Chelation-Controlled Addition of Organozincs to α-Chloro Aldimines

Accessing Rare α-Heterocyclic Aziridines via Brønsted Acid-catalyzed Michael Addition/Annulation: Scope, Limitations, and Mechanism

We report an approach to the diastereoselective synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted heterocyclic aziridines. A Brønsted acid-catalyzed conjugate addition of anilines to trisubstituted heterocyclic chloroalkenes provides an intermediate 1,2-chloroamine. Diastereocontrol was found to vary significantly with solvent selection, with computational modelling confirming selective, spontaneous fragmentation in the presence of trace acids, proceeding through a pseudo-cyclic, protonated intermediate and transition state. These chloroamines can then be converted to the aziridine by treatment with LiHMDS with high stereochemical fidelity. This solvent-induced stereochemical enrichment thereby enables an efficient route to rare cis-aziridines with high dr. The scope, limitations, and mechanistic origins of selectivity are also presented.

Recent synthetic applications of α-amido sulfones as precursors of N-acylimino derivatives

α-Amido sulfones can be directly used as N-acylimine or N-acyliminium ion precursors in several synthetic processes aimed at the preparation of nitrogen containing compounds. This review collects the most relevant and practical utilizations of α-amido sulfones appeared in the literature after 2005.

Chelation-Controlled Additions to Chiral α- and β-Silyloxy, α-Halo, and β-Vinyl Carbonyl Compounds

The science and art of preventing and managing disease and prolonging life is dependent on advances in medicine, biology, and biochemistry. Many of these advances will involve interactions of small molecules with biological entities. As such, they will rely on the efficient synthesis of active compounds with very high stereochemical purity. Although enantioselective reactions are important in this regard, most stereocenters in complex molecule synthesis are installed in diastereoselective reactions. Perhaps the most well-known diastereoselective C-C bond-forming reaction is the addition of nucleophiles to carbonyl groups with α- or β-stereogenic centers. Diastereoselective additions of organometallic reagents to protected chiral α- and β-hydroxy aldehydes and ketones are described by either Cram chelation or Felkin-Anh models, which are protecting group (PG)-dependent. Small PGs (X = OMOM, OBn, etc.) favor Cram chelation, wherein both the carbonyl group and the O-PG bind to the Lewis acidic metal, providing syn diol motifs. In contrast, silyl PGs, with the OSiR₃ moiety being both bulky and weakly coordinating, provide anti diols (Felkin addition). It is well-known that exceptions to this paradigm are scarce. Therefore, the choice of PG is based on the desired stereochemical outcome in the addition step and is often inappropriate for the global protection strategy. Thus, it is critical to develop general methods for chelation-controlled additions of organometallics to chiral silyloxy aldehydes and ketones. Once the challenge of developing chelation-controlled additions to silyloxy carbonyl compounds can be met, the next question is what other pendant functional groups can chelate? Herein we introduce the first general methods for the chelation-controlled addition of organometallics to chiral silyloxy aldehydes and ketones. A wide variety of organozinc reagents have been used in these addition reactions, including dialkylzinc reagents that are commercially available or generated using Knochel's methods. Existing protocols for the generation of (E)-di- and -trisubstituted vinylzinc reagents have been employed, and new methods for the generation of (Z)-di- and -trisubstituted vinylzinc reagents have been developed. The generation of 1,1-heterobimetallic reagents based on boron and zinc has been advanced, and the addition of these reagents to silyloxy aldehydes via chelation-control is included. We will first describe the initial discovery and a model to explain the observed diastereoselectivities. A wide array of chelation-controlled additions to chiral α- and β-silyloxy aldehydes and ketones will then be presented. We next describe other functional groups that undergo chelation-controlled additions. α-Halo aldehyde derivatives are well-known to favor Felkin addition (via the Cornforth-Evans model). We introduce a general method for chelation-controlled additions to α-halo aldimines that provides useful precursors to aziridines. Finally, we provide preliminary evidence that even C═C bonds can play the role of chelating groups in additions to β,γ-unsaturated ketones. The results outlined in this Account redefine the commonly held idea that chiral silyloxy- and halo-substituted carbonyl compounds only give Felkin addition products. The key to achieving chelation control in these reactions is the use of weakly coordinating solvents (dichloromethane and toluene) that do not readily bind to the zinc Lewis acids RZnX.

