Synthesis of Branch-Type 3-Allylindoles from N-Alkyl-N-cinnamyl-2-ethynylaniline Derivatives Using π-Allylpalladium Chloride Complex as a Catalyst.

The reaction of N-alkyl-N-cinnamyl-2-ethynylaniline derivatives 1 via annulation and aza-Claisen-type rearrangement easily afforded corresponding branch-type 3-allylindoles 2 with high regioselectivities in good yields using π-allylpalladium chloride complex as a catalyst.

Axially chiral N-alkyl-N-cinnamoyl amide type P,olefin ligands for Pd-catalyzed reactions.

We synthesized N-alkyl-N-cinnamoyl amide type phosphine-olefin compounds 1 and found axial chirality in a C(aryl)-N(amide) bond in compounds 1 by HPLC analysis using a chiral stationary phase column. We successfully obtained enantiomeric isomers of 1 and demonstrated the use of (-)-1 for chiral ligands in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions of allylic esters with indoles (up to 97% ee).

Synthesis of 3-Allylindoles via Annulation of N-Allyl-2-ethynylaniline Derivatives Using a P,Olefin Type Ligand/Pd(0) Catalyst.

Annulation of N-allyl-2-ethynylaniline derivatives easily afforded the corresponding 2-substituted 3-allylindole derivatives in good to excellent yields using P,olefin ligand/palladium catalst systems.

Cinnamoyl amide type chiral P,olefin ligands for Pd-catalyzed reactions.

We synthesized cinnamoyl amide type chiral P,olefin ligand (S)-4. We successfully obtained separable diastereomers of 4d and demonstrated Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions of indoles using (S,aS)-4d as a chiral ligand with high enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee).

Asymmetric Synthesis of Indoline from Achiral Phthalimide Involving Crystallization-Induced Deracemization.

Asymmetric synthesis was performed by combining the photochemical reaction of an achiral substrate followed by crystallization-induced deracemization. The results indicated that a fused indoline produced by photochemical intramolecular δ-hydrogen abstraction and cyclization of N-(5-chloro-2-methylphenyl)phthalimide crystallized as a racemic conglomerate. Since this substrate has an aminal skeleton, racemization involving a ring-opening and ring-closing equilibrium process occurred under suitable conditions. Efficient racemization was observed in acetone containing a catalytic base, 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU). Crystallization-induced dynamic deracemization by Viedma ripening from racemic indoline was performed with an excellent enantioselectivity of 99 % ee. Furthermore, one-pot asymmetric synthesis of the indoline was achieved by the photochemical reaction of achiral phthalimide followed by continuous attrition-enhanced deracemization converging to 99 % ee of enantiomeric crystals. This is the first example of asymmetric expression and amplification by photochemical hydrogen abstraction and crystallization-induced dynamic deracemization.

Attrition-Enhanced Asymmetric Transformation of Axially Chiral Nicotinamides by Dynamic Chiral Salt Formation.

Atroposelective resolution for axially chiral nicotinamides was achieved by dynamic chiral salt formation with L-DBTA using six types of nicotinamides that could not be optically resolved by the preferential crystallization method. Kinetic studies of their racemization indicated that the chiral conformation was retained for a significant period of time. Two methods of crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation were examined by dynamic diastereomeric salt formation: solvent evaporation from a supersaturated solution, and attrition-enhanced asymmetric transformation. The attrition method was more effective for asymmetric amplification of diastereomeric salts of axially chiral materials. Attrition of equimolar amount of the nicotinamide salts with L-DBTA converged to one diastereomer salts, and the corresponding enantiomers in 87-99 % ee were obtained after the chiral acid was removed. Changing the ratio of two of the nicotinamides with L-DBTA to 1 : 2 inverted the axial chirality.

Chiral Symmetry Breaking of Spiropyrans and Spirooxazines by Dynamic Enantioselective Crystallization.

Dynamic enantioselective crystallization enabled the chiral symmetry breaking of two spiropyrans and one spirooxazine. The three spiro compounds afforded racemic conglomerate crystals, and easily racemized in alcoholic solution without irradiation. Optically pure enantiomorphic crystals were obtained by vapor-diffusion crystallization or attrition-enhanced deracemization (Viedma ripening). Their absolute configurations were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis and each enantiomorphic crystal was correlated with its solid-state circular dichroism (CD) spectrum.

Umpolung cyclization reaction of N-cinnamoylthioureas in the presence of DBU.

