Total synthesis of (+)-trans-dihydronarciclasine by a catalytic enantioselective regiodivergent nitroso Diels-Alder reaction

Peroxidase-induced C-N bond formation via nitroso ene and Diels-Alder reactions

The formation of new carbon-nitrogen bonds is indisputably one of the most important tasks in synthetic organic chemistry. Here, nitroso compounds offer a highly interesting reactivity that complements traditional amination strategies, allowing for the introduction of nitrogen functionalities via ene-type reactions or Diels-Alder cycloadditions. In this study, we highlight the potential of horseradish peroxidase as biological mediator for the generation of reactive nitroso species under environmentally benign conditions. Exploiting a non-natural peroxidase reactivity, in combination with glucose oxidase as oxygen-activating biocatalyst, aerobic activation of a broad range of N-hydroxycarbamates and hydroxamic acids is achieved. Thus both intra- and intermolecular nitroso-ene as well as nitroso-Diels-Alder reactions are performed with high efficiency. Relying on a commercial and robust enzyme system, the aqueous catalyst solution can be recycled over numerous reaction cycles without significant loss of activity. Overall, this green and scalable C-N bond-forming strategy enables the production of allylic amides and various N-heterocyclic building blocks utilizing only air and glucose as sacrificial reagents.

Regioselective synthesis of novel nitroso-pyrazolylquinoxalines via HOAc-mediated cyclocondensation of 2-hydroxyimino-1,3-diketones with hydrazinylquinoxalines

This article describes the regioselective synthesis of novel nitroso-pyrazolylquinoxalines via cyclocondensation of 2-hydroxyimino-1,3-diketones with hydrazinylquinoxalines. Of note, this is the first time that 2-hydroxyimino-1,3-diketones are used as electrophilic reagents to cyclocondensation with hetarylhydrazines. The cyclocondensation proceeded through a hydrazone intermediates formation. A series of novel nitroso-substituted pyrazolylquinoxalines were synthesized by both "one-pot" and "two-step" procedures in up to 86% yields. Importantly, a gram-scale synthesis of nitroso-pyrazolylquinoxalines, their oxidation and reduction were successfully accomplished.

Aerobic C-N Bond Formation through Enzymatic Nitroso-Ene-Type Reactions

The biocatalytic oxidation of acylated hydroxylamines enables the direct and selective introduction of nitrogen functionalities by activation of allylic C-H bonds. Utilizing either laccases or an oxidase/peroxidase couple for the formal dehydrogenation of N-hydroxycarbamates and hydroxamic acids with air as the terminal oxidant, acylnitroso species are generated under particularly mild aqueous conditions. The reactive intermediates undergo C-N bond formation through an ene-type mechanism and provide high yields both in intramolecular and intermolecular enzymatic aminations. Investigations on different pathways of the two biocatalytic systems and labelling studies provide more insight into this unprecedented promiscuity of classical oxidoreductases as catalysts for nitroso-based transformations.

Ascending of Cycloaddition Strategy for N–O Heterocycles

The N–O heterocycles are biologically relevant scaffolds and versatile building blocks in contemporary organic synthesis. In this short review, we showcase the involvement and elevation of various cycloaddition strategies towards the production of the N–O heterocycles; 1,2-oxazines and 1,2-oxazinanes, 1,2-oxazepanes, and 1,2-oxazetidines. An overview of the advantages and challenges associated with these synthetic endeavors is provided.

1 Introduction

2 Six-Membered N–O Heterocycles (1,2-Oxazines and 1,2-Oxazinanes)

3 Seven-Membered N–O Heterocycles (1,2-Oxazepanes)

4 Four-Membered N–O Heterocycles (1,2-Oxazetidines)

5 Summary and Outlook

Alternating Current Electrolysis as Efficient Tool for the Direct Electrochemical Oxidation of Hydroxamic Acids for Acyl Nitroso Diels-Alder Reactions

The acyl nitroso Diels-Alder reaction of 1,3-dienes with electrochemically oxidised hydroxamic acids is described. By using alternating current electrolysis, their typical electro-induced decomposition could be suppressed in favour of the 1,2-oxazine cycloaddition products. The reaction was optimised using Design of Experiments (DoE) and a sensitivity test was conducted. A mixture of triethylamine/hexafluoroisopropanol served as supporting electrolyte in dichloromethane, thus giving products of high purity after evaporation of the volatiles without further purification. The optimised reaction conditions were applied to various 1,3-dienes and hydroxamic acids, giving up to 96 % isolated yield.

A newly designed heterodiene and its application to construct six-membered heterocycles containing an N-O bond

A new type of zwitterionic nitrosoalkene generated in situ from dehydrohalogenation of α-halo-N-alkylhydroxamic acids was designed. [4+2] cycloadditions of this heterodiene to olefins provide a facile route to construct six-membered heterocycles containing an N-O bond and a new protocol for 1,2-syn carbohydroxylate alkenes with a hydroxyl and acetamide group. DFT calculations support a concerted cycloaddition pathway and the solvent HFIP can stabilize the transition state through H-bonding interaction.

