Desymmetrization Reaction

Precursor of Useful Chiral Ligands. OPEN is widely used for the preparation of chiral ligands. Organometallic compounds with these ligands act as useful reagents or catalysts in asymmetric induction reactions such as dihydroxylation of olefins, transfer hydrogenation of ketones and imines, Diels-Alder and aldol reactions, desymmetrization of meso-diols to produce chiral oxazolidinones, epoxidation of simple olefins, benzylic hydroxylation, and borohydride reduction of ketones, imines, and a,p-unsaturated carboxylates. ... 

An example of a condensation reaction with diastereotopic group selectivity (see appendix) is the lactonization of either of the two racemic, C2-symmetrical 5-hydroxy-2,4,6,8-tetramethylnonanedioic acids. This reaction desymmetrizes a compound with two pairs of equivalent stereocenters (C-5 is achiral ) into a product with five different stereocenters. The trilithium salt is generated by reduction of the 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-5-oxononanedioic acid with lithium in ammonia and then either acidified to pH 3 followed by rapid extraction of the lactones formed (kinetic control) or equilibrated at pH w 1 to the lactone mixture (thermodynamic control). Depending on the steric interactions in the chair-like transition states and in the half-chair lactone products, either kinetic or thermodynamic control leads with high diastereoselectivity to the lactone with trans-configuration at C-5 and C-6 of the tetra-hydro-2/f-pyran-2-one ring (T. R. Hoye, 1984). 

In contrast to the resolution of secondary alcohols, where the more simple Upase technology is recommended instead of redox reactions, desymmetrization of primary diols of prochiral or meso-structure has been shown to be a valuable method for the synthesis of chiral lactones (Scheme 2.143) [1034]. 

CIL 90 in combination with phthalic acid efficiently catalyzed asymmetric reactions of cyclic ketones 93 with diarylhydroxymethane derivatives 94, affording alkylation products 95 with yields from moderate to high and a broad range of enantiomeric excess (8-87% ee) [104] (Scheme 22.29). Presumably, ketone 93-derived enamines and alcohol 94-sourced diarylmethyl cations were intermediates in these reactions. Desymmetrization products 95 [R, = CH2CH(R)CH2]... 

Desymmetrization of meso-bis-allylic alcohols is an effective method for the preparation of chiral functionalized intermediates from meso-substrates. Schreiber et al has shown that divinyl carbonyl 58 is epoxidized in good enantioselectivity. However, because the product epoxy alcohols 59 and 60 also contain a reactive allylic alcohol that are diastereomeric in nature, a second epoxidation would occur at different rates and thus affect the observed ee for the first AE reaction and the overall de. Indeed, the major diastereomeric product epoxide 59 resulting from the first AE is less reactive in the second epoxidation. Thus, high de is easily obtainable since the second epoxidation removes the minor diastereomer. 

Subsequent to the development of the (salen)Cr-catalyzed desymmetrization of meso-epoxides with azide (Scheme 7.3), Jacobsen discovered that the analogous (salen)Co(n) complex 6 promoted the enantioselective addition of benzoic acids to meso-epoxides to afford valuable monoprotected C2-symmetric diols (Scheme 7.15) [26], Under the reaction conditions, complex 6 served as a precatalyst for the (salen) Co(iii)-OBz complex, which was fonned in situ by aerobic oxidation. While the enantioselectivity was moderate for certain substrates, the high crystallinity of the products allowed access to enantiopure materials by simple recrystallization. 

In contrast, Cozzi and Umani-Ronchi found the (salen)Cr-Cl complex 2 to be very effective for the desymmetrization of meso-slilbene oxide with use of substituted indoles as nucleophiles (Scheme 7.25) [49]. The reaction is high-yielding, highly enantioselective, and takes place exclusively at sp2-hybridized C3, independently of the indole substitution pattern at positions 1 and 2. The successful use of N-alkyl substrates (Scheme 7.25, entries 2 and 4) suggests that nucleophile activation does not occur in this reaction, in stark contrast with the highly enantioselective cooperative bimetallic mechanism of the (salen)Cr-Cl-catalyzed asymmetric azidolysis reaction (Scheme 7.5). However, no kinetic studies on this reaction were reported. 

Extension of these processes to provide enantio-enriched products was successfully applied after desymmetrization of the starting materials. An example is shown below (Reaction 76), where silane-mediated xanthate deoxygenation-rearrangement-electrophile trapping afforded the conversion of (+)-94 to (+)-95 in 56% yield. ... 

CHMO is known to catalyze a number of enantioselective BV reactions, including the kinetic resolution of certain racemic ketones and desymmetrization of prochiral substrates [84—87]. An example is the desymmetrization of 4-methylcyclohexanone, which affords the (S)-configurated seven-membered lactone with 98% ee [84,87]. Of course, many ketones fail to react with acceptable levels of enantioselectivity, or are not even accepted by the enzyme. 

Table 2.1 Desymmetrization of prochiral ketones by the BV reaction using O2 as the oxidant and the CHMO mutant 1-K2-F5 as the catalyst [90].

