Chiral Brønsted Acid from Chiral Phosphoric Acid Boron Complex and Water: Asymmetric Reduction of Indoles

Asymmetric 1,4-Reduction of Pyrano[2,3-b]indoles with Hantzsch Ester by Chiral Phosphoric Acid

A highly regioselective and enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of pyrano[2,3-b]indoles with Hantzsch ester has been successfully realized using spiro-chiral phosphoric acid, affording a series of optically active 1,4-reductive adducts, 4,9-dihydropyrano[2,3-b]indoles, in 34-99% yields with 61-99% ee.

Metal-Free, PPA-Mediated Fisher Indole Synthesis via Tandem Hydroamination-Cyclization Reaction between Simple Alkynes and Arylhydrazines

A new variant of Fisher indole synthesis involving Bronsted acid-catalyzed hydrohydrazination of unactivated terminal and internal acetylenes with arylhydrazines is reported. The use of polyphosphoric acid alone either as the reaction medium or in the presence of a co-solvent appears to provide the required balance for activating the C-C triple bond towards the nucleophilic attack of the hydrazine moiety without unrepairable reactivity loss of the latter due to competing amino group protonation. Additionally, the formal hydration of acetylenes to the corresponding ketones occurs under the same conditions, making it an alternative approach for generating carbonyl groups from alkynes.

Catalytic Asymmetric Desymmetrization of Cyclic 1,3-Diketones Using Chiral Boro-phosphates

Herein, we report a chiral boro-phosphate-catalyzed reductive amination for the desymmetrization of 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-cyclopentadiones with pinacolborane as the reducing agent, delivering chiral β-amino ketones with an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter in good yields (≤94%), high enantioselectivities (≤97% ee), and excellent diastereoselectivities (>20:1 dr). This reaction has a broad substrate scope and high functional group tolerance. The importance of the chiral products was also demonstrated through the preparation of multifunctional building blocks and heterocycles.

Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Racemic 2-Substituted Indoles via Dynamic Kinetic Resolution: An Easy Access to Chiral Indolines Bearing Vicinal Stereogenic Centers

The asymmetric hydrogenation (AH) of N-unprotected indoles is a straightforward, yet challenging method to access biologically interesting NH chiral indolines. This method has for years been limited to 2/3-monosubstituted or 2,3-disubstituted indoles, which produce chiral indolines bearing endocyclic chiral centers. Herein, we have reported an innovative Pd-catalyzed AH of racemic α-alkyl or aryl-substituted indole-2-acetates using an acid-assisted dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) process, affording a range of structurally fascinating chiral indolines that contain exocyclic stereocenters with excellent yields, diastereoselectivities, and enantioselectivities. Mechanistic studies support that the DKR process relies on a rapid interconversion of each enantiomer of racemic substrates, leveraged by an acid-promoted isomerization between the aromatic indole and nonaromatic exocyclic enamine intermediate. The reaction can be performed on a gram scale, and the products can be derivatized into non-natural β-amino acids via facile debenzylation and amino alcohol upon reduction.

Chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of 3,3-difluoro-3H-indoles

A convenient and efficient method for the synthesis of optically active difluoro-substituted indoline derivatives starting from the corresponding 3H-indoles by chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation was developed. Using Hantzsch ester as the hydrogen source under mild reaction conditions, the target products can be obtained with excellent yield and enantioselectivity.

Direct Synthesis of Unprotected Indolines Through Intramolecular sp3 C-H Amination Using Nitroarenes as Aryl Nitrene Precursors

Given the prevalence of molecules containing nitro groups in organic synthesis, innovative methods to expand the reactivity of this functional group are of interest in both industrial and academic settings. In this report, a metal-free intramolecular benzylic sp3 C-H amination is disclosed using aryl nitro compounds as aryl nitrene precursors. Organosilicon reagent N,N'-bis(trimethylsilyl)-4,4'-bipyridinylidene (Si-DHBP) served as an efficient reductant in the transformation, enabling the in situ generation of aryl nitrene species for the direct, metal-free synthesis of unprotected 2-arylindolines from the corresponding nitroarene compounds.

