Ireland–Claisen rearrangement of ynamides: stereocontrolled synthesis of 2-amidodienes

Asymmetric synthesis with ynamides: unique reaction control, chemical diversity and applications

Ynamides are among the most powerful building blocks in organic synthesis and have become invaluable starting materials for the construction of multifunctional compounds and challenging architectures that would be difficult to prepare otherwise. The rapidly growing popularity originates from the unique reactivity and ease of manipulation of the polarized ynamide triple bond, the advance of practical methods for making them, and the simplicity of storage and handling. These attractive features and the demonstration of numerous synthetic applications have spurred the development of intriguing asymmetric reaction strategies during the last decade. An impressive variety of chemo-, regio- and stereoselective carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond forming reactions with ynamides have been developed and now significantly enrich the toolbox of synthetic chemists. This review provides a comprehensive overview of asymmetric ynamide chemistry since 2010 with a focus on the general scope, current limitations, stereochemical reaction control and mechanistic aspects.

SYNTHESIS OF DE NOVO CHIRAL γ-AMINO-YNAMIDES USING LITHIATED YNAMIDES. OBSERVATION OF A UNIQUE 5-ENDO-DIG CYCLIZATION WITH AN INVERSION OF S-CENTER

We describe herein details of our efforts in developing a highly stereoselective synthesis of de novo chiral γ-amino-ynamides through additions of lithiated ynamides to Ellman-Davis chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines. While additions of ynamides could be highly stereoselective even without Lewis acids, the use of BF3-OEt2 completely reversed the stereoselectivity. On the other hand, additions of oxazolidinone-substituted, oxazinanone-substituted and tetrahydropyrimidinone-substituted ynamides behaved quite differently and functioned better with BF3-OEt2. The chirality of the oxazolidinone ring exerts no impact on the selectivity. This work also features a unique 5-endo-dig cyclization of oxazolidinone-substituted γ-amino-ynamides that could be promoted with acid, leading to isothiazoles and 2,3-dihydro-isothiazole S-oxides.

Synthesis of cyclopentenimines from N-allyl ynamides via a tandem aza-Claisen rearrangement-carbocyclization sequence

We describe here details of our investigations into Pd-catalyzed and thermal aza-Claisen-carbocyclizations of N-allyl ynamides to prepare a variety of α,β-unsaturated cyclopentenimines. The nature of the ynamide electron-withdrawing group and β-substituent plays critical roles in the success of this tandem cascade. With N-sulfonyl ynamides, the use of palladium catalysis is required, as facile 1,3-sulfonyl shifts dominate under thermal conditions. However, since no analogous 1,3-phosphoryl shift is operational, N-phosphoryl ynamides could be used to prepare similar cyclopentenimines under thermal conditions through zwitter ionic intermediates that undergo N-promoted H-shifts. Alternatively, by employing ynamides bearing tethered carbon nucleophiles, the zwitter ionic intermediates could be intercepted, giving rise rapidly to more complex fused bi- and tricyclic scaffolds.

A highly stereoselective addition of lithiated ynamides to Ellman-Davis chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines

A highly diastereoselective addition of lithiated ynamides to Ellman-Davis chiral imines is described. While additions of N-sulfonyl ynamides are highly stereoselective even without Lewis acids, the use of BF3-OEt2 completely reversed the stereoselectivity. In addition, oxazolidinone-substituted ynamides behaved differently and functioned better with BF3-OEt2, and the chirality of the oxazolidinone ring exerts no impact on the selectivity.

Synthesis of functionalized allenamides from ynamides by enolate Claisen rearrangement

The Claisen rearrangement of N-Boc glycinates derived from ynamido-alcohols affords an efficient and stereoselective access to highly functionalized allenamides. These compounds undergo silver-catalyzed cyclization to 3-pyrrolines which are useful precursors for the synthesis of substituted pyrrolidines.

α-Aryl-substituted allenamides in an imino-Nazarov cyclization cascade catalyzed by Au(I)

An imino-Nazarov cyclization using α-aryl-substituted allenamides is described. This gold(I)-catalyzed cascade is efficient and regioselective in constructing a diverse array of synthetically useful aromatic-ring fused cyclopentenamides. The success in this transformation represents a solution to the challenge in establishing an imino-Nazarov cyclization process.