Enantioselective fluorination mediated by cinchona alkaloid derivatives/Selectfluor combinations: reaction scope and structural information for N-fluorocinchona alkaloids

Organocatalyzed Asymmetric Michael Addition of 3-Fluorooxindole to Vinylidene Bisphosphonates

Both the 3-fluorooxindole and germinal bisphosphonate structural motifs are prevalent in bioactive molecules because of their associated biological activities. We describe an approach to accessing 3,3-disubstituted 3-fluorooxindoles bearing a geminal bisphosphate fragment through a highly enantioselective Michael addition reaction between 3-fluorooxindoles and vinylidene bisphosphonates. These reactions are catalyzed by a commercially available cinchona alkaloid catalyst, have a broad substrate scope concerning 3-fluorooxindoles, and provide the corresponding addition products in a yield of up to 95% with an enantiomeric excess of up to 95%. A reasonable reaction pathway to explain the observed stereochemistry is also proposed.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Less Accessible Fluorine-Containing Acyclic Tetrasubstituted Stereocenters via Electrophilic Fluorination of β,β-Disubstituted Metalloenamines

A stereocontrolled protocol was developed to construct less accessible fluorine-containing acyclic tetrasubstituted stereocenters bearing two sterically and electronically similar alkyl groups at the α-position of carbonyls. In this process, tBuOK-promoted stereospecific α-deprotonation of α,α-disubstituted N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines or NH deprotonation of β,β-disubstituted enesulfinamides generates geometry-defined multisubstituted metalloenamines, followed by stereoselective electrophilic fluorination with the N-fluoro ammonium salt of quinine, affording the acyclic α-fluorinated ketimines with excellent diastereoselectivities.

Ring-Opening Fluorination of Carbo/Heterocycles and Aromatics: Construction of Complex and Diverse Fluorine-Containing Molecules

Fluorine-containing molecules have attracted much attention in medicinal, agrochemical, and materials sciences because they offer unique physical and biological properties. Therefore, many efficient fluorination reactions have been developed over the years. Recent advancements in fluorination chemistry have expanded the range of substrates, and regioselectivity/stereoselectivity control has also been achieved. Ring-opening fluorination is an efficient method to construct complex fluorine-containing molecules with diversity, starting from simple cyclic compounds. This review aims to summarize developments in ring-opening fluorination, particularly with larger-sized cyclic compounds. Fluorine introduction and bond cleavage of cyclic compounds such as carbocycles, heterocycles, and aromatics provide efficient access to fluorine-containing compounds that are difficult to be synthesized by conventional methods.

N-Fluoro Ammonium Salts of Cinchona Alkaloids in Enantioselective Electrophilic Fluorination

From 2000, our two research groups independently and simultaneously designed and developed a novel family of electrophilic fluorinating reagents based on the use of Cinchona alkaloids. The chiral N-fluoro ammonium salts demonstrated the highest efficiency compared to prior art in enantioselective electrophilic fluorination for a wide range of substrates. In this account, we tell our respective stories, how the same idea germinated in our laboratories, the characterization of the chiral reagents, the use in stoichiometric quantity then the development of a catalytic version, the application to the synthesis of chiral fluorinated molecules of pharmaceutical interest, and finally the exploitation of our reagents by other teams and for other applications.

Asymmetric Fluorofunctionalizations with Carboxylate-Based Phase-Transfer Catalysts

Fluorine is an attractive element in the field of pharmaceutical and agrochemical chemistry due to its unique properties. Considering the chiral environment in nature, where enantiomers often show different biological activities, the introduction of fluorine atom(s) into organic molecules to make chiral fluorinated compounds is an important subject. Herein, we describe the story of the development of our chiral carboxylate-based phase-transfer catalysts and their applications for asymmetric fluorocyclizations of alkenes bearing a carboxylic acid, an amide, and an oxime as an internal nucleophile with a dicationic fluorinating reagent, Selectfluor. We also describe dearomative fluorinations of indole derivatives, 2-naphthols, and resorcinols.

Ring-opening fluorination of bicyclic azaarenes

We have discovered a ring-opening fluorination of bicyclic azaarenes. Upon treatment of bicyclic azaarenes such as pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridines with electrophilic fluorinating agents, fluorination of the aromatic ring is followed by a ring-opening reaction. Although this overall transformation can be classified as an electrophilic fluorination of an aromatic ring, it is a novel type of fluorination that results in construction of tertiary carbon-fluorine bonds. The present protocol can be applied to a range of bicyclic azaarenes, tolerating azines and a variety of functional groups. Additionally, mechanistic studies and enantioselective fluorination have been examined.

