Catalytic Enantioselective Friedel-Crafts Allenylation

The first enantioselective Friedel-Crafts (FC) allenylation reaction for the creation of central chirality is developed under cooperative Ir(I)/(phosphoramidite,olefin) and Lewis acid catalysis. This enantioconvergent reaction utilizes racemic allenylic alcohol as the electrophile and shows compatibility with a variety of electron-rich arenes and heteroarenes. The resulting highly enantioenriched (up to >99.5 : 0.5 e.r.) 1,1-disubstituted allenylic methanes, bearing a benzylic carbon stereocenter, are obtained with complete regiocontrol - both on (hetero)arenes as well as on the allenylic fragment. This protocol allows for the enantioselective formal introduction of a 4-carbon alkyl chain into (hetero)arenes, along with the creation of a benzylic stereocenter. Judicious synthetic elaborations not only lead to formal enantioselective FC alkylation products of less electron-rich arenes but also of substituted arenes in ortho- and even meta-selective fashion. An intramolecular version of this FC allenylation is shown to proceed with promising enantioselectivity under the same catalytic conditions. Mechanistic studies revealed the involvement of dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DyKAT) of racemic allenylic alcohols in this reaction.

Enantioselective Synthesis of α-Quaternary Isochromanes by Oxidative Aminocatalysis and Gold Catalysis

A novel strategy that combines oxidative aminocatalysis and gold catalysis allows the preparation of chiral α-quaternary isochromanes, a motif that is prevalent in natural products and synthetic bioactive compounds. In the first step, α-branched aldehydes and propargylic alcohols are transformed into α-quaternary ethers with excellent optical purities (>90 % ee) via oxidative umpolung with DDQ and an amino acid-derived primary amine catalyst. Subsequent gold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation affords the isochromane products with retention of the quaternary stereocenter. A second approach explores the use of allylic alcohols as reaction partners for the oxidative coupling to furnish α-quaternary ethers with generally lower enantiopurities. Stereoretentive cyclization to isochromane products is achieved via intramolecular Friedel-Crafts type alkylation with allylic acetates as a reactive handle. A number of synthetic elaborations and a biological study on these α-quaternary isochromanes highlight the potential applicability of the presented method.

Tandem Dearomatization/Enantioselective Allylic Alkylation of Pyridines

Herein, we report a multistep one-pot reaction of substituted pyridines leading to N-protected tetrahydropyridines with outstanding enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee). An iridium(I)-catalyzed dearomative 1,2-hydrosilylation of pyridines enables the use of N-silyl enamines as a new type of nucleophile in a subsequent palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation. This telescoped process overcomes the intrinsic nucleophilic selectivity of pyridines to synthesize enantioenriched, C-3-substituted tetrahydropyridine products that have been otherwise challenging to access.

Efforts toward the Total Synthesis of Elisabethin A

We describe our efforts toward the total synthesis of the natural product elisabethin A. The first route was guided by the proposed biosynthesis, assembling the 6,6-ring system before forming the five-membered ring including the quaternary carbon. The second approach includes a high yielding cyclization under Mitsunobu conditions as a key step. It allowed the preparation of an unusual and highly functionalized bicyclic 6,5-spiro compound. Both routes share a common advanced precursor obtained from an "underdeveloped" Claisen rearrangement of an aryl dienyl ether.

Transition-metal-catalyzed ortho-selective C-H functionalization reactions of free phenols

Phenols are important readily available chemical feedstocks and versatile synthetic building blocks for diverse synthetic transformations. Their motifs are prevalent in a diverse array of natural products, pharmaceuticals, functional materials, and privileged chiral ligands. Consequently, the development of facile and direct site-selective C-H bond functionalization of free phenols is of great importance and considerable interest to both industry and academic research. Over the past decades, transition-metal-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization has become as a powerful synthetic tool in organic synthesis. In this review, we provide a brief overview of recent progress in the transition-metal-catalyzed direct ortho-selective C-H functionalization of free phenols.

