Enantioselection heterocycles

The mnemonic device used to predict the sense of enantioselectivity in the AD reaction can also be used in the AA process. Typical examples include the asymmetric aminohydroxylation of alkenes (5.63-5.67), all with excellent enantioselectivity. Heterocyclic groups are tolerated in the AA reaction and high ees have been obtained for the aminohydroxylation of furanoyl acrylates such as (5.65). ° In common with the AD reaction, pyrrolyl- and pyridyl-substituted olefins are difficult substrates and blocking of the nitrogen is required for enantioselective aminohydroxylation. However, indoles such as (5.66) undergo aminohydroxylation with good ee. The AA reaction has also been applied to the desymmetrisation of dienylsilane (5.67) by Landais and coworkers. Whilst the enantioselectivity is not perfect, the reaction is still remarkably regio- and diastereoselective. 

In this chapter, the readers will be introduced in the different organocatalytic domino (or cascade) reactions that lead to the synthesis of C-C and C-heteroatom bonds. This type of reactions have found considerable applications in enantioselective heterocycle synthesis. The section has been organized by presenting first cascades initiated by a C-C bond formation and then presenting cascades initiated by a C-heteroatom bond formation. 

Gao, Y., Ren, Q., Wu, H., Li, M., Wang, J. (2010). Enantioselective heterocyclic synthesis of spiro chromanone-thiochroman complexes catalyzed by a bifunctional indane catalyst. Chemical Communications, 46, 9232-9234. 

Enantioselective desymmetrization of achiral or meso compounds with formation of enantiomerically enriched products, among them heterocycles 99JCS(P1)1765. 

New catalysts and methods for enantioselective metal carbene reactions in syntheses of O- and N-heterocycles 98PAC1123. 

Carbenoid complexes with heterocyclic ligands as catalysts in enantioselective cyclopropanation of olefins 97S137. 

Enantioselective synthesis of bioactive 0-heterocycles related to plant protection and physiology 98YGK884. 

Zhang YR, He L, Wu X, Shao PL, Ye S (2008) Chiral N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed Staudinger reaction of ketenes with imines highly enantioselective synthesis of W-Boc P-lactams. Org Lett 10 277-280... 

Subsequently, these catalysts were evaluated in the enantioselective desymmetri-sation of achiral trienes, and three distinct trends in catalyst selectivity were found. Firstly, catalysts 56a-b with two phenyl moieties on the backbone of the A -heterocycle exhibited higher enantioselectivity than those with a fused cyclohexyl group as the backbone 55a-b. Secondly, mono-ort/io-substituted aryl side chains induced greater enantioselectivity than symmetrical mesityl wing tips. Thirdly, changing the halide ligands from Cl to I" increased the enantioselectivity. As a result, catalyst 56b turned out to be the most effective. For example, 56b in the presence of Nal was able to promote the desymmetrisation of 57 to give chiral dihydrofuran 58 in up to 82% conversion and 90% ee (Scheme 3.3). 

In 2008, Grisi et al. reported three ruthenium complexes 65-67 bearing chiral, symmetrical monodentate NHC ligands with two iV-(S)-phenylethyl side chains [74] (Fig. 3.26). Three different types of backbones were incorporated into the AT-heterocyclic moiety of the ligands. When achiral triene 57 was treated with catalysts 65-67 under identical reaction conditions, a dramatic difference was observed. As expected, the absence of backbone chirality in complex 65 makes it completely inefficient for inducing enantioselectivity in the formation of 58. Similarly, the mismatched chiral backbone framework of complex 66 was not able to promote asymmetric RCM of 57. In contrast, appreciable albeit low selectivity (33% ee) was observed when the backbone possessed anti stereochemistry. 

Asymmetric variants of these reactions are highly interesting since they provide access to chiral heterocycles. A recent comprehensive study by Stahl and coworkers reports the synthesis of various enantiopure [Pd( 4-C1)C1(NHC)]2 complexes and their application in asymmetric aza-Wacker cyclisations. The reactions generally proceed with low yields or enantioselectivity [43]. The best enantio-selectivity (63%) was achieved using complex 28 (Table 10.8). 

W-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes in Oxidation Reactions Table 10.8 Enantioselective aza-Wacker cycUsations [43]... 

In addition, the same group has used copper complexes of these ligands as efficient catalysts for enantioselective Cu-catalysed aza-Diels-Alder reactions of A-sulfonyl imines with Danishefsky s dienes, providing the corresponding six-membered heterocycles with enantioselectivities of up to 80% ee. ... 

A chemoenzymatic methodology has been developed using indium-mediated allylation (and propargylation) of heterocyclic aldehydes under aqueous conditions followed by Pseudomonas cepacia lipase-catalyzed enantioselective acylation of racemic homoallylic and homo-propargylic alcohols in organic media.192... 

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