Synthesis of oxindoles bearing a stereogenic 3-fluorinated carbon center from 3-fluorooxindoles

3,3-Disubstituted oxindoles bearing a stereogenic 3-fluorinated carbon center are privileged structural motifs present in many bioactive molecules. The straightforward functionalization of 3-fluorooxindoles constitutes a powerful method for the synthesis of 3-fully substituted 3-fluorooxindoles, taking advantage of the ease of preparation of 3-fluorooxindoles with different substitution patterns and the atom efficiency of chemical reactions. In the past decade, many papers have appeared on the synthesis of 3-fully substituted 3-fluorooxindoles from 3-fluorooxindoles. Importantly, many asymmetric catalytic methods have been developed for the enantioselective synthesis of these valuable compounds. This review summarizes the achievements in this area, and overviews synthetic opportunities that still exist.

Enantioselective Construction of Tertiary α-Alkyl Fluoride via BTM-Catalyzed Fluorination of α-Alkynyl-Substituted Acetic Acids

The isothiourea-catalyzed enantioselective construction of tertiary α-fluoro stereogenic centers has been demonstrated by using branched alkynyl-substituted acetic acids as starting materials, providing a broad range of optically active tertiary α-alkyl fluorides in high enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee). Furthermore, this methodology was proven to be scaled up to a Gram scale without loss of enantioselectivity.

Reductively disilylated N-heterocycles as versatile organosilicon reagents

The reductively disilylated N-heterocyclic systems 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1-aza-2,5-cyclohexadiene (1Si), 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-dihydropyrazine (2Si) and its methyl derivatives (3Si and 4Si), and 1,1'-bis(trimethylsilyl)-4,4'-bipyridinylidene (5Si) are proficient organosilicon reagents owing to their low first vertical ionization potentials and the heterophilicity of the polarized N-Si bonds. These have prompted their reactivity as two-electron reductants or reductive silylations. These reactions benefit from the concomitant rearomatization of the N-heterocycles and liberation of trimethylsilyl halides or (Me₃Si)₂O, which are mostly volatile or easily removable byproducts. In this perspective, we have discussed the utilization of these reductively disilylated N-heterocyclic systems as versatile reagents in the salt-free reduction of transition metals (A) and main-group halides (B), in organic transformations (C) and in materials syntheses (D).

Recyclable fluorous cinchona organocatalysts for asymmetric synthesis of biologically interesting compounds

Organocatalysis has unique modes of activation, mild reaction conditions, and good catalyst structural amenability. The integration of green techniques such as catalyst recovery and one-pot reactions makes organocatalysis more efficient and attractive. Presented in this article are the recyclable cinchona alkaloid-catalyzed reactions including fluorination and Michael addition-initiated cascade reactions in asymmetric synthesis of functionalized compounds of biological interest.

Development of N-F fluorinating agents and their fluorinations: Historical perspective

This review deals with the historical development of all N-F fluorinating agents developed so far. The unique properties of fluorine make fluorinated organic compounds attractive in many research areas and therefore fluorinating agents are important. N-F agents have proven useful by virtue of their easy handling. This reagent class includes many types of N-F compounds: perfluoro-N-fluoropiperidine, N-fluoro-2-pyridone, N-fluoro-N-alkylarenesulfonamides, N-fluoropyridinium salts and derivatives, N-fluoroquinuclidium salts, N-fluoro-trifluoromethanesulfonimide, N-fluoro-sultams, N-fluoro-benzothiazole dioxides, N-fluoro-lactams, N-fluoro-o-benzenedisulfonimide, N-fluoro-benzenesulfonimide, 1-alkyl-4-fluoro-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane salts, N-fluoropyridinium-2-sulfonate derivatives, 1-fluoro-4-hydroxy-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane salts, N-fluorodinitroimidazole, N-fluoro-trichloro-1,3,5-triazinium salt, N-F ethano-Tröger’s base derivatives, N-fluoro-methanesulfonimide, N-fluoro-N-arylarenesulfonamides, bisN-F salts such as N,N’-difluorobipyridinium salts and N,N’-difluoro-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane salts, and their many derivatives and analogs, including chiral N-F reagents such as optically active N-fluoro-sultam derivatives, N-fluoro-alkaloid derivatives, DABCO-based N-F derivatives, and N-F binaphthyldisulfonimides. The synthesis and reactions of these reagents are described chronologically and the review also discusses the relative fluorination power of each reagent and their mechanisms chronicling developments from a historical perspective.

