A new route to hindered tertiary amines

Rhodium(II)-Catalyzed N-H Insertions of Carbenes under Mechanochemical Conditions

Under mechanochemical conditions in a mixer mill, Rh2(OAc)4 catalyzes the reaction between aryldiazoesters and anilines to give α-amino esters. The process proceeds under mild conditions and is insensitive to air. It is solvent-free and scalable. A broad substrate scope, short reaction times, operational simplicity, and good functional group tolerance are additional salient features of this protocol.

General Ir-Catalyzed N-H Insertions of Diazomalonates into Aliphatic and Aromatic Amines

A general N-H insertion reactivity of acceptor-acceptor diazo malonate reagents is reported using [Ir(cod)Cl]2 as catalyst. A large range of amines, primary and secondary, aliphatic and aromatic, is possible. Mild temperatures, perfect substrate/reactant stoichiometry, and good functional group compatibility render the process particularly attractive for the (late-stage) functionalization of amines.

The Expanding Utility of Rhodium-Iminocarbenes: Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Natural Products and Related Scaffolds

Rhodium-iminocarbenes that are derived from N-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles have become an important class of reactive species and useful intermediates in organic synthesis. Over the last several years, many practical and versatile approaches involving rhodium-iminocarbene intermediates to synthetically challenging molecules (scaffolds) have been developed. This Minireview mainly summarizes the recent advance of rhodium-iminocarbene involved reactions in the synthesis of natural products and their related scaffolds by the end of 2017. Several applications in important pharmaceuticals are documented as well.

Carbene insertion into N–H bonds with size-selectivity induced by a microporous ruthenium–porphyrin metal–organic framework

A stable and porous porphyrinic metal–organic framework Ru-PMOF-1(Hf) has been prepared and used for N–H insertion reactions with high efficiency and selectivity.

Iridium catalyzed acceptor/acceptor carbene insertion into N–H bonds in water

Carbenes from highly stable acceptor/acceptor diazo compounds can be inserted into the N–H bonds of aromatic amines using an Ir(i) catalyst in an aqueous medium.

The synthesis of sterically hindered amines by a direct reductive amination of ketones

An atom-economical methodology for the synthesis of sterically hindered tertiary amines was developed, which is based on a complementary Rh- and Ru-catalyzed direct reductive amination of ketones with primary and secondary amines using carbon monoxide as a deoxygenating agent.

Synthesis of Indoxylic Acid Esters by Rhodium-catalyzed Carbene N–H Insertion and Thermal Cyclization

Reaction between diethyl diazomalonate and a range of N-alkylanilines in the presence of a catalytic amount of rhodium(ii) acetate dimer afforded carbene N–H insertion to produce anilinomalonates in modest-to-good yields. Upon heating to a high temperature for a short time, the anilinomalonates underwent thermal cyclization to indoxylic acid esters.

Arylazanylpyrazolone derivatives as inhibitors of mutant superoxide dismutase 1 dependent protein aggregation for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The arylsulfanylpyrazolone and aryloxanylpyrazolone scaffolds previously were reported to inhibit Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 dependent protein aggregation and to extend survival in the ALS mouse model. However, further evaluation of these compounds indicated weak pharmacokinetic properties and a relatively low maximum tolerated dose. On the basis of an ADME analysis, a new series of compounds, the arylazanylpyrazolones, has been synthesized, and structure-activity relationships were determined. The SAR results showed that the pyrazolone ring is critical to cellular protection. The NMR, IR, and computational analyses suggest that phenol-type tautomers of the pyrazolone ring are the active pharmacophore with the arylazanylpyrazolone analogues. A comparison of experimental and calculated IR spectra is shown to be a valuable method to identify the predominant tautomer.

Thermally induced cycloadditions of donor/acceptor carbenes

The thermal decomposition of aryldiazoacetates and aryldiazoketones in the absence of a catalyst leads to synthetically useful transformations. The thermal reaction of aryldiazoacetates with alkenes generates cyclopropanes in 68-97% yield and with good diastereoselectivity (up to 19:1 dr) when the aryl substituent is electron-rich. The thermal reaction of aryldiazoketones with alkenes generated cyclobutanones in 71-94% yield and with good diastereocontrol (≥9:1 dr).

Cyclic and acyclic sulfonimides in reactions with Rh(ii)-ketocarbenoids: a new access to chemoselective O-functionalization of the imidic carbonyl groups

Catalytic decomposition of diazoacetylacetone, diazoacetoacetic, diazomalonic, and diazoacetic esters using dirhodium tetraacetate in the presence of isothiazol-3(2H)-one 1,1-dioxides and a number of N-(arenesulfonyl)carboxamides in solutions of methylene chloride or dichloroethane gives rise to O-alkylation of the imidic carbonyl groups by Rh(II)-carbenoids and the formation of O-alkylimidates as the final products. The reaction proceeds with high chemoselectivity via carbonyl ylides and offers a powerful method for the synthesis in good yields of the imidates with polyfunctional O-alkyl groups. On the basis of X-ray analysis and 1H- and 13C-NMR studies it was shown that the resulting acyclic O-alkylimidates have the E-configuration in the solid state and in solution. Unlike acyclic analogues, the cyclic carbonyl ylide derived from substituted diazosaccharin by intramolecular cyclization of the appropriate diketocarbenoid is capable of reacting with DMAD in a 1,3-cycloaddition process.

Cu(i)-carbenoid- and Ag(i)-Lewis acid-catalyzed asymmetric intermolecular insertion of α-diazo compounds into N–H bonds

Chiral Cu(I)-bisoxazoline- and Cu(I)-PN-complexes were found to catalyze the intermolecular insertion of alpha-diazo compounds into N-H bonds. The insertion reactions proceed with enantioselectivities of up to 28% ee for the different alpha-diazo acetates into one of the N-H bonds of different amines. Analogous chiral Ag(I) complexes were found to give higher enantioselectivities of up to 48% ee, however, lower yields were obtained. There are indications, that the Ag(I)-mediated reactions follow a different reaction mechanism compared to the Cu(I)-catalyzed insertions. It is demonstrated that different alpha-amino acid derivatives can be obtained via this approach in good yields and with low to moderate enantioselectivities. However, the results obtained are the highest asymmetric inductions obtained for an intermolecular N-H insertion via chiral carbene complexes or chiral Lewis acid catalysis.