Cinchona Henry reaction

Papai et al. selected as model reaction the addition of 2,4-pentanedione (acetylacetone) to trans-(R)-mtrostyvQnQ, catalyzed by the bifunctional thiourea catalyst shown in Scheme 6 [46]. The analogous Michael-addition involving dimethyl malonate and nitroethylene as substrates, and a simplified catalyst was calculated at the same level of theory by Liu et al. [47]. Himo et al. performed a density functional study on the related cinchona-thiouTQa catalyzed Henry-reaction between nitromethane and benzaldehyde [48]. 

Nitroaldol (Henry) reactions of nitroalkanes and a carbonyl were investigated by Hiemstra [76], Based on their earlier studies with Cinchona alkaloid derived catalysts, they were able to achieve moderate enantioselectivities between aromatic aldehydes and nitromethane. Until then, organocatalyzed nitroaldol reactions displayed poor selectivities. Based on prior reports by Sods [77], an activated thionrea tethered to a Cinchona alkaloid at the quinoline position seemed like a good catalyst candidate. Hiemstra incorporated that same moiety to their catalyst. Snbsequently, catalyst 121 was used in the nitroaldol reaction of aromatic aldehydes to generate P-amino alcohols in high yield and high enantioselectivities (Scheme 27). 

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. 

Scheme 6.146 Representative adducts obtained from the asymmetric Henry reaction between nitromethane and (hetero)aromatic aldehydes under bifunctional catalysis of C6 -thiourea-functionalized cinchona alkaloid 131.

Figure 3.39 a The structure and proposed mode of action of the modified Cinchona alkaloid catalyst b an example ofthe catalytic Henry reaction between benzaldehyde and nitromethane. 

The use of bifunctional thiourea-substituted cinchona alkaloid derivatives has continued to gamer interest, with the Deng laboratory reporting the use of a 6 -thiourea-substituted cinchona derivative for both the Mannich reactions of malo-nates with imines [136] and the Friedel-Crafts reactions of imines with indoles [137]. In both reports, a catalyst loading of 10-20 mol% provided the desired products in almost uniformly high yields and high enantioselectivities. Thiourea-substituted cinchona derivatives have also been used for the enantioselective aza-Henry reactions of aldimines [138] and the enantioselective Henry reactions of nitromethane with aromatic aldehydes [139]. 

Scheme 4.21 Various combinations of cinchona alkaloids as chiral base with (R)-Ph-BOX-Cu(OTf)2 for the aza-Henry reaction.

In addition to chiral PTCs, cinchona-based thioureas have also been proved to serve as catalysts for nitro-Mannich reactions. In 2006, Ricci and coworkers first reported that the quinine-based thiourea 40 (20mol%) can catalyze the aza-Henry reaction between nitromethane and the N-protected imines 93 derived from aromatic aldehydes [40]. N-Boc-, N-Cbz-, and N-Fmoc protected imines gave the best results in terms of the chemical yields and enantioselectivities (up to 94% ee at —40°C) (Scheme 8.30). 

Aza-Henry reaction is rendered asymmetric by quaternary salts of Cinchona alkaloids. Addition reactions. Changing the 9-hydroxy group of Cinchona alkaloids to a 9-epiamino group not only is synthetically expedient, such products often show excellent catalytic activities in many asymmetric reactions. Those derived from dihydrocinchona alkaloids mediate Michael reactions to good results, including addition of indole to enones, and carbonyl compounds to nitroalkenes. Salt 4 has also been successfully employed in the alkenylation of t-butyl a-aryl-a-cyanoacetate. ... 

Nucleophilic addition to the C=N bond of imine derivatives is quite important in organic chemistry for the synthesis of functionalised amines and related nitrogen-containing compounds. This section introduces an enan-tioselective Mannich reaction, including an aza-Henry reaction that uses nitroalkanes as a nucleophile, via PTC catalysis in the presence of Cinchona-derived quaternary ammonium salts. 

Cinchona alkaloid derivatives catalyse nitroaldol reactions with isatins in yields/cc s up to 98/95%. An enantioselective Henry reaction of isatins yields 3-substituted 3-hydroxyoxindoles in high yield, ee, and de ... 