A Transient Directing Group Strategy Enables Enantioselective Multicomponent Organofluorine Synthesis

The vicinal fluorofunctionalization of alkenes represents an expedient strategy for converting feedstock olefins into valuable fluorinated molecules and as such has garnered significant attention from the synthetic community; however, current methods remain limited in terms of scope and selectivity. Here we report the site-selective palladium-catalyzed three-component coupling of alkenylbenzaldehydes, arylboronic acids, and N-fluoro-2,4,6-trimethylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate facilitated by a transient directing group. The synthetically enabling methodology constructs vicinal stereocenters with excellent regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivities, forging products that map onto bioactive compounds.

Controlling the stereochemistry in 2-oxo-aldehyde-derived Ugi adducts through the cinchona alkaloid-promoted electrophilic fluorination

In this report, we introduce a new strategy for controlling the stereochemistry in Ugi adducts. Instead of controlling stereochemistry directly during the Ugi reaction we have attempted to stereodefine the chiral center at the peptidyl position through the post-Ugi functionalization. In order to achieve this, we chose to study 2-oxo-aldehyde-derived Ugi adducts many of which partially or fully exist in the enol form that lacks the aforementioned chiral center. This in turn led to their increased nucleophilicity as compared to the standard Ugi adducts. As such, the stereocenter at the peptidyl position could be installed and stereodefined through the reaction with a suitable electrophile. Towards this end, we were able to deploy an asymmetric cinchona alkaloid-promoted electrophilic fluorination producing enantioenriched post-Ugi adducts fluorinated at the peptidyl position.

Synthesis of Fluorinated 3,6-Dihydropyridines and 2-(Fluoromethyl)pyridines by Electrophilic Fluorination of 1,2-Dihydropyridines with Selectfluor®

New fluorinated 3,6-dihydropyridines were obtained by the electrophilic fluorination of 1,2-dihydropyridines with Selectfluor®. These 3-fluoro-3,6-dihydropyridines were easily converted to corresponding pyridines by the elimination of hydrogen fluoride under mild conditions. A new approach to the synthesis of methyl 2-(fluoromethyl)-5-nitro-6-arylnicotinates by the fluorination of 3-fluoro-2-methyl-5-nitro-3,6-dihydropyridines or 1,2-dihydropyridines with Selectfluor® has been developed.

Fluorofunctionalizations of C-C Multiple Bonds and C-H Bonds

In spite of only a few naturally occurring products having one or more fluorine atoms, organofluorine compounds have been widely utilized in pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and functional material science fields due to the characteristic properties of the fluorine atom. Therefore, the development of new methods for the introduction of fluorine-containing functional groups has been a long-standing research topic. This article discusses our contributions to this area. The first topic is on the trifluoromethylations of C-C multiple bonds using Togni reagent based on our working hypothesis that hypervalent iodine could be activated by coordination of the carbonyl moiety to the Lewis acid catalyst. The second topic relates to asymmetric fluorofunctionalization of alkenes. A newly designed phase-transfer catalyst consisting of a carboxylate anion functioning as a phase-transfer agent and a primary hydroxyl group as a site that captures the anionic substrate was revealed to be an effective catalyst for asymmetric fluorolactonization. Inspired by the mechanistic studies of fluorolactonization, we produced a linked binaphthyl dicarboxylate catalyst, which catalyzes the 6-endo-fluorocyclization and the deprotonative fluorination of allylic amides in a highly enantioselective manner. The third topic is on C-H fluorofunctionalizations using either catalysis or photoactivation. Benzylic trifluoromethylation, which is still a rare reaction, using Togni reagent and aromatic C-H trifluoromethylation using Umemoto reagent under simple photoirradiation conditions were achieved. In addition, the Csp³-H fluorination of alkyl phthalimide derivatives is demonstrated.

A Selectfluor-promoted oxidative reaction of disulfides and amines: access to sulfinamides

An unprecedented metal-free oxidative reaction of disulfides and amines with Selectfluor as a mild oxidant under aerobic conditions was developed.

Enantioselective construction of remote tertiary carbon-fluorine bonds

The carbon-fluorine bond engenders distinctive physicochemical properties and significant changes to general reactivity. The development of catalytic, enantioselective methods to set stereocentres that contain a benzylic C-F bond is a rapidly evolving goal in synthetic chemistry. Although there have been notable advances that enable the construction of secondary stereocentres that contain both a C-F and a C-H bond on the same carbon, significantly fewer strategies are defined to access stereocentres that incorporate a tertiary C-F bond, especially those remote from pre-existing activating groups. Here we report a general method that establishes C-F tertiary benzylic stereocentres by forging a C-C bond via a Pd-catalysed enantioselective Heck reaction of acyclic alkenyl fluorides with arylboronic acids. This method provides a platform to rapidly incorporate significant functionality about the benzylic tertiary fluoride by virtue of the diversity of both reaction partners, as well as the ability to install the stereocentres remotely from pre-existing functional groups.

