The direct catalytic asymmetric mannich reaction

Multicomponent Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling of Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine: Access to Abnormal Mannich and Mannich-Type Reaction

This study showcases successfully switchable approaches to accomplish the C3-aryl methylation and C3- amino methylation of privileged nitrogen-containing pharmaceutical compounds "imidazopyridines" with distinct amines, which surmounts the long-standing requirement for a superfluous directing group. These two transformations manifest pronounced regio- and chemo-divergent behavior, successfully demonstrating unprecedented multicomponent "abnormal Mannich and Mannich-type" reactions. The remarkable environmentally benign protocol has been efficiently extended to concise the synthesis and late-stage derivatization.

Asymmetric Acyclic 1,3-Difunctionalization of Vinyl Carbenes via Site-Selective Vinylogous Mannich-Type Interception of Oxonium Ylides

A novel and highly stereoselective acyclic 1,3-difunctionalization of vinyl metal carbene species has been developed via Rh(II)/chiral phosphoric acid co-catalyzed three-component reactions of vinyldiazoacetates with alcohols and imines. This innovative approach features excellent regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivities, demonstrating a broad scope and functional group compatibility. Notably, this is the first example of three-component asymmetric acyclic 1,3-difunctionalization with in situ-formed vinyl metal carbenes.

Modular enantioselective access to β-amino amides by Brønsted acid-catalysed multicomponent reactions

β-Amino acids are structural motifs widely found in therapeutic natural products, novel biomimetic polymers and peptidomimetics. As a convergent method, the synthesis of stereoenriched β-amino amides through the asymmetric Mannich reaction requires specialized amide substrates or a metal catalyst for enolate formation. By a redesign of the Ugi reaction, a conceptually different solution to prepare chiral β-amino amides was established using ambiphilic ynamides as two-carbon synthons. The modulation of ynamides or oxygen nucleophiles concisely furnished three classes of β-amino amides with generally good efficiency as well as excellent chemo- and stereo-control. The utility is verified in the preparation of over 100 desired products that bear one or two contiguous carbon stereocentres, including those that directly incorporate drug molecules. This advance also provides a synthetic shortcut to other valuable structures. The amino amides could be elaborated into β-amino acids, anti-vicinal diamines, γ-amino alcohols and β-lactams or undergo transamidation with amino acids and amine-containing pharmaceuticals.

Visible Light Induced C-H/N-H and C-X Bonds Reactions

Herein, we report efficient visible light-induced photoredox reactions of C–H/N–H and C–X Bonds. These methods have provided access to varied portfolio of synthetically important γ-ketoesters, azaspirocyclic cyclohexadienones spirocyclohexadienones, multisubstituted benzimidazole derivatives, substituted N,2-diarylacetamide, 2-arylpyridines and 2-arylquinolines in good yields and under mild conditions. Moreover, we have successfully discussed the construction through visible light-induction by an intermolecular radical addition, dearomative cyclization, aryl migration and desulfonylation. Similarly, we also spotlight the visible light-catalyzed aerobic C–N bond activation from well-known building blocks through cyclization, elimination and aromatization. The potential use of a wide portfolio of simple ketones and available primary amines has made this transformation very attractive.

The vital use of isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions (MCR) in chemical synthesis

Multicomponent (MCRs) reactions are classified as one-pot reaction where more than two starting materials are employed to form a single product that contains the building blocks of the starting components. MCRs are considered a convenient approach in synthetic chemistry and have many advantages over the traditional one or two-component reaction, by reducing the number of sequential multiple steps required and often producing better yields. This chapter dissects the use of isocyanide-based MCRs and the elegant chemistry that they offer to build useful scaffolds in the chemical synthetic field. In addition MCRs are considered as one of the recognisable options for increasing “greenness” during the synthesis of pharmaceutical and industrial products.

Boron-Catalyzed α-Functionalizations of Carboxylic Acids

Catalytic, chemoselective, and asymmetric α-functionalizations of carboxylic acids promise up-grading simple feedstock materials to value-added functional molecules, as well as late-stage structural diversifications of multifunctional molecules, such as drugs and their leads. In this personal account, we describe boron-catalyzed α-functionalizations of carboxylic acids developed in our group (five reaction types). The reversible boron carboxylate formation is key to the acidification of the α-protons and enolization using mild organic bases, allowing for chemoselective and asymmetric bond formations of carboxylic acids. The ligand effects on reactivity and stereoselectivity, substrate scopes, and mechanistic insights are summarized.

