to quickly construct molecules resembling the neonectrolides. The tricyclic OP natural product SF226 could be converted to corymbiferan lactone E and a related masked o-QM. Our study culminates with the application of the tandem reaction sequence to syntheses of neonectrolides B-E as well as previously unreported exo-diastereomers.

Stereoconvergent, Redox-Neutral Access to Tetrahydroquinoxalines through Relay Epoxide Opening/Amination of Alcohols

We present an economical catalytic procedure to convert readily available 1,2-diaminobenzenes and terminal epoxides into valuable 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxalines in a highly enantioselective fashion. This procedure operates through relay zinc and iridium catalysis, and achieves redox-neutral and stereoconvergent production of valuable chiral heterocycles from racemic starting materials with water as the only side product. The use of commercially available reagents and catalysts and a convenient procedure also make this catalytic method attractive for practical application.

Rare-Earth-Metal-Catalyzed Kinetic Resolution of Chiral Aminoalkenes via Hydroamination: The Effect of the Silyl Substituent of the Binaphtholate Ligand on Resolution Efficiency

The kinetic resolution of α-substituted aminopentenes via intramolecular hydroamination was investigated using various 3,3'-silyl-substituted binaphtholate yttrium catalysts. High efficiencies in the kinetic resolution were observed for methyl-, benzyl-, and phenyl-substituted substrates utilizing the cyclohexyldiphenylsilyl-substituted catalyst 2c with resolution factors reaching as high as 90(5) for hex-5-en-2-amine (3a). Kinetic analysis of the enantioenriched substrates with the matching and mismatching catalyst revealed that the efficiency of catalyst 2c benefits significantly from a favorable Curtin-Hammett pre-equilibrium and by a large kfast/kslow ratio. Other binaphtholate catalysts were less efficient due to a less favorable Curtin-Hammett pre-equilibrium, which often favored the mismatching substrate-catalyst combination. Cyclization of the matched substrate proceeds generally with large trans-selectivity, whereas the trans/cis-ratio for mismatched substrates is significantly diminished, favoring the cis-cyclization product isomer in some instances.

Chiral Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Asymmetric Hydroamination of Racemic Allenes and Asymmetric Hydroamination of Dienes

The first highly efficient and practical chiral Brønsted acid catalyzed dynamic kinetic asymmetric hydroamination (DyKAH) of racemic allenes and asymmetric hydroamination of unactivated dienes with both high E/Z selectivity and enantioselectivity are described herein. The transformation proceeds through a new catalytic asymmetric model involving a highly reactive π-allylic carbocationic intermediate, generated from racemic allenes or dienes through a proton transfer mediated by an activating/directing thiourea group. This method affords expedient access to structurally diverse enantioenriched, potentially bioactive alkenyl-containing aza-heterocycles and bicyclic aza-heterocycles.

Synthesis of Imidazolidin-2-ones and Imidazol-2-ones via Base-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroamidation of Propargylic Ureas under Ambient Conditions

The first organo-catalyzed synthesis of imidazolidin-2-ones and imidazol-2-ones via intramolecular hydroamidation of propargylic ureas is reported. The phosphazene base BEMP turned out to be the most active organo-catalyst compared with guanidine and amidine bases. Excellent chemo- and regioselectivities to five-membered cyclic ureas have been achieved under ambient conditions, with a wide substrate scope and exceptionally short reaction times (down to 1 min). A base-mediated isomerization step to an allenamide intermediate is the most feasible reaction pathway to give imidazol-2-ones, as suggested by DFT studies.

Metal-catalyzed regiodivergent organic reactions

This review discusses metal-catalysed regiodivergent additions, allylic substitutions, CH-activation, cross-couplings and intra- or intermolecular cyclisations.

Recent advances in enantioselective gold catalysis

Interest in homogeneous gold catalysis has undergone a marked increase. As strong yet air- and moisture-tolerant π-acids, cationic gold(i) complexes have been shown to catalyze diverse transformations of alkenes, alkynes and allenes, opening new opportunities for chemical synthesis. The development of efficient asymmetric variants is required in order to take full advantage of the preparative potential of these transformations. During the last few years, the chemical community has achieved tremendous success in the area. This review highlights the updated progress (2011-2015) in enantioselective gold catalysis. The discussion is classified according to the π-bonds activated by gold(i), in an order of alkynes, allenes and alkenes. Other gold activation modes, such as σ-Lewis acid catalyzed reactions and transformations of diazo compounds are also discussed.

Gold(I)/Gold(III)-Catalyzed Selective Synthesis of N-Sulfonyl Enaminone Isomers from Sulfonamides and Ynones via Two Distinct Reaction Pathways

Au-catalyzed chemoselective methods for synthesizing N-sulfonyl enaminones are developed. Two different isomers are obtained in a chemocontrolled manner by employing the different properties of Au(I) and Au(III) catalysts. Hydroamidation and proton-assisted carbonyl activation followed by Meyer-Schuster rearrangement are proposed as the working mechanisms for the reactions. A wide range of substrates afforded moderate to excellent yields and selectivities. These reactions represent the first examples of transition-metal-catalyzed enamine synthesis from sulfonamides and alkynes.

Enantioselective Intermolecular Addition of Aliphatic Amines to Acyclic Dienes with a Pd-PHOX Catalyst

We report a method for the catalytic, enantioselective intermolecular addition of aliphatic amines to acyclic 1,3-dienes. In most cases, reactions proceed efficiently at or below room temperature in the presence of 5 mol % of a Pd catalyst bearing a PHOX ligand, generating allylic amines in up to 97:3 er. The presence of an electron-deficient phosphine within the ligand not only leads to a more active catalyst but also is critical for achieving high site selectivity in the transformation.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Hydrofunctionalization: Enantioselective Coupling of Indolines and 1,3-Dienes

We communicate a strategy for the hydrofunctionalization of 1,3-dienes via Rh-hydride catalysis. Conjugated dienes are coupled to nucleophiles to demonstrate the feasibility of novel C-C, C-O, C-S, and C-N bond forming processes. In the presence of a chiral JoSPOphos ligand, hydroamination generates chiral allylic amines with high regio- and enantioselectivity. Tuning both the pKa and steric properties of an acid-additive is critical for enantiocontrol.

Metal triflate promoted synthesis of naphthalenes

A synthetic route to derive the skeleton of naphthalenes starting with isovanillin is described with modest total yields via the key transformation of metal triflate-mediated intramolecular benzannulation of o-formyl or o-benzoyl allylbenzenes in MeNO₂ at rt.

Alkylation of Sulfonamides with Trichloroacetimidates under Thermal Conditions

An intermolecular alkylation of sulfonamides with trichloroacetimidates is reported. This transformation does not require an exogenous acid, base, or transition metal catalyst; instead the addition occurs in refluxing toluene without additives. The sulfonamide alkylation partner appears to be only limited by sterics, with unsubstituted sulfonamides providing better yields than more encumbered N-alkyl sulfonamides. The trichloroacetimidate alkylating agent must be a stable cation precursor for the substitution reaction to proceed under these conditions.

Bismuth(iii) triflate-catalysed tandem cyclisations towards complex polycyclic ethers

A series of complex polycyclic ethers have been synthesised under very mild conditions using a low catalyst loading of bismuth(iii) triflate.