A New Sparteine Surrogate for Asymmetric Deprotonation of N-Boc Pyrrolidine

Enantioselective Synthesis of Phosphine Boranes via Crystallization-Induced Dynamic Resolution of Lithiated Intermediate by Understanding the Underlying Epimerization Process

Described herein is the successful crystallization-induced dynamic resolution (CIDR) of an α-lithiated phosphine borane utilizing the easily accessible and inexpensive ligand (R,R)-TMCDA. Starting from the essential P-prochiral building block dimethyl phenyl phosphine borane we were able to obtain phosphine boranes in yields up to 80 % and e.r. up to 98 : 2 by crystallization of the lithiated intermediate prior to the trapping reaction. NMR-based deuterium labeling experiments indicate that the epimerization in solution is based on the intermolecular proton transfer between nonlithiated phosphine borane and the corresponding lithiated intermediate, rendering the presence of the remaining starting compound in an optimized solvent mixture the main factor for successful enantioselective synthesis. Quantum chemical calculations using different model systems based on solid state structures confirm these experimental results. By gaining insights into the epimerization mechanism, essential principles for CIDR of lithiated phosphine boranes are elucidated that may be expanded to other important P-stereogenic compounds and simple chiral amines.

Synthesis and reactivity of 1-sulfonylcyclooctatriazoles

Sulfonyl azides undergo rapid inverse electron demand SPAAC with strained alkynes to deliver 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles. Treatment of these with Rh(ii) carboxylate catalyst promotes denitrogenation and transannular 1,5-H insertion or 1,2-H shift.

Flash chemistry enables high productivity metalation-substitution of 5-alkyltetrazoles

Tetrazoles play a prominent role in medicinal chemistry due to their role as carboxylate bioisosteres but have largely been overlooked as C-H functionalisation substrates. We herein report the development of a high-yielding and general procedure for the heterobenzylic C-H functionalisation of 5-alkyltetrazoles in up to 97% yield under batch conditions using a metalation/electrophilic trapping strategy. Through the use of thermal imaging to identify potentially unsafe exotherms, a continuous flow procedure using a flash chemistry strategy has also been developed, allowing products to be accessed in up to 95% yield. This enabled an extremely high productivity rate of 141 g h-1 to be achieved on an entry-level flow system.

α,α'-C-H Bond Difunctionalization of Unprotected Alicyclic Amines

A simple one-pot procedure enables the sequential, regioselective, and diastereoselective introduction of the same or two different substituents to the α- and α'-positions of unprotected azacycles. Aryl, alkyl, and alkenyl substituents are introduced via their corresponding organolithium compounds. The scope of this transformation includes pyrrolidines, piperidines, azepanes, and piperazines.

Desymmetrization Approach to the Synthesis of Optically Active P-Stereogenic Phosphin-2-en-4-ones

Two synthetic protocols for the conversion of 1-phenylphosphinan-4-ones to novel P-stereogenic 1-phenylphosphin-2-en-4-ones by enantioselective deprotonation followed by oxidation and by asymmetric organocatalytic halogenation accompanied by elimination have been developed. These two-step one-pot transformations provide convenient access to optically active 1-phenylphosphin-2-en-4-one 1-sulfide and 1-phenylphosphin-2-en-4-one 1-oxide of 96 and 55% enantiomeric purities, respectively.

Computational Insight into 1,2-Diamine, -Diether, and -Amino Ether Chiral Ligand-Mediated Carbolithiation: A Case of Enantioinduction Reversal

trans-1,2-Cyclohexanediamine, -diether, and -amino ether were compared as chiral inducers in the asymmetric intramolecular carbolithiation of olefinic aryllithiums. Switching from diamine to ethereal ligands inverts the sense of asymmetric induction. This reversal of stereoselectivity was investigated through density functional theory calculations. High enantioselectivities observed with diether and amino ether ligands arise from favorable weak interactions between the ligand and the substrate. The relative efficiency of the three ligands and sense of stereoinduction for the most efficient diether and amino ether ligands prove to be foreseeable by modeling the reaction with the parent achiral 1,2-bidentate additives and comparing the diastereomeric transition states stemming from the two half-chair conformations of their lithium chelate.

