Asymmetric epoxidation applications

Rossiter, B. E. 1985, Synthetic Aspects and Applications of Asymmetric Epoxidation, in Morrison, J. D. 

CDP840 is a selective inhibitor of the PDE-IV isoenzyme and interest in the compound arises from its potential application as an antiasthmatic agent. Chemists at Merck Co. used the asymmetric epoxidation reaction to set the stereochemistry of the carbon framework and subsequently removed the newly established C-O bonds." Epoxidation of the trisubstituted olefin 51 provided the desired epoxide in 89% ee and in 58% yield. Reduction of both C-O bonds was then accomplished to provide CDP840. 

The essential features of the Masamune-Sharpless hexose synthesis strategy are outlined in a general way in Scheme 4. The strategy is based on the reiterative- application of a two-carbon extension cycle. One cycle comprises the following four key transformations (I) homologation of an aldehyde to an allylic alcohol (II) Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of the allylic alcohol ... 

Table 1.2 Application of the chiral sulfide 7 in asymmetric epoxidations.

The Sharpless-Katsuki asymmetric epoxidation (AE) procedure for the enantiose-lective formation of epoxides from allylic alcohols is a milestone in asymmetric catalysis [9]. This classical asymmetric transformation uses TBHP as the terminal oxidant, and the reaction has been widely used in various synthetic applications. There are several excellent reviews covering the scope and utility of the AE reaction... 

A reiterative application of a two-carbon elongation reaction of a chiral carbonyl compound (Homer-Emmonds reaction), reduction (DIBAL) of the obtained trans unsaturated ester, asymmetric epoxidation (SAE or MCPBA) of the resulting allylic alcohol, and then C-2 regioselective addition of a cuprate (Me2CuLi) to the corresponding chiral epoxy alcohol has been utilized for the construction of the polypropionate-derived chain ]R-CH(Me)CH(OH)CH(Me)-R ], present as a partial structure in important natural products such as polyether, ansamycin, or macro-lide antibiotics [52]. A seminal application of this procedure is offered by Kishi s synthesis of the C19-C26 polyketide-type aliphatic segment of rifamycin S, starting from aldehyde 105 (Scheme 8.29) [53]. 

Chiral epoxides and their corresponding vicinal diols are very important intermediates in asymmetric synthesis [163]. Chiral nonracemic epoxides can be obtained through asymmetric epoxidation using either chemical catalysts [164] or enzymes [165-167]. Biocatalytic epoxidations require sophisticated techniques and have thus far found limited application. An alternative approach is the asymmetric hydrolysis of racemic or meso-epoxides using transition-metal catalysts [168] or biocatalysts [169-174]. Epoxide hydrolases (EHs) (EC 3.3.2.3) catalyze the conversion of epoxides to their corresponding vicinal diols. EHs are cofactor-independent enzymes that are almost ubiquitous in nature. They are usually employed as whole cells or crude... 

Asymmetric epoxidation systems using iron porphyrin heme-mimics are also known, however the labor-intensive and expensive syntheses is hmiting their applications [49]. 

The idea of double asymmetric induction is also applicable to asymmetric epoxidation (see Chapter 1 for double asymmetric induction). In the case of asymmetric epoxidation involving double asymmetric induction, the enantiose-lectivity depends on whether the configurations of the substrate and the chiral ligand are matched or mismatched. For example, treating 7 with titanium tet-raisopropoxide and t-butyl hydroperoxide without (+)- or ( )-diethyl tartrate yields a mixture of epoxy alcohols 8 and 9 in a ratio of 2.3 1 (Scheme 4 3). In a... 

Along with catalytic asymmetric epoxidation, the related dihydroxylation of olefins is another venerable catalytic enantioselective process that is widely used by the modern organic chemist. An application of this important transformation may be found in Corey s 1994 preparation of optically pure 109 (Scheme 16), an intermediate in Corey s 1985 total synthesis of ovalicin.1181 The catalytic asymmetric dihydroxylation that affords 108 solves one of the most challenging problems in the total synthesis installment of the tertiary alcohol center with the appropriate relative and absolute stereochemistry. 

