Unravelling the configuration of transient ortho-quinone methides by combining microfluidics with gas phase vibrational spectroscopy.

The alkylidene double bond configuration of transient ortho-quinone methides (o-QMs) is studied by cryogenic ion trap vibrational spectroscopy. To this end, o-QMs are formed from ortho-hydroxy benzhydryl alcohols in a Brønsted acid mediated dehydration reaction on a microfluidic chip reactor and the E/Z isomer ratio is determined by comparing the measured gas phase mid-infrared fingerprints with the predicted harmonic spectra from density functional theory calculations. Control over the stereochemistry is achieved by exploiting steric repulsion interactions between the substituents adjacent to the formal double bond of the o-QMs. Attempts to manipulate the ratio of the E- and Z-isomers by varying the reaction conditions were unsuccessful. This observation suggests a low isomerization barrier and hence shorter equilibration times with respect to the on-chip residence time. The fluxional character of the formal double bond is confirmed in 13C-labelling experiments, which reveal a substantially red-shifted CC stretching frequency characteristic for extended, conjugated π-systems.

Phosphoric Acid Catalyzed Aldehyde Addition to in Situ Generated o-Quinone Methides: An Enantio- and Diastereoselective Entry toward cis-3,4-Diaryl Dihydrocoumarins.

A highly stereoselective, phosphoric acid catalyzed synthesis of cis-3,4-diarylchromanols through reaction of o-hydroxybenzhydryl alcohols and aryl acetaldehydes is reported. The products can be further manipulated to 3,4-dihydrocoumarins, 4 H-chromenes, and chromanes with good overall yields and very good diastereo- and enantiocontrol. This reaction is based upon the concept of enol catalysis and comprises the in situ generation of hydrogen-bonded o-quinone methides and their formal [4 + 2]-cycloaddition with aldehyde enols.

Continuous purification of reaction products by micro free-flow electrophoresis enabled by large area deep-UV fluorescence imaging.

Microreactors have gained increasing attention in their application toward continuous micro flow synthesis. An unsolved problem of continuous flow synthesis is the lack of techniques for continuous product purification. Herein, we present a micro free-flow electrophoresis device and accompanying setup that enables the continuous separation and purification of unlabeled organic synthesis products. The system is applied to the separation and purification of triarylmethanes. For imaging of the unlabeled analytes on-chip a novel setup for large area (3.6 cm2) deep ultra violet excitation fluorescence detection was developed. Suitable separation conditions based on low conductivity electrophoresis buffers were devised to purify the product. With the optimized conditions, starting materials and product of the synthesis were well separated (R > 1.2). The separation was found to be very stable with relative standard deviations of the peak positions smaller than 3.5% over 15 min. The stable conditions enabled collection of the separated compounds, and purity of the product fraction was confirmed using capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. This result demonstrates the great potential of free-flow electrophoresis as a technique for product purification or continuous clean-up in flow synthesis. Graphical Abstract Micro free-flow electrophoresis (µFFE) allows continuous separation and purification of small organic synthesis products. Enabled by a novel deep-UV imaging setup starting materials and product of a recently developed synthesis for triarylmethanes could be purified. Thereby demonstrating the potential of µFFE as continuous purification technique for micro flow synthesis.

Relay Catalysis: Manganese(III) Phosphate Catalyzed Asymmetric Addition of ß-Dicarbonyls to ortho-Quinone Methides Generated by Catalytic Aerobic Oxidation.

The combination of an in situ formed MnL3 complex (HL = Hacac or R(C═O)CH2CO2R) and a chiral phosphoric acid HX* allows for a fully catalytic, asymmetric synthesis of 4H-chromenes starting from 2-alkyl-substituted phenols. The aerobic oxidation toward a transient ortho-quinone methide was efficiently catalyzed by a manganese(III) species MnL3 while the ensuing Michael addition of ß-dicarbonyl compounds proved to be catalyzed by a chiral manganese phosphate MnL2X*.

Synergistic Rhodium/Phosphoric Acid Catalysis for the Enantioselective Addition of Oxonium Ylides to ortho-Quinone Methides.

We report herein a powerful and highly stereoselective protocol for the domino-type reaction of diazoesters with ortho-quinone methides generated in situ to furnish densely functionalized chromans with three contiguous stereogenic centers. A transition-metal and a Brønsted acid catalyst were shown to act synergistically to produce a transient oxonium ylide and ortho-quinone methide, respectively, in two distinct cycles. These intermediates underwent subsequent coupling in a conjugate-addition-hemiacetalization event in generally good yield with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity.