Catalytic Asymmetric Hydroalkoxylation and Formal Hydration and Hydroaminoxylation of Conjugated Dienes

The straightforward construction of stereogenic centers bearing unprotected functional groups, as in nature, has been a persistent pursuit in synthetic chemistry. Abundant applications of free enantioenriched allyl alcohol and allyl hydroxylamine motifs have made the asymmetric hydration and hydroaminoxylation of conjugated dienes from water and hydroxylamine, respectively, intriguing and efficient routes that have, however, been unachievable thus far. A fundamental challenge is the failure to realize transition-metal-catalyzed enantioselective C-O bond constructions via hydrofunctionalization of conjugated dienes. Here, we perform a comprehensive study toward the stereoselective formal hydration and hydroaminoxylation of conjugated dienes by synthesizing a set of new P,N-ligands and identifying an aryl-derived oxime as a surrogate for both water and hydroxylamine. Asymmetric hydroalkoxylation with new P,N-ligands is also elucidated. Furthermore, versatile derivatizations following hydration provide indirect but concise routes to formal hydrophenoxylation, hydrofluoroalkoxylation, and hydrocarboxylation of conjugated dienes that have been unreported thus far. Finally, a ligand-to-ligand hydrogen transfer process is proposed based on the results of preliminary mechanistic experiments.

How to make C–N bonds using boronic acids and their derivatives without transition metals

No need for transition-metal catalysis in amination, amidation, nitration or nitrosation reactions with boron derivatives as reagents.

Molecular mechanism of azoxy bond formation for azoxymycins biosynthesis

Azoxy bond is an important chemical bond and plays a crucial role in high energy density materials. However, the biosynthetic mechanism of azoxy bond remains enigmatic. Here we report that the azoxy bond biosynthesis of azoxymycins is an enzymatic and non-enzymatic coupling cascade reaction. In the first step, nonheme diiron N-oxygenase AzoC catalyzes the oxidization of amine to its nitroso analogue. Redox coenzyme pairs then facilitate the mutual conversion between nitroso group and hydroxylamine via the radical transient intermediates, which efficiently dimerize to azoxy bond. The deficiency of nucleophilic reactivity in AzoC is proposed to account for the enzyme's non-canonical oxidization of amine to nitroso product. Free nitrogen radicals induced by coenzyme pairs are proposed to be responsible for the efficient non-enzymatic azoxy bond formation. This mechanism study will provide molecular basis for the biosynthesis of azoxy high energy density materials and other valuable azoxy chemicals.

Divergent Reactivity of gem-Difluoro-enolates toward Nitrogen Electrophiles: Unorthodox Nitroso Aldol Reaction for Rapid Synthesis of α-Ketoamides

An amination reaction of in situ generated gem-difluoro-enolates has been explored with electrophilic nitrogen sources. While their exposure to azodicarboxylates smoothly produced fluorinated α-amino ketones, reaction with nitrosoarenes (nitroso aldol reaction) furnished α-ketoamides in very high yields (up to 94%). The reaction is very fast (typically completed within 5 min) and scalable and tolerates various sensitive functional groups. Synthetic utility of this process was highlighted through the production of diverse nitrogen heterocycles and an orexin receptor antagonist.

Stereospecific Allylic Functionalization: The Reactions of Allylboronate Complexes with Electrophiles

Allylboronic esters react readily with carbonyls and imines (π-electrophiles), but are unreactive toward a range of other electrophiles. By addition of an aryllithium, the corresponding allylboronate complexes display enhanced nucleophilicity, enabling addition to a range of electrophiles (tropylium, benzodithiolylium, activated pyridines, Eschenmoser's salt, Togni's reagent, Selectfluor, diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (DIAD), MeSX) in high regio- and stereocontrol. This protocol provides access to key new functionalities, including quaternary stereogenic centers bearing moieties such as fluorine and the trifluoromethyl group. The allylboronate complexes were determined to be 7 to 10 orders of magnitude more reactive than the parent boronic ester.

N-Trifluoromethylation of Nitrosoarenes with Sodium Triflinate

A highly efficient N-trifluoromethylation of nitrosoarenes is reported. The inexpensive and convenient Langlois reagent (sodium triflinate) is employed as a CF₃-radical source in combination with a copper catalyst and an oxidant. N-Trifluoromethylated hydroxylamines are obtained in high yields within 1 h at room temperature. The addition of hydroquinone was found to be instrumental to prevent the formation of side products. The method is high-yielding, is scalable, and displays a high functional group tolerance.

Synthesis of 5,5′-azoxybistetrazole via nitration and de-oxygen rearrangement of triazene

An unusual transformation of tetrazole triazene into 5,5′-azoxybistetrazole by a sequential treatment with fuming nitric acid and acetyl anhydride.

Isoxazolidine: A Privileged Scaffold for Organic and Medicinal Chemistry

The isoxazolidine ring represents one of the privileged structures in medicinal chemistry, and there have been an increasing number of studies on isoxazolidine and isoxazolidine-containing compounds. Optimization of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (1,3-DC), original methods including electrophilic or palladium-mediated cyclization of unsaturated hydroxylamine, has been developed to obtain isoxazolidines. Novel reactions involving the isoxazolidine ring have been highlighted to accomplish total synthesis or to obtain bioactive compounds, one of the most significant examples being probably the thermic ring contraction applied to the total synthesis of (±)-Gelsemoxonine. The unique isoxazolidine scaffold also exhibits an impressive potential as a mimic of nucleosides, carbohydrates, PNA, amino acids, and steroid analogs. This review aims to be a comprehensive and general summary of the different isoxazolidine syntheses, their use as starting building blocks for the preparation of natural compounds, and their main biological activities.

Nitro-redox reactions at a frustrated borane/phosphane Lewis pair

The unsaturated 1,4-P/B-FLPs reduced nitrobenzene to nitrosobenzene which was directly trapped by an allylboration reaction to give the seven-membered B-O-P compounds and . The FLP reacted analogously with trans-β-nitrostyrene. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction.

Full chirality transfer in the synthesis of hindered tertiary boronic esters under in situ lithiation-borylation conditions

Hindered tertiary neopentyl glycol boronic esters can be prepared by using in situ lithiation-borylation of enantiopure secondary benzylic carbamates at -20 °C with full chirality transfer.

Synthesis and Utility of Dihydropyridine Boronic Esters

When activated by an acylating agent, pyridine boronic esters react with organometallic reagents to form a dihydropyridine boronic ester. This intermediate allows access to a number of valuable substituted pyridine, dihydropyridine, and piperidine products.