Asymmetric Synthesis of α‑Fluoro-β-Amino-oxindoles with Tetrasubstituted C–F Stereogenic Centers via Cooperative Cation-Binding Catalysis

Biologically relevant chiral 3,3-disubstituted oxindole products containing a β-fluoroamine unit are obtained in high yields and with excellent stereoselectivity (up to 99% ee, dr >20:1 for <i>syn</i>) through the organocatalytic direct Mannich reaction of 3-fluoro-oxindoles as fluoroenolate precursors and α-amidosulfones as the bench-stable precursors of sensitive imines by using a chiral oligoethylene glycol and KF as a cation-binding catalyst and base, respectively. This protocol can be easily scaled without compromising the asymmetric induction. Furthermore, this protocol was also successfully extended to generate tetrasubstituted C–Cl and C–Br stereogenic centers

Asymmetric Synthesis of α‑Fluoro-β-Amino-oxindoles with Tetrasubstituted C–F Stereogenic Centers via Cooperative Cation-Binding Catalysis

Biologically relevant chiral 3,3-disubstituted oxindole products containing a β-fluoroamine unit are obtained in high yields and with excellent stereoselectivity (up to 99% ee, dr >20:1 for <i>syn</i>) through the organocatalytic direct Mannich reaction of 3-fluoro-oxindoles as fluoroenolate precursors and α-amidosulfones as the bench-stable precursors of sensitive imines by using a chiral oligoethylene glycol and KF as a cation-binding catalyst and base, respectively. This protocol can be easily scaled without compromising the asymmetric induction. Furthermore, this protocol was also successfully extended to generate tetrasubstituted C–Cl and C–Br stereogenic centers

Organocatalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Dioxazinanes and Dioxazepanes with <i>in Situ</i> Generated Nitrones via a Tandem Reaction Pathway Using a Cooperative Cation Binding Catalyst

Heterocyclic skeletons play major roles in pharmaceuticals and biological processes. Cycloaddition reactions are most suitable synthetic tools to efficiently construct chemically diverse sets of heterocycles with great structural complexity owing to the simultaneous or sequential formation of two or more bonds, often with a high degree of selectivity. Herein, we report an unprecedented formal cycloaddition of <i>N</i>-Boc-<i>N</i>-hydroxy amido sulfones as the nitrone precursors with terminal-hydroxy α,β-unsaturated carbonyls in the presence of Song’s chiral oligoethylene glycol as a cation-binding catalyst and KF as a base to afford a wide range of highly enantio- and diastereo-enriched six-membered dioxazinane and seven-membered dioxazepane heterocycles. In this process, nitrones as well as terminal-hydroxy α,β-unsaturated carbonyls serve as “amphiphilic” building units, and the reaction proceeds through a tandem pathway sequence of oxa-Mannich reaction/oxa-Michael reaction/tautomerization/protonation. The cation-binding catalysis in a densely confined chiral space <i>in situ</i> formed by the incorporation of potassium salt is the key to this successful catalysis. This strategy opens a new pathway for the asymmetric synthesis of diverse heterocyclic skeletons of great complexity

Bioinspired Synthesis of Chiral 3,4-Dihydropyranones via S‑to‑O Acyl-Transfer Reactions

A bioinspired synthesis of chiral 3,4-dihydropyranones via S-to-O acyl-transfer reactions is described. Asymmetric Michael addition–lactonization reactions of β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters with thioesters are catalyzed by proline-derived urea, providing 3,4-dihydropyranones and spiro-3,4-dihydrocoumarin-fused 3′,4′-dihydropyranones in high yield (up to 94%) with excellent stereoselectivities (up to >20:1 dr, 99% <i>ee</i>) under catalyst loadings as low as 1 mol %

Fluoride Anions in Self-Assembled Chiral Cage for the Enantioselective Protonation of Silyl Enol Ethers

The potential of Song’s chiral oligoethylene glycols (oligoEGs) as catalysts was explored in the enantioselective protonation of trimethylsilyl enol ethers in combination with alkali metal fluoride (KF and CsF) and in the presence of a proton source. Highly enantioselective protonations of various silyl enol ethers of α-substituted tetralones were achieved, producing chiral α-substituted tetralones in full conversion and with up to 99% ee. The established protocol was successfully extended to the synthesis of biologically relevant chiral α-substituted chromanone and thiochromanone derivatives