Catalytic Reductive ortho-C-H Silylation of Phenols with Traceless, Versatile Acetal Directing Groups and Synthetic Applications of Dioxasilines

A new, highly selective, bond functionalization strategy, achieved via relay of two transition metal catalysts and the use of traceless acetal directing groups, has been employed to provide facile formation of C-Si bonds and concomitant functionalization of a silicon group in a single vessel. Specifically, this approach involves the relay of Ir-catalyzed hydrosilylation of inexpensive and readily available phenyl acetates, exploiting disubstituted silyl synthons to afford silyl acetals and Rh-catalyzed ortho-C-H silylation to provide dioxasilines. A subsequent nucleophilic addition to silicon removes the acetal directing groups and directly provides unmasked phenol products and, thus, useful functional groups at silicon achieved in a single vessel. This traceless acetal directing group strategy for catalytic ortho-C-H silylation of phenols was also successfully applied to preparation of multisubstituted arenes. Remarkably, a new formal α-chloroacetyl directing group has been developed that allows catalytic reductive C-H silylation of sterically hindered phenols. In particular, this new method permits access to highly versatile and nicely differentiated 1,2,3-trisubstituted arenes that are difficult to access by other catalytic routes. In addition, the resulting dioxasilines can serve as chromatographically stable halosilane equivalents, which allow not only removal of acetal directing groups but also introduce useful functional groups leading to silicon-bridged biaryls. We demonstrated that this catalytic C-H bond silylation strategy has powerful synthetic potential by creating direct applications of dioxasilines to other important transformations, examples of which include aryne chemistry, Au-catalyzed direct arylation, sequential orthogonal cross-couplings, and late-stage silylation of phenolic bioactive molecules and BINOL scaffolds.

A Highly Convergent Total Synthesis of Leustroducsin B

Leustroducsin B exhibits a large variety of biological activities and unique structural features. An efficient and highly convergent total synthesis of Leustroducsin B was achieved in 17 longest linear and 39 total steps by disconnecting the molecule into three fragments having similar levels of complexity. These pieces were connected via a highly efficient chelate-controlled addition of a vinyl zincate to an α-hydroxy ketone and a silicon-mediated cross-coupling. The stereochemistry of the central and western fragments was set catalytically in high yields and excellent de by a zinc-ProPhenol-catalyzed aldol reaction and a palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation.

Alkenes as Chelating Groups in Diastereoselective Additions of Organometallics to Ketones

Alkenes have been discovered to be chelating groups to Zn(II), enforcing highly stereoselective additions of organozincs to β,γ-unsaturated ketones. ¹H NMR studies and DFT calculations provide support for this surprising chelation mode. The results expand the range of coordinating groups for chelation-controlled carbonyl additions from heteroatom Lewis bases to simple C–C double bonds, broadening the 60 year old paradigm.

Asymmetric synthesis of chloroisothreonine derivatives via syn-stereoselective Mannich-type additions across N-sulfinyl-α-chloroimines

Mannich-type reactions across N-sulfinyl-α-chloroaldimines resulted in syn-stereoselective synthesis of chloroisothreonine derivatives as excellent building blocks.

Chelation-controlled additions to α-silyloxy aldehydes: an autocatalytic approach

The Felkin-Anh model has been widely accepted to describe stereochemical outcomes in nucleophilic additions to α-silyloxy carbonyl compounds. Herein, it is demonstrated that chelation-controlled additions can be performed using dialkylzinc reagents in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane with good to excellent diastereoselectivities. Ethyl zinc chloride, the Lewis acid responsible for promoting chelation, is generated in situ in an autocatalytic fashion. This approach circumvents its use in stoichiometric amounts.