Epoxidation unfunctionalized alkenes

Binaphthol- and biphenyl-derived ketones (9 and 10) were reported by Song and coworkers in 1997 to epoxidize unfunctionalized alkenes in up to 59% ee (Fig. 3, Table 1, entries 9, 10) [37, 38]. Ketones 9 and 10 were intended to have a rigid conformation and a stereogenic center close to the reacting carbonyl group. The reactivity of ketones 9 and 10 is lower than that of 8, presumably due to the weaker electron-withdrawing ability of the ether compared to the ester. In the same year, Adam and coworkers reported ketones 11 and 12 to be epoxidation catalysts for several trans- and trisubstituted alkenes (Table 1, entries 11,12). Up to 81% ee was obtained for phenylstilbene oxide (Table 1, entry 25) [39]. 

Enantioselective epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes was until recently limited to certain ds-alkenes, but most types of alkenes can now be successfully epoxi-dized with sugar-derived dioxiranes (see Section 9.1.1.1) [2]. Selective monoepox-idation of dienes has thus become a fast route to vinylepoxides. Functionalized dienes, such as dienones, can be epoxidized with excellent enantioselectivities (see Section 9.1.2). 

Other metals can also be used as a catalytic species. For example, Feringa and coworkers <96TET3521> have reported on the epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes using dinuclear nickel(II) catalysts (i.e., 16). These slightly distorted square planar complexes show activity in biphasic systems with either sodium hypochlorite or t-butyl hydroperoxide as a terminal oxidant. No enantioselectivity is observed under these conditions, supporting the idea that radical processes are operative. In the case of hypochlorite, Feringa proposed the intermediacy of hypochlorite radical as the active species, which is generated in a catalytic cycle (Scheme 1). 

Several catalysts that can effect enantioselective epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes have been developed, most notably manganese complexes of diimines derived from salicylaldehyde and chiral diamines (salens).62... 

Attempts have been made to exploit the intrinsic C2 symmetry of the phenolate-based dinickel core in enantioselective catalytic reactions. Therefore, enantiomerically pure C2-symmetric ligands such as (736a) and the corresponding dinickel systems (736b) have been prepared ( Equation (27)),1890 and (736b) was tested in the epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes with sodium hypochlorite as the oxidant. The catalytic reaction was found to be highly pH dependent with an optimum at a pH of 9. While the complex is catalytically active, significant enantioselectivity was not achieved. 

The protocol developed by Jacobsen and Katsuki for the salen-Mn catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes continues to dominate the field. The mechanism of the oxygen transfer has not yet been fully elucidated, although recent molecular orbital calculations based on density functional theory suggest a radical intermediate (2), whose stability and lifetime dictate the degree of cis/trans isomerization during the epoxidation <00AG(E)589>. 

Chapters 4-6 present an overview and a comparison between the various existing strategies for asymmetric epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes, a, (3-unsaturated ketones and allylic alcohols. 

In addition to the unfunctionalized alkene epoxides discussed in the previous subsection, various other types of epoxides exist that are also derived from unconjugated alkenes but that share two additional features, i. e., being characterized by the presence of one or more functional group(s) and having biological significance. Thus, the present subsection examines epoxy alcohols, epoxy fatty acids, allylbenzenes 2, 3 -oxides, as well as alkene oxide metabolites of a few selected drugs. 

Asymmetric epoxidation of olefins is an effective approach for the synthesis of enan-tiomerically enriched epoxides. A variety of efficient methods have been developed [1, 2], including Sharpless epoxidation of allylic alcohols [3, 4], metal-catalyzed epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins [5-10], and nucleophilic epoxidation of electron-deficient olefins [11-14], Dioxiranes and oxazirdinium salts have been proven to be effective oxidation reagents [15-21], Chiral dioxiranes [22-28] and oxaziridinium salts [19] generated in situ with Oxone from ketones and iminium salts, respectively, have been extensively investigated in numerous laboratories and have been shown to be useful toward the asymmetric epoxidation of alkenes. In these epoxidation reactions, only a catalytic amount of ketone or iminium salt is required since they are regenerated upon epoxidation of alkenes (Scheme 1). 

