Chiral Amines Research Articles

Stable Axially Chiral Cyclohexylidenes from Catalytic Asymmetric Knoevenagel Condensation.

Axially chiral cycloalkylidenes are interesting but less developedaxially chiral molecules. Here, a bispidine-based chiral amine catalytic system was developed to promote efficiently the asymmetric Knoevenagel condensation ofN-protected oxindoles and benzofuranones with 4-substituted cyclohexanones. A variety of alkylidenecycloalkanes with stable axial chirality were obtained in good yields with high er. Based on the absolute configuration determination of product and DFT calculations, a possible mechanism of stereoselective induction was proposed.

Enantioselective Transformations by "1 + x" Synergistic Catalysis with Chiral Primary Amines.

ConspectusSynergistic catalysis is a powerful tool that involves two or more distinctive catalytic systems to activate reaction partners simultaneously, thereby expanding the reactivity space of individual catalysis. As an established catalytic strategy, organocatalysis has found numerous applications in enantioselective transformations under rather mild conditions. Recently, the introduction of other catalytic systems has significantly expanded the reaction space of typical organocatalysis. In this regard, aminocatalysis is a prototypical example of synergistic catalysis. The combination of aminocatalyst and transition metal could be traced back to the early days of organocatalysis and has now been well explored as an enabling catalytic strategy. Particularly, the acid-base properties of aminocatalysis can be significantly expanded to include usually electrophiles generated in situ via metal-catalyzed cycles. Later on, aminocatalyst has also been exploited in synergistically combining with photochemical and electrochemical processes to facilitate redox transformations. However, synergistically combining one type of aminocatalyst with many different catalytic systems remains a great challenge. One of the most daunting challenges is the compatibility of aminocatalysts in coexistence with other catalytic species. As nucleophilic species, aminocatalysts may also bind with metal, which leads to mutual inhibition or even quenching of the individual catalytic activity. In addition, oxidative stability of aminocatalyst is also a non-neglectable issue, which causes difficulties in exploring oxidative enamine transformations.In 2007, we developed a vicinal diamine type of chiral primary aminocatalysts. This class of primary aminocatalysts was developed and evolved as functional and mechanistic mimics to the natural aldolase and has been widely applied in a number of enamine/iminium ion-based transformations. By following a "1 + x" synergistic strategy, the chiral primary amine catalysts were found to work synergistically or cooperatively with a number of transition metal catalysts, such as Pd, Rh, Ag, Co, and Cu, or other organocatalysts, such as B(C6F5)3, ketone, selenium, and iodide. Photocatalysis and electrochemical processes can also be incorporated to work together with the chiral primary amine catalysts. The 1 + x catalytic strategy enabled us to execute unexploited transformations by fine-tuning the acid-base and redox properties of the enamine intermediates and to achieve effective reaction and stereocontrol beyond the reach individually. During these efforts, an unprecedented excited-state chemistry of enamine was uncovered to make possible an effective deracemization process. In this Account, we describe our recent efforts since 2015 in exploring synergistic chiral primary amine catalysis, and the content is categorized according to the type of synergistic partner such that in each section the developed synergistic catalysis, reaction scopes, and mechanistic features are presented and discussed.

Stereoselective Amine-omics Using Heavy Atom Isotope Labeled l-and d-Marfey's Reagents.

Biological amines and amino acids play essential roles in many biochemical processes. The chemical complexity of biological samples is challenging, and the selective identification and quantification of amines and amino acid stereoisomers would be very useful for amine-focused "amino-omics" studies. Many amines and amino acids are chiral, and their stereoisomers cannot be resolved on achiral media without chiral derivatization. In prior studies, we demonstrated the use of Marfey's reagent─a chiral derivatization reagent for amines and phenolic OH groups─for the LC-MS/MS resolution and quantification of amines and amino acid stereoisomers. In this study, a heavy atom isotope labeled Marfey's reagent approach for the stereoselective detection and quantification of amines and amino acids was developed. Heavy (13C2) l-Marfey's (Hl-Mar) and heavy (2H3) d-Marfey's (Hd-Mar) were synthesized from 13C2-l-Ala and 2H3-d-Ala, respectively. Both light and heavy Marfey's reagents were used to derivatize standard amine mixtures, which were analyzed by LC-QToF-HRMS. Aligned peak lists were comparatively analyzed by light vs heavy Mar mass differences to identify mono-, di-, and tri-Marfey's adducts and then by the retention time difference between l- and d-Mar derivatives to identify stereoisomers. This approach was then applied to identify achiral and chiral amine and amino acid components in a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) extract. This approach shows high analytical selectivity and reproducibility.

