Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Pyrazolo[3,4-d ]azepin-7(2H ,4H ,8H )-one Derivatives through a Sequential Michael Addition and Reductive Ring-Closing Strategy

Chiral-at-Metal Rh(III) Complex-Catalyzed Michael Addition of Pyrazolones with α,β-Unsaturated 2-Acyl Imidazoles

An efficient enantioselective conjugate addition of pyrazolones with α,β-unsaturated 2-acyl imidazoles catalyzed by chiral-at-metal rhodium complex is reported. The corresponding adducts were obtained in good yields (85%-96%) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99%). This protocol exhibits extraordinary reactivity, because of the fact that a complex with as little as 0.05 mol % Rh(III) can catalyze the title reaction on a gram-scale with excellent enantioselectivity.

Pyrazolone: a powerful synthon for asymmetric diverse derivatizations

This feature article reports recent advances in the asymmetric diverse derivatizations of the pyrazolone scaffold.