Asymmetric catalysis cycloadditions

Epoxidations of chiral allenamides lead to chiral nitrogen-stabilized oxyallyl catioins that undergo highly stereoselective (4 + 3) cycloaddition reactions with electron-rich dienes.6 These are the first examples of epoxidations of allenes, and the first examples of chiral nitrogen-stabilized oxyallyl cations. Further elaboration of the cycloadducts leads to interesting chiral amino alcohols that can be useful as ligands in asymmetric catalysis (Scheme 2). 

Whereas it is easy to foresee expanded application of nitronate cycloadditions in synthesis, important challenges still remain. For example, the potential of these reactions would benefit from the development of catalysts to accelerate the process. Moreover, asymmetric catalysis has only recently been successful in dipolar cycloaddition chemistry and would have a great impact here. Another important avenue would be the invention of new tandem processes that allow for the creation of nitronates from different precursors in the presence of dipolarophiles. 

From the 1980s on, many efforts were directed toward asymmetric induction of nitrile oxide cycloadditions to give pure (dia)stereoisomeric isoxazolines, and acyclic products derived from them (17,18,20-23). The need to obtain optically active cycloaddition products for use in the synthesis of natural products was first served by using chiral olefins, relying on 1,2-asymmetric induction, and then with optically active aldehydes or nitro compounds for the nitrile oxide part. In the latter case, insufficient induction occurs using chiral nitrile oxides, a problem still unsolved today. Finally, in the last 5 years, the first cases of successful asymmetric catalysis were found (29), which will certainly constitute a major area of study in the coming decade. 

Unlike the impressive progress that has been reported with asymmetric catalysis in other additions to alkenes (i.e., the Diels-Alder cycloaddition, epoxidation, dihydroxylation, aminohydroxylation, and hydrogenation) so far this is terra incognita with nitrile oxide cycloadditions. It is easy to predict that this will become a major topic in the years to come. 

The development and application of catalytic enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions is a relatively new area. Compared to the broad application of asymmetric catalysis in carbo- and hetero-Diels-Alder reactions (337,338), which has evolved since the mid-1980s, the use of enantioselective metal catalysts in asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions remained almost unexplored until 1993 (5). In particular, the asymmetric metal-catalyzed reactions of nitrones with alkenes has received considerable attention during the past 5 years. 

Mechanistic and theoretical investigation has been carried out on the carbonyl ylide formation and the subsequent 1,3-dipole addition, Ghemo- and stereoselectivity have been found to be affected by the ligands of the Rh(ii) catalysts.These results imply that in the cycloaddition process, the Rh(ii) catalyst may be associated with the 1,3-dipole. Theoretical calculation indicates that the Rh(ii) catalyst-associated ylide has the lowest energy in the catalytic cycle.The suggestion that metal complex-associated ylide may be involved in the cycloaddition has great implication for the asymmetric catalysis in this type of reaction. 

An alternative approach in the asymmetric catalysis in 1,3-dipole cycloaddition has been developed by Suga and coworkers. The achiral 1,3-dipole 106 was generated by intramolecular reaction of an Rh(ii) carbene complex with an ester carbonyl oxygen in the Rh2(OAc)4-catalyzed diazo decomposition of <9-methoxycarbonyl-o -diazoacetophenone 105 (Scheme 12). The asymmetric induction in the subsequent cycloaddition to G=G and G=N bond was achieved by chiral Lewis acid Sc(iii)-Pybox-/-Pr or Yb(iii)-Pybox-Ph, which can activate the dipolarophile through complexation. With this approach, up to 95% ee for G=0 bond addition and 96% ee for G=G bond addition have been obtained, respectively. ... 

K. Mikami, Y. Motoyama, and M. Terada, Asymmetric catalysis of Diels-Alder cycloadditions by an MS-free binaphthol-titanium complex dramatic effect of MS, linear vs positive nonlinear relationship and synthetic applications, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 116 (1994) 2812-2820. 

Lewis acid catalysis, apparently dispensible due to the very high reactivity of nitroso dienophiles, has not yet been investigated although such a study has been suggested by Streith and Defoin [8]. Thus, examples of asymmetric catalysis lack completely in this area of hetero Diels-Alder chemistry. Nevertheless, cycloadditions involving nitroso dienophiles have reached an advanced level concerning stereoselectivity and therefore much attention has been paid towards the preparation and application of chiral, enantiopure dienophiles and dienes for these reactions. 

A similar effect was reported a few months later by Corey et al. using CAB 3b catalysts [17]. Especially efficient is the asymmetric catalysis of the cycloaddition between 2-bromoacrolein and different dienes (> 90-95 % ee). The transition state is believed to be as shown below Eq. (16) [17b]. Attractive interactions between the indolyl moi-... 

Matsuoka, T., Harano, K., Uemura, T., Hisano, T. Hetero Diels-Alder reaction of N-acyl imines. I. The reaction of N -thiobenzoyl-N,N-dimethylformamidine with electron-deficient dienophiles. Stereochemical and mechanistic aspects. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1993, 41, 50-54. Mikami, K., Motoyama, Y., Terada, M. Asymmetric Catalysis of Diels-Alder Cycloadditions by an MS-Free Binaphthol-Titanium Complex Dramatic Effect of MS, Linear vs Positive Nonlinear Relationship, and Synthetic Applications. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 2812-2820. 

Although enantiomeric excesses of greater than 70% were obtained with the unsubstituted and disubstituted methylenecyclopropanes, monosubstituted precursors led to much reduced selectivity (26-39% ee). However, the impressive results shown above indicate that by judicial choice of phosphane ligands, efficient asymmetric catalysis of [3 + 2] cycloaddition transformations is a viable proposition. 

A representative of the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of inverse electron demand is the cycloaddition of A-sulfonyl-l-azadienes with vinyl ethers. It is amenable to asymmetric catalysis, for example, by a nickel(II) complex of 101. ... 

The same group of workers has proceeded to develop an intramolecular version of the reaction. The aldehyde acids (35, n = 1 or 2) on treatment with Mukaiyama s reagent, 2-chloro-l-methylpyridinium iodide, and triethylamine afforded the cis substituted bicyclic lactones (36, n = 1 or 2). The authors have adduced evidence in support of a nucleophile-catalysed aldol lactonisation (NCAL) reaction mechanism rather than the alternative thermal [2+2] cycloaddition. They have also found that the intramolecular reaction, like the intermolecular process, is subject to asymmetric catalysis. When an optically active base such as 0-acetylquinidine was present in the reaction mixture, the bicyclic lactones were produced with high ee <01 JA7945>. 

Whilst there are many cycle addition reactions which could be subjected to asymmetric catalysis, the maj ority of work has been involved with the Diels-Alder and related reactions. Nevertheless, 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions have provided fairly good... 

Enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions employing azomethine ylides and asymmetric catalysis are discussed in the next chapter. The formation of chiral non-racemic pyrrolidine derivatives via dipolar cycloadditions presents an important challenge that has been successfully overcome. The role of catalysis involving different metals is also highUghted. 

Keywords Asymmetric catalysis Azomethine ylides Chiral ligands Cycloaddition ... 

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