Generation and Ring Opening of Aziridines in Telescoped Continuous Flow Processes

Recent Advances on Epoxide- and Aziridine-Based [3+2] Annulations

[3+2] Annulations are a powerful method for the synthesis of five-membered heterocyclic compounds. The annulations have concerted cycloaddition and formal (stepwise) cycloaddition reaction pathways. In addition to the well-established O-centered and N-centered ylides, epoxides and aziridines could serve as synthetic equivalent of 1,3-dipoles for [3+2] annulation with dipolarophiles for making functionalized tetrahydrofuran, pyrrolidine, and associated compounds. This review article covers recent development on epoxide- and aziridine-based [3+2] annulation reactions. The reactions are classified based on the ring opening conditions, including acid/base catalysis, organocatalysis, and transitional-metal catalysis.

Cationic Divalent Metal Sites (M = Mn, Fe, Co) Operating as Both Nitrene-Transfer Agents and Lewis Acids toward Mediating the Synthesis of Three- and Five-Membered N-Heterocycles

The tripodal compounds [(TMG3trphen)MII-solv](PF6)2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co; solv = MeCN, DMF) and bipodal analogues [(TMG2biphen)MII(NCMe)x](PF6)2 (x = 3 for Mn, Fe; x = 2 for Co) and [(TMG2biphen)MIICl2] have been synthesized with ligands that feature a triaryl- or diarylmethyl-amine framework and superbasic tetramethylguanidinyl residues (TMG). The dicationic M(II) sites mediate catalytic nitrene-transfer reactions between the imidoiodinane PhI═NTs (Ts = tosyl) and a panel of styrenes in MeCN to afford aziridines and low yields of imidazolines (upon MeCN insertion) with an order of productivity that favors the bipodal over the tripodal reagents and a metal preference of Fe > Co ≥ Mn. In CH2Cl2, the more acidic Fe(II) sites favor formation of 2,4-diaryl-N-tosylpyrrolidines by means of an in situ (3 + 2) cycloaddition of the initially generated 2-aryl-N-tosylaziridine with residual styrene. In the presence of ketone, 1,3-oxazolidines can be formed in practicable yields, involving a single-pot cycloaddition reaction of alkene, nitrene, and ketone (2 + 1 + 2). Mechanistic studies indicate that the most productive bipodal Fe(II) site mediates stepwise addition of nitrene to olefins to generate aziridines with good retention of stereochemistry and further enables aziridine ring opening to unmask a 1,3-zwitterion that can undergo cycloaddition with dipolarophiles (MeCN, alkene, ketone) to afford five-membered N-heterocycles.

Iron-Catalyzed Intermolecular Oxyamination of Terminal Alkenes Promoted by HFIP Using Hydroxylamine Derivatives

An atom-economical intermolecular iron-catalyzed oxyamination of alkenes is described herein. The insertion of oxygenated and nitrogenated moieties from the hydroxylamine substrate was observed with full regio- and chemo-selectivity for terminal alkenes in good yields. HFIP as a solvent appeared to have a synergistic effect with the iron catalyst to promote the formation of the oxyaminated products. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest a pathway going through an aziridination reaction followed by an in situ ring opening.

Electrochemical tandem trifluoromethylation of allylamines/formal (3 + 2)-cycloaddition for the rapid access to CF3-containing imidazolines and oxazolidines

A straightforward and environmentally friendly synthesis of CF₃-containing imidazolines and oxazolidines has been developed through an electrochemical three-component reaction among allylamines, the Langlois reagent, and nitrile or carbonyl compounds.

Sequential one-pot synthesis of N-sulfonyl spiroaziridine oxindoles from spiroepoxy oxindoles

The N-sulfonyl spiroaziridine oxindole is a recently developed versatile precursor in the synthesis of a wide range of 3,3-disubstituted spirooxindoles. It is usually prepared in three steps from isatin and needs costly and hardly available sulfinimides and hazardous peracid. A sequential and one-pot direct strategy for the synthesis of terminal N-sulfonyl spiroaziridine oxindoles has been developed under ambient conditions with excellent yields (up to 95%) from easily accessible spiroepoxy oxindoles by regioselective amination with aqueous ammonia and a subsequent ring enclosure reaction of the resulting 1,2-amino alcohol using easily available sulfonyl chloride and a base. Other salient features of the protocol include inexpensive substrate requirement and the ease of isolation of the desired product by performing single column chromatographic purification after two consecutive steps.

