Enantioselective Intramolecular Oxidative Aminocarbonylation of Alkenylureas Catalyzed by Palladium−Spiro Bis(isoxazoline) Complexes

Phosphine-catalyzed dearomative [3+2] cycloaddition of 4-nitroisoxazoles with allenoates or Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates

An efficient phosphine-catalyzed dearomative [3+2] annulation of 4-nitroisoxazoles with allenoates or Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates has been established for the convenient synthesis of bicyclic isoxazoline derivatives. This reaction approach showed a broad substrate scope, high functional group compatibility, and excellent regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. Furthermore, the success at the gram-scale and synthetic applications of the obtained compound 3a demonstrate the great potential of this methodology for practical applications in organic synthesis.

Rhodium-catalyzed aminoacylation of alkenes via carbonylative C–H activation toward poly(hetero)cyclic alkylarylketones

This work discloses the facile construction of polyheterocyclic alkylarylketones by the rhodium-catalyzed carbonylative aminoacylation of alkenes involving C–H activation, which provides molecules as candidates for the screening of antitumor agents.

Regio- and diastereoselective Pd-catalyzed aminochlorocyclization of allylic carbamates: scope, derivatization, and mechanism

The regio- and diastereoselective synthesis of oxazolidinones via a Pd-catalyzed vicinal C-N/C-Cl bond-forming reaction from internal alkenes of allylic carbamates is reported. The oxazolidinones are obtained in yields of 44 to 95% with high to excellent diastereoselectivities (from 6 : 1 to >20 : 1 dr) from readily available precursors. This process is scalable, and the products are suitable for the synthesis of useful amino alcohols. A detailed theoretical and experimental mechanistic study was carried out to describe that the reaction proceeds through an anti-aminopalladation of the alkene followed by an oxidative C-Pd(ii) cleavage with retention of the carbon stereochemistry to yield the major diastereomer. The role of Cu(ii) in a C-Cl bond-forming mechanism step has also been proposed.

Oxidize Amines to Nitrile Oxides: One Type of Amine Oxidation and Its Application to Directly Construct Isoxazoles and Isoxazolines

A facile oxidative heterocyclization of commercially available amines and tert-butyl nitrite with alkynes or alkenes leading to isoxazoles or isoxazolines is described. The unprecedented strategy of the oxidation of an amine directly to a nitrile oxide was used in this cyclization process. This reaction is highly efficient, regiospecific, operationally simple, mild, and tolerant of a variety of functional groups. Control experiments support a nitrile oxide intermediate mechanism for this novel class of oxidative cyclization reactions. Moreover, synthetic applications toward bioactive molecular skeletons and the late-stage modification of drugs were realized.

Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Heck Carbonylation with a Monodentate Phosphoramidite Ligand: Asymmetric Synthesis of (+)-Physostigmine, (+)-Physovenine, and (+)-Folicanthine

Reported herein is the development of the first enantioselective monodentate ligand assisted Pd-catalyzed domino Heck carbonylation reaction with CO. The highly enantioselective domino Heck carbonylation of N-aryl acrylamides and various nucleophiles, including arylboronic acids, anilines, and alcohols, in the presence of CO was achieved. A novel monodentate phosphoramidite ligand, Xida-Phos, has been developed for this reaction and it displays excellent reactivity and enantioselectivity. The reaction employs readily available starting materials, tolerates a wide range of functional groups, and provides straightforward access to a diverse array of enantioenriched oxindoles having β-carbonyl-substituted all-carbon quaternary stereocenters, thus providing a facile and complementary method for the asymmetric synthesis of bioactive hexahydropyrroloindole and its dimeric alkaloids.

A three-component approach to isoxazolines and isoxazoles under metal-free conditions

A 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 2-methylquinoline, tert-butyl nitrite (TBN) and alkynes or alkenes for the synthesis of biheteroaryls containing both isoxazoline/isoxazole and quinoline motifs has been developed. In this protocol, TBN serves as a convenient N-O source to convert 2-methylquinoline into intermediate nitrile oxides in situ.

Enantioselective Synthesis of 2-Oxindole Spirofused Lactones and Lactams by Heck/Carbonylative Cylization Sequences: Method Development and Applications

An efficient one-pot assembly of all-carbon spiro-oxindole compounds from non-oxindole-based materials has been developed through a palladium-catalyzed asymmetric Heck/carbonylative lactonization and lactamization sequence. Diversified spirooxindole γ-and δ-lactones/lactams were accessed in high yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee) under mild reaction conditions. The natural product coixspirolactam A was conveniently synthesized by applying the current methodology, and thus its absolute configuration was elucidated for the first time. Asymmetric synthesis of an effective CRTH2 receptor antagonist has also been demonstrated utilizing this method in the key step.

Asymmetric Aza-Wacker-Type Cyclization of N-Ts Hydrazine-Tethered Tetrasubstituted Olefins: Synthesis of Pyrazolines Bearing One Quaternary or Two Vicinal Stereocenters

We have developed an asymmetric aza-Wacker-type cyclization of N-Ts hydrazine-tethered tetrasubstituted olefins, affording optically active pyrazolines bearing chiral tetrasubstituted carbon stereocenters. This reaction is tolerant to a broad range of substrates under mild reaction conditions, giving the desired chiral products with high enantioselectivities. Generation of two vicinal stereocenters on the C═C double bonds was also achieved with high selectivities, a process which has been rarely studied for Wacker-type reactions. A mechanistic study revealed that this aza-Wacker-type cyclization undergoes a syn-aminopalladation process. It was also found that for substrates bearing two linear alkyl substituents on the outer carbon atom of the olefin, both of which are larger than a methyl group, the alkyl substituent that is cis to the intranucleophilic group participates more readily in β-hydride elimination. When one of the two alkyl substituents on the outer carbon atom of the olefin is a methyl group, β-hydride elimination proceeds selectively at the methylene side, thus both diastereomers can be prepared via switching the configuration of the olefin. Furthermore, the product can be converted to a pharmaceutical compound in high yields over three steps.

Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Desymmetrizing Aza-Wacker Reaction: Development and Application to the Total Synthesis of (-)-Mesembrane and (+)-Crinane

Reported is an unprecedented catalytic enantioselective desymmetrizing aza-Wacker reaction. In the presence of a catalytic amount of a newly developed Pd(CPA)₂ (MeCN)₂ catalyst (CPA=chiral phosphoric acid), a pyrox ligand, and molecular oxygen, cyclization of properly functionalized prochiral 3,3-disubstituted cyclohexa-1,4-dienes afforded enantioenriched cis-3a-substituted tetrahydroindoles in good yields with excellent enantioselectivities. A cooperative effect between the phosphoric acid and the pyrox ligand ensured efficient transformation. This reaction was tailor-made for Amaryllidaceae and Sceletium alkaloids as illustrated by its application in the development of the concise and divergent total synthesis of (-)-mesembrane and (+)-crinane.

Intramolecular oxidative palladium-catalyzed diamination reactions of alkenyl sulfamates: an efficient synthesis of [1,2,5]thiadiazolo-fused piperazinones

A palladium-catalyzed diamination domino process of sulfamates arising from glycine allylamides is reported.

Structural Features and Asymmetric Environment of i-Pr-SPRIX Ligand

Novel chiral diisopropyl spiro bis(isoxazoline) ligands, anti-i-Pr-SPRIX and syn-i-Pr-SPRIX, were designed and synthesized. Their catalytic utility, X-ray crystallographic analyses, and complexation studies demonstrated the structural features of tetraisopropyl spiro bis(isoxazoline) ligand, i-Pr-SPRIX, which is a prominent ligand in various enantioselective Pd catalytic processes: All i-Pr groups work in collaboration to create an effective asymmetric environment.

Palladium-catalyzed intermolecular aminocarbonylation of alkenes: efficient access of β-amino acid derivatives

A novel palladium-catalyzed intermolecular aminocarbonylation of alkenes has been developed in which the employment of hypervalent iodine reagent can accelerate the intermolecular aminopalladation, which thus provides the successful catalytic transformation. The current transformation presents one of the most convenient methods to generate β-amino acid derivatives from simple alkenes.

Cu-catalyzed sp3 C–H bond oxidative functionalization of alkylazaarenes and substituted ethanones: an efficient approach to isoxazoline derivatives

Cu-catalyzed sp³ C–H bond oxidative functionalization of alkylazaarenes and substituted ethanones to different kinds of isoxazoline derivatives by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is reported.

Pd(II)-SDP-catalyzed enantioselective 5-exo-dig cyclization of γ-alkynoic acids: application to the synthesis of functionalized dihydofuran-2(3H)-ones containing a chiral quaternary carbon center

The Pd(II)-SDP-catalyzed first enantioselective intramolecular cyclization of α,α-disubstituted γ-alkynoic acids is described. This 5-exo-dig cyclization afforded dihydrofuran-2(3H)-ones bearing a chiral quaternary carbon center in excellent yields with enantioselectivities up to 71%. A mechanism involving palladium(II) species is proposed to rationalize the outcome of the reaction.

Asymmetric palladium-catalysed intramolecular Wacker-type cyclisations of unsaturated alcohols and amino alcohols

The palladium (II)-catalysed reactions of alkenols and aminoalkenols such as oxycarbonylations or bicyclisations are powerful methods for the construction of oxygen and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds. This review highlights recent progress in the development of the asymmetric palladium(II)-catalysed Wacker-type cyclisations of unsaturated polyols and aminoalcohols. The scope, limitations, and applications of these reactions are presented.

Palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation reactions

Palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions have become a powerful tool for advanced organic synthesis. This type of reaction is of significant value for the preparation of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, as well as advanced materials. Both, academic as well as industrial laboratories continuously investigate new applications of the different methodologies. Clearly, this area constitutes one of the major topics in homogeneous catalysis and organic synthesis. Among the different palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions, several carbonylations have been developed and widely used in organic syntheses and are even applied in the pharmaceutical industry on ton-scale. Furthermore, methodologies such as the carbonylative Suzuki and Sonogashira reactions allow for the preparation of interesting building blocks, which can be easily refined further on. Although carbonylative coupling reactions of aryl halides have been well established, palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation reactions are also interesting. Compared with the reactions of aryl halides, oxidative carbonylation reactions offer an interesting pathway. The oxidative addition step could be potentially avoided in oxidative reactions, but only few reviews exist in this area. In this Minireview, we summarize the recent development in the oxidative carbonylation reactions.

Palladium(II)-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidine derivatives

A palladium-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidine derivatives is described. Initial intramolecular nucleopalladation of the tethered protected amine forms the pyrrolidine moiety and a quinone methide intermediate. A second nucleophile adds intermolecularly to afford diverse products in high enantio- and diastereoselectivity.