Enantioselective cyclopropanation of alkenes

TABLE S.3. Enantioselective Cyclopropanation of Alkenes with Diazo Compounds Catalyzed hy the Pfaltz Semicorrin Catalysts 4 and 5... 

TABLE 5.6. Enantioselective Cyclopropanation of Alkenes with Methyl Phenyldiazoacetate (A) and Methyl Cinnamyldiazoacetate (B) in Pentane... 

Enantioselective Cyclopropanation of Alkenes. Cationic Cu complexes of methylenebis(oxazolines) such as (1), which have been developed by Evans and co-workers, are remarkably efficient catalysts for the cyclopropanation of terminal alkenes with diazoacetates. The reaction of styrene with ethyl diazoacetate in the presence of 1 mol % of catalyst, generated in situ from Copper(I) Trifluoromethanesulfonate and ligand (1), affords the (rans -2-phenylcyclopropanecarboxylate in good yield and with 99% ee (eq 3). As with other catalysts, only moderate transicis selectivity is observed. Higher transicis selectivities can be obtained with more bulky esters such as 2,6-di-r-butyl-4-methylphenyl or dicyclohexylmethyl diazoacetate (94 6 and 95 5, respectively). The efficiency of this catalyst system is illustrated by the cyclopropanation of isobutene, which has been carried out on a 0.3 molar scale using 0.1 mol % of catalyst derived firom the (R,R)-enantiomer of ligand (1) (eq 4). The remarkable selectivity of >99% ee exceeds that of Aratani s catalyst which is used in this reaction on an industrial scale. 

The chiral ruthenium(II) carbene complex 8, prepared from diazo(trimethylsilyl)methane, (p-cymene)2ruthenium(II) chloride, and 2,6-bis(4-isopropyloxazolinyl)pyridine, has been introduced as catalyst for the enantioselective cyclopropanation of alkenes with ethyl diazoacetate. The carbene complex 8 also serves as a transfer reagent for trimethylsilylcarbene and cyclopro-panates styrene in 34% yield. This reaction demonstrates the similarities between catalytic and stoichiometric cyclopropanations and between in situ generated and isolated transition metal carbenes. 

In 1990, Brunner [5], McKervey [6], and Ikegami [7] and their respective coworkers independently introduced chiral rhodium(II) carboxylates for asymmetric diazocarbonyl transformations. At that time the only chiral rhodium(II) carboxylates known were those derived from (R) and (S)-mandelic acid which had been prepared by Cotton and co-workers [8] for structural and chiroptical studies. Enantiopure carboxylates (1) on a dirhodium core (substituents varied from H, Me, and Ph to OH, NHAc, and CFj) were assessed by Brunner [5] for enantioselective cyclopropanation of alkenes with ethyl diazoacetate. McKervey... 

Kwong and Lee [39] prepared various chiral 2,2 6, 2"-terpyridines and tested them as copper ligands for the cyclopropanation of alkenes. High enantioselectivities were obtained, the presence of bulky alkyl groups at the 8-position of the tetrahydroquinoline ring being crucial (structure 29 in Scheme 17). Thus when = Bu, up to 90% ee for the trans and 94% for the cis isomer were obtained by performing the reaction at 0 °C (transIds = 69/31). 

Ito and Katsuki (55) examined the use of chiral bipyridine (bpy) compounds as ligands in the asymmetric cyclopropanation of alkenes. Moderate diastereoselectivities and excellent enantioselectivities were observed in the cyclopropanation of vinyl arenes, Eq. 38. This catalyst system afforded very high ee values of the cis isomer. 

Likewise, PEG-supported bisoxazoline (40) can be used as a ligand for copper-mediated enantioselective reactions such as cyclopropanations of alkenes, [2-1-4] cycloadditions as well as ene reactions. Best results were obtained in case of the latter reactions as products were formed in yields up to 96% and ee s up to 95% (Scheme 4.25) [117]. 

The cyclopropanation of alkenes using external stoichiometric chiral additives can be divided according to their general mechanistic scheme into two classes. The enantios-elective cyclopropanation of allylic alcohols, in which a pre-association between the corresponding zinc alkoxide and the zinc reagent probably takes place, constitutes the first class. The second class involves the enantioselective cyclopropanation of unfunctionalized alkenes. The latter implies that there will be no association between the reagent and the alkene through alkoxide formation. 

FIGURE 8. Enantioselective cyclopropanation of unfunctionalized alkenes using chiral ligand 22... 

