Enantioselective Alkyne Conjugate Addition Enabled by Readily Tuned Atropisomeric P,N-Ligands

The Liebeskind-Srogl cross-coupling reaction towards the synthesis of biologically active compounds

In this review, we emphasize the significance of the Liebeskind-Srogl cross-coupling reaction, a palladium-catalyzed process involving the reaction between a thioester and a boronic acid. This reaction has emerged as a fundamental technique in synthetic methodologies aimed at the development of biologically active compounds. The Liebeskind-Srogl cross-coupling method has become an essential approach in chemistry, facilitating the diversification of complex structures that would be significantly more challenging to synthesize through alternative approaches. In this review, we aim to outline the numerous possibilities for preparing a wide range of derivatives, each with notable biological potential.

Enantioselective Zn-catalyzed hydrophosphinylation of nitrones: an efficient approach for constructing chiral α-hydroxyamino-phosphine oxides

Although enantioselective hydrofunctionalizations of nitrones are established for the synthesis of various types of chiral hydroxylamines, the asymmetric catalytic hydrophosphinylation of nitrones remains highly challenging. Herein, an efficient asymmetric hydrophosphinylation of nitrones, catalyzed by the dinuclear zinc catalyst derived from ProPhenol, is presented, accommodating a variety of nitrones and phosphine oxides. This approach successfully addresses the long-standing challenge of catalytic hydrophosphinylation of the C[double bond, length as m-dash]N bond, and offers an efficient and rapid access towards chiral α-hydroxyamino-phosphine oxides. Control experiments suggest that the oxide anion in the nitrone motif is crucial for the enantio-control.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Allylic Sulfones via Rhodium-Catalyzed Direct Hydrosulfonylation of Allenes and Alkynes

A highly regio- and enantioselective hydrosulfonylation using commercially available sodium sulfinates is reported, providing the first direct asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed hydrosulfonylation of allenes/alkynes to synthesize chiral allylic sulfones. Ligand screening studies demonstrated the indispensable role of the C1-symmetric P,N-ligand (Rax,S,S)-StackPhim for achieving both high regioselecitivity (>20:1) and enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee). Notably, the operationally simple method and mild conditions allow for the rapid preparation of chiral allylic sulfones with a wide scope of functional groups. Moreover, the use of sodium tert-butyldimethylsilyloxymethanesulfinate enables the collective synthesis of various chiral sulfone derivatives after simple transformations of the protected hydroxymethyl product.

CoH-catalyzed asymmetric remote hydroalkylation of heterocyclic alkenes: a rapid approach to chiral five-membered S- and O-heterocycles

Saturated heterocycles, which incorporate S and O heteroatoms, serve as fundamental frameworks in a diverse array of natural products, bioactive compounds, and pharmaceuticals. Herein, we describe a unique cobalt-catalyzed approach integrated with a desymmetrization strategy, facilitating precise and enantioselective remote hydroalkylation of unactivated heterocyclic alkenes. This method delivers hydroalkylation products with high yields and excellent stereoselectivity, representing good efficiency in constructing alkyl chiral centers at remote C3-positions within five-membered S/O-heterocycles. Notably, the broad scope and good functional group tolerance of this asymmetric C(sp3)-C(sp3) coupling enhance its applicability.

Switchable Enantioselectivity in Conjugate Alkyne Addition of β,γ-Unsaturated α-Keto Esters by Asymmetric Binary Acid Catalysis

Switchable enantioselectivity was uncovered in the enantioselective catalytic conjugate addition of β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters with terminal alkynes to the chiral Lewis acid complex of In(BF4)3 and chiral phosphoric acid.

Catalytic Enantioselective Alkyne Addition to Nitrones Enabled by Tunable Axially Chiral Imidazole-Based P,N-Ligands

Although catalytic enantioselective alkyne addition is an established method for the synthesis of chiral propargylic alcohols and amines, addition to nitrones presents unique challenges, and no general chiral catalyst system has been developed. In this manuscript, we report the first Cu-catalyzed enantioselective alkyne addition to nitrones utilizing tunable axially chiral imidazole-based P,N-ligands. Our approach effectively overcomes difficulties in both reactivity and selectivity, resulting in a simple Cu-catalyzed protocol. The reaction accommodates a wide range of nitrones and alkynes, enabling the streamlined synthesis of chiral propargyl N-hydroxylamines via the enantioselective C-C bond formation. A diverse array of optically active nitrogen-containing compounds, including chiral hydroxylamines, can be accessed directly through facile transformations of the reaction products.

Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Axially Chiral Imidazoles by Cation-Directed Desymmetrization

Axially chiral five-membered heterobiaryls synthesized by enantioselective catalysis typically feature large ortho-substituents or a heteroatom in the chiral axis to maintain a stable configuration. Herein we report a cation-directed catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization method that enables rapid access to axially chiral imidazoles with the basic nitrogen at the ortho position and efficiently integrates π-stacking moieties to ensure a stable axial configuration for further applications. The process is operationally simple, is highly enantioselective, and can be performed on the gram scale. The majority of the products are obtained in >90% ee, but interestingly even those with only moderate ee can readily be enriched to near optical purity by selective racemate crystallization. Together with a mild phosphine oxide reduction method, axially chiral imidazoles such as StackPhos and its derivatives are readily prepared in high yield and excellent enantioselectivity on the gram scale. The method also enables the preparation of new chiral non-phosphine-bearing imidazoles.

Enantio- and Regioselective Copper-Catalyzed 1,2-Dearomatization of Pyridines

A copper-catalyzed dearomative alkynylation of pyridines is reported with excellent regio- and enantioselectivities. The synthetically valuable enantioenriched 2-alkynyl-1,2-dihydropyridine products afforded are generated from the readily available feedstock, pyridine, and commercially available terminal alkynes. The three-component reaction between a pyridine, a terminal alkyne, and methyl chloroformate employs copper chloride and StackPhos, a chiral biaryl P,N- ligand, as the catalytic system. Under mild reaction conditions, the desired 1,2-addition products are delivered in up to 99 % yield with regioselectivity ratios up to 25 : 1 and enantioselectivities values of up to 99 % ee. Activated and non-activated terminal alkynes containing a wide range of functional groups are well tolerated. Even acetylene gas delivered mono-alkynylated products in high yield and ee. Application of the methodology in an efficient enantioselective synthesis of the chiral piperidine indolizidine, coniceine, is reported.

Fluorine in metal-catalyzed asymmetric transformations: the lightest halogen causing a massive effect

This review aims at providing an overview of the most significant applications of fluorine-containing ligands reported in the literature starting from 2001 until mid-2021. The ligands are classified according to the nature of the donor atoms involved. This review highlights both metal-ligand interactions and the structure-reactivity relationships resulting from the presence of the fluorine atom or fluorine-containing substituents on chiral catalysts.

Organocatalytic cycloaddition of alkynylindoles with azonaphthalenes for atroposelective construction of indole-based biaryls

The axially chiral indole-aryl motifs are present in natural products and biologically active compounds as well as in chiral ligands. Atroposelective indole formation is an efficient method to construct indole-based biaryls. We report herein the result of a chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed asymmetric cycloaddition of 3-alkynylindoles with azonaphthalenes. A class of indole-based biaryls were prepared efficiently with excellent yields and enantioselectivities (up to 98% yield, 99% ee). Control experiment and DFT calculations illustrate a possible mechanism in which the reaction proceeds via a dearomatization of indole to generate an allene-iminium intermediate, followed by an intramolecular aza-Michael addition. This approach provides a convergent synthetic strategy for enantioselective construction of axially chiral heterobiaryl backbones.

There is great interest in methods for catalytic enantioselective construction of axially chiral compounds found in natural products. Here, the authors develop a cycloaddition strategy for atroposelective construction of indole-based biaryls via chiral phosphoric acid-catalysed cycloaddition.

Tuning StackPhim Ligands: Applications in Enantioselective Borylation and Alkynylation

Here we present a new stack ligand with a modified imidazoline backbone prepared from cyclohexanediamine. This new stack ligand­, Cy-StackPhim, has been found to complement the parent StackPhim ligand in an enantioselective borylation reaction. Additionally, a correlation between the nature of substituents on the imidazoline ring and the substituents on the electrophile is also discussed.