Biomimetic Catalytic Retro-Aldol Reaction Using a Cation-Binding Catalyst: A Promising Route to Axially Chiral Biaryl Aldehydes

Here we describe a biomimetic catalytic retro-aldol reaction of racemic α-substituted β-hydroxy ketones utilizing a chiral oligoEG cation-binding catalyst as a type-II aldolase mimic. Our investigation of various aldol substrates has demonstrated that our biomimetic retro-aldol protocol enables rapid access to highly enantiomerically enriched aldols with a selectivity factor (s) of up to 70. Additionally, we have demonstrated the synthetic strategy’s feasibility for accessing diverse and valuable axially chiral aldehydes

Enantioselective Synthesis of <i>anti</i>–<i>syn</i>-Trihalides and <i>anti</i>–<i>syn</i>–<i>anti</i>-Tetrahalides via Asymmetric β‑Elimination

Structural motifs containing contiguous halide-bearing stereocenters are common in natural products as well as bioactive molecules. A few successful examples have been reported in the area of asymmetric vicinal dihalogenation of alkenes for accessing dihalogenated products; in this report, an alternative generation method of contiguous halide-bearing stereocenters α,β,γ,δ relative to carbonyl group in excellent enantioselectivity is proposed by utilizing a Song’s oligoEG catalyst-catalyzed asymmetric β-elimination. According to this methodology, a wide range of <i>anti</i>–<i>syn</i>-trihalides and <i>anti</i>–<i>syn</i>–<i>anti</i>-tetrahalides with high levels of enantioselectivity were synthesized. The synthetic utility of the contiguous halide-bearing stereocenters was demonstrated by several transformations. The results of high-resolution mass spectrometry indicated that the favorable interaction between catalyst and one of the enantiomers of racemic contiguously multihalogenated ketone contributed to the original enantioselectivity of dehydrohalogenation. A deuterium kinetic isotope effect experiment revealed that this β-elimination reaction proceeds by the <i>E</i>2 mechanism. This strategy opens a new pathway for the asymmetric synthesis of contiguous halide-bearing stereocenters of great complexity

Asymmetric Synthesis of Trisubstituted Tetrahydrothiophenes via in Situ Generated Chiral Fluoride-Catalyzed Cascade Sulfa-Michael/Aldol Reaction of 1,4-Dithiane-2,5-diol and α,β-Unsaturated Ketones

A chiral fluoride-catalyzed asymmetric cascade sulfa-Michael/aldol condensation reaction of 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol and a series of α,β-unsaturated ketones is described to access chiral trisubstituted tetrahydrothiophene derivatives. The target products, including the spiro tetrahydrothiophene derivatives bearing a five-, six-, and seven-membered ring, were highly functionalized and showed high ee value. This established protocol realized a highly enantioselective reaction with a catalytic amount of KF and Song’s chiral oligoEG via in situ generated chiral fluoride to construct useful heterocyclic skeletons with great complexity

Enantioselective Synthesis of <i>anti</i>–<i>syn</i>-Trihalides and <i>anti</i>–<i>syn</i>–<i>anti</i>-Tetrahalides via Asymmetric β‑Elimination

Structural motifs containing contiguous halide-bearing stereocenters are common in natural products as well as bioactive molecules. A few successful examples have been reported in the area of asymmetric vicinal dihalogenation of alkenes for accessing dihalogenated products; in this report, an alternative generation method of contiguous halide-bearing stereocenters α,β,γ,δ relative to carbonyl group in excellent enantioselectivity is proposed by utilizing a Song’s oligoEG catalyst-catalyzed asymmetric β-elimination. According to this methodology, a wide range of <i>anti</i>–<i>syn</i>-trihalides and <i>anti</i>–<i>syn</i>–<i>anti</i>-tetrahalides with high levels of enantioselectivity were synthesized. The synthetic utility of the contiguous halide-bearing stereocenters was demonstrated by several transformations. The results of high-resolution mass spectrometry indicated that the favorable interaction between catalyst and one of the enantiomers of racemic contiguously multihalogenated ketone contributed to the original enantioselectivity of dehydrohalogenation. A deuterium kinetic isotope effect experiment revealed that this β-elimination reaction proceeds by the <i>E</i>2 mechanism. This strategy opens a new pathway for the asymmetric synthesis of contiguous halide-bearing stereocenters of great complexity