Synthesis and Evaluation of N-Diaminophosphoryl Aminothioureas as Bifunctional Catalysts for Vinylogous Aldol Reactions of Isatins and 2(3H)-Furanones

The organocatalytic asymmetric direct vinylogous aldol reaction of N-methylisatins 1 and γ-butenolides 2 to provide 3-hydroxy-2-oxindole derivatives 3 was investigated. A series of N-diaminophosphoryl aminothiourea catalysts 4 was synthesized, and their utility for the stereoselective formation of 3 was examined.

[Development of Green Asymmetric Organocatalytic Synthesis]

Organocatalysts, which are less toxic than metal catalysis, as well as inexpensive, environmentally benign, and stable against moisture and oxygen compared to metal-based catalysts, have received considerable attention for being efficient and clean catalysts. With respect to green chemistry, the development of organocatalysis is a significant research subject for a sustainable society. This article reviews studies on the development of novel organocatalysts and the reactions achieved from using them. Focusing on the push-pull ethylene moiety, in which two electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs) were introduced, we proposed that the vinylogous amide proton (N-H) will lead to the design of organocatalysts. We have developed the diaminomethylenemalononitrile (DMM) organocatalysts, which are push-pull ethylenes having two cyano groups as EWGs, and proved that they are effective for highly stereoselective hydrophosphonylation with aldehydes. The catalytic ability of the DMM organocatalyst was demonstrated in the development of the first asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of ketones using organocatalysts. The DMM organocatalyst can be applied to the selective 1,4-addition asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of enones. In addition, we designed and synthesized novel organocatalysts bearing squaramide-sulfonamide motif as multiple hydrogen bond donors. Squaramide-sulfonamide organocatalysts efficiently catalyzed the asymmetric direct vinylogous aldol reactions of furan-2(5H)-one with aldehydes. Successively, we achieved the synthesis of γ,γ-disubstituted-δ-hydroxy-γ-butenolide via asymmetric direct vinylogous aldol reaction of furanone derivatives using the squaramide-sulfonamide organocatalysts.

New Developments of the Principle of Vinylogy as Applied to π-Extended Enolate-Type Donor Systems

The principle of vinylogy states that the electronic effects of a functional group in a molecule are possibly transmitted to a distal position through interposed conjugated multiple bonds. As an emblematic case, the nucleophilic character of a π-extended enolate-type chain system may be relayed from the legitimate α-site to the vinylogous γ, ε, ..., ω remote carbon sites along the chain, provided that suitable HOMO-raising strategies are adopted to transform the unsaturated pronucleophilic precursors into the reactive polyenolate species. On the other hand, when "unnatural" carbonyl ipso-sites are activated as nucleophiles (umpolung), vinylogation extends the nucleophilic character to "unnatural" β, δ, ... remote sites. Merging the principle of vinylogy with activation modalities and concepts such as iminium ion/enamine organocatalysis, NHC-organocatalysis, cooperative organo/metal catalysis, bifunctional organocatalysis, dicyanoalkylidene activation, and organocascade reactions represents an impressive step forward for all vinylogous transformations. This review article celebrates this evolutionary progress, by collecting, comparing, and critically describing the achievements made over the nine year period 2010-2018, in the generation of vinylogous enolate-type donor substrates and their use in chemical synthesis.

Bifunctional Squaramide Organocatalysts for the Asymmetric Addition of Formaldehyde tert-Butylhydrazone to Simple Aldehydes

The nucleophilic addition of formaldehyde tert-butylhydrazone to simple aldehydes (a formal hetero-carbonyl-ene reaction) can be performed with good reactivity and excellent enantioselectivity by virtue of the dual hydrogen-bonding activation exerted by amide-squaramide organocatalysts. The resulting hydroxydiazenes (azo alcohols) were isolated in high yields as enantiomerically enriched azoxy compounds after a regioselective azo-to-azoxy transformation. Subsequent derivatization provides an entry to relevant amino alcohols, oxazolidinones, and derivatives thereof.

