Enantioselective α-Chlorination Reactions of in Situ Generated C1 Ammonium Enolates under Base-Free Conditions

Lactone Enolates of Isochroman-3-ones and 2-Coumaranones: Quantification of Their Nucleophilicity in DMSO and Conjugate Additions to Chalcones

Owing to stereoelectronic effects, lactones often deviate in reactivity from their open-chain ester analogues as demonstrated by the CH acidity (in DMSO) of 3-isochromanone (pKa = 18.8) and 2-coumaranone (pKa = 13.5), which is higher than that of ethyl phenylacetate (pKa = 22.6). We have now characterized the reactivity of the lactone enolates derived from 3-isochromanone and 2-coumaranone by following the kinetics of their Michael reactions with p-quinone methides and arylidenemalonates (reference electrophiles) in DMSO at 20 °C. Evaluation of the experimentally determined second-order rate constants k2 by the Mayr-Patz equation, lg k2 = sN(N + E), furnished the nucleophilicity parameters N (and sN) of the lactone enolates. By localizing their position on the Mayr nucleophilicity scale, the scope of their electrophilic reaction partners becomes predictable, and we demonstrate a novel catalytic methodology for a series of carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions of lactone enolates with chalcones under phase transfer conditions in toluene.

Stereoselective Electrophilic Chlorination of β,β-Disubstituted Enesulfinamides with Chloramine-T: Asymmetric Synthesis of Acyclic α,α-Disubstituted α-Chlorinated Carbonyl Surrogates

Enamine and iminium ion-mediated asymmetric organocatalysis was not successful in achieving highly stereoselective α-chlorination of acyclic α,α-disubstituted carbonyls. To address this limitation, an alternative method was developed, which involved the use of geometry-defined persubstituted enesulfinamides to intercept the electrophilic chlorinating reagent. This approach enables the asymmetric construction of challenging acyclic α,α-disubstituted α-chlorinated ketimines with a high degree of stereoselectivity. The use of chloramine-T, a cost-effective and stable chlorine source rarely utilized in asymmetric electrophilic chlorination, plays a crucial role in achieving superior stereocontrol.

Enantioselective α-heterofunctionalization reactions of catalytically generated C1-Lewis base enolates

Chiral Lewis base (LB) organocatalysis has emerged as a powerful covalent catalysis concept which allows for highly selective asymmetric C-C and C-heteroatom bond formations. Considering significant recent progress in the development of strategies to access α-heterofunctionalized carboxylic acid derivatives under chiral LB catalysis, we wish to summarize the most significant concepts and advances in this field within this mini review now.

Catalytic Enantioselective Nucleophilic α-Chlorination of Ketones with NaCl

Catalytic enantioselective α-chlorination of ketones is a highly desirable process. Different from the conventional approaches that employ corrosive electrophilic chlorination reagents, the process disclosed here employs nucleophilic chloride, aqueous NaCl solution, and even seawater, as green inexpensive chlorine sources. This mechanistically distinct and electronically opposite approach provides facile access to diverse highly enantioenriched acyclic α-chloro ketones that are less straightforward by conventional approaches. With a chiral thiourea catalyst, a range of racemic α-keto sulfonium salts underwent enantioconvergent carbon-chlorine bond formation with high efficiency and excellent enantioselectivity under mild conditions. The sulfonium motif plays a crucial triple role by permitting smooth dynamic kinetic resolution to take place via a chiral anion binding mechanism in a well-designed phase-transfer system. This protocol represents a new general platform for the asymmetric nucleophilic α-functionalization of carbonyl compounds.

Cooperative Chiral Lewis Base/Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Syntheses of Methylene-Containing δ-Lactams

We herein report a two-step approach for the enantioselective synthesis of novel chiral δ-lactams. By using a cooperative chiral ITU/achiral Pd-catalyst system, this protocol proceeds via an asymmetric α-allylation of activated aryl esters first, followed by an acid-mediated lactam formation. A variety of differently substituted products could be obtained with usually high levels of enantioselectivities and in reasonable yields (16 examples, up to 98 : 2 er and 73 % yield over two steps). In addition, further utilizations of the products via transformations of the exocyclic double bond were successfully carried out as well.

Chiral Lewis Base-Catalysed Asymmetric Syntheses of Benzo-fused ϵ-Lactones

We herein report a two-step protocol for the asymmetric synthesis of novel chiral benzofused ϵ-lactones starting from O-protected hydroxymethyl-para-quinone methides and activated aryl esters. By using chiral isothiourea Lewis base catalysts a broad variety of differently substituted products could be obtained in yields of around 50 % over both steps with high levels of enantioselectivities, albeit low diastereoselectivities only.