Iridium-Catalyzed Regioselective Hydroalkynylation of Internal Alkenes Directed by an Oxime

We report here an iridium-catalyzed hydroalkynylation of allylic alcohols protected by an oxime group. Catalytic alkynylation occurs exclusively at the distal position of the alkene. This method generates γ-alkynyl alcohol oximes directly from internal alkenes and terminal alkynes. The oxime group can be readily removed to afford a free alcohol, thus providing an indirect route for the catalytic hydroalkynylation of allylic alcohols.

Organocatalytic cycloaddition-elimination cascade for atroposelective construction of heterobiaryls

The first chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) catalyzed cycloaddition–elimination cascade reaction of 2-naphthol- and phenol-derived enecarbamates with azonaphthalenes has been established, providing a highly atroposelective route to an array of axially chiral aryl-C3-benzoindoles in excellent yields with excellent enantioselectivities. The success of this strategy derives from the stepwise process involving CPA-catalyzed asymmetric formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition and subsequent central-to-axial chirality conversion by elimination of a carbamate. In addition, the practicality of this reaction had been verified by varieties of transformations towards functionalized atropisomers.

An organocatalytic asymmetric cycloaddition–elimination cascade reaction of aryl enecarbamates with azonaphthalenes has been developed to access axially chiral heterobiaryls in excellent yields and enantioselectivities.

Stereoisomer-Independent Stable Blue Emission in Axial Chiral Difluorenol

Bulky conjugated molecules with high stability are the prerequisite for the overall improvement of performance in wide-bandgap semiconductors. Herein, a chiral difluorenol, 2,2′-(9,9′-spirobi[fluorene]-2,2′-diyl)bis(9-(4-(octyloxy)phenyl)-9H-fluoren-9-ol) (DOHSBF), is set as a desirable model to reveal the stereoisomeric effects of wide-bandgap molecules toward controlling photophysical behavior and improving thermal and optical stability. Three diastereomers are obtained and elucidated by NMR spectra. Interestingly, the effect of modifying the stereo-centers is not observed on optical properties in solutions, pristine films, or post-treated film states. All three diastereomers as well as the mixture exhibit excellent spectral stability without undesirable green emission. Therefore, this stereoisomer-independent blue-emitting difluorenol will be a promising candidate for next-generation wide-bandgap semiconductors that would have extensive application in organic photonics.

Configuration Sampling With Five-Membered Atropisomeric P,N-Ligands

Here we report a strategy for the systematic variation of atropisomeric C₁ -symmetric P,N ligands to incrementally change the position of the groups within the chiral pocket without modifying their steric parameters. More specifically, the effects of systematic modification of the nitrogen heterocycle in atropisomeric C₁ -symmetric stack ligands have been investigated in this study. The versatility and applicability of this approach has been demonstrated in mechanistically distinct catalytic enantioselective transformations, resulting in the identification of a P,N-ligand for a highly enantioselective synthesis of organoboranes.

Ir-Catalyzed Regio- and Enantioselective Hydroalkynylation of Trisubstituted Alkene to Access All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters

The stereoselective construction of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters, especially acyclic ones, represents an important challenge in organic synthesis. In particular, homopropargyl amides with a quaternary stereocenter β to a nitrogen atom are valuable synthetic intermediates, which could be transformed to diverse chiral structures through alkyne transformations. However, highly enantioselective synthetic methods for homopropargyl amides with a β quaternary stereocenter are extremely rare. We report here unprecedented substrate-directed, iridium-catalyzed enantioselective hydroalkynylations of trisubstituted alkenes to form an acyclic all-carbon quaternary stereocenter β to a nitrogen atom. The hydroalkynylation of enamide occurred with unconventional selectivity, favoring the more hindered reaction site. Homopropargyl amides with β-stereocenters were prepared in high regio- and enantioselectivities. Combined experimental and computational studies revealed the origin of the regio- and enantioselectivities.