BIOCATALYTIC OXIDATIVE AMINATION OF p‐SUBSTITUTED PHENOLS

Biocatalytic preparation of chiral amines is a large and burgeoning field in organic chemistry. Many enzymes and routes have been published, including transaminases, imine reductases, reductive aminases, amine dehydrogenases and others. However, all these routes rely on some sacrificial substrate, in the form of either amine donor or cofactor regeneration substrate. Herein, we report the direct oxidative amination of p‐substituted phenols catalyzed by an evolved flavoprotein oxidase, with the consumption of only substrate and O2, and release of H2O2. The substrate scope of the reaction is studied, and is tolerant of a diverse panel including ammonia, primary and secondary amines, and amino acids. The reaction is later employed at preparative scale to generate aminated products in 50‐80% yield. This report establishes flavoprotein oxidase as a new and economical member of the chemist’s toolkit for biocatalytic generation of chiral amines, acting as oxidative aminase.

Copper(I)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Cyclohexenylallenes and Transfer of Axial to Center Chirality by Ytterbium (III) Catalyzed [4+2] Cycloaddition

AbstractChiral cyclohexenylallenes are readily accessed from 1‐enynes, aldehydes and chiral secondary amines in good yields (up to 79 % yield) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee), through CuI catalyzed the formation of chiral propargylamine intermediates. Subsequent Yb(OTf)3 catalyzed [4+2] cycloaddition reaction of cyclohexylallenes with the dienophiles tetracyanoethylene and diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate afforded the corresponding bicyclic products in 69–75 % yield and 84–90 % ee.

Dual-Catalysis-Enabled Construction of Vicinal Stereogenic Centers through Diastereo- and Enantioselective Allylic Substitution

AbstractVicinal stereogenic centers represent prevalent structural motifs in organic synthetic chemistry, and their construction poses a longstanding challenge. Transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution has become a well-established enantioselective C–C bond-forming reaction. When these reactions involve a prochiral nucleophile and an allylic electrophile with a terminal substituent, the creation of vicinal stereogenic centers becomes feasible. However, despite remarkable achievements having been accomplished, realizing this transformation with precise control over both the enantio- and diastereoselectivity remains a significant challenge. To address the stereoselective challenges, the introduction of a second catalyst to the transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation to control the diastereoselectivity during C–C bond formation has proven particularly fruitful. In this short review, we aim to highlight recent advances in dual catalysis that enable diastereo- and enantioselective allylic substitutions.1 Introduction2 Construction of Vicinal Stereogenic Centers by Organo and Metal Dual Catalysis2.1 Chiral Phase-Transfer Catalysis and Transition-Metal Dual Catalysis2.2 Chiral Amine and Transition-Metal Dual Catalysis2.3 NHC and Transition-Metal Dual Catalysis2.4 Chiral Aldehyde and Transition-Metal Dual Catalysis2.5 Chiral Lewis Base and Transition-Metal Dual Catalysis3 Construction of Vicinal Stereogenic Centers by Metal and Metal Dual Catalysis3.1 Lewis Acidic Metal and Iridium Dual Catalysis3.2 Lewis Acidic Metal and Palladium Dual Catalysis3.3 Palladium and Ruthenium Dual Catalysis3.4 Other Advancements in the Construction of Vicinal Stereogenic Centers through Synergistic Bimetallic Catalysis Enabling Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation4 Conclusions and Future Outlook

Schwartz’s Regent as a Chemo- and Diastereoselective Reductant of Sulfinyl Ketimines to Yield Chiral Amines

Schwartz’s Regent as a Chemo- and Diastereoselective Reductant of Sulfinyl Ketimines to Yield Chiral Amines

Catalytic Eoconvergent C(sp3)−N Coupling to Access Chiral Amines: A Concept Review

AbstractNitrogen containing compounds like chiral amines have been widely used in synthetic medicines, biomass, and fine chemical products because of their particularly valuable motifs and exceedingly broad range of functionality. Enantioconvergent synthesis of chiral amines has high atomic economy and enantioselectivity with theoretically 100 % yield of enantioenriched products. In this concept article, we hope to provide a further understanding of chiral amines enantioconvergent synthesis methodology with an introduction of recent progresses in enantioconvergent amination reactions catalyzed by early transition metals and facilitate the development of enantioconvergent C(sp3)−N coupling for benign and efficient preparation of highly valuable chiral nitrogen‐containing units.

