Alkenes, homoallylic enantioselectivity

An enantioselective imino-ene reaction was developed by Lectka to provide ct-amino acid derivatives.27 Aryl alkenes (cr-methyl styrene, tetralene), aliphatic alkenes (methylene cyclohexane), and heteroatom-containing enes, all gave high yields and high ee s of the homoallylic amides (Equation (17)). The mechanism of this reaction has been proposed to proceed through a concerted pathway. This mechanism is evidenced by a large kinetic isotope effect observed in the transfer of H(D). 

In intramolecular cyclopropanation, Doyle s catalysts (159) show outstanding capabilities for enantiocontrol in the cyclization of allyl and homoallyl diazoesters to bicyclic y-and <5-lactones, respectively (equations 137 and 138)198 205. The data also reveal that intramolecular cyclopropanation of Z-alkenes is generally more enantioselective than that of E-alkenes in bicyclic y-lactone formation198. Both Rh(II)-MEPY enantiomers are available and, through their use, enantiomeric products are accessible. In a few selected cases, the Pfaltz catalyst 156 also results in high-level enandoselectivity in intramolecular cyclopropanation (equation 139)194. On the other hand, the Aratani catalyst is less effective than the Doyle catalyst (159) or Pfaltz catalyst (156) in asymmetric intramolecular cyclo-propanations201. In addition, the bis-oxazoline-derived copper catalyst 157b shows lower enantioselectivity in the intramolecular cyclopropanation of allyl diazomalonate (equation 140)206. 

Nevertheless, the use of chirally modified Lewis acids as catalysts for enantioselective aminoalkylation reactions proved to be an extraordinary fertile research area [3b-d, 16]. Meanwhile, numerous publications demonstrate their exceptional potential for the activation and chiral modification of Mannich reagents (generally imino compounds). In this way, not only HCN or its synthetic equivalents but also various other nucleophiles could be ami-noalkylated asymmetrically (e.g., trimethylsilyl enol ethers derived from esters or ketones, alkenes, allyltributylstannane, allyltrimethylsilanes, and ketones). This way efficient routes for the enantioselective synthesis of a variety of valuable synthetic building blocks were created (e.g., a-amino nitriles, a- or //-amino acid derivatives, homoallylic amines or //-amino ketones) [3b-d]. 

The asymmetric epoxidation of homoallylic alcohols has continued to be a problematic area. A potential solution has recently been published <07JA286 07T6075>. The use of bis-hydroxamic acid 1 as a chiral ligand for a vanadium catalyst has provided both excellent yields and enantioselectivity. This method works well with both cis- and trans-alkenes. 

Dirhodium(ll) tetrakis[methyl 2-pyrrolidone-5(R)-oarboxylate], Rh2(5R-MEPV)4, and its enantiomer, Rh2(5S-MEPY)4, which is prepared by the same procedure, are highly enantioselective catalysts for intramolecular cyclopropanation of allylic diazoacetates (65->94% ee) and homoallylic diazoacetates (71-90% ee),7 8 intermolecular carbon-hydrogen insertion reactions of 2-alkoxyethyl diazoacetates (57-91% ee)9 and N-alkyl-N-(tert-butyl)diazoacetamides (58-73% ee),10 Intermolecular cyclopropenation ot alkynes with ethyl diazoacetate (54-69% ee) or menthyl diazoacetates (77-98% diastereomeric excess, de),11 and intermolecular cyclopropanation of alkenes with menthyl diazoacetate (60-91% de for the cis isomer, 47-65% de for the trans isomer).12 Their use in <1.0 mol % in dichloromethane solvent effects complete reaction of the diazo ester and provides the carbenoid product in 43-88% yield. The same general method used for the preparation of Rh2(5R-MEPY)4 was employed for the synthesis of their isopropyl7 and neopentyl9 ester analogs. 

Reaction of alkenes with carbonyl compounds or carbonyl derivatives in the presence of Lewis acids, the ene reaction, enables the stereoselective preparation of highly functionalized compounds. Copper Lewis acids activate both aldehydes and imines in ene reactions. Evans has reported that Cu(II) Lewis acids catalyze glyoxylates in reactions with alkenes (Sch. 56) [103]. The homoallylic alcohols 257 and 259 are produced in high yield and enantioselectivity. The bis aquo complex 260 is a readily prepared and air-stable catalyst and gave high chemical yield and excellent selectivity in the ene reactions. Another point of note is that catalysts 260 and 261 furnish enantiomeric products even though they differ from each other only by the substituent at the 4-posi-tion of the oxazoline. 

The (3-methyl homoallylic alcohol moiety of both anti- and 5yn-configurations is a characteristic structural element of a number of macrolides and polyether antibiotics. Reactions of crotylmetal (2-butenylmetal) reagents with carbonyl substrates provide access to acyclic stereo- and enantioselective syntheses of p-methyl homoallylic alcohols. The alkene moiety of these alcohols can be further elaborated into aldehydes by oxidative cleavage of the double bond, leading to aldol-type products. 

The cases we have considered involve aryl rings as the governing structural feature for enantioselectivity. The AD systems also show excellent enantioselectivity toward functionalized alkenes, especially allylic and homoallylic systems with oxygen substituents. In these systems, another important structural variable comes into play, that is, the conformation of the allylic substituent and its possible interaction with the reaction site. ... 

The catalysed carbonyl-ene reaction frequently employs reactive aldehydes, especially glyoxalate esters. Mikami s group has studied the titanium/BINOL catalysed carbonyl-ene reaction in considerable detail. Typically, the catalyst is prepared in situ from diisopropoxytitanium dihalide and BINOL in the presence of 4A molecular sieves. Thus, alkenes (7.179) and (7.180) are converted into the homoallylic alcohols (7.181) and (7.182) with high enantioselectivity. Typical examples use up to 10 mol% of catalysts, but variation in the catalyst preparation allows the use of only 0.2 mol%. ... 

Intramolecular bis-silulation of alkenes has also been achieved more effectively than intermolecular reactions. The use of optically active isonitrile ligand on palladium catalyst provides us with a synthetic method for an enantioselective intramolecular bis-silylation of homoallylic alcohols. The method has successfully been applied to the synthesis of highly enantio-enriched allylsilanes. 

In analogy with the enantioselective carbonyl-ene reactions (Chapter 2, Section 2.11), an attractive but much less well precedented alternative to imine allylations is enantioselective imino-ene reactions. The first such example was reported by Lectka, who found that the Tol-BINAP copper complex 216 promoted the addition of unactivated alkenes to N-tosyl imine 110 (Equation 27) [31, 153, 173]. This transformation provided the homoallylic a-amino acid 270 in 90 % yield and 99 % ee. 

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