Asymmetric induction cyclopropanations

Asymmetric versions of the cyclopropanation reaction of electron-deficient olefins using chirally modified Fischer carbene complexes, prepared by exchange of CO ligands with chiral bisphosphites [21a] or phosphines [21b], have been tested. However, the asymmetric inductions are rather modest [21a] or not quantified (only the observation that the cyclopropane is optically active is reported) [21b]. Much better facial selectivities are reached in the cyclopropanation of enantiopure alkenyl oxazolines with aryl- or alkyl-substituted alkoxy-carbene complexes of chromium [22] (Scheme 5). 

Dauben et al. (15) applied the Aratani catalyst to intramolecular cyclopropanation reactions. Diazoketoesters were poor substrates for this catalyst, conferring little asymmetric induction to the product, Eq. 10. Better results were found using diazo ketones (34). The product cyclopropane was formed in selectivities as high as 77% ee (35a, n = 1). A reversal in the absolute sense of induction was noted upon cyclopropanation of the homologous substrate 34b (n = 2) using this catalyst, Eq. 11. Dauben notes that the reaction does not proceed at low temperature, as expected for a Cu(II) precatalyst, but that thermal activation of the catalyst results in lower selectivities (44% ee, 80°C, PhH, 35a, n = 1). Complex ent-11 may be activated at ambient temperature by reduction with 0.25 equiv (to catalyst) DIBAL-H, affording the optimized selectivities in this reaction. The active species in these reactions is presumably the aluminum alkoxide (33). Dauben cautions that this catalyst slowly decomposes under these conditions. 

The popularity of Cu(acac)2, where acac = acetylacetonato, as a precatalyst in alkene cyclopropanation using diazoesters has led to the investigation of chiral 1,3-dicarbonyls as a source of asymmetric induction in this process. Mathn et al. (26) report a selective cyclopropanation of styrene with a dimedone-derived diazocarbonyl in the presence of a camphor-derived diketone, Eq. 12. The reaction is con-... 

In their seminal report on homogeneous asymmetric copper-catalyzed cyclopropanation, Nozaki et al. (2) showed that racemic 2-phenyloxetane reacts with the diazoester-derived carbenoid to form cis and trans tetrahydrofurans (THF) in optically active form. Unfortunately, the extent of asymmetric induction could not be determined. 

Cyclopropanations with diazomethane can proceed with surprisingly high diastereo-selectivities (Table 3.4) [643,662-664]. However, enantioselective cyclopropanations with diazomethane and enantiomerically pure, catalytically active transition metal complexes have so far furnished only low enantiomeric excesses [650,665] or racemic products [666]. These disappointing results are consistent with the results obtained in stoichiometric cyclopropanations with enantiomerically pure Cp(CO)(Ph3P)Fe=CH2 X , which also does not lead to high asymmetric induction (see Section 3.2.2.1). 

For intermolecular cyclopropanations with unsubstituted diazoacetates the highest asymmetric inductions can be achieved with the copper(I) complexes of C2-symmetric, bidentate ligands developed by Pfaltz (e.g. 1) and Evans (2). The chiral rhodium(II) complexes known today do not generally lead to such high enantiomeric excesses as copper complexes in intermolecular cyclopropanations. For intramolecular cyclopropanations, however, chiral rhodium(II) complexes are usually superior to enantiomerically pure copper complexes [1374]. 

Diarylprolinol ether 30 has also been used to accelerate the cyclopropanation of a,p-unsaturated aldehydes with arsonium ylides with excellent levels of asymmetric induction (95-98% ee) [157]. 

Section 14.2 describes the highly stereoselective cyclopropanation chemistry of the donor/acceptor-carbenoids (Fig. 14.1a) [16]. This section introduces the range of vinyl, aryl, alkynyl, and heteroaryl functionalities that have been used as donor groups in this chemistry. Also, chiral auxiliaries and chiral catalysts that achieve high asymmetric induction in this chemistry are described [25]. The next two sections cover chemistry that is unique to the vinylcarbenoid system, namely [3-t4] cycloaddition with dienes (Fig. 14.1b see also Section 14.3) [13] and [3-1-2] cycloaddition with vinyl... 

Rh2(S-TBSP)4 8 and Rh2(S-DOSP)4 9 (Tab. 14.3) [40, 45]. A very unusual feature of the prolinate-catalyzed cyclopropanations is that the reactions proceed with much higher asymmetric induction when hydrocarbon solvents are used instead of dichloromethane [40, 45]. Room-temperature cyclopropanations of styrene with Rh2(S-TBSP) or Rli2(S-D0SP)4 typically occur with 90-92% enantioselectivity, while the Rh2(S-DOSP)4-cata-lyzed reaction at -78°C occurs in 98% enantiomeric excess (Tab. 14.3) [40]. The rhodium prolinate catalysts are very easy to handle, being stable to air, heat, and moisture although it has been reported that the enantioselectivity can decrease if the cyclopropanation is conducted in wet solvents [46]. 

