Enantioselective reactions asymmetric induction

Analogous with the previous results of enol silyl ethers of ketones, nonsubstituted ketene silyl acetals are found to exhibit lower levels of stereoregulation, while the propionate-derived ketene silyl acetals display a high level of asymmetric induction. The reactions with aliphatic aldehydes, however, resulted in a slight reduction in optical and chemical yields. With phenyl ester-derived ketene silyl acetals, syn adducts predominate, but the selectivities are moderate in most cases in comparison with the reactions of ketone-derived silyl enol ethers. Exceptions are a,p-unsaturated aldehydes, which revealed excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The observed syn selectivity and re-face attack of nucleophiles on the carbonyl carbon of aldehydes are consistent with the aforementioned aldol reactions of ketone-derived enol silyl ethers. 

In the case of Feng s reaction, it is interesting that a chiral Ni/Fe bimetallic system was essential to achieve high chemical yield and enantioselectivity (Table 7.1). The Fe-L 1 1 complex (2 mol%) gave high chemical yield without asymmetric induction. The reaction promoted by the Ni-Li 1 1 complex (10 mol%) alone was slower, while the ee was excellent. The authors... 

A more eflicient and general synthetic procedure is the Masamune reaction of aldehydes with boron enolates of chiral a-silyloxy ketones. A double asymmetric induction generates two new chiral centres with enantioselectivities > 99%. It is again explained by a chair-like six-centre transition state. The repulsive interactions of the bulky cyclohexyl group with the vinylic hydrogen and the boron ligands dictate the approach of the enolate to the aldehyde (S. Masamune, 1981 A). The fi-hydroxy-x-methyl ketones obtained are pure threo products (threo = threose- or threonine-like Fischer formula also termed syn" = planar zig-zag chain with substituents on one side), and the reaction has successfully been applied to macrolide syntheses (S. Masamune, 1981 B). Optically pure threo (= syn") 8-hydroxy-a-methyl carboxylic acids are obtained by desilylation and periodate oxidation (S. Masamune, 1981 A). Chiral 0-((S)-trans-2,5-dimethyl-l-borolanyl) ketene thioketals giving pure erythro (= anti ) diastereomers have also been developed by S. Masamune (1986). 

Chiral boron(III) Lewis acid catalysts have also been used for enantioselective cycloaddition reactions of carbonyl compounds [17]. The chiral acyloxylborane catalysts 9a-9d, which are also efficient catalysts for asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions [17, 18], can also catalyze highly enantioselective cycloaddition reactions of aldehydes with activated dienes. The arylboron catalysts 9b-9c which are air- and moisture-stable have been shown by Yamamoto et al. to induce excellent chiral induction in the cycloaddition reaction between, e.g., benzaldehyde and Danishefsky s dienes such as 2b with up to 95% yield and 97% ee of the cycloaddition product CIS-3b (Scheme 4.9) [17]. 

With an appropriate chiral reactant, high enantioselectivity can be achieved, as a result of asymmetric induction If both reactants are chiral, this procedure is called the double asymmetric reaction and the observed enantioselectivity can be even higher. 

Early work on the use of chiral phase-transfer catalysis in asymmetric Darzens reactions was conducted independently by the groups of Wynberg [38] and Co-lonna [39], but the observed asymmetric induction was low. More recently Toke s group has used catalytic chiral aza crown ethers in Darzens reactions [40-42], but again only low to moderate enantioselectivities resulted. 

The synthesis of 10 features the SN2 displacement of the allylic acetate with migration of R2 from the ate complex6. Precursors 9 are prepared by the hydroboration of 3-acetoxy-l-alkynes that are available with very high enantiomeric purity via the asymmetric reduction of the corresponding l-alkyn-3-ones, and a substantial degree of asymmetric induction occurs in the conversion of 9 to 10. Best results, based on the enantioselectivity of reactions of 10 with aldehydes, are obtained when R2 is a bulky group such as isopinocampheyl (79 85 % ee)6. The yields of reactions of 10 with aldehydes are 62-76%. 

