Dinuclear Metal‐ProPhenol Catalysts: Development and Synthetic Applications

Discovery of a Potent Antiosteoporotic Drug Molecular Scaffold Derived from Angelica sinensis and Its Bioinspired Total Synthesis

Angelica sinensis, commonly known as Dong Quai in Europe and America and as Dang-gui in China, is a medicinal plant widely utilized for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. In this study, we report the discovery of a new category of phthalide from Angelica sinensis, namely falcarinphthalides A and B (1 and 2), which contains two fragments, (3R,8S)-falcarindiol (3) and (Z)-ligustilide (4). Falcarinphthalides A and B (1 and 2) represent two unprecedented carbon skeletons of phthalide in natural products, and their antiosteoporotic activities were evaluated. The structures of 1 and 2, including their absolute configurations, were established using extensive analysis of NMR spectra, chemical derivatization, and ECD/VCD calculations. Based on LC-HR-ESI-MS analysis and DFT calculations, a production mechanism for 1 and 2 involving enzyme-catalyzed Diels-Alder/retro-Diels-Alder reactions was proposed. Falcarinphthalide A (1), the most promising lead compound, exhibits potent in vitro antiosteoporotic activity by inhibiting NF-κB and c-Fos signaling-mediated osteoclastogenesis. Moreover, the bioinspired gram-scale total synthesis of 1, guided by intensive DFT study, has paved the way for further biological investigation. The discovery and gram-scale total synthesis of falcarinphthalide A (1) provide a compelling lead compound and a novel molecular scaffold for treating osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases.

Dinuclear Zn-Catalytic System as Brønsted Base and Lewis Acid for Enantioselectivity in Same Chiral Environment

Zinc (Zn) is a crucial element with remarkable significance in organic transformations. The profusion of harmless zinc salts in the Earth's outer layer qualifies zinc as a noteworthy contender for inexpensive and eco-friendly reagents and catalysts. Recently, widely recognized uses of organo-Zn compounds in the field of organic synthesis have undergone extensive expansion toward asymmetric transformations. The ProPhenol ligand, a member of the chiral nitrogenous-crown family, exhibits the spontaneous formation of a dual-metal complex when reacted with alkyl metal (R-M) reagents, e.g., ZnEt2. The afforded Zn complex possesses two active sites, one Lewis acid and the other Brønsted base, thereby facilitating the activation of nucleophiles and electrophiles simultaneously within the same chiral pocket. In this comprehensive analysis, we provide a thorough account of the advancement and synthetic potential of these diverse catalysts in organic synthesis, while emphasizing the reactivity and selectivities, i.e., dr and ee due to the design/structure of the ligands employed.

Dinuclear Zinc-Catalyzed Asymmetric Desymmetrization of Cyclopentendiones: Access to Functional Cyclopentanediones Bearing an All-carbon Quaternary Stereocenter

The success in the identification of the two enantioisomeric surfaces of electrophiles by dinuclear zinc catalysts is disclosed. This protocol realizes a dinuclear zinc-cocatalyzed desymmetrization of cyclopentendiones using α-hydroxy aryl ketones as nucleophiles through Michael addition reaction. Under mild conditions, a series of functional cyclopentanediones bearing multiple stereogenic centers including an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter, were obtained in moderate to good yields with excellent stereoselectivities.

Zinc-Catalyzed Asymmetric Cascade Michael/Acyl Transfer Reaction between α-Hydroxy Aryl Ketones and Enynones

We described herein a neoteric enantioselective cascade Michael/acyl transfer reaction of enynones and α-hydroxy aryl ketones catalyzed by dinuclear zinc cooperative catalysis. A series of structurally diverse chiral 1,5-dicarbonyl compounds were synthesized in good yields with excellent stereoselectivities. This strategy features broad substrate scope, high atom economy, as well as enynones as efficient electrophilic acyl transfer reagents in asymmetric cascade reactions for the first time.

Development of ProPhenol/Ti(IV) Catalyst for Asymmetric Hydroxylative Dearomatization of Naphthols

By development of ProPhenol/Ti(IV) catalysts, a catalytic enantioselective hydroxylative dearomatization of naphthols is achieved by using TBHP as a simple oxidative reagent. The side coordinative chain equipped on the C1-position of β-naphthols plays an important role for initiating this asymmetric hydroxylative reaction, which might be a result of the proper cocoordination effects to the titanium center in the catalyst. A reasonable catalytic cycle is proposed, the catalytic system is applied to a reasonable range of this type of phenolic compound, and related concise transformations are carried out.

