Asymmetric isomerizations of allyl amines

Scheme 7. Stereochemical outcome of BINAP-Rh(i)-catalyzed asymmetric isomerization of allylic amines.

One of the landmark achievements in the area of enantioselective catalysis has been the development of a large-scale commercial application of the Rh(I)/BINAP-catalyzed asymmetric isomerization of allylic amines to enamines. Unfortunately, methods for the isomerization of other families of olefins have not yet reached a comparable level of sophistication. However, since the early 1990s promising catalyst systems have been described for enantioselective isomerizations of allylic alcohols and aUylic ethers. In view of the utility of catalytic asymmetric olefin isomerization reactions, I have no doubt that the coming years will witness additional exciting progress in the development of highly effective catalysts for these and related substrates. 

In a similar maimer to the asymmetric isomerization of allylic amines, the new stereogenic center can be controlled by either the substrate or the configuration of the ligand on ruthenium [43],... 

Most notable was use of the cationic BINAP-Rh complex in asymmetric isomerization of allylic amines, which permitted an industrial synthesis of (—(-menthol from myrcene (see Scheme 3.16). ... 

We now turn to the Takasago Process for the commercial synthesis of (-)-menthol (1),4 one of the most successful industrial applications of catalytic asymmetric synthesis. This exquisite synthesis is based on the BINAP-Rh(i)-catalyzed enantioselecdve isomerization of allylic amines, and has been in operation for the commercial production of (-)-menthol since 1984. 

The commercialization in 1983 of the process illustrated in Eq. (1) is undoubtedly one of the most significant triumphs of asymmetric catalysis to date [2]. Takasago Chemical Company produced more than 22 000 tons of menthol by this route during the period 1983-1996, consuming only 125 kg of the chiral Hgand in the process. Rh(I)/Tol-BINAP-catalyzed isomerizations of allylic amines are beheved to proceed through the pathway outlined in Eq. (2) [3]. 

Isomerization of allylic amines (11, 53-54 12, 56-57).1 The asymmetric isomerization of allylamines to enamines effected with ruthenium complexes of (R)-and (S)-l is applicable to C5-isoprenoids, even to ones with an allylic dialkylamino group at one end and an allylic O-function at the other end. Thus it can be used to... 

Noyori has achieved the asymmetric catalytic isomerization of allylic amines to optically active enamines using his Rh -BINAP complex (see Chap. 14). This reaction, isomerization of geranyldiethylamine to ( )-enamine of (/f)-citronellal, is used in Japan as a key step in the synthesis of 1500 tons per year of (-)menthol starting from myrcene. The catalyst is recycled, which still increases its efficiency, and the total chiral multiplication reaches 400,000 mol product per mol catalyst. The optical purity of citronellal obtained (96-99%) is far larger than that of natural citronellal (82%). ... 

Schrock s asymmetric metathesis catalyst, Sharpless epoxidation of allylic alcohols, Noyori s isomerization of allylic amines hydrocyanation and carbene transfer Lewis acid catalysis. 

Perhaps the most successful industrial process for the synthesis of menthol is employed by the Takasago Corporation in Japan.4 The elegant Takasago Process uses a most effective catalytic asymmetric reaction - the (S)-BINAP-Rh(i)-catalyzed asymmetric isomerization of an allylic amine to an enamine - and furnishes approximately 30% of the annual world supply of menthol. The asymmetric isomerization of an allylic amine is one of a large and growing number of catalytic asymmetric processes. Collectively, these catalytic asymmetric reactions have dramatically increased the power and scope of organic synthesis. Indeed, the discovery that certain chiral transition metal catalysts can dictate the stereo-... 

Allylic double bonds can be isomerized by some transition metal complexes. Isomerization of alkyl allyl ethers 480 to vinyl ethers 481 is catalysed by Pd on carbon [205] and the Wilkinson complex [206], and the vinyl ethers are hydrolysed to aldehydes. Isomerization of the allylic amines to enamines is catalysed by Rh complexes [207]. The asymmetric isomerization of A jV-diethylgeranylamine (483), catalysed by Rh-(5)-BINAP (XXXI) complex to produce the (f )-enaminc 484 with high optical purity, has been achieved with a 300 000 turnover of the Rh catalyst, and citronellal (485) with nearly 100% ee is obtained by the hydrolysis of the enamine 484 [208]. Now optically pure /-menthol (486) is commerically produced in five steps from myrcene (482) via citronellal (485) by Takasago International Corporation. This is the largest industrial process of asymmetric synthesis in the world [209]. The following stereochemical corelation between the stereochemistries of the chiral Rh catalysts, diethylgeranylamine (483), diethylnerylamine (487) and the (R)- and (5)-enamines 484... 

