Reduction Diels-Alder reactions, chiral catalysis

Annual Volume 71 contains 30 checked and edited experimental procedures that illustrate important new synthetic methods or describe the preparation of particularly useful chemicals. This compilation begins with procedures exemplifying three important methods for preparing enantiomerically pure substances by asymmetric catalysis. The preparation of (R)-(-)-METHYL 3-HYDROXYBUTANOATE details the convenient preparation of a BINAP-ruthenium catalyst that is broadly useful for the asymmetric reduction of p-ketoesters. Catalysis of the carbonyl ene reaction by a chiral Lewis acid, in this case a binapthol-derived titanium catalyst, is illustrated in the preparation of METHYL (2R)-2-HYDROXY-4-PHENYL-4-PENTENOATE. The enantiomerically pure diamines, (1 R,2R)-(+)- AND (1S,2S)-(-)-1,2-DIPHENYL-1,2-ETHYLENEDIAMINE, are useful for a variety of asymmetric transformations hydrogenations, Michael additions, osmylations, epoxidations, allylations, aldol condensations and Diels-Alder reactions. Promotion of the Diels-Alder reaction with a diaminoalane derived from the (S,S)-diamine is demonstrated in the synthesis of (1S,endo)-3-(BICYCLO[2.2.1]HEPT-5-EN-2-YLCARBONYL)-2-OXAZOLIDINONE. 

A more versatile method to use organic polymers in enantioselective catalysis is to employ these as catalytic supports for chiral ligands. This approach has been primarily applied in reactions as asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral alkenes, asymmetric reduction of ketone and 1,2-additions to carbonyl groups. Later work has included additional studies dealing with Lewis acid-catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions, asymmetric epoxidation, and asymmetric dihydroxylation reactions. Enantioselective catalysis using polymer-supported catalysts is covered rather recently in a review by Bergbreiter [257],... 

The third part of this chapter reviews previously described catalytic asymmetric reactions that can be promoted by chiral lanthanoid complexes. Transformations such as Diels-Alder reactions, Mukaiyama aldol reactions, several types of reductions, Michael addition reactions, hydrosilylations, and hydroaminations proceed under asymmetric catalysis in the presence of chiral lanthanoid complexes. 

Chiral oxazaborolidine catalysts were applied in various enantioselective transformations including reduction of highly functionalized ketones/ oximes or imines/ Diels-Alder reactions/ cycloadditions/ Michael additions, and other reactions. These catalysts are surprisingly small molecules compared to the practically efficient chiral phosphoric acids, cinchona alkaloids, or (thio)ureas hence, their effectiveness in asymmetric catalysis demonstrates that huge substituents or extensive hydrogen bond networks are not absolutely essential for successful as5unmetric organocatalysis. 

During the last decade, use of oxazaborolidines and dioxaborolidines in enantioselective catalysis has gained importance. [1, 2] One of the earliest examples of oxazaborolidines as an enantioselective catalyst in the reduction of ketones/ketoxime ethers to secondary alco-hols/amines was reported by Itsuno et al. [3] in which (5 )-valinol was used as a chiral ligand. Since then, a number of other oxazaborolidines and dioxaborolidines have been investigated as enantioselective catalysts in a number of organic transformations viz a) reduction of ketones to alcohols, b) addition of dialkyl zinc to aldehydes, c) asymmetric allylation of aldehydes, d) Diels-Alder cycloaddition reactions, e) Mukaiyama Michael type of aldol condensations, f) cyclopropana-tion reaction of olefins. 

Scheme 7.35 Three-component domino aza-Diels — Alder-hydroamination reaction catalysed by chiral phosphoric acid catalysis and gold catalysis followed by reduction.

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