Enantioselective Mannich Reactions of 3-Fluorooxindoles with Cyclic N-Sulfamidate Aldimines

Both the 3-fluorooxindole and cyclic sulfamidate frameworks are important in medicinal chemistry owing to their associated biological activities. We report an approach accessing 3-fully substituted 3-fluorooxindoles, containing a benzo-fused sulfamidate subunit through highly enantioselective Mannich-type reactions between 3-fluorooxindoles and cyclic benzo-fused N-sulfamidate aldimines. These reactions are promoted by a commercially available cinchona alkaloid catalyst, accommodate a broad substrate scope, and deliver the desired products in a yield of up to 99% with an enantiomeric excess of up to 94%. A plausible reaction pathway is also presented.

Organocatalytic asymmetric syntheses of 3-fluorooxindoles containing vicinal fluoroamine motifs

An organocatalytic Mannich reaction of 3-fluorooxindoles has been developed. Using a commercially available cinchona alkaloid catalyst, a wide range of 3-fluorooxindoles was successfully reacted with N-sulfonyl aldimines to give biologically important 3-fluorooxindoles containing vicinal fluoroamine motifs with high efficiency and good enantioselectivity. This protocol uses readily available reactants and cheap organocatalysts, and it is operationally simple.

Cinchona Alkaloids-Derivatives and Applications

Major Cinchona alkaloids quinine, quinidine, cinchonine, and cinchonidine are available chiral natural compounds (chiral pool). Unlike many other natural products, these alkaloids are available in multiple diastereomeric forms which are separated on an industrial scale. The introduction discusses in short conformational equilibria, traditional separation scheme, biosynthesis, and de novo chemical syntheses. The second section concerns useful chemical applications of the alkaloids as chiral recognition agents and effective chiral catalysts. Besides the Sharpless ethers and quaternary ammonium salts (chiral PTC), the most successful bifunctional organocatalysts are based on 9-amino derivatives: thioureas and squaramides. The third section reports the main transformations of Cinchona alkaloids. This covers reactions of the 9-hydroxyl group with the retention or inversion of configuration. Specific Cinchona rearrangements enlarging [2.2.2]bicycle of quinuclidine to [3.2.2] products are connected to the 9-OH substitution. The syntheses of numerous esterification and etherification products are described, including many examples of bi-Cinchona alkaloid ethers. Further derivatives comprise 9-N-substituted compounds. The amino group is introduced via an azido function with the inversion of configuration at the stereogenic center C9. The 9-epi-amino-alkaloids provide imines, amides, imides, thioureas, and squaramides. The syntheses of 9-carbon-, 9-sulfur-, and 9-selenium-substituted derivatives are discussed. Oxidation of the hydroxyl group of any alkaloid gives ketones, which can be selectively reduced, reacted with Grignard reagents, or subjected to the Corey-Chaykovsky reaction. The alkaloids were also partially degraded by splitting C4'-C9 or N1-C8 bonds. In order to immobilize Cinchona alkaloids the transformations of the 3-vinyl group were often exploited. Finally, miscellaneous functionalizations of quinuclidine, quinoline, and examples of various metal complexes of the alkaloids are considered.

Asymmetric Synthesis of (-)-6'-β-Fluoro-aristeromycin via Stereoselective Electrophilic Fluorination

(-)-6'-β-Fluoro-aristeromycin (2), a potent inhibitor of S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy) hydrolase, has been synthesized via stereoselective electrophilic fluorination followed by a purine base build-up approach. Interestingly, purine base condensation using a cyclic sulfate resulted in a synthesis of (+)-5'-β-fluoro-isoaristeromycin (2a). Computational analysis indicates that the fluorine atom controlled the regioselectivity of the purine base substitution.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Gonytolide A: Strategic Use of an Aryl Halide Blocking Group for Oxidative Coupling

The first synthesis of the chromanone lactone dimer gonytolide A has been achieved employing vanadium(V)-mediated oxidative coupling of the monomer gonytolide C. An o-bromine blocking group strategy was employed to favor para- para coupling and to enable kinetic resolution of (±)-gonytolide C. Asymmetric conjugate reduction enabled practical kinetic resolution of a chiral, racemic precursor and the asymmetric synthesis of (+)-gonytolide A and its atropisomer.

