Combinatorial approach for the design of new, simplified chiral phase-transfer catalysts with high catalytic performance for practical asymmetric synthesis of α-alkyl-α-amino acids

Recent Asymmetric Phase-Transfer Catalysis with Chiral Binaphthyl-Modified and Related Phase-Transfer Catalysts over the Last 10 Years

In this personal account, we describe our recent advances in the three types of phase-transfer catalysis for various transformations including asymmetric induction: Firstly, asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis with Maruoka-type C₂ -symmetric chiral biaryl-modified tetraalkylammonium salts and phosphonium salts; Secondly, asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis under base-free and neutral conditions; Thirdly, hydrogen-bonding catalysis using tetraalkylammonium and trialkylsulfonium salts. These three different strategies are illustrated by using various phase-transfer catalyzed transformations.

Improved Access to Chiral Tetranaphthoazepinium-Based Organocatalysts Using Aqueous Ammonia as Nitrogen Source

The class of 3,3'-diaryl substituted tetranaphthobisazepinium bromides has found wide application as highly efficient C₂-symmetrical phase-transfer catalysts (PTCs, Maruoka type catalysts). Unfortunately, the synthesis requires a large number of steps and hampers the build-up of catalyst libraries which are often desired for screening experiments. Here, we present a more economic strategy using dinaphthoazepine 7 as the common key intermediate. Only at this stage various aryl substituents are introduced, and only two individual steps are required to access target structures. This protocol was applied to synthesize ten tetranaphthobisazepinium compounds 1a-1j. Their efficiency as PTCs was tested in the asymmetric substitution of tert-butyl 2-((diphenylmethylene)amino)acetate. Enantioselectivities up to 92% have been observed with new catalysts.

Economy of Catalyst Synthesis-Convenient Access to Libraries of Di- and Tetranaphtho Azepinium Compounds

Efficient optimization procedures in chiral catalysis are usually linked to a straightforward strategy to access groups of structurally similar catalysts required for fine-tuning. The ease of building up such ligand libraries can be increased when the structure-modifying step (introduction of a substituent) is done at a later stage of the synthesis. This is demonstrated for the extended family of di- and tetranaphtho azepinium compounds, widely used as chiral phase transfer catalysts (PTC). Using 2,6-diiodo-4,5-dihydro-3H-dinaphtho[2,1-c:1',2'-e]azepine and 4,8-diiodo-6,7-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[c,e]azepine, respectively, as key intermediates, 18 spiro-azepinium compounds were synthesized in a total yield of 25-42% over 6-7 steps from 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-dicarboxylic acid or diphenic acid, respectively. The replacement of iodo groups with aryl substituents was performed as the last or the penultimate step of the synthesis.

Enantioselective Alkylation of Amino Acid Derivatives Promoted by Cyclic Peptoids under Phase-Transfer Conditions

The effects of substituents and cavity size on catalytic efficiency of proline-rich cyclopeptoids under phase-transfer conditions were studied. High affinity constants (Ka) for the sodium and potassium cations, comparable to those reported for crown ethers, were observed for an alternated N-benzylglycine/L-proline hexameric cyclopeptoid. This compound was found to catalyze the alkylation of N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine cumyl ester in values of enantioselectivities comparable with those reported for the Cinchona alkaloid ammonium salts derivatives (83-96% ee), and with lower catalyst loading (1-2.5% mol), in the presence of a broad range of benzyl, allyl and alkyl halides.

A new generation of chiral phase-transfer catalysts

Phase-transfer catalysis has long been recognized as a versatile method for organic synthesis. In particular, over more than the past three decades, asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis based on the use of structurally well-defined chiral catalysts has become a topic of great scientific interest. Although various effective chiral catalysts have already been reported and these catalysts were utilized for practical asymmetric transformations, further design and development of new chiral phase-transfer catalysts are still attractive research subjects in organic chemistry due to the high utility and practicability of phase-transfer-catalyzed reactions. This review focuses on the recent examples of newly designed effective chiral phase-transfer catalysts.

