The RuO4-Catalyzed Ketohydroxylation, Part II:A Regio-, Chemo- and Stereoselectivity Study

Concise Total Syntheses of the 6-7-5 Hamigeran Natural Products

Herein, we report the total syntheses of four hamigeran natural products featuring a 6-7-5 tricyclic carbon skeleton. We utilized a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclopropanol ring opening cross-coupling to build the central seven-membered ring and a series of oxidations including a challenging aromatic C-H oxidation to introduce the peripheral functionalities. This approach enabled us to achieve the first total syntheses of hamigeran C (14 steps), debromohamigeran I (12 steps), and hamigeran I (13 steps). Our synthesis also resulted in hamigeran G in 13 steps, which is significantly shorter than the previously reported one (24 steps, longest linear sequence).

Accessing Diverse Cross-Benzoin and α-Siloxy Ketone Products via Acyl Substitution Chemistry

An approach to diverse cross-benzoin and α-siloxy ketone products which leverages a simple yet underutilized C-C bond disconnection strategy is reported. Acyl substitution of readily accessible α-siloxy Weinreb amides with organolithium compounds enables access to a broad scope of aryl, heteroaryl, alkyl, alkenyl, and alkynyl derivatives. Enantiopure benzoins can be accessed via a chiral pool approach, and the utility of accessible cross-benzoins and α-siloxy ketones is highlighted in a suite of downstream synthetic applications.

Visible-light enabled photochemical reduction of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds by Hünig's base

A visible-light enabled, chemoselective photoreduction of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds by using Hünig's base as reductant is reported.

Tandem Olefin Metathesis/α-Ketohydroxylation Revisited

EWG-activated and polar quaternary ammonium salt-tagged ruthenium metathesis catalysts have been applied in a two-step one-pot metathesis-oxidation process leading to functionalized α-hydroxyketones (acyloins). In this assisted tandem process, the metathesis catalyst is used first to promote ring-closing metathesis (RCM) and cross-metathesis (CM) steps, then upon the action of Oxone™ converts into an oxidation catalyst able to transform the newly formed olefinic product into acyloin under mild conditions.

Microbial Synthesis of (S)- and (R)-Benzoin in Enantioselective Desymmetrization and Deracemization Catalyzed by Aureobasidium pullulans Included in the Blossom Protect™ Agent

In this study, we examined the Aureobasidium pullulans strains DSM 14940 and DSM 14941 included in the Blossom Protect™ agent to be used in the bioreduction reaction of a symmetrical dicarbonyl compound. Both chiral 2-hydroxy-1,2-diphenylethanone antipodes were obtained with a high enantiomeric purity. Mild conditions (phosphate buffer [pH 7.0, 7.2], 30 °C) were successfully employed in the synthesis of (S)-benzoin using two different methodologies: benzyl desymmetrization and rac-benzoin deracemization. Bioreduction carried out with higher reagent concentrations, lower pH values and prolonged reaction time, and in the presence of additives, enabled enrichment of the reaction mixture with (R)-benzoin. The described procedure is a potentially useful tool in the synthesis of chiral building blocks with a defined configuration in a simple and economical process with a lower environmental impact, enabling one-pot biotransformation.

Mechanistic Insights into Selective Oxidation of Polyaromatic Compounds using RICO Chemistry

Ruthenium-ion-catalyzed oxidation (RICO) of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been studied in detail using experimental and computational approaches to explore the reaction mechanism. DFT calculations show that regioselectivity in these reactions can be understood in terms of the preservation of aromaticity in the initial formation of a [3+2] metallocycle intermediate at the most-isolated double bond. We identify two competing pathways: C-C bond cleavage leading to a dialdehyde and C-H activation followed by H migration to the RuO_x complex to give diketones. Experimentally, the oxidation of pyrene and phenanthrene has been carried out in monophasic and biphasic solvent systems. Our results show that diketones are the major product for both phenanthrene and pyrene substrates. These diketone products are shown to be stable under our reaction conditions so that higher oxidation products (acids and their derivatives) are assigned to the competing pathway through the dialdehyde. Experiments using ¹⁸ O-labelled water do show incorporation of oxygen from the solvents into products, but this may take place during the formation of the reactive RuO₄ species rather than directly during PAH oxidation. When the oxidation of pyrene is carried out using D₂ O, a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) is observed implying that water is involved in the rate-determining step leading to the diketone products.

