Chiral asymmetric Darzens reaction

Yan s group has used the camphor-based chiral thioamide 62 in asymmetric Darzens reactions (Scheme 1.21) [32]. The addition of the titanium enolate of 62 to... 

Table 1.10 Chiral reagent 75 in asymmetric Darzens reactions. Ph Ph...

Of course, the most practical and synthetically elegant approach to the asymmetric Darzens reaction would be to use a sub-stoichiometric amount of a chiral catalyst. The most notable approach has been the use of chiral phase-transfer catalysts. By rendering the intermediate etiolate 86 (Scheme 1.24) soluble in the reaction solvent, the phase-transfer catalyst can effectively provide the enolate with a chiral environment in which to react with carbonyl compounds. 

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. 

More recently, the same group has used a simpler and more easily prepared chiral ammonium phase-transfer catalyst 99 derived from BINOL in asymmetric Darzens reactions with a-halo amides 97 to generate glycidic tertiary amides 98 (Table 1.13). Unfortunately the selectivities were only moderate to low [48]. As mentioned in Section 1.2.3.1, tertiary amides can be converted to ketones. 

Early work on the asymmetric Darzens reaction involved the condensation of aromatic aldehydes with phenacyl halides in the presence of a catalytic amount of bovine serum albumin. The reaction gave the corresponding epoxyketone with up to 62% ee.67 Ohkata et al.68 reported the asymmetric Darzens reaction of symmetric and dissymmetric ketones with (-)-8-phenylmenthyl a-chloroacetate as examples of a reagent-controlled asymmetric reaction (Scheme 8-29). When this (-)-8-phenyl menthol derivative was employed as a chiral auxiliary, Darzens reactions of acetone, pentan-3-one, cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, or benzophenone with 86 in the presence of t-BuOK provided dia-stereomers of (2J ,3J )-glycidic ester 87 with diastereoselectivity ranging from 77% to 96%. 

The Darzens reaction can also proceed in the presence of a chiral catalyst. When chloroacetophenone and benzaldehyde are subjected to asymmetric Darzens reaction, product 89 with 64% ee is obtained if chiral crown ether 88 is used as a phase transfer catalyst (Scheme 8-30).69... 

The classical aza-Darzens reaction (between bromoenolates and imines) has been investigated by several groups in recent years, especially with respect to the design and execution of asymmetric variants. Both stoichiometric and catalytic methods have been studied thus, the reactions between N-Dpp imines and chiral ot-bromoenolates [49] (derived from Oppolzer s sultams Scheme 4.35) and between S-chiral sulfmylimines and achiral bromoenolates [50] (Scheme 4.36) have been reported. 

Chiral PTC has been used effectively for making intermediates for drugs. Dolling and coworkers have used 8-R, 9-5, N-(p-trifluoromethylbenzyl) cinchonium bromide to carry out an important asymmetric alkylation, giving 95% ee (Starks, 1987). Nucleophilic epoxidations of enones, Darzens reaction, Michael additions, etc. are some examples of reactions rendered asymmetric through chiral PTCs (Nelson, 1999). 

The asymmetric Darzens condensation, which involves both carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen bond constructions, was realized by use of the chiral azacrown ether 75als2,s ,ss and the quaternary ammonium salts derived from cinchona alka-loids159"621 under phase transfer catalyzed conditions. The a,p-epoxy ketone 80 (R=Ph) was obtained with reasonable enantioselectivity by the reaction of... 

Makosza and co-workers have reported the preparation of epoxides from a-halo carbanions and ketones, according to the Darzens reaction, under PT conditions, using TEBA72,73 or dibenzo-18-crown-6.74 The ratio of isomers depends on the reaction conditions.75,76 Asymmetric induction has been reported in the Darzens reaction using chiral catalysts.77,78 The use of several chloro carbanions as well as K2C03 and Na2C03 in the solid state has also been studied. 

Some organic reactions can be accomplished by using two-layer systems in which phase-transfer catalysts play an important role (34). The phase-transfer reaction proceeds via ion pairs, and asymmetric induction is expected to emerge when chiral quaternary ammonium salts are used. The ion-pair interaction, however, is usually not strong enough to control the absolute stereochemistry of the reaction (35). Numerous trials have resulted in low or only moderate stereoselectivity, probably because of the loose orientation of the ion-paired intermediates or transition states. These reactions include, but are not limited to, carbene addition to alkenes, reaction of sulfur ylides and aldehydes, nucleophilic substitution of secondary alkyl halides, Darzens reaction, chlorination... 

Promising examples of the catalytic asymmetric Darzens condensation, which yields an epoxide product via carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen bond formation, have been reported recently by two groups (Scheme 10.11). Toke and co-workers used crown ether 24 in the reaction to form the a,P-unsaturated ketone 78 [38b] with 64% ee, whereas the Shioiri group used the cinchona-derived salt 3a [52], which resulted in 78 with 69% ee. The latter authors propose a catalytic cycle involving generation of a chiral enolate in situ from an achiral inorganic base... 

