Chiral Bicyclo Research Articles

Divergent Enantioselective Access to Diverse Chiral Compounds from Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes and α,β-Unsaturated Ketones under Catalyst Control.

Achieving structural and stereogenic diversity from the same starting materials remains a fundamental challenge in organic synthesis, requiring precise control over the selectivity. Here, we report divergent catalytic methods that selectively yield either cycloaddition or addition/elimination products from bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes and α,β-unsaturated ketones. By employing chiral Lewis acid or Brønsted acid catalysts, we achieved excellent regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity across all three distinct transformations, affording a diverse array of synthetically valuable chiral bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes and cyclobutenes. The divergent outcomes are controlled by the differential activation of the substrates by the specific chiral catalyst with the reaction conditions dictating the pathway selectivity. This strategy demonstrates the power of divergent catalysis in creating molecular complexity and diversity, offering a valuable tool for the synthesis of enantioenriched chiral building blocks.

Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Tandem Carbonylation-Heck Reaction of Cyclopentenes to Access Chiral Bicyclo[3.2.1]octenes.

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric tandem carbonylation-Heck reaction of cyclopentenes with carbon monoxide (CO) has been disclosed. This desymmetrization procedure afforded a series of bicyclo[3.2.1]octenes with one chiral quaternary and one tertiary carbon center in good yields with good enantioselectivities. This reaction proceeds via an acyl-palladium intermediate, followed by migratory insertion of the alkenes.

Rhodium(I)/Chiral Diene Complexes Catalyzed Asymmetric Desymmetrization of Alkynyl-Tethered 2,5-Cyclohexadienones Through an Arylative Cyclization Cascade.

Cis-hydrobenzofurans, cis-hydroindoles, and cis-hydrindanes, privileged structural motifs found in numerous biologically active natural and synthetic compounds, are efficiently prepared by a Rh(I)-catalyzed cascade syn-arylation/1,4-addition protocol. This approach starts with the regioselective syn-arylation of the alkyne tethered to 2,5-hexadienone moieties, using a chiral Rh(I) catalyst generated in situ from a chiral bicyclo[2.2.1]hepatadiene ligand L4f. By forging two new carbon-carbon bonds and introducing two chiral centers, the resulting alkenylrhodium species undergoes desymmetrization via an intramolecular 1,4-addition reaction, delivering annulated products with high yields and enantioselectivities.

Asymmetric Ruthenium‐Catalyzed C−H Activation by a Versatile Chiral‐Amide‐Directing Strategy

AbstractA versatile and readily available chiral amide directing group has been developed for the ruthenium(II)‐catalyzed asymmetric C−H activation. Asymmetric C−H activation of the related chiral benzamides with various olefins, aldehydes and propargylic alcohols has been accomplished with high stereoselectivities, affording a series of chiral products including 3,4‐dihydroisocoumarins (up to 96 % ee), isocoumarins (up to 92 % ee), phthalides (up to 99 % ee), chiral bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes (>20 : 1 dr), 4‐alkylidene‐3,4‐dihydroisocoumarins (up to 97 % ee) and allenes (>20 : 1 dr). Importantly, our methodologies enabled concise syntheses of many biologically active compounds and natural products (e.g., Montroumarin, Cyclosporone E, Cyclosporone Q, Concentricolide, Chuangxinol, and Eleutherol).

Asymmetric Ruthenium-Catalyzed C-H Activation by a Versatile Chiral-Amide-Directing Strategy.

A versatile and readily available chiral amide directing group has been developed for the ruthenium(II)-catalyzed asymmetric C-H activation. Asymmetric C-H activation of the related chiral benzamides with various olefins, aldehydes and propargylic alcohols has been accomplished with high stereoselectivities, affording a series of chiral products including 3,4-dihydroisocoumarins (up to 96 % ee), isocoumarins (up to 92 % ee), phthalides (up to 99 % ee), chiral bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes (>20 : 1 dr), 4-alkylidene-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins (up to 97 % ee) and allenes (>20 : 1 dr). Importantly, our methodologies enabled concise syntheses of many biologically active compounds and natural products (e.g., Montroumarin, Cyclosporone E, Cyclosporone Q, Concentricolide, Chuangxinol, and Eleutherol).

