π-Facial Diastereoselection in the 1,2-Addition of Allylmetal Reagents to 2-Methoxycyclohexanone and Tetrahydrofuranspiro-(2-cyclohexanone)

Reactions of Allylmagnesium Reagents with Carbonyl Compounds and Compounds with C═N Double Bonds: Their Diastereoselectivities Generally Cannot Be Analyzed Using the Felkin-Anh and Chelation-Control Models

This review describes the additions of allylmagnesium reagents to carbonyl compounds and to imines, focusing on the differences in reactivity between allylmagnesium halides and other Grignard reagents. In many cases, allylmagnesium reagents either react with low stereoselectivity when other Grignard reagents react with high selectivity, or allylmagnesium reagents react with the opposite stereoselectivity. This review collects hundreds of examples, discusses the origins of stereoselectivities or the lack of stereoselectivity, and evaluates why selectivity may not occur and when it will likely occur.

Direct dehydrogenative alkyl Heck-couplings of vinylarenes with umpolung aldehydes catalyzed by nickel

Alkenes are fundamental functionalities in nature and highly useful intermediates in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry and material sciences. Transition-metal-catalyzed Heck couplings with organic halides as electrophiles have been established as a powerful protocol for the synthesis of this valuable building block. However, the requirement of organic halides and the generation of stoichiometric hazardous halide wastes may cause significant sustainable concerns. The halide-free oxidative Heck alkenylations involving organometallics or arenes as the coupling partners provide a facile and alternative pathway. Nonetheless, stoichiometric amounts of extra oxidant are essential in most cases. Herein, we present a direct dehydrogenative alkyl Heck-coupling reaction under oxidant-free conditions, liberating hydrogen, nitrogen and water as the side products. Excellent regioselectivity is achieved via neighboring oxygen atom coordination. Broad substrate scope, great functional group (ketone, ester, phenol, free amine, amide etc) tolerance and modification of pharmaceutical candidates and biological molecules exemplified its generality and practicability.

Indium-assisted aluminium-based stereoselective allylation of prostereogenic α,α-disubstituted cycloalkanones and imines

Stereoselective allylation of prostereogenic cycloalkanone and imine systems using allylic halides, aluminium powder and a catalytic amount of InCl₃ is reported.

Total synthesis of antillatoxin

The total synthesis of natural (4R,5R)-antillatoxin and its analog (4S,5S)-antillatoxin has been achieved; the optically pure key intermediates were prepared from indium mediated allylation of either primary or secondary allylic bromide with aldehyde in aquoues media, followed by highly selective Luche's reduction and chiral resolution.

Stereo- and regioselectivity of Pd(0)/InI-mediated allylic additions to aldehydes and ketones. In situ generation of allylindium(III) intermediates from N-acylnitroso Diels-Alder cycloadducts and 1-amino-4-acetoxycyclopentenes

Acylnitroso Diels-Alder cycloadduct (11, 37, and 45)- and cyclopentenyl acetate (8 and 9)-derived allylindium(III) species were generated in situ from palladium(0) catalysts and indium(I) iodide, and the stereo- and regiochemistry of their additions to aldehydes and ketones were investigated. Solvent, catalyst, and ionic effects were examined for the reaction of N-acetyl cycloadduct (11) and benzyloxyacetaldehyde (10). The solvent mixture of THF/H(2)O with Pd(OAc)(2).PPh(3) catalysis was found to be optimal. The addition of N-acetyl cycloadduct to aliphatic aldehydes afforded products in good yields and high regio- and stereoselectivity, with the cis-1,4-isomers constituting 90-95% of the products. The reactions with N-Boc (37a) and N-methylcarbamate (37b) cycloadducts also gave the cis-1,4-products predominantly. The same regio- and stereoselectivity applied to the reactions of 4-acetoxy-1-(N-hydroxyphenyacetamido)cyclopentene (8). 4-Acetoxy-1-phenylacetamidocyclopentene (9), however, afforded trans-1,4-products exclusively. Mechanistic speculations involving chelated transition states are described.

1-Oxaspiro[4.4]nonan-6-ones. Synthetic access via oxonium ion technology, optical resolution, and conversion into enantiopure spirocyclic alpha,beta-butenolides

A general approach to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure spirocyclic alpha,beta-butenolides is presented where the fundamental framework is rapidly elaborated by acid- or bromonium ion-induced rearrangement of the carbinol derived by addition of 2-lithio-4,5-dihydrofuran to cyclobutanone. Subsequent resolution of the resulting ketones by either sulfoximine or mandelate acetal technology has been applied effectively. The availability of these building blocks makes possible in turn the acquisition of the enantiomers of dihydrofurans typified by 17, 35, and 38 and lactones such as 25 and 31, as well as the targeted title compounds. Complementary reductions of the early intermediates provide the added advantage that the alpha- and beta-stereoisomeric carbinol series can be obtained on demand. These capabilities have been coordinated to allow the crafting of any member of the series in relatively few steps.