Readily Accessible 1,2-Amino Ether Ligands for Enantioselective Intramolecular Carbolithiation

A new class of chiral 1,2-amino ether ligands, readily accessible from naturally occurring α-amino- or α-hydroxy acids, was found to provide high levels of both conversion and stereocontrol (up to 95:5 er) in intramolecular carbolithiation reactions, outperforming the benchmark ligand (-)-sparteine. The ligand could be used in a substoichiometric amount (0.25 equiv) without significant loss of enantioselectivity.

Iterative direct C(sp3)–H functionalization of amines: diastereoselective divergent syntheses of α,α′-disubstituted alicyclic amines

Facile access to the syn-α,α′-disubstituted N-heterocycles via iterative C–H oxygenation and C–C bond formation.

Recent advances in the chemistry of metallated azetidines

The almost unexplored four-membered azetidines represent a particularly interesting class of molecules, among the family of saturated nitrogen heterocycles. This review reports recent developments in direct metal-based functionalization of the azetidine ring, focusing on the regio- and stereoselectivity of these reactions.

Mechanistic interrogation of the asymmetric lithiation-trapping of N-thiopivaloyl azetidine and pyrrolidine

A fundamental mechanistic study of the s-BuLi/chiral diamine-mediated lithiation-trapping of N-thiopivaloyl azetidine and pyrrolidine is reported. We show that lithiated thiopivalamides are configurationally unstable at -78 °C. Reaction then proceeds via a dynamic resolution of diastereomeric lithiated intermediates and this accounts for the variable sense and degree of asymmetric induction observed compared to N-Boc heterocycles.

The asymmetric alkylation of dimethylhydrazones; intermolecular chirality transfer using sparteine as chiral ligand

The asymmetric alkylation of ketones represents a fundamental transformation in organic chemistry. Chiral auxiliaries have been used almost exclusively for this transformation. Herein we describe a strategy for the generation of enantiomerically enriched α-alkylated ketones up to an er of 83 : 17, using a chiral ligand protocol.

Tying up Nicotine: New Selective Competitive Antagonist of the Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Conformational restriction of the pyrrolidine nitrogen in nicotine by the introduction of an ethylene bridge provided a potent and selective antagonist of the α4β2-subtype of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Resolution by chiral SFC, pharmacological characterization of the two enantiomers, and determination of absolute configuration via enantioselective synthesis showed that the pharmacological activity resided almost exclusively in the (R)-enantiomer.

Trapping of carbolithiation-derived tertiary benzylic α-lithio piperidines with carbon electrophiles: Controlling the formation of α-amino quaternary and vicinal stereocenters

The interception of carbolithiation-derived tertiary benzylic α-lithio piperidines with carbon electrophiles has led to the diastereoselective synthesis of vicinally functionalized piperidines bearing α-amino quaternary stereocenters.

Total synthesis of aspeverin via an iodine(III)-mediated oxidative cyclization

The first total synthesis of aspeverin, a prenylated indole alkaloid isolated from Aspergillus versicolor in 2013, is described. Key steps utilized to assemble the core structure of the target include a highly diastereoselective Diels-Alder reaction, a Curtius rearrangement, and a unique strategy for installation of the geminal dimethyl group. A novel iodine(III)-initiated cyclization was then used to install the bicyclic urethane linkage distinctive to the natural product.

On the synthesis of α-amino sulfoxides

A synthetic study on the preparation of N-Boc α-amino sulfoxides has revealed an unexpected instability which is believed to be due to α-elimination of the sulfoxide to give an iminium ion. Full synthetic details are reported on two main synthetic routes: lithiation and sulfinate trapping of N-Boc heterocycles and oxidation of N-Boc α-amino sulfides. Six novel α-amino sulfoxides were successfully prepared and isolated. It is speculated that four other α-amino sulfoxides were synthesised but could not be isolated due to their propensity to α-eliminate the sulfoxide. Ultimately, a stable, cyclic N-Boc α-amino sulfoxide was prepared and this successful synthesis relied on the α-amino sulfoxide being part of a bicyclic [3.1.0] fused ring system that could not undergo α-elimination of the sulfoxide.