Usefulness of the Global E Factor as a Tool to Compare Different Catalytic Strategies: Four Case Studies

The global E factor (EG factor) has recently been introduced, in the context of asymmetric organocatalysis, as a new green chemistry metric to take into consideration the synthesis of the catalyst in the overall economy of the synthetic process of a given chiral molecule in optically pure form. Herein, its further usefulness in comparing diverse catalytic systems, even different from organocatalysts, is shown by the analysis of four case studies.

Multicomponent Reactions for the Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

Multicomponent reactions 9i.e., those that engage three or more starting materials to form a product that contains significant fragments of all of them), have been widely employed in the construction of compound libraries, especially in the context of diversity-oriented synthesis. While relatively less exploited, their use in target-oriented synthesis offers significant advantages in terms of synthetic efficiency. This review provides a critical summary of the use of multicomponent reactions for the preparation of active pharmaceutical principles.

Protonated Chiral 1,2-Diamine Organocatalysts for N-Selective Nitroso Aldol Reaction

The introduction of nitrogen to carbonyl groups is considered both challenging and highly desirable by those who work in the field of organic synthesis. In this study, a diphenylethylenediamine-derived catalyst demonstrating N-selectivity was designed using a quantum calculation for the nitroso aldol reaction. The reductive monoalkylation of (R,R)-(+)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine afforded an organic chiral diamine catalyst in high yield. The expected reaction mechanism for the nitroso aldol reaction was determined, and the product and solvent conditions were optimized through quantum calculations. The calculation results revealed that the enantioselectivity is determined by the hydrogen bond between the alkyl substituent of the chiral diamine and the oxygen of the aromatic aldehyde on the ammonium moiety. The reaction was found to proceed optimally in the presence of 5 mol % catalyst at −10 °C in brine. Using these conditions, an eco-friendly nitroso aldol reaction was performed in which the organic catalyst and cyclohexanone formed enamine. Nitrosobenzene, activated by hydrogen bonding with an ammonium catalyst, was used to minimize the steric hindrance between the catalyst and the reactant, resulting in high enantioselectivity. A nitroso aldol product with high N-selectivity and enantioselectivity (98% ee) was obtained in 95% yield. The catalyst developed in this study provides a less expensive and more environmentally friendly alternative for the nitroso aldol reaction.

On the Origin of Rh-Catalyzed Selective Ring-Opening Amidation of Substituted Cyclopropanols to Access β2-Amino Ketones

β²-Amino carbonyls, an α-substituted β-amino scaffold, hold a prominent place in the development of new pharmaceuticals and peptidomimetics. Herein, we report a highly efficient Rh-catalyzed ring-opening amidation of substituted cyclopropanols, which turned out to serve as a linchpin for the selective synthesis of β²-amino ketones to outcompete the formation of β³-isomers. Instead of the generally accepted rationale to consider steric factors for the β²-selectivity, orbital interaction was elucidated to play a more critical role in the amidative ring-opening of cyclopropanols to generate the key Rh-C intermediate. Subsequent inner-sphere acylnitrene transfer was achieved in excellent efficiency (TON > 5000) by using readily accessible dioxazolones as the amino source to afford β²-amino ketones with broad applicability.

Hf(OTf)4-Catalyzed Three-Component Synthesis of N-Carbamate-Protected β-Amino Ketones

Hafnium(IV) triflate (Hf(OTf)₄) has been identified as a potent catalyst for the direct three-component synthesis of β-carbamate ketones. This new method, featuring a low catalyst loading, fast reaction rate, and solvent-free conditions, provided facile access to a diversity of carbamate-protected Mannich bases. A mechanistic investigation indicated that the three-component reaction proceeds via sequential aldol condensation and aza-Michael addition, but not the Mannich-type pathway.

A Visible Light-Mediated Three-Component Strategy Based on the Ring-Opening of Cyclic Ethers with Aryldiazoacetates and Nucleophiles

A blue light-promoted reaction between aryldiazoacetates and different nucleophiles has been developed in the presence of THF (and other cyclic ethers) as solvent, allowing the incorporation of these three elements...

