Chiral Hypervalent Organoiodine-Catalyzed Enantioselective Oxidative Spirolactonization of Naphthol Derivatives

Synthesis of Chiral Biphenyl Monophosphines as Ligands in Enantioselective Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling

Herein, we describe our design and synthesis of novel chiral monophosphine ligands by the short-step addition of chiral lactates as side chains to the well-known ligand SPhos/RuPhos. The new chiral ligands were shown to be highly efficient in palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, providing a series of axially chiral biphenyl products in high yield and high enantioselectivity. Furthermore, the gram-scale reaction and the diverse conversions of the products demonstrated the potential utility of the approach.

Stereo-Controlled Synthesis of Vicinal Tertiary Carbinols: Application in the Synthesis of a Diol Substructure of Zaragozic Acid, Pactamycin and Ryanodol

A novel and flexible approach for the stereo-controlled synthesis of vicinal tertiary carbinols is reported. The developed strategy featured a highly diastereoselective singlet-oxygen (O2 1 ) [4+2] cycloaddition of rationally designed cyclohexadienones (derived from oxidative dearomatization of the corresponding carboxylic-acid appended phenol precursors), followed by programmed "O-O" and "C-C" bond cleavage. In doing so, a highly functionalized and versatile intermediate was identified and prepared in synthetically useful quantity as a plausible precursor to access a variety of designed and naturally occurring vicinal tertiary carbinol containing compounds. Most notably, the developed strategy was successfully applied in the stereo-controlled synthesis of advanced core structures of zaragozic acid, pactamycin and ryanodol.

Catalyst-Substrate Helical Character Matching Determines the Enantioselectivity in the Ishihara-Type Iodoarenes Catalyzed Asymmetric Kita-Dearomative Spirolactonization

Catalyst design has traditionally focused on rigid structural elements to prevent conformational flexibility. Ishihara's elegant design of conformationally flexible C₂-symmetric iodoarenes, a new class of privileged organocatalysts, for the catalytic asymmetric dearomatization (CADA) of naphthols is a notable exception. Despite the widespread use of the Ishihara catalysts for CADAs, the reaction mechanism remains the subject of debate, and the mode of asymmetric induction has not been well established. Here, we report an in-depth computational investigation of three possible mechanisms in the literature. Our results, however, reveal that this reaction is best rationalized by a fourth mechanism called "proton-transfer-coupled-dearomatization (PTCD)", which is predicted to be strongly favored over other competing pathways. The PTCD mechanism is consistent with a control experiment and further validated by applying it to rationalize the enantioselectivities. Oxidation of the flexible I(I) catalyst to catalytic active I(III) species induces a defined C₂-symmetric helical chiral environment with a delicate balance between flexibility and rigidity. A match/mismatch effect between the active catalyst and the substrate's helical shape in the dearomatization transition states was observed. The helical shape match allows the active catalyst to adapt its conformation to maximize attractive noncovalent interactions, including I(III)···O halogen bond, N-H···O hydrogen bond, and π···π stacking, to stabilize the favored transition state. A stereochemical model capable of rationalizing the effect of catalyst structural variation on the enantioselectivities is developed. The present study enriches our understanding of how flexible catalysts achieve high stereoinduction and may serve as an inspiration for the future exploration of conformational flexibility for new catalyst designs.

Progress in organocatalysis with hypervalent iodine catalysts

Hypervalent iodine compounds as environmentally friendly and relatively inexpensive reagents have properties similar to transition metals. They are employed as alternatives to transition metal catalysts in organic synthesis as mild, nontoxic, selective and recyclable catalytic reagents. Formation of C-N, C-O, C-S, C-F and C-C bonds can be seamlessly accomplished by hypervalent iodine catalysed oxidative functionalisations. The aim of this review is to highlight recent developments in the utilisation of iodine(III) and iodine(V) catalysts in the synthesis of a wide range of organic compounds including chiral catalysts for stereoselective synthesis. Polymer-, magnetic nanoparticle- and metal organic framework-supported hypervalent iodine catalysts are also described.

Total Syntheses of Chloropupukeananin and Its Related Natural Products

Chloropupukeananin is a natural product that inhibits HIV-1 replication and has antitumor activity. Its structure consists of a chlorinated tricyclo[4.3.1.03,7]decane core skeleton with an array of highly oxidized multifunctional groups. In the biosynthesis of chloropupukeananin, (+)-iso-A82775C and (−)-maldoxin are employed as biosynthetic precursors for the intermolecular Diels–Alder and carbonyl–ene reactions, followed by the migration of the p-orcellinate group. Chloropupukeanolides and chloropestolides are intermediates and isomers in biosynthesis; their unique chemical structures and biosynthetic pathways have attracted significant attention from synthetic chemists. In this review, I present the synthetic studies on chloropupukeananin and its related compounds that have been conducted thus far.

