Chiral solvents asymmetric synthesis

Baudequin C, Br geon D, LeviUain J, Guillen F, Plaquevent JC, Gaumont AC (2005) Chiral ionic liquids, a renewal for the chemistry of chiral solvents Design, synthesis and applications for chiral recognition and asymmetric synthesis. Tetrahedron-Asymmetr 16 3921-3945... 

Contrary to the view that applying chiral solvents in synthesis cannot result in appreciable enantioselectivities, Leitner et al. have reported the first example of an asymmetric reaction in which a chiral reaction medium induces a high level of enantioselectivity. Using a specifically designed ionic liquid (312) with a chiral anion as the only source of chirality, up to 84% ee was obtained in the aza-MBH reaction of N-Ts arylaldimines with MVK (Scheme 1.124), which is comparable with values obtained with the best catalysts for the asymmetric aza-MBH reaction in conventional solvents (94% ee, 83% ee ). Possible bifunctional interaction of the zwitterionic intermediate of the aza-MBH reaction with the chiral anion of a CIL-312 containing a hydrogen-bond donor was proposed (Figure 1.6). 

A closely related asymmetric synthesis of chiral sulphoxides, which involves a direct oxidation of the parent sulphides by t-butylhydroperoxide in the presence of metal catalyst and diethyl tartrate, was also reported by Modena and Di Furia and their coworkers-28-7,288 jjje effect 0f the reaction parameters such as metal catalyst, chiral tartrate and solvent on the optical yield does not follow a simple pattern. Generally, the highest optical purities (up to 88%) were observed when reactions were carried out using Ti(OPr-i)4 as a metal catalyst in 1,2-dichloroethane. 

The Rh2(DOSP)4 catalysts (6b) of Davies have proven to be remarkably effective for highly enantioselective cydopropanation reactions of aryl- and vinyl-diazoacetates [2]. The discovery that enantiocontrol could be enhanced when reactions were performed in pentane [35] added advantages that could be attributed to the solvent-directed orientation of chiral attachments of the ligand carboxylates [59]. In addition to the synthesis of (+)-sertraline (1) [6], the uses of this methodology have been extended to the construction of cyclopropane amino acids (Eq. 3) [35], the synthesis of tricyclic systems such as 22 (Eq. 4) [60], and, as an example of tandem cyclopropanation-Cope rearrangement, an efficient asymmetric synthesis of epi-tremulane 23 (Eq. 5) [61]. 

Analogous results were obtained for enol ether bromination. The reaction of ring-substituted a-methoxy-styrenes (ref. 12) and ethoxyvinylethers (ref. 10), for example, leads to solvent-incorporated products in which only methanol attacks the carbon atom bearing the ether substituent. A nice application of these high regio-and chemoselectivities is found in the synthesis of optically active 2-alkylalkanoic acids (ref. 13). The key step of this asymmetric synthesis is the regioselective and chemoselective bromination of the enol ether 4 in which the chiral inductor is tartaric acid, one of the alcohol functions of which acts as an internal nucleophile (eqn. 2). 

The use of chiral solvents in this photorearrangment has been shown to promote asymmetric synthesis of oxaziridines,54 and application of the cyclization to highly substituted azoxy compounds provides a route to oxadiaziridines.55... 

It is quite common in EPC synthesis either by asymmetric synthesis or by optical resolution via diastereomers (vide infra) that chiral compounds arc obtained in an enantiomerically enriched, yet optically impure, form. In these cases the optical purity may be increased by crystallization if the compound forms either a conglomerate or a racemic mixture. In the case of conglomerates. one simply adds the amount of solvent necessary for dissolving the racemate. The excess enantiomer remains in crystalline form. 

The choice of the base and the solvent is crucial for the yield of a-sulfinyl carbanion alkylation. A high diastereoselection (80%) was observed in the alkylation of an a-sulfinyl carbanion with a-bromoacrylate56. In this ease the choice of the base appears to be decisive the highest asymmetric induction is found when the metalation is carried out using highly hindered bases, e.g., lithium tetramethylpiperidide. An interesting asymmetric synthesis of chiral 5-alkyl(or phenyl)dihydro-3-methylene-2(3f/)-furanoncs is based on this reaction56. 

Some aspects of the chemistry of helicenes require still more attention. Since the interpretation of the mass spectrum of hexahelicene by Dougherty 159) no further systematic work has been done on the mass spectroscopy of helicenes, to verify the concept of an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction in the molecular ion. Though the optical rotation of a number of helicenes is known and the regular increase of the optical rotation with increasing number of benzene rings has been shown, the dependence of the rotation on the helicity is still unknown. The asymmetric induction in the synthesis of helicenes by chiral solvents, or in liquid crystals, though small, deserves still more attention because application to other organic compounds will be promoted when the explanation of observed effects is more improved. 

Asymmetric cyclization using chiral ligands offers powerful synthetic methods for the preparation of optically active compounds [39]. After early attempts [40,41], satisfactory optical yields have been obtained in a number of cases. Synthesis of the optically active cA-decalin system [42] was carried out with high enantioselectivity based on the differentiation of enantiotopic C=C double bonds [43]. The cyclization of the triflate 93 gave the cA-decalin 94 with 95% ee in 78% yield using (i )-BINAP. A mixture of 1,2-dichloroethane and f-BuOH is the best solvent, and the asymmetric synthesis of vemolepin (96) via Danishefsky s key intermediate 95 has been achieved [44]. 

Fig. 10.1 Selected chiral sulfides and results obtained using alkylation/ deprotonation catalytic methodology for the asymmetric synthesis of trans-stilbene oxide, dr = trans cis solvents and additives vary.

A wide variety of substituted y-butyrolactones can be prepared directly from olefins and aliphatic carboxylic acids by treatment with manganic acetate. This procedure is illustrated in the preparation of 7-( -OCTYL)-y-BUTYROLACTONE. Methods for the synthesis of chiral molecules are presently the target of intensive investigation. One such general method developed recently is the employment of certain chiral solvents as auxiliary agents in asymmetric synthesis. The preparation of (S.SM+H, 4-BIS(DIMETHYLAMINO)-2,3-DIMETHOXY-BUTANE FROM TARTARIC ACID DIETHYL ESTER provides a detailed procedure for the production of this useful chiral media an example of its utility in the synthesis of (+)-(/ )-l-PHENYL-l-PEN-TANOL from benzaldehyde and butyllithium is provided. 

As enantiomericaUy pure sulfoxides are excellent chiral auxUiaries for asymmetric synthesis, different approaches for biocatalytic asymmetric oxidations at the S-atom have been explored [30, 31]. Asymmetric peroxidaseorganic sulfides to sulfoxides in organic solvents opens up attractive opportunities by increased substrate solubility and diminished side reactions [32]. Plant peroxidases located in the cell wall are capable of oxidizing a broad range of structurally different substrates to products with antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antitumor activities [33]. Hydroperoxides and their alcohols have been obtained in excellent e.e. in the biocatalytic kinetic resolution of secondary hydroperoxides with horseradish and Coprinus peroxidase [34]. 

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