Reviews, oxazolines

Chiral oxazolines developed by Albert I. Meyers and coworkers have been employed as activating groups and/or chiral auxiliaries in nucleophilic addition and substitution reactions that lead to the asymmetric construction of carbon-carbon bonds. For example, metalation of chiral oxazoline 1 followed by alkylation and hydrolysis affords enantioenriched carboxylic acid 2. Enantioenriched dihydronaphthalenes are produced via addition of alkyllithium reagents to 1-naphthyloxazoline 3 followed by alkylation of the resulting anion with an alkyl halide to give 4, which is subjected to reductive cleavage of the oxazoline moiety to yield aldehyde 5. Chiral oxazolines have also found numerous applications as ligands in asymmetric catalysis these applications have been recently reviewed, and are not discussed in this chapter. ... 

Radical induced grafting may be carried out in solution, in the melt phase,292 29 or as a solid state process.296 This section will focus on melt phase grafting to polyolefin substrates but many of the considerations are generic. The direct grafting of monomers onto polymers, in particular polyolefins, in the melt phase by reactive extrusion has been widely studied. Most recently, the subject has been reviewed by Moad1 9 and by Russell.292 More details on reactive extrusion as a technique can be found in volumes edited by Xanthos," A1 Malaika and Baker et a 21 7 The process most often involves combining a frcc-radical initiator (most commonly a peroxide) and a monomer or macromonomer with the polyolefin as they are conveyed through the extruder. Monomers commonly used in this context include MAII (Section 7.6.4.1), maleimidc derivatives and malcate esters (Section 7.6.4.2), (meth)acrylic acid and (meth)acrylate esters (Section 7.6.43), S, AMS and derivatives (Section 7.6.4.4), vinylsilancs (Section 7.6.4.5) and vinyl oxazolines (Section 7.6.4.6). 

Ghosh et al. [70] reviewed a few years ago the utihty of C2-symmetric chiral bis(oxazoline)-metal complexes for catalytic asymmetric synthesis, and they reserved an important place for Diels-Alder and related transformations. Bis(oxazoline) copper(II)triflate derivatives have been indeed described by Evans et al. as effective catalysts for the asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction [71]. The bis(oxazoline) Ugand 54 allowed the Diels-Alder transformation of two-point binding N-acylimide dienophiles with good yields, good diastereos-electivities (in favor of the endo diastereoisomer) and excellent ee values (up to 99%) [72]. These substrates represent the standard test for new catalysts development. To widen the use of Lewis acidic chiral Cu(ll) complexes, Evans et al. prepared and tested bis(oxazoHnyl)pyridine (PyBOx, structure 55, Scheme 26) as ligand [73]. 

For a recent review of chiral bis(oxazoline)-mediated asymmetric syntheses, see Ghosh et al.33... 

Wolfe, J. P. Meyers Oxazoline Method In Name Reactions in Heterocycl. Chemistry, Li, J. J. Corey, E. J., Eds. Wiley Sons Hoboken, NJ, 2005, 237—248. (Review). 

The reactivity of oxiranes with lithium enoiates and related compounds has been widely explored and reviewed . Dianions derived from carboxylic acids react readily with oxiranes, but the reaction can be slowed by steric hindrance . The reaction of oxiranes with dianions of acetoacetates is greatly accelerated by the addition of BF3 Et20 " . Oxiranes react readily with lithium salts derived from nitriles , malonates and analogues , lithiated oxazolines and lithio enamines . 

Alkoxyoxazoles undergo Lewis acid catalyzed reaction with a variety of aldehydes to give a mixture containing frani-2-oxazoline-4-carboxylates predominately. The reader is directed to a thorough review of this chemistry recently published by Suga. ... 

Oxazolines have been extensively used as masking groups for either amino alcohols or carboxylic acids. This application has been thoroughly reviewed in Greene s popular monograph and is evident throughout this chapter. Therefore, it is not repeated further here. 

New developments in this area from Langlois group are primarily and generally on the development of the asymmetric version of these reactions. Most of the reactions employed camphor-derived 2-alkenyloxazolines as dienophUes (Scheme 8.133). In many cases, these reactions were carried out in the presence of trifuoroacetic anhydride to activate the alkene by complexation at the oxazoline nitrogen as well as to limit the number of reactive conformations. The reader should consult the recent and extensive reviews of this chemistry by Langlois. 

An oxazoline AT-oxide is a versatile dipole and can react with a variety of dipolarophiles (Scheme 8.134). Langlois group has been very active in this area and has made extensive use of the Ai-oxides of camphor-derived oxazolines for these reactions. The initial adduct can be converted to the anti aldol product after hydrolysis and hydrogenolysis. This subject has been thoroughly reviewed by Langlois, " most recently in 2000. " ... 

Oxazoline-directed aromatic substitution and addition reactions provide synthetic chemists with powerful tools for the construction of complex aromatic compounds. Since the last authoritative review by Meyers, these technologies have matured and found widespread applications in organic synthesis. While there has been somewhat limited methodological research in this area in the intervening years, one particularly exciting new development is the diastereoselective ortho-metalations directed by chiral oxazolines. Sections 8.3.9.1-8.3.9.3 will discuss these new developments as well as new synthetic applications of these reactions. 

Oxazoline-directed conjugate addition of nucleophiles to a naphthalene nucleus is one of the most useful methods to prepare dihydronaphthalenes. Since Meyers last comprehensive review, the focus has been directed to stereoselective synthesis of these important compounds. Meyers laboratory has continued their preeminence in this field and has expanded the scope and applications of this reaction. 

Discussions of oxazolines as chiral directing groups are included in the previous sections under the appropriate reaction classifications. Meyers has already published a recent review of chiral oxazolines (1998) that focused primarily on their use in aromatic reactions and Ullmann coupling reactions in particular. The examples of oxazolines as chiral directing groups described in this section will include reactions that are not discussed in any previous section of this chapter. 

Catalytic asymmetric cyclopropanations via carbene transfer to alkenes were reviewed by Singh and co-workers in 1997," Doyle and Protopopova in 1998," and mostly recently by Doyle in 2000." The reaction can be catalyzed by copper," rhodium," and other metals." Bis(oxazolines) are known to be among the most effective ligands for this cyclopropanation reaction (see Chapter 9). 

Oxazolines undergo polymerization upon exposure to a variety of cationic initiators such as strong Lewis acids or strong protic acids. Copolymerization between different oxazolines of defined composition can be carried out in a random manner or in a controlled fashion resulting in block polymers. Alternatively, oxazolines can also be grafted onto other types of polymers. It is beyond the scope of this chapter to review in detail this enormous and important subject. Instead, the... 

It would require a Herculean effort to prepare a complete discussion and review of every report related to the synthesis, reaction, or application of an oxazole while tabulating every oxazole, oxazolone, oxazoline, and chiral bis(oxazoline) prepared and evaluated during the period of 1983-2001. Such an undertaking is beyond the scope of this review. Furthermore, the ease with which electronic databases, including the patent literature, can be searched, the data retrieved, and the information tabulated would render such a project somewhat redundant. 

Rather, the intent of the current project is to provide the reader with a discussion and leading examples of significant advances made in the synthesis, reactions, and applications of mononuclear oxazoles, oxazolones, oxazolines, and chiral bis(oxazolines) during this time frame. The material focuses on the more recent literature, although an update of the older synthetic literature is included wherever possible. In an effort to be selective, references to relevant reviews of material, not discussed in a chapter, are provided. Completely reduced oxazoles, that is, oxazolidines as well as benzo-fused derivatives, are outside the scope of this review. 

---