Photoenzymatic Asymmetric Hydroamination for Chiral Alkyl Amine Synthesis.

Chiral alkyl amines are common structural motifs in pharmaceuticals, natural products, synthetic intermediates, and bioactive molecules. An attractive method to prepare these molecules is the asymmetric radical hydroamination; however, this approach has not been explored with dialkyl amine-derived nitrogen-centered radicals since designing a catalytic system to generate the aminium radical cation, to suppress deleterious side reactions such as α-deprotonation and H atom abstraction, and to facilitate enantioselective hydrogen atom transfer is a formidable task. Herein, we describe the application of photoenzymatic catalysis to generate and harness the aminium radical cation for asymmetric intermolecular hydroamination. In this reaction, the flavin-dependent ene-reductase photocatalytically generates the aminium radical cation from the corresponding hydroxylamine and catalyzes the asymmetric intermolecular hydroamination to furnish the enantioenriched tertiary amine, whereby enantioinduction occurs through enzyme-mediated hydrogen atom transfer. This work highlights the use of photoenzymatic catalysis to generate and control highly reactive radical intermediates for asymmetric synthesis, addressing a long-standing challenge in chemical synthesis.

Covalent Organic Frameworks Based Photoenzymatic Nano‐reactor for Asymmetric Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Secondary Amines

AbstractBio‐catalysis represents a highly efficient and stereoselective method for the synthesis of valuable chiral compounds, however, the poor stability and limited reaction types of free enzymes restrict their wide application in industrial production. In this work, to overcome these problems, a multifunctional photoenzymatic nanoreactor CALB@COF‐Ir was developed through the encapsulation of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) in a photosensitive covalent organic framework COF‐Ir. This bio‐nanocluster serves as efficient catalysts in asymmetric dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of secondary amines to give a series of chiral amines in high yields (up to 99 %) and enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee). The well‐designed COF‐Ir not only acts as safety cover to prevent CALB from deactivation but promotes racemization of secondary amines via photo‐induced hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) process. Photoelectric characterization and TDDFT calculation revealed that (ppy)2Ir units in COF‐Ir play crucial role in this photocatalytic system which enhance its photo‐redox properties through facilitating the separation between photoelectrons (e−) and holes (h+). Furthermore, the heterogeneous photoenzymatic nanoreactor could be recycled for five rounds with slight decline of catalytic reactivity.

Manganese Pentacarbonyl Bromide as Regeneration Catalyst Enabled Biomimetic Asymmetric Reduction.

Using readily available manganese pentacarbonyl bromide as a regeneration catalyst, biomimetic asymmetric reduction of imines including quinoxalinones, benzoxazinones, and benzoxazine has been successfully developed in the presence of transfer catalyst chiral phosphoric acids, providing the chiral amines with high yields and enantioselectivities.

[Site-specific mutation of ω-transaminase and the biocatalytic preparation of (S)-1-(2-fluorophenyl) ethylamine].

(S)-1-(2-fluorophenyl) ethylamine plays a crucial role as a chiral building block in pharmaceutical synthesis. ω-transaminases are widely recognized as environmentally friendly and efficient catalysts for the preparation of chiral amines. In this study, we isolated a novel ω-transaminase, PfTA, from Pseudogulbenkiania ferrooxidans through gene mining in the NCBI database. By employing semi-rational design, we obtained a Y168R/R416Q variant with enhanced enzyme activity. This variant exhibited the ability to catalyze the synthesis of (S)-1-(2-fluorophenyl) ethylamine from 2-fluorophenone, achieving a yield of 83.58% and an enantioselectivity exceeding 99% after a 10 h reaction. Compared to the wild type, the specific enzyme activity of the Y168R/R416Q variant reached 47.04 U/mg, which represents an increase of 11.65 times. Additionally, the catalytic efficiency, as measured by kcat/Km, was increased by 20.9 times. Molecular docking and structural simulation analysis revealed that the primary factor contributing to the improved catalytic efficiency is the expansion of the enzyme's active pocket and the alleviation of steric hindrance.

Commercial transaminases for the asymmetric synthesis of bulky amines.

