Theoretical study on the selectivity of asymmetric sulfur ylide epoxidation reaction

Application of Enantioselective Sulfur Ylide Epoxidation to a Short Asymmetric Synthesis of Bedaquiline, a Potent Anti-Tuberculosis Drug

A highly selective asymmetric synthesis of a potent anti-TB drug (-)-bedaquiline is accomplished using sulfur ylide asymmetric epoxidation, employing (+)-isothiocineole as an inexpensive and readily available chiral sulfide. Excellent enantioselectivity (er 96:4) and diastereoselectivity (dr 90:10) were obtained for the construction of the key diaryl epoxide, which was subsequently subjected to a highly regioselective ring opening (96:4). The synthesis was completed in nine steps starting from commercially available aldehyde in 8% overall yield.

Feeding sequence-regulated divergent (4 + 1 + 1’) annulations of α-bromo carbonyls and 1-azadienes via computational calculations-based mechanism elucidation

By investigating the mechanism of our previously reported (4 + 1 + 1) annulations of α-bromo carbonyls and 1-azadienes via density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the formation of a carbon...

Synthesis of Epoxides from Alkyl Bromides and Alcohols with in Situ Generation of Dimethyl Sulfonium Ylide in DMSO Oxidations

Direct conversion of the readily available alkyl bromides and alcohols to value-added epoxides using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) under mild reaction conditions has been developed. Benzyl and allyl bromides, and activated and unactivated alcohols all proceeded smoothly to give epoxides in high to excellent yield. Dimethyl sulfide, generated by DMSO oxidations, was in situ elaborated to form the substituted dimethyl sulfonium ylide species that participates in the Corey-Chaykovsky epoxidation in a domino and one-pot fashion, respectively.

Asymmetric organocatalytic epoxidations: reactions, scope, mechanisms, and applications

Chiral epoxides serve as versatile building blocks in the synthesis of complex organic frameworks. The high strain imposed by the three-membered ring system makes epoxides prone to a variety of nucleophilic ring-opening reactions. Since the development of the Sharpless epoxidation, there have been many important contributions and advances in this area. With the rapid development of the field of asymmetric organocatalysis, a wide range of organocatalysts is now able to catalyze the epoxidation of broad class of unsaturated carbonyl compounds. In this Minireview, recent progress in the development of organocatalytic asymmetric epoxidation methods, the proposed mechanisms of these reactions and their applications as intermediates is reported.

Practical and highly selective sulfur ylide-mediated asymmetric epoxidations and aziridinations using a cheap and readily available chiral sulfide: extensive studies to map out scope, limitations, and rationalization of diastereo- and enantioselectivities

The chiral sulfide, isothiocineole, has been synthesized in one step from elemental sulfur, γ-terpinene, and limonene in 61% yield. A mechanism involving radical intermediates for this reaction is proposed based on experimental evidence. The application of isothiocineole to the asymmetric epoxidation of aldehydes and the aziridination of imines is described. Excellent enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities have been obtained over a wide range of aromatic, aliphatic, and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes using simple protocols. In aziridinations, excellent enantioselectivities and good diastereoselectivities were obtained for a wide range of imines. Mechanistic models have been put forward to rationalize the high selectivities observed, which should enable the sulfide to be used with confidence in synthesis. In epoxidations, the degree of reversibility in betaine formation dominates both the diastereoselectivity and the enantioselectivity. Appropriate tuning of reaction conditions based on understanding the reaction mechanism enables high selectivities to be obtained in most cases. In aziridinations, betaine formation is nonreversible with semistabilized ylides and diastereoselectivities are determined in the betaine forming step and are more variable as a result.

Chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivity preferences in the reaction of a sulfur ylide with a dienal and an enone

Mechanistic insights into an interesting class of reaction between sulfur ylides with (i) a dienal, and (ii) an enone, obtained by using density functional theory, is reported. The kinetic and thermodynamic factors responsible for chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivities are established by identifying all key transition states and intermediates along the reaction pathway for 1,2-, 1,4-, and 1,6- modes of attack of dimethylsulfonium benzylide to 5-phenylpenta-2,4-dienal. The reaction profiles for 1,2- and 1,4- modes of addition are also evaluated for the reaction between dimethylsulfonium benzylide and pent-3-en-2-one. Our results show that the final outcome of the reaction with both these substrates would be decided by the interplay between kinetic and thermodynamic factors. It is found that the addition of a semi-stabilized ylide to conjugated carbonyl compounds prefers to proceed through a 1,4- (conjugate) pathway under thermodynamic conditions, which is in accordance with the available experimental reports. However, the formation of epoxides via a 1,2- (direct) addition pathway is computed to be equally competitive, which could be the favored pathway under kinetic conditions. Even though the lower barrier for the initial addition step is kinetically advantageous for the direct (or 1,2-) addition pathway, the higher energy of the betaine intermediates--as well as the reversibility of the accompanying elementary step--may disfavor product formation in this route. Thus, high diastereoselectivity in favor of 2,3-trans cyclopropanecarbaldehyde is predicted in the case of the dienal, using the most favored conjugate addition (1,4-addition) pathway. Along similar lines, ylide addition to the enone is identified to exhibit a preference toward conjugate addition over direct (1,2-) addition. The importance of transition state analysis in delineating the controlling factors towards product distribution and diastereoselectivity is established.

Origins of selectivity in Brønsted acid-promoted diazoalkane-azomethine reactions (the aza-Darzens aziridine synthesis)

The mechanism of the Brønsted acid-catalyzed aza-Darzens reaction is explored by charting the stereochemical outcome of the triflic acid-promoted conversion of trans-triazolines to cis-aziridines. These experiments are consistent with the intermediacy of an α-diazonium-β-amino ester intermediate.

How reliable are DFT transition structures? Comparison of GGA, hybrid-meta-GGA and meta-GGA functionals

There have been many comparisons of computational methods applied to ground states, but studies of organic reactions usually require calculations on transition states, and these provide a different test of the methods. We present calculations of the geometries of nineteen covalent-bond forming transition states using HF and twelve different functionals, including GGA, hybrid-GGA and hybrid meta-GGA approaches. For the calculation of the TS geometries, the results suggest that B3LYP is only slightly less accurate than newer, computationally more expensive methods, and is less sensitive to choice of integration grid. We conclude that the use of B3LYP and related functionals is still appropriate for many studies of organic reaction mechanisms.

Catalytic (asymmetric) methylene transfer to aldehydes

An investigation into the poor activity of sulfides as catalysts for sulfonium-ylide-mediated methylene transfer to aldehydes has indicated that ylide formation is the problematic catalytic cycle step. Alkylation with traditional electrophiles does not proceed with sufficient efficiency to allow the sulfide to be used catalytically. Methyl triflate rapidly alkylates cyclic thiolanes under mild conditions, allowing their use in efficient aldehyde epoxidation reactions (in conjunction with phosphazene bases) at loadings as low as 10 mol %.

Quantitative DFT modeling of the enantiomeric excess for dioxirane-catalyzed epoxidations

Herein we report the first fully quantum mechanical study of enantioselectivity for a large data set. We show that transition state modeling at the UB3LYP-DFT/6-31G* level of theory can accurately model enantioselectivity for various dioxirane-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidations. All the synthetically useful high selectivities are successfully "predicted" by this method. Our results hint at the utility of this method to further model other asymmetric reactions and facilitate the discovery process for the experimental organic chemist. Our work suggests the possibility of using computational methods not simply to explain organic phenomena, but also to predict them quantitatively.

