Practical and highly enantioselective synthesis of beta-alkynyl-beta-amino esters through Ag-catalyzed asymmetric mannich reactions of silylketene acetals and alkynyl imines.

[reaction: see text] A readily available iso-leucine-based phosphine ligand is used to promote Ag-catalyzed Mannich reactions between silylketene acetals and various alkynyl imines. Reactions can be effected in the presence of 5 mol % catalyst, without the need for rigorous exclusion of air, and with commercially available solvents (without purification) to afford the desired beta-alkynyl-beta-amino esters in 84-94% ee and 61-91% isolated yield.

Ag-catalyzed asymmetric mannich reactions of enol ethers with aryl, alkyl, alkenyl, and alkynyl imines.

An efficient catalytic and enantioselective method (up to >98% ee) for Mannich reactions between trimethylsilyl enol ethers derived from acetone and acetophenone and aryl, alkenyl, alkynyl, and alkyl imines is disclosed. A large variety of beta-amino ketones can be synthesized in the presence of 1-5 mol % AgOAc and an inexpensive and readily available amino acid-derived phosphine. All Ag-catalyzed asymmetric Mannich reactions can be run in undistilled THF and air.

Efficient and practical Ag-catalyzed cycloadditions between arylimines and the Danishefsky diene.

An efficient Ag-catalyzed method for asymmetric addition of the Danishefsky diene to various aryl imines to afford cycloadducts in > or =89% ee and > or =85% isolated yield is reported. Reactions are effected with 0.1-1 mol % catalyst (4 degrees C), and the chiral ligand is readily prepared from commercially available materials, including the inexpensive i-Leu.