Amparo Sanz-Marco

Hydroxyl-directed stereoselective diboration of alkenes.

An alkoxide-catalyzed directed diboration of alkenyl alcohols is described. This reaction occurs in a stereoselective fashion and is demonstrated with cyclic and acyclic homoallylic and bishomoallylic alcohol substrates. After oxidation, the reaction generates 1,2-diols such that the process represents a method for the stereoselective directed dihydroxylation of alkenes.

Enantioselective zinc-mediated conjugate addition of terminal alkynes to enones.

Zinc for conjugate alkynylation: The enantioselective conjugate addition of terminal alkynes to 2-arylidene-1,3-diketones in the presence of diethylzinc and a catalytic amount of (R)-VANOL has been developed. The reaction can be applied to different aromatic and heteroaromatic alkynes and enones, giving the expected products in good yield and with enantiomeric excesses up to 91%. The products can be enantiomerically enriched up to 99% ee by crystallization (see scheme).

Highly Enantioselective Copper(I)-Catalyzed Conjugate Addition of Terminal Alkynes to 1,1-Difluoro-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-3-en-2-ones: New Ester/Amide Surrogates in Asymmetric Catalysis

A highly enantioselective copper-catalyzed conjugate alkynylation of monoactivated enones, namely 1,1-difluoro-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-3-en-2-ones, is described. The reaction products are obtained with good yields and excellent enantioselectivities (from 92 to 99% ee). The β-alkynylated difluoro(phenylsulfonyl) ketones can be converted into the corresponding β-alkynylated difluoro- and trifluoromethyl ketones, esters and amides. This is the first example on the use of 1,1-difluoro-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-3-en-2-ones as substrates in an enantioselective reaction, which have been shown to be new ester/amide surrogates.

Base-Catalyzed Stereospecific Isomerization of Electron-Deficient Allylic Alcohols and Ethers through Ion-Pairing

A mild base-catalyzed strategy for the isomerization of allylic alcohols and allylic ethers has been developed. Experimental and computational investigations indicate that transition metal catalysts are not required when basic additives are present. As in the case of using transition metals under basic conditions, the isomerization catalyzed solely by base also follows a stereospecific pathway. The reaction is initiated by a rate-limiting deprotonation. Formation of an intimate ion pair between an allylic anion and the conjugate acid of the base results in efficient transfer of chirality. Through this mechanism, stereochemical information contained in the allylic alcohols is transferred to the ketone products. The stereospecific isomerization is also applicable for the first time to allylic ethers, yielding synthetically valuable enantioenriched (up to 97% ee) enol ethers.

Enantioselective copper-aminopyridine-catalyzed aza-Henry reaction with chelating N-(2-pyridyl)sulfonyl imines

This article describes a copper-catalyzed aza-Henry reaction. Copper complexes of camphor-derived aminopyridines catalyze the addition of nitromethane to N-(2-pyridyl)sulfonyl aldimines to give the corresponding β-nitrosulfonamides with good yields and variable enantiomeric excesses (up to 83%). An example of transformation of these compounds into N-(2-pyridyl)sulfonyl-α-amino acids and deprotection of the sulfonamide with Mg-MeOH is provided.

Catalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Alkynylation of α,β‐Unsaturated 1,1,1‐Trifluoromethyl Ketones with Terminal Alkynes

The first catalytic enantioselective conjugate alkynylation of α,β-unsaturated 1,1,1-trifluoromethyl ketones has been carried out. Terminal alkynes and 1,3-diynes were treated with trifluoromethyl ketones in the presence of a low catalytic load of a Cu(I) -MeOBIPHEP complex (2.5 mol %) and triethylamine (10 mol %) to give the corresponding trifluoromethyl ketones bearing a propargylic stereogenic center at the β position with good yields and excellent enantiomeric excesses in most of the cases. No 1,2-addition products were formed under the reaction conditions. The procedure showed broad substrate scope for alkyne, diyne, and enone. A rationale for the observed stereochemistry has been provided. Finally, the potential application of the reaction products in the synthesis of chiral tetrahydrofurans bearing a trifluoromethylated quaternary stereocenter has been devised.