The cyclopropanation utilizing donor/acceptor rhodium carbenoids can be extended to a range of monosubstituted alkenes, occurring with very high asymmetric induction (Tab. 14.4) [40]. Reactions with electron-rich alkenes, where low enantioselectivity was observed at room temperature, could be drastically improved using the more hydrocarbon-soluble Rh2(S-DOSP)4 catalyst at -78°C. The highest enantioselectivity is obtained when a small ester group such as a methyl ester is used [40], a trend which is the opposite to that seen with the unsubstituted diazoacetate system [16]. 

In contrast to the intermolecular cyclopropanation, the dirhodium tetraprolinates give modest enantioselectivities for the corresponding intramolecular reactions with the do-nor/acceptor carbenoids [68]. For example, the Rh2(S-DOSP)4-catalyzed reaction with al-lyl vinyldiazoacetate 32 gives the fused cyclopropane 33 in 72% yield with 72% enantiomeric excess (Eq. 4) [68]. The level of asymmetric induction is dependent upon the substitution pattern of the alkene cis-alkenes and internally substituted alkenes afford the highest asymmetric induction. Other rhodium and copper catalysts have been evaluated for reactions with vinyldiazoacetates, but very few have found broad utility [42]. 

Asymmetric induction is possible in the two-step [3-1-2] cycloaddition by starting the sequence with an asymmetric cyclopropanation (Scheme 14.15) [106]. The Rh2(S-DOSP)4-catalyzed reactions gave the desired vinylcyclopropanes 126 with high enan-tioselectivities [106]. Partial or complete racemization occurred in the vinylcyclopro-pane rearrangement of monocyclic vinylcyclopropanes, but the fused vinylcyclopropanes 128-133 rearrange to form 134-139 with virtually no racemization. 

The reaction of vinylcarbenoids with vinyl ethers can lead to other types of [3 + 2] cycloadditions. The symmetric synthesis of 2,3-dihydrofurans is readily achieved by reaction of rhodium-stabilized vinylcarbenoids with vinyl ethers (Scheme 14.17) [107]. In this case, (J )-pantolactone is used as a chiral auxihary. The initial cyclopropanation proceeds with high asymmetric induction upon deprotection of the silyl enol ether 146, ring expansion occurs to furnish the dihydrofuran 147, with no significant epi-merization during the ring-expansion process. 

The C-H activation of allylic and benzylic C-H bonds has considerable application in organic synthesis. Studies by Muller [131] and Davies [130] on reactions with cyclohexene revealed that Rh2(S-DOSP)4 in a hydrocarbon solvent is the optimum system for high asymmetric induction (Tab. 14.13). Although this particular example gives a mixture of the C-H activation product 179 and cyclopropane 180, similar reactions with ethyl diazoacetate gave virtually no C-H activation product. Some of the other classic chiral dirhodium catalysts 181 and 182 were also effective in this chemistry, but the en-antioselectivity with these catalysts (45% ee and 55% ee) [131] was considerably lower than with Rh2(S-DOSP)4 (93% ee) [130]. 

It should be noted, however, that the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition chemistry of diazo compounds has been used much less frequently for the synthesis of natural products than that of other 1,3-dipoles. On the other hand, several recent syntheses of complex molecules using diazo substrates have utilized asymmetric induction in the cycloaddition step coupled with some known diazo transformation, such as the photochemical ring contraction of A -pyrazolines into cyclopropanes. This latter process often occurs with high retention of stereochemistry. Another useful transformation involves the conversion of A -pyrazolines into 1,3-diamines by reductive ring-opening. These and other results show that the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition chemistry of diazo compounds can be extremely useful for stereoselective target-oriented syntheses and presumably we will see more applications of this type in the near future. 

The Kyoto group hoped to obtain more definitive evidence for the existence of carbene species bound covalently to copper. If such a species did exist, the use of an optically active copper catalyst should show some asymmetric induction in the cyclopropanation reaction. Indeed,... 

A number of attempts have been made to use optically active sulfur ylides to transfer the chirality of sulfur to carbon in the formation of epoxides and cyclopropanes. The results were somewhat disappointing. Thus, virtually no asymmetric induction was observed with the ylide (1) [475]. With the stabilized ylides (2), e.e. values in the range 7-43% were reported [476]. Better results were obtained with sulfonium ylides derived from Eliel oxathiane [477]. Optically active diaryl epoxides could be prepared under PTC in high yields and good e.e. values. 

