Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of a tertiary benzylic carbon center via phenol-directed alkene hydrogenation.

An expeditious synthetic approach to chiral phenol 1, a key building block in the preparation of a series of drug candidates, is reported. The strategy includes a cost-effective and readily scalable route to cyclopentanone 3 from isobutyronitrile (10). The sterically hindered and enolizable ketone 3 was subsequently employed in a challenging Grignard addition mediated by LaCl(3)·2LiCl.

Diastereoselective palladium-catalyzed alpha-arylation of 4-substituted cyclohexyl esters.

A diastereoselective palladium-catalyzed arylation of 4-substituted cyclohexyl esters has been developed. The reaction proceeds at room temperature in the presence of [(t-Bu3P)PdBr]2 providing products in up to 37:1 dr.

Is there a homolytic substitution chemistry (SH2) of sulfones?

[reaction: see text] A series of 2-alkylsulfonyl-2'-biphenyl radicals, in which the alkyl group is primary, secondary, or tertiary, were generated and the products of their reactions investigated. Dibenzothiophene S,S-dioxide was not identified among the products, which arose mainly from intramolecular hydrogen abstraction from the alkyl group or addition to the solvent, benzene. On this basis, it is concluded that homolytic substitution at sulfonyl sulfur, if possible at all, is too slow to take precedence over a number of competing decomposition pathways.

Stereochemical memory effects in alkene radical cation/anion contact ion pairs: effect of substituents, and models for diastereoselectivity.

A series of 12 stereochemically defined 2,m-dimethyl- and 2,m,n-trimethyl-6-benzylamino-2-nitro-3-(diphenylphosphatoxy)hexanes have been synthesized and their cyclization reactions leading to di- and trisubstituted N-benzyl pyrrolidines examined in the presence of tributyltin hydride and azoisobutyronitrile in benzene at reflux. The cyclizations are interpreted in terms of generation of an alkyl radical by abstraction of the nitro group with a stannyl radical. The phosphate leaving group is then expelled in a heterolytic cleavage to give a contact alkene radical cation/phosphate anion pair.

Tandem polar/radical crossover sequences for the formation of fused and bridged bicyclic nitrogen heterocycles involving radical ionic chain reactions, and alkene radical cation intermediates, performed under reducing conditions: scope and limitations.

It is demonstrated that phosphorylated forms of beta-nitro alcohols provide an excellent means of entry into beta-(phosphatoxy)alkyl radicals on exposure to tributyltin hydride and AIBN in benzene at reflux. These radicals then undergo heterolytic cleavage of the phosphate group to yield alkene radical cation/phosphate anion contact ion pairs which are trapped intramolecularly in a tandem polar/radical crossover sequence involving radical ionic chain reactions by allylic and propargylic amines. The substitution pattern of the alkene radical cation dictates the cyclization mode, and this may be engineered to form fused ring systems by an initial exo-mode nucleophilic cyclization or bridged bicyclic systems when the nucleophilic attack takes place in the endo-mode.

Asymmetric synthesis of highly substituted beta-nitro alcohols and enantiomerically enriched 4,4,5-trisubstituted oxazolidinones.

It is demonstrated that alpha,alpha-disubstituted-alpha-nitroketones are reduced to the corresponding trisubstituted nitro alcohols in good to excellent yield and enantiomeric excess by borane-dimethyl sulfide in the presence of a chiral oxazaborolidine catalyst. Reduction of the nitro alcohols to the corresponding amino alcohols and their subsequent conversion to enantiomerically enriched 4,4,5-trisubstituted oxazoldinones is also reported.

Diastereoselectivity in the cyclization of alkene radical cations generated under non-oxidizing conditions: contact ion pairs and memory effects.

A series of highly diastereomerically enriched 1,5-dimethyl-, 2,5-dimethyl-, and 3,5-dimethyl-N-benzyl-5-nitro-4-(diphenylphosphatoxy)hexylamines were exposed to tributyltin hydride and AIBN in benzene at reflux. The ensuing reactions, interpreted in terms of radical denitration, radical ionic fragmentation, and nucleophilic substitution, lead to the formation of pyrrolidines with moderate to high diastereoselectivity. In five out of the six cases, the diastereoselectivity is best interpreted by backside attack by the amine on the initial contact ion pair generated by radical ionic fragmentation.