Recent Advances in Enantioselective Pd-Catalyzed Allylic Substitution: From Design to Applications

This Review compiles the evolution, mechanistic understanding, and more recent advances in enantioselective Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution and decarboxylative and oxidative allylic substitutions. For each reaction, the catalytic data, as well as examples of their application to the synthesis of more complex molecules, are collected. Sections in which we discuss key mechanistic aspects for high selectivity and a comparison with other metals (with advantages and disadvantages) are also included. For Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution, the catalytic data are grouped according to the type of nucleophile employed. Because of the prominent position of the use of stabilized carbon nucleophiles and heteronucleophiles, many chiral ligands have been developed. To better compare the results, they are presented grouped by ligand types. Pd-catalyzed asymmetric decarboxylative reactions are mainly promoted by PHOX or Trost ligands, which justifies organizing this section in chronological order. For asymmetric oxidative allylic substitution the results are grouped according to the type of nucleophile used.

Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Cascade Allylation/Pictet-Spengler Cyclization Reaction for the Enantioselective Synthesis of 1,3,4-Trisubstituted Tetrahydroisoquinolines

An iridium-catalyzed trifluoroacetic acid-promoted asymmetric cascade allylation/Pictet-Spengler cyclization reaction of azomethine ylides with aromatic allylic alcohols is reported. This protocol provides a facile and scalable method for the construction of 1,3,4-trisubstituted tetrahydroisoquinolines containing two stereogenic centers in good yields (up to 96%) with generally excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to >20:1 dr and >99% ee). Furthermore, a series of aromatic heterocycle-fused piperidines were also obtained with excellent enantiocontrol by this methodology.

Sulfonate N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Copper Complexes: Uniquely Effective Catalysts for Enantioselective Synthesis of C-C, C-B, C-H, and C-Si Bonds

A copper-based complex that contains a sulfonate N-heterocyclic carbene ligand was first reported 15 years ago. Since then, these organometallic entities have proven to be uniquely effective in catalyzing an assortment of enantioselective transformations, including allylic substitutions, conjugate additions, proto-boryl additions to alkenes, boryl and silyl substitutions, hydride-allyl additions to alkenyl boronates, and additions of boron-containing allyl moieties to N-H ketimines. In this review article, we detail the shortcomings in the state-of-the-art that fueled the development of this air stable ligand class, members of which can be prepared on multigram scale. For each reaction type, when relevant, the prior art at the time of the advance involving sulfonate NHC-Cu catalysts and/or subsequent key developments are briefly analyzed, and the relevance of the advance to efficient and enantioselective total or formal synthesis of biologically active molecules is underscored. Mechanistic analysis of the structural attributes of sulfonate NHC-Cu catalysts that are responsible for their ability to facilitate transformations with high efficiency as well as regio- and enantioselectivity are detailed. This review contains several formerly undisclosed methodological advances and mechanistic analyses, the latter of which constitute a revision of previously reported proposals.

Correction: Palladium-catalysed 5-endo-trig allylic (hetero)arylation

Correction for ‘Palladium-catalysed 5-endo-trig allylic (hetero)arylation’ by Bara Singh et al., Chem. Sci., 2020, 11, 4948–4953, DOI: 10.1039/D0SC01932A.

Substrate controlled, regioselective carbopalladation for the one-pot synthesis of C4-substituted tetrahydroisoquinoline analogues

6-Exo-trig cyclization reaction through regioselective carbopalladation was demonstrated with N-(2-halobenzyl)-N-allylamines to furnish the corresponding C4-substituted tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives.

Indole synthesis by palladium-catalyzed tandem allylic isomerization - furan Diels-Alder reaction

A Pd(0)-catalyzed elimination of an allylic acetate generates a π-allyl complex that is postulated to initiate a novel intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition to a tethered furan (IMDAF). Under the reaction conditions, this convergent, microwave-accelerated cascade process provides substituted indoles in moderate to good yields after Pd-hydride elimination, aromatization by dehydration, and in situ N-Boc cleavage.