Diazoacetate, cyclopropanation

Furan and thiophene undergo addition reactions with carbenes. Thus cyclopropane derivatives are obtained from these heterocycles on copper(I) bromide-catalyzed reaction with diazomethane and light-promoted reaction with diazoacetic acid ester (Scheme 41). The copper-catalyzed reaction of pyrrole with diazoacetic acid ester, however, gives a 2-substituted product (Scheme 42). 

Catalytic, enantioselective cyclopropanation enjoys the unique distinction of being the first example of asymmetric catalysis with a transition metal complex. The landmark 1966 report by Nozaki et al. [1] of decomposition of ethyl diazoacetate 3 with a chiral copper (II) salicylamine complex 1 (Scheme 3.1) in the presence of styrene gave birth to a field of endeavor which still today represents one of the major enterprises in chemistry. In view of the enormous growth in the field of asymmetric catalysis over the past four decades, it is somewhat ironic that significant advances in cyclopropanation have only emerged in the past ten years. 

From a historical perspective it is interesting to note that the Nozaki experiment was, in fact, a mechanistic probe to establish the intermediacy of a copper carbe-noid complex rather than an attempt to make enantiopure compounds for synthetic purposes. To achieve synthetically useful selectivities would require an extensive exploration of metals, ligands and reaction conditions along with a deeper understanding of the reaction mechanism. Modern methods for asymmetric cyclopropanation now encompass the use of countless metal complexes [2], but for the most part, the importance of diazoacetates as the carbenoid precursors still dominates the design of new catalytic systems. Highly effective catalysts developed in... 

Whereas the utility of these methods has been amply documented, they are limited in the structures they can provide because of their dependence on the diazoacetate functionality and its unique chemical properties. Transfer of a simple, unsubstituted methylene would allow access to a more general subset of chiral cyclopropanes. However, attempts to utilize simple diazo compounds, such as diazomethane, have never approached the high selectivities observed with the related diazoacetates (Scheme 3.2) [4]. Traditional strategies involving rhodium [3a,c], copper [ 3b, 5] and palladium have yet to provide a solution to this synthetic problem. The most promising results to date involve the use of zinc carbenoids albeit with selectivities less than those obtained using the diazoacetates. 

Incorporation of the phenethyl moiety into a carbocyclic ring was at first sight compatible with amphetamine-like activity. Clinical experience with one of these agents, tranylcypromine (79), revealed the interesting fact that this drug in fact possessed considerable activity as a monamine oxidase inhibitor and as such was useful in the treatment of depression. Decomposition of ethyl diazoacetate in the presence of styrene affords a mixture of cyclopropanes in which the trans isomer predominates. Saponification gives acid 77. Conversion to the acid chloride followed by treatment with sodium azide leads to the isocyanate, 78, via Curtius rearrangement. Saponification of 78 affords tranylcypromine (79). 

The catalytic asymmetric cyclopropanation of an alkene, a reaction which was studied as early as 1966 by Nozaki and Noyori,63 is used in a commercial synthesis of ethyl (+)-(lS)-2,2-dimethylcyclo-propanecarboxylate (18) by the Sumitomo Chemical Company (see Scheme 5).64 In Aratani s Sumitomo Process, ethyl diazoacetate is decomposed in the presence of isobutene (16) and a catalytic amount of the dimeric chiral copper complex 17. Compound 18, produced in 92 % ee, is a key intermediate in Merck s commercial synthesis of cilastatin (19). The latter compound is a reversible... 

The use of chiral dirhodium carboxamidates has made possible the highly enantioselective synthesis of presqualene alcohol (4) from farnesyl diazoacetate (14) through cyclopropane 15 [9] (Eq. 1). Highly enantiomerically en-... 

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]. 

The search for the racemic form of 15, prepared by allylic cyclopropanation of farnesyl diazoacetate 14, prompted the use of Rh2(OAc)4 for this process. But, instead of 15, addition occurred to the terminal double bond exclusively and in high yield (Eq. 6) [65]. This example initiated studies that have demonstrated the generality of the process [66-68] and its suitability for asymmetric cyclopropanation [69]. Since carbon-hydrogen insertion is in competition with addition, only the most reactive carboxamidate-ligated catalysts effect macrocyclic cyclopropanation [70] (Eq. 7), and CuPF6/bis-oxazoline 28 generally produces the highest level of enantiocontrol. 

Carbenes and substituted carbenes add to double bonds to give cyclopropane derivatives ([1 -f 2]-cycloaddition). Many derivatives of carbene (e.g., PhCH, ROCH) ° and Me2C=C, and C(CN)2, have been added to double bonds, but the reaction is most often performed with CH2 itself, with halo and dihalocarbenes, " and with carbalkoxycarbenes (generated from diazoacetic esters). Alkylcarbenes (HCR) have been added to alkenes, but more often these rearrange to give alkenes (p. 252). The carbene can be generated in any of the ways normally used (p. 249). However, most reactions in which a cyclopropane is formed by treatment of an alkene with a carbene precursor do not actually involve free carbene... 

The most significant and widely studied reactivity of the ruthenium and osmium porphyrin carbene complexes is their role in catalyzing both the decomposition of diazoesters to produce alkenes and the cyclopropanation of alkenes by diazoesters. Ethyl diazoacetate is used to prepare the carbene complex 0s(TTP)(=CHC02Et)... 

