Enantioselective synthesis of the essential oil and pheromonal component ar-himachalene by a chiral pool and chirality induction approach

Enantioselective Ir-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Terminal Homoallyl Sulfones: Total Synthesis of (-)-Curcumene

A novel methodology for the preparation of chiral methyl benzylic compounds is reported. Terminal homoallyl sulfones were prepared from homoallyl alcohols, which are easily accessible through the recently reported Lewis acid isomerization of oxetanes. The iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of homoallylic sulfones afforded γ-chiral sulfones with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee). The synthetic potential of this novel methodology was demonstrated by the total synthesis of (R)-(-)-curcumene.

Temporary or removable directing groups enable activation of unstrained C-C bonds

Carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds constitute basic skeletons in most organic molecules. One can imagine that selective manipulation of C-C bonds would provide a direct approach to edit or alter molecular scaffolds but has been an ongoing challenge. Due to the kinetic inertness of C-C bonds, the common strategies of activating these bonds by transition metals rely on either the use of highly strained substrates or the assistance of a permanent directing group (DG), in which strain relief or formation of stable metallocycles becomes the driving force. To allow more common and less strained compounds utilized as substrates for C-C activation, the use of temporary and removable DGs has emerged as an attractive strategy in the past two decades. A variety of C-C bonds in unstrained or less strained organic molecules now can be converted to more reactive metal-carbon bonds, and further downstream transformations have led to diverse synthetic methods. This review highlights the development of catalytic approaches that can activate unstrained C-C bonds enabled by temporary or removable DGs. The content is mainly divided based on the nature of the DGs: temporary and removable. Applications of these methods in syntheses of natural products or bioactive molecules are also discussed.

Tandem Peterson olefination and chemoselective asymmetric hydrogenation of β-hydroxy silanes

Here, we report the first Ir-N,P complex catalyzed tandem Peterson olefination and asymmetric hydrogenation of β-hydroxy silanes. This reaction resulted in the formation of chiral alkanes in high isolated yields (up to 99%) and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee) under mild conditions. Modification of the reaction conditions provides a choice to transform either an olefin or the β-hydroxy silane in a chemoselective manner. Additionally, based on this method, an expedient enantioselective synthesis of (S)-(+)-α-curcumene, from a simple ketone, was accomplished in two steps with 75% overall yield and 95% ee.

The logic of translating chemical knowledge into machine-processable forms: a modern playground for physical-organic chemistry

With renewed interest and significant progress in computer-assisted synthetic planning, it is essential to codify the logic that should be followed when translating organic synthetic knowledge into reaction rules understandable to the machine.

Catalytic activation of carbon-carbon bonds in cyclopentanones

In the chemical industry, molecules of interest are based primarily on carbon skeletons. When synthesizing such molecules, the activation of carbon-carbon single bonds (C-C bonds) in simple substrates is strategically important: it offers a way of disconnecting such inert bonds, forming more active linkages (for example, between carbon and a transition metal) and eventually producing more versatile scaffolds. The challenge in achieving such activation is the kinetic inertness of C-C bonds and the relative weakness of newly formed carbon-metal bonds. The most common tactic starts with a three- or four-membered carbon-ring system, in which strain release provides a crucial thermodynamic driving force. However, broadly useful methods that are based on catalytic activation of unstrained C-C bonds have proven elusive, because the cleavage process is much less energetically favourable. Here we report a general approach to the catalytic activation of C-C bonds in simple cyclopentanones and some cyclohexanones. The key to our success is the combination of a rhodium pre-catalyst, an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand and an amino-pyridine co-catalyst. When an aryl group is present in the C3 position of cyclopentanone, the less strained C-C bond can be activated; this is followed by activation of a carbon-hydrogen bond in the aryl group, leading to efficient synthesis of functionalized α-tetralones-a common structural motif and versatile building block in organic synthesis. Furthermore, this method can substantially enhance the efficiency of the enantioselective synthesis of some natural products of terpenoids. Density functional theory calculations reveal a mechanism involving an intriguing rhodium-bridged bicyclic intermediate.

