Cu(I)-catalyzed stereospecific coupling reactions of enantioenriched α-stannylated benzyl carbamates and their application

Photoredox Nickel-Catalysed Stille Cross-Coupling Reactions

The Stille cross-coupling reaction is one of the most common strategies for the construction of C-C bonds. Despite notable strides in the advancement of the Stille reaction, persistent challenges persist in hindering its greener evolution. These challenges encompass multiple facets, such as the high cost of precious metals and ligands, the demand for various additives, and the slow reaction rate. In comparison to the dominant palladium-catalysed Stille reactions, cost-effective nickel-catalysed systems lag behind, and enantioconvergent Stille reactions of racemic stannanes remain undeveloped. Herein, we present a pioneering instance of nickel-catalysed enantioconvergent Stille cross-coupling reactions of racemic stannane reagents, resulting in the formation of C-C bonds in good to high yields with excellent stereoselectivity. This strategy provides a practical, scalable, and operationally straightforward method for the synthesis of C(sp3 )-C(sp3 ), C(sp3 )-C(sp2 ), and C(sp3 )-C(sp) bonds under exceptionally mild conditions (without additives and bases, ambient temperature). The innovative use of synergistic photoredox/nickel catalysis enables a novel single-electron transmetalation process of stannane reagents, providing a new research paradigm of Stille reactions.

Crystal structure of 2-oxo-1,2-di-phenyl-ethyl diiso-propyl-carbamate

The title compound, C21H25NO3, crystallized as a racemic twin in the Sohnke space group P21. In the mol-ecular structure of the title compound, both enanti-omers show a highly similar conformation with the urethane function and the benzoyl group showing an almost perpendicular arrangement [the dihedral angle is 72.46 (8)° in the S-enanti-omer and 76.21 (8)° in the R-enanti-omer]. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules of both enanti-omers show infinite helical arrangements parallel to the b axis formed by weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the phenyl ring of the benzoyl group and the carbamate carbonyl group. In case of the R-enanti-omer, this helix is additionally stabilized by a bifurcated hydrogen bond between the carbonyl function of the benzoyl group towards both phenyl groups of the mol-ecule.

Stereoselectivity in Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions of enantioenriched nucleophiles

Advances in Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions have facilitated the development of stereospecific variants enabling the use of configurationally stable, enantioenriched, main-group organometallic nucleophiles to form C(sp ³)-C(sp ²) bonds. Such stereospecific cross-coupling reactions constitute a powerful synthetic approach to attaining precise 3D control of molecular structure, allowing new stereogenic centres to be readily introduced into molecular architectures. Examples of stereospecific, Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions have been reported for isolable enantioenriched alkylboron, alkyltin, alkylgermanium and alkylsilicon nucleophiles. In these reactions, a single, dominant stereospecific pathway of transmetallation to palladium is required to effect efficient chirality transfer to the cross-coupled product. However, the potential for competing stereoretentive and stereoinvertive pathways of transmetallation complicates the stereochemical transfer in these processes and impedes the rational development of new stereospecific cross-coupling variants. In this Review, we describe the use of enantioenriched organometallic nucleophiles in stereospecific, Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions. We focus on systems involving well-defined, isolable, enantioenriched nucleophiles in which a clear stereochemical course of transmetallation is followed. Specific modes of electronic activation that influence the reactivity of alkylmetal nucleophiles are described and presented in the context of their impact on the stereochemical course of cross-coupling reactions. We expect that this Review will serve as a valuable resource to assist in deconvoluting the many considerations that potentially impact the stereochemical outcome of Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions.