Enantio- and diastereoselectivities in chiral sulfur ylide promoted asymmetric aziridination reactions

Density functional theory investigation on the factors controlling enantio- and diastereoselection in asymmetric aziridination reaction by the addition of chiral bicyclic sulfur ylides to substituted aldimines is presented. High levels of enantioselection are predicted toward the formation of (2S,3S)-cis and (2R,3S)-trans aziridines by the addition of stabilized ylide (R = COMe) respectively to SO2Me and CO2Me protected aldimines. Similarly, high %ee is predicted for the formation of (2S,3R)-cis aziridines from semistabilized (R = Ph) ylide. Moderate to high levels of diastereoselectivity is noticed as well. The present study highlights that a correct prediction on extent of enantioselection requires the knowledge of the activation barriers for elementary steps beyond the initial addition step. In the case of stabilized ylides the ring-closure (or elimination of sulfur compound) is found to be crucial in controlling enantio- and diastereoselection. A cumulative effect of electronic as well as other weak interactions is identified as factors contributing to the relative energies of transition states leading to enantio- and diastereomeric products for the stabilized ylide addition to aldimines. On the contrary, steric control appears quite dominant with semistabilized ylide addition. With the smallest substituent on ylide (R = Me), high enantioselectivity is predicted for the formation of (2R,3R)-trans aziridines although the %de in this case is found to be very low.

Comparison of density functionals for reactions of sulfur ylides with aldehydes and olefins

The reactions of a model sulfur ylide with formaldehyde and 1,1-dicianoethylene, leading to the formation of an epoxyde and a cyclopropane, respectively, have been studied using different computational methods, and the results have been compared to those obtained with the CBS-QB3 method. The second step of these reactions presents transition states similar to that of an SN2 reaction. Depending on the degree of electron delocalization at the transition state, a different amount of exact exchange is necessary in the exchange functional to obtain accurate energy barriers. This amount is larger for the reaction of formaldehyde, in which the transition state is more delocalized, than for the reaction of 1,1-dicianoethylene. Similar results have been obtained for symmetric and non-symmetric SN2 reactions. The calculation of the reaction path has shown that the error relative to CBS-QB3 tends to increase when approaching the transition state. Among the different computational methods, PBE1PBE is the one to provide the most accurate energy barriers and reaction energies, whereas BB1K leads to the best results for the reaction path before the transition state.

Computational investigations on the general reaction profile and diastereoselectivity in sulfur ylide promoted aziridination

Mechanism and diastereoselectivity of sulfur ylide promoted aziridination reactions were studied by density functional theory with inclusion of solvent effects through the continuum solvation model. The general reaction pathway was modeled for the addition of substituted sulfur ylides (Me(2)S(+)CH(-)R) to an aldimine ((E)-methyl ethylidenecarbamate, MeHC=NCO(2)Me). The nature of the substituents on the ylidic carbon atom substantially affects the reaction profile. The stabilized (R=COMe) and semistabilized (R=Ph) ylides follow a cisoid addition mode leading to trans aziridines via anti betaine intermediates. The simplest model ylide (unstabilized, R=H) underwent cisoid addition in a similar fashion. In the case of stabilized ylides product diastereoselectivity is controlled by the barriers of the elimination step leading to the 2,3-trans aziridine, whereas it is decided in the addition step in the case of semistabilized ylides. The importance of steric and electronic factors in diastereoselective addition (2 and 5) and elimination (5) transition states was established. Comparison of results obtained with the gas-phase optimized geometries and with the fully optimized solvent-phase geometries reveals that the inclusion of solvent effects does not bring about any dramatic changes in the reaction profiles for all three kinds of ylides. In particular, diastereoselectivity for both kinds of ylides was found to be nearly the same in both these approaches.

