Efficient synthesis of α-quaternary α-hydroxy-β-amino esters via silyl glyoxylate-mediated three-component reactions

Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation-Induced Glycolate Aldol Additions of Silyl Glyoxylates

(Diene)Rh(I) complexes catalyze the stereoselective three-component coupling of silyl glyoxylates, arylboronic acids, and aldehydes to give glycolate aldol products. The participation of Rh-alkoxides in the requisite Brook rearrangement was established through two component Rh-catalyzed couplings of silyl glyoxylates with ArB(OH)2 to give silyl-protected mandelate derivatives. The intermediacy of a chiral Rh-enolate was inferred through enantioselective protonation using a chiral Rh-catalyst. Diastereoselective three-component couplings with aldehydes as terminating electrophiles to give racemic products were best achieved with a bulky aryl ester on the silyl glyoxylate reagent. Optimal enantioselective couplings were carried out with the tert-butyl ester variant using an anisole-derived enantiopure tricyclo[3.2.2.02,4 ]nonadiene ligand.

1,2-Additions on Chiral N-Sulfinylketimines: An Easy Access to Chiral α-Tertiary Amines

Chiral α-tertiary amines, a motif present in α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids, in a wide range of natural products, and many drugs and drug candidates, are important targets in organic chemistry. Among the possible strategies, 1,2-addition to chiral N-sulfinyl­ketimines is one of the best routes to form chiral α-tertiary amines with a high level of stereoselectivity. In this review, we focus first on the addition of organometallic reagents or other nucleophiles as enols or ylides to chiral N-sulfinylketimines. Then secondly we cover a selection of applications of these additions in the synthesis of valuable biologically active compounds.

1 Introduction

2 1,2-Addition Reaction Methodologies

2.1 Organolithium Reagent Additions

2.2 Grignard Additions

2.3 Organozinc Reagent Additions

2.4 Organoindium Reagent Additions

2.5 Organoboron Reagent Additions

2.6 Strecker Reactions

2.7 Palladium-Catalyzed Reactions

2.8 Enols, Enolates, and Other Deprotonated Reagent Additions

2.9 Ylide Additions

2.10 Heteroatom Nucleophiles

2.11 Miscellaneous Reactions

3 Applications to the Synthesis of Biologically Active Molecules

4 Conclusions

Chiral N-tert-Butylsulfinyl Imines: New Discoveries

In this account the reactions of chiral N-tert-butylsulfinyl imines with organometallic reagents such as organoalkaline (lithium, sodium, potassium and cesium derivatives), organomagnesium, organozinc, organoboron, organoaluminium, organoindium and organosilicon compounds is comprehensively described. The reactivity in all cases is derived to synthetic applications in order to prepare interesting organic nitrogenated molecules, especially in the field of alkaloid compounds.

Aqueous ZnCl2 Complex Catalyzed Prins Reaction of Silyl Glyoxylates: Access to Functionalized Tertiary α-Silyl Alcohols

An efficient Prins reaction of silyl glyoxylates in the presence of an aqueous ZnCl₂ complex as a catalyst was developed, providing functionalized tertiary α-silyl alcohols in high yields under mild conditions. A preliminary investigation indicated that the aqueous ZnCl₂ complex acted as a dual functional catalyst of Brønsted and Lewis acid to activate the carbonyl groups of silyl glyoxylates via a dual-activation model.

Progress in research on paclitaxel and tumor immunotherapy

Paclitaxel is a well-known anticancer agent with a unique mechanism of action. It is considered to be one of the most successful natural anticancer drugs available. This study summarizes the recent advances in our understanding of the sources, the anticancer mechanism, and the biosynthetic pathway of paclitaxel. With the advancement of biotechnology, improvements in endophytic fungal strains, and the use of recombination techniques and microbial fermentation engineering, the yield of extracted paclitaxel has increased significantly. Recently, paclitaxel has been found to play a large role in tumor immunity, and it has a great potential for use in many cancer treatments.

Reversal of Diastereoselectivity in a Masked Acyl Cyanide (MAC) Reaction: Synthesis of Protected erythro-β-Hydroxyaspartate Derivatives

Using Garner's aldehyde as a substrate, one-pot MAC hydroxyhomologation reactions proceeded in good yields and with anti selectivity for the first time (dr up to 9:1). The products were used to prepare a panel of protected derivatives of erythro-β-hydroxyaspartic acid and erythro-β-hydroxyasparagine as single enantiomers in a few steps.

Palladium-catalyzed formal insertion of carbenoids into N,O-aminals: direct access to α-alkoxy-β-amino acid esters

A new and efficient reaction has been developed to synthesize α-alkoxy-β-amino acid esters via palladium-catalyzed formal insertion of carbenoids into N,O-aminals.

Asymmetric organocatalytic synthesis of tertiary azomethyl alcohols: key intermediates towards azoxy compounds and α-hydroxy-β-amino esters

A series of peracylated glycosamine-derived thioureas have been synthesized and their behavior as bifunctional organocatalysts has been tested in the enantioselective nucleophilic addition of formaldehyde tert-butyl hydrazone to aliphatic α-keto esters for the synthesis of tertiary azomethyl alcohols. Using the 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-2-amino-2-deoxy-β-d-glucosamine derived 3,5-bis-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl thiourea the reaction could be accomplished with high yields (75-98%) and moderate enantioselectivities (50-64% ee). Subsequent high-yielding and racemization-free tranformations of both aromatic- and aliphatic-substituted diazene products in a one pot fashion provide a direct entry to valuable azoxy compounds and α-hydroxy-β-amino esters.

