Asymmetric Epoxidation Research Articles

Concise and Practical Total Synthesis of (+)-Abscisic Acid.

(+)-Abscisic acid 1 was obtained in a concise total synthesis from ethyl 2,6,6-trimethyl-4-oxocyclohex-2-ene-1-carboxylate (2) with 41% overall yield in seven steps. A hydroxyl group was stereoselectively introduced by Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation; then, the side chain was appended with dimethyl 2-(propan-2-ylidene)malonate (7); subsequently, selective decarboxylation of diacid 8 established the Z-configuration of the conjugated acid 1.

Recent developments in stereoselective organocatalytic oxyfunctionalizations

Abstract In this chapter, asymmetric at carbon oxidations using organocatalytic systems reported from 2012 up to 2018 have been illustrated. Asymmetric epoxidations and oxidation of heteroatom-containing molecules were not included. The processes selected encopass alpha-hydroxylation of carbonyl compounds, dihydroxylation and dioxygenation of alkenes, Baeyer-Villiger and oxidative desymmetrization reactions.

Alternative Reactivity of Leucine 5-Hydroxylase Using an Olefin-Containing Substrate to Construct a Substituted Piperidine Ring.

Applying enzymatic reactions to produce useful molecules is a central focus of chemical biology. Iron and 2-oxoglutarate (Fe/2OG) enzymes are found in all kingdoms of life and catalyze a broad array of oxidative transformations. Herein, we demonstrate that the activity of an Fe/2OG enzyme can be redirected when changing the targeted carbon hybridization from sp3 to sp2. During leucine 5-hydroxylase catalysis, installation of an olefin group onto the substrate redirects the Fe(IV)-oxo species reactivity from hydroxylation to asymmetric epoxidation. The resulting epoxide subsequently undergoes intramolecular cyclization to form the substituted piperidine, 2S,5S-hydroxypipecolic acid.

Asymmetric Epoxidation of α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones Catalyzed by Chiral Iron Complexes of (R,R)‐3,4‐Diaminopyrrolidine Derived N4‐Ligands with Camphorsulfonyl Sidearms

AbstractThree (R,R)‐3,4‐diaminopyrrolidine‐based chiral N4 ligands and corresponding iron complexes were synthesized. The complexes were applied to the asymmetric epoxidation of various α,β‐unsaturated ketones with H2O2 as an oxidant and carboxylic acid as auxiliary. Good to excellent enantioselectivity (up to 97%) was achieved in the case of 2,2‐dimethylbutyric acid as an auxiliary.

Stereoselective Total Synthesis of (‐)‐Ebelactone A

AbstractA highly stereoselective total synthesis of the β‐lactam inhibitor of several therapeutically important enzymes, (‐)‐ebelactone A (1) is described. The salient features of this synthesis include desymmetrization of bicyclic symmetric olefin with Brown's asymmetric hydroboration, Wittig olefination, Evans′ alkylation, Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, Gillman's reaction, TEMPO‐BAIB mediated selective oxidation of 1,3‐diol and Adam's β‐lactonization.

Significant improvement of the enantioselectivity of a halohydrin dehalogenase for asymmetric epoxide ring opening reactions by protein engineering.

Halohydrin dehalogenases (HHDHs) have attracted much attention due to their ability to synthesize enantiomerically enriched epoxides and β-haloalcohols. However, most of the HHDHs exhibit low enantioselectivity. Here, a HHDH from the alphaproteobacteria isolate 46_93_T64 (AbHHDH), which shows only poor enantioselectivity in the catalytic resolution of rac-PGE (E = 9.9), has been subjected to protein engineering to enhance its enantioselectivity. Eight mutants (R89K, R89Y, V137I, P178A, N179Q, N179L, F187L, F187A) showed better enantioselectivity than the wild type. The best single mutant N179L (E = 93.0) showed a remarkable 9.4-fold increase in the enantioselectivity. Then, the single mutations were combined to produce the double, triple, quadruple, and quintuple mutants. Among the combinational mutants, the best variant (R89Y/N179L) showed an increased E value of up to 48. The E values of the variants N179L and R89Y/N179L for other epoxides 2-7 were 12.2 to > 200, which showed great improvement compared to 1.2 to 10.5 for the wild type. Using the variant N179L, enantiopure (R)-PGE with > 99% ee could be readily prepared, affording a high yield and a high concentration.