Protected syn-Aldol Compounds from Direct, Catalytic, and Enantioselective Reactions of N-Acyl-1,3-oxazinane-2-thiones with Aromatic Acetals

A direct and asymmetric syn-aldol reaction of N-acyl-1,3-oxazinane-2-thiones with dialkyl acetals from aromatic acetals in the presence of 2-5 mol % [DTBM-SEGPHOS]NiCl₂, TMSOTf, and lutidine has been developed. It has been established that the oxazinanethione heterocycle, used for the first time as a scaffold in asymmetric carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, can be smoothly removed to give access to a variety of enantiomerically pure compounds with high synthetic value.

Zinc-Catalyzed Enantioselective [3 + 3] Annulation for Synthesis of Chiral Spiro[indoline-3,4'-thiopyrano[2,3-b]indole] Derivatives

With a dinuclear zinc-ProPhenol complex as a catalyst, an efficient and novel [3 + 3] annulation of indoline-2-thiones and isatylidene malononitriles has been successfully developed via the Brønsted base and Lewis acid cooperative activation model. This practical methodology gives access to a broad range of chiral spiro[indoline-3,4'-thiopyrano[2,3-b]indole] derivatives in good yields with excellent levels of enantioselectivities (up to 88% yield and 99% ee).

Diverse synthesis of α-tertiary amines and tertiary alcohols via desymmetric reduction of malonic esters

Amines and alcohols with a fully substituted α-carbon are structures of great value in organic synthesis and drug discovery. While conventional methods towards these motifs often rely on enantioselective carbon-carbon or carbon-heteroatom bond formation reactions, a desymmetric method is developed here by selectively hydrosilylating one of the esters of easily accessible α-substituted α-amino- and -oxymalonic esters. The desymmetrization is enabled by a suite of dinuclear zinc catalysts with pipecolinol-derived tetradentate ligands and can accommodate a diverse panel of heteroatom substituents, including secondary amides, tertiary amines, and ethers of different sizes. The polyfunctionalized reduction products, in return, have provided expeditious approaches to enantioenriched nitrogen- and oxygen-containing molecules, including dipeptides, vitamin analogs, and natural metabolites.

Chiral α-tertiary amines and tertiary alcohols are prevalent in bioactive molecules yet challenging targets to access. Here, the authors provide a dinuclear zinc-catalyzed desymmetric approach based on readily available malonic esters.

Asymmetric Hydrophosphonylation of α,β-Unsaturated Ketones Catalyzed by Rare-Earth Metal Complexes Bearing Trost Ligands

Chiral dinuclear rare-earth metal complexes RE₂Lⁿ₂ (n = 1, RE = Y(1), Eu(2), Nd(3), La(4), Gd(5); n = 2, RE = Eu(6), Gd(7)) stabilized by the corresponding Trost ligands H₃L¹ or H₃L² (H₃L¹ = (S,S)-2,6-bis[2-(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl]-4-methylphenol, H₃L² = (S,S)-2,6-bis[2-(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl]-4-chlorophenol) were prepared and three unknown complexes 5-7 were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. The chiral rare-earth metal complexes 1-7 displayed high reactivity in the asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of α,β-unsaturated ketones, and 5 mol % of complex 7 together with 10 mol % of chiral diamine (1S,2S)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine were proved to be the optimal catalyst combination. Various hydrophosphonylation products with excellent yields and high to excellent enantiomeric excess (ee) values were obtained in toluene (up to 99% yield, >99% ee).

Catalytic Asymmetric Michael Reaction of Methyl Alkynyl Ketone Catalyzed by Diphenylprolinol Silyl Ether

The asymmetric Michael reaction of methyl alkynyl ketone and α,β-unsaturated aldehyde catalyzed by diphenylprolinol silyl ether was developed. Although methyl alkynyl ketone is a good Michael acceptor, it also acts as a Michael donor to afford the synthetically important δ-oxo aldehydes with excellent enantioselectivity. The products possessing several functional groups, such as alkyne, ketone, and aldehyde moieties, are useful chiral building blocks for further synthesis. Using this reaction as a key step, a side chain of atorvastatin (Lipitor), an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, was synthesized in a two-pot sequence with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities.