Selected applications of Meldrum's acid - a tutorial

Due to its unique structure and the vast array of substituents that can be attached to its core, Meldrum's acid is a molecule with exceptional chemical properties. In water, it has a remarkably low pKa value of about 4.9. Its C5 position is readily involved in electrophilic substitution reactions whereas the C4 and C6 positions are easily attacked by nucleophiles. At elevated temperatures Meldrum's acid undergoes distinctive decomposition pathways, which can be used in cycloaddition and acylation reactions. In this Tutorial Review, the authors intend to introduce the principles of the synthetic chemistry of Meldrum's acid and provide the essential knowledge for the design and preparation of compounds with desired properties. As there are many reviews focusing on a specific detail of Meldrum's acid chemistry, we would like to give a broader picture of this diverse molecule for undergraduate and graduate students as well as experienced lab leaders. For achieving this goal, some recent advances in using Meldrum's acid derivatives in synthetic scenarios are presented with the hope to further stimulate and promote research leading to additional innovative applications of this synthetically highly relevant molecule.

Asymmetric Catalytic Approach to Multilayer 3D Chirality

The first asymmetric catalytic approach to multilayer 3D chirality has been achieved by using Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings. New chiral catalysts were designed and screened under various catalytic systems that proved chiral amide-phosphines to be more efficient ligands than other candidates. The multilayer 3D framework was unambiguously determined by X-ray structural analysis showing a parallel pattern of three layers consisting of top, middle and bottom aromatic rings. The X-ray structure of a catalyst complex, dichloride complex of Pd-phosphine amide, was obtained revealing an interesting asymmetric environment nearby the Pd metal center. Three rings of multilayer 3D products can be readily changed by varying aromatic ring-anchored starting materials. The resulting multilayer products displayed strong luminescence under UV irradiation and strong aggregation-induced emission (AIE). In the future, this work would benefit not only the field of asymmetric synthesis but also materials science, in particular polarized organic electronics, optoelectronics and photovoltaics.

Synthesis of 1-(Difluoromethyl)alk-1-enes via Palladium-Catalyzed SN2'-Type Substitution Reaction of Difluoromethylated Allylic Phosphates with 1,3-Dicarbonyl Compounds and Imides

Herein, we report the synthesis of 1-(difluoromethyl)alkenes via a palladium-catalyzed reaction of difluoromethyl-substituted allylic phosphates with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds using PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂ as a precatalyst. 1,3-Dicarbonyl compounds attacked the γ-carbon with respect to the difluoromethyl group to afford their corresponding S_N2'-type substitution products irrespective of the substitution pattern in the allylic phosphates. This regioselectivity has been ascribed to the electronic environment of the unsymmetrical π-allylpalladium intermediate using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The reaction of difluoromethyl-substituted allylic phosphates with imides was also carried out using a different catalyst system composed of [PdCl(η³-allyl)]₂ and di(diphenylphosphino)butane (dppb).

Conversion of two stereocenters to one or two chiral axes: atroposelective synthesis of 2,3-diarylbenzoindoles

Central-to-axial chirality conversion provides efficient access to axially chiral compounds, and several examples regarding the conversion of one, two or four stereocenters to one axis have been reported. Herein, we report the conversion of two stereocenters to one or two chiral axes for the first time. In this study, a new class of enantiomerically enriched 2,3-diarylbenzoindoles was efficiently synthesized using a chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed [3 + 2] formal cycloaddition and a mild DDQ oxidation strategy. Moreover, a speculative model of the central-to-axial chirality conversion outcome was proposed based on preliminary mechanistic studies and DFT calculations. Potentially, using this strategy, useful chiral phosphine ligand can be synthesized smoothly (99% ee).

Lactone Synthesis by Enantioselective Orthogonal Tandem Catalysis

In this work, we report enantioselective orthogonal tandem catalysis for the one pot conversion of Meldrum's acid derivatives and alkynes into δ-lactones. This new transformation, which resembles a formal [4+2] cycloaddition with concomitant decarboxylation and loss of acetone, proceeds in high yields and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee) over a broad substrate scope. The products are densely functionalized and ripe for further transformations, as demonstrated here by both ring-opening reactions and reduction to saturated lactones. It was discovered that a new and serendipitously formed Ag^I -Me-StackPhos complex efficiently catalyzes the highly selective 6-endo-dig cyclization, completely reversing the regiochemistry that has been previously reported in related systems. More generally, in this study we identify a pair of compatible catalysts for alkyne difunctionalization that operate concurrently, which enable the alkyne to act as both a nucleophile and an electrophile in sequential one-pot transformations.

