Prolinamides asymmetric michael additions

Organocatalysed asymmetric Michael addition has been extensively studied because of the interest in the adducts as valuable intermediates in organic synthesis. The use of a carbonyl compound as donor and prolinamides as catalysts supposes the formation of the corresponding enamine which adds to the a,p-unsaturated compound activated by formation of hydrogen bonds with the carboxamide substituent. In general, the major diastereoisomer has syn configuration because the enamine attacks from its re-face to the re-face of the double bond (Scheme 6.2). 

Importantly, prolinamide catalysts (Figure 6.3) work well in Michael addition reactions using nitro-olefins as acceptors. iV-Tritylprolinamide 33 and aminonaphthyridine-derived ProNap 34 served as organocatalysts in asymmetric Michael additions of aldehydes and cyclohexanone to nitro-alkenes. Proline-functionalised C3-symmetric 1,3,5-triallq lbenzene 35 was screened in the reaction of cyclohexanone to nitrostyrene to afford the Michael adducts in good yields and diastereoselectivity but low enantioselectivity. 

Sugar-hased prolinamide 16m has also been employed as catalyst for the asymmetric Michael addition of cyclohexanones to p-nitroslyrenes. During optimisation of the reaction conditions, the authors found that the polarity of the solvent does not modify the yield or stereoselectivity, but the best ee was obtained under neat conditions at -20 °C. Ammonium ionic liquids 41a,b are also efficient organocatalysts for the asymmetric Michael addition of aldehydes to nitro-olefins giving the adducts with excellent yields and enantioselectivities and modest to high diastereoselectivities. 

Scheme 11.8 Asymmetric Michael addition between w-pentanal and (i )-p-nitro-styerene catalysed by spirolactams 10 and a-methyl-prolinamides 11.

In 2006 Palomo and coworkers tested several prolinamides in the asymmetric Michael addition of aliphatic aldehydes to nitroalkenes. Hydroxy-proline-derived amides 13 were found to be the most active catalysts for this transformation, establishing the importance of the hydrojy group not only for reaction stereocontrol, but also for catalyst activity. However, 3-hydro>y-prolinamide 13b gave less satisfactory results in terms of stereocontrol, compared to the 4-hydro>y-prolinamide analogue 13a (Scheme 11.11). 

---