Chiral Brpnsted acids

When heteronucleophiles react with nitroolefins possessing extended conjuga-ticMi at the p-position, the heteroatoms are appended to a stereogenic allylic or propargylic carlxMi, providing synthetically valuable nitro compounds. For example, aza-Michael addition to nitroenynes under catalysis of the ionic Brpnsted acid, chiral tetraarylaminophosphonium barfate 11, produced the propargylic amine... 

Select applications of chiral Brpnsted acid, chiral Brpnsted base, and chiral PTC have been demonstrated in this chapter as representative examples of asymmetric non-covalent organocatalytic processes. To farther directly contrast covalent and non-covalent organocatalysis, two case studies that highlight select acyl transfer and pericyclic strategies follow. 

Brpnsted Acid/Chiral (Thio)urea Combination. 173... 

SCHEME 9.15 Design of chiral Brpnsted base-assisted Brpnsted acids (chiral BBAs). 

Asymmetric synthesis of the rocaglamides was accomplished by employing [3+2] photo-cycloaddition mediated by functionalized TADDOL based chiral Brpnsted acids. The synthesis consisted of a [3+2] dipolar cycloaddition, a base-mediated a-ketol rearrangement and a hydroxyl-directed reaction <06JA7754>. Asymmetric synthesis of 1,2-dihydrobenzo /j]furans was achieved by adamantylglycine derived dirhodium tetracarboxylate catalyzed C-H insertion <06OL3437>. 

Transannular interactions lead to ring closures and reductions to adamantane compounds when dienes of the bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane family are treated with Brpnsted acids and triethylsilane. Compounds 48-51 form reaction mixtures containing various amounts of products 52-54 (R = OH, O2CCF3, Cl) under such conditions.243 The best yields of hydrocarbon 52 occur when the dienes are treated with a 25% excess of sulfuric acid and a 50% excess of triethylsilane in dichloromethane at 20°.243 The stereospecific nature of these transannular reductions is demonstrated by the observation that the enantiomeric purity of the chiral diene 55 is retained in the chiral hydrocarbon product 56 (Eq. 98).243 Dienes of... 

An extensive review of the use of chiral Lewis acid catalysts in Diels-Alder cycloadditions has been presented. Brpnsted acid-assisted chiral Lewis acids have been shown to be highly efficient catalysts for the enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions of a- and /3-substituted-Q, /i-enals with numerous dienes. The chiral Lewis acid-catalysed Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and alkenoyloxazolidi-nones can be catalysed by bis(oxazolone)magnesium catalysts. ... 

There has been great interest in the area of chiral acid catalysts in organic synthesis over the past few decades. This topic has been the subject of several previous reviews. For example, the book Lewis Acids in Organic Synthesis (edited by Hisashi Yamamoto) was published by Wiley-VCH in 2000. In this chapter, successful and significant chiral Brpnsted acid catalysts, chiral Lewis acid catalysts [typical Lewis acidic elements main group elements, B(III) and Al(III), and early transition metal, Ti(IV)], and Lewis acid-assisted chiral Brpnsted acid catalysts developed after 2000 are discussed. Chiral acid/base catalysts wdl be discussed in Chapter 13 by Shibasaki and Kanai. 

The highly enantioselective Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction of cyclohexenone with aldehydes is catalyzed by a chiral BlNOL-derived Brpnsted acid 8 in the presence of triethylphosphine as the nucleophilic promoter (Scheme 12.6). ... 

Bifunctional catalysts have proven to be very powerful in asymmetric organic transformations [3], It is proposed that these chiral catalysts possess both Brpnsted base and acid character allowing for activation of both electrophile and nucleophile for enantioselective carbon-carbon bond formation [89], Pioneers Jacobsen, Takemoto, Johnston, Li, Wang and Tsogoeva have illustrated the synthetic utility of the bifunctional catalysts in various organic transformations with a class of cyclohexane-diamine derived catalysts (Fig. 6). In general, these catalysts contain a Brpnsted basic tertiary nitrogen, which activates the substrate for asymmetric catalysis, in conjunction with a Brpnsted acid moiety, such as urea or pyridinium proton. 

The authors proposed that the Brpnsted base interaction on the catalyst is imperative for reactivity. Catalysts lacking a basic amine moiety, specifically mono- and bis-ureas, did not promote the asymmetric catalytic addition well, if at all. In screening a variety of amine bases and bis-ureas, it became apparent that presence of a Brpnsted base was necessary for catalytic activity (Scheme 61) [113]. The reactivity was extremely low in absence of Brpnsted base (Table 2, entry 2), but slightly improved with presence of NEtj (Table 2, entry 1). Combined, a chiral Brpnsted acid and Brpnsted base increase conversion and showed some enantiose-lectivity (Fig. 8). 