An asymmetric aziridine synthesis was reported through an aza-Darzens reaction of T-diphenylphosphinylimines with a chiral a-bromo enolate of 582 (R = GOGH2Br) <2006T3694>. Asymmetric /7-halomethoxylation catalyzed by silver(l) <2006TA210>, yy -dihydroxylation <2000TA1027>, and epoxidation with different oxidants <2004T6657> of unsaturated sultams 582 (R = GOGR =GR R ) were performed. 

Takahashi, T., Muraoki, M., Capo, M., Koga, K. Enantioselective Darzens reaction asymmetric synthesis of trans-glycidic esters mediated by chiral lithium amides. Chem. Pharm. Butt. 1995,43,1821-1823. 

The Darzens reaction (tandem aldol-intramolecular cyclization sequence reaction) is a powerful complementary approach to epoxidation (see Chapter 5) that can be used for the synthesis of a,P-epoxy carbonyl and a,p-epoxysulfonyl compounds (Scheme 8.32). Currently, all catalytic asymmetric variants of the Darzens reactions are based on chiral phase-transfer catalysis using quaternary ammonium salts as catalysts. 

The first catalytic asymmetric version of the Darzens reaction was achieved in 1978 by J. Hummelen and H. Wynberg [41]. The treatment of p-chlorobenzaldeh ydc and phenacylchloride with the strong base NaOH in the presence of the benzyl quini-nium chloride 86 as a chiral catalyst (6 mol%) afforded the trans-chalcone epoxide 98 in 68% yield. However, the optical yield achieved was only in the range of 7-9% ee (Scheme 8.33). 

Until recently, little success had been achieved in developing a highly enantioselective version of the Darzens reaction. Several investigations of chiral phase-transfer catalysts for this condensation, in which low or modest asymmetric induction is obtained, have been reported. These include the use of N-alky -N-methylephedrinium halides, the quinine-derived salt (120), and polyamino acids. A related study has examined the use of achiral phase-transfer catalysts in the condensations of carbonyl compounds and the asymmetric chloromethylsulfonate ester (121). The same group of researchers subsequently reported similar studies employing the sulfonamides (122)-(124). ... 

Optically active a, -epoxy stdfones. - The Darzens reaction of ethyl methyl ketone with chloromethyl / -tolyl sulfone in a two-phase system in the presence of chiral ammonium salts such as N-ethylephedrinium bromide results in a,/3-epoxy sulfones with 0-2.57o optical yields. However, if the supported catalyst (1) is used, optical yields of up to 23% can be obtained as in the example formulated in equation (I). On the other hand, the reaction is slower when the catalyst is supported. The presence of a hydroxy group jS to the nitrogen atom of the catalyst is essential for asymmetric induction. 

At the same time, Antilla et al. developed a vaulted biphenanthrol (VAPOL)-based magnesium phosphate 20b mediated asymmetric aza-Darzens reaction for the synthesis of chiral aziridine derivatives. The catalyst was prepared in an identical procedure to the previously described process with VAPOL-derived phosphate and magnesium fert-butoxide, and applied in the enantioselective aza-Darzens reaction of N-benzoyl imines 23 and ot-chloro-1,3-diketone 24. The process formed a series of substituted aziridines 25 bearing various substituents at the aromatic ring, with good... 

The reaction of diazoacetamides with aldehydes in the presence of chiral Ti(OiPr)4/ (R)-BINOL (l,l -bis-2-naphthol) catalyst leads to trans-(2-amidocarbonyl)oxiranes with high stereoselectivities (>95% ee) and thus can be regarded as an asymmetric catalytic Darzens reaction [11]. 

P. Bako, A. Szolloy, P. Bombicz, L. Toke, Asymmetric C-C Bond Forming Reactions by Chiral Crown Catalysts Darzens Condensation and Nitroalkane Addition to the Double Bond , Synlett 1997, 291-292. 

Asymmetric induction using catalytic amounts of quininium or A-methyl-ephedrinium salts for the Darzen s reaction of aldehydes and ketones with phenacyl halides and chloromethylsulphones produces oxiranes of low optical purity [3, 24, 25]. The chiral catalyst appears to have little more effect than non-chiral catalysts (Section 12.1). Similarly, the catalysed reaction of sodium cyanide with a-bromo-ketones produces epoxynitriles of only low optical purity [3]. The claimed 67% ee for the phenyloxirane derived from the reaction of benzaldehyde with trimethylsul-phonium iodide under basic conditions [26] in the presence of A,A-dimethyle-phedrinium chloride was later retracted [27] the product was contaminated with the 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane from the degradation of the catalyst. 

Cyclopropanation, Horner-Wadsworth Emmons Reaction, and Darzens Condensation Although induction in the cyclopropanation of alkenes was reported early, this work was disputed [49]. Other reports of cyclopropanations have yielded, at best, low asymmetric inductions [llh,50]. The first example of a catalytic asymmetric Horner-Wadsworth Emmons reaction, which is promoted by a chiral quaternary ammonium salt, was reported recently by the Shioiri group (Scheme 10.10) [51]. The reaction of the prochiral ketone 74 gives optically active a,P-unsaturated ester 76 with 57% ee. 

---