It should be added that many other groups have contributed to the predevelopments of these inventions and also to later developments. All four reactions find wide application in organic synthesis. The Sharpless epoxidation of allylic alcohols finds industrial application in Arco s synthesis of glycidol, the epoxidation product of allyl alcohol, and Upjohn s synthesis of disparlure (Figure 14.4), a sex pheromone for the gypsy moth. The synthesis of disparlure starts with a Ci3 allylic alcohol in which, after asymmetric epoxidation, the alcohol is replaced by the other carbon chain. Perhaps today the Jacobsen method can be used directly on a suitable Ci9 alkene, although the steric differences between both ends of the molecules are extremely small ... 

The attractive (80) features of MOFs and similar materials noted above for catalytic applications have led to a few reports of catalysis by these systems (81-89), but to date the great majority of MOF applications have addressed selective sorption and separation of gases (54-57,59,80,90-94). Most of the MOF catalytic applications have involved hydrolytic processes and several have involved enantioselec-tive processes. Prior to our work, there were only two or three reports of selective oxidation processes catalyzed by MOFs. Nguyen and Hupp reported an MOF with chiral covalently incorporated (salen)Mn units that catalyzes asymmetric epoxidation by iodosylarenes (95), and in a very recent study, Corma and co-workers reported aerobic alcohol oxidation, but no mechanistic studies or discussion was provided (89). 

The paramount importance of Sharpless "asymmetric epoxidation" lies on the fact that the epoxide group is almost as versatile as the carbonyl group (in Heading 5.2 we have referred to it as a "homocarbonyl" group). The method is of general applicability and is relatively indifferent to pre-existing chiral centres, so it may be used iteratively. Moreover, either of the two enantiomers may be obtained, usually... 

Application of asymmetric epoxidation to multistep synthesis of natural products... 

From the point of view of efficiency and application to the industrial production of optically pure compounds the chiral catalyst procedure is the methodology of choice. In this context. Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and dihydroxylation, Noyori-Takaya s second generation asymmetric hydrogenations and Jacobsen s epoxidation [3] have had a tremendous impact in the last few years and they constitute the basis of the newly spawned "chirotechnology" firms, as well as of the pharmaceutical, fine chemical and agriculture industries. 

In conjunction with the chiral anion TRIP (156) (10 mol%), diamine 157 (10 mol%) can be used in the catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of a,p-unsaturated ketones (>90% ee) [196], while the secondary amine 158 (10 mol%) can be used for the epoxidation of both di- and trisubstituted a,P-unsaturated aldehydes (92-98% ee) (Fig. 15) [211], The facile nature of these reactions, using commercially available peroxides as the stoichiometric oxidant, together with the synthetic utility of the epoxide products suggests application in target oriented synthesis. 

The use of tartrate esters was an obvious place to start, especially since both enantiomers are readily available commercially and had already found widespread application in asymmetric synthesis (Figure 11) (e.g.. Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation).23.24 Reagents 36-38 are easily prepared and are reasonably enantioselective in reactions with achiral, unhindered aliphatic aldehydes (82-86% ee) typical results are given in Figure 12.3c,h Aromatic and a,p-unsaturated aldehydes, unfortunately, give lower levels of enantioselection (55-70% e.e.). It is also interesting to note that all other C2 symmetric diols that we have examined (2,3-butanediol, 2,4-pentanediol, 1,2-diisopropylethanediol, hydrobenzoin, and mannitol diacetonide, among others) are relatively ineffective in comparison to the tartrate esters (see Table ll).25... 

We began these studies with the intention of applying this tandem asymmetric epoxidation/asymmetric allylboration sequence towards the synthesis of D-olivose derivative 63 (refer to Figure 18). As the foregoing discussion indicates, our research has moved somewhat away from this goal and we have not yet had the opportunity to undertake this synthesis. This, as well as the synthesis of the olivomycin CDE trisaccharide, remain as problems for future exploration. Because it is the enantioselectivity of the tartrate ester allylboronates that has limited the success of the mismatched double asymmetric reactions discussed here, as well as in several other cases published from our laboratorythe focus of our work on chiral allyiboronate chemistry has shifted away from synthetic applications and towards the development of a more highly enantioselective chiral auxiliary. One such auxiliary has been developed, as described below. 

In 1980, Katsuki and Sharpless described the first really efficient asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols with very high enantioselectivities (ee 90-95%), employing a combination of Ti(OPr-/)4-diethyl tartrate (DET) as chiral catalyst and TBHP as oxidant Stoichiometric conditions were originally described for this system, however the addition of molecular sieves (which trap water traces) to the reaction allows the epoxidation to proceed under catalytic conditions. The stereochemical course of the reaction may be predicted by the empirical rule shown in equations 40 and 41. With (—)-DET, the oxidant approaches the allylic alcohol from the top side of the plane, whereas the bottom side is open for the (-l-)-DET based reagent, giving rise to the opposite optically active epoxide. Various aspects of this reaction including the mechanism, theoretical investigations and synthetic applications of the epoxy alcohol products have been reviewed and details may be found in the specific literature . 