Molybdenum(VI) complexes are the most active catalysts for the epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes in the presence of hydroperoxides as oxygen donors, and many pnb-lished examples exist for molybdenum-catalyzed epoxidations. 

The effect of structural variation and the use of different caboxylate salts as cocatalysts was investigated by Pietikainen . The epoxidation reactions were performed with the chiral Mn(III)-salen complexes 173 depicted in Scheme 93 using H2O2 or urea hydrogen peroxide as oxidants and unfunctionalized alkenes as substrates. With several soluble carboxylate salts as additives, like ammonium acetate, ammonium formate, sodium acetate and sodium benzoate, good yields (62-73%) and moderate enantioselectivities (ee 61-69%) were obtained in the asymmetric epoxidation of 1,2-dihydronaphthalene. The results were better than with Ai-heterocycles like Ai-methylimidazole, ferf-butylpyridine. 

The epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes by dioxiranes was investigated mainly for mechanistic purposes P . Some representative cases are collected in Scheme 3. Although such unfunctionalized alkenes have not been studied as intensively as the other olefin types, the recent asymmetric epoxidations by dioxirane were performed mainly on this substrate class (vide infra) J P. For this purpose, in-situ-generated dioxiranes in carefully buffered aqueous solutions had to be used, since the chiral dioxiranes cannot be readily isolated. Fortunately, the epoxides of unfunctionalized alkenes are more resistant to... 

Chiral dioxiranes, generated in situ from chiral ketones and Oxone , are promising reagents for the asymmetric epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes. Chiral ketone catalysts that are easily accessible in both enantiomers are targets for development. 

Highly enantioselective epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes was developed by using chiral metalloporphyrin catalysts.1214-1218 Remarkable anion axial ligand effects were observed with [Fe(TPFPP)X] complexes (X = triflate, perchlorate, nitrate).1219 Hexafluoroacetone was found to be an efficient cocatalyst with H202,1220 and alkenes could be epoxidized by ozone at ambient temperature.1221... 

Unfunctionalized alkenes have been epoxidized in 40-80% yield by an aerobic process that is catalyzed by salen-manganese(m) complexes at room temperature (equation 3). 

Homologous biphenyl and binaphthyl tertiary azepines (4) and quaternary iminium salts, prepared from (+)-(5,5 )-L-acetonamine, behave as effective catalysts for the enantioselective epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes with Oxone (ee up to 83%).113... 

Regardless of the mechanism, the chiral (salen)Mn-mediated epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes represents a methodology with constantly expanding generality. Very mild and neutral conditions can be achieved, as illustrated by Adam s epoxidation of chromene derivatives 12 using Jacobsen-type catalysts and dimethyldioxirane as a terminal oxidant [95TL3669]. Similarly, periodates can be employed as the stoichiometric oxidant in the epoxidation of cis- and tram-olefins [95TL319],... 

The macrocyclic chemistry of tetradentate Schiff base complexes has been known for long time. However, the successful use of such a complex as an enantioselective catalyst in epoxidation reactions is a relatively recent finding. In these reactions complex 9.9 or an analogue is used. One of the possible routes for the synthesis of intermediate 9.2 of Table 9.1 involves the use of a similar catalyst. While complex 9.9 works well with unfunctionalized alkenes, for the epoxidation of allylic alcohols, dialkyl tartarates, 9.10, are the preferred ligands. As we shall see, the mechanisms of epoxidation in these two cases are different. Also for the tartarate-based system titanium is the metal of choice (see Section 9.3.3). 

Figure 9.8 Catalytic cycle for the epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes with a chiral Schiff base complex of manganese as the catalyst.

Asymmetric epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes by NaOCl with 9.38B-type catalysts is found to be substantially accelerated in the presence of near-catalytic quantities of amine N-oxides. What is the mechanistic significance of this observation ... 

The Payne system has been employed in the presence of antibodies to effect catalytic enantioselective epoxidation of unfunctionalized alkenes.144 Interestingly, Chen and co-workers145 have discovered that acetamide, at a slightly acidic pH in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, can be employed for the epoxidation of alkenes (Figure 2.44).145... 

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis, Ed. I. Ojima, VCH, New York (1993), Chpt 4 (asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols and unfunctionalized alkenes)... 

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