Improved Yields with Added Copper(I) Salts in Carbonylative Stille Couplings of Sterically Hindered Vinylstannanes

Asymmetric synthesis of multiple quaternary stereocentre-containing cyclopentyls by oxazolidinone-promoted Nazarov cyclizations

Carbometalation of oxazolidinone (Ox)-substituted ynamides is used to generate highly substituted Ox-divinyl (and aryl vinyl) ketones for use in Nazarov cyclizations. The Ox-group serves as a remarkably effective chiral activating group, enabling the torquoselective Nazarov cyclization of these sterically congested substrates to be performed under mild conditions. It also serves as a charge-stabilizing group in the intermediate oxyallyl cation, suppressing undesired [1,2]-sigmatropic shifts of neighboring substituents and facilitating the regio- and stereoselective incorporation of nucleophiles to yield cyclopentanoids containing up to three contiguous all-carbon quaternary (4°) stereocentres.

Multistereocenter-Containing Cyclopentanoids from Ynamides via Oxazolidinone-Controlled Nazarov Cyclization

Achieving ready-enantioselective access to multistereocenter-containing cyclopentyl rings is an area of great significance to organic synthesis. In this work, we describe a general protocol for accessing multistereocenter-containing cyclopentanoids from simple N-alkynyloxazolidinones (Ox-ynamides). This protocol involves conversion of Ox-ynamides into Ox-activated divinyl and aryl vinyl ketones that undergo facile Nazarov cyclization with excellent chemo-, regio-, and stereocontrol. The Ox auxiliary directs all aspects of reactivity and selectivity, both in the electrocyclization and in the subsequent transformations of the resulting oxyallyl intermediate. Stereoinduction in the electrocyclization results from a "coupled-torque" mechanism in which rotation of the Ox group, driven by increasing orbital overlap of the nitrogen lone pair with the incipient oxyallyl cation, is coupled with the rotation of the termini of the pentadienyl cation, favoring a particular direction of conrotatory ring closure (torquoselectivity). The associated lone-pair stabilization of the transition state by Ox promotes cyclization of traditionally resistant substrates, broadening the scope of this asymmetric Nazarov cyclization. The Ox group also facilitates the stereo- and regioselective incorporation of nucleophiles (Nu) and dienes, giving more complex, multistereocenter containing cyclopentanoids. Finally, the Ox group is readily removed and recovered or can be converted into other amine functionalities.

Diphenylphosphinoethane-functionalized polystyrene resin-supported Pd(0) complex — A highly active and recyclable catalyst for the Stille reaction under aerobic conditions

The polymer-supported palladium(II) diphenylphosphinoethane complex is a highly active catalyst that could be used for the Stille coupling reaction between aryl iodides and (or) chlorides and organostannanes at room temperature under aerobic conditions. This heterogeneous palladium catalyst is efficient, air-stable, and recyclable.

Oxazolidinone-promoted, torquoselective Nazarov cyclizations

Oxazolidinones are powerful promoters of the Nazarov reaction, enabling the cyclization of conventionally resistant substrates to be achieved under mild conditions. They exert excellent regio- and torquoselective control in both the conventional Nazarov reaction giving cyclopentenones and in the "interrupted" Nazarov reaction, giving more highly substituted multistereocenter containing products.

A Torquoselective Extrusion of Isoxazoline N-Oxides. Application to the Synthesis of Aryl Vinyl and Divinyl Ketones for Nazarov Cyclization

A mild, convenient reaction sequence for the synthesis of Nazarov cyclization substrates is described. The [3+2] dipolar cycloaddition of a nitrone and an electron-deficient alkyne gives an isolable isoxazoline intermediate, which upon oxidation undergoes stereoselective extrusion of nitrosomethane to give aryl vinyl or divinyl ketones.