Different approaches have been used in the preparation of heterogeneous Sharpless-type catalytic systems for the asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols, although in most cases the chiral induction was modest (50-60%). Li and coworkers described the preparation of an organic-inorganic hybrid chiral catalyst grafted onto the surface of silica and in mesopores of MCM-41, and its successful application in asymmetric epoxidation . Enantiomeric excesses were higher than 80% with conversions in the range 22-76%. 

In an effort to introduce C2 symmetry into nickel complexes for their application in catalysis of asymmetric epoxidation, a series of oxocyclam analogues derived from amino acids 34 were synthesized. They did not react in the presence of PhIO as oxidant. However, they showed enhanced reactivity with NaOCl as the terminal oxidant under phase-... 

Metallosalen complexes have assumed considerable importance as asymmetric epoxidation catalysts. This catalyst system is widely applicable for... 

Rossiter, B E 1985, Synthetic Aspects and Applications of Asymmetric Epoxidation, in Morrison, J D (ed), Asymmetric Synthesis, Vol 5 Chiral Catalysis, chapter 7, p 193, Academic Press New York Rotermund, G W 1975, m Houben-Weyl, Methoden der Organtschen Chemte, Vol IV/] b Oxidation If Thieme Stuttgart... 

The hallmark of Ti-tartrate catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation is the high degree of enantiofacial selectivity seen for a wide range of allylic alcohols. It is natural to inquire into what the mechanism of this reaction might be and what structural features of the catalyst produce these desirable results. These questions have been studied extensively, and the results have been the subject of considerable discussion [6,135,136]. For the purpose of this chapter, we review the aspects of the mechanistic-structural studies that may be helpful in devising synthetic applications of this reaction. 

B. E. Rossiter (1985). Synthetic aspects and application of asymmetric epoxidation , in Asymmetric Synthesis. Ed. J. Morrison. Orlando Academic Press, p. 194 M. G. Finn and K. B. Sharpless On the mechanism of asymmetric epoxidation with titanium-tartrate catalysts . Ibid., p. 247. 

Asymmetric epoxidation. Sharpless et a .1 have reviewed the numerous applications of titanium-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidations developed in their own and other laboratories. All the reactions conform to the enantiomeric selectivity first observed and formulated as in Scheme (I). 

Application of the same sequence to (Z)-2, however, is unsatisfactory because asymmetric epoxidation of (Z)-2 proceeds very slowly and with low stereoselectivity. I hc. difficulty has since been resolved by the observation that 7 and 9 are epimerized at C to the corresponding 2,3-t/ireo-aldoscs 10 and 11, respectively, by K2C03 in met lianol. As a result, the four possible D-pentoses can be prepared satisfactorily from (1 1-2. The epimerization is equally effective in the tetrose, pentose, and hexose series.3... 

A similiar approach was performed by van de Velde (1999), using incorporation of vanadate into an acid phosphatase (phytase) to create a semi-synthetic peroxidase similar to the heme-dependent chloroperoxidase. The latter is a useful enzyme for the asymmetric epoxidation of olefins, but less stable due to oxidation of the porphyrin ring and difficult to express outside the native fungal host. The authors exploited the structural similarity of active sites from vanadate-dependent halo-peroxidases and acid phosphatases and have shown the useful application as an enantioselective catalyst for the synthesis of chiral sulfoxides (van de Velde, 1999). 

The assumed boundaries between organic and carbohydrate chemistry were first breached in Sydney where D. H. R. Barton, a non-carbohydrate chemist, was invited to talk on new synthetic methods applicable to sugars. This trend was continued in Vancouver where K. B. Sharpless, another non-carbohydrate chemist, spoke on asymmetric epoxidation, a reaction important for carbohydrate syntheses. Then the boundary disappeared altogether. In Stockholm (1988) S. J. Danishefsky spoke on synthetic methods and in Yokohama (1990) K. C. Nicolaou also discussed new methods and synthetic strategies applicable... 

K. B. Sharpless Application of asymmetric epoxidation in saccharide synthesis... 

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