Catalytic Enantioselective Alkylation of Prochiral Enolates

The asymmetric alkylation of enolates is a particularly versatile method for the construction of α-stereogenic carbonyl motifs, which are ubiquitous in synthetic chemistry. Over the past several decades, the focus has shifted to the development of new catalytic methods that depart from classical stoichiometric stereoinduction strategies (e.g., chiral auxiliaries, chiral alkali metal amide bases, chiral electrophiles, etc.). In this way, the enantioselective alkylation of prochiral enolates greatly improves the step- and redox-economy of this process, in addition to enhancing the scope and selectivity of these reactions. In this review, we summarize the origin and advancement of catalytic enantioselective enolate alkylation methods, with a directed emphasis on the union of prochiral nucleophiles with carbon-centered electrophiles for the construction of α-stereogenic carbonyl derivatives. Hence, the transformative developments for each distinct class of nucleophile (e.g., ketone enolates, ester enolates, amide enolates, etc.) are presented in a modular format to highlight the state-of-the-art methods and current limitations in each area.

Asymmetric Catalytic Ketimine Mannich Reactions and Related Transformations

The catalytic enantioselective ketimine Mannich and its related reactions provide direct access to chiral building blocks bearing an α-tertiary amine stereogenic center, a ubiquitous structural motif in nature. Although ketimines are often viewed as challenging electrophiles, various approaches/strategies to circumvent or overcome the adverse properties of ketimines have been developed for these transformations. This review showcases the selected examples that highlight the benefits and utilities of various ketimines and remaining challenges associated with them in the context of Mannich, allylation, and aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions as well as their variants.

Three-component radical homo Mannich reaction

Aliphatic amine, especially tertiary aliphatic amine, is one of the most popular functionalities found in pharmaceutical agents. The Mannich reaction is a classical and widely used transformation for the synthesis of β-amino-carbonyl products. Due to an ionic nature of the mechanism, the Mannich reaction can only use non-enolizable aldehydes as substrates, which significantly limits the further applications of this powerful approach. Here we show, by employing a radical process, we are able to utilize enolizable aldehydes as substrates and develop the three-component radical homo Mannich reaction for the streamlined synthesis of γ-amino-carbonyl compounds. The electrophilic radicals are generated from thiols via the desulfurization process facilitated by visible-light, and then add to the electron-rich double bonds of the in-situ formed enamines to provide the products in a single step. The broad scope, mild conditions, high functional group tolerance, and modularity of this metal-free approach for the synthesis of complex tertiary amine scaffolds will likely be of great utility to chemists in both academia and industry.

Ru-Tethered (R,R)-TsDPEN with DMAB as an efficient catalytic system for high enantioselective one-pot synthesis of chiral β-aminol via asymmetric transfer hydrogenation

This work reflects Ru-tethered-TsDPEN as an active chiral catalyst for one pot selective synthesis of optically active α-substituted alcohols and its derivatives from α-bromo ketones in the presence of dimethylamine borane (DMAB) as the hydrogen source.

Construction of chiral α-tert-amine scaffolds via amine-catalyzed asymmetric Mannich reactions of alkyl-substituted ketimines

Stereoselective Mannich reactions of aldehydes with ketimines provide chiral β-amino aldehydes that bear an α-tert-amine moiety. However, the structural variation of the ketimines is limited due to the formation of inseparable E/Z isomers, low reactivity, and other synthetic difficulties. In this study, a highly diastereodivergent synthesis of hitherto difficult-to-access β-amino aldehydes that bear a chiral α-tert-amine moiety was achieved using the amine-catalyzed Mannich reactions of aldehydes with less-activated Z-ketimines that bear both alkyl and alkynyl groups.

Direct Asymmetric Three-Component Mannich Reaction Catalyzed by Chiral Counteranion-Assisted Silver

Direct asymmetric three-component Mannich reaction involving simple ketones (such as cyclohexanone, acetone, and acetophenone) as donors and catalyzing by silver tartaric acid-derived phosphate was realized to afford a series of optically active β-amino-ketone derivatives in high yields (up to 96%) and good-to-high enantioselectivities (up to 97%) with moderate-to-good diastereoselectivities. This is the first example of direct catalytic asymmetric three-component Mannich reaction via a chiral counteranion-directed strategy.

Imines as acceptors and donors in N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) organocatalysis

The synthetic potential of imines as electrophiles or as a source of nucleophilic coupling partner in N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis for the synthesis of various nitrogen heterocycles and functionalized amines is highlighted in this Feature Article. Electrophilic imines are suitable candidates for intercepting the NHC-derived acyl anions, homoenolate equivalents, and (di)enolates for the synthesis of α-amino ketones and a variety of lactam derivatives. Moreover, enamines generated from imines bearing α-hydrogen could be trapped with α,β-unsaturated acylazoliums for the synthesis of functionalized dihydropyridinones. NHCs are also useful for the umpolung of imines for the generation of aza-Breslow intermediates thus leading to the synthesis of indoles, quinolines, dihydroquinoxalines etc. A concise account of the diverse reactivity of imines in NHC catalysis has been presented.

