Organocatalyzed Aziridination of α-Branched Enals: Enantioselective Synthesis of Aziridines with a Quaternary Stereo­center

Organocatalytic kinetic resolution of 1,5-dicarbonyl compounds through a retro-Michael reaction

The pharmaceutical chemical industry has long used kinetic resolution to obtain high-value compounds. Organocatalysis has recently been added to this strategy, allowing for the resolution of racemic mixtures with low catalyst loadings and mild reaction conditions. This research focuses on the kinetic resolution of 1,5-dicarbonyl compounds using a retro-Michael reaction, co-catalyzed at room temperature with 20 mol % of the Jørgensen-Hayashi catalyst and PNBA. The study highlights the importance of conducting the kinetic resolution at a concentration of approximately ten millimolar (mM) to prevent the Michael retro-Michael equilibrium from affecting the process.

Electrophilic Aminating Agents in Total Synthesis

Classical amination methods involve the reaction of a nitrogen nucleophile with an electrophilic carbon center; however, in recent years, umpoled strategies have gained traction where the nitrogen source acts as an electrophile. A wide range of electrophilic aminating agents are now available, and these underpin a range of powerful C-N bond-forming processes. In this Review, we highlight the strategic use of electrophilic aminating agents in total synthesis.

Copper-Catalyzed Ring Expansion of Vinyl Aziridines under Mild Conditions

Vinyl aziridines are versatile starting materials toward ring-expansion transformations. Such processes are widely used to give various medium or larger N-heterocycles of synthetic interest. This letter describes a copper-catalyzed ring expansion of vinyl aziridines to 3-pyrrolines by using a Cu(I) salt [(CuOTf)2·toluene or Cu(MeCN)4·PF6]. In particular, this transformation occurs under mild conditions (THF, rt).

Organocatalytic Olefin Aziridination via Iminium-Catalyzed Nitrene Transfer: Scope, Limitations, and Mechanistic Insight

Olefin aziridination via organocatalytic nitrene transfer offers potential complementarity to metal-catalyzed methods; however there is a lack of reports of such reactions in the literature. Herein is reported a method that employs an iminium salt to catalyze the aziridination of styrenes by [ N-( p-toluenesulfonyl)imino]phenyliodinane (PhINTs). These reactions are hypothesized to proceed via a diaziridinium salt as the active oxidant. In addition to outlining the scope and limitations of the method, evidence for a polar, stepwise mechanism is presented, which provides new insight into the nature of iminium catalysis of nitrene transfer.

Organocatalytic Synthesis of cis-2,3-Aziridine Aldehydes by a Postreaction Isomerization

An unprecedented organocatalytic cis-selective aziridination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is described. The strategy utilizes postreaction isomerization as a key step. Our study demonstrates that by a proper choice of structural features of reagents and the catalyst the outcome of well-established reactions can be altered, leading to the formation of normally inaccessible diastereomers. The usefulness of the developed approach has been confirmed in the syn-selective formal aminohydroxylation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes.

Enantioselective aziridination of cyclic enals facilitated by the fluorine-iminium ion gauche effect

The enantioselective, organocatalytic aziridination of small, medium and macro-cyclic enals is reported using (S)-2-(fluorodiphenyl methyl)-pyrrolidine. Central to the reaction design is the reversible formation of a β-fluoroiminium ion intermediate, which is pre-organised on account of the fluorine-iminium ion gauche effect. This conformational effect positions the fluorine substituent synclinal-endo to the electropositive nitrogen centre thus benefiting from favourable stereoelectronic and electrostatic interactions (σC-H →σC-F *; F(δ-…︁) N(+) ). Consequently, one of the shielding groups on the fluorine-bearing carbon atom is positioned above the π-system, forming the basis of an enantioinduction strategy. Treatment of this intermediate with a "nitrene" source furnished a series of novel, optically active aziridines (e.r. up to 99.5:0.5). Further derivatisation of the product aziridines gives facile access to various amino acid derivatives, including β-fluoroamino acids. Crystallographic analyses of both the aziridines and their derivatives are disclosed.

N,N-DIIsopropyl-N-phosphonyl imines lead to efficient asymmetric synthesis of aziridine-2-carboxylic esters

Highly diastereoselective asymmetric synthesis of chiral aziridine-2-carboxylic esters is reported for 20 examples with good yields (51-87%) and excellent diastereoselectivities (>99:1 dr for most cases). The modified N-phosphonyl imines have proven to be superior to previous imine auxiliaries for the aza Darzens reaction by using a secondary isopropyl group to replace the primary benzyl group for N,N-diamino protection. In the meanwhile, a special operation by slowly adding the pre-cooled imine solution at -78 °C into the preformed β-bromo lithium enolate mixture at this temperature in the presence of 4 Å molecular sieves was found to be crucial in terms of yields and diastereoselectivity. The present method can provide an easy and general access to β-hydroxy α-amino acids and other important amino building blocks.

Noncovalent organocatalytic synthesis of enantioenriched terminal aziridines with a quaternary stereogenic center

A high-yielding and enantioselective access to novel N-Boc terminal aziridines, bearing a quaternary stereogenic center, has been developed via an aza-Michael initiated ring-closure (aza-MIRC) reaction of α-acyl acrylates with an N-tosyloxy tert-butyl carbamate catalyzed by a chiral amino thiourea. The feasibility of the aziridine regioselective ring-opening to valuable α,α-disubstituted α-amino acid esters has been demonstrated.