Chiral ionic liquid-catalyzed Biginelli reaction: stereoselective synthesis of polyfunctionalized perhydropyrimidines

Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydropyrimidin(thio)one Containing Scaffold: Biginelli-like Reactions

The interest in 3,4-dihydropyrimidine-2(1H)-(thio)ones is increasing every day, mainly due to their paramount biological relevance. The Biginelli reaction is the classical approach to reaching these scaffolds, although the product diversity suffers from some limitations. In order to overcome these restrictions, two main approaches have been devised. The first one involves the modification of the conventional components of the Biginelli reaction and the second one refers to the postmodification of the Biginelli products. Both strategies have been extensively revised in this manuscript. Regarding the first one, initially, the modification of one of the components was covered. Although examples of modifications of the three of them were described, by far the modification of the keto ester counterpart was the most popular approach, and a wide variety of different enolizable carbonylic compounds were used; moreover, changes in two or the three components were also described, broadening the substitution of the final dihydropyrimidines. Together with these modifications, the use of Biginelli adducts as a starting point for further modification was also a very useful strategy to decorate the final heterocyclic structure.

Eco-friendly and Enantiospecific Biginelli Synthesis Using (+)-Myrtenal as the Substrate - An Impeccable and Unequivocal Analysis of the Product

BACKGROUND

We found in the literature, an excellent review of the Biginelli reaction that addresses the methodologies for obtaining enantiopure dihydropyrimidinones (DHPMs). In 1992, optically pure DHPMs were obtained by fractional crystallization of the diastereomeric ammonium salt derivative with (S)-(-) and (R)- (+)-α-methyl benzylamine and by other chiral resolution techniques, such as chiral high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Asymmetric syntheses of these compounds are also explained in the literature. The main strategy is to use acid catalysts such as organophosphates, organometallic complexes, amines and diamines, nanocomposites, and chiral ionic liquids, e.g., L-prolinium sulfate (Pro2SO4).

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to study the Biginelli reaction with a chiral aldehyde.

METHODS

A mixture of ethyl acetoacetate (0.26 g, 3 mmol), urea (0.18 g, 3 mmol) and ethyl lactate (EL) (1 mL) was left under heating at 70°C and stirring for 1 h. Next, (-)-(1R)-myrtenal (0.45 g, 3 mmol) was added, and the medium was heated for 5 h more until the formation of a white solid. Ten millilitres of distilled water was added, and the product was extracted with CH2Cl2 (3 x 4 mL). The solvent was evaporated, and the product was recrystallized from ethanol-water.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

(+)-Myrtenal was used as a chiral substrate for a study that led to ethyl (R)-4-((1R,5S)- 6,6-dimethylbicyclo [3.1.1]hept-2-en-2-yl)-6-methyl-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate by the Biginelli synthesis using EL as a green solvent. The result is the first example of the enantiospecific Biginelli reaction. The product was exhaustively characterized by several physical analysis methods, i.e., 1H, 13C and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS), and high-resolution MS (HRMS), and its structure was unequivocally elucidated by X-ray crystallography.

CONCLUSION

Compound (4R)-4-(6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-en-2-yl)-6-methyl-2-oxo-1,2,3,4- tetrahydropyrimidine- 5-ethyl carboxylate is the first example of the enantiospecific Biginelli reaction. In addition, the process has the advantage of using EL as a green solvent. The product was characterized by 1H, 13C, and 2D NMR and IR spectroscopy, MS, HRMS, and X-ray crystallography.

A highly enantioselective Biginelli reaction using self-assembled methanoproline–thiourea organocatalysts: asymmetric synthesis of 6-isopropyl-3,4-dihydropyrimidines

An efficient self-assembled methanoproline–thiourea organocatalyst for the synthesis of optically active 6-isopropyl-3,4-dihydropyrimidines via an asymmetric Biginelli reaction was developed, which is superior to the individual precatalyst.

Polymer-supported benzimidazolium based ionic liquid: an efficient and reusable Brønsted acid catalyst for Biginelli reaction

A polymer-supported benzimidazolium based ionic liquid (PSBIL) was synthesized by reaction of poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) and benzimidazole followed by ring opening of 1,4-butane sultone and acidification with sulphuric acid.