An Unexpected Photoinduced Cyclization to Synthesize Fully Substituted γ-Spirolactones via Intramolecular Hydrogen Abstraction with Allyl Acrylates

A photoinduced intramolecular cyclization of allyl acrylates to synthesize fully substituted spiro-γ-butyrolactone compounds is described. The reaction is believed to undergo activation of the carbonyl group upon ultraviolet irradiation, 1,4-hydrogen...

Asymmetric Direct/Stepwise Dearomatization Reactions Involving Hypervalent Iodine Reagents

A remarkable growth in hypervalent iodine-mediated oxidative transformations as stoichiometric reagents as well as catalysts has been well-documented due to their excellent properties, such as mildness, easy handling, high selectivity, environmentally friendly nature, and high stability. This review aims at highlighting the asymmetric oxidative dearomatization reactions involving hypervalent iodine compounds. The present article summarizes asymmetric intra- and intermolecular dearomatization reactions using chiral hypervalent iodine reagents/catalysts as well as hypervalent iodine-mediated dearomatization reactions followed by desymmetrization.

An Efficient Approach for 3,3-Disubstituted Oxindoles Synthesis: Aryl Iodine Catalyzed Intramolecular C-N Bond Oxidative Cross-Coupling

Herein, we report the first intramolecular C-N bond formation of phenylpropanamide derivatives via organocatalytic oxidative reactions, affording 3,3-disubstituted oxindole derivatives with up to 99% yield. The high efficiency of this reaction is exemplified by the transition metal-free mild conditions and the ability to perform the reaction on a gram scale. Meanwhile, the DFT calculation of the catalytic oxidative transformation pathway has also been studied.

Dearomatization reaction of β-naphthols with disulfurating reagents

p-TsOH-catalyzed intermolecular dearomatization reactions of β-naphthols with disulfurating reagents were developed. Various β-naphthalenones bearing a quaternary carbon stereogenic center were obtained smoothly in good to excellent yields with high chemoselectivity in the presence of 5 mol% p-TsOH. This reaction features mild reaction conditions and excellent functional group tolerance.

The aryl iodine-catalyzed organic transformation via hypervalent iodine species generated in situ

The application of hypervalent iodine species generated in situ in organic transformations has emerged as a useful and powerful tool in organic synthesis, allowing for the construction of a series of bond formats via oxidative coupling. Among these transformations, the catalytic aryl iodide can be oxidized to hypervalent iodine species, which then undergoes oxidative reaction with the substrates and the aryl iodine regenerated again once the first cyclic cycle of the reaction is completed. This review aims to systematically summarize and discuss the main progress in the application of in situ-generated hypervalent iodine species, providing references and highlights for synthetic chemists who might be interested in this field of hypervalent iodine chemistry.

Application of chiral triazole-substituted iodoarenes in the enantioselective construction of spirooxazolines

A catalytic highly enantioselective synthesis of spirooxazolines is presented. Starting from readily available 2-naphthol-substituted benzamides and using catalytic amounts of a chiral triazole-substituted iodoarene catalyst, a variety of spirooxazolines can be isolated through an enantioselective oxidative dearomatization in up to 92% yield and 97% ee. The further synthetic utility of the optically enriched spirooxazolines was examined providing a corresponding 2-naphthalenole and an oxepin.

Regioselective benzoyloxylative dearomatization of naphthols by benzoyl peroxide under catalyst-free conditions

A direct regioselective benzoyloxylative dearomatization of both α- and β-naphthols by benzoyl peroxide under an air atmosphere, and radical inhibitor- and catalyst-free conditions at room temperature is described. The methodology provides a new efficient strategy for the construction of α-ketol derivatives bearing an oxo-quaternary carbon center from naphthols with good to excellent yields.

Effect of noncovalent interactions in ion pairs on hypervalent iodines: inversion of regioselectivity in sulfonyloxylactonization

The noncovalent interactions between the sulfonyloxy group and the cationic nitrogen-containing heterocyclic moiety substituted in hypervalent iodines caused specific regioselectivity in the sulfonyloxylactonization of 2-vinyl benzoic acids.