Although menthol (23) is a terpene available from natural sources (Chapter 5), asymmetric synthesis by the Takasago method now accounts for a substantial portion of the market. This synthesis is discussed in detail in Chapter 12. The key step is the asymmetric isomerization of an imine to an allyl amine (Scheme 31.18 ).224-225... 

An asymmetric variant of this kind of allylic amination, based on their phenylcyclohexanol-derived chiral N-sulfinyl carbamates, was developed by Whitesell et al. (see also Sect. 3.2) (Scheme 34) [85]. After the asymmetric ene reaction with Z-configured olefins (not shown) had occurred, nearly di-astereomerically pure sulfinamides 127 were obtained which were found to be prone to epimerization. Their rapid conversion via O silylation and [2,3]-a rearrangement dehvered the carbamoylated allyhc amines 128 with around 7 1 diastereoselectivity as crystalline compounds that can be recrystallized to enhance their isomeric purity to 95 5. Obviously the imiform absolute configuration at Cl in the ene products 127 was difficult to transfer completely due to the already mentioned ease of epimerization. Unhke the sulfonamides of Delerit (Scheme 33) [84], the carbonyl moiety can easily be cleaved by base treatment. 

Ruthenium complexes mediate the hydroamination of ethylene with pyridine.589 The reaction, however, is not catalytic, because of strong complexation of the amine to metal sites. Iridium complexes with chiral diphosphine ligands and a small amount of fluoride cocatalyst are effective in inducing asymmetric alkene hydroamination reaction of norbomene with aniline [the best enantiomeric excess (ee) values exceed 90%].590 Strained methylenecyclopropanes react with ring opening to yield isomeric allylic enamines 591... 

Asymmetric catalysis undertook a quantum leap with the discovery of ruthenium and rhodium catalysts based on the atropisomeric bisphosphine, BINAP (3a). These catalysts have displayed remarkable versatility and enantioselectivity in the asymmetric reduction and isomerization of a,P- and y-keto esters functionalized ketones allylic alcohols and amines oc,P-unsaturated carboxylic acids and enamides. Asymmetric transformation with these catalysts has been extensively studied and reviewed.81315 3536 The key feature of BINAP is the rigidity of the ligand during coordination on a transition metal center, which is critical during enantiofacial selection of the substrate by the catalyst. Several industrial processes currently use these technologies, whereas a number of other opportunities show potential for scale up. 

Takasago has implemented their asymmetric isomerization technology to produce a variety of optically active terpenoids from allyl amines at various manufacturing scales, as described in Chapter 31.42-43... 

Menthol is used in many consumer products, such as toothpaste, chewing gum, cigarettes, and pharmaceutical products, with worldwide consumption of many thousands of tons per year.225-226 Takasago has implemented their asymmetric isomerization technology to produce a variety of optically active terpenoids from allyl amines at various manufacturing scales, which is summarized in Table 31.3 (see Chapter 12).225226... 

Like the synthesis of L-DOPA by asymmetric hydrogenation, the manufacture of L-menthol hy Takasago Company is also one of the early examples of an industrial process where asymmetric isomerization is a key step. The desired isomerization reaction is one of the steps of the overall synthetic scheme. The synthesis of L-menthol from diethyl geranylamine is shown by 9.2. The formal electron pair pushing mechanism for the isomerization of the allylic amine to the enamine proceeds according to reaction 9.3. 

What are the similarities and differences in the behavior of a-acetamido-cinamic acid and allyl amine as ligands in asymmetric hydrogenation and isomerization reactions, respectively ... 

Allyl p-tolyl sulphoxide 535 reacts with sodium methoxide in methanol by initial prototropic isomerization and subsequent addition of methanol to give 536 (equation 333). Protic solvents are photochemically incorporated by the open chain olefinic bond of trans methyl )S-styryl sulphoxide 537 in a Markovnikov regiospecificity (equation 334). Mercaptanes and thiophenols add to vinyl sulphoxides in a similar manner (compare also Reference 604 and Section IV.B.3) to give fi-alkylthio(arylthio)ethyl sulphoxides 538 (equation 335). Addition of deuteriated thio-phenol (PhSD) to optically active p-tolyl vinyl sulphoxide is accompanied by a low asymmetric a-induction not exceeding 10% (equation 336) . Addition of amines to vinyl sulphoxides proceeds in the same way giving )S-aminoethyl sulphoxides in good to quantitative yields depending on the substituents at the vinyl moiety When optically active p-tolyl vinyl sulphoxides are used in this reaction, diastereoisomeric mixtures are always formed and asymmetric induction at the p- and a-carbon atoms is 80 20 (R = H, R = Me) and 1.8 1 (R = Me, R = H), respectively (equation 337) ... 

---