A catalyst-controlled switchable reaction of β-keto acids to silyl glyoxylates

A catalyst-controlled switchable reaction of β-keto acids to silyl glyoxylates was developed and the decarboxylative-addition products were generated by using a thiourea catalyst.

Organobase-catalyzed [1,2]-Brook rearrangement of silyl glyoxylates

A highly efficient [1,2]-Brook rearrangement of silyl glyoxylates has been developed using DBU as the organo-base catalyst.

An Asymmetric Vinylogous Michael Cascade of Silyl Glyoximide, Vinyl Grignard, and Nitroalkenes via Long Range Stereoinduction

A diastereoselective auxiliary-mediated vinylation/[1,2]-Brook rearrangement/vinylogous Michael cascade of silyl glyoximide, vinylmagnesium bromide, and nitroalkenes is described. The reaction occurs with complete regio- and diastereocontrol in good yield. The diastereoselectivity is induced by a rare instance of 1,7-chirality transfer that is hypothesized to arise from a trans-multihetero-decalin transition state.

Silyllithium-Initiated Coupling of α-Ketoamides with tert-Butanesulfinylimines for Stereoselective Synthesis of Enantioenriched α-(Silyloxy)-β-amino Amides

A silyllithium-initiated coupling of α-ketoamides with tert-butanesulfinylimines was developed for the efficient, stereoselective synthesis of enantioenriched α-(silyloxy)-β-amino amides. Nucleophilic addition of silyllithium to α-ketoamides, followed by 1,2-Brook rearrangement, generates nucleophilic enolates, which are then intercepted by chiral imines to provide three-component coupling products. Use of α-ketoamides is critical for achieving high yields and diastereoselectivities in the resulting α-hydroxy-β-amino acid derivatives.

An investigation of nitrile transforming enzymes in the chemo-enzymatic synthesis of the taxol sidechain

Paclitaxel (taxol) is an antimicrotubule agent widely used in the treatment of cancer. Taxol is prepared in a semisynthetic route by coupling the N-benzoyl-(2R,3S)-3-phenylisoserine sidechain to the baccatin III core structure. Precursors of the taxol sidechain have previously been prepared in chemoenzymatic approaches using acylases, lipases, and reductases, mostly featuring the enantioselective, enzymatic step early in the reaction pathway. Here, nitrile hydrolysing enzymes, namely nitrile hydratases and nitrilases, are investigated for the enzymatic hydrolysis of two different sidechain precursors. Both sidechain precursors, an openchain α-hydroxy-β-amino nitrile and a cyanodihydrooxazole, are suitable for coupling to baccatin III directly after the enzymatic step. An extensive set of nitrilases and nitrile hydratases was screened towards their activity and selectivity in the hydrolysis of two taxol sidechain precursors and their epimers. A number of nitrilases and nitrile hydratases converted both sidechain precursors and their epimers.

Carbamoyl anion-initiated cascade reaction for stereoselective synthesis of substituted α-hydroxy-β-amino amides

A carbamoyl anion-initiated cascade reaction with acylsilanes and imines allows rapid construction of substituted α-hydroxy-β-amino amides in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivities.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Enantioenriched 2-Chloro-2-aroylaziridines by Cascade Reaction between Aryl Nitriles, Silyldichloromethanes, and tert-Butanesulfinylimines

The cascade coupling of aryl nitriles, silyldichloromethanes, and tert-butanesulfinylimines is described, in which silyldichloromethyllithiums, generated from silyldichloromethanes in the presence of lithium diisopropylamide, undergo nucleophilic addition with aryl nitriles and subsequent [1,3]-aza-Brook rearrangement to give dichlorocarbanions bearing α-N-silyl imine (or their 1-azaenolate equivalents), which are then trapped by tert-butanesulfinylimines via an aza-Darzens-type transformation, affording enantioenriched 2-chloro-2-aroylaziridines after acidic hydrolysis of the N-silyl imine group. The stereochemistry of this cascade reaction can be tuned by selecting appropriate silyl groups on the silyldichloromethanes and altering the order of addition of the imines and the hexamethylphosphoramide additive.

Crystal structures of (RS)-N-[(1R,2S)-2-benzyloxy-1-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)propyl]-2-methylpropane-2-sulfinamide and (RS)-N-[(1S,2R)-2-benzyloxy-1-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)propyl]-2-methylpropane-2-sulfinamide: two related protected 1,2-amino alcohols

The title compounds, C22H31NO2S, (1), and C23H33NO2S, (2), are related protected 1,2-amino alcohols. They differ in the substituents on the benzene ring,viz.2,6-dimethylphenyl in (1) and 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl in (2). The plane of the phenyl ring is inclined to that of the benzene ring by 28.52 (7)° in (1) and by 44.65 (19)° in (2). In the crystal of (1), N—H...O=S and C—H...O=S hydrogen bonds link molecules, forming chains along [100], while in (2), similar hydrogen bonds link molecules into chains along [010]. The absolute structures of both compounds were determined by resonance scattering.