A General Approach to Stereospecific Cross-Coupling Reactions of Nitrogen-Containing Stereocenters

A novel strategy employing cyclohexyl spectator ligands in Stille cross-coupling reactions has been developed as a general solution to the long-standing challenge of conducting stereospecific cross-coupling reactions at nitrogen-containing stereocenters. This method enables direct access to enantioenriched products that are difficult (or impossible) to obtain via alternative preparative methods. Selective and predictable transfer of a single secondary alkyl unit can be achieved under reaction conditions that exploit subtle electronic differences between activated and unactivated alkyl units. Through this approach, enantioenriched α-stannylated nitrogen-containing stereocenters undergo Pd-catalyzed arylation and acylation reactions with exceptionally high stereofidelity in all instances investigated. We demonstrate this process by using α-stannylated pyrrolidine, azetidine, and open-chain (benzylic and non-benzylic) nucleophiles in stereospecific reactions. This process will facilitate rapid and reliable access to enantioenriched compounds possessing nitrogen-substituted stereocenters, which constitute ubiquitous structural motifs in biologically active compounds emerging from the drug-discovery process.

Mechanism and Origins of Ligand-Controlled Stereoselectivity of Ni-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling with Benzylic Esters: A Computational Study

Nickel catalysts have shown unique ligand control of stereoselectivity in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of boronates with benzylic pivalates and derivatives involving C(sp3)-O cleavage. The SIMes ligand (1,3-dimesityl-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene) produces the stereochemically inverted C-C coupling product, while the tricyclohexylphosphine (PCy3) ligand delivers the retained stereochemistry. We have explored the mechanism and origins of the ligand-controlled stereoselectivity with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The oxidative addition determines the stereoselectivity with two competing transition states, an SN2 back-side attack type transition state that inverts the benzylic stereogenic center and a concerted oxidative addition through a cyclic transition state, which provides stereoretention. The key difference between the two transition states is the substrate-nickel-ligand angle distortion; the ligand controls the selectivity by differentiating the ease of this angle distortion. For the PCy3 ligand, the nickel-ligand interaction involves mainly σ-donation, which does not require a significant energy penalty for the angle distortion. The facile angle distortion with PCy3 ligand allows the favorable cyclic oxidative addition transition state, leading to the stereoretention. For the SIMes ligand, the extra d-p back-donation from nickel to the coordinating carbene increases the rigidity of the nickel-ligand bond, and the corresponding angle distortion is more difficult. This makes the concerted cyclic oxidative addition unfavorable with SIMes ligand, and the back-side SN2-type oxidative addition delivers the stereoinversion.

Stereospecific Palladium-Catalyzed Acylation of Enantioenriched Alkylcarbastannatranes: A General Alternative to Asymmetric Enolate Reactions

We report the development of a Pd-catalyzed process for the cross coupling of unactivated primary, secondary, and tertiary alkylcarbastannatrane nucleophiles with acyl electrophiles. Reactions involving optically active alkylcarbastannatranes occur with exceptional stereofidelity and with net retention of absolute configuration. Because the stereochemistry of the resulting products is entirely reagent-controlled, this process may be viewed as a general, alternative approach to the preparation of products typically accessed via asymmetric enolate methodologies. Additionally, we report a new method for the preparation of optically active alkylcarbastannatranes, which should facilitate their future use in stereospecific reactions.

Configurationally Stable, Enantioenriched Organometallic Nucleophiles in Stereospecific Pd-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions: An Alternative Approach to Asymmetric Synthesis

Several research groups have recently developed methods to employ configurationally stable, enantioenriched organometallic nucleophiles in stereospecific Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. By establishing the absolute configuration of a chiral alkyltin or alkylboron nucleophile prior to its use in cross-coupling reactions, new stereogenic centers may be rapidly and reliably generated with preservation of the known initial stereochemistry. While this area of research is still in its infancy, such stereospecific cross-coupling reactions may emerge as simple, general methods to access diverse, optically active products from common enantioenriched organometallic building blocks. This minireview highlights recent progress towards the development of general, stereospecific Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions using configurationally stable organometallic nucleophiles.

Carbastannatranes: a powerful coupling mediators in Stille coupling

Carbastannatranes are better coupling mediators in Stille coupling due to easy transfer of axial Sn-bound hydrocarbyl substituent during transmetallation step.

Stereospecific pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of secondary alkylboron nucleophiles and aryl chlorides

We report the development of a Pd-catalyzed process for the stereospecific cross-coupling of unactivated secondary alkylboron nucleophiles and aryl chlorides. This process tolerates the use of secondary alkylboronic acids and secondary alkyltrifluoroborates and occurs without significant isomerization of the alkyl nucelophile. Optically active secondary alkyltrifluoroborate reagents undergo cross-coupling reactions with stereospecific inversion of configuration using this method.