Iodoarene-Catalyzed Oxyamination of Unactivated Alkenes to Synthesize 5-Imino-2-Tetrahydrofuranyl Methanamine Derivatives

Reported here is the room-temperature metal-free iodoarene-catalyzed oxyamination of unactivated alkenes. In this process, the alkenes are difunctionalized by the oxygen atom of the amide group and the nitrogen in an exogenous HNTs₂ molecule. This mild and open-air reaction provided an efficient synthesis to N-bistosyl-substituted 5-imino-2-tetrahydrofuranyl methanamine derivatives, which are important motifs in drug development and biological studies. Mechanistic study based on experiments and density functional theory calculations showed that this transformation proceeds via activation of the substrate alkene by an in situ generated cationic iodonium(III) intermediate, which is subsequently attacked by an oxygen atom (instead of nitrogen) of amides to form a five-membered ring intermediate. Finally, this intermediate undergoes an S_N2 reaction by NTs₂ as the nucleophile to give the oxygen and nitrogen difunctionalized 5-imino-2-tetrahydrofuranyl methanamine product. An asymmetric variant of the present alkene oxyamination using chiral iodoarenes as catalysts also gave promising results for some of the substrates.

Recent Application of Chiral Aryliodine Based on the 2-Iodo­resorcinol Core in Asymmetric Catalysis

Chiral iodoarenes have been steadily increasing in importance in recent years, especially in enantioselective synthesis and catalysis. Since the development of the concept of chiral iodine(I/III) catalysis, the use of various chiral aryliodine frameworks has been explored in this area. This short review gives an overview of the use of chiral hypervalent iodine(I/III) reagents based on the 2-iodoresorcinol core with two attached two lactic side chains bearing ester or amide groups for the catalytic enantioselective dearomatization of phenol compounds, asymmetric oxidation of alkenes, and enantioselective α-functionalization of carbonyl compounds highlighting the excellent reactivities in terms of yield and enantioselectivity.

1 Introduction

2 Enantioselective Dearomatization of Phenol Derivatives

3 Asymmetric Oxidation of Alkenes

4 Enantioselective α-Functionalization of Carbonyl Compounds

5 Conclusion and Outlook

Hypervalent Iodine(III) Compounds as Biaxial Halogen Bond Donors

“Hypervalent” iodine(III) derivatives have been established as powerful reagents in organic transformations, but so far only a handful of studies have addressed their potential use as halogen-bonding noncovalent Lewis acids. In contrast to “classical” halogen-bond donors based on iodine(I) compounds, iodine(III) salts feature two directional electrophilic axes perpendicular to each other. Herein we present the first systematic investigation on biaxial binding to such Lewis acids in solution. To this end, hindered and unhindered iodolium species were titrated with various substrates, including diesters and diamides, via ¹H NMR spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. Clear evidence for biaxial binding was obtained in two model systems, and the association strengths increased by 2 orders of magnitude. These findings were corroborated by density functional theory calculations (which reproduced the trend well but underestimated the absolute binding constants) and a cocrystal featuring biaxial coordination of a diamide to the unhindered iodolium compound.

A Triazole-Substituted Aryl Iodide with Omnipotent Reactivity in Enantioselective Oxidations

A widely applicable triazole‐substituted chiral aryl iodide is described as catalyst for enantioselective oxidation reactions. The introduction of a substituent in ortho‐position to the iodide is key for its high reactivity and selectivity. Besides a robust and modular synthesis, the main advantage of this catalyst is the excellent performance in a plethora of mechanistically diverse enantioselective transformations, such as spirocyclizations, phenol dearomatizations, α‐oxygenations, and oxidative rearrangements. DFT‐calculations of in situ generated [hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo]arene isomers give an initial rational for the observed reactivity.

Chiral Hypervalent Iodines: Active Players in Asymmetric Synthesis

Asymmetric organocatalytic oxidations have been witnessed to an impressive development in the last years thanks to the establishment of important chiral hypervalent iodines(III/V). Many different approaches involving both stoichiometric and catalytic versions have provided a fundamental advance in this area within asymmetric synthesis. The easily handing, nontoxic, mild, environmentally friendly (green oxidants), and high stability that are features of these reagents have been applied to many reactions and also have allowed exploring further unprecedented enantioselective transformations. The intention of the present review is thus to highlight as a whole the many approaches utilized up to date to prepare chiral iodines(III/V), as well as their reactivity in a comprehensive manner.

Chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed aminative dearomatization of α-naphthols/Michael addition sequence

Asymmetric dearomatization reactions have recently emerged as a powerful tool for the rapid build-up of the molecular complexity. Chiral three-dimensional polycyclic molecules bearing contiguous stereogenic centers can be synthesized from readily available planar aromatic feedstocks. Here we report that an intermolecular asymmetric dearomatization reaction of α-naphthols bearing a tethered nucleophile at the C4 position of the naphthol ring is achieved by a chiral phosphoric acid. The reaction proceeds via a highly chemo- and regioselective aminative dearomatization/Michael addition sequence, affording a wide array of functionalized cyclic ketones in good yields (up to 93%) with excellent enantioselectivity (up to >99% ee). The catalyst loading can be reduced to 0.1 mol%. Preliminary mechanistic investigations identify that the enantioselectivity is established in the dearomatization step, while the Michael addition is the rate-limiting step. A working model accounting for the origin of the stereochemistry is proposed based on DFT calculations.

