Highly Enantioselective Phenyl Transfer to Aryl Aldehydes Catalyzed by Easily Accessible Chiral Tertiary Aminonaphthol

Zn Complex on Tryptophan-Functionalized MCM-41 as an Efficient and Promising Reusable Nanocatalyst in One-Pot Three-Component Synthesis of Amino Benzyl Quinolinols and Naphthols via a Betti Reaction

In this research, a Zn transition metallic complex on functionalized mesopore silica MCM-41 has been designed and utilized as an effective, recoverable, and thermally stable heterogeneous nanocatalyst in the formation of the C-C bond. Also, the synthesis of amino benzyl quinolinols and amino benzyl naphthol derivatives was performed by the three-component reaction of Betti from aromatic aldehydes, type II amines, and 8-hydroxyquinoline and 1-naphthol in the presence of the MCM-41-tryptophan-Zn nanocatalyst under reflux conditions. The short reaction times, high efficiency of the products, the easy separation of catalysts due to their heterogeneity, and their reusability are the advantages of this method. Finally, the nature of catalysts was studied by using some techniques such as the Fourier transform infrared spectrum, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, hot filtration test, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and N₂ adsorption-desorption (BET). The synthesized heterogeneous catalysts showed perfect catalytic activity and also good recyclability in the Betti reaction. They could be reused at least for five consecutive cycles without significant loss of their catalytic activities.

Facile Synthesis and Utilization of Bis(o-phosphinophenyl)zinc as Isolable PZnP-pincer Ligands Enabled by Boron-Zinc Double Transmetallation

Bis(o-phosphinophenyl)zinc derivatives were successfully synthesized by the reaction of o-phosphinophenylboronates with dimethylzinc via boron-zinc double transmetallation. The transmetallation was significantly accelerated by the presence of the ortho PR2 substituent to...

Addition of Chloroprene Grignards to Aromatic Aldehydes: Synthesis of Homoallenyl Alcohols

A general procedure for the one-pot synthesis of racemic homoallenyl alcohols from the corresponding aldehyde and chloroprene-derived Grignards is described. Employing bis[2-dimethylaminoethyl]ether (BDMAEE) as an additive at low temperatures shifts the selectivity of the chloroprene Grignard addition to aldehydes such that it is almost exclusive toward allene formation. In a set of follow-up experiments, simple and more elaborate methods for further derivatization have been demonstrated, allowing quick access to more complex structures.

Chiral Aziridine Sulfide N(sp3),S-Ligands for Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Reactions

A series of new bidentate N,S-ligands—aziridines containing a para-substituted phenyl sulfide group—was synthesized and evaluated in the Pd-catalyzed Tsuji–Trost reaction and addition of diethylzinc and phenylethynylzinc to benzaldehyde. A high enantiomeric ratio for the addition reactions (up to 94.2:5.8) was obtained using the aziridine ligand bearing a p-nitro phenyl sulfide group. Collected results reveal a specific electronic effect that, by the presence of particular electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups in the PhS- moiety, influences the σ-donor–metal binding and the enantioselectivity of the catalyzed reactions.

Organocatalytic enantioselective aza-Friedel–Crafts alkylation of β-naphthols and isatin-derived ketimines via a Takemoto-type catalyst

The catalyst type and the substrate scope were broadened using this methodology.

Recent advances in the synthesis and synthetic applications of Betti base (aminoalkylnaphthol) and bis-Betti base derivatives

The multicomponent reaction between 2-naphthol, arylaldehydes and ammonia yields aminobenzylnaphthols in a process known as the Betti reaction, which was first uncovered at the beginning of the 20th century. Various methods have been reported for the synthesis of aminobenzylnaphthol (Betti base) and bis-Betti base derivatives using various types of naphthols, aromatic amines, heteroaromatic amines, and aliphatic and cyclic amines instead of ammonia or diamines and aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes or dialdehyde compounds under various conditions in recent years. The Betti reaction produces racemic and non-racemic aminobenzylnaphthol ligands. It is also clear that the most important area of application of the non-racemic aminonaphthols prepared in this manner is their use in asymmetric synthesis, either as chiral ligands or as chiral auxiliaries. The functional groups in these Mannich products offer many ring closure possibilities. Some of these products or the starting bifunctional compounds possess biological activity. Herein, we present a selection of the relevant studies on this topic.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of 3-aryl phthalides enabled by arylation–lactonization of 2-formylbenzoates

The catalytic asymmetric synthesis of 3-aryl phthalides through an asymmetric arylation–lactonization is enabled by a B/Zn exchange reaction.

