Enantioselective Organocatalytic Aza-Ene-Type Domino Reaction Leading to 1,4-Dihydropyridines

Grignard Reagent Addition to Pyridinium Salts: A Catalytic Approach to Chiral 1,4-Dihydropyridines

Catalytic dearomatization of pyridinium salts is a powerful technique for constructing chiral N-heterocycles, which are crucial in alkaloid natural products and drugs. Despite its potential, progress in metal-catalyzed asymmetric dearomatization of pyridinium derivatives has been limited. Here, we present the enantioselective 1,4-dearomatization of pyridinium salts using Grignard reagents and chiral copper catalysis. This approach yields enantioenriched functionalized 1,4-dihydropyridines. Experimental kinetic isotope effects and density functional theory calculations provide insights into the reaction mechanism, regio- and enantioselectivity, and the rate-limiting step.

Construction of 1,4-Dihydropyridines: The Evolution of C4 Source

The field of cascade cyclization for the construction of 1,4-dihydropyridines (1,4-DHPs) has been continuously expanding during the last decades because of their broad-spectrum biological and synthetic importance. To date, many methods have been developed, mainly including the Hantzsch reaction, Hantzsch-like reaction and newly developed cascade cyclization, in which various synthons have been successively developed as C4 sources of 1,4-DHPs. This review presents the cascade cyclization synthesis strategy for the construction of 1,4-DHPs according to various C4 sources from carbonyl compounds, alkenyl fragments, alcohols, aliphatic amines, glycines and other C4 sources.

Access to Chiral Polycyclic 1,4-Dihydropyridines via Organocatalytic Formal [3 + 3] Annulation of 2-(1-Alkynyl)-2-alken-1-ones with 3-Aminobenzofurans

A rational designed tandem reaction of 2-(1-alkynyl)-2-alken-1-ones with 3-aminobenzofurans enabled by a chiral bifunctional catalyst is described, affording biologically significant polycyclic 1,4-dihydropyridines in moderate to good yields (43-82%) with good to excellent enantioselectivities (83-99%). This formal [3 + 3] annulation reaction reveals good practicality when conducted on a gram scale, and the cycloadduct has the capability for further elaborations.

Revealing the Similarities of α,β-Unsaturated Iminiums and Acylazoliums in Organocatalysis

The secondary amine-catalyzed reactions proceeding via α,β-unsaturated iminiums and the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed transformations taking place via α,β-unsaturated acylazoliums are the two widely used electrophilic intermediates in organocatalysis. Over the last two decades, these two intermediates are extensively utilized for the enantioselective construction of valuable molecules. Both intermediates are generated by the covalent binding of catalysts to the substrates leading to LUMO activation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyls. A variety of soft nucleophiles are known to add to the α,β-unsaturated iminiums and acylazoliums in a conjugate fashion, and in many cases, striking similarity in reactivity has been observed. Having said this, there are few cases where these intermediates exhibit difference in reactivity. This Minireview is aimed at highlighting the resemblances in reactivity between α,β-unsaturated iminiums and acylazoliums thereby shedding light on the unnoticed parallels of the two intermediates in organocatalysis.

Recent Approaches to Chiral 1,4-Dihydropyridines and their Fused Analogues

The purpose of this review is to highlight recent developments in the synthesis of chiral 1,4-dihydropyridines and their fused analogues. 1,4-Dihydropyridines are among the most active calcium antagonists that are used for the treatment of hypertension. Enantiomers of unsymmetrical 1,4-dihydropyridines often show different biological activities and may have even an opposite action profile. Hantzsch synthesis usually produces racemic mixtures of unsymmetrical 1,4-dihydropyridines. Therefore, the development of stereoselective synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines is one of the priorities of medicinal chemistry. Over the years, numerous methodologies have been developed for the production of enantiopure 1,4-dihydropyridines, such as stereoselective synthesis using chiral auxiliaries and chiral cyclocondensation partners, chromatographical methods, resolution of diastereomeric 1,4-dihydropyridine salts, enzyme catalysed kinetic resolution, or asymmetrisation of ester groups of 1,4-dihydropyridines. These approaches have been studied in detail and are relatively well established. The catalytic asymmetric approach holds the greatest promise in delivering the most practical and widely applicable methods. Substantial progress has been made toward the development of enantioselective organocatalytic methods for the construction of the chiral dihydropyridines. However, most of them do not provide a convenient way to pharmacologically important 1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylates. Organocatalytic enantioselective desymmetrisation of prochiral 1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbaldehydes also has great promise in the synthesis of pharmacologically important 1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylates.