In an asymmetric synthesis, the enantiomeric composition of the product remains constant as the reaction proceeds. In practice, ho vever, many enzymatic desymmetrizations undergo a subsequent kinetic resolution as illustrated in Figure 6.5. For instance, hydrolysis of a prochiral diacetate first gives the chiral monoalcohol monoester, but this product is also a substrate for the hydrolase, resulting in the production of... 

Esterases, proteases, and some lipases are used in stereoselective hydrolysis of esters bearing a chiral or a prochiral acyl moiety. The substrates are racemic esters and prochiral or meso-diesters. Pig liver esterase (PLE) is the most useful enzyme for this type of reaction, especially for the desymmetrization of prochiral or meso substrates. 

The high chemoselectivity for the Baeyer-Villiger process was utilized in the synthetic elaboration of another hetero-bicyclic substrate. The biooxidation only provides the expected unsaturated lactone in a desymmetrization reaction without compromising the olefin functionality. The biotransformation product was then converted to pivotal intermediates for C-nucleosides like showdomycin, tetrahydro-furan natural products like kumausyne, and goniofufurone analogs in subsequent chemical operations (Scheme 9.17) [161]. 

For desymmetrization of diesters 3 via their hydrolysis in water, pig Hver esterase [12], o -chymotrypsin [12, 13a], and Candida antarctica Hpase (CAL-B) [14] were successfully used. However, further studies showed that respective anhydrides 5 can be used as substrates for enzyme-catalyzed desymmetrization in organic solvents [15]. The desired monoesters 4 were obtained in high yield in this way, using immobilized enzymes Novozym 435 or Chirazyme L-2 (Scheme 5.3). After the reaction, enzymes were filtered off, organic solvents were evaporated, and the crude products were crystalHzed. This was a much simpler experimental procedure in which control of the reaction progress was not necessary, and aU problems associated with extraction of products from aqueous phase and their further purification were omitted [15]. 

Other reactions not described here are formal [3 -i- 2] cycloadditions of a,p-unsaturated acyl-fluorides with allylsilanes [116], or the desymmetrization of meso epoxides [117]. For many of the reactions shown above, the planar chiral Fe-sandwich complexes are the first catalysts allowing for broad substrate scope in combination with high enantioselectivities and yields. Clearly, these milestones in asymmetric Lewis-base catalysis are stimulating the still ongoing design of improved catalysts. 

Also, desymmetrization of prochiral hydroxyalkylphosphine P-boranes was successfully performed using similar reagents and conditions. In the case of bis(hydroxymethyl)phenylphosphine P-borane 87, both its acetylation and hydrolysis of the diacetyl derivative 89 gave good results, although in addition to the expected monoacetate 88, the diol 87 and diacetate 89 were always present in the reaction mixture (Equation 42). °°... 

Grogan G, GA Roberts, D Bougioukou, NJ Turner, SL Flitsch (2001) The desymmetrization of bicyclic P-diketones by an enzymatic retro-claisen reaction. J Biol Chem 276 12565-12572. 

OS 14] [R 17] [no protocol[ Further studies related to the desymmetrization of thiorueas showed that for the diphenylthiourea/cydohexylamine system reasonable reaction rates and conversions were achieved [42, 85], It is notable that the temperatures of up to 91°C applied slightly exceed the boiling point of the solvent acetonitrile. 

The catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization of meso compounds is a powerful tool for the construction of enantiomerically enriched functionalized products." Meso cyclic allylic diol derivatives are challenging substrates for the asymmetric allylic substitution reaction owing to the potential competition of several reaction pathways. In particular, S 2 and 5n2 substitutions can occur, and both with either retention or inversion of the stereochemistry. In the... 

Among recently described new Pd-catalysed enantioselective reactions, the ring opening of meso oxabicyclic alkenes with dialkyl zinc reagents in the presence of chiral P/P and P/N ligands reported by Tautens el al. constitutes a synthetically outstanding C-C bond-forming desymmetrization reaction. 

A very short and efficient synthesis based on the desymmetrization principle is shown in Scheme 13.39. mc.vo-2,4-Dimethylglularaldchyde reacted selectively with the diethylboron enolate derived from a bornanesultam chiral auxiliary. This reaction established the stereochemistry at the C(2) and C(3) centers. The dominant aldol product results from an anti-Felkin stereoselectivity with respect to the C(4) center. 

Formal hydration of the double bond appeared by the hydroboration-oxidation sequence. Desymmetrization reactions with catalytic asymmetric hydroboration are not restricted to norbornene or nonfunctionalized substrates and can be successfully applied to meso bicyclic hydrazines. In the case of 157, hydroxy derivative 158 is formed with only moderate enantioselectivity both using Rh or Ir precatalysts. Interestingly, a reversal of enantioselectivity is observed for the catalytic desymmetrization reaction by exchanging these two transition metals. Rh-catalyzed hydroboration involves a metal-H insertion, and a boryl migration is involved when using an Ir precatalyst (Equation 17) <2002JA12098, 2002JOC3522>. 

With a concise route to enantiopure 49 identified, Merlic was able to effect desymmetrization by controlled methanolysis to access calphostins B (4b) and C (4c) (Scheme 7.10). The carbonate linkage of calphostin C was installed via reaction of the free alcohol with phosgene and 4-acetoxyphenol, thus completing the first synthesis of calphostin C in 16 steps. 

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