Chiral Bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-Fused and Ferrocene-Derived Cyclopentadienyl Ligands for Asymmetric C–H Activation

AbstractTo fulfill increasing and diverse demands of cyclopentadienyl metal complexes (CpM) catalyzed asymmetric C–H activation, innovation in developing new types of chiral Cp ligands should be important. In this context, we found the structurally rigid chiral bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-fused Cp ligands originated by Vollhardt and ­Halterman were efficient to enable highly enantioselective C–H activation of N-methoxybenzamides with quinones. Besides, we also designed and synthesized a class of ferrocene-based chiral Cp ligand featuring a loose chiral pocket, whose rhodium complexes exhibited high reactivity and reasonable enantioselectivity in an asymmetric intramolecular aryl amination of alkene.1 Introduction2 Chiral Cp Ligands Applied in Asymmetric C–H Activation3 Chiral Bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-Fused Cp Ligands4 Chiral Ferrocene-Derived Cp Ligands5 Conclusion

Synthesis of sp3-rich chiral bicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes for chemical space expansion and study of biological activities

Chiral sp3-rich bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane scaffolds 10–12 were synthesized as single diastereomers from aldehyde 9, which was prepared from 4,4-dimethoxycyclohexa-2,5-dienone through a copper-catalyzed enantioselective reduction. Three different types of intramolecular addition reactions were studied: SmI2-mediated reductive cyclization, base-promoted aldol reaction, and one-pot Mannich reaction. We succeeded in introducing three side-chains to scaffold 11 and construct an sp3-rich compound library in both enantiomeric variants by simply changing the chirality of the ligands. The biological evaluation revealed that all synthesized compounds exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) transcriptional activity, with IC50 values in the range of 17.2–31.7 µM, whereas their effects on cell viability were varied (IC50 = 3.5 to > 100 µM). The most active compound 16f inhibits the accumulation of HIF-1α protein and mRNA in hypoxia, indicating that it has a mechanism of action distinctly different from other known compounds bearing the common bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane skeleton.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene Ligands through Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylative Bis-cyclization of a 1,6-Enyne.

A series of novel chiral diene ligands (1R,4S)-L1, which are based on the bicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene skeleton and are substituted with methyl and an ester group at the bridgehead carbons, were synthesized through rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric arylative bis-cyclization of 1,6-enyne 1 as a key step. The rhodium catalyst with one of the (1R,4S)-L1 ligands was used for the asymmetric bis-cyclization of 1 giving bicyclic product (1S,4R)-2 of 99% ee, which is a synthetic precursor of (1S,4R)-L1 ligands.

Iridium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Allylic Substitutions of Racemic, Branched Trichloroacetimidates with Heteroatom Nucleophiles: Formation of Allylic C−O, C−N, and C−S Bonds

AbstractA broadly applicable methodology for the regio‐ and enantioselective construction of branched allylic carbon‐heteroatom bonds from racemic, secondary allylic trichloroacetimidates has been developed. The branched allylic substrates undergo dynamic kinetic asymmetric substitution reactions with a number of unactivated anilines and carboxylic acids as well as unactivated aromatic thiols in the presence of a chiral bicyclo[3.3.0]octadiene‐ligated iridium catalyst. The allylic C−O, C−N, and C−S bond containing products are obtained in synthetically useful yield and selectivity. Mechanistic studies suggest that the iridium‐catalyzed enantioselective substitution reactions of heteroatom nucleophiles with allylic trichloroacetimidate substrates through an outer‐sphere nucleophilic addition mechanism. In addition, the chiral diene‐ligated iridium catalyst is effective at promoting asymmetric aminations of acyclic secondary anilines. Importantly, this catalytic iridium methodology enables the use of alkyl substituted allylic electrophiles.magnified image

Rhodium(I)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective C(sp3)—H Functionalization viaCarbene‐Induced Asymmetric Intermolecular C—H Insertion†

