Syntheses of the hexahydroindene cores of indanomycin and stawamycin by combinations of iridium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations and intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions.

Short and concise syntheses of the hexahydroindene cores of the antibiotics indanomycin (X-14547 A) and stawamycin are presented. Key methods used are an asymmetric iridium-catalyzed allylic alkylation, a modified Julia olefination, a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, and an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction.

Enantioselective total synthesis and absolute configuration of apiosporic acid.

The first total synthesis of the polyketide apiosporic acid is presented. Key steps are a Julia-Kocienski olefination, a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling, and an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction. The absolute configuration of the natural product was determined.

Enantioselective syntheses of the alkaloids cis-195A (pumiliotoxin C) and trans-195A based on multiple applications of asymmetric catalysis.

Short enantio- and diastereoselective syntheses of the decahydroquinoline alkaloids cis- (pumiliotoxin C) and trans-195A are presented. Key steps are an enantioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic amination, a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, a catalyst-controlled copper-catalyzed 1,4-addition, and a reductive amination.

Enantioselective syntheses of 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines based on iridium-catalyzed allylic aminations--total syntheses of alkaloids from amphibian skins.

A broadly applicable route to trans-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines has been developed. Key steps are an asymmetric iridium-catalyzed allylic amination, a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, and an intramolecular aza-Michael addition. Enantiomeric excesses in the range of 93-99 % ee have been achieved. Total syntheses of the alkaloids (-)-225 C, (+)- and (-)-223 H (xenovenine), (+)-223 AB, (+)-195 B, and (+)-223 R have been carried out as applications.

Enantioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic substitutions with hydroxamic acid derivatives as N-nucleophiles.

Enantioselective Ir-catalyzed allylic aminations with hydroxamic acid derivatives are described. Catalysts were prepared in situ from [Ir(cod)Cl](2) or [Ir(dbcot)Cl](2), a phosphoramidite and base. In addition, pure (π-allyl)Ir complexes containing cod or dbcot as auxiliary ligands were used. Very high degrees of regio- and enantioselectivity were achieved. The reaction products were transformed into piperidine derivatives suited as precursors for aza-sugars.

Enantio- and regioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic hydroxylation.

The first enantioselective allylic hydroxylation to prepare branched allylic alcohols directly is described. Bicarbonate was used as nucleophile in conjunction with new single component Ir-catalysts, which are stable to air and water. Excellent regio- and enantioselectivities have been achieved with a representative set of substrates.

Synthesis and structural variations of substituted phenylamide complexes of the heavy alkaline earth metals calcium, strontium and barium.

Starting material KN(H)C(6)H(3)-2,6-F(2) was prepared via a transamination reaction from KNH(2) and 2,6-F(2)C(6)H(3)NH(2) in THF and crystallized from 1,4-dioxane (diox) as the three-dimensional polymer [(diox)(1.5)K{N(H)-2,6-F(2)C(6)H(3)}.diox(0.5)](infinity) (1). The metathesis reaction of (THF)(4)CaI(2) with KN(Me)Ph in THF yields monomeric (THF)(4)Ca[N(Me)Ph](2) (2) with a nearly linear N-Ca-N moiety of 179.84(8) degrees . The metathesis reaction of (THF)(4)CaI(2) with KN(H)Mes yields trinuclear (THF)(6)Ca(3)[N(H)Mes](6) (3) with a linear Ca(3) fragment and bridging 2,4,6-trimethylphenylamido groups. The reaction of 1 with (THF)(4)CaI(2) gives dinuclear (THF)(5)Ca(2)[N(H)-2,6-F(2)C(6)H(3)](4).2THF (4) with three bridging and one terminally bound 2,6-difluorophenylamide. A similar reaction of (THF)(5)SrI(2) with KN(H)-2,6-F(2)C(6)H(3) yields dinuclear (THF)(6)Sr(2)[N(H)-2,6-F(2)C(6)H(3)](3)I.THF (5) in which the iodide anion binds terminally. This iodide ligand cannot be substituted as easily by excess KN(H)-2,6-F(2)C(6)H(3). The metathesis reaction of (THF)(5)BaI(2) with KN(H)-2,6-F(2)C(6)H(3) leads to the formation of [(THF)(2)Ba{N(H)-2,6-F(2)C(6)H(3)}(2)](infinity) (6) which crystallizes as a one-dimensional polymer with bridging 2,6-difluorophenylamide anions and additional Ba-F-bonds.

Arylphosphanide complexes of the alkaline-earth metals magnesium, calcium, strontium, and barium of the formula (THF)nM[P(H)Ph]2 and formation of potassium diphenylphosphinomagnesiates.

