Asymmetric Amination of 1,2-Diol through Borrowing Hydrogen: Synthesis of Vicinal Amino α-Tertiary Alcohol

Methods to prepare vicinal amino alcohols are important because of their presence in biologically active compounds. Despite the development of various methods for vicinal amino alcohol synthesis, C(sp3)-rich oxygen-containing β-amine compounds continue to pose great challenge. While ring-opening reaction of epoxides with amine nucleophile is the prime method for vicinal amino alcohol preparation, epoxides are highly reactive and sometimes difficult to make, resulting in drawbacks regarding selectivity of this approach. Here, we report a catalytic enantio-convergent amination of α-tertiary 1,2-diols for the efficient access to vicinal amino α-tertiary alcohols. The racemic α-tertiary 1,2-diol substrates of different alkyl/aryl or alkyl/alkyl backbone, can be converted to chiral vicinal amino α-tertiary alcohols through diphenyl phosphate-mediated RuCl3 catalysed asymmetric borrowing hydrogen (ABH) pathway. This simple ABH reaction can be scaled up to the synthesis of chiral ligands, synthetic intermediates, and other medicinally-relevant compounds. Overall, this catalytic redox-neutral procedure broadens the scope of Ru-catalysed amination of alcohols and discloses an underexplored step- and atom-economical synthetic strategy for the synthesis of vicinal amino α-tertiary alcohols and provides a practicable alternative to the present benchmark procedures.

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of β-Amino α-Tertiary Alcohol through Borrowing Hydrogen Amination

The first enantioconvergent transition-metal-catalyzed amination of racemic α-tertiary 1,2-diols providing access to vicinal β-amino α-tertiary alcohols is disclosed. The iridium-catalyzed amination reaction proceeds through a chiral phosphoric acid-mediated borrowing hydrogen pathway with excellent yields and enantioselectivities for a range of amine nucleophiles and α-tertiary 1,2-diols. An array of β-amino α-tertiary alcohols were obtained with high yields and enantioselectivities (50 examples with up to 91% yield and up to 99% ee). These important chiral amino alcohol products can be easily converted into chiral ligands and bioactive skeletons. Mechanistic investigations proposed a dynamic kinetic resolution pathway involving imine formation and then imine reduction as the enantiodetermining step.

Palladium-Catalyzed N-Allylic Alkylation of Pyrazoles and Unactivated Vinylcyclopropanes

An efficient palladium-catalyzed N-allylic alkylation of pyrazoles and unactivated vinylcyclopropanes is demonstrated, affording various N-alkyl pyrazoles in ≤99% yield. This protocol displays high atom economy, a broad range of substrates, and excellent regioselectivity and stereoselectivity. Late-stage modification of bioactive molecules, scaled-up reaction, and divergent derivatization documented the practicability of this methodology. The preliminary mechanistic investigation hinted that the Pd-H species promotes the ring opening of cyclopropanes.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Ring-Openings of Oxabicyclic Alkenes with Azole Nucleophiles

We report enantioselective ring-openings of oxabicyclic alkenes with azole nucleophiles, generating heterocycle-bearing dihydronaphthalene products. Pyrazoles, triazoles, tetrazoles, and benzo-fused derivatives participate in the ring-opening, with the level of regioselectivity depending on the type and substitution pattern of the heterocyclic partner. Electron-withdrawing azole substituents have a beneficial effect, suppressing the unproductive complexation of a nitrogen with the Rh(I)-bis(phosphine) catalyst.

Molybdenum Complex-Catalyzed N-Alkylation of Bulky Primary and Secondary Amines

Aliphatic allylic amines are present in a large number of complex and pharmaceutically relevant molecules. The direct amination of allylic electrophiles serves as the most common method toward the preparation of these motifs. However, the use of feedstock reaction components (allyl alcohol and aliphatic amine) in these transformations remains a great challenge. Such a challenge primarily stems from the high Lewis basicity and large steric hindrance of aliphatic amines, in addition to the low reactivity of allylic alcohols. Herein, we report a general solution to these challenges. The developed protocol allows an efficient allylic amination of allyl alcohols with sterically bulky aliphatic amines in the presence of an inexpensive earth-abundant molybdenum complex. This simple and economic protocol also enables regioselective branched amination; the practicality of the reaction was shown in an efficient, scaled-up synthesis of several drugs.

Molybdenum-Catalyzed Regio- and Enantioselective Amination of Allylic Carbonates: Total Synthesis of (S)-Clopidogrel

The first molybdenum-catalyzed highly regio- and enantioselective allylic amination of both aryl- and alkyl-substituted branched allylic carbonates has been developed. A wide variety of amines, including drugs and complex bioactive molecules, underwent successful amination with excellent reaction outcomes (up to 96% yield, >99% ee, and >20:1 b/l). The reaction could be scaled up and has been applied to the total synthesis of chiral drug molecule (S)-clopidogrel (Plavix).

Iridium-catalysed reductive allylic amination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

Allylic amination is a powerful tool for constructing N-allylic amines widely found in bioactive molecules. Generally, allylic alcohols and unsaturated hydrocarbons have been considered for allylic amination reactions to minimize waste production. Herein, we present an iridium-catalysed method for reductive allylic amination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with amines to afford N-allylic amines under air conditions. This protocol is demonstrated to provide products from many substrates (41 examples) in moderate-to-excellent yields. This synthetic methodology is also highlighted by the synthesis of drug molecules, optically pure products, as well as scale-up experiments.

Green Chemistry Approach toward the Regioselective Synthesis of α,α-Disubstituted Allylic Amines

Molybdenum-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions are known to provide direct and practical ways to construct new carbon-carbon bonds and privileged compounds. However, due to the lack of reports on carbon-heteroatom bond formation as a common deficiency, these reactions still face a great challenge. Described herein is a robust and convenient molybdenum-catalyzed regioselective allylic amination of tertiary allylic carbonates with an amine as the heteroatom nucleophile. Both aromatic and aliphatic amines react with various tertiary allylic alcohol derivatives to deliver the desired α,α-disubstituted allylic amines in high yield with complete regioselectivity. In addition, ethanol as the green solvent, a recyclable catalyst system through simple centrifugation techniques, and simple handling procedures make the current approach green, economic, and sustainable.

Synergistic Organoboron/Palladium Catalysis for Regioselective N-Allylations of Azoles with Allylic Alcohols

A method for regioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of ambident nitrogen heterocycles, employing simple allylic alcohols as electrophile precursors, is described. An organoboron co-catalyst serves both to activate the azole-type nucleophile toward selective N-functionalization and to accelerate the formation of a π-allylpalladium complex from the allylic alcohol. The method can be applied to various heterocycle types, including 1,2,3- and 1,2,4-triazoles, tetrazoles, pyrazoles, and purines, and can be extended to substituted allylic alcohol partners.

Decarboxylative 1,2-rearrangement of cyclic carbonates promoted by Lewis acid

A Lewis acid-mediated decarboxylative 1,2-rearrangement reaction of cyclic carbonates was developed. The selectivity of the migration in the decarboxylative 1,2-rearrangement of cyclic carbonates was opposite to that of the corresponding 1,2-diols under the same reaction conditions. This contrasting selectivity of the migration was confirmed in a variety of substrates.

Selective approach to N-substituted tertiary 2-pyridones

Commercially available 2-hydroxypyridines are converted into enantiomerically enriched allylic 2-pyridones with elusive N-substituted tertiary carbon by means of Pd-catalyzed allylic amination of vinyl cyclic carbonates.