Direct, Stereodivergent, and Catalytic Michael Additions of Thioimides to α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes - Total Synthesis of Tapentadol.

Direct and stereodivergent Michael additions of N-acyl 1,3-thiazinane-2-thiones to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes catalyzed by chiral nickel(II) complexes are reported. The reactions proceed with a remarkable regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity, so access to any of the four potential Michael stereoisomers is granted through the appropriate choice of the chiral ligand of the nickel(II) complex. Simple removal of the heterocyclic scaffold furnishes a wide array of either syn or anti enantiomerically pure derivatives, which can be exploited for the asymmetric synthesis of biologically active compounds, as demonstrated in a new approach to tapentadol.

Protected -Aldol Compounds from Direct, Catalytic, and Enantioselective Reactions of -Acyl-1,3-oxazinane-2-thiones with Aromatic Acetals.

A direct and asymmetric -aldol reaction of -acyl-1,3-oxazinane-2-thiones with dialkyl acetals from aromatic acetals in the presence of 2-5 mol % [DTBM-SEGPHOS]NiCl, TMSOTf, and lutidine has been developed. It has been established that the oxazinanethione heterocycle, used for the first time as a scaffold in asymmetric carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, can be smoothly removed to give access to a variety of enantiomerically pure compounds with high synthetic value.

Optimized Asymmetric Synthesis of Umuravumbolide.

Herein, the asymmetric synthesis of umuravumbolide () is described. The new approach features highly stereoselective transformations (dr ≥ 95:5) to install both stereocenters and the olefin, which involve a new radical alkylation, an Ando olefination, and a Krische allylation on a allylic alcohol, not reported before. The application of such successful reactions, together with the limited use of protecting groups and concession steps, makes it possible to complete the synthesis in 10 steps, resulting in a 39% overall yield from chiral -acyl oxazolidinone .

Direct and Asymmetric Aldol Reactions of N-Azidoacetyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione Catalyzed by Chiral Nickel(II) Complexes. A New Approach to the Synthesis of β-Hydroxy-α-Amino Acids.

A direct and asymmetric triisopropylsilyltrifluoromethanesulfonate (TIPSOTf) mediated aldol reaction of N-azidoacetyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione with aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by a chiral nickel(II)-Tol-BINAP complex has been developed (BINAP=2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl). The catalytic protocol gives the corresponding anti α-azido-β-silyloxy adducts with outstanding stereocontrol and in high yields. Theoretical calculations account for the stereochemical outcome of the reaction and lay the foundations for a mechanistic model.

Stereoselective Alkylation of Chiral Titanium(IV) Enolates with -Butyl Peresters.

Here, we present a new stereoselective alkylation of titanium(IV) enolates of chiral -acyl oxazolidinones with -butyl peresters from Cα-branched aliphatic carboxylic acids, which proceeds through the decarboxylation of the peresters and the subsequent formation of alkyl radicals to produce the alkylated adducts with an excellent diastereoselectivity. Theoretical calculations account for the observed reactivity and the outstanding stereocontrol. Importantly, the resultant compounds can be easily converted into ligands for asymmetric and catalytic transformations.

Direct and Enantioselective Aldol Reactions Catalyzed by Chiral Nickel(II) Complexes.

A direct and asymmetric aldol reaction of N-acyl thiazinanethiones with aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by chiral nickel(II) complexes is reported. The reaction gives the corresponding O-TIPS-protected anti-aldol adducts in high yields and with remarkable stereocontrol and atom economy. Furthermore, the straightforward removal of the achiral scaffold provides enantiomerically pure intermediates of synthetic interest, which involve precursors for anti-α-amino-β-hydroxy and α,β-dihydroxy carboxylic derivatives.

Direct, Enantioselective, and Nickel(II) Catalyzed Reactions of N-Azidoacetyl Thioimides with Trimethyl Orthoformate: A New Combined Methodology for the Rapid Synthesis of Lacosamide and Derivatives.

A direct and highly enantioselective reaction of N-azidoacetyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione with trimethyl orthoformate catalyzed by Tol-BINAPNiCl in the presence of TESOTf and 2,6-lutidine is reported. The heterocyclic scaffold can be easily removed by addition of a wide array of amines to give the corresponding enantiomerically pure 2-azido-3,3-dimethoxypropanamides in high yields. Appropriate manipulation of the N-benzyl amide derivative provides an efficient access to the antiepileptic agent lacosamide through a new enantioselective C-C bond-forming process.

Stereoselective Decarboxylative Alkylation of Titanium(IV) Enolates with Diacyl Peroxides.