Oxidation of Vicinal Diols to α-Hydroxy Ketones with H2O2 and a Simple Manganese Catalyst

α-Hydroxy ketones are valuable synthons in organic chemistry. Here we show that oxidation of vic-diols to α-hydroxy ketones with H₂O₂ can be achieved with an in situ prepared catalyst based on manganese salts and pyridine-2-carboxylic acid. Furthermore the same catalyst is effective in alkene epoxidation, and it is shown that alkene oxidation with the Mn^II catalyst and H₂O₂ followed by Lewis acid ring opening of the epoxide and subsequent oxidation of the alkene to α-hydroxy ketones can be achieved under mild (ambient) conditions.

A Sequential Cycloaddition Strategy for the Synthesis of Alsmaphorazine B Traces a Path Through a Family of Alstonia Alkaloids

Driven by a new biogenetic hypothesis, the first total synthesis of alsmaphorazine B and several related indole alkaloids has been achieved. Numerous early approaches proved unsuccessful owing to unproductive side reactivity; nevertheless, they provided important clues that guided the evolution of our strategy. Critical to our success was a major improvement in our Zincke aldehyde cycloaddition strategy, which permitted the efficient gram-scale synthesis of akuammicine. The sequential chemoselective oxidations of akuammicine leading up to the key oxidative rearrangement also yielded several biogenetically related indole alkaloids en route to alsmaphorazine B.

Selectfluor-mediated highly selective radical dioxygenation of alkenes

Selectfluor mediated highly selective radical dioxygenation of alkenes using hydroxylamines and O₂ was achieved under mild conditions.

Biocatalyzed asymmetric reduction of benzils to either benzoins or hydrobenzoins: pH dependent switch

Different enzyme activities present in a whole-cell biocatalyst have been selectively harnessed to asymmetrically reduce bulky–bulky 1,2-diketones to either 2-hydroxyketones or 1,2-diols.

Biocatalytic route to chiral acyloins: P450-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective α-hydroxylation of ketones

P450-BM3 and mutants of this monooxygenase generated by directed evolution are excellent catalysts for the oxidative α-hydroxylation of ketones with formation of chiral acyloins with high regioselectivity (up to 99%) and enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). This constitutes a new route to a class of chiral compounds that are useful intermediates in the synthesis of many kinds of biologically active compounds.

Ruthenium tetroxide and perruthenate chemistry. Recent advances and related transformations mediated by other transition metal oxo-species

In the last years ruthenium tetroxide is increasingly being used in organic synthesis. Thanks to the fine tuning of the reaction conditions, including pH control of the medium and the use of a wider range of co-oxidants, this species has proven to be a reagent able to catalyse useful synthetic transformations which are either a valuable alternative to established methods or even, in some cases, the method of choice. Protocols for oxidation of hydrocarbons, oxidative cleavage of C-C double bonds, even stopping the process at the aldehyde stage, oxidative cleavage of terminal and internal alkynes, oxidation of alcohols to carboxylic acids, dihydroxylation of alkenes, oxidative degradation of phenyl and other heteroaromatic nuclei, oxidative cyclization of dienes, have now reached a good level of improvement and are more and more included into complex synthetic sequences. The perruthenate ion is a ruthenium (VII) oxo-species. Since its introduction in the mid-eighties, tetrapropylammonium perruthenate (TPAP) has reached a great popularity among organic chemists and it is mostly employed in catalytic amounts in conjunction with N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMO) for the mild oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to carbonyl compounds. Its use in the oxidation of other functionalities is known and recently, its utility in new synthetic transformations has been demonstrated. New processes, synthetic applications, theoretical studies and unusual transformations, published in the last eight years (2006-2013), in the chemistry of these two oxo-species, will be covered in this review with the aim of offering a clear picture of their reactivity. When appropriate, related oxidative transformations mediated by other metal oxo-species will be presented to highlight similarities and differences. An historical overview of some aspects of the ruthenium tetroxide chemistry will be presented as well.

Direct and efficient N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed hydroxymethylation of aldehydes

The N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed coupling of several aldehydes with paraformaldehyde is reported, directly providing the corresponding valuable hydroxymethyl ketones. Results of first mechanistic experiments for this remarkably selective transformation are also provided.

