A Novel Phosphinamide Catalyst for the Asymmetric Reduction of Ketones by Borane

Desymmetric Enantioselective Reduction of Cyclic 1,3-Diketones Catalyzed by a Recyclable P-Chiral Phosphinamide Organocatalyst

The P-stereogenic phosphinamides are a structurally novel skeletal class which has not been investigated as chiral organocatalysts. However, chiral cyclic 3-hydroxy ketones are widely used as building blocks in the synthesis of natural products and bioactive compounds. However, general and practical methods for the synthesis of such chiral compounds remain underdeveloped. Herein, we demonstrate that the P-stereogenic phosphinamides are powerful organocatalysts for the desymmetric enantioselective reduction of cyclic 1,3-diketones, providing a useful method for the synthesis of chiral cyclic 3-hydroxy ketones. The protocol displays a broad substrate scope that is amenable to a series of cyclic 2,2-disubstituted five- and six-membered 1,3-diketones. The chiral cyclic 3-hydroxy ketone products bearing an all-carbon chiral quaternary center could be obtained with high enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee) and diastereoselectivities (up to 99:1 dr). Most importantly, the reactions could be practically performed on the gram scale and the catalysts could be reused without compromising the catalytic efficiency. Mechanistic studies revealed that an intermediate formed from P-stereogenic phosphinamide and catecholborane is the real catalytically active species. The results disclosed herein bode well for designing and developing other reactions using P-stereogenic phosphinamides as new organocatalysts.

Catalytic Enantioselective Addition of an Allyl Group to Ketones Containing a Tri-, a Di-, or a Monohalomethyl Moiety. Stereochemical Control Based on Distinctive Electronic and Steric Attributes of C-Cl, C-Br, and C-F Bonds

We disclose the results of an investigation designed to generate insight regarding the differences in the electronic and steric attributes of C-F, C-Cl, and C-Br bonds. Mechanistic insight has been gleaned by analysis of variations in enantioselectivity, regarding the ability of electrostatic contact between a halomethyl moiety and a catalyst's ammonium group as opposed to factors lowering steric repulsion and/or dipole minimization. In the process, catalytic and enantioselective methods have been developed for transforming a wide range of trihalomethyl (halogen = Cl or Br), dihalomethyl, or monohalomethyl (halogen = F, Cl, or Br) ketones to the corresponding tertiary homoallylic alcohols. By exploiting electrostatic attraction between a halomethyl moiety and the catalyst's ammonium moiety and steric factors, high enantioselectivity was attained in many instances. Reactions can be performed with 0.5-5.0 mol % of an in situ generated boryl-ammonium catalyst, affording products in 42-99% yield and up to >99:1 enantiomeric ratio. Not only are there no existing protocols for accessing the great majority of the resulting products enantioselectively but also in some cases there are hardly any instances of a catalytic enantioselective addition of a carbon-based nucleophile (e.g., one enzyme-catalyzed aldol addition involving trichloromethyl ketones, and none with dichloromethyl, tribromomethyl, or dibromomethyl ketones). The approach is scalable and offers an expeditious route to the enantioselective synthesis of versatile and otherwise difficult to access aldehydes that bear an α-halo-substituted quaternary carbon stereogenic center as well as an assortment of 2,2-disubstituted epoxides that contain an easily modifiable alkene. Tertiary homoallylic alcohols containing a triazole and a halomethyl moiety, structural units relevant to drug development, may also be accessed efficiently with exceptional enantioselectivity.

Recent trends in organocatalyzed asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones

This review depicts the recent practices followed in organocatalyzed asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones, highlighting the main organocatalysts used for the past seven years.

4-Dimethylaminopyridine-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution in asymmetric synthesis of P-chirogenic 1,3,2-oxazaphospholidine-2-oxides

Excellent diastereoselectivity was achieved in DMAP-catalyzed P–N bonding in the synthesis of P-chirogenic organophosphines through dynamic kinetic resolution.

Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of N-substituted hydroxylamines: efficient and practical access to nitroso compounds

A general and efficient aerobic oxidation of N-substituted hydroxylamines is described. The mild reaction conditions employed provide a catalytic and sustainable alternative to stoichiometric oxidation methods to gain access to a range of nitroso compounds, such as acylnitroso, nitrosoformate, nitrosoformamide, iminonitroso, arylnitroso, and P-nitrosophosphine oxide derivatives in excellent yield.

Synthesis of a new C(2)-symmetric chiral catalyst and its application in the catalytic asymmetric borane reduction of prochiral ketones

A new C(2)-symmetric chiral catalyst 3,5-bis[(2S)-(hydroxy-diphenylmethyl)- pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole was successfully synthesized by the reaction of 2,5-dichloromethyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole with (S)-alpha,alpha-diphenyl-2-pyrrolidinemethanol, and applied to the catalytic asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones with borane. When the catalyst loading was 1 mol %, enantiomeric excesses of up to 86.8% and 94.5% were observed in reduction of aromatic and alpha-halo ketones, respectively.