Main observation and conclusionTransition‐metal‐catalyzed C—H insertion of metal‐carbene represents an excellent and powerful approach for C—H functionalization. However, despite remarkable advances in metal‐carbene chemistry, transition metal catalysts that are capable of enantioselective intermolecular carbene C—H insertion are mainly constrained to dirhodium(II) and iridium(III)‐based complexes. Herein, we disclose a new version of asymmetric carbene C—H insertion reaction with rhodium(I) catalyst. A highly enantioselective rhodium(I) complex‐catalyzed C(sp3)—H functionalization of 1,4‐cyclohexadienes with α‐aryl‐α‐diazoacetates was successfully developed. By using chiral bicyclo[2.2.2]‐octadiene as ligand, rhodium(I)‐carbene‐induced asymmetric intermolecular C—H insertion proceeds smoothly at room temperature, allowing access to a diverse variety of α‐aryl‐α‐cyclohexadienyl acetates and gem‐diaryl‐containing acetates in good yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). Furthermore, the synthetic utility of the reaction was highlighted by facile synthesis of a novel cannabinoid CB1 receptor ligand. This method may offer a new opportunity for the development of therapeutically exploitable cannabinoid receptor type ligands in medicinal chemistry.

Phase behaviour of alkynyl-terminated bicyclo[3.3.0]octa-1,4-diene ligands: a serendipitous discovery of novel calamitic liquid crystals

ABSTRACT Chiral bicyclo[3.3.0]octadienes carrying two alkoxy- or alkynyloxy side chains are highly valuable ligands for asymmetric catalysis but have never been explored regarding their liquid crystalline self-assembly. Therefore, a series of bicyclo[3.3.0]octadienes was synthesised and studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarising optical microscopy (POM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to understand the role of the terminal alkyne unit in the side chain. Dienes with hexinyloxy or octinyloxy side chains behaved similar to the diene with hexyloxy chains, showing broad SmA phases and a pronounced tendency for supercooling. In contrast, dienes with mono- or diethylenglycolpropargylic ether chains displayed a decreased phase range and monotropic behaviour in the latter case, while the corresponding diene with propargylether side chains was non-mesomorphic.

Chiral Bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-Fused Cyclopentadienyl Rhodium Complexes: Synthesis and Potential Use in Asymmetric C—H Activation

Chiral Bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-Fused Cyclopentadienyl Rhodium Complexes: Synthesis and Potential Use in Asymmetric C—H Activation

Enantioselective Construction of the Pyridine-Fused Chiral Bicyclo- [3.3.1]nonane Skeleton of Huperzine A and Its Analogues

Enantioselective Construction of the Pyridine-Fused Chiral Bicyclo- [3.3.1]nonane Skeleton of Huperzine A and Its Analogues

Water as a Direct Proton Source for Asymmetric Hydroarylation Catalyzed by a Rh(I)–Diene: Access to Nonproteinogenic β2/γ2/δ2-Amino Acid Derivatives

A highly enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular hydroarylation of α-aminoalkyl acrylates using water as a direct proton source has been realized by employing a chiral bicyclo[3.3.0] diene ligand, allowing efficient access to a broad range of α-aryl-methyl-substituted β2-, γ2-, and δ2-amino esters with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee) under exceptionally mild conditions. By utilizing this method, a series of structurally interesting benzo-fused heterocyclic molecules and the corresponding β2-, γ2-, and δ2-amino acids are facilely constructed.

Chiral Bicyclo[2.2.2]octane‐Fused CpRh Complexes: Synthesis and Potential Use in Asymmetric C−H Activation

AbstractA new class of chiral cyclopentadienyl rhodium(I) complexes (CpRhI) bearing C2‐symmetric chiral bridged‐ring‐fused Cp ligands was prepared. The complexes were successfully applied to the asymmetric C−H activation reaction of N‐methoxybenzamides with quinones, affording a series of chiral hydrophenanthridinones in up to 82 % yield with up to 99 % ee. Interestingly, structure analysis reveals that the side wall of the optimal chiral CpRhI catalyst is vertically more extended, horizontally less extended, and closer to the metal center in comparison with the classic binaphthyl and spirobiindanyl CpRhI complexes, and may thus account for its superior catalytic performance.

Chiral Bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-Fused CpRh Complexes: Synthesis and Potential Use in Asymmetric C-H Activation.