Synthesis of α-Chloroarylacetic Acid via Electrochemical Carboxylation of α,α-Dichloroarylmethane Derivatives

The electrocarboxylation of α,α-dichloroarylmethane derivatives in the presence of CO2 was achieved, providing several α-chloroarylacetic acid derivatives with modest yields but high selectivity (chlorinated vs. non-chlorinated or dicarboxylic acid products). The obtained products were then involved in several chemical transformations, underlining their potential as versatile intermediates in synthetic chemistry. A mechanism was also proposed based upon a control experiment and cyclic voltammetry (CV) study.

Enantioselective isothiourea-catalysed reversible Michael addition of aryl esters to 2-benzylidene malononitriles

Catalytic enantioselective transformations usually rely upon optimal enantioselectivity being observed in kinetically controlled reaction processes, with energy differences between diastereoisomeric transition state energies translating to stereoisomeric product ratios. Herein, stereoselectivity resulting from an unusual reversible Michael addition of an aryl ester to 2-benzylidene malononitrile electrophiles using an isothiourea as a Lewis base catalyst is demonstrated. Notably, the basicity of the aryloxide component and reactivity of the isothiourea Lewis base both affect the observed product selectivity, with control studies and crossover experiments indicating the feasibility of a constructive reversible Michael addition from the desired product. When this reversible addition is coupled with a crystallisation-induced diastereomer transformation (CIDT) it allows isolation of products in high yield and stereocontrol (14 examples, up to 95 : 5 dr and 99 : 1 er). Application of this process to gram scale, plus derivatisations to provide further useful products, is demonstrated.

Isothiourea-Catalyzed Enantioselective Functionalisation of Glycine Schiff Base Aryl Esters via 1,6- and 1,4-Additions

The enantioselective α-functionalisation of glycine Schiff base aryl esters through isothiourea catalysis is successfully demonstrated for 1,6-additions to para-quinone methides (21 examples, up to 95:5 dr and 96:4 er) and 1,4-additions to methylene substituted dicarbonyl or disulfonyl Michael acceptors (17 examples, up to 98:2 er). This nucleophilic organocatalysis approach gives access to a range of α-functionalised α-amino acid derivatives and further transformations of the activated aryl ester group provide a straightforward entry to advanced amino acid-based esters, amides or thioesters.

Photochemical Wolff Rearrangement Initiated Generation and Subsequent α-Chlorination of C1 Ammonium Enolates

The enantioselective synthesis of α-chlorinated carboxylic acid esters with er up to 99:1 and yields up to 82% was achieved via a one-pot multistep protocol starting from α-diazoketones. This process proceeds via a photochemical Wolff rearrangement, trapping of the generated ketene with a chiral Lewis base catalyst, subsequent enantioselective α-chlorination, and a final nucleophilic displacement of the bound catalyst. The obtained products were successfully utilized for stereospecific nucleophilic displacement reactions with N- and S-nucleophiles.

Lewis Base Catalyzed Synthesis of Sulfur Heterocycles via the C1‐Pyridinium Enolate

While the addition of C1‐Lewis base enolates to carbonyls and related structures are well established, the related addition to thiocarbonyls compounds are unknown. Herein, we report a reaction cascade in which a C1‐pyridinium enolate undergos addition to dithioesters, trithiocarbonates and xanthates. The reaction provides access to a range of dihydrothiophenes and dihydrothiopyrans (28‐examples). Mechanistic investigations, including isolation of intermediates, electronic correlation, and kinetic isotope effect studies support the viability of an activated acid intermediate giving rise to the C1‐pyridinium enolate which undergoes turnover limiting cyclization. Subsequent formation of a β‐thiolactone regenerates the catalyst with loss of carbon oxysulfide providing the observed products.

Isothiourea-Catalyzed Enantioselective α-Alkylation of Esters via 1,6-Conjugate Addition to para-Quinone Methides

The isothiourea-catalyzed enantioselective 1,6-conjugate addition of para-nitrophenyl esters to 2,6-disubstituted para-quinone methides is reported. para-Nitrophenoxide, generated in situ from initial N-acylation of the isothiourea by the para-nitrophenyl ester, is proposed to facilitate catalyst turnover in this transformation. A range of para-nitrophenyl ester products can be isolated, or derivatized in situ by addition of benzylamine to give amides at up to 99% yield. Although low diastereocontrol is observed, the diastereoisomeric ester products are separable and formed with high enantiocontrol (up to 94:6 er).