Catalytic Asymmetric Umpolung Tandem Reactions of Hemiacetals via Dinuclear Zinc Cooperative Catalysis

The umpolung activity of hemiacetals serving as α-carbon nucleophiles has been reported via dinuclear zinc cooperative catalysis. This umpolung strategy has been applied to catalytic asymmetric tandem reactions of 1-tosylindoline-2,3-diols with β,γ-unsaturated-α-keto compounds, providing a broad series of structurally diverse tetrahydrofuran spirooxindoles and dihydrofurans, respectively. In addition, products could be transformed to quinazoline and quinoline derivatives.

Dinuclear zinc catalyzed asymmetric [3 + 2] spiroannulation for the synthesis of diverse bispirocyclic saccharines

A highly atom-economical and novel enantioselective [3 + 2] spiroannulation reaction of saccharine-derived cyclic 1-azadienes with α-hydroxy-1-indanones has been developed.

Zinc-catalyzed asymmetric [3 + 2] annulations for construction of chiral spiro[1-indanone-γ-butyrolactones] via a C−N bond cleavage process

An intriguing tandem Michael/lactonization reaction of α-hydroxy-1-indanones and methyleneindolinones has been established in this work. The employ of chiral dinuclear zinc catalysts is essential in achieving highly efficient chirality transfer...

Heterometallic cooperativity in divalent metal ProPhenol catalysts: combining zinc with magnesium or calcium for cyclic ester ring-opening polymerisation

The first heterobimetallic lactide ROP catalysts based on two divalent metals outperform the homobimetallic analogues, attributed to the increased Lewis acidity of Mg or Ca (monomer coordination) and enhanced polarity of Zn–Et/OR (propagation).

ProPhenol Derived Ligands to Simultaneously Coordinate a Main-Group Metal and a Transition Metal: Application to a Zn-Cu Catalyzed Reaction

A new bifunctional ligand bearing chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and prolinol moieties is presented. Utilizing the designed ligand, an in situ formed Cu/Zn hetero-bimetallic complex unlocks the asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions of allyl phosphates with zinc keto-homoenolates, leading to the formation of various γ-vinyl ketones with good regio- and enantio-selectivity. DF sT calculation supports that the chelation of allyl phosphates with catalyst promotes the S_N 2' addition and the ligand-substrate steric interactions account for the stereoselective outcome.

Siloxy Esters as Traceless Activators of Carboxylic Acids: Boron-Catalyzed Chemoselective Asymmetric Aldol Reaction*

The catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction is among the most useful reactions in organic synthesis. Despite the existence of many prominent reports, however, the late-stage, chemoselective, catalytic, asymmetric aldol reaction of multifunctional substrates is still difficult to achieve. Herein, we identified that in situ pre-conversion of carboxylic acids to siloxy esters facilitated the boron-catalyzed direct aldol reaction, leading to the development of carboxylic acid-selective, catalytic, asymmetric aldol reaction applicable to multifunctional substrates. Combining experimental and computational studies rationalized the reaction mechanism and led to the proposal of Si/B enediolates as the active species. The silyl ester formation facilitated both enolization and catalyst turnover by acidifying the α-proton of substrates and attenuating poisonous Lewis bases to the boron catalyst.

Dinuclear Zinc Catalyzed Enantioselective Dearomatization [3+2] Annulation of 2-Nitrobenzofurans and 2-Nitrobenzothiophenes

The application of dinuclear zinc catalysts in a dearomatization reaction has been developed. Catalytic asymmetric dearomatization [3+2] annulations of 2-nitrobenzofurans or 2-nitrobenzothiophenes with CF₃ -containing N-unprotected isatin-derived azomethine ylides catalyzed by dinuclear zinc catalysts are realized with excellent diastereomer ratios (dr) of >20 : 1 and enantiomeric excess (ee) of up to 99 %. This protocol provides a practical, straightforward access to structurally diverse pyrrolidinyl spirooxindoles containing a 2,3-fused-dihydrobenzofuran (or dihydrobenzothiphene) moiety, and four contiguous stereocenters. Reactions can be performed on a gram scale. The absolute configuration of products is confirmed by X-ray single crystal structure analysis, and a possible mechanism is proposed.

