Asymmetric aldol addition, catalytic

Heterobimetallic asymmetric complexes contain both Bronsted basic and Lewis acidic functionalities. These complexes have been developed by Shibasaki and coworkers and have proved to be highly efficient catalysts for many types of asymmetric reactions, including catalytic asymmetric nitro-aldol reaction (see Section 3.3) and Michael reaction. They have reported that the multifunctional catalyst (f )-LPB [LaK3tris(f )-binaphthoxide] controls the Michael addition of nitromethane to chalcones with >95% ee (Eq. 4.140).205... 

Ligands for catalytic Mukaiyama aldol addition have primarily included bidentate chelates derived from optically active diols,26 diamines,27 amino acid derivatives,28 and tartrates.29 Enantioselective reactions induced by chiral Ti(IY) complex have proved to be one of the most powerful stereoselective transformations for synthetic chemists. The catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction introduced by Mukaiyama is discussed in Section 3.4.1. 

Several other chiral Lewis acids have also been reported to effect asymmetric aldol reactions. Kruger and Carreira59 reported a catalytic aldol addition of silyl dienolate to a range of aldehydes in the presence of a bisphosphanyl-Cu(II) fluoride complex generated in situ from (iS )-Tol-BINAP, Cu(OTf)2, and (Bu4N)Ph3SiF2. Aromatic, heteroaromatic, and a,/ -unsaturated aldehydes provided the aldol adducts with up to 95% ee and 98% yield (Scheme 3-33). 

Scheme 6.26. Representative catalytic asymmetric aldol additions not promoted by Zr-based complexes.

Related catalytic enantioselective processes [84] As the examples in Scheme 6.26 show, a wide variety of catalytic asymmetric aldol additions have been reported that can be considered as attractive alternatives to the Zr-catalyzed process summarized above. The Ti-cata-lyzed version due to Carreira (84) [85], the Cu-catalyzed variant of Evans (85) [86], and the protocol reported by Shibasaki (86) [87] have all been used in syntheses of complex molecules. More recently, Trost (87) [88] and Shibasaki (88) [89] have developed two additional attractive asymmetric catalytic aldol protocols. Other related technologies (not represented in Scheme 6.26) have been described by Morken [90] and Jorgensen [91]. 

The studies summarized above clearly bear testimony to the significance of Zr-based chiral catalysts in the important field of catalytic asymmetric synthesis. Chiral zircono-cenes promote unique reactions such as enantioselective alkene alkylations, processes that are not effectively catalyzed by any other chiral catalyst class. More recently, since about 1996, an impressive body of work has appeared that involves non-metallocene Zr catalysts. These chiral complexes are readily prepared (often in situ), easily modified, and effect a wide range of enantioselective C—C bond-forming reactions in an efficient manner (e. g. imine alkylations, Mannich reactions, aldol additions). 

Lewis acids as water-stable catalysts have been developed. Metal salts, such as rare earth metal triflates, can be used in aldol reactions of aldehydes with silyl enolates in aqueous media. These salts can be recovered after the reactions and reused. Furthermore, surfactant-aided Lewis acid catalysis, which can be used for aldol reactions in water without using any organic solvents, has been also developed. These reaction systems have been applied successfully to catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions in aqueous media. In addition, the surfactant-aided Lewis acid catalysis for Mannich-type reactions in water has been disclosed. These investigations are expected to contribute to the decrease of the use of harmful organic solvents in chemical processes, leading to environmentally friendly green chemistry. 

LLB, KHMDS (0.9 equiv to LLB) and H20 (1 equiv to LLB), which presumably forms a heteropolymetallic complex (LLB-ID, was found to be a superior catalyst for the direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction giving 49 in 89 % yield and 79 % ee (using 8 mol% of LLB). We employed this method to generate KOH in situ because of its insolubility in THE The use of KO-t-Bu instead of KHMDS gave a similar result, indicating that HMDS dose not play a key role. Interestingly, further addition of H20 (1 equiv with respect to LLB) resulted in the formation of 49 in 83 % yield and higher ee. The powder obtained from the cata-... 

D. A. Evans, P. H. Carter, E M. Carreira, J. A. Pmnet, A. B. Charette, M. Lautens Asymmetric Synthesis of Bryosta-tin 2 , Angew. Chem, Int. Ed. Engl. 1998,37,2354-2359. For methodological studies on asymmetric Cu-catalyzed aldol addition, see D. A. Evans, J. Murry, M. C. Koz-lowski C2-Symmetric Cu(II) Complexes as Chiral Lewis Adds. Catalytic Enantiosdective Aldol Additions of Silylketene Acetals to (Benzyloxy)acetaldehyde , J. Am Chem. Soc 1996,118,5814-5815. 

These first examples of the catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction not only provided first results that could be utilized for such transformations but also highlighted the problems that had to be overcome in further elaborations of this general method. It was shown that truly catalytic systems were required to perform an enantioselective and diastereoselective vinylogous aldol reaction, and it became obvious that y-substituted dienolates that serve as propionate-acetate equivalents provide an additional challenge for diastereoselective additions. To date, the latter problem has only been solved for diastereoselective additions under Lewis acid catalysis (vide infra) (Scheme 4, Table 3). 

Table 9.6 shows the effect of both the addition time and the polarity of the solvent, as well as the nature of the aldehyde, in the catalytic asymmetric aldol condensation promoted by tributyltin fluoride and a chiral diamine coordinated to tin(n) triflate. 