Enantioselective three-component aminomethylation of α-diazo ketones with alcohols and 1,3,5-triazines

Enantioselective α-aminomethylation of carbonyl compounds constitutes a powerful protocol for introducing aminomethyl groups to simple organic molecules. However, current strategies rely on nucleophile-based enantioselective activation with inherently activated substrates only, and enantioselective protocol based on the activation of in situ-generated unstable formaldimines remains elusive, probably owing to their unstable nature and the lack of steric environment for efficient stereocontrols. Here, based on a rhodium/chiral phosphoric acid cooperative catalysis, we achieved an enantioselective three-component reaction of α-diazo ketones with alcohols and 1,3,5-triazines. A dual hydrogen bonding between the chiral phosphoric acid catalyst and two distinct active intermediates was proposed to be crucial for the efficient electrophile-based enantiocontrol. A series of chiral β-amino-α-hydroxy ketones including those derived from simple aliphatic alcohols, allylic alcohol, propargyl alcohol, complicated natural alcohols and water could all be prepared in high efficiency and enantioselectivity.

Strategies for enantioselective α-aminomethylation of carbonyl compounds rely on the chiral activation of stable ketones substrate. Here, the authors report a rhodium/chiral phosphoric acid cooperative catalysis for the three-component reaction of α-diazo ketones with alcohols and 1,3,5-triazines via imine chiral activation.

Frozen Solution-Mediated Asymmetric Synthesis: Control of Enantiomeric Excess

Asymmetric List-Mannich reactions were carried out in the frozen state to afford optically active adducts in moderate-to-good chemical yields and enantiomeric excesses (ee). The frozen solution exerts critical control of ee via entropy changes, in sharp contrast to the enthalpy-driven asymmetric reactions typically observed in homogeneous solvents. This study provides new perspectives for asymmetric syntheses and an attractive alternative to conventional media.

Recent advances in the catalytic synthesis of 3-aminooxindoles: an update

3-Substituted-3-aminooxindoles are versatile scaffolds and these motifs constitute the core structure of number of natural products and biologically active compounds.

Deconjugated butenolide: a versatile building block for asymmetric catalysis

Deconjugated butenolides have emerged as a popular synthon for the enantioselective synthesis of γ-lactones. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the catalytic asymmetric reactions of deconjugated butenolides reported till date.

Asymmetric Synthesis of γ-Amino Alcohols by Copper-Catalyzed Hydroamination

Asymmetric synthesis of γ-amino alcohols from unprotected allylic alcohols by a copper-catalyzed hydroamination strategy has been developed. Using easily accessible starting materials, a range of chiral 1,3-amino alcohols were prepared with excellent regio- and enantioselectivity. Further, this protocol provided an efficient one-step method for the enantioselective synthesis of γ-amino alcohols in an intermolecular manner.

Enantioselective Divergent Syntheses of (+)-Bulleyanaline and Related Isoquinoline Alkaloids from the Genus Corydalis

The isoquinoline alkaloids isolated from the genus Corydalis possess potent and diverse biological activities. Herein, a concise, divergent, and enantioselective route to access these natural products is disclosed. Key transformations of our approach include a challenging Zn-ProPhenol-catalyzed asymmetric Mannich reaction to build a quaternary stereogenic center and a rapid cationic Au-catalyzed cycloisomerization to the common structural skeleton of these natural products. Subsequent late-stage oxidations and modifications allow efficient access to the targeted alkaloids. Overall, seven natural products have been successfully synthesized in 6 to 10 steps from readily available starting materials, including (+)-corynoline, (+)-anhydrocorynoline, (+)-12-hydroxycorynoline, (+)-12-hydroxycorynoloxine, (+)-corynoloxine, (+)-6-acetonylcorynoline, and (+)-bulleyanaline.

Cu(I)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Mannich Reaction of Glycine Schiff Bases to Ketimines

A copper-catalyzed asymmetric Mannich reaction between glycine Schiff bases and ketimines has been developed. This method afforded 2-oxindole-based chiral syn-α,β-diamino acid derivatives in high yields (89-99%) with good to excellent diastereoselectivities (≤98:2 dr) and excellent enantioselectivities (95-99% ee).