Recent Developments in Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation with Hantzsch Esters: A Biomimetic Approach

One-pot transfer hydrogenation and reductive amination of polyenals

The efficient preparation of long-chain amines via a one-step transfer-hydrogenation/reductive-amination reaction (THRA) of polyenals has been achieved. This strategy, which combines transfer hydrogenation and reductive amination, significantly enhances the synthetic efficiency of amino compounds. Additionally, this protocol offers a practical method for carbon-chain elongation/amination to construct long-chain amino compounds. The reaction system exhibits remarkable versatility in substrate scope using a non-noble ruthenium catalyst with formate and isopropanol as hydrogen sources, making it an appealing method for drug synthesis and molecular modification.

A divergent intermediate strategy yields biologically diverse pseudo-natural products

The efficient exploration of biologically relevant chemical space is essential for the discovery of bioactive compounds. A molecular design principle that possesses both biological relevance and structural diversity may more efficiently lead to compound collections that are enriched in diverse bioactivities. Here the diverse pseudo-natural product (PNP) strategy, which combines the biological relevance of the PNP concept with synthetic diversification strategies from diversity-oriented synthesis, is reported. A diverse PNP collection was synthesized from a common divergent intermediate through developed indole dearomatization methodologies to afford three-dimensional molecular frameworks that could be further diversified via intramolecular coupling and/or carbon monoxide insertion. In total, 154 PNPs were synthesized representing eight different classes. Cheminformatic analyses showed that the PNPs are structurally diverse between classes. Biological investigations revealed the extent of diverse bioactivity enrichment of the collection in which four inhibitors of Hedgehog signalling, DNA synthesis, de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis and tubulin polymerization were identified from four different PNP classes.

1,4-Dihydropyridine Anions as Potent Single-Electron Photoreductants

We report the use of simple 1,4-dihydropyridine anions as a general platform for promoting single-electron photoreductions. In the presence of a mild base, 1,4-dihydropyridines were shown to effectively promote the hydrodechlorination and borylation of aryl chlorides and the photodetosylation of N-tosyl aromatic amines under visible light irradiation. Our studies also demonstrate that the C4 substituent can influence the reactivity of these anions, reducing unwanted side reactions like hydrogen atom transfer and back-electron transfer.

Organocatalytic Reductive Amination of the Chiral Formylcyclopropanes: Scope and Applications

We developed a sustainable three-component reductive amination protocol for the chemoselective coupling of optically active functionally rich donor-acceptor carbonyl-cyclopropanes with various amines under 10 mol % of diphenyl phosphate in the presence of Hantzsch ester as a hydride source. The catalytic selective reductive C-N coupling has wide advantages like no epimerization, no ring opening, large substrate scope, generating only mono N-alkylation products and simultaneously resulting in chiral cyclopropane-containing amines possessing many applications in the medicinal chemistry. In this article, we have shown the synthetic applications of reductive C-N coupling reaction to make chiral α-carbonyl-cyclopropane containing amines 8, double C-N coupled cyclopropane-amines 10, unusual C-N/C-C coupled cyclopropane-amines 12, chiral tert-butylsulfinamide containing cyclopropanes 14/15, and functionally rich chiral cyclopropane-fused N-heterocycles 16/18/19. Many of these chiral cyclopropane-amines 5-19 can serve as building blocks for the synthesis of drug-like small molecules, natural products, pharmaceuticals, and their analogues.

Chiral Frustrated Lewis Pair@Metal-Organic Framework as a New Platform for Heterogeneous Asymmetric Hydrogenation

Asymmetric hydrogenation, a seminal strategy for the synthesis of chiral molecules, remains largely unmet in terms of activation by non-metal sites of heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, as demonstrated by combined computational and experimental studies, we present a general strategy for integrating rationally designed molecular chiral frustrated Lewis pair (CFLP) with porous metal-organic framework (MOF) to construct the catalyst CFLP@MOF that can efficiently promote the asymmetric hydrogenation in a heterogeneous manner, which for the first time extends the concept of chiral frustrated Lewis pair from homogeneous system to heterogeneous catalysis. Significantly, the developed CFLP@MOF, inherits the merits of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, with high activity/enantio-selectivity and excellent recyclability/regenerability. Our work not only advances CFLP@MOF as a new platform for heterogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation, but also opens a new avenue for the design and preparation of advanced catalysts for asymmetric catalysis.

