The highly enantioselective cascade reaction between N-protected a-cyanoglycine esters and a,beta-unsaturated aldehydes is disclosed. The reaction represents a one-step entry to polysubstituted 5-hydroxyproline derivatives having a quaternary a-stereocenter generally in high yields with up to >95:5 dr and 99:1 er. It is also a direct catalytic two-step entry to functionalized a-quaternary proline derivatives.
In biological systems, most of the active organic molecules are chiral. Some of the main constituents of living organisms are amino acids and sugars. They exist predominantly in only one enantiomerically pure form. For example, our proteins are built-up by L-amino acids and as a consequence they are enatiomerically pure and will interact in different ways with enantiomers of chiral molecules. Indeed, different enantiomers or diastereomers of a molecule could often have a drastically different biological activity. It is of paramount importance in organic synthesis to develop new routes to control and direct the stereochemical outcome of reactions. The aim of this thesis is to investigate new protocols for the synthesis of complex chiral molecules using simple, environmentally friendly proline-based organocatalysts. We have investigated, the aziridination of linear and branched enals, the stereoselective synthesis of β-amino acids with a carbene co-catalyst, the synthesis of pyrazolidines, the combination of heterogeneous transition metal catalysis and amine catalysis to deliver cyclopentenes bearing an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter and a new heterogeneous dual catalyst system for the carbocyclization of enals. The reactions presented in this thesis afforded the corresponding products with high levels of chemo-, diastero- and enantioselectivity.
The concept of combining heterogeneous transition metal and amine catalysis for enantioselective cascade reactions has not yet been realized. This is of great advantage since it would allow for the recycling of expensive and non-environmentally friendly transition metals. We disclose that the use of a heterogeneous Pd-catalyst in combination with a simple chiral amine co-catalyst allows for highly enantioselective cascade transformations. The preparative power of this process has been demonstrated in the context of asymmetric cascade Michael/carbocyclization transformations that delivers cyclopentenes bearing an all carbon quaternary stereocenters in high yields with up to 30: 1 dr and 99% ee. Moreover, a variety of highly enantioselective cascade hetero-Michael/carbocyclizations were developed for the one-pot synthesis of valuable dihydrofurans and pyrrolidines (up to 98% ee) by using bench-stable heterogeneous Pd and chiral amines as co-catalysts.
The development, scope and application of the highly enantioselective organocatalytic aziridination of a, b- unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The aminocatalytic aziridination of a, b- unsaturated aldehydes enables the asymmetric formation of b-formylaziridines with up to >19:1 dr and 99% ee. The aminocatalytic aziridination of a-monosobstituted enals gives access to terminal a-substituted-a-formyl aziridines in high yields and up to 99% ee. In the case of the organocatalytic aziridination of disubstituted a, b-unsaturated aldehydes, the transformations gives nearly enantiomeric pure b-formyl-functionalized aziridine products. A higly enantioselective one-pot cascade sequence based on combination of asymmetric amine and N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis is also disclosed. This transformation gives the corresponding N-Boc and N-Cbz protected b-amino acid esters with ee´s ranging from 92-99%.
The development, scope, and application of the highly enantioselective organocatalytic aziridination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The aminocatalytic azirdination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes enables the asymmetric formation of β-formyl aziridines with up to >19:1 d.r. and 99% ee. The aminocatalytic aziridination of α-monosubstituted enals gives access to terminal α-substituted-α-formyl aziridines in high yields and upto 99% ee. In the case of the organocatalytic aziridination of disubstituted α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, the transformations were highly diastereo- and enantioselective and give nearly enantiomerically pure β-formyl-functionalized aziridine products (99% ee). A highly enantioselective one-pot cascade sequence based on the combination of asymmetric amine and N-heterocycliccarbene catalysis (AHCC) is also disclosed. This one-pot three-component co-catalytic transformation between α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, hydroxylamine derivatives, and alcohols gives the corresponding N-tert-butoxycarbonyl and N-carbobenzyloxy-protected β-amino acid esters with ee values ranging from 92–99%. The mechanisms and stereochemistry of all these catalytic transformations are also discussed.
A modular design for a novel heterogeneous synergistic catalytic system, which simultaneously activates the electrophile and nucleophile by the combined activation modes of a separate metal and non-metal catalyst, for asymmetric cascade transformations on a solid surface is disclosed. This modular catalysis strategy generates carbocycles (up to 97.5: 2.5 er) as well as spirocyclic oxindoles (97.5: 2.5 to > 99: 0.5 er), containing all-carbon quaternary centers, in a highly enantioselective fashion via a one-pot dynamic relay process.
A series of highly diastereo- and enantioselective aerobic oxidation-Michael-carbocyclization cascade transformations by integrated heterogeneous Pd(0)-CPG nanoparticle/chiral amine relay catalysis are disclosed. The heterogeneous Pd(0)-CPG nanoparticle catalysts were efficient for both the sequential aerobic oxidation and dynamic kinetic asymmetric Michael-carbocyclization transformations, resulting in 1) oxidation of a variety of allylic alcohols to enals and 2) formation of cyclopentenes containing an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter in good to high yields with up to 20:1 dr and 99.5:0.5 er.
