Benito Alcaide

Grubbs’ Ruthenium-Carbenes Beyond the Metathesis Reaction: Less Conventional Non-Metathetic Utility

ed via -hydride elimination, collapsing into the 1,3diene derivative 419. Alternatively, the formation of this product might be interpreted as a result of the direct thermal ene-type reaction of allenenes 418. To understand the latter process, compound 418b was refluxed in CH2Cl2 without the catalyst Ru-2 for a prolonged time, but no reaction took place. In addition, when heated at higher temperature (refluxing in toluene or xylene), the thermal [2 + 2]-cycloaddition between the terminal olefin and the distal double bond of the allenyl moiety furnished the corresponding cyclobutane derivative. When trienyne 421 was subjected to ring-closing metathesis reaction conditions using the second-generation Grubbs’ catalyst Ru-2, an unusual nonmetathetic activity was observed, with the cycloisomerization product being obtained as the major product. The main fraction of the reaction of trienyne 421 was found to be a mixture of the metathesis product 422 and the cycloisomerization adduct 423 (1:2 ratio) in 45% combined yield. Besides 422 and 423, a minor product 424 was isolated (11%) along with starting material 421 (6.5%). When the Hoveyda-Grubbs’ catalyst Ru-3 was used, further cycloisomerization occurred and all that was isolated was a mixture of 422 and 423 in a 1:4 ratio (45% yield) and 421 (6.5%) (Scheme 132).109 This result suggested that the alkyne was more reactive toward the ruthenium-carbene complex than the terminal alkene for trienyne 421. Therefore, initial coordination preferentially occurred at the alkyne to give the metallacyclopentene 425 (path a). Scheme 138. Vinylcyclopropane Epimerization Catalyzed by Carbene Ru-1 Scheme 139. Tandem RCM-Dehydration Catalyzed by Ru-1a 3854 Chemical Reviews, 2009, Vol. 109, No. 8 Alcaide et al.

The Direct Catalytic Asymmetric Aldol Reaction

The direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction using aldehydes and unmodified ketones is described for the first time herein. This reaction was first found to be promoted by 20 mol % of anhydrous (R)-LLB (L = lanthanum, L = lithium, B = (R)-binaphthol moiety) at −20 °C, giving a variety of aldol products in ees ranging from 44 to 94%. This asymmetric reaction has been greatly improved by developing a new heteropolymetallic asymmetric catalyst [(R)-LLB, KOH, and H2O]. Using 3−8 mol % of this catalyst, a variety of direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions were again found to proceed smoothly, affording aldol products in ees ranging from 30 to 93% and in good to excellent yields. Interestingly, the use of this new heteropolymetallic asymmetric catalyst has realized a diastereoselective and enantioselective aldol reaction using cyclopentanone for the first time. It is also noteworthy that a variety of aldehydes, including hexanal, can be utilized for the current direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction...

β-Lactams as Versatile Synthetic Intermediates for the Preparation of Heterocycles of Biological Interest

Since the advent of penicillin, the beta-lactam antibiotics have been the subject of much discussion and investigation, within both the scientific and public sectors. The primary biological targets of the beta-lactam antibacterial drugs are the penicillin binding proteins, a group of transpeptidases anchored within the bacterial cellular membrane, which mediate the final step of cell wall biosynthesis. The extensive use of common beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins in medicine has resulted in an increasing number of resistant strains of bacteria through mutation and beta-lactamase gene transfer. Thus, a handful of nonconventional fused polycyclic beta-lactams have been described in the literature in order to overcome the defence mechanisms of the bacteria. In fact, tricyclic beta-lactam antibiotics, generally referred to as trinems, are a new class of synthetic antibacterial agents featuring good resistance to beta-lactamases and dehydropeptidases. In addition, recent discoveries have shown other biological properties of these compounds apart from their antibacterial action. In this sense, beta-lactams can serve as inhibitors of serine proteases, such as human leukocyte elastase (HLE) or thrombin, acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitors and inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus. Additional impetus for research efforts on beta-lactam chemistry has been provided by the introduction of the beta-lactam synthon method, a term coined by Ojima 20 years ago, according to which 2-azetidinones can be employed as useful intermediates in organic synthesis. The usefulness of beta-lactams in the stereocontrolled synthesis of heterocycles of biological significance is based on the impressive variety of transformations, which can be derived from this system, due inter alia to a high chirality content that can be transferred into a variety of products. The cyclic 2-azetidinone skeleton has been extensively used as a template on which to build the heterocyclic structure fused to the four-membered ring, using the chirality and functionalisation of the beta-lactam nucleus as a stereocontrolling element. Alternatively, the direct one-pot generation of fused nitrogen heterocyclic systems from the nitrogen framework of 2-azetidinone derivatives has been achieved by selective bond breakage and rearrangement. It is our aim in this Review to highlight the state of the art in this endeavour, consisting either of the stereocontrolled synthesis of fused polycyclic beta-lactams of antibacterial interest, or stereoselective synthesis of different sized heterocycles of biological significance. Representative examples of the latter include indolizidines, pyrrolizidines, pirrolidines, pyrroles, taxoids and macrolide natural products.

4-Oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes as useful building blocks in stereocontrolled synthesis

4-Oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes or 4-formyl-β-lactams can be considered both as protected α-amino aldehydes and masked β-amino acids. These bifunctional compounds exhibit a valuable dual reactivity, which has been utilized in a broad range of synthetic applications. The present review is a survey of the recent salient synthetic achievements exploiting 4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes, with particular emphasis on diastereoselective processes. The usefulness of these substrates for the preparation of substances of biological interest, including α-amino acids, β-amino acids, amino sugars, polycyclic-β-lactams, alkaloids, and complex natural products is presented.

