Asymmetric isomerization

In pyridine solutions, the statistically corrected relative catalytic coefficients of tertiary amines for 1-methylindene isomerization decreased in the order24 4. quinuclidine, 80 DABCO, 10 triethylamine, 1. The smaller catalytic effectiveness of DABCO than quinuclidine is attributable to its weaker basicity is —30eu for each of these bicyclic bases. On the other hand, triethylamine is about as basic as quinuclidine, but must lose considerable rotational freedom in the rate-limiting proton transfer. This is reflected in the more negative entropy of activation (—39eu) for the triethyl-amine-catalyzed reaction. In pyridine solution, there is a close correlation between pa s of the catalyzing base and A// for 1-methylindene isomerization. Asymmetric catalysis was demonstrated in the quinine-catalyzed isomerization of optically active 1-methylindene in pyridine at 25°C the dextrorotatory indene isomerized nearly twice as fast as its enantiometer247. 

In 2012, You and co-workers developed a cascade ring-closing metathesis/ isomerization/asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reaction, employing ruthenium complex (Hoveyda-Grubbs II catalyst) and chiral phosphoric acid as the... 

Scheme 6.23 olefin isomerization/asymmetric Pictet-Spengler cascade reported by You. 

In polymers made of dis-symmetric monomers, such as, for example, poly(propylene), the stmcture may be irregular and constitutional isomerism can occur as shown in figure C2.1.1(a ). The succession of the relative configurations of the asymmetric centres can also vary between stretches of the chain. Configuration isomerism is characterized by the succession of dyads which are named either meso, if the two asymmetric centres have the same relative configurations, or racemo if the configurations differ (figure C2.1.1(b )). A polymer is called isotactic if it contains only one type of dyad and syndiotactic if the dyad sequence strictly alternates between the meso and racemo fonns. 

Figure C2.1.1. (a) Constitutional isomerism of poly (propylene). The upper chain has a regular constitution. The lower one contains a constitutional defect, (b) Configurational isomerism of poly(propylene). Depending on tire relative configurations of tire asymmetric carbons of two successive monomer units, tire corresponding dyad is eitlier meso or racemo.

When the asymmetric carbon atoms in a chiral compound are part of a ring, the isomerism is more complex than in acyclic compounds. A cyclic compound which has two different asymmetric carbons with different sets of substituent groups attached has a total of 2 = 4 optical isomers an enantiometric pair of cis isomers and an enantiometric pair of trans isomers. However, when the two asymmetric centers have the same set of substituent groups attached, the cis isomer is a meso compound and only the trans isomer is chiral. (See Fig. 1.15.)... 

Complications arising from other types of isomerism. Positional and geometrical isomerism, also described in Sec. 1.6, will be excluded for simplicity. In actual polymers these are not always so easily ignored. Polymerization of 1,2-disubstituted ethylenes. Since these introduce two different asymmetric carbons into the polymer backbone (second substituent Y), they have the potential to display ditacticity. Our attention to these is limited to the illustration of some terminology which is derived from carbohydrate nomenclature (structures [IX]-[XII]) ... 

Propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and tripropylene glycol all have several isomeric forms. Propylene glycol has one asymmetric carbon and thus there are two enantiomers (R)-I,2-propanediol and (3)-1,2-propanediol. 1,3-Propanediol is a stmctural isomer. Dipropylene glycol exists in three stmctural forms and since each stmctural isomer has two asymmetric carbons there are four possible stereochemical isomers per stmcture or a total of twelve isomers. These twelve consist of four enantiomer pairs and two meso- compounds. Tripropylene glycol has four stmctural isomers and each stmctural isomer has... 

The fact that the isomeric structure of azolides is thermodynamically controlled has been used by Olofson and Kendall to prepare 1-alkylazoles regioselectively (70JOC2246). An asymmetric pyrazole yields two alkylated derivatives (Scheme 21 see Section 4.04.2.1.3 (viii)), but the alkylation with a powerful alkylating agent of the acetylated derivative leads to the less abundant isomer via the salt (249), which is too unstable to be isolated. 