Highly Stereoselective 6π Electrocyclization of Bridged Bicyclic 1,3,5-Trienes

Conjugated 1,3,5-hexatrienes encased in bridged bicyclic skeletons are prepared by cross-coupling followed by half-reduction of the resulting dienynes. The trienes undergo 6pi electrocyclization at an ambient or elevated temperature to furnish complex, polycyclic cyclohexadienes. In all cases, complete selectivity in favor of cyclization from the exo face of the bridged bicyclic system was seen, in contrast to the corresponding 4pi Nazarov cyclizations.

Synthesis of a Sterically Crowded Atropisomeric 1,8-Diacridylnaphthalene for Dual-Mode Enantioselective Fluorosensing

An efficient synthetic route to a sterically crowded 1,8-diheteroarylnaphthalene-derived enantioselective fluorosensor that operates in two different detection modes utilizing fluorescence lifetime and intensity has been developed. Screening of palladium-catalyzed Negishi, Kumada, Suzuki, Hiyama, and Stille coupling methods showed that the latter affords highly congested 1,8-diarylnaphthalenes in superior yields. Despite severe steric hindrance, axially chiral 1,8-bis(3-(3',5'-dimethylphenyl)-9-acridyl)naphthalene, 1, was obtained in 68% yield from 1,8-dibromonaphthalene, 14, and 3-(3',5'-dimethylphenyl)-9-tributylstannylacridine, 13, via two consecutive Stille cross-coupling steps using tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) as catalyst in the presence of copper(II) oxide. The preparation of 1 involved formation of 4-(3',5'-dimethylphenyl)-2-chlorobenzoic acid, 7, through microwave-assisted Suzuki coupling of 4-bromo-2-chlorobenzoic acid, 10, and 3,5-dimethylphenylboronic acid, 11, followed by regioselective amination with aniline and acridine ring construction in phosphorus oxybromide. Lithiation, subsequent treatment with trimethylstannyl chloride, and Stille cross-coupling then completed the five-reaction sequence providing 1 in 57% overall yield. The enantiomers of 1 were separated by semipreparative HPLC on a (R,R)-Whelk-O 1 column and successfully employed in enantioselective fluorosensing of N-t-Boc-protected serine, 20, glutamine, 22, proline, 23, and 2-hydoxy-2-methylsuccinic acid, 21. Fluorescence titration experiments with 23 revealed that both static and dynamic quenching occur with distinctive enantioselectivity. Addition of (R)-23 to a solution of (+)-1 in acetonitrile resulted in stronger fluorescence quenching than titration with the (S)-enantiomer of 23. The fluorescence lifetime, tau, of 1 was determined as 18.8 ns and steadily decreased to 7.5 and 6.8 ns in the presence of 0.1 M of (S)-23 and (R)-23, respectively.

The Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Nazarov Reaction of 2-(N-Methoxycarbonylamino)-1,4-pentadien-3-ones

[reaction: see text] A highly efficient carbonylative Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction of lactam-derived vinyl triflates and alkenylboronic acids afforded 2-(N-methoxycarbonylamino)-1,4-pentadien-3-ones as suitable substrates for the Nazarov reaction. The most competent Lewis acids for the Nazarov reaction were Cu(OTf)(2) (2 mol %) and Sc(OTf)(3) (3 mol %) in DCE, which provided the Nazarov products in excellent yield. As both the carbonylative coupling and the subsequent Nazarov reaction were high yielding, the overall methodology is a concise and efficient route to [1]pyrindine systems.

Stereoselective Nazarov cyclizations of bridged bicyclic dienones

[reaction: see text] Bridged bicyclic dienones underwent silyl-directed Nazarov cyclization with generally very high diastereoselectivity. In most cases, a strong preference for cyclization to the product with an exo-disposed cyclopentenone was seen. However, the presence of additional unsaturation in the three-carbon bridge of a bicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene system caused complete reversal in selectivity with exclusive formation of the endo-cyclopentenone. The observed selectivities are believed to result from a combination of steric and electronic effects.