Flow Chemistry for Cycloaddition Reactions

Continuous flow reactors form part of a rapidly growing research area that has changed the way synthetic chemistry is performed not only in academia but also at the industrial level. This Review highlights the most recent advances in cycloaddition reactions performed in flow systems. Cycloadditions are atom-efficient transformations for the synthesis of carbo- and heterocycles, involved in the construction of challenging skeletons of complex molecules. The main advantages of translating these processes into flow include using intensified conditions, safer handling of hazardous reagents and gases, easy tuning of reaction conditions, and straightforward scaling up. These benefits are especially important in cycloadditions such as the copper(I)-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), Diels-Alder reaction, ozonolysis and [2+2] photocycloadditions. Some of these transformations are key reactions in the industrial synthesis of pharmaceuticals.

Synthetically important ring opening reactions by alkoxybenzenes and alkoxynaphthalenes

Alkoxybenzenes and alkoxynaphthalenes, as nucleophiles, have drawn great attention from organic chemists over the decades. Due to their high ring strain, those particular classes of molecules are often used in synthesis by utilizing their properties to undergo facile Friedel-Crafts alkylations. Different isomeric and low or densely substituted alkoxybenzenes are used for synthesis according to the structure of the target molecule. Isomeric methoxybenzenes, are the most commonly used molecule in this regard. This review aims to comprehensively cover the instances of different alkoxy-benzenes/naphthalenes used as nucleophiles for ring opening.

Continuous-Flow Synthesis of (–)-Oseltamivir Phosphate (Tamiflu)

Herein the anti-influenza drug (–)-oseltamivir phosphate is prepared in continuous flow from ethyl shikimate with 54% overall yield over nine steps and total residence time of 3.5 min from the individual steps. Although the procedure involved intermediate isolation, the dangerous azide chemistry and intermediates involved were elegantly handled in situ. It is the first continuous-flow process for (–)-oseltamivir phosphate involving azide chemistry and (–)-shikimic acid as precursor.

Crystallization of chiral molecular compounds: what can be learned from the Cambridge Structural Database?

A detailed study on chiral compound structures found in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) is presented. Solvates, salts and co-crystals have intentionally been excluded, in order to focus on the most basic structures of single enantiomers, scalemates and racemates. Similarity between the latter and structures of achiral monomolecular compounds has been established and utilized to arrive at important conclusions about crystallization of chiral compounds. For example, the fundamental phenomenon of conglomerate formation and, in particular, their frequency of occurrence is addressed. In addition, rarely occurring kryptoracemates and scalemic compounds (anomalous racemates) are discussed. Finally, an extended search of enantiomer solid solutions in the CSD is performed to show that there are up to 1800 instances most probably hiding among the deposited crystal structures, while only a couple of dozen have been previously known and studied.

Highly efficient regio-selective ring-opening nucleophilic fluorination of aziridines and azetidines: access to β- or γ-fluorinated amino acid derivatives

Herein, we have presented a facile and efficient method of ring-opening nucleophilic fluorination of aziridines, affording highly regio-selective β-fluorinated amines. Firstly, the example of ring-opening hydrofluorination of azetidines was reported. Then, the Olah's reagent also provided a promising method for the construction of enantioenriched β-fluoro-α-amino acid derivatives, which could be used for the preparation of peptide-based bioactive molecules.

Use of trichloroacetonitrile as a hydrogen chloride generator for ring-opening reactions of aziridines

Regioselective ring-opening reactions of 2-aryl-N-tosylaziridines are described, in which hydrogen chloride is generated by photodegradation of trichloroacetonitrile. HCl adducts are obtained in high yields in 1,4-dioxane, whereas methanol adducts are predominantly obtained in methanol. Trichloroacetonitrile can serve as a photoresponsive molecular storage generator for hydrogen chloride.

Synthesis of β-alkoxy-N-protected phenethylamines via one-pot copper-catalyzed aziridination and ring opening

A regioselective, copper-catalyzed, one-pot aminoalkoxylation of styrenes using primary and secondary alcohols and three different iminoiodanes as alkoxy and nitrogen sources respectively, is reported. The β-alkoxy-N-protected phenethylamines obtained were used to synthesise β-alkoxy-N-benzylphenethylamines which are interesting new compounds that could act as possible neuronal ligands.

An efficient, regioselective and rapid copper-catalyzed one-pot aminoalkoxylation of styrenes has been developed using different alcohols and phenyl iminoiodinanes.

Continuous-Flow Synthesis and Derivatization of Aziridines through Palladium-Catalyzed C(sp(3) )-H Activation

A continuous‐flow synthesis of aziridines by palladium‐catalyzed C(sp³)−H activation is described. The new flow reaction could be combined with an aziridine‐ring‐opening reaction to give highly functionalized aliphatic amines through a consecutive process. A predictive mechanistic model was developed and used to design the C−H activation flow process and illustrates an approach towards first‐principles design based on novel catalytic reactions.

Exploiting the σ-phylic properties of cationic gold(i) catalysts in the ring opening reactions of aziridines with indoles

Gold(i) species catalyze the ring opening reactions of aziridines with indoles as nucleophiles for the synthesis of tryptamines and pyrroloindolines.