Asymmetric Addition of Pyridyl Aluminum Reagents to Aldehydes Catalyzed by a Titanium(IV) Catalytic System of (R)-H8-BINOLate

The asymmetric addition of pyridyl aluminum reagents to aldehydes has been successfully developed by employing a titanium(IV) catalytic system of (R)-H8-BINOLate, which affords a series of valuable optically active diarylmethanols containing various pyridyl groups in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities of up to 98% ee.

Construction of an all-substituted pyrrolidine derivative with multiple stereogenic centers and Betti-base-derived γ-amino alcohols by [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement

The construction of Betti base-derived γ-amino alcohols and all-substituted pyrrolidine derivative with multiple stereogenic centers has been developed successfully through neighboring lithium-assisted [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement (NLAWR).

Enantioselective addition of ArTi(OiPr)3 to aldehydes catalyzed by a titanium complex of an N-sulfonylated amino alcohol

Asymmetric additions of ArTi(OⁱPr)₃ to aldehydes catalyzed by a titanium catalyst of N-sulfonylated amino alcohols to afford desired secondary alcohols in good yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities of up to 95% ee.

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.

Catalytic enantioselective aryl transfer to aldehydes using chiral 2,2'-bispyrrolidine-based salan ligands

Chiral C₂-symmetric diamines have emerged as versatile auxiliaries or ligands in numerous asymmetric transformations. Chiral 2,2’-bispyrrolidine-based salan ligands were prepared and applied to the asymmetric aryl transfer to aldehydes with arylboronic acids as the source of transferable aryl groups. The corresponding diarylmethanols were obtained in high yields with moderate to good enantioselectivitives of up to 83% ee.

Practical catalytic asymmetric synthesis of diaryl-, aryl heteroaryl-, and diheteroarylmethanols

Enantioenriched diaryl-, aryl heteroaryl-, and diheteroarylmethanols exhibit important biological and medicinal properties. One-pot catalytic asymmetric syntheses of these compounds beginning from readily available aryl bromides are introduced. Thus, lithium-bromide exchange with commercially available aryl bromides and n-BuLi was followed by salt metathesis with ZnCl(2) to generate ArZnCl. A second equivalent of n-BuLi was added to form the mixed organozinc, ArZnBu. In the presence of enantioenriched amino alcohol-based catalysts, ArZnBu adds to aldehydes to afford essentially racemic diarylmethanols. The low enantioselectivities were attributed to a LiCl-promoted background reaction. To inhibit this background reaction, the chelating diamine TEEDA (tetraethylethylene diamine) was introduced prior to aldehyde addition. Under these conditions, enantioenriched diarylmethanols were obtained with >90% ee. Arylations of enals generated allylic alcohols with 81-90% ee. This procedure was unsuccessful, however, when applied to heteroaryl bromides, which was attributed to decomposition of the heteroaryl lithium under the salt metathesis conditions. To avoid this problem, the metathesis was conducted with EtZnCl, which enabled the salt metathesis to proceed at low temperatures. The resulting EtZn(Ar(Hetero)) intermediates (Ar(Hetero) = 2- and 3-thiophenyl, 2-benzothiophenyl, 3-furyl, and 5-indolyl) were successfully added to aldehydes and heteroaryl aldehydes with enantioselectivities between 81-99%. These are the first examples of catalytic and highly enantioselective syntheses of diheteroarylmethanols. In a similar fashion, ferrocenyl bromide was used to generate FcZnEt and the ferrocenyl group added to benzaldehyde and heteroaromatic aldehydes to form ferrocene-based ligand precursors in 86-95% yield with 96-98% ee. It was also found that the arylation and heteroarylation of enals could be followed by diastereoselective epoxidations to provide epoxy alcohols with high enantio- and diastereoselectivities in a one-pot procedure.