Pyridine-based N-containing ligands have been tested in order to extend the scope of the copper-catalyzed cyclopropanation reaction of olefins. Chelucci et al. [33] have carefully examined and reviewed [34] the efficiency of a number of chiral pyridine derivatives as bidentate Hgands (mainly 2,2 -bipyridines, 2,2 6, 2 -terpyridines, phenanthrolines and aminopyridine) in the copper-catalyzed cyclopropanation of styrene by ethyl diazoacetate. The corresponding copper complexes proved to be only moderately active and enantios-elective (ee up to 32% for a C2-symmetric bipyridine). The same authors prepared other chiral ligands with nitrogen donors such as 2,2 -bipyridines 21, 5,6-dihydro-1,10-phenanthrolines 22, and 1,10-phenanthrolines 23 (see Scheme 14) [35]. 

The copper complexes of these ligands were tested in the cyclopropanation of styrene with ethyl diazoacetate (Scheme 7) and the ene reaction between a-methylstyrene and ethyl glyoxylate (Scheme 8). hi both cases moderate enantioselectivities were obtained but these were lower than those foimd with the parent hgand. 

The solids were used as catalysts in the benchmark cyclopropanation reaction between styrene and ethyl diazoacetate (Scheme 7). As far as the nature of the clay is concerned, laponite was foimd to be the best support for the catalytic complexes. The best enantioselectivity results (Table 7) were obtained with ligand 6b (69% ee in trans cyclopropanes and 64% ee in cis cyclopropanes) but the recovered solid showed a lower activity and enantioselectivity, which was attributed to partial loss of the chiral ligand from the support. In general, the use of the three chiral ligands led to enantioselectivity results that were intermediate between those obtained in homogeneous phase with CuCl2 and Cu(OTf)2 as catalyst precursors. This seemed to indicate that the sohd behaved as a counterion with an intermediate coordinating abihty to the copper centers. 

The same type of porphyrin-Ru complex was immobilized by coordina-tive adsorption on aminopropylsilicas (Fig. 26) as either amorphous or crystalline supports [79]. Mesoporous crystalline MCM-48 was the best support, as shown by the improved results obtained in the epoxidation of styrene with 2,6-dichloropyridine N-oxide (TON > 13 000 and 74% ee). The versatility of this catalyst was demonstrated in the intramolecular cyclopropanation of frans-cinnamyl diazoacetate. TON was ten times higher than that obtained in solution and 85% ee was observed. The solid was recycled and reused, although partial loss of selectivity occurred. 

The complex [Fe(D4-TmAP)Cl] with Halterman s porphyrin ligand can effect asymmetric alkene cyclopropanation with diazoacetate in high product yield and high stereoselectivity [57]. The reaction occurs smoothly at room temperature without the need for addition of CoCp2, affording the cyclopropyl esters... 

Scheme 5.2 Cyclopropanation of styrene and ethyl diazoacetate using ruthenium-NHC complexes...

The use of stoichiometric ruthenium-NHC complexes generated in situ from [Ruljd-COCKp-cymene)], an imidazohnm salt [4] or an imidizol(idin)ium-2-carboxylate [4] has been applied in the cyclopropanation of styrene 5 with ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) 6 (Scheme 5.2). No base was necessary when imidazolium-2 carboxylate were employed. The diastereoselectivity was low and the cis/trans ratio was around 50/50 (Table 5.1). Although the diastereoselectivity was moderate, the reaction was highly chemoselectivity as possible side reactions (homologation, dimerisation and metathesis) were totally or partially suppressed. 

In 2005, Doyle et al. reported an original sequence of two successive intramolecular cyclopropanations involving a bis(diazoacetates), using a sterically encumbered oxaimidazolidine carboxylate dirhodium(II) catalyst, Rh2[(45, 5)-BSPIM]4. An excellent result, depicted in Scheme 6.16, was obtained resulting from a double diastereoselection. 

Scheme 6.16 Double intramolecular cyclopropanation of bis(diazoacetates) catalysed by Rh2[(45,5)-BSPIM]4.

Section B gives some examples of metal-catalyzed cyclopropanations. In Entries 7 and 8, Cu(I) salts are used as catalysts for intermolecular cyclopropanation by ethyl diazoacetate. The exo approach to norbornene is anticipated on steric grounds. In both cases, the Cu(I) salts were used at a rather high ratio to the reactants. Entry 9 illustrates use of Rh2(02CCH3)4 as the catalyst at a much lower ratio. Entry 10 involves ethyl diazopyruvate, with copper acetylacetonate as the catalyst. The stereoselectivity of this reaction was not determined. Entry 11 shows that Pd(02CCH3) is also an active catalyst for cyclopropanation by diazomethane. 

Cyclopropanation reactions involving ethyl diazoacetate and olefins proceed with high efficiency in aqueous media using Rh(II) carboxy-lates. Nishiyama s Ru(II) Py-box and Katsuki s Co(II) salen complexes that allow for highly enantioselective cyclopropanations in organic solvents can also be applied to aqueous cyclopropanations with similar results. In-situ generation of ethyl diazoacetate and cyclopropanation also proceeds efficiently (Eq. 3.33).135... 

In another reaction dendritic pyridine derivatives such as 82 or 83 were tested as co-catalysts for enantioselective cyclopropanation of styrene with ethyl diazoacetate [102]. Using catalyst 82, enantiomer ratios of up to 55 45 were obtained. However, with catalyst 83 bearing larger branches yields and selectivities did not increase. The relatively low selectivities were rationalized by the presence of a large number of different conformations that this non-rigid system may adopt. 

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