Transaminase‐catalysed asymmetric amination is a valuable transformation for the synthesis of chiral amines. However, its use in synthetic chemistry has been curtailed by a narrow substrate scope and limited information on commercially available catalysts. In this work we have explored the substrate scope of selected commercially available transaminases, focusing on prochiral ketones bearing two bulky substituents and their application in both enzyme‐catalysed and enzyme‐triggered reactions. (R)‐ and/or (S)‐selective enzymes converted methyl‐, isopropyl‐, n‐butyl‐, and cyclohexyl‐phenone substrates to the corresponding amines in the range of 6 ‐ >99% ee. In some cases, a stereochemical switch was detected, in which (R)‐enantioselectivity was observed with enzymes typically assigned as (S)‐selective. Upscaling of selected biotransformations provided chiral amines, in >99% ee and up to 40% isolated yield. Furthermore, transaminase‐triggered reactions, which were previously limited to methyl‐ and ethyl‐derivatives, were expanded to phenyl‐derivatives for the formation of a cis‐2,6‐disubstituted piperidine and 2,4‐diphenyl pyrroline, and isolated in up to 67% yield.

1,2,3-triazole and chiral Schiff base hybrids as potential anticancer agents: DFT, molecular docking and ADME studies

A series of novel 1,2,3-triazole and chiral Schiff base hybrids 2–6 were synthesized by Schiff base condensation reaction from pre-prepared parent component of the hybrids (1,2,3-triazole 1) and series of primary chiral amines and their chemical structure were confirmed using NMR and FTIR spectroscopies, and CHN elemental analysis. Compounds 1–6 were evaluated for their anticancer activity against two cancer PC3 (prostate) and A375 (skin) and MRC-5 (healthy) cell lines by Almar Blue assay method. The compounds exhibited significant cytotoxicity against the tested cancer cell lines. Among the tested compounds 3 and 6 showed very good activity for the inhibition of the cancer cell lines and low toxicity for the healthy cell lines. All the compounds exhibited high binding affinity for Androgen receptor modulators (PDB ID: 5t8e) and Human MIA (PDB ID: 1i1j) inhibitors compared to the reference anticancer drug (cisplatin). Structure activity relationships (SARs) of the tested compounds is in good agreement with DFT and molecular docking studies. The compounds exhibited desirable physicochemical properties for drug likeness.

Engineering the enantioselectivity of a novel imine reductase from Streptomyces viridochromogenes for the dynamic kinetic reductive amination of cyclic β-ketoester

N-substituted β-amino esters as an important class of chiral amines, are widely used as building blocks in pharmaceuticals. A novel imine reductase SvIRED was identified through gene mining from Streptomyces viridochromogenes with high enantioselectivity of > 99 % ee (1R, 2S), 95 % de (cis:trans), towards 2-oxocyclohexane-1-carboxylate and cyclopropylamine. SvIRED exhibited the highest activity at pH 7.0 and 40 °C. A variety of amine donors could be used by SvIRED and produce chiral N-substituted β-amino esters with different enantioselectivity. Employing methylamine (i) and pyrrolidine (n) as amine donors, SvIRED exhibited reversed enantioselectivity of 23 % ee (1S, 2R) and 79 % ee (1S, 2R) respectively. Through alanine scanning, M183 and H244 were identified with remarkable roles in governing enantioselectivity towards i and n. Compared with WT SvIRED, the enantioselectivity of M183A was inverted to ee value of >99 % (1R, 2S) and de value of >99 % (cis:trans) towards i, and the enantioselectivity of H244A was inverted to ee value of 88 % (1R, 2S) and de value of >99 % (cis:trans) towards n. Interaction analysis indicated the orientation of ester group was vital for manipulation of enantioselectivity. This study provides novel Imine reductase mutants for enantioselective synthesis of N-substituted β-amino esters with different amine donors.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Radical N-Alkylation of Diverse (Hetero)aromatic Amines.

The 3d transition metal-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical cross-coupling provides a powerful tool for chiral molecule synthesis. In the classic mechanism, the bond formation relies on the interaction between nucleophile-sequestered metal complexes and radicals, limiting the nucleophile scope to sterically uncongested ones. The coupling of sterically congested nucleophiles poses a significant challenge due to difficulties in transmetalation, restricting the reaction generality. Here, we describe a probable outer-sphere nucleophilic attack mechanism that circumvents the challenging transmetalation associated with sterically congested nucleophiles. This strategy enables a general copper-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical N-alkylation of aromatic amines with secondary/tertiary alkyl halides and exhibits catalyst-controlled stereoselectivity. It accommodates diverse aromatic amines, especially bulky secondary and primary ones to deliver value-added chiral amines (>110 examples). It is expected to inspire the coupling of more nucleophiles, particularly challenging sterically congested ones, and accelerate reaction generality.