Exploiting photoredox catalysis for carbohydrate modification through C–H and C–C bond activation

Photoredox catalysis has recently emerged as a powerful synthetic platform for accessing complex chemical structures through non-traditional bond disconnection strategies that proceed through free-radical intermediates. Such synthetic strategies have been used for a range of organic transformations; however, in carbohydrate chemistry they have primarily been applied to the generation of oxocarbenium ion intermediates in the ubiquitous glycosylation reaction. In this Review, we present more intricate light-induced synthetic strategies to modify native carbohydrates through homolytic C-H and C-C bond cleavage. These strategies allow access to glycans and glycoconjugates with profoundly altered carbohydrate skeletons, which are challenging to obtain through conventional synthetic means. Carbohydrate derivatives with such structural motifs represent a broad class of natural products integral to numerous biochemical processes and can be found in active pharmaceutical substances. Here we present progress made in C-H and C-C bond activation of carbohydrates through photoredox catalysis, focusing on the operational mechanisms and the scope of the described methodologies.

Organocatalytic discrimination of non-directing aryl and heteroaryl groups: enantioselective synthesis of bioactive indole-containing triarylmethanes

Despite the enormous developments in asymmetric catalysis, the basis for asymmetric induction is largely limited to the spatial interaction between the substrate and catalyst. Consequently, asymmetric discrimination between two sterically similar groups remains a challenge. This is particularly formidable for enantiodifferentiation between two aryl groups without a directing group or electronic manipulation. Here we address this challenge by using a robust organocatalytic system leading to excellent enantioselection between aryl and heteroaryl groups. With versatile 2-indole imine methide as the platform, an excellent combination of a superb chiral phosphoric acid and the optimal hydride source provided efficient access to a range of highly enantioenriched indole-containing triarylmethanes. Control experiments and kinetic studies provided important insights into the mechanism. DFT calculations also indicated that while hydrogen bonding is important for activation, the key interaction for discrimination of the two aryl groups is mainly π-π stacking. Preliminary biological studies also demonstrated the great potential of these triarylmethanes for anticancer and antiviral drug development.

Thermodynamics regulated organic hydride/acid pairs as novel organic hydrogen reductants

Organic hydride/acid pairs could realize transformation of N-substituted organic hydrides from hydride reductants to thermodynamics regulated hydrogen reductants on conveniently choosing suitable organic hydrides and acids with various acidities.

A Strong Hydride Donating, Acid Stable and Reusable 1,4-Dihydropyridine for Selective Aldimine and Aldehyde Reductions

A 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative, lacking carbonyl groups and containing bulky aryl substituents, was synthesized and found to have a high hydride donating ability, acid resistance and reusability. Thermodynamic parameters for electron...

Transfer hydrogenation of pyridinium and quinolinium species using ethanol as a hydrogen source to access saturated N-heterocycles

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation (TH) for the reduction of heterocycles is an emerging strategy for accessing biologically active saturated N-heterocycles. Herein, we report a TH protocol that utilizes ethanol as a...

Autocatalytic aerobic ipso-hydroxylation of arylboronic acid with Hantzsch ester and Hantzsch pyridine

ipso-Hydroxylation of arylboronic acids with Hantzsch ester has been developed. The by-product Hantzsch pyridine was found to promote the reaction in the presence of oxygen under ambient conditions.

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.

Substituted Dihydropyridine Synthesis by Dearomatization of Pyridines

Dearomatization is an effective method to transform readily available N-heterocycles into partially saturated motifs. Manipulation of dihydro-derivatives holds great potential and provides access to a variety of semi-saturated N-heterocyclic building blocks. However, current strategies are limited in scope and the use of sensitive reagents restricts the applicability in synthetic laboratories. Herein, we report the synthesis of a broad variety of N-substituted 1,4- and 1,2-dihydropyridines by very mild and selective reduction with amine borane for the first time.