Construction of Dihydropyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine Scaffolds via Aza-Claisen Rearrangement Catalyzed by N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) catalyzing aza-Claisen rearrangement of α,β-unsaturated enals with cyclic vinylogous amides under oxidative conditions generating potentially biologically active dihydropyridinone-fused uracils have been developed. This strategy represents a unique NHC-activation-based path with the use of 6-aminouracils as stable α,β-diEWG cyclic vinylogous amides for the efficient synthesis of bicyclic N-unprotected lactams similar to those in many useful drugs.

Enantioselective Desymmetrization of 1,4-Dihydropyridines by Oxidative NHC Catalysis

The unprecedented desymmetrization of prochiral dialdehydes catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbenes under oxidative conditions was applied to the highly enantioselective synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHPs) starting from 3,5-dicarbaldehyde substrates. Synthetic elaboration of the resulting 5-formyl-1,4-DHP-3-carboxylates allowed for access to the class of pharmaceutically relevant 1,4-DHP-3,5-dicarboxylates (Hantzsch esters). DFT calculations suggested that the enantioselectivity of the process is determined by the transition state involving the oxidation of the Breslow intermediate by the external quinone oxidant.

Fe-Catalyzed enaminone synthesis from ketones and amines

A novel Fe-catalyzed β-functionalization of ketones with amines for constructing enaminones has been demonstrated.

Nucleophilic Dearomatization of Activated Pyridines

Amongst nitrogen heterocycles of different ring sizes and oxidation statuses, dihydropyridines (DHP) occupy a prominent role due to their synthetic versatility and occurrence in medicinally relevant compounds. One of the most straightforward synthetic approaches to polysubstituted DHP derivatives is provided by nucleophilic dearomatization of readily assembled pyridines. In this article, we collect and summarize nucleophilic dearomatization reactions of - pyridines reported in the literature between 2010 and mid-2018, complementing and updating previous reviews published in the early 2010s dedicated to various aspects of pyridine chemistry. Since functionalization of the pyridine nitrogen, rendering a (transient) pyridinium ion, is usually required to render the pyridine nucleus sufficiently electrophilic to suffer the attack of a nucleophile, the material is organized according to the type of N-functionalization. A variety of nucleophilic species (organometallic reagents, enolates, heteroaromatics, umpoled aldehydes) can be productively engaged in pyridine dearomatization reactions, including catalytic asymmetric implementations, providing useful and efficient synthetic platforms to (enantioenriched) DHPs. Conversely, pyridine nitrogen functionalization can also lead to pyridinium ylides. These dipolar species can undergo a variety of dipolar cycloaddition reactions with electron-poor dipolarophiles, affording polycyclic frameworks and embedding a DHP moiety in their structures.

Access to Highly Enantioenriched Donepezil-like 1,4-Dihydropyridines as Promising Anti-Alzheimer Prodrug Candidates via Enantioselective Tsuji Allylation and Organocatalytic Aza-Ene-Type Domino Reactions

This work aims at exploiting both the enantioselective Tsuji allylation of allyl carbonate 6 and an organocatalytic aza-ene-type domino reaction between enal 3a and β-enaminone 4a to develop a straightforward access to all of the four possible stereoisomers of a donepezil-like 1,4-dihydropyridine 1a (er up to 99.5:0.5; overall yield up 64%), an anti-Alzheimer's prodrug candidate. This strategy was extended to the preparation of other enantioenriched 1,4-dihydropyridines 1b-i (eight examples), highlighting its potential in the development of these chiral AChE inhibitors.

