Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of Aromatic Amines toN-Alkenoyloxazolidinones Catalyzed by Iodido(binaphtholato)samarium

[Asymmetric Hetero-Michael Additions to α,β-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids by Multifunctional Boronic Acid Catalysts]

Several direct asymmetric Michael additions to α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids with integrated catalysts comprising chiral bifunctional thiourea and arylboronic acid were developed. First, the asymmetric aza-Michael addition of hydroxylamine derivatives efficiently afforded a variety of optically active β-amino acid derivatives. Furthermore, upon detailed investigation of the reaction, tetrahedral borate complexes, comprising two carboxylate molecules, were found to serve as reaction intermediates. Based on this observation, a drastic improvement in product enantioselectivity was achieved upon benzoic acid addition. Second, on merely changing the solvent, the asymmetric thia-Michael addition of arylthiols afforded both enantiomers of the adducts, which are important building blocks for biologically active compounds.

Recent Advances in Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric 1,4-Conjugate Addition (ACA) of Nonorganometallic Nucleophiles

The metal-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition (ACA) reaction has emerged as a general and powerful approach for the construction of optically active compounds and is among the most significant and useful reactions in synthetic organic chemistry. In recent years, great progress has been made in this area with the use of various chiral metal complexes based on different chiral ligands. This review provides comprehensive and critical information on the enantioselective 1,4-conjugate addition of nonorganometallic (soft) nucleophiles and their importance in synthetic applications. The literature is covered from the last 10 years, and a number of examples from before 2007 are included as background information. The review is divided into multiple parts according to the type of nucleophile involved in the reaction (such as C-, B-, O-, N-, S-, P-, and Si-centered nucleophiles) and metal catalyst systems used.

Conjugate addition-enantioselective protonation reactions

The addition of nucleophiles to electron-deficient alkenes represents one of the more general and commonly used strategies for the convergent assembly of more complex structures from simple precursors. In this review the addition of diverse protic and organometallic nucleophiles to electron-deficient alkenes followed by enantioselective protonation is summarized. Reactions are first categorized by the type of electron-deficient alkene and then are further classified according to whether catalysis is achieved with chiral Lewis acids, organocatalysts, or transition metals.

Diastereoselective and enantioselective conjugate addition reactions utilizing α,β-unsaturated amides and lactams

The conjugate addition reaction has been a useful tool in the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. The utility of this reaction has been demonstrated in the synthesis of many natural products, materials, and pharmacological agents. In the last three decades, there has been a significant increase in the development of asymmetric variants of this reaction. Unfortunately, conjugate addition reactions using α,β-unsaturated amides and lactams remain underdeveloped due to their inherently low reactivity. This review highlights the work that has been done on both diastereoselective and enantioselective conjugate addition reactions utilizing α,β-unsaturated amides and lactams.