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Butenolides and Butyrolactones

γ-Butenolides, γ-butyrolactones, and derivatives, especially in enantiomerically pure form, constitute the structural core of numerous natural products which display an impressive range of biological activities which are important for the development of novel physiological and therapeutic agents. Furthermore, optically active γ-butenolides and γ-butyrolactones serve also as a prominent class of chiral building blocks for the synthesis of diverse biological active compounds and complex molecules. Taking into account the varying biological activity profiles and wide-ranging structural diversity of the optically active γ-butenolide or γ-butyrolactone structure, the development of asymmetric synthetic strategies for assembling such challenging scaffolds has attracted major attention from synthetic chemists in the past decade. This review offers an overview of the different enantioselective synthesis of γ-butenolides and γ-butyrolactones which employ catalytic amounts of metal complexes or organocatalysts, with emphasis focused on the mechanistic issues that account for the observed stereocontrol of the representative reactions, as well as practical applications and synthetic potentials.

New Developments in Chiral Cooperative Ion Pairing Organocatalysis by Means of Ammonium Oxyanions and Fluorides: From Protonation to Deprotonation Reactions

This personal account summarizes our contribution to the ion pairing organocatalysis mainly by use of chiral quaternary or tertiary ammonium fluorides, aryloxides and carboxylates. Starting from an experimental observation, we were able to develop several approaches for the enantioselective protonation of silyl enolates and enol esters giving rise to chiral carbonyl compounds bearing a stereogenic center at the α-position. Moving from protonation to deprotonation reactions, chiral ammonium ion pair catalysts were successfully applied to several asymmetric transformations such as an Henry reaction or a direct vinylogous aldol reaction to cite a few. An outlook of further possible developments in this field of research will also be discussed.

A One-Pot Tandem Strategy in Catalytic Asymmetric Vinylogous Aldol Reaction of Homoallylic Alcohols

Reported is a rationally-designed one-pot sequential strategy that allows homoallylic alcohols to be employed in a catalytic, asymmetric, direct vinylogous aldol reaction with a series of activated acyclic ketones, including trifluoromethyl ketones, γ-ketoesters, and α-keto phosphonates, in high yields (up to 95%) with excellent regio- and enantio-selectivity (up to 99% ee). This modular combination, including Jones oxidation and asymmetric organocatalysis, has satisfactory compatibility and reliability even at a 20 mmol scale, albeit without intermediary purification.

Enantioselective direct vinylogous aldol-cyclization cascade reaction between β,γ-unsaturated amides and o-quinones

The first enantioselective vinylogous reaction with 1,2-dikeones as aldol donors has been developed to provide chiral spirocyclic dihydropyranones.

Hg/Pt-catalyzed conversion of bromo alkynamines/alkynols to saturated and unsaturated γ-butyrolactams/lactones via intramolecular electrophilic cyclization

Convenient and general Hg(ii)/Pt(iv) catalyzed syntheses of γ-butyrolactams and α,β-unsaturated γ-butyrolactones/lactams are described via intramolecular electrophilic cyclizations of bromoalkynes with tosylamino and hydroxyl tethers. The reaction features the use of wet solvents, the exclusion of any base and additive, mild conditions and practical yields. We also synthesised few chiral lactams through this pathway. Additionally, it is shown that the NHTs group distanced further from the homopropargylic position assists regioselective bromoalkyne hydration to yield useful α-bromoketones. Furthermore, Boc protected bromo homo propargyl amines undergo 6-endo-dig cyclization through Boc oxygen to give bromomethylene substituted oxazinones.

Convenient synthesis of α,β-unsaturated γ-butyrolactones and γ-butyrolactams via decarboxylative iodination of paraconic acids and β-carboxyl-γ-butyrolactams using 1,3-diiodo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin

A convenient synthetic approach to α,β-unsaturated γ-butyrolactones and γ-butyrolactams is reported.

Synthesis of (+)-L-733,060, (+)-CP-99,994 and (2S,3R)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid: application of an organocatalytic direct vinylogous aldol reaction

The γ-butenolide obtained from an organocatalyzed, direct vinylogous aldol reaction of γ-crotonolactone and benzaldehyde serves as the key starting material in the expedient synthesis of a 3-hydroxy-2-phenyl piperidine intermediate which is converted to the target 2,3-disubstituted piperidines.