A novel regioselective cyclization reaction of N-cinnamoylthioureas leading to six- or five-membered heterocyclic compounds was developed. N-Cinnamoylthioureas in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) underwent the well-established intramolecular cycloaddition reaction to give 2-imino-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-4H-1,3-thiazin-4-ones in good yields. On the other hand, the reaction with 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) proceeded in an unprecedented "umpolung" cyclization fashion to afford five-membered 2-imino-1,3-thiazolidin-4-ones and/or 2-thioxoimidazolidine-4-ones. The reaction was considered to occur via a cycloadduct of DBU with the cinnamoyl moiety followed by intramolecular attack of the thiourea group.

Asymmetric Diels-Alder Reaction Involving Dynamic Enantioselective Crystallization.

Asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction was achieved under achiral conditions. Reaction of prochiral 2-methylfuran and N-phenylmaleimide in heptane or hexane solution at 80 °C efficiently gave a conglomerate crystal of exo-type Diels-Alder adduct selectively, and continuous suspension of the reaction mixture with glass beads promoted attrition-enhanced deracemization, leading to an optically active exo-adduct in 90% ee.

Stereoselective Photodimerization of 3-Arylindenones in Solution and in the Solid State.

Photodimerization of 3-arylindenones in solution and in the solid state was examined. Irradiation of 3-arylindenones in benzene exclusively gave C2-symmetric anti-HH cyclobutane dimers in good yields. In contrast, photolysis in the solid state afforded syn-HH cyclobutane dimers efficiently, which was considerably influenced by the molecular arrangement in the crystal lattice.

Asymmetric Synthesis by Using Natural Sunlight under Absolute Achiral Conditions.

Irradiation of prochiral (E)-aroylacrylamide with sunlight gave single-handed pyrrolinone quantitatively and with an enantiomeric excess (ee) of over 99 % under absolutely achiral conditions. The phenomenon was explained by photoisomerization and reversible cyclization followed by dynamic crystallization involving deracemization.

Asymmetric Synthesis of an Amino Acid Derivative from Achiral Aroyl Acrylamide by Reversible Michael Addition and Preferential Crystallization.

Single-handed α-amino acid derivatives were generated from achiral precursors without an external chiral source. Conjugate addition of phenethylamine to an achiral aroyl acrylamide under homogeneous conditions gave the α-amino amides in quantitative yields, which crystallized as a conglomerate of a P21 crystal system. Dynamic preferential crystallization or attrition-enhanced deracemization resulted in the formation of enantiomorphic crystals of 99 % ee.

Diastereoselective photodimerization reactions of chromone-2-carboxamides to construct a C2-chiral scaffold.

Irradiation of three chromone-2-carboxamides with a chiral auxiliary resulted in diastereoselective formation of a C2-chiral anti-HH dimer scaffold. Selection of the solvent polarity and decreasing the temperature resulted in asymmetric induction with up to 84% diastereomeric excess (de).

Asymmetric transformation by dynamic crystallization of achiral succinimides.

Optically active materials could be generated by simple solidification of achiral materials without an external chiral source. When achiral cis-3,4-diphenylsuccinimides were solidified in the presence of a catalytic amount of DBU by evaporating the solvent with stirring, optically active trans-3,4-diphenylsuccinimides were obtained quantitatively with high enantiomeric excesses.

Reaction of carboxylic acids with vinyl ethers under solvent-free conditions using molecular iodine as a catalyst.

The reaction of vinyl ethers with carboxylic acids using iodine as a catalyst under solvent-free conditions was investigated. The reaction of saturated carboxylic acids with vinyl ethers gave the corresponding esters. Mechanistic studies revealed the production of the adduct of the vinyl ether with the carboxylic acid, which then rearranged to form the ester. At low temperatures, the reaction of 2-(1-hydroxycyclohexyl)acetic acid (1) and butyl vinyl ether yielded a butyl ester. However, at a reaction temperature of 80°C, both the esterification and the elimination of a water molecule occurred, yielding the unsaturated butyl ester butyl 2-cyclohexenylacetate. The reaction of 2-((1S,2S,4R)-2-hydroxy-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl)acetic acid (12) with butyl vinyl ether at low temperatures resulted in a mixture of four compounds. However, similar to the high-temperature (>60°C) reaction of 1, the esterification was accompanied by the elimination of a water molecule to give the unsaturated butyl ester (E)-butyl 2-((1S,4R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ylidene)acetate. While a γ-hydrogen was abstracted to form the endo-type double bond in the reaction of 1, an α-hydrogen was abstracted to form the exo-type double bond in the reaction of 12.

