Controlling stereochemistry in crotyl additions to aldehydes with crotylmolybdenum complexes

An application of electronic asymmetry to highly enantioselective catalytic Diels-Alder reactions

The compounds (RRu)-[CyRuCl(S)-BINPO]SbF6 and [CyRuCl(S)-TolBINPO]SbF6 (Cy = eta6-cymene), were synthesized from (CyRuCl2)(2) and the appropriate non-C2-symmetric bisphosphine monoxide ligands (S)-BINPO and (S)-TolBINPO (BINPO = 2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl) in the presence of NaSbF6. When these complexes were mixed with AgSbF6 the resulting Lewis acids catalyzed the Diels-Alder cycloaddition of cyclopentadiene and methacrolein. The product (2S)-methylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxaldehyde was obtained with excellent diastereoselectivity (up to 99%) and enantioselectivity (up to 99%) in several cases. When the complexes containing the analogous C2-symmetric bisphosphine ligands (S)-BINAP and (S)-TolBINAP were employed as catalysts, the Diels-Alder cycloadducts were obtained with much lower enantioselectivity (19 to 50%) for the opposite antipode. Although some of the effect may arise from chelate ring size change, much of the enhanced stereoselectivity of (RRu)-[CyRuCl(S)-BINPO]SbF6 and [CyRuCl(S)-TolBINPO]SbF6 can be attributed to the electronic asymmetry at the stereogenic Ru center.

Preparation of homoallylic alcohols by reaction of aldehydes with η3-allyl- and η3-crotylmolybdenum complexes

η3-Allyl and η3-methallyl complexes of molybdenum react with aldehydes to give homoallylic alcohols in preparative yields when water is used as a proton source, but the scope of the reaction is narrowed in the case of the η3-crotylmolybdenum complex by the formation of both transposed and nontransposed products.Key words: molybdenum, allylation, chelate model, transposition.

Total Synthesis of Natural Bicyclic Lactones (+)-Dihydrocanadensolide, (+/-)-Avenociolide, and (+/-)-Isoavenociolide via Tungsten-pi-Allyl Complexes

A synthetic method using tungsten-pi-allyl compounds is developed for total syntheses of natural bislactones including (+)-dihydrocanadensaolide (2), (+/-)-avenociolide (3), and (+/-)-isoavenociolide (4). Syntheses of these natural compounds are based on a common intermediate, trans-alpha-methylene butyrolactones bearing an anti-homoallylic alcohol. The kep steps in the syntheses involve an intramolecular alkoxycarbonylation of propargyltungsten complexes to yield tungsten-pi,gamma-lactonyl species, followed by condensation of their CpW(NO)I(pi-allyl) derivatives with suitable aldehydes. This new method is very efficient for the synthesis of (+/-)-avenociolide (3) and (+/-)-isoavenociolide (4). Total syntheses of compounds 3 and 4 require only six and three steps, respectively, on the basis of chloropropargyl derivatives.

Tungsten-Mediated Syntheses of Fused alpha-Methylenebutyrolactones from Propargyl Bromides Containing Tethered Aldehydes and Ketones

The reaction of CpW(CO)(3)Na with a number of propargyl bromides with tethered aldehydes and ketones afforded eta(1)-propargyl species that were subsequently transformed into tungsten-eta(3)-2-(methoxycarbonyl)allyl compounds upon treatment with p-TSA/CH(3)OH; the overall yields exceeded 60%. Sequential treatment of these tungsten-eta(3)-allyl complexes with NOBF(4) and NaI in CH(3)CN led to intramolecular allyltungsten-carbonyl cyclization, yielding fused alpha-methylene butyrolactones of five-, six-, and seven-membered carbocyclic rings. All the reactions proceeded with high diastereoselectivities except for 9-methylene-7-oxabicyclo[4.3.0]nonan-8-one (22) and 10-methylene-8-oxabicyclo[5.3.0]decan-9-one (23). Modification of the metal center with a chloride ligand led to significant improvement of the trans-stereoselection of 22; the chloride modification did not significantly enhance stereoselection of 23. The stereochemical course of the reaction products is rationalized on the basis of a bicyclic transition-state mechanism.