Gas phase identification of the elusive oxaziridine (cyclo-H2CONH) - an optically active molecule.

The hitherto elusive oxaziridine molecule (cyclo-H2CONH) - an optically active, high energy isomer of nitrosomethane (CH3NO) - is prepared in processed methane-nitrogen monoxide ices and detected upon sublimation in the gas phase. Electronic structure calculations reveal likely routes via addition of carbene (CH2) to the nitrogen-oxygen double bond of nitrosyl hydride (HNO). Our findings provide a fundamental framework to explore the preparation and stability of racemic oxaziridines exploited in chiral substrate-controlled diastereoselective preparation such as Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, thus advancing our fundamental understanding of the preparation and chemical bonding of strained rings in small organic molecules.

Ligand regulation for manganese-catalyzed enantioselective epoxidation of olefins without acid.

A novel manganese catalyst bearing an l-proline-derived N4 ligand has been developed for enabling acid-free asymmetric epoxidation of olefins with tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the oxidant. A variety of olefins that are well-matched in size with the ligand pocket can be transformed to epoxides with excellent enantioselectivities. The smaller ligand pocket is also beneficial to the enantioselective epoxidation of simple olefins. Cryospray ionization mass spectrometry experiments reveal that a MnIV[double bond, length as m-dash]O species serves as an active epoxidizing species.

Photocatalytic asymmetric epoxidation of trans-stilbene with manganese–porphyrin/graphene-oxide nanocomposite and molecular oxygen: axial ligand effect

An efficient, visible light-driven manganese–porphyrin photocatalyst was developed for the asymmetric epoxidation of trans-stilbene by molecular oxygen under mild conditions.

Evaluation of an octahydroisochromene scaffold used as a novel SARS 3CL protease inhibitor

An octahydroisochromene scaffold has been introduced into a known SARS 3CL protease inhibitor as a novel hydrophobic core to interact with the S2 pocket of the protease. An alkyl or aryl substituent was also introduced at the 1-position of the octahydroisochromene scaffold and expected to introduce additional interactions with the protease. Sharpless–Katsuki asymmetric epoxidation and Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation were employed to construct the octahydroisochromene scaffold. The introductions of the P1 site His-al and the substituent at 1-position was achieved using successive reductive amination reactions. Our initial evaluations of the diastereo-isomeric mixtures (16a–d) revealed that the octahydroisochromene moiety functions as a core hydrophobic scaffold for the S2 pocket of the protease and the substituent at the 1-position may form additional interactions with the protease. The inhibitory activities of the diastereoisomerically-pure inhibitors (3a–d) strongly suggest that a specific stereo-isomer of the octahydroisochromene scaffold, (1S, 3S) 3b, directs the P1 site imidazole, the warhead aldehyde, and substituent at the 1-position of the fused ring to their appropriate pockets in the protease.

First Total Synthesis of Jomthonic Acid A

A stereoselective total synthesis of jomthonic acid A is described. The key features of the synthetic strategy are a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, a Gilmann reagent-induced methylation, a Mitsunobu reaction, a Yamaguchi esterification, and an O-(benzotriazol-1-yl)-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyluronium tetrafluoroborate (TBTU)-mediated amide coupling. Jomthonic acid A is an architecturally rare amino acid containing a β-methylphenylalanine residue and a 4-methyl-(2E,4E)-hexa-2,4-dienoate moiety. It shows antidiabetic and antiatherogenic activities when tested against mouse ST-13 preadiopocytes.

The Synthesis of Hydrobenzoin-Based Monoaza Crown Ethers and Their Application as Recyclable Enantioselective Catalysts

New recyclable monoaza-15-crown ethers have been synthesized starting from (R,R)-(+)- and (S,S)-(−)-hydrobenzoin. These macrocycles proved to be efficient and reusable phase transfer catalysts in a few asymmetric reactions under mild conditions. The asymmetric epoxidation of trans-chalcone took place with up to 81% ee, while using other chalcone derivatives, the products were formed with 68–88% ee. The hydrobenzoin-based lariat ethers were also tested in the cyclopropanation of a few electron deficient olefins using diethyl bromomalonate to afford the product with good enantioselectivities (54–75% ee). The catalysts were recovered by salt formation, followed by extraction, and were reused without the loss of the activity and effect on the enantioselectivity.Graphic The synthesis of hydrobenzoin-based monaza crown ethers and their application as recyclable enantioselective catalysts.