Until then, only heterogeneous catalyst had been successful. However, in the mid-1980s, the work of Ito et al. led to an outstanding discovery in a catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction. In this case, enantioselectivity was given by a chiral ferrocene diphosphine ligand, with a carbon nucleophile addition to a carbonyl... 

Since the first edition of Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis in 1993 the pace of innovative discoveries in the area of asymmetric catalysis of the aldol reaction has been breathtaking [3,4]. The fast-paced evolution is evident in the significant improvements in substrate generality, experimental simplicity, catalytic loading, and the enantiopurity of the adducts isolated. In parallel with these advances in preparative chemistry of catalytic aldol addition processes, there has been increased sophistication in our understanding of the mechanistic aspects of the wide-ranging transforms included in the aldol rubric. 

Yamamoto has recently described a novel catalytic, asymmetric aldol addition reaction of enol stannanes 19 and 21 with aldehydes (Eqs. 8B2.6 and 8B2.7) [14]. The stannyl ketones are prepared solvent-free by treatment of the corresponding enol acetates with tributyltin methoxide. Although, in general, these enolates are known to exist as mixtures of C- and 0-bound tautomers, it is reported that the mixture may be utilized in the catalytic process. The complexes Yamamoto utilized in this unprecedented process are noteworthy in their novelty as catalysts for catalytic C-C bond-forming reactions. The active complex is generated upon treatment of Ag(OTf) with (R)-BINAP in THF. Under optimal conditions, 10 mol % catalyst 20 effects the addition of enol stannanes with benzaldehyde, hydrocinnamaldehyde, or cinnamaldehyde to give the adducts of acetone, rerf-butyl methyl ketone (pinacolone), and acetophenone in good yields and 41-95% ee (Table 8B2.3). 

Some of the most impressive advances in the area of catalytic, enantioselective aldol addition reactions have taken place in the development of catalytic methods for enantioselective acetate aldol additions, a reaction type that has long been recalcitrant. Thus, although prior to 1992 a number of chiral-auxiliary based and catalytic methods were available for diastereo- and enantiocontrol in propionate aldol addition reactions, there was a paucity of analogous methods for effective stereocontrol in the addition of the simpler acetate-derived enol silanes. However, recent developments in this area have led to the availability of several useful catalytic processes. Thus, in contrast to the state of the art in 1992, it is possible to prepare acetate-derived aldol fragments utilizing asymmetric catalysis with a variety of transition-metal based complexes of Ti(IV), Cu(II), Sn(II), and Ag(I). 

Carbonyl Addition Diethylzinc has been added to benzaldehyde at room temperature in the presence of an ephedra-derived chiral quat (8) to give optically active secondary alcohols, a case in which the chiral catalyst affords a much higher enantioselectivity in the solid state than in solution (47 to 48, Scheme 10.6) [30]. Asymmetric trifluoromethylation of aldehydes and ketones (49 to 50, Scheme 10.6 [31]) is accomplished with trifluoromethyl-trimethylsilane, catalyzed by a quaternary ammonium fluoride (3d). Catalyst 3d was first used by the Shioiri group for catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions from silyl enol ethers 51 or 54 (Scheme 10.6) [32]. Various other 1,2-carbonyl additions [33] and aldol reactions [34] have been reported. 

Other reviews deal with aldol additions of group 1 and 2 enolates,103 direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions catalysed by chiral metal complexes,104 the exploitation of multi-point recognition in catalytic asymmetric aldols,105 and recent progress in asymmetric organocatalysis of aldol, Mannich, Michael, and other reactions.106... 

The capability of L-proline - as a simple amino acid from the chiral pool - to act like an enzyme has been shown by List, Lemer und Barbas III [4] for one of the most important organic asymmetric transformations, namely the catalytic aldol reaction [5]. In addition, all the above-mentioned requirements have been fulfilled. In the described experiments the conversion of acetone with an aldehyde resulted in the formation of the desired aldol products in satisfying to very good yields and with enantioselectivities of up to 96% ee (Scheme 1) [4], It is noteworthy that, in a similar manner to enzymatic conversions with aldolases of type I or II, a direct asymmetric aldol reaction was achieved when using L-proline as a catalyst. Accordingly the use of enol derivatives of the ketone component is not necessary, that is, ketones (acting as donors) can be used directly without previous modification [6]. So far, most of the asymmetric catalytic aldol reactions with synthetic catalysts require the utilization of enol derivatives [5]. The first direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction in the presence of a chiral heterobimetallic catalyst has recently been reported by the Shibasaki group [7]. 

Figure 1. Some outstanding metal-ligand complexes of utility in the direct catalytic asymmetric aldol addition reaction.

Scheme 2. Synthesis ofthe key intermediate en route to epothilone A based on a catalytic, asymmetric direct aldol addition of acetophenone (5.7 mmol scale) and an a-branched acyclic aldehyde, (a) 1 (8mol%), KHMDS...

Scheme 6. Proposed catalytic cycle for the direct asymmetric aldol addition reaction of N-propionylthiazolidinethione [13].

The third part of this chapter reviews previously described catalytic asymmetric reactions that can be promoted by chiral lanthanoid complexes. Transformations such as Diels-Alder reactions, Mukaiyama aldol reactions, several types of reductions, Michael addition reactions, hydrosilylations, and hydroaminations proceed under asymmetric catalysis in the presence of chiral lanthanoid complexes. 

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