A new class of chiral cyclopentadienyl rhodium(I) complexes (CpRhI ) bearing C2 -symmetric chiral bridged-ring-fused Cp ligands was prepared. The complexes were successfully applied to the asymmetric C-H activation reaction of N-methoxybenzamides with quinones, affording a series of chiral hydrophenanthridinones in up to 82 % yield with up to 99 % ee. Interestingly, structure analysis reveals that the side wall of the optimal chiral CpRhI catalyst is vertically more extended, horizontally less extended, and closer to the metal center in comparison with the classic binaphthyl and spirobiindanyl CpRhI complexes, and may thus account for its superior catalytic performance.

Constructing chiral bicyclo[3.2.1]octanes via palladium-catalyzed asymmetric tandem Heck/carbonylation desymmetrization of cyclopentenes

Transition-metal-catalyzed tandem Heck/carbonylation reaction has emerged as a powerful tool for the synthesis of structurally diverse carbonyl molecules, as well as natural products and pharmaceuticals. However, the asymmetric version was rarely reported, and remains a challenging topic. Herein, we describe a palladium-catalyzed asymmetric tandem Heck/carbonylation desymmetrization of cyclopentenes. Alcohols, phenols and amines are employed as versatile coupling reagents for the construction of multifunctional chiral bicyclo[3.2.1]octanes with one all-carbon quaternary and two tertiary carbon stereogenic centers in high diastereo- and enantioselectivities. This study represents an important progress in both the asymmetric tandem Heck/carbonylation reactions and enantioselective difunctionalization of internal alkenes.

The Role of Trichloroacetimidate To Enable Iridium-Catalyzed Regio- and Enantioselective Allylic Fluorination: A Combined Experimental and Computational Study.

Asymmetric allylic fluorination has proven to be a robust and efficient methodology with potential applications for the development of pharmaceuticals and practical synthesis for 18F-radiolabeling. A combined computational (dispersion-corrected DFT) and experimental approach was taken to interrogate the mechanism of the diene-ligated, iridium-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective allylic fluorination. Our group has shown that, in the presence of an iridium(I) catalyst and nucleophilic fluoride source (Et3N·3HF), allylic trichloroacetimidates undergo rapid fluoride substitution to generate allylic fluoride products with excellent levels of branched-to-linear ratios. Mechanistic studies reveal the crucial role of the trichloroacetimidate as a potent leaving group and ligand to enable conversion of racemic allylic trichloroacetimidates to the corresponding enantioenriched allylic fluorides, via a dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DYKAT), in the presence of the chiral bicyclo[3.3.0]octadiene-ligated iridium catalyst.

Chiral Bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-dienyltrifluoroborate Derivative as a Useful and Stable Precursor of C1-Symmetric Chiral Dienes.

A new approach has been developed to prepare monosubstituted C1-symmetric chiral dienes Ar-MSBod from easily accessible chiral bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-dienyltrifluoroborate derivative. This alkenyl trifluoroborate was synthesized in five steps from inexpensive (-)-carvone. This approach allows the construction of large libraries of diversely substituted chiral dienes via cross-coupling reactions with inexpensive and widely available aryl halides.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Allylic Fluorides via Fluorination of Racemic Allylic Trichloroacetimidates Catalyzed by a Chiral Diene-Iridium Complex

The ability to use racemic allylic trichloroacetimidates as competent electrophiles in a chiral bicyclo[3.3.0]octadiene-ligated iridium-catalyzed asymmetric fluorination with Et3N·3HF is described. The methodology represents an effective route to prepare a wide variety of α-linear, α-branching, and β-heteroatom substituted allylic fluorides in good yields, excellent branched-to-linear ratios, and high levels of enantioselectivity. Additionally, the catalytic system is amendable to the fluorination of optically active allylic trichloroacetimidate substrates to afford the fluorinated products in good yields with exclusively branched selectivity. Excellent levels of catalyst-controlled diastereoselectivities using either (R,R) or (S,S)-bicyclo[3.3.0]octadiene ligand are observed. The synthetic utility of the fluorination process is illustrated in the asymmetric synthesis of 15-fluorinated prostaglandin and neuroprotective agent P7C3-A20.