Optically active metal complexes have been recognized as excellent catalysts for the enantioselective cyclopropanation of carbenes with alkenes. Normally, diazo compounds react under metal catalysts in the dark to afford carbenoid complexes as key intermediates. Katsuki et al. have reported the ds-selective and enantioselective cyclopropanation of styrene with a-diazoacetate in the presence of optically active (R,R)-(NO + )(salen)ruthenium complex 80, supported under illumination (440 nm light or an incandescent bulb) [59]. The irradiation causes dissociation of the apical ligand ON + in 80, and thus avoids the splitting of nitrogen from the a-diazoacetate. 

Dirhodium(ll) tetrakis[methyl 2-pyrrolidone-5(R)-oarboxylate], Rh2(5R-MEPV)4, and its enantiomer, Rh2(5S-MEPY)4, which is prepared by the same procedure, are highly enantioselective catalysts for intramolecular cyclopropanation of allylic diazoacetates (65->94% ee) and homoallylic diazoacetates (71-90% ee),7 8 intermolecular carbon-hydrogen insertion reactions of 2-alkoxyethyl diazoacetates (57-91% ee)9 and N-alkyl-N-(tert-butyl)diazoacetamides (58-73% ee),10 Intermolecular cyclopropenation ot alkynes with ethyl diazoacetate (54-69% ee) or menthyl diazoacetates (77-98% diastereomeric excess, de),11 and intermolecular cyclopropanation of alkenes with menthyl diazoacetate (60-91% de for the cis isomer, 47-65% de for the trans isomer).12 Their use in <1.0 mol % in dichloromethane solvent effects complete reaction of the diazo ester and provides the carbenoid product in 43-88% yield. The same general method used for the preparation of Rh2(5R-MEPY)4 was employed for the synthesis of their isopropyl7 and neopentyl9 ester analogs. 

Enantioselective Aziridination of Alkenes. Copper complexes with neutral methylenebis(oxazoline) ligands (1) and (2) have also been employed as enantioselective catalysts for the reaction of alkenes with (Al-tosylimino)phenyliodinane, leading to A-tosylaziridines. The best results have been reported for cinna-mate esters as substrates, using 5 mol % of catalyst prepared from CuOTf and the phenyl-substituted ligand (2) (eq 6). The highest enantiomeric excesses are obtained in benzene, whereas in more polar and Lewis basic solvents, such as acetonitrile, the selectiv-ities are markedly lower. The chemical yield can be substantially improved by addition of 4X molecular sieves. Both Cu - and Cu"-bisoxazoline complexes, prepared from Cu or Cu triflate, respectively, are active catalysts, giving similar results. In contrast to the Cu-catalyzed cyclopropanation reactions discussed above, in which only Cu complexes are catalytically active, here Cu complexes are postulated as the actual catalysts. ... 

The comparison shows that the catalyst system 12a/Cu(I) is not suitable for enantioselective cyclopropanation of styrene. However, it produces cyclopropanes with ee-values in excess of 80% from 1,2-disubstituted or trisubstituted alkenes and bulky diazoacetates [e.g. /-menthyl chrysanthemate from 2,5-dimethylhexa-2,4-diene 72% yield ratio (trans/cis) 11.5, 92% ee (trans), 84% ee (cis)] and is, therefore, complementary to the other catalyst systems. 

The carbenoid reaction between a-diazo ketones and simple alkenes or styrenes leads to acylcyclopropanes. (For the enantioselective cyclopropanation of styrene with 2-diazo-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-l,3-dione, see Section 1.2.1.2.4.2.6.3.2.). With ketene acetals, 2,3-dihyd-rofurans are obtained. In contrast, l-acyl-2-oxycyclopropanes or 2-oxy-2,3-dihydrofurans can be formed in reactions with enol ethers and enol acetates the result depends strongly on the substitution pattern of both reaction partners.Whereas simple diazo ketones usually lead to cyclopropanes (Table 15), 3-diazo-2-oxopropanoates and 2-diazo-l,3-dicarbonyl compounds, such as 2-diazoacetoacetates, 3-diazopentane-2,4-dione, and 2-diazo-5,5-dimethylcy-clohexane-1,3-dione, yield 2,3-dihydrofurans and occasionally acyclic structural isomers thereof when reacted with these electron-rich oxy-substituted alkenes. 

The first example of asymmetric organometallic catalysis outside the area of polymer chemistry was the cyclopropanation of alkenes as described by Nozaki, Noyori et al. in 1966 [17]. The chiral catalyst used was a salen-copper complex 3 (Scheme 3), giving a maximum enantioselectivity of 10% ee. These low but well-established values initiated further research in this area. Later, Aratani et al. initiated the tuning of the structure of the copper catalyst at Sumitomo [18]. They were able to reach quite high level of enantioselectivity with copper catalyst 4. For example, 2,2-dimethyl-cyclopropane carboxylic acid was obtained in 92% ee, and subsequently used in a process to prepare cilastatine. 

