Organocatalytic Hantzsch ester

Franke PT, Johansen RL, Bertelsen S, Jorgensen KA (2008) Organocatalytic enantioselective one-pot synthesis and application of substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines - Hantzsch ester analogues. Chem Asian J 3 216—224... 

An enantioselective organocatalytic reductive amination has been achieved using Hantzsch ester for hydrogen transfer and compound (21) as catalyst. This mild and operationally simple fragment coupling has been accomplished with a wide range of ketones in combination with aryl and heterocyclic amines.359... 

Asymmetric Organocatalytic Reduction of Olefins 395 Table 11.1 Organocatalytic reduction of conjugated aldehydes by Hantzsch ester 4 [14]. 

The organocatalytic enantioselective reduction of C=C, C=0, and C=N double bonds is a relatively young area for which many new and exciting developments can be expected in the near future. Hantzsch esters are useful organic hydrides, and a recent review has summarized the results obtained to date in organocataly-sis [27]. The case of silicon hydrides is convenient for imine or ketone reductions, as a chiral base can act as an organic catalyst. The asymmetric reductions of ketones catalyzed by oxazaborolidines and pioneered by Itsuno [28] and Corey [29] could not be included in this chapter. 

Scheme 1.46 Organocatalytic synthesis of Hantzsch-esters. Similar to a Class lA process, but cyclization is via the nitrogen instead of the enamine...

Nature makes use of NADH (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) as a cofactor for enantioselective biochemical hydrogenations, which are typical hydride-transfer reactions. Dihydropyridines and benzimidazolines derivatives are active hydride donors due to the presence of the nitrogen atom and the ability of the molecule to undergo aromatisation. Organocatalytic enantioselective reductions carried out using hydride donors has been studied, and effective reductions have been achieved with imidazoli-dinone organocatalysts, both with a,p unsaturated aldehydes and ketones. Generally, a stoichiometric quantity of reductant (Hantzsch ester 4) is required for these transformations (Scheme 18.5). 

Ouellet, S.G., Walji, A.M., and MacMillan, D.W.C. (2007) Enantioselective organocatalytic transfer hydrogenation reactions using Hantzsch esters. Acc. Chem. Res., 40, 1327-1339. 

A successful asymmetric organocatalytic based C=0 reduction with the Hantzsch ester was not reported until very recently. Terada and Toda developed a relay catalysis that combined Rh(ll) and a chiral phosphoric acid catalyst in a one-pot reaction (Scheme 32.15). In this reaction sequence, a rhodium carbene (I) forms in the first step and is followed with an intramolecular cyclization to afford carbonyl ylide intermediate II or oxidopyrylium III. These intermediates are protonated by 7 to yield the chiral ion pair between isobenzopyrylium and the conjugate base of 7 (IV). Intermediate IV is further reduced in situ by Hantzsch ester Id to produce the isochroman-4-one derivative 67, which is finally trapped with benzoyl chloride to afford the chiral product 68. Surprisingly, the reaction sequence proceeds well to give racemic product even without the addition of chiral 7, while giving rise to the desired product with high enantioselectivity in the presence of chiral Br0nsted acid 7 [38]. 

BOTH (Enantioselective Organocatalytic Transfer Hydrogenation) The group led by MacMillan showed that the combination of an imidazolidine catalyst 3 and a Hantzsch ester 4a is a powerful and versatile reducing agent (Scheme 32.2). They were able to selectively reduce 1,4-unsaturated enals and enones with yields up to 95% and ees up to 97%. 

A major drawback should be noted. No organocatalyst has been known to activate dihydrogen until now, solely transition metals and metalloids have been suitable catalysts. All organocatalytic reductions rely on organic hydride sources like silanes and Hantzsch esters. The fact that metalloid boron species (which are much more closely related to organocatalysts) are known to activate dihydrogen makes it very likely that in a few years, the first all-organic catalysts will be used. 

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