Rhodium-terpyridine Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation of Aromatic Nitro Compounds in Water

A rhodium terpyridine complex catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes to anilines with i-PrOH as hydrogen source and water as solvent has been developed. The catalytic system can work at a substrate/catalyst (S/C) ratio of 2000, with a turnover frequency (TOF) up to 3360 h^-1 , which represents one of the most active catalytic transfer hydrogenation systems for nitroarene reduction. The catalytic system is operationally simple and the protocol could be scaled up to 20 gram scale. The water-soluble catalyst bearing a carboxyl group could be recycled 15 times without significant loss of activity.

A Bioinspired Disulfide/Dithiol Redox Switch in a Rhenium Complex as Proton, H Atom, and Hydride Transfer Reagent

The transfer of multiple electrons and protons is of crucial importance in many reactions relevant in biology and chemistry. Natural redox-active cofactors are capable of storing and releasing electrons and protons under relatively mild conditions and thus serve as blueprints for synthetic proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reagents. Inspired by the prominence of the 2e^-/2H⁺ disulfide/dithiol couple in biology, we investigate herein the diverse PCET reactivity of a Re complex equipped with a bipyridine ligand featuring a unique SH···^-S moiety in the backbone. The disulfide bond in fac-[Re(^S-Sbpy)(CO)₃Cl] (1, ^S-Sbpy = [1,2]dithiino[4,3-b:5,6-b']dipyridine) undergoes two successive reductions at equal potentials of -1.16 V vs Fc^+|0 at room temperature forming [Re(^S2bpy)(CO)₃Cl]^2- (1^2-, ^S2bpy = [2,2'-bipyridine]-3,3'-bis(thiolate)). 1^2- has two adjacent thiolate functions at the bpy periphery, which can be protonated forming the S-H···^-S unit, 1H^-. The disulfide/dithiol switch exhibits a rich PCET reactivity and can release a proton (ΔG°_H⁺ = 34 kcal mol^-1, pK_a = 24.7), an H atom (ΔG°_H^• = 59 kcal mol^-1), or a hydride ion (ΔG°_H^- = 60 kcal mol^-1) as demonstrated in the reactivity with various organic test substrates.

Rhodium catalysts with cofactor mimics for the biomimetic reduction of CN bonds

Bio-inspired reduction of CN bonds was successfully performed using rhodium catalysts containing cofactor mimics. The intramolecular cooperation between rhodium and cofactor mimics enabled the transformation with good selectivity. A plausible mechanism was also proposed.

Thermodynamic Network Cards of Hantzsch Ester, Benzothiazoline, and Dihydrophenanthridine Releasing Two Hydrogen Atoms or Ions on 20 Elementary Steps

In this work, thermodynamic driving forces on 20 possible elementary steps of Hantzsch ester (HEH₂), benzothiazoline (BTH₂), and dihydrophenanthridine (PDH₂) releasing two hydrogen atoms or ions were measured or derived from the related thermodynamic data using Hess' law in acetonitrile. Furthermore, thermodynamic network cards of HEH₂, BTH₂, and PDH₂ releasing two hydrogen atoms or ions on 20 elementary steps were first established. Based on the thermodynamic network cards, hydride-donating, hydrogen-atom-donating, and electron-donating abilities of XH₂ and XH^-, and two hydrogen-atom(ion)-donating abilities of XH₂ are discussed in detail. Obviously, the thermodynamic network cards of HEH₂, BTH₂, and PDH₂ not only offer rational data guidance for organic synthetic chemists to properly choose an appropriate reducer among the three reducing agents to hydrogenate various unsaturated compounds but also strongly promote elucidatation of the detailed hydrogenation mechanisms.