Reaction of olefins with nitriles under solvent-free conditions using molecular iodine as a catalyst in the presence of water.

The reaction of olefins with nitriles using iodine as a catalyst under solvent-free conditions was investigated. The reaction of cycloolefins, such as cyclopentene and cyclohexene, with benzonitrile using iodine as a catalyst produced both amide and heterocyclic compounds. The reaction of chiral (+)-camphene with benzonitrile produced racemic (±)-N-isobornylbenzamide (N-((1S,2S,4S)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-yl)benzamide). This indicated that skeletal rearrangement of camphene as well as amidation occurred. The optimized conditions were determined to be as follows: temperature, 90°C; molar ratio of nitrile:alcohol:iodine:water, 1:5:0.2:1.0; and reaction time, 18 h. The yield was 87% under these conditions. The reaction of (+)-camphene also proceeded with the other aromatic and aliphatic nitriles to produce racemic isobornylamides. However, except for styrene, complex reactions occurred in the reactions of benzonitrile with other terpenic olefins.

Synthesis of carboxylic acids, esters, alcohols and ethers containing a tetrahydropyran ring derived from 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one.

3-hydroxy acids, 3-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyloct-6-enoic acid (1) and 3-hydroxy-2,2,3,7-tetramethyloct-6-enoic acid (2), were prepared from 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, and they were subsequently used to prepare (2,6,6-trimethyltetrahydropyran-2-yl)acetic acid (3) and 2-methyl-2-(2,6,6-trimethyltetrahydropyran-2-yl)propanoic acid (4), respectively, via cyclization with an acidic catalyst such as boron trifluoride diethyl etherate or iodine. The reaction of carboxylic acids 3 and 4 with alcohols, including methanol, ethanol, and 1-propanol, produced the corresponding methyl, ethyl, and propyl esters, which all contained a tetrahydropyran ring. Reduction of carboxylic acids 3 and 4 afforded the corresponding alcohols. Subsequent reactions of these alcohols with several acyl chlorides produced novel esters. The alcohols also reacted with methyl iodide and sodium hydride to provide novel ethers. A one-pot cyclization-esterification of 1 to produce esters containing a tetrahydropyran ring, using iodine as a catalyst, was also investigated.

Amide synthesis from esters with nitriles under solvent-free conditions using molecular iodine as a catalyst.

The reaction of esters with nitriles, using iodine as a catalyst under solvent-free conditions, was investigated. For example, 1-phenylethyl acetate reacted with benzonitrile in the presence of iodine to afford the amide, N-(1-phenylethyl)benzamide. Addition of water was effective in promoting amidation. The most suitable conditions were investigated, and determined as follows: temperature = 80°C, molar ratio of nitrile:alcohol:iodine:water = 1:3:0.2:1.0, and reaction time = 18 h. The amidation reactivity depended on the stability of the cationic intermediate formed from the ester. Only the reaction of 2-phenylpropan-2-yl acetate with benzonitrile gave no amide compound; rather, the cyclic compound, 1,1,3-trimethyl-3-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene was obtained in 90% yield. The reaction of (-)-bornyl acetate with benzonitrile produced the racemic amide compound, (±)-exo-N-isobornylbenzamide, in 82% yield.

Amidation of alcohols with nitriles under solvent-free conditions using molecular iodine as a catalyst.

The reactions of alcohols with nitriles under solvent-free conditions, using molecular iodine as a catalyst, were investigated. The reaction of 1-phenylethanol with propanenitrile produced the amide N-(1-phenylethyl)propanamide, by dehydration and tautomerization, in 71% yield, under the following conditions: temperature=90°C, alcohol:iodine molar ratio=1:0.2, alcohol:nitrile molar ratio=1:5, and reaction time=5 h. The amidation reactivity depended on the stability of the cationic intermediate formed from the alcohol. The reaction of (-)-borneol with benzonitrile produced a racemic amide in 83% yield.

Generation and amplification of optical activity of axially chiral N-(1-naphthyl)-2(1H)-pyrimidinethione by crystallization.

X-Ray crystallographic analysis of N-(1-naphthyl)-2(1H)-pyrimidinethione revealed that the space group was tetragonal and chiral P4(3). The rate of racemization due to the C-N bond rotation was considerably influenced by the solvent properties. A nonpolar solvent lowers the ΔG(‡)value by about 3.0 kcal mol(-1) relative to the value in a polar or a protic solvent. The crystallization of racemic axially chiral pyrimidinethione at high temperature led to the chiral breaking of symmetry up to 91% ee.