Synthesis and anticancer activity of all known (-)-agelastatin alkaloids

The full details of our enantioselective total syntheses of (-)-agelastatins A-F (1-6), the evolution of a new methodology for synthesis of substituted azaheterocycles, and the first side-by-side evaluation of all known (-)-agelastatin alkaloids against nine human cancer cell lines are described. Our concise synthesis of these alkaloids exploits the intrinsic chemistry of plausible biosynthetic precursors and capitalizes on a late-stage synthesis of the C-ring. The critical copper-mediated cross-coupling reaction was expanded to include guanidine-based systems, offering a versatile preparation of substituted imidazoles. The direct comparison of the anticancer activity of all naturally occurring (-)-agelastatins in addition to eight advanced synthetic intermediates enabled a systematic analysis of the structure-activity relationship within the natural series. Significantly, (-)-agelastatin A (1) is highly potent against six blood cancer cell lines (20-190 nM) without affecting normal red blood cells (>333 μM). (-)-Agelastatin A (1) and (-)-agelastatin D (4), the two most potent members of this family, induce dose-dependent apoptosis and arrest cells in the G2/M-phase of the cell cycle; however, using confocal microscopy, we have determined that neither alkaloid affects tubulin dynamics within cells.

Stereoretentive Pd-catalysed Stille cross-coupling reactions of secondary alkyl azastannatranes and aryl halides

The development of transition metal-catalysed cross-coupling reactions has greatly influenced the manner in which the synthesis of complex organic molecules is approached. A wide variety of methods are now available for the formation of C(sp(2))-C(sp(2)) bonds, and more recent work has focused on the use of C(sp(3)) electrophiles and nucleophiles. The use of secondary and tertiary alkyl nucleophiles in cross-coupling reactions remains a challenge because of the propensity of these alkyl groups to isomerize under the reaction conditions. Here, we report the development of a general Pd-catalysed process for the stereoretentive cross-coupling of secondary alkyl azastannatrane nucleophiles with aryl chlorides, bromides, iodides and triflates. Coupling partners with a wide range of electronic characteristics are well tolerated. The reaction occurs with minimal isomerization of the secondary alkyltin nucleophile, and with retention of absolute configuration. This process constitutes the first general method to use secondary alkyltin reagents in cross-coupling reactions.

Retention or inversion in stereospecific nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling of benzylic carbamates with arylboronic esters: control of absolute stereochemistry with an achiral catalyst

Stereospecific coupling of benzylic carbamates and pivalates with aryl- and heteroarylboronic esters has been developed. The reaction proceeds with selective inversion or retention at the electrophilic carbon, depending on the nature of the ligand. Tricyclohexylphosphine ligand provides the product with retention, while an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand provides the product with inversion.

Inversion or retention? Effects of acidic additives on the stereochemical course in enantiospecific Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of α-(acetylamino)benzylboronic esters

The stereochemical course of the stereospecific Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of enantioenriched α-(acetylamino)benzylboronic esters with aryl bromides can be switched by the choice of acidic additives in the presence of a Pd/XPhos catalyst system. Highly enantiospecific, invertive C-C bond formation takes place with the use of phenol as an additive. In contrast, high enantiospecificity for retention of configuration is attained in the presence of Zr(Oi-Pr)(4)·i-PrOH as an additive.

Stereocontrolled synthesis of α-amino-α'-alkoxy ketones by a copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of peptidic thiol esters and α-alkoxyalkylstannanes

A stereocontrolled synthesis of α-amino-α'-alkoxy ketones is described. This pH-neutral copper(I) thiophene-2-carboxylate (CuTC)-catalyzed cross-coupling of amino acid thiol esters and chiral nonracemic α-alkoxyalkylstannanes gives α-amino-α'-alkoxy ketones in good to excellent yields with complete retention of configuration at the α-amino- and α-alkoxy-substituted stereocenters.