Simple treatment of chiral titanium(IV) enolates with diacyl peroxides produces highly diastereoselective decarboxylative alkylations to efficiently deliver the corresponding adducts, most of which are not accessible through any of the current alkylating procedures. Such an unprecedented alkylation proceeds through an SET process that triggers the decomposition of the peroxide into a carbon-centered radical that finally combines with the resulting Cα radical. The procedure has been applied to the enantioselective synthesis of arundic acid.

Direct and Asymmetric Nickel(II)-Catalyzed Construction of Carbon-Carbon Bonds from N-Acyl Thiazinanethiones.

A wide array of new N-acyl thiazinanethiones are employed in a number of direct and enantioselective carbon-carbon-bond-forming reactions catalyzed by nickel(II) complexes. The electrophilic species are mostly prepared in situ from ortho esters, methyl ethers, acetals, and ketals, which makes the overall process highly efficient and experimentally straightforward. Theoretical calculations indicate that the reactions proceed through an open transition state in a S1-like mechanism.

General and stereoselective aminoxylation of biradical titanium(iv) enolates with TEMPO: a detailed study on the effect of the chiral auxiliary.

A comprehensive analysis of the influence of the chiral auxiliary on the α-aminoxylation of titanium(iv) enolates with TEMPO indicated that (S) 4-tert-butyl-1-oxazolidine-2-thione is the most appropriate scaffold to provide a single diastereomer in high yields for a variety of substrates, which converts such a radical reaction into a highly chemo- and stereoselective oxidation.

Stereoselective and Catalytic Synthesis of anti-β-Alkoxy-α-azido Carboxylic Derivatives.

Direct addition of a chiral N-azidoacetyl thiazolidinethione to a variety of dialkyl acetals catalyzed by a commercially available and structurally simple nickel(II) complex gives access in good yields and a highly stereocontrolled manner to anti-β-alkoxy-α-azido carboxylic derivatives which, in turn, can be easily converted into a wide array of enantiomerically pure compounds.

Experimental and Computational Evidence of the Biradical Structure and Reactivity of Titanium(IV) Enolates.

Quantum chemical calculations have unveiled the unexpected biradical character of titanium(IV) enolates from N-acyl oxazolidinones and thiazolidinethiones. The electronic structure of these species therefore involves a valence tautomerism consisting of an equilibrium between a closed shell (formally Ti(IV) enolates) and an open shell, biradical, singlet (formally Ti(III) enolates) electronic states, whose origin is to be basically found in changes of the Ti-O distance. Spectroscopic studies of the intermediate species lend support to such a model, which also turns out to be crucial for a better understanding of the overall reactivity of titanium(IV) enolates.

Diastereoselective and Catalytic α-Alkylation of Chiral N-Acyl Thiazolidinethiones with Stable Carbocationic Salts.

Direct nickel-catalyzed alkylation of chiral N-acyl-4-isopropyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thiones using a commercially available nickel(II) complex, (MeP)NiCl, has been developed for tropylium and trityl tetrafluoroborate salts. The reaction provides a single diastereomer of the corresponding adducts in good to high yields, which, in turn, can be easily converted into a wide array of enantiomerically pure compounds that are difficult to obtain by other asymmetric procedures.

Total synthesis of (+)-herboxidiene/GEX 1A.

A total synthesis of (+)-herboxidiene/GEX 1A has been accomplished from (R)- and (S)-lactate esters in a highly efficient manner. Key steps of the synthesis involve substrate-controlled titanium-mediated aldol reactions from chiral lactate-derived ethyl ketones, an oxa-Michael cyclization, an Ireland-Claisen rearrangement, and a Suzuki coupling. Furthermore, computational studies of the oxa-Michael reaction have unveiled the dramatic influence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds on the stereochemical outcome of such cyclizations, whereas biological analyses have clearly proved the important cytoxicity of (+)-herboxidiene/GEX 1A.

Stereoselective Synthesis of the C9-C19 Fragment of Peloruside A.

A concise synthesis of the C9-C19 fragment of peloruside A that is both highly stereoselective and efficient is described. Achieving an overall yield of 23% over 14 steps, this synthesis not only is high yielding but also involves four chromatography steps. This approach is based on the addition of metal enolates of chiral auxiliary scaffolds generated by either catalytic or stoichiometric amounts of nickel(II) or titanium(IV) Lewis acids.

Studies towards the synthesis of tedanolide C. Construction of the C13-epi C1-C15 fragment.

The preparation of an advanced intermediate on route towards the synthesis of tedanolide C is reported here. It is based on the coupling of two fragments of similar size and complexity, which in turn are prepared by highly stereoselective substrate-controlled titanium-mediated aldol reactions from chiral ketones.