Enantiomerization of Axially Chiral Biphenyls: Polarizable MD Simulations in Water and Butylmethylether

In this study, we investigate the influence of chiral and achiral cations on the enantiomerization of biphenylic anions in n-butylmethylether and water. In addition to the impact of the cations and solvent molecules on the free energy profile of rotation, we also explore if chirality transfer between a chiral cation and the biphenylic anion is possible, i.e., if pairing with a chiral cation can energetically favour one conformer of the anion via diastereomeric complex formation. The quantum-mechanical calculations are accompanied by polarizable MD simulations using umbrella sampling to study the impact of solvents of different polarity in more detail. We also discuss how accurate polarizable force fields for biphenylic anions can be constructed from quantum-mechanical reference data.

Theoretical investigation on the nature of 4-substituted Hantzsch esters as alkylation agents

Recently, a variety of 4-substituted Hantzsch esters (XRH) with different structures have been widely researched as alkylation reagents in chemical reactions, and the key step of the chemical process is the elementary step of XRH˙⁺ releasing R˙. The purpose of this work is to investigate the essential factors which determine whether or not an XRH is a great alkylation reagent using density functional theory (DFT). This study shows that the ability of an XRH acting as an alkylation reagent can be reasonably estimated by its ΔG^≠_RD(XRH˙⁺) value, which can be conveniently obtained through DFT computations. Moreover, the data also show that ΔG^≠_RD(XRH˙⁺) has no simple correlation with the structural features of XRH, including the electronegativity of the R substituent group and the magnitude of steric resistance; therefore, it is difficult to judge whether an XRH can provide R˙ solely by experience. Thus, these results are helpful for chemists to design 4-substituted Hantzsch esters (XRH) with novel structures and to guide the application of XRH as a free radical precursor in organic synthesis.

This work presents a convenient computation method to estimate whether a 4-substituted Hantzsch ester can be a good alkyl radical donor.

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.

Biomimetic asymmetric reduction of benzoxazinones and quinoxalinones using ureas as transfer catalysts

Using ureas as transfer catalysts through hydrogen bonding activation, biomimetic asymmetric reduction of benzoxazinones and quinoxalinones with chiral and regenerable NAD(P)H models was described, giving chiral dihydrobenzoxazinones and dihydroquinoxalinones with high yields and excellent enantioselectivities. A key dihydroquinoxalinone intermediate of a BRD4 inhibitor was synthesized using biomimetic asymmetric reduction.

Organocatalytic vs. Ru-based electrochemical hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in competition with the hydrogen evolution reaction

The electrochemical reduction of organic contaminants allows their removal from water. In this contribution, the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene is studied using both oxidized carbon fibres and ruthenium nanoparticles supported on unmodified carbon fibres as catalysts. The two systems produce azoxynitrobenzene as the main product, while aniline is only observed in minor quantities. Although PhNO2 hydrogenation is the favoured reaction, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) competes in both systems under catalytic conditions. H2 formation occurs in larger amounts when using the Ru nanoparticle based catalyst. While similar reaction outputs were observed for both catalytic systems, DFT calculations revealed some significant differences related to distinct interactions between the catalytic material and the organic substrates or products, which could pave the way for the design of new catalytic materials.

Transition-Metal-Free Hydrogen Autotransfer: Diastereoselective N-Alkylation of Amines with Racemic Alcohols

A practical method for the synthesis of α-chiral amines by alkylation of amines with alcohols in the absence of any transition-metal catalysts has been developed. Under the co-catalysis of a ketone and NaOH, racemic secondary alcohols reacted with Ellman's chiral tert-butanesulfinamide by a hydrogen autotransfer process to afford chiral amines with high diastereoselectivities (up to >99:1). Broad substrate scope and up to a 10 gram scale production of chiral amines were demonstrated. The method was applied to the synthesis of chiral deuterium-labelled amines with high deuterium incorporation and optical purity, including examples of chiral deuterated drugs. The configuration of amine products is found to be determined solely by the configuration of the chiral tert-butanesulfinamide regardless of that of alcohols, and this is corroborated by DFT calculations. Further mechanistic studies showed that the reaction is initiated by the ketone catalyst and involves a transition state similar to that proposed for the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV) reduction, and importantly, it is the interaction of the sodium cation of the base with both the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of the sulfinamide moiety that makes feasible, and determines the diastereoselectivity of, the reaction.

