Thiourea, chiral

The Pd(II)-catalysed asymmetric carbonylation of olefins with a chiral thiourea as the hgand has been reported recently. Since these ligands are stable in the presence of oxidising agents, they prevent Pd precipitation and double-bond isomerisation (Scheme 35) [141]. 

Even if organocatalysis is a common activation process in biological transformations, this concept has only recently been developed for chemical applications. During the last decade, achiral ureas and thioureas have been used in allylation reactions [146], the Bayhs-Hillman reaction [147] and the Claisen rearrangement [148]. Chiral organocatalysis can be achieved with optically active ureas and thioureas for asymmetric C - C bond-forming reactions such as the Strecker reaction (Sect. 5.1), Mannich reactions (Sect. 5.2), phosphorylation reactions (Sect. 5.3), Michael reactions (Sect. 5.4) and Diels-Alder cyclisations (Sect. 5.6). Finally, deprotonated chiral thioureas were used as chiral bases (Sect. 5.7). 

In 2008, Juaristi et al. developed the synthesis of a series of novel chiral thioureas that were further examined as possible ligands for the enantioselective addition of ZnEt2 to benzaldehyde." The expected carbinol was isolated in... 

In 2000, better results were obtained by Bonnet et al. by using readily available chiral thioureas as new ligands in the asymmetric rhodium-catalysed hydroformylation of styrene. In general, the conversion of styrene and enantioselectivities were modest, but when the reaction was carried out in heptane as the solvent, an enantioselectivity of 41% ee was obtained (Scheme 10.6). 

Other metals such as iridium have also been combined to chiral sulfur-containing ligands in order to induce the chirality in the hydrosilylation of ketones. Therefore, Lemaire et al. have described the use of several chiral thiourea ligands for the iridium-catalysed hydrosilylation of acetophenone. The best but moderate enantioselectivity (52% ee) was observed with the use of a C2-symmetric monothiourea ligand (Scheme 10.49) while the employment of... 

Chiral thioureas have been synthesized and used as ligands for the asymmetric hydroformylation of styrene catalyzed by rhodium(I) complexes. The best results were obtained with /V-phenyl-TV -OS )-(l-phenylethyl)thiourea associated with a cationic rhodium(I) precursor, and asymmetric induction of 40% was then achieved.387,388 Chiral polyether-phosphite ligands derived from (5)-binaphthol were prepared and combined with [Rh(cod)2]BF4. These systems showed high activity, chemo- and regio-selectivity for the catalytic enantioselective hydroformylation of styrene in thermoregulated phase-transfer conditions. Ee values of up to 25% were obtained and recycling was possible without loss of enantioselectivity.389... 

The acyl-Pictet-Spengler reaction is also catalyzed by chiral thiourea derivative 6 to provide M-acetyl p-carbolines in high enantioselectivities. Notably, thiourea derivatives can activate not only electronically distinct imine derivatives such as N-alkyl and N-Boc imines but also a weakly Lewis basic N-acyhminium ion with high enantioselectivity using a chiral hydrogen bond donor (Scheme 12.4). 

On the Bifunctionality of Chiral Thiourea Tertiary-Amine Based Organocatalysts Competing Routes to C-C Bond Formation in a Michael-Addition... 

Novel asymmetric conjugate-type reactions have been accomplished with Cinchona alkaloid-derived chiral thioureas, including less traditional reactions such as asymmetric decarboxylation [71]. In the following discussion, asymmetric reactions involving nitro-olefms, aldehydes and enones, and imines will be highlighted (Fig. 5). 

Using the addition of dimethyl malonate to nitro-olefms as the model reaction, Connon et al. [72] in 2(X)5 reported a highly functionahzed Cinchona alkaloid-derived chiral thiourea. Key functional groups were identified to enhance the catalyst s stereodirecting properties. Aside from the advantage of a bifunctional Cinchona alkaloid... 

Other types of conjugate additions with chiral thioureas were also explored by Connon. P-Substituted nitro-olefms were used in the conjugate addition reaction with dimethyl chloromalonate 115 to generate chiral, functionalized nitrocyclopro-panes [73]. Utility of the nitrocyclopropanes was demonstrated in the one-step modification towards other functionalized chiral building blocks (Scheme 24). 

The conjugate addition of nitro olefins under chiral Cmc/mna-thiourea catalysis has shown promising results with a variety of Michael donors. Dixon conducted a screen of various chiral thioureas and identified catalyst 117 as a versatile catalyst that works well with p-substituted nitro-olefms (78) [74]. Aromatic, heteroaromatic... 

Cinchona alkaloid-derived chiral thiourea catalyst xo... 