Stereoselective Alkylation of (S)-N-Acyl-4-isopropyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thiones Catalyzed by (Me3P)2NiCl2.

The structurally simple (Me3P)2NiCl2 complex catalyzes SN1-type alkylations of chiral N-acyl thiazolidinethiones with diarylmethyl methyl ethers and other stable carbenium cations. The former can contain a variety of functional groups and heteroatoms at the α-position. The resultant adducts are isolated as single diastereomers in high yields and can be converted into enantiomerically pure derivatives in a straightforward manner.

Substrate-controlled Michael additions of chiral ketones to enones.

Substrate-controlled Michael additions of the titanium(IV) enolate of lactate-derived ketone 1 to acyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones in the presence of a Lewis acid (TiCl4 or SnCl4) provide the corresponding 2,4-anti-4,5-anti dicarbonyl compounds in good yields and excellent diastereomeric ratios. Likely, the nucleophilic species involved in such additions are bimetallic enolates that may add to enones through cyclic transition states. Finally, further studies indicate that a structurally related β-benzyloxy chiral ketone can also participate in such stereocontrolled conjugate additions.

Stereoselective aminoxylation of biradical titanium enolates with TEMPO.

A highly efficient and straightforward aminoxylation of titanium(IV) enolates from (S)-N-acyl-4-benzyl-5,5-dimethyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones with TEMPO has been developed. A wide array of functional groups on the acyl moiety, including alkyl and aryl substituents, olefins, esters, or α-cyclopropyl, as well as α-trifluoromethyl groups, are well tolerated. This transformation can therefore produce the α-aminoxylated adducts in excellent yields with high diastereomeric ratios (d.

Improving enantioselectivity towards tertiary alcohols using mutants of Bacillus sp. BP-7 esterase EstBP7 holding a rare GGG(X)-oxyanion hole.

Lipases and esterases are important biocatalysts for synthetic organic fine chemistry. An esterase from Bacillus sp. BP-7 (EstBP7) bears in its amino acid sequence a rare GGG(A)X oxyanion hole motif, where an uncommon threonine (T) is found at the third position.

Stereoselective titanium-mediated aldol reactions of a chiral lactate-derived ethyl ketone with ketones.

Aldol reactions of titanium enolates of lactate-derived ethyl ketone 1 with other ketones proceed in a very efficient and stereocontrolled manner provided that a further equivalent of TiCl4 is added to the reacting mixture. The scope of these reactions encompasses simple ketones such as acetone or cyclohexanone as well as other ketones that contain potential chelating groups such as pyruvate esters or α- and β-hydroxy ketones.

Stereoselective titanium-mediated aldol reactions of a chiral isopropyl ketone.

A novel substrate-controlled aldol reaction of a chiral isopropyl ketone is reported. The outstanding regioselective enolization by TiCl4-i-Pr2NEt provides a chelated enolate that can participate in highly diastereoselective additions to a wide array of aldehydes favouring the corresponding 2,5-syn adducts.

Diastereoselective additions of titanium enolates from N-glycolyl thiazolidinethiones to acetals.

The stereochemical outcome of the Lewis acid-mediated glycolate addition of the titanium enolates from protected N-hydroxyacetyl-4-isopropyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thiones to dimethyl and dibenzyl acetals depends on the hydroxyl protecting group. Particularly, the pivaloyl protected glycolate derivative provides the reluctant anti adducts in high yields and diastereomeric ratios, which can be isolated and further converted in enantiomerically pure form to β-methoxy or β-benzyloxy α-pivaloyloxy carbonyl fragments in a straightforward manner.

Stereoselective synthesis of protected 3-amino-3,6-dideoxyaminosugars.

New syntheses of densely functionalized protected derivatives of 3-amino-3,6-dideoxyaminosugars have been accomplished in an efficient and straightforward manner. The key step of such approaches involves a highly stereoselective titanium-mediated aldol addition of a chiral α-bromo ketone, easily available from lactate esters, to crotonaldehyde. Further functional group transformations, including a new regioselective Staudinger-aza-Wittig reaction of an azidodiacetate, afford in a few steps and high yield the desired carbohydrates as advanced intermediates capable of participating in subsequent glycosylation reactions.

Total synthesis of (+)-herboxidiene from two chiral lactate-derived ketones.

A substrate-controlled synthesis of (+)-herboxidiene from two lactate-derived chiral ketones is described. Remarkably, most of the carbon backbone was constructed through highly stereoselective titanium-mediated aldol reactions and an Ireland-Claisen rearrangement. Furthermore, an oxa-Michael cyclization and a high-yield Suzuki coupling were used to assemble the pyran ring and the diene moiety respectively.