Mechanism and diastereoselectivity of aziridine formation from sulfur ylides and imines: a computational study

A computational investigation of the title reaction involving semistabilized (R = Ph) and stabilized (R = CO2Me) sulfur ylides has been performed using DFT methods including a continuum model of solvent. Our results provide support for the generally accepted mechanism and are in very good agreement with observed cis/trans selectivities. This study shows that betaine formation is nonreversible, and that selectivity is thereby determined at the initial addition step, in the case of semistabilized ylides. Our analysis indicates moreover that addition TS structures are governed by the steric strain induced by the N-sulfonyl group, which favors the transoid approach in the case of syn betaine formation and the cisoid mode of addition in anti TSs. The observed low trans selectivity is accounted for by the favorable Coulombic interactions and stabilization by C-H...O hydrogen bonding allowed in the cisoid anti addition TS. In the case of stabilized ylides, the endothermicity of betaine formation combined with the high barrier to ring closure render the elimination step rate- and selectivity-determining. Accordingly, the low cis selectivity observed in stabilized ylide reactions is explained by the lower steric strain in the elimination step generated by the formation of the cis aziridine (as compared to the trans case).

Density Functional Theory Investigations on Sulfur Ylide Promoted Cyclopropanation Reactions: Insights on Mechanism and Diastereoselection Issues

The mechanism and diastereoselectivity of synthetically useful sulfur ylide promoted cyclopropanation reactions have been studied using the density functional theory method. Addition of different substituted ylides (Me2S+CH-R) to enone ((E)-pent-3-en-2-one, MeHC=CH-COMe) has been investigated. The nature of the substituent on the ylidic carbon brings about subtle changes in the reaction profile. The stabilized (R=COMe) and semistabilized (R=Ph) ylides follow a cisoid addition mode, leading to 1,2-trans and 1,2-cis cyclopropanes, respectively, via syn and anti betaine intermediates. The simplest and highly reactive model ylide (R=H) prefers a transoid addition mode. Diastereoselectivity is controlled by the barrier for cisoid-transoid rotation in the case of stabilized ylides, whereas the initial electrophilic addition is found to be the diastereoselectivity-determining step for semistabilized ylides. High selectivity toward trans cyclopropanes with stabilized ylides are predicted on the basis of the relative activation energies of diastereomeric torsional transition states. The energy differences between these transition states could be rationalized with the help of weak intramolecular as well as other stereoelectronic interactions.

Reactivity and Selectivity in the Wittig Reaction: A Computational Study

The salt-free Wittig reaction of non-, semi-, and stabilized ylides has been investigated on realistic systems using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, including continuum solvation. Our results provide unequivocal support for the generally accepted mechanism and are in very good agreement with experimental selectivities. This study shows that E/Z selectivity of non- and semi-stabilized ylides cannot be fully understood without considering the energy of the elimination TS. The influence of ylide stabilization and the nature of phosphorus substituents on reversibility of oxaphosphetane formation is clarified. Unexpectedly, the puckering ability of addition TSs is shown not to depend on ylide stabilization, but the geometry of the TS is decided by an interplay of 1,2; 1,3; and C-H...O interactions in the case of non- and semi-stabilized ylides, whereas a dipole-dipole interaction governs the addition TS structures for stabilized ylides. The well-known influence of ylide stabilization on selectivity of PPh(3) derivatives is explained as follows: in non- and semi-stabilized ylides reactions, cis and trans addition TSs have, respectively, puckered and planar geometries, and selectivity is governed by an interplay of 1,2 and 1,3 interactions. For stabilized ylides, the high E selectivity is due to a strong dipole-dipole interaction at the addition TS. The influence of the nature of phosphorus substituents on selectivity is also detailed, the different behavior of (MeO)(3)PCHCO(2)Me ylides being explained by their lower dipole. This novel picture of the factors determining TS structures and selectivity provides a sound basis for the design of new ylides.

Delineation of the factors governing reactivity and selectivity in epoxide formation from ammonium ylides and aldehydes

Diastereoselectivity in reactions of aryl-stabilised ammonium ylides are highly sensitive to the nature of the amine and the ylide substituent. DFT calculations are consistent with a mechanism in which reversibility in betaine formation [despite the high energy (and therefore instability) of ammonium ylides] is finely balanced due to the high barrier to ring closure.