Asymmetric 1,2-Carbamoyl Rearrangement of Lithiated Chiral Oxazolidine Carbamates and Diastereoselective Synthesis of α-Hydroxy Amides

Asymmetric 1,2-carbamoyl rearrangement of lithiated 2-alkenyl carbamates has been investigated. Deprotonation of chiral 2-alkenyl oxazolidine carbamates with sec-butyllithium in ether at -78 °C followed by warming of the resulting 1-lithio-2-alkenyl derivatives to room temperature resulted in 1,2-carbamoyl rearrangement to provide α-hydroxy amides. The rearrangement proceeded with excellent diastereoselectivity and in good to excellent isolated yield of the α-hydroxy amide derivatives. The substrate scope of the reaction was investigated with a variety of 2-alkenyl and benzyl oxazolidine carbamates. A stereochemical model is provided to explain the stereochemical outcome associated with the rearrangement. Acid-catalyzed removal of the chiral oxazolidine afforded α-hydroxy acid in high optical purity.

Transition Metal Catalyst Free Synthesis of Olefins from Organoboron Derivatives**

Stereoselective preparation of highly substituted olefins is still a severe challenge that requires well defined elimination precursors. Organoboron chemistry is particularly suited for the preparation of molecules with adjacent stereocenters. As organo boron substrates with leaving groups in β‐position can undergo stereospecific syn‐ or anti‐elimination, this chemistry harbors great potential for the synthesis of complex olefins. In recent years three main strategies emerged, which differ in their approach to the β‐functionalized organoboron elimination precursor. (i) Stereoselective preparation of such elimination precursor can be achieved by addition of a boron‐stabilized anion (d¹) to an aldehyde or ketone (a¹) or diastereoselective 1,3‐rearrangement of suitable boron‐ate‐complexes. Stereospecific methods rely either on (ii) diastereospecific 1,2‐metalate rearrangement of boron‐ate‐complexes that involve opening of appropriate heterocycles or (iii) addition of chiral carbenoids (d¹*) to chiral boronates (a¹*) with a leaving group in α‐position.

Synthesis of sulfur-containing heterocycles through oxidative carbon-hydrogen bond functionalization

Vinyl sulfides react rapidly and efficiently with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) to form α,β-unsaturated thiocarbenium ions through oxidative carbon-hydrogen bond cleavage. These electrophiles couple with appended π-nucleophiles to yield sulfur-containing heterocycles through carbon-carbon bond formation. Several nucleophiles are compatible with the procedure, and the reactions generally proceed through readily predictable transition states.

1-(N,N-diisopropylcarbamoyloxy)-1-tosyl-1-alkenes--a2d1 synthons via tandem umpolung

1-(N,N-diisopropylcarbamoyloxy)-1-tosyl-alkenes have been developed as an a(2)d(1) synthon via tandem umpolung. Upon addition of Grignard reagents and further quench by carbonyl compounds, this synthon produces alpha,alpha'-branched-alpha'-oxygenated ketones. Strategically, this widely applicable method installs respectively a carbanion unit and a carbonyl unit formally onto the alpha-carbon and the carbonyl center of an aldehyde in one-pot.

Asymmetric γ-Deprotonation and Homoaldol Reaction of 1,3-Dien-2-yl Carbamates: Stereo- and Regiochemistry

[reaction: see text] Lithium compounds 7 are configurationally stable intermediates obtained by deprotonation of 1,3-dien-2-yl carbamates 6 with n-butyllithium/(-)-sparteine with a high degree of enantiotopic differentiation at the gamma-position. They react with electrophiles regioselectively giving highly enantioenriched products. Starting with different isomers or changing the double-bond geometries in 6 leads to either of the enantiomers.

Synthetic applications of lithiated N-Boc allylic amines as asymmetric homoenolate equivalents

Lithiation of N-(Boc)-N-(p-methoxyphenyl) allylic amines in the presence of (-)-sparteine provides asymmetric homoenolate equivalents which react with electrophiles to provide highly enantioenriched enecarbamates. Acidic hydrolysis of the enecarbamates can provide the corresponding beta-substituted aldehydes. A synthetic sequence that involves a stereocontrolled intramolecular nitrone-olefin dipolar cycloaddition has been developed for the preparation of enantioenriched 2-formyl-4-phenyl-1-aminocyclopentanes from one beta-allyl-substituted aldehyde. Further manipulations allow access to an enantioenriched beta-lactam. In another synthetic sequence, transmetalation of the lithiated intermediates and reactions with aldehyde electrophiles can be controlled to afford highly enantioenriched anti homoaldol products. Use of an anti aldehyde homoaldol product as the chiral electrophile in an iterative reaction provides a double homoaldol product containing four stereogenic centers with high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. Reaction pathways are proposed to account for the observed products.

Diastereoselective synthesis of protected syn 1,3-diols: preparation of the C16-C24 portion of Dolabelides

We have designed a new method to make synthons encompassing a protected syn 1,3-diol motif and an aldehyde alpha to the 1,3-dioxane ring. An additional stereocenter was also created, potentially leading to stereochemically defined 1,2,4-triols. This method was successfully applied to the synthesis of the C16-C24 portion of Dolabelides.