Z-Selective copper-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation with Grignard reagents

Desymmetrization of Geminal Difluoromethylenes using a Palladium/Copper/Lithium Ternary System for the Stereodivergent Synthesis of Fluorinated Amino Acids

Fluorinated amino acids and related peptides/proteins have been found widespread applications in pharmaceutical and agricultural compounds. However, strategies for introducing a C-F bond into amino acids in an enantioselective manner are still limited and no such asymmetric catalysis strategy has been reported. Herein, we have successfully developed a Pd/Cu/Li ternary system for stereodivergent synthesis of chiral fluorinated amino acids. This method involves a sequential desymmetrization of geminal difluoromethylenes and allylic substitution with amino acid Schiff bases via Pd/Li and Pd/Cu dual activation, respectively. A series of non-natural amino acids bearing a chiral allylic/benzylic fluorine motif are easily synthesized in high yields with excellent regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivities (up to >20 : 1 dr and >99 % ee). A density functional theory (DFT) study revealed the F-Cu interaction of the allylic substrate and the Cu catalyst significantly influence the stereoselectivity.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective Borylative Allyl-Allyl Coupling of Allenes and Allylic gem-Dichlorides

A catalytic asymmetric reaction between allenes, bis(pinacolato)diboron, and allylic gem-dichlorides is reported. The method involves the coupling of a catalytically generated allyl copper species with the allylic gem-dichloride and provides chiral internal 1,5-dienes featuring (Z)-configured alkenyl boronate and alkenyl chloride units with high levels of chemo-, regio-, enantio-, and diastereoselectivity. The synthetic utility of the products is demonstrated with the synthesis of a range of optically active compounds. DFT calculations reveal key noncovalent substrate-ligand interactions that account for the enantioselectivity outcome and the diastereoselective formation of the (Z)-alkenyl chloride.

Biomacromolecule-Assisted Screening for Reaction Discovery and Catalyst Optimization

Reaction discovery and catalyst screening lie at the heart of synthetic organic chemistry. While there are efforts at de novo catalyst design using computation/artificial intelligence, at its core, synthetic chemistry is an experimental science. This review overviews biomacromolecule-assisted screening methods and the follow-on elaboration of chemistry so discovered. All three types of biomacromolecules discussed─enzymes, antibodies, and nucleic acids─have been used as "sensors" to provide a readout on product chirality exploiting their native chirality. Enzymatic sensing methods yield both UV-spectrophotometric and visible, colorimetric readouts. Antibody sensors provide direct fluorescent readout upon analyte binding in some cases or provide for cat-ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay)-type readouts. DNA biomacromolecule-assisted screening allows for templation to facilitate reaction discovery, driving bimolecular reactions into a pseudo-unimolecular format. In addition, the ability to use DNA-encoded libraries permits the barcoding of reactants. All three types of biomacromolecule-based screens afford high sensitivity and selectivity. Among the chemical transformations discovered by enzymatic screening methods are the first Ni(0)-mediated asymmetric allylic amination and a new thiocyanopalladation/carbocyclization transformation in which both C-SCN and C-C bonds are fashioned sequentially. Cat-ELISA screening has identified new classes of sydnone-alkyne cycloadditions, and DNA-encoded screening has been exploited to uncover interesting oxidative Pd-mediated amido-alkyne/alkene coupling reactions.

Enantio- and Diastereoselective Copper-Catalyzed Allylboration of Alkynes with Allylic gem-Dichlorides

Allylic gem-dichlorides are shown to be efficient substrates for catalytic asymmetric allylboration of alkynes. The method employs a chiral NHC-Cu catalyst capable of generating in a single step chiral skipped dienes bearing a Z-alkenyl chloride, a trisubstituted E-alkenyl boronate and a bis-allylic stereocenter with excellent levels of chemo-, regio- enantio- and diastereoselectivity. This high degree of functionalization makes these products versatile building blocks as illustrated with the synthesis of several optically active compounds. DFT calculations support the key presence of a metal cation bridge ligand-substrate interaction and account for the stereoselectivity outcome.

Photoinduced Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Acylation of Allylic Phosphates with Acylsilanes

We report a visible-light-induced copper-catalyzed highly enantioselective umpolung allylic acylation reaction with acylsilanes as acyl anion equivalents. Triplet-quenching experiments and DFT calculations supported our reaction design, which is based on copper-to-acyl metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) photoexcitation that generates a charge-separated triplet state as a highly reactive intermediate. According to the calculations, the allylic phosphate substrate in the excited state undergoes novel molecular activation into an allylic radical weakly bound to the copper complex. The allyl radical fragment undergoes copper-mediated regio- and stereocontrolled coupling with the acyl group under the influence of the chiral N-heterocyclic carbene ligand.

Copper-catalyzed radical cascades of para-quinone methides with AIBN and H2O via α-cyanoalkylation by C–C bond cleavage: new access to benzofuran-2(3H)-ones

An elusive and efficient entry to cyano-containing benzofuran-2(3H)-ones.

Synthesis of ene-yne-enes by nickel-catalyzed double SN2′ substitution of 1,6-dichlorohexa-2,4-diyne

1,6-Dichlorohexa-2,4-diyne undergoes nickel-catalyzed double substitution with aryl and alkenyl Grignard reagents to provide substituted ene-yne-enes.