Mechanistic insight into the catalytic hydrogenation of nonactivated aldehydes with a Hantzsch ester in the presence of a series of organoboranes: NMR and DFT studies

Mechanistic studies on the organoborane-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of nonactivated aldehydes with a Hantzsch ester as a synthetic NADPH analogue were performed by NMR experiments and DFT calculations.

Thermodynamic Parameters of Elementary Steps for 3,5-Disubstituted 1,4-Dihydropyridines To Release Hydride Anions in Acetonitrile

A series of 3,5-disubstituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives including the derivative with two chiral centers, 6H (R² = CH₃, CH₂Ph), as a new type of organic hydride source were synthesized and characterized. The thermodynamic driving forces (defined as enthalpy changes or standard redox potentials) of the 6 elementary steps for the organic hydrides to release hydride ions in acetonitrile were measured by isothermal titration calorimetry and electrochemical methods. The impacts of the substituents and functional groups bearing the N1 and C3/C5 positions on the thermodynamic driving forces of the 6 elementary steps were examined and analyzed. Moreover, the results showed that the reaction mechanism between the chiral organic hydride and activated ketone (ethyl benzoylformate) was identified as the concerted hydride transfer pathway based on the thermodynamic analysis platform. These valuable and crucial thermodynamic parameters will provide a broadly beneficial impact on the applications of 3,5-disubstituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives in organic synthesis and pharmaceutical chemistry.

Electrochemical behavior of a Rh(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) complex bearing an NAD+/NADH-functionalized ligand

A RhCp* (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) complex bearing an NAD+/NADH-functionalized ligand, [RhCp*(pbn)Cl]Cl ([1]Cl, pbn = (2-(2-pyridyl)benzo[b]-1,5-naphthyridine)), was synthesized. The cyclic voltammogram of [1]Cl in CH3CN shows two reversible redox waves at E1/2 = -0.58 and -1.53 V (vs. the saturated calomel electrode (SCE)), which correspond to the RhIII/RhI and pbn/pbn˙- redox couples, respectively. The addition of acetic acid to the solution afforded the proton-coupled two-electron reduction of [1]Cl at -0.62 V, from which [RhCp*(pbnHH)Cl]+ was selectively generated, probably via a hydride transfer from a RhIII-hydride intermediate to the pbn ligand. Complex [1]Cl is stable under acidic conditions, whereas a methyl proton of the Cp* moiety dissociates under basic conditions. The resulting anionic methylene group attacks the para carbon of the free pyridine of pbn, accompanied by protonation of the nitrogen atom of the ligand. As a result, treatment of [1]Cl with a base produces selectively the cyclic complex [1CH]Cl, which bears a reduced pbn framework (pbnCH). [1CH]Cl forms 1 : 1 adducts with PhCOO-via hydrogen bonding. A similar adduct, formed by a Ru-pbnHH scaffold and RCOO- (R = CH3, C6H5), has been reported to react with CO2 to produce HCOO- under concomitant regeneration of Ru-pbn. The adduct of [1CH]Cl with PhCOO-, however, lacks such hydride-donor ability, due to a steric barrier in the molecular structure of [1CH]Cl, which hampers the hydride transfer.

Redox deracemization of 1,3,4,9-tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indoles

The existing asymmetric synthesis of enantiopure α-substituted cyclic ethers predominantly relies on the enantioselective C-C bond formation involving a prochiral oxocarbenium ion intermediate. In such a strategy, enantioselectivity and efficiency are typically susceptible to the electronic and substituent effects of either nucleophile or electrophile partners. Here, we describe a strategically different redox deracemization of α-substituted 1,3,4,9-tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indoles. This method exhibits good compatibility with the regional variation of the electronic or substituent effect of substrates, thus providing a practical and efficient supplement to the traditional strategy.