Hammar, R Marcelli, T. Hiemstra, H. Himo, R Density Functional Theory Study of the Cinchona Thiourea-Catalyzed Henry Reaction Mechanism and Enantioselectivity. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2007, 349, 2537-2548. 

Catalytic asymmetric nitroaldol (Henry) reactions of ketones lead to synthetically versatile chiral tertiary nitroaldols. Enantioselective nitroaldol reactions of a-keto esters have been achieved using chiral Cu and Mg complexes, and cinchona alkaloids [140]. However, there are no reports on the asymmetric synthesis of tertiary nitroaldols derived from simple ketones. Even for a racemic version, only a few methodologies with limited substrate scope are available. The difficulty arises from the attenuated reactivity of ketones and their strong tendency toward a retro-nitroaldol reaction under basic conditions. (S)-LLB catalyst was found suitable to promote retro-nitroaldol reaction and a kinetic resolution of racemic tert-nitroaldols was realized. (S)-LLB preferentially converted the matched (R)-enantiomer into ketone and nitromethane, whereas the mismatched (S)-enantiomer remained unchanged and was recovered in an enantiomerically... 

Hiemstra et al. reported the Henry reaction, catalyzed by a novel cinchona alkaloid (17) (Scheme 2.56) [111]. 

With respect to cupreidine, C9 0-benzoyl esters of this cinchona derivative were demonstrated to be the best catalysts for the nitroaldol reaction of a-ketoesters [55], the conjugate addition of anthrone to nitroalkenes [56], the Henry reaction with fluoromethyl ketones (Scheme 6.25) [57], and an aza-Friedel-Crafts reaction of naphthols with N-sulfonyl imines [58]. 

Functionalization of the cinchona structure with a thiourea at the C6 position of the quinolone ring was demonstrated shortly after development of the C9 derivatives [69]. The transformation of the C6 methoxy group into a thiourea bearing a 3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)phenyl group, without affecting the stereochemistry at C9, resulted in a highly effective organocatalyst for the asymmetric Henry reaction of nitromethane with aromatic aldehydes (Scheme 6.28). 

A dihydroquinidine-derived chiral thiourea (DHQD-30), which demonstrated significantly better stereocontrol than other cinchona alkaloids, was utilized in the aza-Henry reaction with nitroalkanes and aldimines by Schaus and coworkers (Scheme 13.8) [26]. The utility of the nitroethane pronucleophile conveniently offers a tertiary stereogenic center in the P-nitroamine product 32. The methodology is also conveniently applicable to novel a,P-unsaturated aliphatic imines 29, which are difficult substrates in asymmetric conjugate addition reactions. Similar reaction conditions can be appHed towards to the use of dimethyl malonates as pronucleophiles that generate adducts in high enantioselectivity, which then convert smoothly into P-amino esters under the Nef conditions. 

At almost the same time, and based on their earUer studies with cinchona alkaloid organocatalysts bearing both a Br0nsted-base and thiourea residues, Hiemstra and coworkers were able to achieve good enantioselectivities and yields in the Henry reaction between aromatic aldehydes and nitromethane [8]. With unactivated aromatic aldehydes (i.e., R = 4-MeO-Ph) longer reaction times were required (Scheme 29.3). 

Table 29.2 Asymmetric Henry reaction of ketones catalyzed by cinchona-derived catalysts.

Fluorinated amino acids and amino alcohols have shown extensive biological activity [18]. In 2008, the Bandini and Umani-Ronchi group developed an efficient Henry reaction between nitromethane and fluoromethyl ketones catalyzed by cinchona alkaloids [19]. They showed that benzoylcupreines bearing electron-withdrawing substituents at the C9 position of the catalyst structure are essential for good results (Table 29.2,14 versus 15). Remarkably, comparable levels of asymmetric induction could be obtained with both aromatic and aliphatic ketones. 

Mannich Reaction Carbamate-protected alkyl imines are important building blocks in the synthesis of chiral alkyl amines. However, they are usually unstable, and most of them cannot be prepared in pure form. As the optimal substitutes, a-amido sulfones 142 were first used in the PTC-catalyzed enantioselective aza-Henry reaction in 2005 [57]. Subsequently, Song et al. reported a chiral Cinchona alkaloid thiourea (130b)-catalyzed Mannich reaction with in situ generation of... 

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