Highly regio-, diastereo- and enantioselective deracemization of axially chiral 3-alkylideneoxindoles

A variety of (Z)-4-alkyl-2-((3-oxo-1,3-diarylpropyl)cyclohexylidene)-indolin-2-ones with three stereogenic centers at ξ-, γ- and δ′-positions were obtained in up to 95% yield, 98% ee and 99/1 dr in the presence of L-PiPh/Sc(iii).

Iterative catalyst controlled diastereodivergent synthesis of polypropionates

Polypropionates are synthesized using a combination of a copper-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation, ruthenium-catalyzed cross-metathesis and iridium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic etherification.

Aerobic oxidative cyclization of benzamides via meta-selective C–H tert-alkylation: rapid entry to 7-alkylated isoquinolinediones

A novel copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative cyclization of benzamides via meta-selective tert-alkylation using AIBN and analogues as radical precursors was described.

Mini-ISES identifies promising carbafructopyranose-based salens for asymmetric catalysis: Tuning ligand shape via the anomeric effect

This study introduces new methods of screening for and tuning chiral space and in so doing identifies a promising set of chiral ligands for asymmetric synthesis. The carbafructopyranosyl-1,2-diamine(s) and salens constructed therefrom are particularly compelling. It is shown that by removing the native anomeric effect in this ligand family, one can tune chiral ligand shape and improve chiral bias. This concept is demonstrated by a combination of (i) x-ray crystallographic structure determination, (ii) assessment of catalytic performance, and (iii) consideration of the anomeric effect and its underlying dipolar basis. The title ligands were identified by a new mini version of the in situ enzymatic screening (ISES) procedure through which catalyst-ligand combinations are screened in parallel, and information on relative rate and enantioselectivity is obtained in real time, without the need to quench reactions or draw aliquots. Mini-ISES brings the technique into the nanomole regime (200 to 350 nmol catalyst/20 μml organic volume) commensurate with emerging trends in reaction development/process chemistry. The best-performing β-d-carbafructopyranosyl-1,2-diamine-derived salen ligand discovered here outperforms the best known organometallic and enzymatic catalysts for the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of 3-phenylpropylene oxide, one of several substrates examined for which the ligand is "matched." This ligand scaffold defines a new swath of chiral space, and anomeric effect tunability defines a new concept in shaping that chiral space. Both this ligand set and the anomeric shape-tuning concept are expected to find broad application, given the value of chiral 1,2-diamines and salens constructed from these in asymmetric catalysis.

Copper-free arylation of 3,3-disubstituted allylic halides with triazene-softened aryl Grignard reagents

A copper-free allylic arylation reaction between 3,3-disubstituted allylic halides and triazene-softened aryl Grignard reagents has been developed. This protocol presents a direct and efficient way to construct both α- or γ-isomers with high regioselectivity under environmentally benign conditions. Various functional groups can be tolerated in the reaction and the products are of high value for multiple synthetic applications. The α- and γ-isomers can be converted to the corresponding 3H-indole and indole derivatives in multigram scale respectively.

Regio- and enantioselective copper-catalyzed allylic alkylation of ortho-substituted cinnamyl bromides with Grignard reagents

A highly efficient method for the copper-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of ortho-substituted cinnamyl bromides with Grignard reagents is reported. The use of a catalytic system comprising CuBr·SMe2 and TaniaPhos as chiral ligands gives rise to a range of branched products with excellent regio- and enantioselectivity.

Synthesis of quaternary carbon stereocenters by copper-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution of allyl phosphates with arylboronates

A copper-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution of γ,γ-disubstituted allyl phosphates with arylboronates has been developed for the construction of quaternary stereocenters. High regio- and enantioselectivities have been achieved by employing a hydroxy-bearing chiral N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, and both E and Z substrates provide the same enantiomer as the major product. The mechanistic aspect of this catalysis has also been investigated to find that a 1:1 copper/ligand complex is most likely responsible for the present asymmetric catalysis, and the reaction proceeds with almost perfect 1,3-anti stereochemistry with respect to the allylic electrophile.

Synthesis of Z-alkenes from Rh(I)-catalyzed olefin isomerization of β,γ-unsaturated ketones

Developing olefin isomerization reactions to reach kinetically controlled Z-alkenes is challenging because formation of trans-alkenes is thermodynamically favored under the traditional catalytic conditions using acids, bases, or transition metals as the catalysts. A new synthesis of Z-alkenes from Rh(I)-catalyzed olefin isomerization of β,γ-unsaturated ketones to α,β-unsaturated ketones was developed, providing an easy and efficient way to access various Z-enones.

Copper-catalyzed regioselective fluorination of allylic halides

Group activity: A novel copper-catalyzed fluorination of internal allylic bromides and chlorides has been developed by using Et3N⋅3 HF as the fluorine source. A functional group (FG) within the substrate is required to achieve the allylic fluorination, and a variety of secondary allylic fluoride compounds can be accessed in good yield with excellent regioselectivity.

Stereoselective synthesis of dienyl-carboxylate building blocks: formal synthesis of inthomycin C

A direct synthesis of stereodefined halodienes is reported. Those key building blocks enable a concise access to polyenic products, as demonstrated in a modular synthesis of Inthomycin C.