Diastereoselective vinyl addition to chiral hydrazones via tandem thiyl radical addition and silicon-tethered cyclization

Thiyl Radicals: Versatile Reactive Intermediates for Cyclization of Unsaturated Substrates

Sulfur centered radicals are widely employed in chemical synthesis, in particular for alkene and alkyne hydrothiolation towards thioether bioconjugates. The steadfast radical chain process that enables efficient hydrothiolation has been explored in the context of cascade reactions to furnish complex molecular architectures. The use of thiyl radicals offers a much cheaper and less toxic alternative to the archetypal organotin-based radical methods. This review outlines the development of thiyl radicals as reactive intermediates for initiating carbocyclization cascades. Key developments in cascade cyclization methodology are presented and applications for natural product synthesis are discussed. The review provides a chronological account of the field, beginning in the early seventies up to very recent examples; a span of almost 50 years.

Regiocontrolled and Stereoselective Syntheses of Tetrahydrophthalazine Derivatives using Radical Cyclizations

Tetrahydrophthalazine derivatives have found important applications in pharmaceutical research, but existing synthetic methods are unable to access them regio- and stereoselectively. Here, a new approach is presented that addresses these challenges by utilizing a 6-endo-trig radical cyclization in the key step. The desired tetrahydrophthalazines can be accessed in high yields (55-98 %) and high diastereoselectivities for the trans-product (>95:5) starting either from readily accessible hydrazones, or from the corresponding aldehydes and substituted Boc-hydrazides in a one-pot process. The synthetic versatility of the tetrahydrophthalazine core was demonstrated by its straightforward conversion to dihydro-phthalazines, phthalazines, or pyrazolo dione derivatives. Furthermore, the N-N bond was reduced to afford a new route to 1,4-diamines.

Control of asymmetry in the radical addition approach to chiral amine synthesis

The state-of-the-science in asymmetric free radical additions to imino compounds is presented, beginning with an overview of methods involving stereocontrol by various chiral auxiliary approaches. Chiral N-acylhydrazones are discussed with respect to their use as radical acceptors for Mn-mediated intermolecular additions, from design to scope surveys to applications to biologically active targets. A variety of aldehydes and ketones serve as viable precursors for the chiral hydrazones, and a variety of alkyl iodides may be employed as radical precursors, as discussed in a critical review of the functional group compatibility of the reaction. Applications to amino acid and alkaloid synthesis are presented to illustrate the synthetic potential of these versatile stereocontrolled carbon-carbon bond construction reactions. Asymmetric catalysis is discussed, from seminal work on the stereocontrol of radical addition to imino compounds by non-covalent interactions with stoichiometric amounts of catalysts, to more recent examples demonstrating catalyst turnover.

Substituent effects on the rearrangements of cyclohexyl to cyclopentyl radicals involving avermectin-related radicals

The rearrangement of a substituted cyclohexyl radical to a cyclopentylmethyl radical on the skeleton of avermectin B1 has been investigated using density functional (UB3LYP/6-31G(d)) and G3MP2B3 computational methods. The rearrangement is preferred when highly radical stabilizing groups are present at the 2- and 3-positions of the cyclohexyl radical. A substituent on the 3-position of the cyclohexyl radical enables ring-cleavage of the cyclohexyl radical, while a radical stabilizing substituent on the 2-position of the cyclohexyl radical stabilizes the final cyclopentylmethyl radical, enabling the overall rearrangement and reversing the normal thermodynamic preference for the hexenyl radical ring closure.

Effects of alpha-Alkoxy Substitution and Conformational Constraints on 6-exo Radical Cyclizations of Hydrazones via Reversible Thiyl and Stannyl Additions

Access to multifunctional hydrazones of relevance to dysiherbaine synthesis studies is described. Subsequent radical cyclizations of multifunctional hydrazones via a Si- and C-linked tethering strategy are shown to function effectively in 6-exo fashion. Conformational constraints are proposed to play a key role in suppressing unproductive premature reduction pathways. The stereochemical outcomes suggest that minimizing the dipole repulsion between neighboring C=N and C-O bonds favors a C(alpha)-C(=N) dihedral angle placing the C=N bond axial within a chairlike transition state, in contrast to the usual Beckwith-Houk model.

Aldehyde-Selective Wacker Oxidation in a Thiyl-Mediated Vinyl Group Transfer Route to Daunosamine

[reaction: see text] Asymmetric dihydroxylation, thiyl radical mediated transfer of a silicon-tethered vinyl group to a hydrazone and an unconventional aldehyde-selective Wacker oxidation are sequenced for an efficient synthesis of methyl N-trifluoroacetyl-L-daunosaminide in 32% overall yield from crotonaldehyde.

Synthesis of enatiomerically enriched β-amino alcohol derivatives via chiral base mediated-asymmetric deprotonation of (benzyl methyl ether) tricarbonylchromium(0) complex and electrophilic trapping with imines

Deprotonation of (benzyl methyl ether)tricarbonylchromium(0) complex 1 by chiral base 2 followed by quenching reaction with imines 3 and subsequent decomplexation give β-amino alcohol derivatives 5 in good yields and high enantioselectivities (up to 96% e.e.).

Trifluoroacetyl-Activated Nitrogen−Nitrogen Bond Cleavage of Hydrazines by Samarium(II) Iodide

[reaction: see text] Trifluoroacetyl derivatives of hydrazines undergo clean and efficient reductive cleavage of the N-N bond with SmI(2) in the presence of MeOH. After N-trifluoroacetylation, acyl-, aryl-, and alkyl-substituted hydrazines are reductively cleaved by this method to afford trifluoroacetamides in yields ranging from 70 to 96%. These conditions accommodate alkene functionality, avoid racemization, and furnish chiral amines bearing a readily removable TFA protecting group.

A Silicon Tether Approach for Addition of Functionalized Radicals to Chiral α-Hydroxyhydrazones: Diastereoselective Additions of Hydroxymethyl and Vinyl Synthons

Stereocontrolled additions of hydroxymethyl and vinyl groups to chiral alpha-hydroxyhydrazones can be achieved by radical cyclizations using bromomethyl or vinyl radical precursors tethered via a temporary silicon connection. Tin-mediated 5-exo radical cyclization of alpha-hydroxyhydrazones using a silicon-tethered bromomethyl group, followed by oxidative removal of the tether, provides anti-2-hydrazino 1,3-diols in good yield. Tandem thiyl radical addition-cyclization of alpha-hydroxyhydrazones using a silicon-tethered vinyl group, followed by treatment with potassium fluoride, affords acyclic allylic anti-hydrazino alcohols in good yield. The thiyl addition-cyclization method has been successfully extended to the use of alpha,beta-dihydroxyhydrazones without prior protection or hydroxyl differentiation. Diastereoselection in both reaction types increases with increasing A values of the appended groups, consistent with prediction by the Beckwith-Houk model for stereocontrol in 5-hexenyl radical cyclizations.

Silicon-tethered cyclocarbonylation of alkynes

[reaction: see text] Temporary union of alkynes in the Fe(CO)5-promoted cyclocarbonylation provides a method for carbonylative cross-coupling of alkynes to construct unsymmetrically substituted cyclopentadienones.