Benzylidene ketal derivatives as M2 muscarinic receptor antagonists

Benzylidene ketal derivatives were investigated as selective M2 receptor antagonists for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Compound 10 was discovered to have subnanomolar M2 receptor affinity and 100-fold selectivity against other muscarinic receptors. Also, 10 demonstrated in vivo efficacy in rodent models of muscarinic activity and cognition.

Vicinal tetrahydrofuranyl substitution of alkyl chains. Tetra-, penta-, and hexafunctionalized arrays

The tetrakis (tetrahydrofuranyl) dialdehydes 14 and 19 are accessible by oxidative cleavage of extensively substituted cyclohexenes, which have in turn been assembled in a stereocontrolled manner. Reaction of 14 with an excess of the Normant reagent followed by ring closure resulted in conversion to the hexafunctionalized polyether 15. Allylindation of the same dialdehyde gave rise to lactol 16, a reactivity pattern that was essentially duplicated when 19 was treated with the Normant reagent. Attempts to add allylmagnesium bromide to 19 resulted in operation of a Tishchenko reaction with formation of lactone 23. By means of X-ray diffraction analysis, it was possible to ascertain the conformation adopted by 20 and 23 in the solid state. In addition, 15 was shown to populate a conformation in which the oxygen are very predominantly in gauche arrangements, this structural preorganization taking place in the absence of any metal ions.

Synthesis of Enantio- and Diastereomerically Pure, Tetra- and Penta-Substituted Cyclopentanes by the Desymmetrization of endo-Norborn-5-ene-2,3-dicarboxylic Anhydrides

The desymmetrization of endo-norborn-5-ene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydrides by methyl (S)-prolinate followed by ozonolysis of the resulting carboxylic acids is used to prepare enantio- and diastereomerically pure, tetra- and penta-substituted cyclopentane derivatives in which all of the substituents on the cyclopentane ring are syn to one another. The initial products of this chemistry (2a,b and 18a,b) contain two aldehyde groups, one of which exists as a hemiacetal. This allows subsequent chemistry to be carried out regioselectively at one of the two aldehyde groups. Hence, the sodium borohydride reduction of hemiacetals 2a,b can be controlled to give either a bicyclo[3.2.1] (4) or bicyclo[3.3.0] lactone (5) as the product. The addition of allylindium to hemiacetals 2a,b occurs both regio- and diastereoselectively to give polycyclic acetal 12, the stereochemistry of which is consistent with a chelation controlled addition. It is possible to remove the proline ester based auxiliary from the cyclopentane derivatives by gamma-lactone formation under mild reaction conditions.

Competitive Intramolecular/Intermolecular Chelation Options Operative during Indium-Promoted Additions to Pyridyl Aldehydes and to Glyoxylic Acid under Aqueous Conditions

The stereochemical course of the 1,2-addition of six allylindium reagents to 2- and 3-pyridinecarboxaldehyde and to glyoxylic acid has been investigated in order to assess the level and direction of diastereoselectivity in these coupling reactions. When 2-PyCHO is involved, the results strongly suggest that the ring nitrogen becomes chelated to the indium atom in the aqueous environment. One striking observation is the crossover in stereoselectivity seen relative to the use of 3-PyCHO. A second revealing fact is the significantly faster rate of reaction of 2-PyCHO, as long as steric effects are not allowed to interfere. The varying product distributions observed in the latter experiments are attributed to other control elements such as intramolecular chelation within the indium reagent and nonbonded steric restrictions resident in either or both reaction partners. In the absence of extramolecular chelating events (e.g., when 3-PyCHO is involved), adherence to Felkin-Anh transition-state alignments is presumably exercised. The previous working assumption that indium(III) is capable of chelation to flanking heteroatomic centers in water is supported by the present investigation.

Allylindation of 6-Substituted 2-Hydroxy-1-tetralones in Aqueous and Organic Media. Stereochemistry and Competition Studies

A systematic investigation of the stereoselectivity associated with coupling reactions involving the allylindium reagent and 6-substituted 2-hydroxy-1-tetralones is presented. In each instance, the allylations were carried out in water, 50% aqueous THF, and dry THF. The extent of 1,2-induction was found to be highest in THF-H(2)O (1:1) and to favor the trans diol isomer. Somewhat lower levels of stereochemical bias in the same direction were observed in pure water. However, further erosion of this trend was noted for those reactions performed in THF, such that a modest crossover in product distribution became apparent in certain examples. On the basis of competition experiments, both reaction trajectories give evidence of proceeding via chelated intermediates. The extent of stereoinduction was found to be in line with the normal predilection of 2-cyclohexenones for axial attack, which is the process believed to be beset with minimal torsional effects. The substituents situated para to the ketone carbonyl do not exert a very large influence on product distribution, although electronic effects are evident in the context of the competition studies. A mechanistic model which integrates these findings is offered.