Recent progress in asymmetric Biginelli reaction

The Biginelli reaction, which involves the interaction of ethyl acetoacetate, urea, and an appropriate aryl aldehyde, was first discovered by Pietro Biginelli about 120 years ago. The Biginelli products (3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones) are interesting materials due to their significant pharmacological and structural profiles. In the last decades, the asymmetric synthesis as a powerful tool has an effective impact on the Biginelli products and has increased their potencies and applications as drugs. Having the importance of this subject in mind, in this review we wish to present the recent rapid progress of asymmetric Biginelli reaction.

Recent developments in asymmetric multicomponent reactions

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) receive increasing attention because they address both diversity and complexity in organic synthesis. Thus, in principle diverse sets of relatively complex structures can be generated from simple starting materials in a single reaction step. The ever increasing need for optically pure compounds for pharmaceutical and agricultural applications as well as for catalysis promotes the development of asymmetric multicomponent reactions. In recent years, asymmetric multicomponent reactions have been applied to the total synthesis of various enantiopure natural products and commercial drugs, reducing the number of required reaction steps significantly. Although many developments in diastereoselective MCRs have been reported, the field of catalytic enantioselective MCRs has just started to blossom. This critical review describes developments in both diastereoselective and catalytic enantioselective multicomponent reactions since 2004. Significantly broadened scopes, new techniques, more environmentally benign methods and entirely novel MCRs reflect the increasingly inventive paths that synthetic chemist follow in this field. Until recently, enantioselective transition metal-catalyzed MCRs represented the majority of catalytic enantioselective MCRs. However, metal contamination is highly undesirable for drug synthesis. The emergence of organocatalysis greatly influences the quest for new asymmetric MCRs.

Application of Ionic Liquids in Multicomponent Reactions

This chapter reports the applicability of ionic liquids in the formation of different types of multicomponent reactions. Easy work-up, relatively short reaction times, good to high yields of the desired products, mild reaction conditions, low cost, availability, and reusability of the employed ionic liquids are the striking ­features of the reported methodologies.

Chiral ionic liquids: a compendium of syntheses and applications (2005-2012)

In recent years, the field of chiral ionic liquids (CILs) has undergone exponential growth. As the technology has advanced, new ways of synthesizing stable and structurally diverse ionic liquids have been established. This has led to heretofore unknown applications of CILs as well as in improving efficiency of previously identified applications. In this review article we have compiled a comprehensive database containing structures and physical properties of notable CILs that have been synthesized during the last 6 years. Their applications in the fields of asymmetric organic synthesis, spectroscopy, and chromatography are also illustrated. This is an expansion of our previous review, which covered the literature before 2005.

Theoretical elucidation on the functional role of pyrrolidine-type ionic liquids in inducing stereoselectivity of the Michael addition of cyclohexanone with trans-β-nitrostyrene

Density functional theory calculations have been carried out to elucidate the stereoselectivity of the Michael addition of cyclohexanone with trans-β-nitrostyrene, induced by a chiral ionic liquid (CIL) pyrrolidine-imidazolium bromide. By comparison of the C-C bond forming processes in the absence and presence of Br(-) anion, we found that intermolecular H-bonds between the imidazolium cation and the nitro group of trans-β-nitrostyrene and the steric hindrance of the imidazolium cation moiety on the Si-face of enamine dominate the stereoselectivity of the Michael addition. The presence of Br(-) anion obviously reduces the barrier by increasing the polarity of the C4=C5 bond of enamine. The theoretical results rationalize well the early experimental finding, and reveal a valuable clue for the further CIL design with high catalytic efficiency.

Cu(OTf)2-catalysed synthesis of structurally novel bicyclic 1,3-oxazines via condensation-dehydrazinative ring transformation cascades

The Cu(OTf)2-catalysed expeditious synthesis of 1,3-oxazin-2-ones(thiones) from unprotected D-glucose and D-xylose in excellent yields is reported. Cu(OTf)2 plays a dual role of a Lewis acid and an oxidant for dehydrazination, which is the cornerstone in the present investigation. The 1,3-oxazin-2-ones(thiones) serve as synthons for diversity oriented synthesis of structurally distinct bicyclic 1,3-oxazin-2-ones(thiones), when subjected to Malaprade reaction, followed by Cu(OTf)2-catalysed cyclisation with an appropriate traditional reagent such as phenylhydrazine, amidines, hydroxylamine, or semi(thiosemi)carbazide.