Chiral, nonracemic allylboron reagents 1-7 with stereocenters at Cl of the allyl or 2-butenyl unit have been described. Although these optically active a-substituted allylboron reagents are generally less convenient to synthesize than those with conventional auxiliaries (Section 1.3.3.3.3.1.4.), this disadvantage is compensated for by the fact that their reactions with aldehydes often occur with almost 100% asymmetric induction. Thus, the enantiomeric purity as well as the ease of preparation of these chiral a-substituted allylboron reagents are important variables that determine their utility in enantioselective allylboration reactions with achiral aldehydes, and in double asymmetric reactions with chiral aldehydes (Section 1.3.3.3.3.2.4.). 

Enantioselective electron transfer reactions are not possible in principle because the electron cannot possess chirality. Whenever the choice of enantiodifferentiation becomes apparent, it will occur in chemical steps subsequent (or prior) to electron transfer. Thus, enantioselectivities require a chiral environment in the reaction layer of electrochemical intermediates although asymmetric induction was report-... 

From this discussion it is clear, that, independently of their redox properties, suitably modified electrodes offer themselves for the introduction of diastereo- or enantioselectivity into electrochemistry. Early reports of chiral inductions at modified electrodes include reactions at graphite and SnO surfaces derivatized with monolayers of (S)-(—)-phenylalanine. Asymmetric inductions at the chiral graphite electrode could, however, not be verified in other laboratories even after great efforts... 

Hydantoinases belong to the E.C.3.5.2 group of cyclic amidases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of hydantoins [4,54]. As synthetic hydantoins are readily accessible by a variety of chemical syntheses, including Strecker reactions, enantioselective hydantoinase-catalyzed hydrolysis offers an attractive and general route to chiral amino acid derivatives. Moreover, hydantoins are easily racemized chemically or enzymatically by appropriate racemases, so that dynamic kinetic resolution with potential 100% conversion and complete enantioselectivity is theoretically possible. Indeed, a number of such cases using WT hydantoinases have been reported [54]. However, if asymmetric induction is poor or ifinversion ofenantioselectivity is desired, directed evolution can come to the rescue. Such a case has been reported, specifically in the production of i-methionine in a whole-cell system ( . coli) (Figure 2.13) [55]. 

A reaction in which an inactive substrate is converted selectively to one of two enantiomers is called an enantioselective reaction, and the process is called asymmetric induction. These terms apply to reactions in this category and in categories 3 and 4. 

In 2003, Bonini et al. reported a new synthesis of ferrocenyloxazolines based on an iodide-mediated ring expansion of A-ferrocenoyl-aziridine-2-carboxylic esters. The thus-formed ligands were successfully employed as palladium chelates for the test reaction, since they allowed the product to be formed in quantitative yields and good to high enantioselectivities (Scheme 1.69). According to the results, it seemed that the additional chiral centre present in the oxazoline backbone of these ligands did not play a major role for the asymmetric induction and the activity of the corresponding catalysts. 

Similar reactions have been developed more recently by Jin et al. using chiral amino thioacetate ligands derived from the corresponding amino alcohols. Low catalyst loadings of only 1-2.5 mol% were sufficient to achieve excellent enantioselectivities of up to 98% ee as well as high conversions in short times (Scheme 3.61). These authors have shown that the thioacetoxy moiety of the amino thioacetates has a surprisingly beneficial effect in enhancing the asymmetric induction. 

Dienes with Chiral Auxiliaries The use of dienes with the chiral auxiliary attached to the C-l position of the dienes is the most popular in asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions.59 In 1980, Trost reported high asymmetric induction in the Diels-Alder reaction using l-(S)-0-methylmandeloxy-l,4-butadiene59a However, the result obtained by Trost et al. has remained unique for more than a decade, at least in terms of enantioselectivity. The asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction of chiral diene-amines with nitroalkenes gives aminocyclohexenes with good diastereoselectivity (Eq. 8.37).60 The development in the area of chiral dienes is slow it may be due to the difficulty of preparing these compounds. 

An enantioselective organocatalytic 1,3-DC reaction, based on the activation of a,fi-unsaturated aldehydes through the reversible formation of iminium ions with chiral imidazolidinones 100, was described. Good levels of asymmetric induction and diastereocontrol were achieved (up to 94% ee and 94 6 dr) <00JA9874>. 

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