Access to alpha-substituted amino acid derivatives via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alpha-amino ester derived nitrones.

Amino acid derived nitrones were conveniently synthesized in good-to-excellent yields by condensation of alpha-ketoesters with N-benzylhydroxylamine. The cycloaddition reactions of these nitrones with different alkenes were investigated under thermal solvent-free conditions. Considering conversions, yields, and selectivities, alkyl vinyl ethers have proven to be valuable partners to achieve this transformation, which creates a tetrafunctionalized stereogenic quaternary center.

N-benzyl aspartate nitrones: unprecedented single-step synthesis and [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions with alkenes.

N-benzyl aspartate nitrones 2, prepared by addition of N-benzylhydroxylamine to dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates 1, underwent [3 + 2] thermal cycloaddition with a wide range of alkenes to afford isoxazolidines 4 bearing a polyfunctionalized quaternary center. Under these uncatalyzed conditions, the trans stereocontrol observed with vinyl ethers is higher than that obtained with all acyclic activated nitrones reported to date. The first asymmetric access to a type-4 pure adduct was achieved starting from the chiral aspartate nitrone derived from (S)-alpha-methylbenzylhydroxylamine.

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of N-substituted dipolarophiles and nitrones: highly efficient solvent-free reaction.

New isoxazolidines were synthesized in good to excellent yields by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of N-vinylamide dipolarophiles and nitrones. Strikingly, solvent-free conditions gave high conversion and yields, shortened reaction time, and minimized degradation products. N-Vinyloxazolidin-2-one and its analogues used in these cycloaddition reactions were conveniently prepared in excellent yields by a modified version of Buchwald's one-step copper-catalyzed vinylation using vinyl bromide.

Lewis acid tuned facial stereodivergent HDA reactions using beta-substituted N-vinyloxazolidinones.

The [4 + 2] acido-catalyzed heterocycloaddition between new beta-substituted N-vinyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones (with R' = Me, Ar, CH2 Ar) and beta,gamma-unsaturated alpha-ketoesters (R = Ar) afforded heteroadducts with high levels of endo and facial selectivities. A complete reversal of facial differentiation was achieved by varying the Lewis acid, leading to the stereoselective formation of either endo-alpha or endo-beta adducts. [reaction: see text].

N-vinyl-2-oxazolidinones: efficient chiral dienophiles for the [4 + 2]-based de novo synthesis of new N-2-deoxyglycosides.

Under smooth Eu(fod)(3)-catalyzed conditions, the inverse-electron demand hetero-Diels-Alder reactions between enantiopure N-vinyl-2-oxazolidinones 1a-f and representative beta,gamma-unsaturated alpha-ketoesters proceed with a high degree of endo and facial diastereoselectivity. The elucidation of the stereostructure of these adducts, performed by X-ray analysis or chemical correlation, shows that the endo-selective cycloaddition process is facially controlled in favor of the (2S,4S)-adduct when starting from a (4S)-dienophile or vice versa. The specific interest of the adducts 10a-e, derived from (E)-4-tert-butoxymethylene pyruvic acid methyl ester 9, has been exemplified by the two-step and highly stereoselective transformation of these adducts into the new and valuable N-2-deoxyglycosyl-oxazolidinones 12a-e, isolated in a pure diastereo- and enantiomeric form.

Novel use of N-benzoyl-N,O-acetals as N-acylimine equivalents in asymmetric heterocycloaddition: an extended enantioselective pathway to beta-benzamido aldehydes.

For the first time, easily available N-(alpha-methoxyalkyl)amides were successfully used as synthetic equivalents of N-acylimines in an asymmetric heterocycloaddition process. The facial-controlled formation of 6-alkoxydihydrooxazines was thus achieved by SnCl(4)-promoted heterocycloaddition of (R)-O-vinyl pantolactone. By simple acidic hydrolysis of the crude heteroadducts, new beta-aryl- and beta-alkyl-substituted benzamido aldehydes were thus obtained in good overall yields with high enantioselectivities.