Modern Approaches for Asymmetric Construction of Carbon-Fluorine Quaternary Stereogenic Centers: Synthetic Challenges and Pharmaceutical Needs

New methods for preparation of tailor-made fluorine-containing compounds are in extremely high demand in nearly every sector of chemical industry. The asymmetric construction of quaternary C-F stereogenic centers is the most synthetically challenging and, consequently, the least developed area of research. As a reflection of this apparent methodological deficit, pharmaceutical drugs featuring C-F stereogenic centers constitute less than 1% of all fluorine-containing medicines currently on the market or in clinical development. Here we provide a comprehensive review of current research activity in this area, including such general directions as asymmetric electrophilic fluorination via organocatalytic and transition-metal catalyzed reactions, asymmetric elaboration of fluorine-containing substrates via alkylations, Mannich, Michael, and aldol additions, cross-coupling reactions, and biocatalytic approaches.

Catalytic asymmetric aldol addition reactions of 3-fluoro-indolinone derived enolates

Reported herein is a Cu(i)/bisoxazoline ligand-catalyzed aldol reaction of unprotected tertiary enolates generated in situ from 3-(1,1-dihydroxy-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-substituted derivatives of 3-fluoro-2-oxindoles. A range of α-fluoro-β-aryl/hetaryl/alkyl-β-hydroxy-indolin-2-ones containing C-F quaternary stereogenic centers of high pharmaceutical importance were furnished in good yields and satisfactory diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The reactions were conducted under operationally convenient conditions and displayed wide substrate/functional group generality including unprotected N-H on the tertiary enolates, and aromatic, hetero-aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes.

Synthesis of fluoro-functionalized diaryl-λ3-iodonium salts and their cytotoxicity against human lymphoma U937 cells

Conscious of the potential bioactivity of fluorine, an investigation was conducted using various fluorine-containing diaryliodonium salts in order to study and compare their biological activity against human lymphoma U937 cells. Most of the compounds tested are well-known reagents for fluoro-functionalized arylation reactions in synthetic organic chemistry, but their biological properties are not fully understood. Herein, after initially investigating 18 fluoro-functionalized reagents, we discovered that the ortho-fluoro-functionalized diaryliodonium salt reagents showed remarkable cytotoxicity in vitro. These results led us to synthesize more compounds, previously unknown sterically demanding diaryliodonium salts having a pentafluorosulfanyl (SF₅) functional group at the ortho-position, that is, unsymmetrical ortho-SF₅ phenylaryl-λ³-iodonium salts. Newly synthesized mesityl(2-(pentafluoro-λ⁶-sulfanyl)phenyl)iodonium exhibited the greatest potency in vitro against U937 cells. Evaluation of the cytotoxicity of selected phenylaryl-λ³-iodonium salts against AGLCL (a normal human B cell line) was also examined.

Organocatalytic Stereoselective Synthesis of Fluorinated 3,3'-Linked Bisoxindoles

A highly diastereoselective organocatalytic method that produces 3-fluoro-3'-hydroxy-3,3'-bisoxindoles and the corresponding 3-fluoro-3'-amino derivatives having two adjacent chirality centers from fluorooxindoles and isatins in high yields is described. The reaction occurs in protic solvents at room temperature, it can be upscaled without compromising yield and stereoselectivity, and chromatographic product purification is not required.

Stereoselective Synthesis of 3,3'-Bisindolines by Organocatalytic Michael Additions of Fluorooxindole Enolates to Isatylidene Malononitriles in Aqueous Solution

A highly diastereoselective organocatalytic reaction for the synthesis of fluorinated 3,3'-bisindolines exhibiting adjacent tetrasubstituted carbon stereocenters is described. A broad variety of heterochiral bisindolines was prepared in 91-99% yield using 3-fluorooxindoles and isatylidene malononitriles in the presence of catalytic amounts of triethylamine in water or aqueous solution. The reaction can be upscaled without compromising yield and diastereoselectivity and the general usefulness of this method was demonstrated with various Michael acceptors and extended to aldol and Mannich reactions.

Chemoselective SN2' Allylations of Detrifluoroacetylatively In Situ Generated 3-Fluoroindolin-2-one-Derived Tertiary Enolates with Morita-Baylis-Hillman Carbonates

The first example of the S_N2' reaction type of the detrifluoroacetylatively in situ generated tertiary fluoro-enolates in the uncatalyzed reactions with Morita-Baylis-Hillman derivatives has been described. The S_N2' substitution takes place in a highly chemoselective manner as no corresponding S_N2 products were observed in the reaction mixtures. Due to the excellent stereochemical outcome, the reactions seem to have an apparent synthetic value for the preparation of structurally new fluorinated oxindoles.