Cyclopropanation of alkenes was greatly improved by the use of a new generations of chiral copper complexes [60-62]. Some of the Hgands (16-18) are indicated in Scheme 11. Chiral complexes of rhodium (II) started to be developed by Doyle et al. [63], later giving enantioselectivities up to 89-90% ee in many cases. 

Rhodium complexes generated from A-functionalized (S)-proline 3.60 [933, 934, 935] or from methyl 2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylates 3.61 [936, 937, 938] catalyze the cyclopropanation of alkenes by diazoesters or -ketones. Diastereoisomeric mixtures of Z- and E-cydopropylesters or -ketones are usually formed, but only the Z-esters exhibit an interesting enantioselectivity. However, if intramolecular cyclopropanation of allyl diazoacetates is performed with ligand 3.61, a single isomer is formed with an excellent enantiomeric excess [936,937], The same catalyst also provides satisfactory results in the cyclopropanation of alkynes by menthyl diazoacetate [937, 939] or in the intramolecular insertion of diazoesters into C-H bonds [940]. 

Dawes and Hutcheson [933] examined the asymmetric cyclopropanation of alkenes with methyl or ethyl vinyldiazoesters 7.140 in the presence of a rhodium catalyst bearing 3.60 as ligand. E-Cyclopropanecarboxylates 7.141 are obtained with a high enantioselectivity when using styrenes or simple alkenes (Figure 7.88). Bulkier alkyl diazoesters yield less useful selectivities. The use of the same catalyst in the cyclopropanation of styrene with ethyl diazoacetate gives low selectivities. Rhodium- or osmium-porphyrin-catalyzed cyclopropanations of alkenes by diazoesters also yield poor selectivities [1502,1502a]. 

Iodorhodium(IIl) porphyrins also efficiently catalyze the reaction of ethyl diazoacetate with simple alkenes. generally providing the cw-isomers as the major product77 79110. The cis( tram ratio increases when bulkier porphyrins, such as tetramesitylporphyrin (TMP), are employed. The mechanism of this rhodium-catalyzed cyclopropanation with diazoacetate is interpreted as proceeding via carbene complexes79 80 111,112. Based on these results, asymmetric cyclopropanation of alkenes with ethyl diazoacetate is achieved if catalyzed by a chiral wall porphyrin81. An earlier described binaphthyl-system of this type82113114, introduced as an iodorhodium(lll) complex, 6, forms an extremely active catalyst and leads to m-cyclopropanes (preferred over the rran.v-products) with moderate to poor enantioselectivities if styrene, 1- and 3-phenylpropene are used as substrates (10-60% ee)81. 

The copper-catalyzed cyclopropanation of alkenes with diazoalkanes is a particularly important synthetic reaction (277). The reaction of styrene and ethyl diazoacetate catalyzed by bis[/V-(7 )- or (5)-a-phenyl-ethylsalicylaldiminato]Cu(II), reported in 1966, gives the cyclopropane adducts in less than 10% ee and was the first example of transition metal-catalyzed enantioselective reaction of prochiral compounds in homogeneous phase (Scheme 90) (272). Later systematic screening of the chiral Schiff base-Cu catalysts resulted in the innovative synthesis of a series of important cyclopropane derivatives such as chrysanthemic acid, which was produced in greater than 90% ee (Scheme 90) (273). The catalyst precursor has a dimeric Cu(II) structure, but the actual catalyst is in the Cu(I) oxidation state (274). (S)-2,2-Dimethylcyclopropanecar-boxylic acid thus formed is now used for commercial synthesis of ci-lastatin, an excellent inhibitor of dehydropeptidase-I that increases the in vivo stability of the caibapenem antibiotic imipenem (Sumitomo Chemical Co. and Merck Sharp Dohme Co.). Attempted enantioselective cyclopropanation using 1,1-diphenylethylene and ethyl diazoacetate has met with limited success (211b). A related Schiff base ligand achieved the best result, 66% optical yield, in the reaction of 1,1-diphenylethylene and ethyl diazoacetate (275). 

Bis(methoxycarbonyl)(phenyliodinio)methanide (778), the most common iodonium ylide derived from malonate methyl ester, has found synthetic applications in the C—H insertion reactions [1044-1048] and the cyclopropanation of alkenes [1049-1055], including enantioselective cyclopropanations in the presence of chiral rhodium complexes [1056-1058], Representative examples of these reactions are shown in Scheme 3.306 and include the BFs-catalyzed bis(carbonyl)alkylation of 2-alkylthiophenes 777 [1045] and the optimized procedure for rhodium-catalyzed cyclopropanation of styrene 779 [1052]. 

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