Dinuclear zinc-catalyzed enantioselective formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition of N-2,2,2-trifluoroethylisatin ketimines with low reactivity aurone derivatives

Highly enantioselective formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition of N-2,2,2-trifluoroethylisatin ketimines with aurone derivatives of low reactivity using chiral dinuclear zinc catalysts has been developed via a Brønsted base and Lewis acid cooperative activation model. These transformations involving a domino Michael/Mannich reaction sequence led to efficient construction of a range of chiral spiro[benzofuran-pyrrolidine] scaffolds bearing three biologically relevant heterocyclic moieties and two adjacent spiro quaternary stereocenters in high yields (up to 95%) and with good enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee).

Dinuclear zinc-catalyzed asymmetric Friedel-Crafts alkylation/cyclization of 3-aminophenols with α,α-dicyanoolefins

An enantioselective Friedel-Crafts alkylation/cyclization tandem reaction of 3-aminophenols with α,α-dicyanoolefins has been performed successfully using a chiral dinuclear zinc catalyst, leading to a range of chiral 2-amino-4H-chromenes (up to 98% yield and >99% ee). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first asymmetric example of the dinuclear zinc-catalysed functionalization of aromatic C(sp²)-H bonds.

Direct and Enantioselective Aldol Reactions Catalyzed by Chiral Nickel(II) Complexes

A direct and asymmetric aldol reaction of N‐acyl thiazinanethiones with aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by chiral nickel(II) complexes is reported. The reaction gives the corresponding O‐TIPS‐protected anti‐aldol adducts in high yields and with remarkable stereocontrol and atom economy. Furthermore, the straightforward removal of the achiral scaffold provides enantiomerically pure intermediates of synthetic interest, which involve precursors for anti‐α‐amino‐β‐hydroxy and α,β‐dihydroxy carboxylic derivatives. Theoretical calculations explain the observed high stereocontrol.

Catalytic reductive desymmetrization of malonic esters

Desymmetrization of fully substituted carbons with a pair of enantiotopic functional groups is a practical strategy for the synthesis of quaternary stereocentres, as it divides the tasks of enantioselection and C-C bond formation. The use of disubstituted malonic esters as the substrate of desymmetrization is particularly attractive, given their easy and modular preparation, as well as the high synthetic values of the chiral monoester products. Here, we report that a dinuclear zinc complex with a tetradentate ligand can selectively hydrosilylate one of the carbonyls of malonic esters to give α-quaternary β-hydroxyesters, providing a promising alternative to the desymmetric hydrolysis using carboxylesterases. The asymmetric reduction features excellent enantiocontrol that can differentiate sterically similar substituents and high chemoselectivity towards the diester motif of substrates. Together with the versatile preparation of malonic ester substrates and post-reduction derivatization, the desymmetric reduction has enabled the synthesis of a diverse array of quaternary stereocentres with distinct structural features.

Asymmetric Catalytic Ketimine Mannich Reactions and Related Transformations

The catalytic enantioselective ketimine Mannich and its related reactions provide direct access to chiral building blocks bearing an α-tertiary amine stereogenic center, a ubiquitous structural motif in nature. Although ketimines are often viewed as challenging electrophiles, various approaches/strategies to circumvent or overcome the adverse properties of ketimines have been developed for these transformations. This review showcases the selected examples that highlight the benefits and utilities of various ketimines and remaining challenges associated with them in the context of Mannich, allylation, and aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions as well as their variants.

A new asymmetric activation strategy for hydrazones as acyl anion equivalents in the bimetallic catalyzed carbonyl-ene reaction

A new asymmetric activation strategy for hydrazones as acyl anion equivalents is developed in the bimetallic catalyzed carbonyl-ene reaction of isatins and hydrazones. Under mild conditions, optically active functionalized 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles were furnished in up to 98% yield with up to 97% enantioselectivity. In this process, formaldehyde tert-butylhydrazone which is seldom employed in asymmetric carbonyl-ene reactions accelerated by a metallic catalyst can be activated well by a Brønsted base. A possible catalytic cycle is proposed.

