Asymmetric vinyl amides

The a-arylation of carbonyl compounds (sometimes in enantioselective version) such as ketones,107-115 amides,114 115 lactones,116 azlactones,117 malonates,118 piperidinones,119,120 cyanoesters,121,122 nitriles,125,124 sul-fones, trimethylsilyl enolates, nitroalkanes, esters, amino acids, or acids has been reported using palladium catalysis. The asymmetric vinylation of ketone enolates has been developed with palladium complexes bearing electron-rich chiral monodentate ligands.155... 

Figure 4.9 Influence of N-substltuents on regio- and enantioselectivity in the asymmetric hydroformylation of vinyl amides with a Rh[(S,S,S)-Bisdiazaphos] catalyst (140psi, toluene, 40°C).

There have been two general approaches to the direct asymmetric epoxidation of carbonyl-containing compounds (Scheme 1.2) ylide-mediated epoxidation for the construction of aryl and vinyl epoxides, and a-halo enolate epoxidation (Darzens reaction) for the construction of epoxy esters, acids, amides, and sulfones. 

Asymmetric hydrogenation of a cyclic enamide (Approach B) had very sparse literature precedents [7]. It should also be noted that preparation of these cyclic imines and enamides is not straightforward. The best method for the synthesis of cyclic imines involves C-acylation of the inexpensive N-vinylpyrrolidin-2-one followed by a relatively harsh treatment with refluxing 6M aqueous HC1, which accomplishes deprotection of the vinyl group, hydrolysis of the amide, and decarboxylation (Scheme 8.6) [8]. 

Cross coupling between an aryl halide and an activated alkyl halide, catalysed by the nickel system, is achieved by controlling the rate of addition of the alkyl halide to the reaction mixture. When the aryl halide is present in excess, it reacts preferentially with the Ni(o) intermediate whereas the Ni(l) intermediate reacts more rapidly with an activated alkyl halide. Thus continuous slow addition of the alkyl halide to the electrochemical cell already charged with the aryl halide ensures that the alkyl-aryl coupled compound becomes the major product. Activated alkyl halides include benzyl chloride, a-chloroketones, a-chloroesters and amides, a-chloro-nitriles and vinyl chlorides [202, 203, 204], Asymmetric induction during the coupling step occurs with over 90 % distereomeric excess from reactions with amides such as 62, derived from enantiomerically pure (-)-ephedrine, even when 62 is a mixture of diastereoisomcrs prepared from a racemic a-chloroacid. Metiha-nolysis of the amide product affords the chiral ester 63 and chiral ephedrine is recoverable [205]. 

The integration of a catalyzed kinetic enantiomer resolution and concurrent racemization is known as a dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR). This asymmetric transformation can provide a theoretical 100% yield without any requirement for enantiomer separation. Enzymes have been used most commonly as the resolving catalysts and precious metals as the racemizing catalysts. Most examples involve racemic secondary alcohols, but an increasing number of chiral amine enzyme DKRs are being reported. Reetz, in 1996, first reported the DKR of rac-2-methylbenzylamine using Candida antarctica lipase B and vinyl acetate with palladium on carbon as the racemization catalyst [20]. The reaction was carried out at 50°C over 8 days to give the (S)-amide in 99% ee and 64% yield. Rather surpris-... 

The synthesis of unnatural (+)-mesembrine (387) through the asymmetric synthesis of methyl (i )-l-[(3,4-dimethoxy)phenyl]-4-oxocyclohex-2-enyl acetate (390) by cycloaddition of enantiomerically pure vinyl sulfoxide with dichloroketene has been performed 189) (Scheme 43). Vinyl sulfoxide 388 [prepared by conjugate addition of enantiopure acetylenic sulfoxide with (3,4-dimethoxy)phenylcopper] reacted with trichloroacetyl chloride in the presence of freshly prepared zinc-copper couple in THF at 0°C to produce a mixture of mono- and dichloro lactones 389. Reduction of 389 with zinc in acetic acid followed by cyclization and methylation afforded methyl IR-[(3,4-dimethoxy)phenyl]-4-oxocyclohex-2-enyl acetate (390), treatment of which with methylamine brought about amidation and concomitant intramolecular Michael addition to provide 2-oxo-mesembrine (391). Successively, 391 was transformed to (+)-mesembrine (387) in 79% yield (three steps ketalization of an oxo group, reduction of lactam, and deketali-zation)(/S9). 

Both syntheses made the bond between the two alkenes by a Stille coupling. One put the tin on the amide part by a Cu(I) catalysed conjugate addition of Bu3SnLi to the acetylenic ester 212 and Weinreb amide formation. Coupling this vinyl stannane with a single enantiomer of the iodide derived from the rest of the molecule gave crocacin C in good yield. The synthesis of the iodide uses an asymmetric aldol reaction and is described in the workbook.30... 

Various examples of intramolecular stereoselective carboamination have been reported28 "30. Asymmetric synthesis of key intermediates for capnellenols is achieved via a Heck-type intramolecular carbopalladation of an alkene with a vinyl halide and amide anion capture in the presence of Chiraphos- or BINAP-modified palladium catalysts31. 

A series of reactions, which ultimately led to a partially asymmetric molecule without intermediate resolution has been recorded. The penultimate step was the conversion of the amide-aldehyde (146) into the cyclohexenone derivative (147) by heating first with L-proline pyrrolidide and then adding methyl vinyl ketone. Ring closure to 148 was finally achieved by means of ethanolic hydrogen chloride. The resulting mesembrine (148) was partially optically active and the pure (-I- )-base hydrochloride was obtained from it by fractional crystallization 171). 

Amide and imide enolates. Scheme 5.31 illustrates several examples of asymmetric Michael additions of chiral amide and imide enolates. Yamaguchi [163] investigated the addition of amide lithium enolates to -ethyl crotonate, but found no consistent topicity trend for achiral amides. The three chiral amides tested are illustrated in Scheme 5.31a-c. The highest diastereoselectivity found was with the C2-symmetric amide shown in Scheme 5.3Ic. Evans s imides, as their titanium enolates, afforded the results shown in Scheme 5.31d and e [164,165]. The yields and selectivities for the reaction with acrylates and vinyl ketones are excellent, but the reaction is limited to P-unsubstituted Michael acceptors P-substituted esters and nitriles do not react, and 3-substituted enones add with no selectivity [165]. 

The palladium-catalyzed coupling of vinyl triflates with amides, carbamates, and sulfonamides has been reported by researchers at Merck.119 They identified Xantphos as the best ligand for this reaction. The product enamides serve as valuable synthetic intermediates as they can undergo asymmetric hydrogenation to give enantiopure amines. 

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