The reaction of diethylmagnesium with diphenylphosphane yields [(THF)Mg(Et)PPh 2] infinity ( 1; THF = tetrahydrofuran) with bridging PPh 2 ligands and average Mg-P bond lengths of 262.2 pm. The metalation reaction of MgEt 2 with HPPh 2 and H 2PPh with a 1:2 stoichiometry gives [(THF) 4Mg(PPh 2) 2] ( 2) and [(THF) 6Mg 4{P(H)Ph} 8] ( 3), respectively. Tetranuclear 3 contains three chemically different phenylphosphanide groups with characteristic P-H stretching frequencies at 2261, 2286, and 2310 cm (-1). The metathesis reaction of potassium phenylphosphanide with CaI 2 yields oligomeric (THF) 3Ca[P(H)Ph] 2 ( 4). A similar reaction with SrI 2 and BaI 2 gives polymeric [(THF) 2Sr{P(H)Ph} 2] infinity ( 5) and [(THF)Ba{P(H)Ph} 2] infinity ( 6), respectively, showing one stretching frequency at 2285 cm (-1). These compounds crystallize polymeric with bridging phenylphosphanide substituents. The addition of Et 2O to a mixture of KPPh 2 and Mg(PPh 2) 2 in THF initiates the crystallization of (Et 2O)K[(THF)Mg(PPh 2) 3] ( 7) with a strand structure and (Et 2O) x(THF) yK 2[Mg(PPh 2) 4] ( 8) with a layer structure depending on the stoichiometry. The crystals of 8 easily lose THF and Et 2O and, therefore, the content of these ethers varies. Recrystallization of 8 from hot 1,4-dioxane (diox) yields (diox) 2K 2[Mg(PPh 2) 4] ( 9) with a layer structure comparable to that of 8. The central structural units are eight-membered K 2Mg 2P 4 rings that are interconnected by P-K-P bridges. In a THF solution, the magnesiates 7- 9 dissociate into the homometallic derivatives KPPh 2 and Mg(PPh 2) 2, as can be seen from NMR experiments.

Synthesis and molecular structures of phenylamides of magnesium, calcium, strontium, and barium--from molecular to polymeric structures.

Several preparative procedures for the synthesis of the THF complexes of the alkaline earth metal bis(phenylamides) of Mg (1), Ca (2), Sr (3), and Ba (4) are presented such as metalation of aniline with strontium and barium, metathesis reactions of MI2 with KN(H)Ph, and metalation of aniline with arylcalcium compounds or dialkylmagnesium. The THF content of these compounds is rather low and an increasing aggregation is observed with the size of the metal atom. Thus, tetrameric [(THF)2Ca{mu-N(H)Ph}2]4 (2) and polymeric [(THF)2Sr{mu-N(H)Ph}2]infinity and {[(THF)2Ba{mu-N(H)Ph}2]2[(THF)Ba{mu-N(H)Ph}2]2}infinity show six-coordinate metal atoms with increasing interactions to the pi systems of the phenyl groups with increasing the radius of the alkaline earth metal atom.

Heavy Grignard reagents: challenges and possibilities of aryl alkaline earth metal compounds.

Compounds of the type aryl--M--X, with M=Ca, Sr, Ba and X as any kind of ligand (such as halide, phosphanide, amide, aryl), are presented. The low reactivity of the heavy alkaline earth metals calcium, strontium, and barium enforces an activation prior to use for the direct synthesis. The insertion of these metals into C--I bonds of aryl iodides (direct synthesis) yields aryl metal iodides and has to be performed at low temperatures and in THF. Aryl alkaline-earth-metal compounds show some characteristics: 1) the ease of ether cleavage enforces low reaction temperatures, 2) for Sr and Ba the Schlenk equilibrium is shifted towards homoleptic MI2 and MPh2, 3) high solubility of diaryl alkaline-earth-metal derivatives in THF even at low temperatures initiated quantum chemical investigations on the aggregation behavior, and 4) a strong low field shift of the 13C resonances of the ipso carbon atoms in NMR spectra was observed. First results from quantum chemical calculations on diaryl dicalcium(I) suggest a long Ca--Ca bond with a considerable Ca--Ca bond dissociation energy. Initial results on a selection of applications such as metallation, metathesis, and addition reactions of aryl calcium compounds are presented as well.

Syntheses and structures of alkaline earth metal bis(diphenylamides).

Various preparative procedures are employed in order to synthesize alkaline earth metal bis(diphenylamides) such as (i) metalation of HNPh2 with the alkaline earth metal M, (ii) metalation of HNPh2 with MPh2, (iii) metathesis reaction of MI2 with KNPh2, (iv) metalation of HNPh2 with PhMI in THF, and (v) metathesis reaction of PhMI with KNPh2 followed by a dismutation reaction yielding MPh2 and M(NPh2)2. The magnesium compounds [(diox)MgPh2]infinity (1) and (thf)2Mg(NPh2)2 (2) show tetracoordinate metal atoms, whereas in (dme)2Ca(NPh2)2 (3), (thf)4Sr(NPh2)2 (4), and (thf)4Ba(NPh2)2 (5) the metals are 6-fold coordinated. Additional agostic interactions between an ipso-carbon of one of the phenyl groups of the amide ligand and the alkaline earth metal atom lead to unsymmetric coordination of the NPh2 anions with two strongly different M-N-C angles in 3-5.

Aryl calcium compounds: syntheses, structures, physical properties, and chemical behavior.

Organocalcium chemistry is still in its infancy. The direct synthesis of activated calcium and (substituted) iodobenzenes allows for the large-scale and high-yield synthesis of aryl calcium iodides. The influence of the substitution patterns of the phenyl group, halogen atom, and solvent is discussed. Aryl calcium iodides show a Schlenk equilibrium that enables the isolation of diaryl calcium derivatives. Owing to the high reactivity of aryl calcium halides, low temperatures have to be maintained throughout the preparative procedures in order to avoid side reactions. A decrease of reactivity and, hence, an enhanced stability at higher temperatures can be achieved by shielding of the calcium atom by increasing the coordination number of the metal center or by substitution of the iodide anion by bulky groups.