Direct introduction of nitrogen and oxygen functionality with spatial control using copper catalysis

Synthetic chemists have spent considerable effort optimizing the synthesis of nitrogen and oxygen containing compounds through a number of methods; however, direct introduction of N- and O-functionality remains challenging. Presented herein is a general method to allow for the simultaneous installation of N- and O-functionality to construct unexplored N-O heterocyclic and amino-alcohol scaffolds. This transformation uses earth abundant copper salts to facilitate the formation of a carbon-centered radical and subsequent carbon-nitrogen bond formation. The intermediate aminoxyl radical is terminated by an intramolecularly appended carbon-centered radical. We have exploited this methodology to also access amino-alcohols with a range of aliphatic and aromatic linkers.

Synthesis of 1,3-Cycloalkadienes from Cycloalkenes: Unprecedented Reactivity of Oxoammonium Salts

Few methods allow for the direct conversion of cycloalkenes into cycloalkadienes with high chemo- and regioselectivity. Herein, we report a convenient one-pot process for this transformation that involves the unprecedented N-preferential group transfer of N-oxoammonium salts to cycloalkenes, followed by Cope elimination, to afford cycloalkadienes at room temperature and pressure.

Efficient Catalytic Enantioselective Hydroxyamination of α-Aryl-α-Cyanoacetates with 2-Nitrosopyridines

The highly enantioselective totally N-selective hydroxyamination reaction of α-aryl-α-cyanoacetates with 2-nitrosopyridines was realized by using a chiral N,N'-dioxide/Mg(OTf)₂ complex as catalyst, which enriches the nitroso chemistry. A variety of 2-cyano-2-[hydroxyl(pyrydin-2-yl)amino]acetates with quaternary stereocenters and potential antibacterial activities were obtained in excellent yields with good to excellent ee values under as low as 0.05 mol % catalyst loading. The products could be easily transformed to useful α-amino amides and 1,2-diamines. Besides, a possible transition state model was proposed to elucidate the origin of the chirality induction.

The First Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (-)-trans-Dihydronarciclasine

A feasible and enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-trans-dihydronarciclasine [(-)-1], a highly biologically active alkaloid, was devised starting from vanillin (8). The key step of this new synthesis was an asymmetric, organocatalytic Michael addition, in which an optically active nitropentanone [(-)-13] was obtained from a butenone derivative (12). Excellent enantioselectivity (>99% ee) was achieved using the (8S,9S)-9-amino(9-deoxy)epiquinine (16) organocatalyst. The target molecule can be prepared in 13 steps from compound (-)-13. The total synthesis has provided a facile and first access to the ent-form of naturally occurring (+)-trans-dihydronarciclasine, a highly potent cytostatic alkaloid.

Copper(i)/TF-BiphamPhos catalyzed asymmetric nitroso Diels–Alder reaction

A highly efficient enantioselective nitroso Diels–Alder reaction of 6-methyl-2-nitroso pyridine with various 1,3-dienes was successfully developed using a copper(i)/(S)–TF-BiphamPhos complex as the catalyst. For most of the cyclic dienes, the cycloadducts were obtained in high yields with excellent regio-, and stereoselectivities. Acyclic 2-silyloxy-1,3-diene also worked well in the reaction.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Isoquinoline Alkaloids: 2004-2015

In the past decade, the asymmetric synthesis of chiral nonracemic isoquinoline alkaloids, a family of natural products showing a wide range of structural diversity and biological and pharmaceutical activity, has been based either on continuation or improvement of known traditional methods or on new, recently developed, strategies. Both diastereoselective and enantioselective catalytic methods have been applied. This review describes the stereochemically modified traditional syntheses (the Pictet-Spengler, the Bischler-Napieralski, and the Pomeranz-Fritsch-Bobbitt) along with strategies based on closing of the nitrogen-containing ring B of the isoquinoline core by the formation of bonds between C₁-N₂, N₂-C₃, C₁-N₂/N₂-C₃, and C₁-N₂/C₄-C_4a atoms. Methods involving introduction of substituents at the C1 carbon of isoquinoline core along with syntheses applying various biocatalytic techniques have also been reviewed.

Stereo- and regioselectivity of the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of nitroso derivatives with conjugated dienes

The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction between a nitroso dienophile and a conjugated diene to give the 3,6-dihydro-2H-1,2-oxazine scaffold is useful for the synthesis of many biologically interesting molecules due to the diverse opportunities created by subsequent transformations of the resulting 1,2-oxazine ring. This review discusses the rationale for the observed regio- and stereoselectivity and the methods developed in recent years used to control and improve the stereo- and regioselectivity for the synthesis of 1,2-oxazine scaffolds.

Regioselective annulation of nitrosopyridine with alkynes: straightforward synthesis of N-oxide-imidazopyridines

We have developed intermolecular annulation of 2-nitrosopyridine derivatives with substituted alkynes for the regioselective access of N-oxide-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines.

The asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reaction in the syntheses of biologically relevant compounds

The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction is one of the most powerful transformations in the chemistry toolbox for the synthesis of aza- and oxa-heterocycles embodying multiple stereogenic centers. However, as compared to other cycloadditions, in particular the dipolar cycloadditions and the Diels-Alder reaction, the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction has been much less explored and exploited in organic synthesis. Nevertheless, this powerful transformation has opened up efficient and creative routes to biologically relevant small molecules and different natural products which contain six-membered oxygen or nitrogen ring systems. Recent developments in this field, in particular in the establishment of enantioselectively catalyzed hetero-Diels-Alder cycloadditions steered by a plethora of different catalysts and the application of the resulting small molecules in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry research, are highlighted in this Minireview.