Asymmetric induction in the cyclopropanations of unsaturated substrates with methylene has been extensively investigated. A propensity of the Simmons-Simth and related reagents to make coordination to basic atoms is most frequently exploited. Treatment of a,/J-unsaturated aldehyde acetals derived from the aldehydes and chiral dialkyl tartrates or 2,4-pentanediol, with diiodomethane/diethylzinc in hexane, produces cyclopro-panecarboxaldehyde acetals with high diastereoselectivity (equation 69)109 110. Uniformly good diastereoselectivity has also been realized in the cyclopropanations of chiral acetals... 

Asymmetric ethylidene transfer has been achieved in the reactions of 1-cyclohexenyl ethers carrying a chiral auxiliary with 1,1-diodoethane/diethylzinc 39. Asymmetric induction in the reaction of diazofluorene with fumaric esters bearing chiral alcohol moieties has been investigated (equation 84)140,141. Kinetics of intramolecular cyclopropanation in... 

In the first attempts to use a chiral a-sulfinyi ester enolate as donor in Michael additions to a -un-saturated esters, only low selectivities were observed.185 186 Better results are obtained when the a-lithio sulfoxide (174), a chiral acyl anion equivalent, is employed. Conjugate addition of (174) to cyclopent-enone derivatives occurs with reasonably high degrees of asymmetric induction, as exemplified by the preparation of the 11-deoxy prostanoid (175 Scheme 63).187 188 Chiral oxosulfonium ylides and chiral li-thiosulfoximines can be used for the preparation of optically active cyclopropane derivatives (up to 49% ee) from a, -unsaturated carbonyl compounds.189... 

Among the transition-metal catalysts that have been used, only those of Pd(II) are productive with diazomethane, which may be the result in cyclopropanation reactions [7,9,21] of a mechanism whereby the Pd-coordinated alkene undergoes electrophilic addition to diazomethane rather than by a metal carbene transformation in any case, asymmetric induction does not occur by using Pd(II) complexes of chiral bis-oxazolines [22],... 

Callot and co-workers established in 1982 that iodorhodium(III) porphyrin complexes could be used as cyclopropanation catalysts with diazo esters and alkenes with c/.s-disubstituted alkenes these catalysts provide preferential production of cis(syn) disubsdtutcd cyclopropancs (syn/anti up to 3.3 with 1,4-cyclohexadiene) [72], More recently, chiral porphyrins have been designed and prepared by Kodadek and co-workers [73], and their iodorhodium(lll) complexes have been examined for asymmetric induction in catalytic cyclopropanation reactions [74,751. The intent here has been to affix chiral attachments onto the four porphyrin positions that are occupied in tetraphenylporphyrin by a phenyl group. Iodorhodium(III) catalysts with chiral binaphthyl (27, called chiral wall porphyrin [74]) and the structurally analogous chiral pyrenyl-naphthyl (28,... 

Cyclopropanation, Horner-Wadsworth Emmons Reaction, and Darzens Condensation Although induction in the cyclopropanation of alkenes was reported early, this work was disputed [49]. Other reports of cyclopropanations have yielded, at best, low asymmetric inductions [llh,50]. The first example of a catalytic asymmetric Horner-Wadsworth Emmons reaction, which is promoted by a chiral quaternary ammonium salt, was reported recently by the Shioiri group (Scheme 10.10) [51]. The reaction of the prochiral ketone 74 gives optically active a,P-unsaturated ester 76 with 57% ee. 

Incidentally, cyclopropanation, one of the carbon-carbon bond formation reactions, is a useful reaction by using diazo compounds to give a variety of keto or alkoxycarbonyl cyclopropane derivatives, for example, crythantimates and their analogues as popular insectsides [2]. The cyclopropanation reactions have often been carried out with the use of copper or rhodium catalysts however, this results in stereochemical problems of trans-cis selectivity or asymmetric induction [3]. 

Photochemical Fe(CO)5-induced rearrangement of silylated allyl amine 9 gave N-silylated enamine 1015, which on subsequent Cu-catalyzed cyclopropanation by methyl diazoacetate afforded cyclopropane derivative 11. The use of an optically active catalyst gave an asymmetric induction of 56% ee for the cis isomer and 20% ee for the trans isomer. Further acid-induced ring cleavage afforded the -formyl ester 12, whereas reduction and desilylation produced aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid 13 (equation 2). 

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