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of 19,20-Epoxydocosapentaenoic Acid, a Bioactive Metabolite of Docosahexaenoic Acid.

In this study, we report the first asymmetric total synthesis of 19,20-epoxydocosapentaenoic acid (19,20-EDP), a naturally occurring bioactive cytochrome P450 metabolite of docosahexaenoic acid, a major constituent of fish oil. Our strategy involves direct asymmetric epoxidation to produce an enantiopure β-epoxyaldehyde that can be appended to the rest of the skipped polyene core by Wittig condensation. Our route is step-economical and late divergent and could be an appealing method by which to synthesize EDP analogues for biological studies.

Recent Developments in Heterogeneous Catalyzed Epoxidation of Styrene to Styrene Oxide

AbstractEpoxidation of styrene under heterogeneous catalyzed conditions provides environmentally friendly routes to produce styrene oxide, an important synthetic intermediate for synthesis of perfumes, epoxy resins, plasticizers, drugs, sweeteners and fine chemicals. The present review explores epoxidation of styrene under heterogeneous catalysed conditions using a variety of catalysts such as metal nanoparticles, metal oxides (of group 12 and 13 metals, transition metals, rare earth metals), transition metals and complexes, polyoxometallates, microporous and mesoporous materials (zeolites, modified zeolites, organic/inorganic porous hybrid materials, porous metal oxides, SBA 15) and polymers using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), air or oxygen as oxidants.The use of salen based transition metal complexes and of chiral porphyrins as catalysts in asymmetric epoxidation of styrene is also reviewed. The reaction mechanism studies of most of these reactions suggest an intermediate formation of a reactive metal‐oxygen species, by interactions between the catalyst and oxidant.

Synthesis of GO-SalenMn and Asymmetric Catalytic Olefin Epoxidation

Graphene oxide (GO) was used as a catalyst carrier, and after the hydroxyl group in GO was modified by 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS), axial coordination and immobilization with homogeneous chiral salenMnCl catalyst were carried out. The immobilized catalysts were characterized in detail by FT–IR, TG–DSC, XPS, EDS, SEM, X-ray, and AAS, and the successful preparation of GO-salenMn was confirmed. Subsequently, the catalytic performance of GO-salenMn for asymmetric epoxidation of α-methyl-styrene, styrene, and indene was examined, and it was observed that GO-salenMn could efficiently catalyze the epoxidation of olefins under an m-CPBA/NMO oxidation system. In addition, α-methyl-styrene was used as a substrate to investigate the recycling performance of GO-salenMn. After repeated use for three times, the catalytic activity and enantioselectivity did not significantly change, and the conversion was still greater than 99%. As the number of cycles increased, the enantioselectivity and chemoselectivity gradually decreased, but even after 10 cycles, the enantiomeric excess was 52%, which was higher than that of the homogeneous counterpart under the same conditions. However, compared to fresh catalysts, the yield decreased from 96.9 to 55.6%.

Asymmetric Epoxidation of Allylic Alcohols on Polystyrene-Supported Vanadium

Asymmetric Epoxidation of Allylic Alcohols on Polystyrene-Supported Vanadium

Chirally-Modified Graphite Oxide as Chirality Inducing Support for Asymmetric Epoxidation of Olefins with Grafted Manganese Porphyrin

A chirality inducer was prepared by graphite oxide (GO) functionalization with enantiopure l-tartrate (GO*) and used as asymmetric support for a covalently-linked manganese porphyrine complex [Mn(TPyP)OAc]. The thereby obtained heterogeneous catalyst, GO*-[Mn(TPyP)OAc], showed excellent performance and ee-values of 92–99% for the asymmetric epoxidation of prochiral olefins with O2 as oxidant and isobutyraldehyde as co-reductant in acetonitrile; linear terminal olefins with 54–76% conversion and quantitative conversion of aromatic olefins. The GO*-[Mn(TPyP)OAc] catalyst is highly active, recyclable, and at the same time simple and inexpensive to prepare with a chiral inducer from the chiral pool. The structure of the catalyst was elucidated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET analysis, FT-IR, Raman, and photoluminescence spectroscopic methods. Graphite oxide functionalized with an enantiopure group was used as a chirality inducer and asymmetric support for a Mn-porphyrine complex. The thereby obtained heterogeneous catalyst is an excellent enantioselective catalyst for the epoxidation of prochiral olefins.

