Organocatalytic atroposelective N-alkylation: divergent synthesis of axially chiral sulfonamides and biaryl amino phenols

Axial chirality exists ubiquitously in numerous natural products and has been extensively recognized for decades in pharmaceuticals and enantioselective transformations. The development of efficient methodologies to obtain enantiopure structures bearing...

Enantioselective Lewis base catalyzed phosphonyldifluoromethylation of allylic fluorides using a C-silyl latent pronucleophile

The first enantioselective phosphonyldifluoromethylation is enabled by the use of a latent silylated C-centered pronucleophile in the Lewis base catalyzed substitution of allylic fluorides.

Cinchona Alkaloids-Derivatives and Applications

Major Cinchona alkaloids quinine, quinidine, cinchonine, and cinchonidine are available chiral natural compounds (chiral pool). Unlike many other natural products, these alkaloids are available in multiple diastereomeric forms which are separated on an industrial scale. The introduction discusses in short conformational equilibria, traditional separation scheme, biosynthesis, and de novo chemical syntheses. The second section concerns useful chemical applications of the alkaloids as chiral recognition agents and effective chiral catalysts. Besides the Sharpless ethers and quaternary ammonium salts (chiral PTC), the most successful bifunctional organocatalysts are based on 9-amino derivatives: thioureas and squaramides. The third section reports the main transformations of Cinchona alkaloids. This covers reactions of the 9-hydroxyl group with the retention or inversion of configuration. Specific Cinchona rearrangements enlarging [2.2.2]bicycle of quinuclidine to [3.2.2] products are connected to the 9-OH substitution. The syntheses of numerous esterification and etherification products are described, including many examples of bi-Cinchona alkaloid ethers. Further derivatives comprise 9-N-substituted compounds. The amino group is introduced via an azido function with the inversion of configuration at the stereogenic center C9. The 9-epi-amino-alkaloids provide imines, amides, imides, thioureas, and squaramides. The syntheses of 9-carbon-, 9-sulfur-, and 9-selenium-substituted derivatives are discussed. Oxidation of the hydroxyl group of any alkaloid gives ketones, which can be selectively reduced, reacted with Grignard reagents, or subjected to the Corey-Chaykovsky reaction. The alkaloids were also partially degraded by splitting C4'-C9 or N1-C8 bonds. In order to immobilize Cinchona alkaloids the transformations of the 3-vinyl group were often exploited. Finally, miscellaneous functionalizations of quinuclidine, quinoline, and examples of various metal complexes of the alkaloids are considered.

One-Pot Consecutive Sulfonamidation/ipso-Cyclization Strategy for the Construction of Azaspirocyclohexadienones

Harnessing of Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates of acetylenic aldehydes as handy synthons has allowed a facile synthesis of azaspirocyclohexadienones by sequential DABCO-promoted sulfonamidation/ICl-mediated ipso-iodocyclization reactions. A variety of MBH-carbonates having aryl or heteroaryl groups on the alkyne functionality fruitfully participated in the one-pot ipso-annulation reaction to provide the corresponding 3-iodo spirocyclohexadienones. The sulphonamide functionality was further utilized to construct the tricyclic fused-sultam framework.

Regioselective addition–elimination of Morita–Baylis–Hillman adducts with 2-naphthol or phenol catalyzed by functionalized ionic liquids: a direct strategy to construct functional alkenes

A highly regioselective addition–elimination of Morita–Baylis–Hillman adducts promoted by base ionic liquids (0.5 mol%) was reported to afford a variety of functional alkenes in excellent yields (up to 99%). This protocol provides a new method to access functional alkenes directly. Recycled base ionic liquids could be reused at least five times and the isolated yield of the product was almost consistent after five runs.

Equilibrium acidities of cinchona alkaloid organocatalysts bearing 6′-hydrogen bonding donors in DMSO

The pK_a values of 18 cinchona alkaloid based organocatalysts bearing 6′-hydrogen bonding donors were determined by the overlapping indicator method in DMSO via UV spectrophotometric titrations. The pK_a values are in the range of 6.76–20.24.

Organocatalytic asymmetric allylic amination of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates of isatins

The investigation of a Lewis base catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination of Morita–Baylis–Hillman carbonates derived from isatins afforded an electrophilic pathway to access multifunctional oxindoles bearing a C3-quaternary stereocenter, provided with good to excellent enantioselectivity (up to 94% ee) and in high yields (up to 97%).