Asymmetric Reductive Amination with Pinacolborane Catalyzed by Chiral SPINOL Borophosphates

The catalytic asymmetric reductive amination of ketones with pinacolborane employing chiral SPINOL-derived borophosphates as catalysts has been realized. A series of chiral amine derivatives bearing multiple functional groups were obtained in good to excellent yields and enantioselectivities (up to 97% yield, 98% ee) under mild reaction conditions. Moreover, the synthetic applicability of the established method has been demonstrated by the asymmetric synthesis of (R)-Fendiline.

Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed sp2/sp3 Diborylation of 1-Chloro-1-Trifluoromethylalkenes

Fluorine-containing organoboron compounds have emerged as novel building blocks in chemical synthesis; among them, fluorinated sp2/sp3 diborylated compounds are particularly appealing, since they might undergo chemoselective and diversified transformations of different C-B bonds with fluorinated functionality, thus bringing versatility and complexity to the eventual products. However, expedient, synthetic strategies for the construction of such fluorinated diborylative compounds are very sparse. Herein, we disclose enantioselective Cu-catalyzed sp2/sp3 diborylations of 1-chloro-1-trifluoromethylalkenes, leading to diborylated compounds bearing a gem-difluoroalkenyl moiety; most intriguingly, the new formed C-B bonds include one stereoselective and optically pure Csp3-B bond. Further transformations on the eventual products demonstrated the values of our presented strategy.

Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Unprotected 3-Substituted Indoles

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of unprotected 3-substituted indoles was developed, providing a series of 3-substituted indolines in excellent yields with ≤94.4:5.6 er. The large sterically hindered bisphosphine ligand played a crucial role in the enantioselective control. In addition, the gram-scale hydrogenation experiment and product derivatizations were performed successfully.

Recent Developments in Enantio- and Diastereoselective Hydrogenation of N-Heteroaromatic Compounds

The enantioselective and diastereoselective hydrogenation of N-heteroaromatic compounds is an efficient strategy to access chirally enriched cyclic heterocycles, which often possess highly bio-active properties. This strategy, however, has only been...

Rh-Catalyzed diastereoselective addition of arylboronic acids to α-keto N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines: synthesis of α-amino ketones

Herein we present a diastereoselective addition of arylboronic acids to α-keto N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines catalyzed by a Rh(i) catalyst.

Aerobic Oxidative Cascade Thiolation and Cyclization to Construct Indole-Fused Isoquinolin-6(5H)-one Derivatives in EtOH

A practical method to construct sulfenylated indole-fused isoquinolin-6(5H)-one derivatives has been developed. Using eco-friendly ethanol as the solvent and air as the oxidant, this reaction could be compatible with sensitive molecular framework. The utility of the product was well illustrated by further transformations. Moreover, the reaction mechanism was investigated by control experiments.

Chiral Phosphoric Acids as Versatile Tools for Organocatalytic Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenations

Herein, recent developments in the field of organocatalytic asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of C=N, C=O and C=C double bonds using chiral phosphoric acid catalysis are reviewed. This still rapidly growing area of asymmetric catalysis relies on metal-free catalysts in combination with biomimetic hydrogen sources. Chiral phosphoric acids have proven to be extremely versatile tools in this area, providing highly active and enantioselective alternatives for the asymmetric reduction of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, imines and various heterocycles. Eventually, such transformations are more and more often used in multicomponent/cascade reactions, which undoubtedly shows their great synthetic potential and the bright future of organocatalytic asymmetric transfer hydrogenations.