This review will concentrate on metal-free Lewis acids, which incorporate a Lewis acidic cation or a hypervalent center. Lewis acids are considered to be species with a vacant orbital [6,7]. Nevertheless, there are two successful classes of organocatalysts, which may be referred to as Lewis acids and are presented in other chapter. The first type is the proton of a Brpnsted acid catalyst, which is the simplest Lewis acid. The enantioselectivities obtained are due to the formation of a chiral ion pair. The other type are hydrogen bond activating organocatalysts, which can be considered to be Lewis acids or pseudo-Lewis acids. 

Keywords Asymmetric catalysis BINOL Dicarboxylic acids A-Triflyl phosphoramides Phosphoric acids Strong chiral Brpnsted acids... 

Hydrogen would be the simplest center element. Indeed, chiral Brpnsted acids have emerged as a new class of organocatalysis over the last few years [3-13]. The field of asymmetric Brpnsted acid catalysis can be divided into general acid catalysis and specific acid catalysis. A general acid activates its substrate (1) via hydrogen bonding (Scheme 2, a), whereas the substrate (1) of a specific acid is activated via protonation (Scheme 2, b). 

In this review, we present asymmetric reactions catalyzed by stronger Brpnsted acids. The scope and limitations of chiral phosphoric acids, iV-triflyl phosphoramides, and dicarboxylic acids are described considering articles published until the middle of 2008. Although the mechanisms of a few transformations have been investigated in some detail, they are not the focus of this review. 

Axially chiral phosphoric acid 3 was chosen as a potential catalyst due to its unique characteristics (Fig. 2). (1) The phosphorus atom and its optically active ligand form a seven-membered ring which prevents free rotation around the P-0 bond and therefore fixes the conformation of Brpnsted acid 3. This structural feature cannot be found in analogous carboxylic or sulfonic acids. (2) Phosphate 3 with the appropriate acid ity should activate potential substrates via protonation and hence increase their electrophilicity. Subsequent attack of a nucleophile and related processes could result in the formation of enantioenriched products via steren-chemical communication between the cationic protonated substrate and the chiral phosphate anion. (3) Since the phosphoryl oxygen atom of Brpnsted acid 3 provides an additional Lewis basic site, chiral BINOL phosphate 3 might act as bifunctional catalyst. 

The Pictet-Spengler reaction is the method of choice for the preparation of tetrahydro-P-carbolines, which represent structural elements of several natural products such as biologically active alkaloids. It proceeds via a condensation of a carbonyl compound with a tryptamine followed by a Friedel-Crafts-type cyclization. In 2004, Jacobsen et al. reported the first catalytic asymmetric variant [25]. This acyl-Pictet-Spengler reaction involves an N-acyliminium ion as intermediate and is promoted by a chiral thiourea (general Brpnsted acid catalysis). 

In 2006, Akiyama and coworkers established an asymmetric Brpnsted acid-catalyzed aza-Diels-Alder reaction (Scheme 36) [59]. Chiral BINOL phosphate (R)-3o (5 mol%, R = 2,4,6- Pr3-CgH2) bearing 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl groups mediated the cycloaddition of aldimines 94 derived from 2-amino-4-methylphenol with Danishefsky s diene 95 in the presence of 1.2 equivalents of acetic acid. Piperidinones 96 were obtained in good yields (72 to >99%) and enantioselectivi-ties (76-91% ee). While the addition of acetic acid (pK= 4.8) improved both the reactivity and the selectivity, the use of benzenesulfonic acid (pK= -6.5) as an additive increased the yield, but decreased the enantioselectivity. A strong achiral Brpnsted acid apparently competes with chiral phosphoric acid 3o for the activation of imine 94 and catalyzes a nonasymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reaction. The role of acetic acid remains unclear. 

The same group expanded the scope of the aza-Diels-Alder reaction of electron-rich dienes to Brassard s diene 97 (Scheme 37) [60]. In contrast to Danishefsky s diene, it is more reactive, but less stable. Akiyama et al. found chiral BINOL phosphate (R)-3m (3 mol%, R = 9-anthryl) with 9-anthryl substituents to promote the [4 + 2] cycloaddition of A-arylated aldimines 94 and Brassard s diene 97. Subsequent treatment with benzoic acid led to the formation of piperidinones 98. Interestingly, the use of its pyridinium salt (3 mol%) resulted in a higher yield (87% instead of 72%) along with a comparable enantioselectivity (94% ee instead of 92% ee). This method furnished cycloadducts 98 derived from aromatic, heteroaromatic, a,P-unsaturated, and aliphatic precursors 94 in satisfactory yields (63-91%) and excellent enantioselectivities (92-99% ee). NMR studies revealed that Brassard s diene 97 is labile in the presence of phosphoric acid 3m (88% decomposition after 1 h), but comparatively stable in the presence of its pyridinium salt (25% decomposition after 1 h). This observation can be explained by the fact that the pyridinium salt is a weak Brpnsted acid compared to BINOL phosphate 3m. 

