Modified Julia fluoroolefination: selective preparation of fluoroalkenoates

Selective Synthesis of (Z)- and (E)-β-Fluoro-α,β-Unsaturated Amides Using Palladium-Catalyzed Aminocarbonylation

The selective synthesis of (Z)- and (E)-β-fluoro-α,β-unsaturated amides via the palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation of 1-fluoro-2,2-diiodovinylarenes is described in the present study. Using {Pd(allyl)Cl}2 as a catalyst and DBU as a base in DMF, the primary product is (Z)-isomers. Conversely, the use of a Xantphos ligand along with {Pd(allyl)Cl}2 and Et3N as the bases in 1,4-dioxane leads to the selective formation of (E)-isomers. Notably, 1-fluoro-2,2-diiodovinylarenes with various substituents on the phenyl ring react with various secondary amines, producing the corresponding (Z)-isomeric amides with a high yield and selectivity. In contrast, (E)-isomeric amides exhibit lower yields and restricted applicability.

Convergent access to mono-fluoroalkene-based peptidomimetics

The convergent and selective preparation of (Z)-monofluoroalkene-based dipeptide isosteres from functionalized fluorosulfones as a cornerstone is described. In this approach, the N-terminal amino group is introduced by a conjugate addition reaction of phthalimide onto fluorinated vinylsulfones containing α-amino-acid side chains while the C-terminal motif is linked to the fluorovinylic peptide bond mimic via the Julia-Kocienski reaction between fluorosulfones and substituted aldehydes bearing α-amino-acid side chains.

Conformational Analysis of Acyclic α-Fluoro Sulfur Motifs

Bioactive small molecules containing α-fluoro sulfur motifs [RS(O)n CH2 F] are appearing with increasing frequency in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical sectors. Prominent examples include the anti-asthma drug Flovent® and the phenylpyrazole insecticide pyrafluprole. Given the popularity of these structural units in bioactive small molecule design, together with the varying oxidation states of sulfur, a conformational analysis of α-fluoro sulfides, sulfoxides, and sulfones, would be instructive in order to delineate the non-covalent interactions that manifest themselves in structure. A combined crystallographic and computational analysis demonstrates the importance of hyperconjugative donor-acceptor interactions in achieving acyclic conformational control. The conformational disparity in the syn- and anti-diastereoisomers of α-fluorosulfoxides is particularly noteworthy.

Chlorotrifluoroethylidenes: an efficient and convenient approach to their synthesis

A convenient one step synthesis of chlorotrifluoroalkyl olefins starting from aldehydes was developed. The stable reagent 2-((1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)sulfonyl)benzothiazole was prepared from readily available benzothiazole-2-thiol and halothane. This method comprises using stable 2-((1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)sulfonyl)benzothiazole according to the Julia procedure and presents new opportunities for the synthesis of trifluoroalkylidene derivatives.

A convenient one step synthesis of chlorotrifluoroalkyl olefins starting from aldehydes was developed.

Highly stereoselective nickel-catalyzed difluoroalkylation of aryl ketones to tetrasubstituted monofluoroalkenes and quaternary alkyl difluorides

A nickel-catalyzed difluoroalkylation of α-C-H bonds of aryl ketones to furnish highly stereo-defined tetrasubstituted monofluoroalkenes or quaternary alkyl difluorides from secondary or tertiary ketones, respectively, has been established. Mechanistic investigations indicated that these C-H fluoroalkylations proceed via a Ni(i)/Ni(iii) catalytic cycle. An obvious fluorine effect was observed in the reaction, and this reaction has demonstrated high stereoselectivity, mild conditions, and broad substrate scopes, thus enabling the late-stage fluoroalkylation of bioactive molecules. This method offers a solution for expedient construction of monofluoroalkenes from readily available materials, and provides an efficient approach for the synthesis of bioactive fluorinated compounds for the discovery of lead compounds in medicinal chemistry.

Oxidative trifluoromethylation and fluoroolefination of unactivated olefins

Fluorine-containing organic compounds are gaining increasing importance in medicinal chemistry.

Designer HF-based fluorination reagent: highly regioselective synthesis of fluoroalkenes and gem-difluoromethylene compounds from alkynes

Hydrogen fluoride (HF) and selected nonbasic and weakly coordinating (toward cationic metal) hydrogen-bond acceptors (e.g., DMPU) can form stable complexes through hydrogen bonding. The DMPU/HF complex is a new nucleophilic fluorination reagent that has high acidity and is compatible with cationic metal catalysts. The gold-catalyzed mono- and dihydrofluorination of alkynes using the DMPU/HF complex yields synthetically important fluoroalkenes and gem-difluoromethlylene compounds regioselectively.