Discovery of Indoline-2-carboxamide Derivatives as a New Class of Brain-Penetrant Inhibitors of Trypanosoma brucei

There is an urgent need for new, brain penetrant small molecules that target the central nervous system second stage of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). We report that a series of novel indoline-2-carboxamides have been identified as inhibitors of Trypanosoma brucei from screening of a focused protease library against Trypanosoma brucei brucei in culture. We describe the optimization and characterization of this series. Potent antiproliferative activity was observed. The series demonstrated excellent pharmacokinetic properties, full cures in a stage 1 mouse model of HAT, and a partial cure in a stage 2 mouse model of HAT. Lack of tolerability prevented delivery of a fully curative regimen in the stage 2 mouse model and thus further progress of this series.

9-Amino-(9-deoxy)cinchona alkaloid-derived new chiral phase-transfer catalysts

A new class of 9-amino-(9-deoxy)cinchona alkaloid-derived chiral phase-transfer catalysts bearing amino groups was developed by using known cinchona alkaloids as the starting materials. Due to the transformation of the 9-hydroxyl group into a 9-amino functional group, the catalytic performances were significantly improved in comparison with the corresponding first generation phase-transfer catalysts, and excellent yields (92-99%) and high enantioselectivities (87-96% ee) were achieved in the benchmark asymmetric α-alkylation of glycine Schiff base. Based on the special contribution of the amino group to the high yield and enantioselectivity, the possible catalytic mechanism was conjectured.

Facile one-pot fabrication of a silica gel-supported chiral phase-transfer catalyst—N-(2-cyanobenzyl)-O(9)-allyl-cinchonidinium salt

A novel silica gel-supported cinchona alkaloid-based PTC catalyst was prepared by one-pot synthesis for the first time. Excellent enantioselectivities (72.0–96.9% ee) and 80–96% yields in enantioselective α-alkylation were achieved without significant loss in the catalytic performance for five runs.

Recent developments in asymmetric phase-transfer reactions

Phase-transfer catalysis has been recognized as a powerful method for establishing practical protocols for organic synthesis, because it offers several advantages, such as operational simplicity, mild reaction conditions, suitability for large-scale synthesis, and the environmentally benign nature of the reaction system. Since the pioneering studies on highly enantioselective alkylations promoted by chiral phase-transfer catalysts, this research field has served as an attractive area for the pursuit of "green" sustainable chemistry. A wide variety of asymmetric transformations catalyzed by chiral onium salts and crown ethers have been developed for the synthesis of valuable organic compounds in the past several decades, especially in recent years.

Designer chiral phase-transfer catalysts for green sustainable chemistry

A series of chiral quaternary ammonium salts derived from commercially available (R)- or (S)-binaphthol have been designed as new C2-symmetric chiral phase-transfer catalysts. In order to realize the flexible design of these phase-transfer catalysts, the combinatorial design approach has been developed. Chiral high-performance organocatalysts, thus obtained, have been successfully applied to the highly practical asymmetric synthesis of various amino acid derivatives, including α-alkyl and α,α-dialkyl-α-amino acids in addition to alkaloids. Furthermore, several chiral bifunctional phase-transfer catalysts have been designed and synthesized for effecting base-free phase-transfer reactions under essentially neutral conditions in order to realize green sustainable chemistry.

A systematic investigation of quaternary ammonium ions as asymmetric phase-transfer catalysts. Synthesis of catalyst libraries and evaluation of catalyst activity

Despite over three decades of research into asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis (APTC), a fundamental understanding of the factors that affect the rate and stereoselectivity of this important process are still obscure. This paper describes the initial stages of a long-term program aimed at elucidating the physical organic foundations of APTC employing a chemoinformatic analysis of the alkylation of a protected glycine imine with libraries of enantiomerically enriched quaternary ammonium ions. The synthesis of the quaternary ammonium ions follows a diversity-oriented approach wherein the tandem inter[4 + 2]/intra[3 + 2] cycloaddition of nitroalkenes serves as the key transformation. A two-part synthetic strategy comprised of (1) preparation of enantioenriched scaffolds and (2) development of parallel synthesis procedures is described. The strategy allows for the facile introduction of four variable groups in the vicinity of a stereogenic quaternary ammonium ion. The quaternary ammonium ions exhibited a wide range of activity and to a lesser degree enantioselectivity. Catalyst activity and selectivity are rationalized in a qualitative way on the basis of the effective positive potential of the ammonium ion.