Novel aldol-type reactions under Cinchona-deriwed chiral thiourea catalysis was reported by Wang et al. [78]. In their report, a novel cascade Michael-aldol reaction was presented. The reaction involves a tandem reaction catalyzed via hydrogen-bonding with as little as 1 mol% catalyst loading to generate a product with three stereogenic centers (Scheme 28). hi the reaction of 2-mercaptobenzaldehyde 128 and a,P-unsatnrated oxazolidinone 129, the desired benzothiopyran 130 was formed smoothly in high yield and excellent stereoselectivity. 

Following work on Michael addition of triazoles to nitro-olefins (discussed in Sect. 2.5), bifunctional chiral thiourea catalysts were used in the addition of triazoles to chalcones [83]. The catalytic system was applicable to enones bearing aromatic groups of varying electronic natures to provide good yields and moderate selectivity. a-Cyanoacetates [84] were also applied in Michael addition to chalcones under similar catalytic conditions (Scheme 33). 

The aza-Henry reaction of imines to nitroalkanes promoted by modified Cinchona alkaloids has been investigated by several groups. Optically active p-nitroamine products are versatile functional building blocks. In 2005 and 2006, several reports regarding use of chiral thioureas emerged, using nitroalkanes in the aza-Henry reaction to various imines. 

Ricci et al. [85] reported the use of a quinidine-derived chiral catalyst in the asymmetric addition of nitromethane to iV-Boc imine 40. At around the same time, S chans and co-workers used a dihydroquinidine-derive chiral thiourea DHQD-134 applicable to nitromethane and nitroethane 149 [86]. The application of nitroethane conveniently generates a tertiary stereogenic center in the P-nitroamine product 151. The methodology presented by Schaus is also applicable to novel... 

Asides from the application of imines on conjugate addition reactions, Deng [87, 88] reported the first asymmetric chiral thiourea catalyzed Friedel-Crafts reaction of indoles with iV-tosyl imines (Scheme 35). The reaction was receptive to various aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic imines in good yield and high enantioselec-tivity (Scheme 36). 

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). 

On the Bijunctionalit / of Chiral Thiourea-Tert-Amine-Based Organocatalysts 25... 

Figure 6.3 Stereoselective, chiral thiourea derivatives of achiral benchmark thiourea organocatalyst N,N -bis [3,5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]thiourea 9 stereoselective hydrogen-bonding thiourea organocatalysts incorporating the privileged 3,5-bis(trifluoromethylphenyl)thiourea moiety. The (thio)urea catalyst structure is the leitmotif for the chapter organization.

The asymmetric alcoholytic ring opening of 4-substituted-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-l,3-oxazin-6-ones proved to be a efficient method for the preparation of enatiomerically pure /3-amino acid derivatives <2005AGE7466>. Treatment of 2,4-diphenyl-4,5-dihydro-l,3-oxazin-6-one 208 in the presence of the bifunctional chiral thiourea catalyst 211 resulted in formation of an enantiomerically enriched mixture of the unchanged oxazinone (iJ)-208 and allyl (4)-3-benzoyl-amino-3-phenylpropanoate 209. The resolved material (iJ)-208 and the product 209 could easily be separated by a selective hydrolytic procedure that converted oxazinone (iJ)-208 quantitatively into the insoluble iV-benzoyl /3-amino acid 210 (Scheme 37). 

Chiral thiourea derivatives have been employed as catalysts although yields are modest, ees up to 99% have been recorded.162 For the DABCO-promoted reaction of an /V-1>-ni inibenzenesulfonylimine with methyl acrylate, a DABCO-acrylate-imine adduct was isolated as a key intermediate. 

A series of A - / - n i trobe nzenesul fony 1 imincs have been reported to undergo asymmetric aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions with methyl acrylate mediated by DABCO in the presence of chiral thiourea organocatalysts with unprecedented levels of enantioselectivity (87-99% ee), albeit only in modest yields (25 19%). Isolation of a DABCO-acrylate-imine adduct as a key intermediate, kinetic investigation, and isotopic labelling, have been employed to determine the mechanism.177... 

A chiral thiourea catalyses enantio- and diastereo-selective addition of nitroalkanes to N-protected imines.36... 

The simultaneous use of urea, or thiourea [76] and DABCO catalyst was introduced by the Connon group for the addition of methyl acrylate and benzaldehyde [39]. The study revealed that, although both ureas and thioureas accelerated the reaction relative to the uncatalyzed process, urea was superior to thiourea in terms of stability and efficiency. Chiral thiourea derivatives may offer, however, superior enantioselectivity. It was postulated, that the catalysts operate mainly via a Zimmerman-Traxler-type transition state 69 for addition of the resulting enolate anion to the aldehyde (Scheme 5.15). 

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