A stereoselective synthesis of (R)-5-hydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenethyl)cyclohex-2-enone, towards total synthesis of Prelunularin

A first chiral strategy for synthesis of (R)-5-hydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenethyl) cyclohex-2-enone reported. Key transformation includes Barbier allylation, ionic hydrogenation, Jeffery reaction, Katsuki Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, reductive opening of epoxide and ring closing metathesis.

An efficient approach for the total synthesis of balticolid

An efficient stereoselective total synthesis of balticolid has been accomplished starting from known aldehyde. The key steps involved in this synthesis are Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, Wittig olefination, alkylation of 1,3-dithiane and Yamaguchi macrolactonization.

Bioinspired Manganese and Iron Complexes for Enantioselective Oxidation Reactions: Ligand Design, Catalytic Activity, and Beyond

The development of efficient methods for the enantioselective oxidation of organic molecules continues to be an important goal in organic synthesis; in particular, the use of earth-abundant metal catalysts and environmentally friendly oxidants in catalytic asymmetric oxidation reactions has attracted significant interest over the last several decades. In nature, metalloenzymes catalyze a wide range of oxidation reactions by activating dioxygen under mild conditions. Inspired by selective and efficient oxidation reactions catalyzed by metalloenzymes, researchers have developed a number of synthetic model compounds that mimic the functionality of metalloenzymes. Among the reported biomimetic model compounds, tetradentate aminopyridine (N4) ligands have emerged as appealing frameworks because of their easy synthesis and facile diversification, and their complexes with metals such as Fe and Mn have proven to be versatile and powerful catalysts for a variety of (enantioselective) oxidation reactions. In this Account, we describe our efforts on the design of chiral N4 ligands and the use of their manganese and iron complexes in asymmetric oxidation reactions with H2O2 as the terminal oxidant, aiming to show general strategies for asymmetric oxidation reactions that can guide the rational design of ligands and relevant metal catalysts. In studies of manganese catalysts, the aryl-substituted (R,R)-mcp [mcp = N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-bis(pyridine-2-ylmethyl)cyclohexane-1,2-diamine] manganese complexes exhibited high enantioselectivity in the asymmetric epoxidation (AE) of various olefins with H2O2 while requiring stoichiometric acetic acid as an additive for the activation of H2O2. To address this issue, we established bulkier N4 ligands for this catalytic system in which a catalytic amount of sulfuric acid enables the manganese-complex-catalyzed AE with improved stereocontrol and efficiency. In addition, this system was found to be active for the oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols. Further exploration of the structure-reactivity relationships has shown that aminobenzimidazole N4 ligands derived from l-proline, in which the conventional pyridine donors are replaced by benzimidazoles, act as promising ligands. These novel C1-symmetric manganese catalysts showed dramatically improved activities with unprecedented turnover numbers in the AE reactions. Notably, this class of manganese complexes can catalyze the oxidation of the C-H bonds of spirocyclic hydrocarbons and spiroazacyclic compounds in a highly enantioselective manner, providing ready access to chiral spirocyclic β,β'-diketones and spirocyclic alcohols. Remarkably, iron catalysts with these chiral N4 ligands are effective for AE of olefins, enabling rare examples of highly enantioselective syntheses of epoxides by the iron catalysts. Finally, mechanistic studies provide valuable insights into the roles of the carboxylic acid and sulfuric acid in the catalytic oxidation reactions. Thus, the results described in this Account have demonstrated the importance of tunability and compatibility of the ligands for the development of efficient oxidation catalysts with earth-abundant transition metals and environmentally benign oxidants, and we hope that our study will pave the way for the discovery of efficient oxidation catalysis.