Strategies of In Situ Generated Magnesium Catalysis in Asymmetric Reactions

Magnesium (Mg) is a cheap, non-toxic, and recyclable alkaline earth metal that constitutes about 2% weight in the Earth’s crust. The use of magnesium catalysts to forge chiral moieties in molecules is highly attractive. Based on our work in recent years, we describe the current progress in the development of in situ generated magnesium catalysts and their application in asymmetric synthesis. In this perspective, a critically concise classification of in situ generated magnesium catalytic modes, with relevant examples, is presented, and representative mechanisms of each category are discussed. Building on the established diverse strategies, one can foresee that more innovative and structurally creative magnesium catalysts that are generated in situ will be developed to overcome more formidable challenges of catalytic enantioselective reactions.

1 Introduction

2 Magnesium Catalysts Generated in Situ from Chiral Ligands Containing Dual Reactive Hydrogens

3 Magnesium Catalysts Generated in Situ from Monoanionic Chiral Ligands

4 Bimetallic and Polymetallic Magnesium Catalysts Assembled in Situ

5 Summary and Outlook

Dinuclear zinc-catalyzed asymmetric [3 + 2] cyclization reaction for direct assembly of chiral α-amino-γ-butyrolactones bearing three stereocenters

A highly atom-economic and novel enantioselective [3 + 2] cyclization reaction for the construction of optical α-amino-γ-butyrolactones possessing three stereocenters.

Cycloaddition of carbon dioxide and epoxides catalyzed by rare earth metal complexes bearing a Trost ligand

Rare earth metal complexes containing Trost ligands were used to catalyze the cycloaddition reaction of epoxides with CO₂. A series of epoxides were successfully converted into the corresponding cyclic carbonates under mild conditions.

Zn-ProPhenol Catalyzed Enantioselective Mannich Reaction of 2H-Azirines with Alkynyl Ketones

The enantioselective Mannich reaction of 2H-azirines with alkynyl ketones is achieved under Zn-ProPhenol catalysis, delivering various aziridines with vicinal tetrasubstituted stereocenters in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. The bimetallic Zn-ProPhenol complexes activate both the nucleophile and the electrophile in the same chiral pocket. A unique intramolecular hydrogen bond is observed in the obtained Mannich adducts, which lowers the basicity of the product's aziridine nitrogen thus favoring enantioselective control and allowing catalyst turnover.

Strategies for the Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of α-Trifluoromethyl Amines

The exploitation of the α-trifluoromethylamino group as an amide surrogate in peptidomimetics and drug candidates has been on the rise. In a large number of these cases, this moiety bears stereochemistry with the stereochemical identity having important consequences on numerous molecular properties, such as the potency of the compound. Yet, the majority of stereoselective syntheses of α-CF₃ amines rely on diastereoselective couplings with chiral reagents. Concurrent with the rapid expansion of fluorine into pharmaceuticals has been the development of catalytic enantioselective means of preparing α-trifluoromethyl amines. In this work, we outline the strategies that have been employed for accessing these enantioenriched amines, including normal polarity approaches and several recent developments in imine umpolung transformations.

Enantioselective Hydroboration of Ketones Catalyzed by Rare-Earth Metal Complexes Containing Trost Ligands

Four chiral dinuclear rare-earth metal complexes [REL¹]₂ (RE = Y(1), Eu(2), Nd(3), La (4)) stabilized by Trost proligand H₃L¹ (H₃L¹ = (S,S)-2,6-bis[2-(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl]-4-methylphenol) were first prepared, and all were characterized by X-ray diffraction. Complex 4 was employed as the catalyst for enantioselective hydroboration reaction of substituted ketones, and the corresponding secondary alcohols with excellent yields and high ee values were obtained using reductant HBpin. The same result was also achieved using the combination of lanthanium amides La[N(SiMe₃)₂]₃ with Trost proligand H₃L¹ in a 1:1 molar ratio. The experimental findings and DFT calculation revealed the possible mechanism of the enantioselective hydroboration reaction and defined the origin of the enantioselectivity in the current system.

