Sulfinyl-mediated chirality transfer in diastereoselective Claisen rearrangements

An Asymmetric Redox Arylation: Chirality Transfer from Sulfur to Carbon through a Sulfonium [3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement

A general, asymmetric redox arylation of ynamides and thioalkynes with chiral sulfoxides is reported. This is the first example of a general 1,4-chirality transfer from sulfur to a carbon stereocenter through a sulfonium [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. This reaction delivers α-arylated thioesters and amides under mild conditions in an atom-economical manner. The products are formed in high yields with enantiomeric ratios up to 99.5:0.5. Quantum chemical calculations suggest a mechanism for the chirality transfer from sulfur to carbon and explain the experimentally observed correlation of the enantioselectivity with both the catalyst and the substrate.

Carbanion-accelerated Claisen rearrangements: asymmetric induction with chiral phosphorus-stabilized anions

The carbanion-accelerated Claisen rearrangement has been extended to include phosphorus carbanion-stabilizing groups. The appropriately substituted allyl vinyl ethers are synthesized by the nucleophilic addition of allyl oxides to phosphorus-substituted allenes, which are obtained in one step from simple starting materials. The phosphorus-stabilized, carbanion-accelerated Claisen rearrangements proceed rapidly at room temperature in high yield, and the rearrangements are highly site- and stereoselective. The first examples of asymmetric induction in the Claisen rearrangement with chiral, phosphorus, anion-stabilizing groups are described. The observed asymmetric induction is highly dependent on the structure of the auxiliary and the metal counterion involved. Both internal and relative diastereoselectivity are high. A model for the observed sense of internal diastereoselectivity is proposed that is founded in the current understanding of the structure of phosphorus-stabilized anions.

Asymmetric synthesis of seven-membered carbocyclic rings via a sequential oxyanionic 5-exo-dig cyclization/claisen rearrangement process. Total synthesis of (-)-frondosin B

Appropriately substituted nonracemic allyl alcohols, readily prepared from the corresponding enones by application of the CBS methodology, were converted to optically active cycloheptenone derivatives with almost complete transfer of chirality via an efficient "one-pot", cycloisomerization/Claisen rearrangement process. This methodology was directly applied to the expedient total synthesis of (-)-frondosin B.

Conversion of allylic alcohols to stereodefined trisubstituted alkenes: a complementary process to the Claisen rearrangement

A stereoselective method for the conversion of allylic alcohols to (Z)-trisubstituted alkenes is presented. Overall, the reaction sequence described is stereochemically complementary to related Claisen rearrangement reactions--processes that typically deliver the stereoisomeric trisubstituted alkene containing products.

Sulfoxide-directed thermal intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloadditions between 2-sulfinyl butadienes and unactivated alkynes

2-Sulfinyl butadienes tethered to unactivated alkynes undergo a facile thermal intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition, often at room temperature, to produce cyclohexa-1,4-dienes with good selectivities, in high yields, and preserving the valuable vinyl sulfoxide functionality.