Tetracoordinate Boron Intermediates Enable Unconventional Transformations

ConspectusOrganoboron compounds are a class of multifunctional reagents for the construction of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds in modern synthetic chemistry. The transformations of organoboron compounds are usually carried out through tetracoordinate boron intermediates and mainly include additions to unsaturated bonds, rearrangement reactions, transmetalation reactions, and so on. Although great progress has been achieved in improving tetracoordinate boron intermediates, there are still shortcomings, such as sparse activation modes, a paucity of reaction strategies and difficulties in stereoselective control. In this Account, we mainly discuss our recent advances in the development of unconventional transformations of organoboron compounds based on the design of tetracoordinate boron intermediates, including the following three topics: (1) the construction of C-B bonds; (2) the construction of C-C bonds; (3) the design and application of chiral tetracoordinate boron.The development of new strategies to build C-B bonds is of great interest for chemists. We have developed tandem reactions involving multiple tetracoordinate boron intermediates for the selective borylations of alkynes and the synthesis of stable tetracoordinate boron, including a domino-borylation-protodeboronation (DBP) strategy for selective borylations of alkynes, highly regio-, stereo-, and chemoselective Cu-catalyzed diborylation of β-CF₃-1,3-enynes and cascade B-Cl/C-B cross-metathesis and C-H bond borylation for the synthesis of tetracoordinate triarylboranes. We have also developed novel strategies involving tetracoordinate boron intermediates to form C-C bonds because the formation of C-C bonds is an enduring theme of organic chemistry. We disclosed long distance or multiple migration reactions and novel coupling partners in transmetalation reactions, such as long distance 1,4-migrations of tetracoordinate nitrile oxide boron and nitrilium boron intermediates, multiple migrations of tetracoordinate isocyanide boron intermediate, palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of thioureas or thioamides, copper-catalyzed atroposelective Michael-type addition, and a palladium-catalyzed atroposelective Catellani reaction. Moreover, in terms of stereoselective control of the tetracoordinate boron intermediate, we found that a chiral tricoordinate boron complex could activate water to form a chiral tetracoordinate boron complex with Brønsted acidity, which has been successfully applied with high enantioselectivity to the asymmetric catalytic reduction of challenging indoles.This Account summarizes our recent efforts using unconventional transformations of organoboron compounds for the design of tetracoordinate boron intermediates, which not only achieved the precise construction of a wide range of diverse C-B bonds and C-C bonds but also developed a novel chiral Brønsted acid for the asymmetric catalytic reduction of challenging indoles.

Catalytic Asymmetric Reduction of α-Trifluoromethylated Imines with Catecholborane by BINOL-Derived Boro-phosphates

A catalytic enantioselective reduction of α-trifluoromethylated imines by a BINOL-derived boro-phosphate employing catecholborane as hydride source has been developed. This method provides an efficient route to prepare synthetically useful chiral α-trifluoromethylated amines in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% yield and 96% ee) under mild conditions.

Zinc salt-catalyzed reduction of α-aryl imino esters, diketones and phenylacetylenes with water as hydrogen source

The zinc salt-catalyzed reduction of α-aryl imino esters, diketones and phenylacetylenes with water as hydrogen source and zinc as reductant was successfully conducted. The presented method provides a low-cost, environmentally friendly and practical preparation of α-aryl amino esters, α-hydroxyketones and phenylethylenes. By using D2O as deuterium source, the corresponding products were obtained in high efficiency with excellent deuterium incorporation rate, which gives a cheap and safe tool for access to valuable deuterium-labelled compounds.

Iridium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Indole and Benzofuran Derivatives

Enantioselective hydrogenation of a broad spectrum of N-, O-, and S-containing aromatic benzoheterocycles or nonaromatic unsaturated heterocycles has been realized by using an Ir/SpinPHOX (SpinPHOX=spiro[4,4]-1,6-nonadiene-based phosphine-oxazoline) complex as the catalyst, affording an array of the corresponding chiral benzoheterocycles (30 examples) with excellent enantioselectivities (>99 % ee in most cases) and turnover numbers up to 500.

Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of N-Unprotected Indoles with Ammonia Borane

A metal-free asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of unprotected indoles was successfully realized using a catalyst derived from HB(C₆F₅)₂ and (S)-tert-butylsulfinamide with ammonia borane as a hydrogen source. A variety of indolines were achieved in 40-78% yields with up to 90% ee.

Catalytic Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of trans-Chalcone Derivatives Using BINOL-derived Boro-phosphates

Chiral phosphoric-acid-catalyzed asymmetric reductions of trans-chalcones have been investigated in this work. A BINOL-derived boro-phosphate-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of the carbon-carbon double bond of trans-chalcone derivatives employing borane as a hydride source was realized. This methodology provides a convenient procedure to access chiral dihydrochalone derivatives in high yields and with high enantioselectivities under mild conditions.

A diversity of recently reported methodology for asymmetric imine reduction

This review describes recent developments in enantioselective imine reduction, including related substrates in which a CN bond is the target for reduction, and in situ methods.

Progresses in organocatalytic asymmetric dearomatization reactions of indole derivatives

This review summarizes the progresses in organocatalytic asymmetric dearomatization reactions of indole derivatives and their applications in total synthesis of natural products, and gives some insights into challenging issues in this research field.