Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Ene and Aldol Reactions with Isatins, Keto Esters, and Diketones: Reliable Approach to Chiral Tertiary Alcohols

Synthetic Access to α-Oxoketene Aminals by the Nucleophilic Addition of Enol Silane-Derived Palladium(II) Enolates to Carbodiimides

Synthetically important α-oxoketene aminal intermediates can now be accessed from readily available and inexpensive carbodiimides as starting materials via the nucleophilic addition of palladium enolates derived from enol silane precursors. This operationally simple method features mild reaction conditions, including open air atmosphere, ligand-free metal catalysis, broad substrate scope, and multi-gram scalability. Select synthetic applications that take advantage of the enamine character of α-oxoketene aminals and involve C-nucleophilic additions to electrophilic systems, including an α,β-unsaturated ester, an azo dicarboxylate, an aralkyl halide, and an aldehyde, are demonstrated.

The Ligand Free Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Regioselective 1,2-Addition of Enol Silanes to Quinones to Access 4-Hydroxy-4-(2-oxo-2-arylethyl)cyclohexadien-1-ones and Synthetic Applications

In contrast to the conventional 1,4-addition process, regioselective 1,2-addition of silyl enol ethers to quinones can now be achieved via a palladium(II) enolate pathway that provides access to 4-hydroxy-4-(2-oxo-2-arylethyl)cyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one derivatives. This quinone alkylation protocol proceeds under mild reaction conditions at ambient temperature under open air and does not require either an external ligand for the palladium or the use of a base. Additionally, the cyclohexadienone products have been exploited as synthetic precursors for the construction of fused heteroaryl systems.

Carbene/Base-Mediated Redox Alkenylation of Isatins using β-Substituted Organoselenones and Aldehydes

Achieving several desired transformations in a single operation remains one of the obvious goals in the synthetic organic chemistry. Herein we developed a multicomponent reaction for the preparation of alkenylated oxyindoles, bearing a quaternary alcohol-derived ester, via an NHC-catalyzed redox reaction in the presence of β-substituted vinyl selenones and aldehydes.

Copper-catalyzed enantioselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction of silyl enol ethers with isatins

A highly enantioselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction of silyl enol ethers with isatins catalyzed by chiral copper complexes was developed. A series of chiral 3-substituted 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles bearing a tetra-substituted center could be obtained exclusively with high yields (up to 95%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99%). In particular, water was essential to improve the diastereoselectivity.

Chemoselective P(NMe2)3-Mediated Reductive Epoxidation between Two Different Carbonyl Electrophiles: Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Unsymmetrical Epoxides

Herein, we report a chemoselective P(NMe₂)₃-mediated reductive epoxidation of α-dicarbonyl compounds such as isatins, α-keto esters, and α-diketones with aldehydes and ketones, leading to an efficient synthesis of a wide range of highly functionalized unsymmetrical epoxides in moderate to excellent yields and diastereoselectivities. The Kukhtin-Ramirez adduct, which is exclusively generated in situ from an α-dicarbonyl compound and P(NMe₂)₃, plays a key role in governing the chemoselectivity. It represents the first practical synthesis of unsymmetrical epoxides via direct reductive epoxidation of two different carbonyl electrophiles and also complements the existing methods of generating epoxides.

Chemoselective phosphine-catalyzed cyanoacylation of α-dicarbonyl compounds: a general method for the synthesis of cyanohydrin esters with one quaternary stereocenter

A chemoselective phosphine-catalyzed cyanoacylation of α-dicarbonyl compounds with acyl cyanides is reported.

Asymmetric vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction of isatins under bifunctional organocatalysis: enantioselective synthesis of substituted 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles

A highly enantioselective organocatalytic vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction of silyloxy dienes and isatins under bifunctional organocatalysis is presented.

Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization and Antimicrobial Potential of Certain New Isatin-Indole Molecular Hybrids

Molecular hybridization has a wide application in medicinal chemistry to obtain new biologically active compounds. New isatin-indole molecular hybrids 5a-n have been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic tools. The in vitro antimicrobial potential of the prepared compounds 5a-n was assessed using diameter of the inhibition zone (DIZ) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays against a panel of Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. Most of the synthesized compounds 5a-n showed weak activities against Gram-negative bacteria while compounds 5b and 5c exhibited good activities against Gram-positive bacteria. On the other hand, compound 5j emerged as the most active compound towards Candida albicans (C. albicans), with an MIC value of 3.9 µg/mL, and compound 5g as the most active congener towards Asperagillus niger (A. niger), with an MIC value of 15.6 µg/mL. Moreover, compound 5h manifested the best anti-P. notatum effect, with an MIC value of 7.8 µg/mL, making it equipotent with compound 5g.

A highly enantioselective Hg(ii)-catalyzed Sakurai–Hosomi reaction of isatins with allyltrimethylsilanes

A chiral complex derived from (S)-difluorophos and Hg(OTf)₂ is identified as a powerful catalyst for the Sakurai–Hosomi reaction of isatins with allyltrimethylsilane, allowing the facile synthesis of valuable building blocks 3-allyl-3-hydroxyoxindoles in up to 97% ee, with only 0.5–1.0 mol% of catalyst loading.

Catalytic hetero-ene reactions of 5-methyleneoxazolines: highly enantioselective synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted oxazole derivatives

An efficient catalytic asymmetric hetero-ene reaction of 5-methyleneoxazolines with 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds (including α-ketoesters and glyoxal derivatives) was realized using Ni(II)-N,N'-dioxide complexes as the catalysts. It provides a rapid, high yielding (up to 99%) route for the preparation of 2,5-disubstituted oxazole derivatives in a highly enantioenriched form (up to >99% ee) under mild conditions.

A catalytic asymmetric carbonyl–ene reaction of β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters with 5-methyleneoxazolines

A catalytic asymmetric carbonyl–ene reaction of β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters with 5-methyleneoxazolines was accomplished. The process was based on the utilization of a chiral N,N′-dioxide/Mg^II catalyst, providing the desired products with excellent outcomes.

Synthesis of functionalized dispiro-oxindoles through azomethine ylide dimerization and mechanistic studies to explain the diastereoselectivity

Synthesis of functionalized dispiro-oxindoles via [3 + 3]-cycloaddition of azomethine ylide generated from condensation of isatin and proline is reported. A transition state model for the origin of diastereoselectivity and mechanism of formation of these types of adducts is proposed.

Organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of 3-difluoroalkyl 3-hydroxyoxindoles

We report the first example of highly enantioselective organocatalytic synthesis of 3-difluoroalkyl substituted 3-hydroxyoxindoles. The total synthesis of the difluoro analogue of convolutamydine E was achieved by this method.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of stable oxetenes via Lewis acid-promoted [2+2] cycloaddition

A highly enantioselective and atom-economical [2 + 2] cycloaddition of various alkynes with trifluoropyruvate using a dicationic (S)-BINAP-Pd catalyst has been established. This is the first enantioselective synthesis of stable oxetene derivatives, whose structure has been clarified by X-ray analysis. This catalytic process offers a practical synthetic method for oxetene derivatives (catalyst loading: up to 0.1 mol %), which can serve as novel chiral building blocks for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals and can also be transformed into a variety of enantiomerically enriched CF(3)-substituted compounds with high stereoselectivity.