Bifunctional organocatalysts thiourea-based

A number of BINOL-based bifunctional organocatalysts, for example (7.171-7.173), containing both Bronsted acidic and Lewis basic sites have been used to good effect in the asymmetric MBH reaction. The amine-thiourea (7.171) promotes the MBH reaction of aliphatic aldehydes with 2-cyclohexenone with ees ranging from 80 to 94% while both the (pyridinylaminomethyl)BINOL (7.172) and phosphine (7.173) catalyse the aza-Bayhs-Hilhnan reaction of simple a,p-carbonyls such as MVK and phenyl acrylate with N-tosyl arylaldmines with similar levels of enantioselectivity. 

Fig. 3.10 Thiourea-based organocatalysts. a-c Chemical structure of the bifunctional thiourea-tertiary amine catalyst, bis(3,5-trifluoromethyl)phenyl cyclohexylthiourea (thiourea), and N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (Moditied from Dove et til. [42]). d Proposed dual activation pathway of lactide ROP [41] (Adapted with permission from Pratt et al. [41]. Copyright 2013 American Chemictil Society)...

The first primary amine-thioureas as effective bifunctional organocatalysts were reported in 2006. Tsogoeva and Wei synthesised a thiourea based on (l5,25)-diphenylethylene-l,2-diamine and a chiral arylethyl moiety, for the Michael reaction between aliphatic ketones and aromatic nitro-olefins (Scheme 19.36). Utilising catalyst 29 (15 mol%) and acetone as the Michael donor, the Michael products were obtained in high yields (84-99%) and enantioselectivities (90-91% enantiomeric excess). When cyclohexanone 31 was employed, product 33 was obtained in high yields (82 and 89%, respectively), good diastereoselectivity (up to 83 17 symanti) and excellent enantioselectivity (96 and 98% enantiomeric excess, respectively). 

Kokotos and coworkers investigated the use of prolinamide-based thioureas as bifunctional organocatalysts for the direct aldol reaction. The amide and the thiourea functionalities, tethered by a chiral diamine motif, offered multiple hydrogen bonding sites for electrophile activation, while the pyrrolidine skeleton served to activate the nucleophile via enamine catalysis. Thiourea 61 proved to provide the best catalyst in the presence of 4-nitrobenzoic acid as cocatalyst at low temperature and delivered the anti-aXAoX products in moderate to high yields and in high to excellent... 

Various thiourea-based bifunctional organocatalysts (e.g. 289a and 372a,b) have been successfully applied for the Michael addition of nitroalkanes RCH2NO2 to 3-ylidene oxindoles (373). The resulting enolate intermediates (374) were then trapped by electrophiles, such as enones, maleimide, and sulfone CH2=C(S02Ph)2. The products were obtained with <99% ee and >95 5... 

By using the cinchona-alkaloid-thiourea-based bifunctional organocatalyst 55, Asano and Matsubara developed an organocatalytic formal [3 -t- 2] cycloaddition reaction, leading to optically active 1,3-dioxolanes 54 (Scheme 2.15). The reaction... 

Like the reactions discussed in Section 28.5.1.2, a highly enantioselective aza-nitroaldol reaction of imines (173) with nitroalkanes (157) is achieved by use of guanidinium-thiourea bifunctional organocatalyst 204 in the presence of external base such as CSCO3 under phase-transfer conditions. Both catalytic activity and enantioselectivity depend upon the substituents on the guanidinium group. The mono-substituted catalyst 190 gives poor results (yield 89%, 9% ee), whereas cyclic amine-substituted catalyst 204 provides excellent enantiomeric excess (Scheme 28.25) [104]. 

Connon SJ. Asymmetric catalysis with bifunctional cinchona alkaloid-based urea and thiourea organocatalysts. Chem. Commun. 2008 22 2499-2510. 

Scheme 6.55 Design principle of amine-functionalized bifunctional thiourea organocatalysts derived from privileged monofunctional thiourea 9 cooperating with an amine base additive (A) and basic bifunctional mode of action of chiral amine...

In 2008, Jorgensen and coworkers reported that oxazolones 140 could also smoothly undergo addition to nitroalkenes 124 in the presence of bifunctional cinchona-based thiourea organocatalysts such as 81a and 81a. The reaction with 4-phenyloxazolones (140, R1 = ph) took place at C4 affording the adducts 141 with moderate to good ee values (up to 83% ee). On the other hand, 4-alkyloxazolones (R = Me, i-Bu) were added to the C2-position of 140, furnishing 142 with a moderate to high enantioselectivity (up to 92% ee) (Scheme 9.48). The adducts 141 can be used... 

In 2005, Sons and coworkers introduced a novel bifunctional thiourea organocatalyst based on a Cinchona alkaloid for the asymmetric conjugate addition of nitromethane to tra s-chalcones. Using 10 mol% of thiourea 17, various electron-rich and electron-poor chalcones were well tolerated providing the desired adducts in high yields (80-94%) and very high enan-tioselectivities (95-96%) (Scheme 19.24). It has to be highlighted that... 

The majority of the organocatalysts that are commonly employed are chiral Lewis or Brpnsted bases, and the catalytic potential of base functionalities has been referred to in previous chapters to some extent already. As discussed before, the use of chiral primary or secondary amines for enamine or iminium activation belongs to the most important applications of asymmetric organocatalysts nowadays. In addition, also the interplay between an acidic (thio)urea and a basic amine separated by a chiral linker was shown to enable the simultaneous activation of both the electrophile and nucleophile. In addition to such bifunctional thiourea-containing acid-base catalysts, chiral catalysts containing a (Lewis or... 

This gives chapter an overview of natural cinchona alkaloids and synthetic derivatives together with examples of their use in asymmetric organocatalysis. In recent years, the emphasis has been on the development of cinchona-based bifunctional catalysts, in particular species with a thiourea moiety. The search for new cinchona-based organocatalysts continues and new derivatives are relentlessly being prepared and applied for specific enantioselective reactions. The design of these new... 

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