Biocatalytic strategies for the asymmetric synthesis of alpha-hydroxy ketones

The development of efficient syntheses for enantiomerically enriched alpha-hydroxy ketones is an important research focus in the pharmaceutical industry. For example, alpha-hydroxy ketones are found in antidepressants, in selective inhibitors of amyloid-beta protein production (used in the treatment of Alzheimer's), in farnesyl transferase inhibitors (Kurasoin A and B), and in antitumor antibiotics (Olivomycin A and Chromomycin A3). Moreover, alpha-hydroxy ketones are of particular value as fine chemicals because of their utility as building blocks for the production of larger molecules. They can also be used in preparing many other important structures, such as amino alcohols, diols, and so forth. Several purely chemical synthetic approaches have been proposed to afford these compounds, together with some organocatalytic strategies (thiazolium-based carboligations, proline alpha-hydroxylations, and so forth). However, many of these chemical approaches are not straightforward, lack selectivity, or are economically unattractive because of the large number of chemical steps required (usually combined with low enantioselectivities). In this Account, we describe three different biocatalytic approaches that have been developed to efficiently produce alpha-hydroxy ketones: (i) The use of thiamine diphosphate-dependent lyases (ThDP-lyases) to catalyze the umpolung carboligation of aldehydes. Enantiopure alpha-hydroxy ketones are formed from inexpensive aldehydes with this method. Some lyases with a broad substrate spectrum have been successfully characterized. Furthermore, the use of biphasic media with recombinant whole cells overexpressing lyases leads to productivities of approximately 80-100 g/L with high enantiomeric excesses (up to >99%). (ii) The use of hydrolases to produce alpha-hydroxy ketones by means of (in situ) dynamic kinetic resolutions (DKRs). Lipases are able to successfully resolve racemates, and many outstanding examples have been reported. However, this approach leads to a maximum theoretical yield of 50%. As a means of overcoming this problem, these traditional lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolutions are combined with racemization of remnant substrate, which can be done in situ or in separate compartments. Examples showing high conversions (>90%) and enantiomeric excesses (>99%) are described. (iii) Whole-cell redox processes, catalyzed by several microorganisms, either by means of free enzymes (applying a cofactor regeneration system) or by whole cells. Through the use of redox machineries, different strategies can lead to high yields and enantiomeric excesses. Some enantiopure alpha-hydroxy ketones can be formed by reductions of diketones and by selective oxidations of vicinal diols. Likewise, some redox processes involving sugar chemistry (involving alpha-hydroxy ketones) have been developed on the industrial scale. Finally, the redox whole-cell concept allows racemizations (and deracemizations) as well. These three strategies provide a useful and environmentally friendly synthetic toolbox. Likewise, the field represents an illustrative example of how biocatalysis can assist practical synthetic processes, and how problems derived from the integration of natural tools in synthetic pathways can be efficiently tackled to afford high yields and enantioselectivities.

Bicyclic β-Hydroxytetrahydrofurans as Precursors of Medium Ring Keto-Lactones

The reaction of a series of cis-fused bicyclic beta-hydroxytetrahydrofurans with ruthenium tetraoxide, generated in situ from ruthenium trichloride and sodium periodate, afforded 9- and 10-membered keto-lactones in moderate to good yields, in a clean and straightforward fashion. The starting beta-hydroxyethers were obtained from the corresponding 3-alkenols by two alternative procedures, depending on their pattern of substitution: (a) epoxidation by dimethyldioxirane, followed by base-catalyzed cyclization of the resulting epoxyalcohol, and (b) thallium trinitrate-mediated cyclization of the 3-alkenols, a method already described by our group.

Catalytic diastereo- and positionselective oxidative mono-cyclization of 1,5,9-trienes and polyenes

Ruthenium tetroxide (1 mol%) has been used as a catalyst for the oxidative mono-cyclization of 1,5,9-trienes and polyenes. The poly-unsaturated substrates underwent mono-cyclization with a high degree of diastereo- and positionselectivity to produce mono-tetrahydrofuran diols with a varying degree of unsaturation. Up to four new stereogenic centers were created in this single step transformation. The remarkable positionselectivity appears to be a result of relative electronic properties of the double bonds within the polyolefinic substrates in conjunction with conformational constraints.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Tandem Olefin Metathesis−Oxidations

[reaction: see text] The utility of Grubbs' 2nd generation metathesis catalyst has been expanded by the development of two tandem olefin metathesis/oxidation protocols. These ruthenium-catalyzed processes provide cis-diols or alpha-hydroxy ketones from simple olefinic starting materials.

First osmium-catalysed ketamination of alkenes

Conditions for a first oxidative conversion of alkenes into 2-amino ketones are described, which yield racemic products within a direct oxidation pathway and 2-amino ketones with up to 99% enantiomeric excess from the corresponding enantiopure amino alcohols.