Functionalized spirolactones by photoinduced dearomatization of biaryl compounds

The idea of using biaryl structures to generate synthetic building blocks such as spirolactones is attractive because biaryl structures are abundant in biomass waste streams. However, the inertness of aromatic rings of biaryls makes it challenging to transform them into functionalized structures. In this work, we developed photoinduced dearomatization of nonphenolic biaryl compounds to generate spirolactones. We demonstrate that dearomatization can be performed via either aerobic photocatalysis or anaerobic photooxidation to tolerate specific synthetic conditions. In both pathways, dearomatization is induced by electrophilic attack of the carboxyl radical. The resulting spirodiene radical is captured by either oxygen or water in aerobic and anaerobic systems, respectively, to generate the spirodienone. These methods represent novel routes to synthesize spirolactones from the biaryl motif.

Mechanism and Origins of Chemo- and Stereoselectivities of Aryl Iodide-Catalyzed Asymmetric Difluorinations of β-Substituted Styrenes

The mechanism of the aryl iodide-catalyzed asymmetric migratory geminal difluorination of β-substituted styrenes ( Banik et al. Science 2016, 353, 51 ) has been explored with density functional theory computations. The computed mechanism consists of (a) activation of iodoarene difluoride (ArIF2), (b) enantiodetermining 1,2-fluoroiodination, (c) bridging phenonium ion formation via SN2 reductive displacement, and (d) regioselective fluoride addition. According to the computational model, the ArIF2 intermediate is stabilized through halogen-π interactions between the electron-deficient iodine(III) center and the benzylic substituents at the catalyst stereogenic centers. Interactions with the catalyst ester carbonyl groups (I(III)+···O) are not observed in the unactivated complex, but do occur upon activation of ArIF2 through hydrogen-bonding interactions with external Brønsted acid (HF). The 1,2-fluoroiodination occurs via alkene complexation to the electrophilic, cationic I(III) center followed by C-F bond formation anti to the forming C-I bond. The bound olefin and the C-I bond of catalyst adopt a spiro arrangement in the favored transition structures but a nearly periplanar arrangement in the disfavored transition structures. Multiple attractive non-covalent interactions, including slipped π···π stacking, C-H···O, and C-H···π interactions, are found to underlie the high asymmetric induction. The chemoselectivity for 1,1-difluorination versus 1,2-difluorination is controlled mainly by (1) the steric effect of the substituent on the olefinic double bond and (2) the nucleophilicity of the carbonyl oxygen of substrate.

Indanol-Based Chiral Organoiodine Catalysts for Enantioselective Hydrative Dearomatization

Rapid development in the last decade has rendered chiral organoiodine(I/III) catalysis a reliable methodology in asymmetric catalysis. However, due to the severely limited numbers of effective organoiodine catalysts, many reactions still give low to modest enantioselectivity. We report herein a solution to this issue through the introduction of a pivotal indanol scaffold to the catalyst design. Our catalyst architecture exhibits the advantage of high modularity and thereby expedites catalyst optimization. The catalyst was optimized for the challenging and highly sought-after hydrative dearomatization of 2-substituted phenols at the 4-position.

Rh-Catalyzed aminative dearomatization of 2-naphthols

β-Naphthalenones bearing a naked α-amino group could be rapidly constructed through a Rh-catalyzed aminative dearomatization reaction of 2-naphthols with O-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)hydroxylamine.

Asymmetric iodine catalysis-mediated enantioselective oxidative transformations

The implementation of chiral iodine catalysis has tremendously been developed in the field of asymmetric synthesis over the past decade. It enables the stereoselective creation of C-O as well as C-C, C-N and C-X (X = halogen) bonds through oxidative transformations. Thanks to the low toxicity and ease of handling of iodine compounds, this strategy offers many advantages over classical metal-catalyzed oxidations with chiral ligands. The approaches rely on iodine(i/iii) or (-i/+i) catalysis by using a chiral aryliodine or ammonium iodide respectively in combination with a suitable terminal oxidant. As such, the design of iodine compounds with central, axial or even planar chirality has allowed us to achieve high enantioselectivities. The goal of this review is to cover the different chiral iodine compound-catalyzed oxidative transformations including α-functionalization of carbonyl compounds, dearomatization of phenol derivatives and difunctionalization of alkenes which should demonstrate that iodine catalysis has now found its place in the realm of asymmetric organocatalysis.