Synthesis of regiospecifically fluorinated conjugated dienamides

Modular synthesis of regiospecifically fluorinated 2,4-diene Weinreb amides, with defined stereochemistry at both double bonds, was achieved via two sequential Julia-Kocienski olefinations. In the first step, a Z-α-fluorovinyl Weinreb amide unit with a benzothiazolylsulfanyl substituent at the allylic position was assembled. This was achieved via condensation of two primary building blocks, namely 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylsulfonyl)-2-fluoro-N-methoxy-N-methylacetamide (a Julia-Kocienski olefination reagent) and 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylthio)acetaldehyde (a bifunctional building block). This condensation was highly Z-selective and proceeded in a good 76% yield. Oxidation of benzothiazolylsulfanyl moiety furnished a second-generation Julia-Kocienski olefination reagent, which was used for the introduction of the second olefinic linkage via DBU-mediated condensations with aldehydes, to give (2Z,4E/Z)-dienamides in 50%–74% yield. Although olefinations were 4Z-selective, (2Z,4E/Z)-2-fluoro-2,4-dienamides could be readily isomerized to the corresponding 5-substituted (2Z,4E)-2-fluoro-N-methoxy-N-methylpenta-2,4-dienamides in the presence of catalytic iodine.

Synthesis of N-(α-fluorovinyl)azoles by the reaction of difluoroalkenes with azoles

A mild and versatile method for the construction of C-N bonds by the reaction of (2,2-difluorovinyl)arenes with various N-H-containing heterocycles in the presence of K3PO4 has been developed. The reaction proceeded efficiently at room temperature (25 °C) affording the (E)-N-α-fluorovinyl derivatives of azoles 3 in good to excellent yields with relatively high stereoselectivity.

Stereoselective synthesis of mono-fluoroalkenes

Recent developments in the stereoselective synthesis of fluoroalkenes, which include hydrofluorination of alkyne, fluorination of alkenylmetal, condensation methods, dehydrofluorination of gem-difluoro compounds, and a cross-coupling reaction using fluorohaloalkenes or fluoroalkenylmetal, are described in this chapter.

Stereoselective synthesis of conjugated fluoro enynes

Metalation-electrophilic fluorination of TMS- and TIPS-protected 1,3-benzothiazol-2-yl (BT) propargyl sulfones gave corresponding BT fluoropropargyl sulfones, Julia-Kocienski reagents for the synthesis of fluoro enynes. Both reagents reacted with aldehydes under mild DBU- or LHMDS-mediated conditions, giving high yields of conjugated fluoro enynes with E-stereoselectivity. In comparison to DBU-mediated reactions, stereoselectivity was higher in low-temperature LHMDS-mediated reactions. Two ketones were shown to react as well, using LHMDS as base. In situ removal of the TMS group gave terminal conjugated 2-fluoro 1,3-enynes. Synthetic utility of the fluoro enynes was demonstrated by conversion to internal alkynes and to stereoisomeric fluoro dienes via Sonogashira and Heck couplings.

Expedient synthesis of α-substituted fluoroethenes

A mild and efficient synthesis of 1-aryl-1-fluoroethenes from benzothiazolyl (aryl)fluoromethyl sulfones and paraformaldehyde, under DBU- or Cs(2)CO(3)-mediated conditions at room temperature, is described. A comparable diethyl fluoro(naphthalen-2-yl)methylphosphonate reagent does not react with paraformaldehyde under these mild conditions. The utility of the methodology for synthesis of terminal α-fluoroalkenes bearing electron-withdrawing functionalities is also shown.

Facile synthesis of 4-vinyl- and 4-fluorovinyl-1,2,3-triazoles via bifunctional "click-olefination" reagents

Modular synthesis of vinyl and fluorovinyl triazoles can be achieved from bifunctional propargyl and fluoropropargyl sulfones by Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne ligation and Julia-Kocienski olefination. Competitive click reactions of the protio and fluoropropargyl sulfones show higher reactivity of the latter, and a preliminary DFT analysis was performed.

Synthesis of Fluoroolefins via Julia-Kocienski Olefination

The Julia-Kocienski olefination provides a versatile platform for the synthesis of fluorovinyl compounds. This review describes our efforts as well as those of others in the synthesis of various fluorinated aryl and heteroaryl sulfones and their utility as olefination reagents for the modular assembly of fluoroalkenes. Where data is available, the influence of the fluorine atom on the reactivity of the olefination reagents and the stereochemical outcome of the olefination are described.

