Synthesis of (+)-6,7-Dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-1-carboxylic Acid, a Diastereoselective Approach

The Petasis Reaction: Applications and Organic Synthesis-A Comprehensive Review

The Petasis reaction has introduced significant advancements through the use of various catalysts, solvents, methodologies, and substrates in diverse areas of chemistry, including medicinal, organic, combinatorial, biochemical, and heterocyclic chemistry. It is a prominent method for synthesizing compounds such as α-amino acids, β-amino alcohols, Aza-beta-lactams, alkylaminophenols, α-arylglycines, 2H-chromenes, aminophenols, and hydrazide alcohols. With the increasing demand for medicines, drugs, industrial products, insecticides, and pesticides, the Petasis reaction has become an indispensable and versatile tool. This review explores the range of reaction components, key mechanisms, and reaction conditions associated with the Petasis reaction. Additionally, the paper delves into the potential future directions of this reaction and highlights its various applications.

Strategies for the Development of Asymmetric and Non-Directed Petasis Reactions

The Petasis reaction is a multicomponent reaction of aldehydes, amines and organoboron reagents and is a useful method for the construction of substituted amines. Despite the significant advancement of the Petasis reaction since its invention in 1993, strategies for asymmetric and non-directed Petasis reactions remain limited. To date, there are very few catalytic asymmetric Petasis reactions and almost all asymmetric reports employ a chiral auxiliary. Likewise, the aldehyde component often requires a directing group, ultimately limiting the reaction's scope. In this Concept, key methods for asymmetric and non-directed Petasis reactions are discussed, focusing on how these conceptual advances can be applied to solve long-standing gaps in the Petasis literature.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of (–)-6,7-Dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-1-carboxylic Acid via Morpholinone Derivatives

A simple and convenient synthesis of (–)-6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-1-carboxylic acid is described, applying a combination of two synthetic methods: the Petasis reaction and Pomeranz–Fritsch–Bobbitt cyclization. The diastereomeric morpholinone derivative N-(2,2-diethoxyethyl)-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5-phenyl-1,4-oxazin-2-one formed in the Petasis reaction was further transformed into 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-1-carboxylic acid via Pomeranz–Fritsch–Bobbitt cyclization, a classical method of synthesis leading to the tetrahydroisoquinoline core. We review important examples of applications of the Pomeranz–Fritsch process and its modifications in the synthesis of chiral tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives that have been published in the past two decades.

Synthesis of new substituted 7,12-dihydro-6,12-methanodibenzo[c,f]azocine-5-carboxylic acids containing a tetracyclic tetrahydroisoquinoline core structure

A convenient and simple protocol has been developed for the synthesis of a series of new tetracyclic tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives, 7,12-dihydro-6,12-methanodibenzo[c,f]-azocine-5-carboxylic acids by three component Petasis reaction with the use of aminoacetaldehyde acetals bearing substituted benzyl groups as the amine components followed by Pomeranz-Fritsch double cyclization reaction. By applying this method, several acids have been prepared in satisfactory yields. An unprecedented chemical behavior of a Petasis reaction product in diluted HCl solution leading to the formation of a phenylglycine derivative has been observed and the mechanism explaining such reactivity has been proposed.

Petasis vs. Strecker Amino Acid Synthesis: Convergence, Divergence and Opportunities in Organic Synthesis

α-Amino acids find widespread applications in various areas of life and physical sciences. Their syntheses are carried out by a multitude of protocols, of which Petasis and Strecker reactions have emerged as the most straightforward and most widely used. Both reactions are three-component reactions using the same starting materials, except the nucleophilic species. The differences and similarities between these two important reactions are highlighted in this review.

New Advances in the Synthetic Application of Enantiomeric 1-Phenylethylamine (α-PEA): Privileged Chiral Inducer and Auxiliary

New developments in the synthesis, resolution, and synthetic applications of chiral 1-phenylethylamine (α-PEA) reported in the last decade have been reviewed. In particular, improvements in the synthesis of α-PEA and its derivatives and chiral resolution, as well as their applications in the resolution of other compounds, were discussed. α-PEA was used as a chiral auxiliary in the diastereoselective synthesis of medicinal substances and natural products. Chiral ligands with α-PEA moieties were applied in asymmetric reactions, and effective modular chiral organocatalysts were constructed with α-PEA fragments and used in important synthetic reactions.

Reactivity and Synthetic Applications of Multicomponent Petasis Reactions

The Petasis boron-Mannich reaction, simply referred to as the Petasis reaction, is a powerful multicomponent coupling reaction of a boronic acid, an amine, and a carbonyl derivative. Highly functionalized amines with multiple stereogenic centers can be efficiently accessed via the Petasis reaction with high levels of both diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. By drawing attention to examples reported in the past 8 years, this Review demonstrates the breadth of the reactivity and synthetic applications of Petasis reactions in several frontiers: the expansion of the substrate scope in the classic three-component process; nonclassic Petasis reactions with additional components; Petasis-type reactions with noncanonical substrates, mechanism, and products; new asymmetric versions assisted by chiral catalysts; combinations with a secondary or tertiary transformation in a cascade- or sequence-specific manner to access structurally complex, natural-product-like heterocycles; and the synthesis of polyhydroxy alkaloids and biologically interesting molecules.

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.