Advances in Synthetic Applications of Hypervalent Iodine Compounds

The preparation, structure, and chemistry of hypervalent iodine compounds are reviewed with emphasis on their synthetic application. Compounds of iodine possess reactivity similar to that of transition metals, but have the advantage of environmental sustainability and efficient utilization of natural resources. These compounds are widely used in organic synthesis as selective oxidants and environmentally friendly reagents. Synthetic uses of hypervalent iodine reagents in halogenation reactions, various oxidations, rearrangements, aminations, C-C bond-forming reactions, and transition metal-catalyzed reactions are summarized and discussed. Recent discovery of hypervalent catalytic systems and recyclable reagents, and the development of new enantioselective reactions using chiral hypervalent iodine compounds represent a particularly important achievement in the field of hypervalent iodine chemistry. One of the goals of this Review is to attract the attention of the scientific community as to the benefits of using hypervalent iodine compounds as an environmentally sustainable alternative to heavy metals.

Seven-membered rings through metal-free rearrangement mediated by hypervalent iodine

A versatile and metal-free approach for the synthesis of carbocycles and of heterocycles bearing seven- and eight-membered rings is described. The strategy is based on ring expansion of 1-vinylcycloalkanols (or the corresponding silyl or methyl ether) mediated by the hypervalent iodine reagent HTIB (PhI(OH)OTs). Reaction conditions can be easily adjusted to give ring expansion products bearing different functional groups. A route to medium-ring lactones was also developed.

Total synthesis of a reported fluorometabolite from Streptomyces sp. TC1 indicates an incorrect assignment. The isolated compound did not contain fluorine

3,5-Di-tert-butyl-4-fluorophenylpropionic acid (1) was recently reported as a natural product from Streptomyces sp. TC1. This was a notable disclosure because fluorinated natural products are exceedingly rare, and in this case it suggested that the bacterium had the capacity to mediate an enzymatic aryl fluorination reaction. However, a synthesis of the putative metabolite 1 demonstrates that the spectroscopic data are inconsistent with the proposed structure. There is no evidence that the isolated compound contained a fluorine atom.

Homogeneous and heterogeneous photoredox-catalyzed hydroxymethylation of ketones and keto esters: catalyst screening, chemoselectivity and dilution effects

The homogeneous titanium- and dye-catalyzed as well as the heterogeneous semiconductor particle-catalyzed photohydroxymethylation of ketones by methanol were investigated in order to evaluate the most active photocatalyst system. Dialkoxytitanium dichlorides are the most efficient species for chemoselective hydroxymethylation of acetophenone as well as other aromatic and aliphatic ketones. Pinacol coupling is the dominant process for semiconductor catalysis and ketone reduction dominates the Ti(OiPr)4/methanol or isopropanol systems. Application of dilution effects on the TiO2 catalysis leads to an increase in hydroxymethylation at the expense of the pinacol coupling.

Natural sesquiterpenoids

This review covers the isolation, structural determination, synthesis and chemical and microbiological transformations of natural sesquiterpenoids. The literature from January to December 2012 is reviewed, and 471 references are cited.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Natural Trinorsesquiterpene Tetralones by Chemo-enzymatic Approaches

The enantioselective syntheses of both the enantiomeric forms of the four natural tetralones 1a-d are here described. The aforementioned trinorsesquiterpenes were prepared starting either from substituted ( S)-3-arylbutanols 5a-c or from substituted ( S)-2-arylpropanols 7a-c. The latter chiral building blocks were in turn obtained through two different kinds of enzymatic transformations consisting of the baker's yeast mediated reduction of substituted ( E)-3-aryl-but-2-enals 4a-c and the lipase-mediated resolution of racemic 2-arylpropanols 7a-c, respectively. Further key steps of the presented syntheses were C1 and C2 homologation procedures as well as the ring closure of the substituted 4-aryl-pentanoic acids 3a-c. By these means the target compounds were obtained in good yields and with very high stereoisomeric purity. In addition, the trinorsesquiterpene schiffnerone-B was synthesized for the first time and its absolute configuration was unambiguously assigned.