Fluorinated 1-phenyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl sulfone derivatives as general reagents for fluoroalkylidene synthesis

Julia-Kocienski olefination reagents 1-fluoropropyl, (cyclopropyl)fluoromethyl, 1-fluoro-2-methyl-2-propenyl, and 1-fluoro-5-hexenyl 1-phenyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl (PT) sulfones were prepared by metalation followed by electrophilic fluorination. Although metalation-fluorination of n-propyl, 5-hexenyl, and (cyclopropyl)methyl PT-sulfones proceeded under homogeneous conditions, fluorination of 2-methyl-2-propenyl PT-sulfone required heterogeneous fluorination conditions. Condensation reactions of fluoro PT-sulfones with aldehydes resulted in fluoroalkylidenes in high yields. Screening of olefination conditions showed that stereoselectivity depended on reagent and carbonyl structure and can in many cases be tuned either toward E- or Z-selectivity. For example, LHMDS-mediated condensations of 1-fluoropropyl PT-sulfone in the presence of MgBr(2) x OEt(2) were Z-selective with electron-rich aromatic aldehydes, a hindered aromatic aldehyde, and cinnamaldehyde. Low-temperature KHMDS-mediated condensations were E-selective with electron-rich and electron-deficient aromatic aldehydes and Z-selective with n-octanal. Dialkyl, aryl alkyl, and diaryl ketones reacted as well to give fluoro olefin products in 71-99% yields.

Alpha-fluorovinyl Weinreb amides and alpha-fluoroenones from a common fluorinated building block

Synthesis and reactivity of N-methoxy-N-methyl-(1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfonyl)fluoroacetamide, a building block for Julia olefination, is reported. This reagent undergoes condensation reactions with aldehydes and cyclic ketones to give alpha-fluorovinyl Weinreb amides. Olefination reactions proceed under mild, DBU-mediated conditions, or in the presence of NaH. DBU-mediated condensations proceed with either E- or Z-selectivity, depending upon reaction conditions, whereas NaH-mediated reactions are > or = 98% Z-stereoselective. Conversion of the Weinreb amide moiety in N-methoxy-N-methyl-(1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl)fluoroacetamide to ketones, followed by oxidation, resulted in another set of olefination reagents, namely (1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfonyl)fluoromethyl phenyl and propyl ketones. In the presence of DBU, these compounds react with aldehydes tested to give alpha-fluoroenones with high Z-selectivity. The use of N-methoxy-N-methyl-(1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl)fluoroacetamide as a common fluorinated intermediate in the synthesis of alpha-fluorovinyl Weinreb amides and alpha-fluoroenones has been demonstrated. Application of the Weinreb amide to alpha-fluoro allyl amine synthesis is also shown.

Synthesis of fluorinated beta-ketosulfones and gem-disulfones by nucleophilic fluoroalkylation of esters and sulfinates with di- and monofluoromethyl sulfones

An efficient and practically useful method for the preparation of alpha-functionalized mono- and difluoro(phenylsulfonyl)methanes by using a nucleophilic fluoroalkylation methodology was developed. Alpha,alpha-difluoro-beta-ketosulfones, alpha-monofluoro-beta-ketosulfones, and alpha-fluoro disulfones were successfully prepared in excellent yields by nucleophilic fluoroalkylation of esters and sulfinates with PhSO(2)CF(2)H and PhSO(2)CH(2)F reagents.

Fluoro-Julia olefination as a mild, high-yielding route to alpha-fluoro acrylonitriles

Synthesis of a novel, stable reagent (1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfonyl)fluoroacetonitrile from readily synthesized ethyl alpha-(1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-alpha-fluoroacetate is reported. Aldehydes undergo condensations with (1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfonyl)fluoroacetonitrile in the presence of DBU leading to alpha-fluoro acrylonitriles in high yields and with good Z-stereoselectivity. Lowering of reaction temperature increases the Z selectivity.

Julia Olefination as a General Route to Phenyl (alpha-Fluoro)vinyl Sulfones

Mild and efficient synthesis of phenyl (alpha-fluoro)vinyl sulfones via condensation of aldehydes and a ketone with a novel benzothiazolyl based bis-sulfone reagent is reported and this proceeds with moderate to good Z-stereoselectivity.