TBADT-Mediated Photocatalytic Stereoselective Radical Alkylation of Chiral N-Sulfinyl Imines: Towards Efficient Synthesis of Diverse Chiral Amines.

Herein we describe a sustainable and efficient photocatalytic method for the stereoselective radical alkylation of chiral sulfinyl imines. By employing readily available non-prefunctionalized radical precursors and the cost-effective TBADT as a direct HAT photocatalyst, we successfully obtain diverse chiral amines with high yields and excellent diastereoselectivity under mild conditions. This method provides an efficient approach for accessing a diverse array of medicinally relevant compounds, including both natural and synthetic α-amino acids, aryl ethyl amines, and other structural motifs commonly found in approved pharmaceuticals and natural product.

Perovskite versus Nonperovskite: Modulating the Nature and Optical Properties of One-Dimensional Chiral Lead-Bromide Networks.

In the last 5 years, low-dimensional chiral metal-halide semiconductors have attracted great interest in the generation of chiroptical activity. Among this new family of materials, one-dimensional (1D) networks have appeared as the best candidates for strong circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). Here, we present a new family of 1D chiral lead-bromide materials prepared from organic S/R/rac-1-hydroxypropyl-2-ammonium (S/R/rac-HP2A) cations. The presence or absence of polarity in the crystal structure as well as the perovskite or nonperovskite nature of the inorganic network depends on the initial stoichiometry of metal-halide salt and chiral amine during the crystallization. The perovskite-type networks exhibit strong CD and second harmonic generation (SHG) responses, while the nonperovskite compounds show the presence of polymorphism in the crystal phase and weak natural optical activity in the final material. These results underline the impact of synthetic conditions and thin film morphology on the structural and optical properties of metal-halide hybrid networks.

Enantioselective propargylic amination and related tandem sequences to α-tertiary ethynylamines and azacycles.

Chiral α-tertiary amines and related azacycles are sought-after compounds for drug development. Despite progress in the catalytic asymmetric construction of aza-quaternary stereocentres, enantioselective synthesis of multifunctional α-tertiary amines remains underdeveloped. Enantioenriched α-disubstituted α-ethynylamines are attractive synthons for constructing chiral α-tertiary amines and azacycles, but methods for their catalytic enantioselective synthesis need to be expanded. Here we describe an enantioselective asymmetric Cu(I)-catalysed propargylic amination (ACPA) of simple ketone-derived propargylic carbonates to give both α-dialkylated and α-alkyl-α-aryl α-tertiary ethynylamines. Sterically confined pyridinebisoxazoline (PYBOX) ligands, with a C4 shielding group and relaying groups, play a key role in achieving excellent enantioselectivity. The syntheses of quaternary 2,5-dihydropyrroles, dihydroquinines, dihydrobenzoquinolines and dihydroquinolino[1,2-α]quinolines are reported, and the synthetic value is further demonstrated by the enantioselective catalytic total synthesis of a selective multi-target β-secretase inhibitor. Enantioselective Cu-catalysed propargylic substitutions with O- and C-centred nucleophiles are also realized, further demonstrating the potential of the PYBOX ligand.

Catalytic Asymmetric Construction of Chiral Amines with Three Nonadjacent Stereocenters via Trifunctional Catalysis.

Pharmaceuticals and biologically active natural products usually contain multiple stereocenters. The development of catalytic asymmetric reactions for the direct construction of complex motifs containing three nonadjacent stereocenters is a particularly important and formidable challenge. In this paper, we report an unprecedented method for the direct asymmetric construction of complex chiral amines with 1,3,5- or 1,3,4-stereocenters from readily available achiral and racemic starting materials. The reaction was made possible by the development of highly efficient chiral ammonium catalysts that serve three distinct functions: promoting efficient kinetic resolution by chiral recognition of racemic electrophiles, promoting asymmetric C-C bond forming reactions by recognizing enantiotropic faces of achiral nucleophiles, and mediating a highly stereoselective protonation of carbanions. Using these trifunctional catalysts, the reaction of imines and tulipane derivatives proceeded in a highly regio-, chemo-, and stereoselective manner to produce synthetically useful yields of complex chiral amines. We believe that trifunctional catalysis can be applied in a variety of asymmetric transformations for the streamlined asymmetric synthesis of complex chiral molecules with multiple stereocenters.