Multilayer 3D Chirality and Its Synthetic Assembly

3D chirality of sandwich type of organic molecules has been discovered. The key element of this chirality is characterized by three layers of structures that are arranged nearly in parallel fashion with one on top and one down from the center plane. Individual enantiomers of these molecules have been fully characterized by spectroscopies with their enantiomeric purity measured by chiral HPLC. The absolute configuration was unambiguously assigned by X-ray diffraction analysis. This is the first multilayer 3D chirality reported and is anticipated to lead to a new research area of asymmetric synthesis and catalysis and to have a broad impact on chemical, medicinal, and material sciences in future.

A Facile Enantioselective Alkynylation of Chromones

The first catalytic enantioselective alkynylation of chromones is reported. In this process, chromones are silylated to form silyloxybenzopyrylium ions that lead to silyl enol ethers after Cu-catalyzed alkyne addition using StackPhos as a ligand. The outcome of the reaction is impacted by distal ligand substituents with differing electronic character and it was found that successful reactions could be achieved with different ligand congeners by using different solvents. This sequence enables access to different products by protonation or further functionalization, thus increasing complexity in a divergent manner. The transformation is high yielding over a broad scope to provide a variety of useful chromanones in high enantioselectivity.

Dispersion-Controlled Regioselective Acid-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroindolation of cis-Methindolylstyrenes To Access Tetrahydrobenzo[ cd]indoles

Readily prepared cis-β-(α',α'-dimethyl)-4'-methindolylstyrenes undergo acid-catalyzed intramolecular hydroindolation to afford tetrahydrobenzo[ cd]indoles. Our experimental and computational investigations suggest that dispersive interactions between the indole and styrene preorganize substrates such that 6-membered ring formation is preferred, apparently via concerted protonation and C-C bond formation. When dispersion is attenuated (by a substituent or heteroatom), regioselectivity erodes and competing oligomerization predominates for cis substrates. Similarly, all trans-configured substrates that we evaluated failed to cyclize efficiently.

Recent Advances in Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric 1,4-Conjugate Addition (ACA) of Nonorganometallic Nucleophiles

The metal-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition (ACA) reaction has emerged as a general and powerful approach for the construction of optically active compounds and is among the most significant and useful reactions in synthetic organic chemistry. In recent years, great progress has been made in this area with the use of various chiral metal complexes based on different chiral ligands. This review provides comprehensive and critical information on the enantioselective 1,4-conjugate addition of nonorganometallic (soft) nucleophiles and their importance in synthetic applications. The literature is covered from the last 10 years, and a number of examples from before 2007 are included as background information. The review is divided into multiple parts according to the type of nucleophile involved in the reaction (such as C-, B-, O-, N-, S-, P-, and Si-centered nucleophiles) and metal catalyst systems used.

Study of Meldrum's Acid Cyclization Reactions

On the basis of the cyclization reactions reported by Danishefsky et al. of Meldrum's acid hydroxylethyl and anilinoethyl derivatives, the cyclization of the sulfamidomethylene and ureidomethylene derivatives was attempted without success. To understand the lack of reactivity of these compounds versus the successful cyclization of the ethyl derivatives, the corresponding mechanisms of reaction for both processes have been explored by means of MP2/6-311+G(d,p) calculations in an aqueous environment. The conformational analysis of all of these structures revealed that, while for the ethyl derivatives the minimum energy conformation corresponds to that of the cyclization initiating structure, for the methylene analogues the entrance channel conformations are substantially less stable than the energy minimum. Intramolecular hydrogen bonds were found in all of the energy minima as well as in the cyclization initiating conformations as determined by analysis of their electron density. The potential energy surfaces for the successful and unsuccessful cyclization processes were obtained at room temperature and 100 °C. Comparison of both processes allows rationalization that the lack of reactivity of the methylene derivatives can be thermodynamically explained based not only on the strength of the intramolecular hydrogen bond formed in their energy minima but also by the energy penalty needed to reach the entrance channel conformation and by the calculated energy barriers.

Iridium-catalysed conjugated alkynylation of α,β-unsaturated amide through alkene isomerization

We have developed an iridium-catalysed conjugated alkynylation of α,β-unsaturated amide.