Although lupinine is thus a comparatively simple alkaloid its detailed chemistry has been difficult to unravel owing (a) to the presence in its molecule of two asymmetric carbon atoms as asterisked in (XI), and (6) the possibility of cis-trans isomerism in certain of its proximate (ieriva-tives. Winterfeld and Holschneider have pointed out that a further complexity arises from the presence in natural Z-lupinine of a structural isomeride, aZZolupinine for which formula (XII) is suggested. They also quote Kreig s observation that by the action of sodium on a benzene solution of Z-lupinine (m.p. 68-9° [ajo — 23-52°), the latter is converted... 

Absolute configurations of the amino acids are referenced to D- and L-glyceraldehyde on the basis of chemical transformations that can convert the molecule of interest to either of these reference isomeric structures. In such reactions, the stereochemical consequences for the asymmetric centers must be understood for each reaction step. Propose a sequence of reactions that would demonstrate that l( —)-serine is stereochemically related to l( —)-glyceraldehyde. 

Two pieces of chemical evidence support the three-membered ring formulation. The bifunctional oxazirane prepared from glyoxal, tert-butylamine, and peracetic acid (6) can be obtained in two crystalline isomeric forms. According to the three-membered ring formula there should be two asymmetric carbon atoms which should allow the existence of meso and racemic forms. A partial optical resolution was carried out with 2-7i-propyl-3-methyl-3-isobutyloxazirane. Brucine was oxidized to the N-oxide with excess of the oxazirane. It was found that the unused oxazirane was optically active. 

Kjj = number of structurally isomeric paraffins of molecular formula without asymmetric carbon atoms ... 

Perhaps the most successful industrial process for the synthesis of menthol is employed by the Takasago Corporation in Japan.4 The elegant Takasago Process uses a most effective catalytic asymmetric reaction - the (S)-BINAP-Rh(i)-catalyzed asymmetric isomerization of an allylic amine to an enamine - and furnishes approximately 30% of the annual world supply of menthol. The asymmetric isomerization of an allylic amine is one of a large and growing number of catalytic asymmetric processes. Collectively, these catalytic asymmetric reactions have dramatically increased the power and scope of organic synthesis. Indeed, the discovery that certain chiral transition metal catalysts can dictate the stereo-... 

Scheme 6. Otsuka and Tani s (+)-DIOP-Co-catalyzed asymmetric isomerization of diethylnerylamine (21) and cyclohexylgeranylamine (24).. ...

Scheme 7. Stereochemical outcome of BINAP-Rh(i)-catalyzed asymmetric isomerization of allylic amines.

We now turn to the Takasago Process for the commercial synthesis of (-)-menthol (1),4 one of the most successful industrial applications of catalytic asymmetric synthesis. This exquisite synthesis is based on the BINAP-Rh(i)-catalyzed enantioselecdve isomerization of allylic amines, and has been in operation for the commercial production of (-)-menthol since 1984. 

Asymmetric hydrogenolysis of epoxides has received relatively little attention despite the utility such processes might hold for the preparation of chiral secondary alcohol products. Chan et al. showed that epoxysuccinate disodium salt was reduced by use of a rhodium norbornadiene catalyst in methanol/water at room temperature to give the corresponding secondary alcohol in 62% ee (Scheme 7.31) [58]. Reduction with D2 afforded a labeled product consistent with direct epoxide C-O bond cleavage and no isomerization to the ketone or enol before reduction. 

Alkoxyallylstannanes are also available by boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex induced isomerization of their 1-alkoxy isomers. This isomerization proceeds in an antarafacial manner with excellent stereoselectivity to give (Z)-3-alkoxyallylstannanes possibly via an intermolecu-lar exchange process119. Coupled with the asymmetric reduction of acylstannanes (see Section 1.3.3.3.2.3.1) this provides access to 1-alkyl-3-alkoxyallylstannanes of useful optical purity106. 

Pyrethrolone and cinerolone make up the keto alcohol moiety of the pyrethrins. Both of these keto alcohols have one asymmetric carbon at the 4-position and a double bond in the side chain which is capable of cis-trans isomerism in the 2-position. It is possible, therefore, to have four stereoisomers for each keto alcohol. Katsuda et al. (22) show that only the ( + ) form occurs in the natural esters. Elliott (8) has shown recently, by a new procedure developed to obtain pure ( + ) pyrethrolone, that the hitherto unidentified prye-throlone C is in reality pyrethrolone contaminated with thermally isomerized material. (+) Pyrethrolone forms a crystalline monohydrate from which the pure alcohol is obtained. The natural configurations of the keto alcohols in the esters are insecticidally more active, as is the case with the acid moiety. 

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