On the one hand. Rueping s protocol involved a combination of chiral BINOL phosphate (R)-3j (10 mol%, R = 2-naphthyl) bearing 2-naphthyl substituents and achiral acetic acid (20 mol%) [62], While stronger Brpnsted acid 3j is expected to activate electrophile 86, the weaker Brpnsted acid is proposed to facilitate the keto-enol tautomerism of nucleophile 101 (Scheme 40). On the other hand, Gong... 

In 2008, Gong and coworkers introduced a new chiral bisphosphoric acid 19 (Fig. 4) that consists of two BINOL phosphates linked by an oxygen atom for a three-component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (Scheme 42) [66]. Aldehydes 40 reacted with a-amino esters 105 and maleates 106 in the presence of Brpnsted acid 19 (10 mol%) to afford pyrrolidines 107 as endo-diastereomers in high yields (67-97%) and enantioselectivities (76-99% ee). This protocol tolerated aromatic, a,P-unsaturated, and aliphatic aldehydes. Aminomalonates as well as phenylglycine esters could be employed as dipolarophiles. 

Recently, several research gronps reported on the use of chiral BINOL phosphates as Brpnsted acid catalysts in MCRs involving imine activation. 

Akiyama and coworkers extended the scope of electrophiles applicable to asymmetric Brpnsted acid catalysis with chiral phosphoric acids to nitroalkenes (Scheme 57). The Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles 29 with aromatic and aliphatic nitroalkenes 142 in the presence of BINOL phosphate (7 )-3r (10 mol%, R = SiPhj) and 3-A molecular sieves provided Friedel-Crafts adducts 143 in high yields and enantioselectivities (57 to >99%, 88-94% ee) [81]. The use of molecular sieves turned out to be critical and significantly improved both the yields and enantioselectivities. 

In 2008, the Ackennann group reported on the use of phosphoric acid 3r (10 mol%, R = SiPhj) as a Brpnsted acid catalyst in the unprecedented intramolecular hydroaminations of unfunctionaUzed alkenes alike 144 (Scheme 58) [82], BINOL-derived phosphoric acids with bulky substituents at the 3,3 -positions showed improved catalytic activity compared to less sterically hindered representatives. Remarkably, this is the first example of the activation of simple alkenes by a Brpnsted acid. However, the reaction is limited to geminally disubstituted precursors 144. Their cyclization might be favored due to a Thorpe-Ingold effect. An asymmetric version was attempted by means of chiral BINOL phosphate (R)-3( (20 mol%, R = 3,5-(CF3)2-CgH3), albeit with low enantioselectivity (17% ee). 

Until 2006, a severe limitation in the field of chiral Brpnsted acid catalysis was the restriction to reactive substrates. The acidity of BINOL-derived chiral phosphoric acids is appropriate to activate various imine compounds through protonation and a broad range of efficient and highly enantioselective, phosphoric acid-catalyzed transformations involving imines have been developed. However, the activation of simple carbonyl compounds by means of Brpnsted acid catalysis proved to be rather challenging since the acid ity of the known BINOL-derived phosphoric acids is mostly insufficient. Carbonyl compounds and other less reactive substrates often require a stronger Brpnsted acid catalyst. 

In 2006, Yamamoto and Nakashima picked np on this and designed a chiral A -triflyl phosphoramide as a stronger Brpnsted acid catalyst than the phosphoric acids based on this concept. In their seminal report, they disclosed the preparation of new chiral BINOL-derived A -triflyl phosphoramides and their application to the asymmetric Diels-Alder (DA) reaction of a,p-unsaturated ketones with sily-loxydienes [83], As depicted in Scheme 59, chiral A-triflyl phosphoramides of the general type 4 are readily synthesized from the corresponding optically active 3,3 -substituted BINOL derivatives 142 through a phosphorylation/amidation route. 

In the same year, Enders and coworkers reported an asymmetric one-pot, two-step synthesis of substituted isoindolines 159 in the presence of chiral A-triflyl phosphoramide (R)-Ae (10 mol%, R = d-NO -C H ) (Scheme 67) [87]. The cascade was triggered by a Brpnsted acid-catalyzed aza-Friedel-Crafts reaction of indoles 29 and A-tosyliminoenoates 160 followed by a DBU-mediated aza-Michael cyclization of intermediates 161 to afford the isoindolines 159 in high yields (71-99%) and short reaction times (10 min to 4 h) along with good enantioselectivities (52-90% ee). Longer reaction times (16 h to 10 days) caused increasing formation of the bisindole byproduct 162 (Scheme 68) along with amplified optical purity of isoindolines 159. 

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