Herein is described a versatile and broad synergistic strategy for expansion of chemical space and the synthesis of valuable molecules (e.g. carbocycles and heterocycles), with up to three quaternary stereocenters, in a highly enantioselective fashion from simple alcohols (31examples, 95:5 to >99.5:0.5 e.r.) using integrated heterogeneous metal/chiral amine multiple relay catalysis and air/O-2 as the terminal oxidant. A novel highly 1,4-selective heterogeneous metal/amine co-catalyzed hydrogenation of enals was also added to the relay catalysis sequences.
A highly enantioselective catalytic route to carbamate- and benzoate-protected beta-amino aldehydes and beta-amino acids is presented. The amino acid-catalyzed one-pot asymmetric reaction between unmodified aldehydes and alpha-amido sulfones gives the corresponding beta-amino compounds with up to 95:5 dr and 97-99%
A highly enantioselective, metal-free cascade reaction between di-1,2-N-protected hydrazine and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is disclosed. The catalytic, asymmetric cascade transformation is a direct entry to 3-hydroxypyrazolidine and 3-allylpyrazolidine derivatives in one step and two steps, respectively, with >19:1 d.r. and 98–99 % ee using simple chiral pyrrolidines as catalysts.
The first example of a highly enantioselective organocatalytic aziridination of α-substituted α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The reaction is catalyzed by simple chiral amines and gives access to highly functional terminal azirdines containing an α-tertiary amine stereocenter in high yields and enantiomeric ratios (95.5:4.5–98:2).
A versatile and highly stereoselective synthetic route to functionalized bi- and tricyclic lactams (up to > 20:1 dr and 99% ee) in one pot from simple starting materials (allylic alcohols, enals, diamines and amino alcohols) using cascade transformations promoted by chiral amine/BrOnsted or metal/chiral amine/BrOnsted relay catalysis is disclosed. Here molecular oxygen is employed as the terminal oxidant for the latter relay catalysis approach.
A catalytic asymmetric strategy for the total synthesis of quinuclidine natural products, which includes the completed enantioselective synthesis of the classical targets quinine and quinidine is disclosed. It is based on catalytic asymmetric cascade transformations, which paves the road for the synthesis of both enantiomers of the crucial C4 stereocenter with high enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee) in one pot. Next, developing a route to all possible stereoisomers of a common early-stage intermediate sets the stage for the total synthesis of different enantiomers or epimers of quinine, quinidine and analogues with high selectivity.
A concise asymmetric assembly of secologanine tryptamine and dopamine alkaloids by means of a one-pot three-component cascade reaction methodology is disclosed. This is demonstrated by the expeditious total syntheses of (-)-dihydrocorynanthenol, (-)-protoemetinol, (-)-protoemetine, (-)-3-epi-protoemetinol, and emetine (3-6 steps). The biomimetic synthetic strategy involved the following key steps: (i) One-pot three-component highly enantioselective catalytic Michael/Pictet-Spengler/lactamization cascade reactions; (ii) One-pot tandem Swern oxidation/Wittig sequences; (iii) One-pot tandem hydrogenation sequences.
The reaction mechanism for the palladium and amine cocatalyzed carbocyclization of aldehydes with alkynes has been investigated by means of density functional theory calculations and experiments. The Pd/amine cocatalyzed transformation is a carbocyclization of in situ generated enaminynes where the C-C bond-forming step is most likely promoted by a Pd(II) species. Notably, the latent Pd(O)/Pd(Ip catalytic redox cycle of this metal/organo cooperative catalytic reaction can be merged with catalytic direct aerobic alcohol oxidation (Pd oxidase catalysis).
A highly chemo- and enantioselective organocatalytic addition of fluorocarbon nucleophiles, such as 1-fluoro-bis(phenylsulfonyl)methane, toα,β-unsaturated aldehydes is presented (see scheme). The reactions are catalyzed by simple chiral amines and give access to optically active fluorine derivatives in good yields and up to 95 % ee. Notably, the methodology can be applied to the formation of a chiral quaternary carbon center bearing a fluorine atom with high enantioselectivity.
Porous organic polymers have prospects as functional substrates for catalysis, with quite different molecular properties from inorganic substrates. Here we disclose for the first time that porous palladium(II)-polyimines are excellent catalysts for cooperatively catalyzed and enantioselective cascade reactions. In synergy with a chiral amine co-catalyst, polysubstituted cyclopentenes and spirocyclic oxindoles, including the all-carbon quaternary stereocenter, were synthesized in high yields. High diastereo- and enantioselectivities were achieved for these dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformations (DYKAT) of enals with propargylic nucleophiles.
A simple and direct method for derivatization of solid polysaccharides is presented. The novel methodology is based on the combination of organic acid-catalyzed esterification or etherification and photochemical thiol-ene click derivatization of a heterogeneous polysaccharide. The solid cellulose was “organoclick” modified with aryl, alkyl and polyester groups, respectively. The modification allows for a highly modular and metal free surface modification of solid polysaccharides.
The asymmetric synthesis of Maraviroc (UK-427,857), a chemochine receptor 5 (CCR-5) receptor antagonist, based on an expeditious organocatalytic enantioselective assembly of the chiral β-amino aldehyde key fragment is presented. The reactions were performed on a gram-scale and allow for the rapid construction of new Maraviroc analogues.