Stereoselective synthesis of enamino ketones through an aza-Michael/hydrolysis cascade reaction

Highly functionalized (Z)-β-enamino ketones have been prepared from readily available 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline imines and ynones through an aza-Michael/hydrolysis cascade reaction.

Effect of solvent ratio and counter ions on the morphology of copper nanoparticles and their catalytic application in β-enaminone synthesis

This work reports the synthesis of shape selective copper nanoparticles (NPs) using a microwave irradiation method, using diverse ratios of an ethylene glycol (EG)/water system and their catalytic application in β-enaminones synthesis.

Ruthenium-Porphyrin-Catalyzed [4 + 2] Cycloaddition of α,β-Unsaturated Imines and Aldehydes

A new efficient synthetic route to unsymmetrically substituted dihydropyridine scaffolds via dehydrative [4 + 2] cycloaddition of N-tosylated α,β-unsaturated imines with aldehydes has been developed. This transformation is enabled by (i) the remarkable catalytic ability of the cationic Ru(IV) porphyrin complex to activate both the imino and carbonyl groups and (ii) the hydrophobic nature of the porphyrin ligand, which helps realize robust Lewis acidity in the dehydrative cycloaddition.

Synthesis of α-enamino esters via Cu(ii)-promoted dehydrogenation of α-amino acid esters: application to the synthesis of polysubstituted pyrroles

α-Enamino esters are synthesized from α-amino acid esters using Cu(ii)-promoted dehydrogenation. Application of the α-enamino esters to the synthesis of polysubstituted pyrroles is achieved through oxidative coupling with alkynes under Cu(ii)-promoted conditions.

Efficient synthesis of functionalized spiro[indoline-3,4′-pyridines] and spiro[indene-2,4′-pyridines] via a three-component reaction

Three-component reactions for the synthesis of polysubstituted spiro[indoline-3,4′-pyridines] and spiro[indene-2,4′-pyridines] in good yields and with high diastereoselectivity.

Efficient synthesis of functionalized spiro[indoline-3,4'-pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridines] via one-pot three-component reaction

Diverse functionalized spiro[indoline-3,4'-pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridines] were efficiently synthesized by the three-component reaction of 3-arylamino-1-methyl-H-pyrrole-2,5-dione, isatins and malononitrile (ethyl cyanoacetate) in ethanol in the presence of triethylamine. This reaction not only provided a convenient synthetic method for the construction of a versatile spirooxindole system, but also access to reactive β-enaminone and its derivatives for organic and medical chemistry.

Fully diastereoselective synthesis of polysubstituted, functionalized piperidines and decahydroquinolines based on multicomponent reactions catalyzed by cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate

The cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN)-catalyzed, three-component reaction between primary amines, β-dicarbonyl compounds, and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes in ethanol heated to reflux, constitutes a general, one-pot synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines. Their reduction with sodium triacetoxyborohydride furnished piperidine derivatives bearing up to five substituents with full diastereoselectivity in a hitherto inaccessible stereochemical arrangement. The reaction proceeded with no significant loss of enantiomeric purity under mild reduction conditions that are compatible with several functional groups that are normally sensitive to reduction. Octahydroquinolin-5-one derivatives, which were prepared by a modified version of the initial multicomponent reaction, were not suitable substrates for the sodium triacetoxyborohydride mediated reduction, but they were transformed into the corresponding decahydroquinolines, including a precursor of the amphibian alkaloid pumiliotoxin C, by catalytic hydrogenation under a variety of conditions.

A chemoselective route to β-enamino esters and thioesters

Conditions were developed for syntheses of β-enamino esters, thioesters, and amides. These reactions involve hydroxybenzotriazole derivatives in buffered media. Illustrative syntheses of some heterocyclic systems are given, including some related to protein–protein interface mimics.

A new method for the enamination of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds catalyzed by laccase in water

Laccase-catalyzed enamination of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in water.