Total synthesis of phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids via asymmetric deprotonation of N-Boc-pyrrolidine

A concise synthesis of two typical phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids via an asymmetric deprotonation/diastereoselective carbonyl addition strategy is described.

Asymmetric lithiation trapping of N-Boc heterocycles at temperatures above -78 °C

The asymmetric lithiation trapping of N-Boc heterocycles using s-BuLi/chiral diamines at temperatures up to -20 °C is reported. Depending on the N-Boc heterocycle, lithiation is accomplished using s-BuLi and (-)-sparteine or the (+)-sparteine surrogate in the temperature range -50 to -20 °C for short reaction times (2-20 min). Subsequent electrophilic trapping or transmetalation-Negishi coupling delivered functionalized N-Boc heterocycles in 47-95% yield and 77:23-93:7 er. With N-Boc pyrrolidine, trapped products can be generated in ∼90:10 er even at -20 °C.

Dynamic resolution of lithiated ortho-trifluoromethyl styrene oxide and the effect of chiral diamines on the barrier to enantiomerisation

The first dynamic thermodynamic resolution of a racemic oxiranyllithium is described with selectivities of up to 82 : 18 from a selection of three types of chiral ligands (seven ligands in total). Both (-)-sparteine and its (+)-surrogate were surprisingly found to increase the enantiomerisation barrier.

Preparation and reactions of enantiomerically pure α-functionalized Grignard reagents

A strategy for the generation of enantiomerically pure α-functionalized chiral Grignard reagents is presented. The approach involves the synthesis of α-alkoxy and α-amino sulfoxides in ≥99:1 dr and ≥99:1 er via asymmetric deprotonation (s-BuLi/chiral diamine) and trapping with Andersen's sulfinate (menthol derived). Subsequent sulfoxide → Mg exchange (room temperature, 1 min) and electrophilic trapping delivers a range of enantiomerically pure α-alkoxy and α-amino substituted products. Using this approach, either enantiomer of products can be accessed in 99:1 er from asymmetric deprotonation protocols without the use of (-)-sparteine as the chiral ligand. Two additional discoveries are noteworthy: (i) for the deprotonation and trapping with Andersen's sulfinate, there is a lack of stereospecificity at sulfur due to attack of a lithiated intermediate onto the α-alkoxy and α-amino sulfoxides as they form, and (ii) the α-alkoxy-substituted Grignard reagent is configurationally stable at room temperature for 30 min.

An Efficient Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure trans-N1,N2-dimethylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine

A new pathway is described to produce a highly optically pure isomer of trans-N1,N2-dimethylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine through four simple steps. Reaction of cyclohexene oxide with aqueous methylamine, followed by cyclisation with Mitsunobu reagent and ring-opening reactions gave rac-trans- N1,N2-dimethylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine, and the enantiomers were obtained via a kinetic resolution using tartaric acid.

Design and synthesis of pinanamine derivatives as anti-influenza A M2 ion channel inhibitors

The adamantanes are a class of anti-influenza drugs that inhibit the M2 ion channel of the influenza A virus. However recently, the clinical effectiveness of these drugs has been called into question due to the emergence of adamantane-insensitive A/M2 mutants. Although we previously reported (1R,2R,3R,5S)-3-pinanamine 3 as a novel inhibitor of the wild type influenza A virus M2 protein (WT A/M2), limited inhibition was found for adamantane-resistant M2 mutants. In this study, we explored whether newly synthesized pinanamine derivatives were capable of inhibiting WT A/M2 and selected adamantane-resistant M2 mutants. Several imidazole and guanazole derivatives of pinanamine were found to inhibit WT A/M2 to a comparable degree as amantadine and one of these compounds 12 exhibits weak inhibition of A/M2-S31N mutant and it is marginally more effective in inhibiting S31NM2 than amantadine. This study provides a new insight into the structural nature of drugs required to inhibit WT A/M2 and its mutants.