Catalytically Generated Vanadium Enolates Formed via Interruption of the Meyer-Schuster Rearrangement as Useful Reactive Intermediates

Enolate chemistry is one of the most fundamental strategies for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. Classically, this has been accomplished through the use of stoichiometric quantities of strong base and cryogenic reaction temperatures. However, these techniques present issues related to enolate regioselectivity and functional group tolerance. While more modern methods utilizing stoichiometric activating agents have overcome some of these limitations, these processes add additional steps and suffer from poor atom economy. While certain classes of highly acidic nucleophiles have enabled the development of elegant and general catalytic solutions to address all of these limitations, functionalizing less acidic nucleophiles remains difficult.To overcome these challenges, we developed an alternative general approach for the formation and subsequent functionalization of metal enolates that leverages catalytic amounts of Lewis acid and entirely avoids the need for exogenous base or stoichiometric additives. To do so, we re-engineered the classical Meyer-Schuster rearrangement, which normally converts propargylic alcohols into α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. By careful control of reaction conditions and by selection of an appropriate vanadium-oxo catalyst, the transient metal enolates formed via the 1,3-transposition of propargylic or allenylic alcohols can be guided away from simple protonation reaction pathways and toward more synthetically productive carbon-carbon, carbon-halogen, and carbon-nitrogen bond-forming processes.By utilizing readily available propargylic and allenylic alcohols as our starting materials and relying on a catalytic 1,3-transposition to generate metal enolates in situ, all issues related to the regioselectivity of enolate formation are resolved. Likewise, utilization of a simple isomerization for enolate formation results in a highly efficient process that can be 100% atom economical. The mild reaction conditions employed also allow for remarkable chemoselectivity. Functional groups not typically conducive to enolate chemistry, such as alkynyl ketones, methyl ketones, free alcohols, and primary alkyl halides, are all well tolerated. Finally, by varying the substitution patterns of the alcohol starting materials, enolates of ketones, esters, and even amides are all accessible.Utilizing this strategy starting from propargylic alcohols, we have developed functionalization reactions that produce highly substituted and geometrically defined α-functionalized α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Such processes include aldol, Mannich, and electrophilic halogenation reactions, as well as dual catalytic reactions wherein catalytically generated vanadium enolates are trapped with catalytically generated palladium π-allyl electrophiles. In the case of allenylic alcohols, we have developed complementary aldol, Mannich, halogenation, and dual catalytic processes to generate α'-functionalized α,β-unsaturated carbonyl products.The results described in this work showcase the power and generality of our alternative approach to enolate chemistry. Additionally, we point out unaddressed challenges in the field and invite other groups to help innovate in these areas.

Enantioselective synthesis of indanone spiro-isochromanone derivatives via a dinuclear zinc-catalyzed Michael/transesterification tandem reaction

An enantioselective Michael/transesterification tandem reaction of α-hydroxy indanones with ortho-ester chalcones was realized using dinuclear zinc catalysts. A series of enantiomerically pure spiro[indanone-2,3'-isochromane-1-one] derivatives were obtained in good yields with excellent stereoselectivities (up to >20 : 1 dr, up to >99% ee). This protocol could be conducted on a gram scale without affecting its stereoselectivities. In addition, the absolute stereochemistry of the products was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis of 3ac, and a positive nonlinear effect was observed. Finally, a possible catalytic cycle was proposed to explain the origin of the enantioselectivity.

Brønsted Base and Lewis Acid Cooperatively Catalyzed Asymmetric exo'-Selective [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of Trifluoromethylated Azomethine Ylides and Methyleneindolinones

A Brønsted base and Lewis acid cooperatively catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is reported through chiral dinuclear zinc catalysts. An asymmetric exo'-selective [3 + 2] cycloaddition of CF₃-containing N-unprotected isatin-derived azomethine ylides is realized. In the presence of 10 mol % of catalyst, azomethine ylides react efficiently with methyleneindolinones, giving a series of trifluoromethyl-substituted 2,3-pyrrolidinyl dispirooxindoles with highly enantio- (up to 99% ee) and exo'-selectivity (>20:1 dr). Up to four contiguous stereogenic centers, including two adjacent spiro quaternary stereocenters, are constructed in one step.

Direct Enantio- and Diastereoselective Zn-ProPhenol-Catalyzed Mannich Reactions of CF3- and SCF3-Substituted Ketones

Enantioselective incorporation of trifluoromethyl (-CF₃) and trifuoromethylthio (-SCF₃) groups in small molecules is of high interest to modulate the potency and pharmacological properties of drug candidates. Herein, we report a Zn-ProPhenol catalyzed diastereo- and enantioselective Mannich addition of α-trifluoromethyl- and α-trifuoromethylthio-substituted ketones. This transformation uses cyclic and acyclic ketones and generates quaternary trifluoromethyl and tetrasubstituted trifuoromethylthio stereogenic centers in excellent yields and selectivities.