Secondary amine catalyzed retro-aldol reactions of enals and enones: one-pot conversion of enals to α-substituted derivatives

CuAAC-Based Synthesis, Copper-Catalyzed Aldehyde-Forming Hydrolytic Fission and Antiproliferative Evaluation of Novel Ferrocenoylamino-Substituted Triazole-Tethered Quinine-Chalcone Hybrids

A series of novel triazole-tethered ferrocenoylamino-substituted cinchona-chalcone hybrids along with two representative benzoylamino-substituted reference compounds were prepared by three methods of CuAAC chemistry. In line with the limited success or complete failure of attempted conversions with low catalyst loadings, by means of DFT modeling studies, we demonstrated that a substantial part of the Cu(I) ions can be chelated and thus trapped in the aroylamino-substituted cinchona fragment and all of the accessible coordinating sites of the chalcone residues. Accordingly, increased amounts of catalysts were used to achieve acceptable yields; however, the cycloadditions with para-azidochalcones were accompanied by partial or complete aldehyde-forming hydrolytic fission of the enone C=C bond in a substituent-, solvent- and copper load-dependent manner. The experienced hydrolytic stability of the hybrids obtained by cycloadditions with ortho-azidochalcones was interpreted in terms of relative energetics, DFT reactivity indices and MO analysis of simplified models of two isomer copper-enone complexes. The novel hybrids were evaluated on HeLa, MDA-MB-231 and A2780 cell lines and showed substantial activity at low-to-submicromolar concentrations. An organometallic model carrying 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl residue in the enone part with a para-disubstituted benzene ring in the central skeletal region was identified as the most potent antiproliferative lead, characterized by submicromolar IC50 values measured on the three investigated cells. The biological assays also disclosed that this ferrocenoylamino-containing lead compound displays a ca. two- to five-fold more substantial antiproliferative effect than its benzoylamino-substituted counterpart.

Diastereo- and Enantioselective Cross-Couplings of Secondary Alkylcopper Reagents with 3-Halogeno-Unsaturated Carbonyl Derivatives

Chiral secondary alkylcopper reagents were prepared from the corresponding alkyl iodides with retention of configuration by an I/Li-exchange using tBuLi (-100 °C, 1 min) followed by a transmetalation with CuBr⋅P(OEt)3 (-100 °C, 20 s). These stereodefined secondary alkylcoppers underwent stereoretentive cross-couplings with several 3-iodo or 3-bromo unsaturated carbonyl derivatives leading to the corresponding γ-methylated Michael acceptors in good yields and with high diastereoselectivities (dr up to 96:4). The method was extended to enantiomerically enriched alkylcoppers, providing optically enriched advanced natural product intermediates with up to 90 % ee.

A Vinyl Cyclopropane Ring Expansion and Iridium-Catalyzed Hydrogen Borrowing Cascade

A vinyl cyclopropane rearrangement embedded in an iridium-catalyzed hydrogen borrowing reaction enabled the formation of substituted stereo-defined cyclopentanes from Ph* methyl ketone and cyclopropyl alcohols. Mechanistic studies provide evidence for the ring-expansion reaction being the result of a cascade based on oxidation of the cyclopropyl alcohols, followed by aldol condensation with the pentamethyl phenyl-substituted ketone to form an enone containing the vinyl cyclopropane. Subsequent single electron transfer (SET) to this system initiates a rearrangement, and the catalytic cycle is completed by reduction of the new enone. This process allows for the efficient formation of diversely substituted cyclopentanes as well as the construction of complex bicyclic carbon skeletons containing up to four contiguous stereocentres, all with high diastereoselectivity.

An efficient method for retro-Claisen-type C–C bond cleavage of diketones with tropylium catalyst

We report a new convenient and efficient method utilizing the tropylium ion as a mild and environmentally friendly organocatalyst to mediate retro-Claisen-type reactions.

Switching the Cleavage Sites in Palladium on Carbon-Catalyzed Carbon-Carbon Bond Disconnection

We have demonstrated a palladium on carbon-catalyzed approach to regioselectively alter the cleavage sites of the C-C bonds of cinnamaldehyde derivatives by a slight change in the reaction conditions in isopropanol under an O2 atmosphere. Styrene derivatives could be selectively formed by the addition of Na2CO3 in association with the dissociation of carbon monoxide, while benzaldehyde derivatives were generated by the addition of CuCl and morpholine instead of Na2CO3.

Microwave-assisted, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide catalysed 1,4-addition of water to α,β-unsaturated ketones and α,β-ynones in aqueous solution

Microwave-assisted, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide catalysed 1,4-addition reactions of water to α,β-unsaturated ketones and α,β-ynones take place efficiently in water.