Enantioselective sigmatropic rearrangements

Nonetheless, the collection of enantioselective sigmatropic rearrangement reactions discussed in this chapter attest that progress is being made by application of a host of different mechanistic concepts, old and new, to this difficult problem in catalysis. 

The premier example of this process in an ylide transformation designed for [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement is reported in Eq. 15 [107]. The threo product 47 is dominant with the use of the chiral Rh2(MEOX)4 catalysts but is the minor product with Rh2(OAc)4. That this process occurs through the metal-stabilized ylide rather than a chiral free ylide was shown from asymmetric induction using allyl iodide and ethyl diazoacetate [107]. Somewhat lower enantioselectivities have been observed in other systems [108]. 

An elegant enantioselective [2,3] sigmatropic rearrangement ofbisalkynyl ethers such as 75 was reported by Manabe in 1997 [20]. The deprotonation... 

Finally, Katsuki and coworkers [271] described an enantioselective Ru-catalyzed domino reaction, which includes a sulfamidation of an aryl allyl sulfide 6/3-111 using the chiral Ru(salen)-complex 6/3-115, followed by a 2,3-sigmatropic rearrangement of the formed 6/3-112 to give N-allyl-N-arylthiotoluenesulfonamides 6/3-113. On hydrolysis, 6/3-113 yielded N-allyltoluenesulfonamides 6/3-114 (Scheme 6/3.33). The enantioselectivity ranged from 78 to 83% ee. 

Keyword Carbocycles a Cascade Reactions a Cycloadditions a Combinatorial Chemistry a Domino Reactions a Enantioselective Transformations a Ene Reactions a Eieterocydes a Natural products a Preservation of Resources and Environment a Sigmatropic Rearrangements a Tandem Reactions a Transition Metal-Catalyzed Transformations... 

Uemura and co-workers (91) demonstrated that copper catalysts effectively transfer nitrenoid groups to sulfides generating chiral sulfimides. A complex obtained from CuOTf and 55d catalyzes nitrenoid transfer to prochiral sulfides to afford products such as 139 in moderate to poor enantioselectivities (<71% ee, Eq. 78). Nitrenoid transfer occurs selectively to the sulfur atom of allylic sulfides generating allylic sulfenamide (140) in moderate selectivity, after [2,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of the initial sulfimide 141, Eq. 79. 

Another enantioselective synthesis, shown in Scheme 13.17, is based on enantiose-lective reduction of bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,6-dione by baker s yeast.129 The enantiomeri-cally pure intermediate is then converted to the lactone intermediate by Baeyer-Villiger oxidation and an allylic rearrangement. The methyl group is then introduced stereoselec-tively from the exo face of the bicyclic lactone in step C-l. A final crucial step in this synthesis is a [2,3] sigmatropic rearrangement to complete sequence D. 

It is known that 5-acyloxyoxazoles 132 rearrange to 4-acyl-5(4/l/)-oxazolones 133 in the presence of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridme or 4-(pyrrohdino)pyridine. Recently, an asymmetric variant of this nucleophUe-catalyzed rearrangement that employs a chiral derivative of 4-(pyrrolidino)pyridine has been described. This procedure allows the construction of quaternary stereocenters with high levels of enantioselectivity (Scheme 7.38). Representative examples of saturated 5(4//)-oxazolones prepared via sigmatropic rearrangements are shown in Table 7.16 (Fig. 7.18). 

Further study by Katsuki, McMillen, Hashimoto, and Wang improved the enantioselectivity up to a moderately high level.Wang and co-workers further extended the asymmetric catalysis to the [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of propargyl sulfonium ylide to give allenic products with up to 81% ee (Equation (18))." ... 

Nitrene transfer to selenide is also possible. Catalytic asymmetric induction in this process has been studied with Cu(OTf)/bis(oxazoline) catalyst (Scheme 22). When prochiral selenide 206 and TsN=IPh are allowed to react in the presence of Cu(OTf)/chiral bis(oxazoline) 122b, selenimide 207 is obtained with enantioselectivity of 20-36% ee. When arylcinnamyl selenide 208 is applied to this reaction, corresponding selenimide 209 is produced which undergoes [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement to afford chiral allylic amides 211 in up to 30% ee. 

A promising synthetic transformation is the reaction of carbenoid intermediates with heteroatoms to form ylides that are capable of undergoing further transformations [5,6]. Enantioselective transformations in which the ylide intermediates undergo either 1,2- or 2,3-sigmatropic rearrangement were briefly reviewed in the previous issue (Vol. II, pp. 531-532) and several recent examples have appeared [37]. A major breakthrough has been made in the enantioselective transformation of carbonyl ylides derived from capture of the metal carbenoid intermediates by carbonyl groups. The carbonyl ylides have been ex-... 

Enantioselective catalysis has also been used for the synthesis of optically active sulfimines [51]. By application of 5 mol % of the bisoxazoline-copper(I) catalyst 80, the sulfide 77 is oxidized catalytically to 78 which undergoes a [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement to give allyl amine 79 in 80% yield and with 58% ee (Eq. (20)). Other alkenes were found to give lower ee. 

Enantioselective [2,3]Sigmatropic Rearrangement Producing Optically Active Allylic Alcohols... 

In a previous section, the asymmetric [2,3]sigmatropic rearrangement of chiral selenoxides, prepared by diastereoselective oxidation or enantioselective... 

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