Gold-catalyzed cyclization reactions of allenol and alkynol derivatives.

Although gold is chemically inert as a bulk metal, the landmark discovery that gold nanoparticles can be effective catalysts has opened up new and exciting research opportunities in the field. In recent years, there has been growth in the number of reactions catalyzed by gold complexes [gold(I) and gold(III)], usually as homogeneous catalysts, because they are soft Lewis acids. In addition, alkynes and allenes have interesting reactivities and selectivities, notably their ability to produce complex structures in very few steps. In this Account, we describe our work in gold catalysis with a focus on the formation of C-C and C-O bonds using allenes and alkynes as starting materials. Of these, oxa- and carbo-cyclizations are perhaps the best known and most frequently studied. We have divided those contributions into sections arranged according to the nature of the starting material (allene versus alkyne). Gold-catalyzed carbocyclizations in allenyl C2-linked indoles, allenyl-β-lactams, and allenyl sugars follow different mechanistic pathways. The cyclization of indole-tethered allenols results in the efficient synthesis of carbazole derivatives, for example. However, the compound produced from gold-catalyzed 9-endo carbocyclization of (aryloxy)allenyl-tethered 2-azetidinones is in noticeable contrast to the 5-exo hydroalkylation product that results from allenyl sugars. We have illustrated the unusual preference for the 4-exo-dig cyclization in allene chemistry, as well as the rare β-hydride elimination reaction, in gold catalysis from readily available α-allenols. We have also observed in γ-allenols that a (methoxymethyl)oxy protecting group not only masks a hydroxyl functionality but also exerts directing effects as a controlling unit in a gold-catalyzed regioselectivity reversal. Our recent work has also led to a combined experimental and computational study on regioselective gold-catalyzed synthetic routes to 1,3-oxazinan-2-ones (kinetically controlled products) and 1,3-oxazin-2-one derivatives (thermodynamically favored) from easily accessible allenic carbamates. In addition, we discuss the direct gold-catalyzed cycloketalization of alkynyldioxolanes, as well as aminoketalization of alkynyloxazolidines. We performed labeling studies and density functional calculations to gain insight into the mechanisms of the bis-heterocyclization reactions. We also describe the controlled gold-catalyzed reactions of primary and secondary propargylic hydroperoxides with a variety of nucleophiles including alcohols and phenols, allowing the direct synthesis of β-functionalized ketones. Through computations and (18)O-labeling experiments, we discovered various aspects of the controlled reactivity of propargylic hydroperoxides with external nucleophiles under gold catalysis. The mechanism resembles a Meyer-Schuster rearrangement, but notably, the presence and geometry characteristics of the OOH functional group allow a new pathway to happen, which cannot apply to propargylic alcohols.

Gold catalyzed oxycyclizations of alkynols and alkyndiols

Alkynols and alkyndiols represent excellent building blocks for oxycyclization reactions, leading to a large number of different cyclic structures in one single step. Recently, the use of gold salts and gold complexes has been introduced as an alternative to the traditional methods, providing mild reaction conditions and high group compatibility. This overview focuses on the most recent achievements on gold-catalyzed oxycyclizations, both from alkynols and alkyndiols, and their use in different cascade processes and total synthesis.

Additions of Allenyl/Propargyl Organometallic Reagents to 4‐Oxoazetidine‐2‐carbaldehydes: Novel Palladium‐Catalyzed Domino Reactions in Allenynes

Metal-mediated carbonyl allenylation and propargylation of 4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes were investigated in aqueous environment. Different propargyl bromide and metal promoters showed varied regio- and stereoselectivities on product formation. In addition, an unprecedented one-pot stereoselective synthesis of beta-chlorinated allylic alcohols, which can also be considered as functionalized allylsilanes, has been developed, which involves tin(IV) chloride-mediated reaction of propargyltrimethylsilane and 4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes. Some of the resulting coupling products were submitted to transition metal catalyzed reactions, such as the allenic Pauson-Khand and palladium-catalyzed reactions, leading to novel fused or bridged tricyclic beta-lactams. Remarkably, a novel domino process, namely the allene cyclization/intramolecular Heck reaction was found. A likely mechanism for the cascade reaction should involve an intramolecular cyclization on a (pi-allyl)palladium complex and a Heck-type reaction.

Cross-Coupling/Cyclization Reactions of Two Different Allenic Moieties

The allene moiety represents an excellent building block for allene cross-coupling cyclization reactions, affording heterocyclic skeletons in a single step. This strategy is of particular interest when two different allene derivatives are involved in a series of metal-catalyzed cross-coupling heterocyclization processes. This Concept article is focused on the Pd-catalyzed union of two different allenic moieties, with cyclization of at least one of them by intramolecular cyclometalation. These new, versatile, and highly effective transformations are complex multistep processes leading to potential privileged structures that could find wide applications in related medicinal chemistry.

Regioselectivity Control in the Metal‐Catalyzed OC Functionalization of γ‐Allenols, Part 1: Experimental Study

We describe versatile regiocontrolled metal-catalyzed heterocyclization reactions of gamma-allenol derivatives leading to a variety of fused enantiopure tetrahydrofurans, dihydropyrans, and tetrahydrooxepines. Regioselectivity control in the O-C functionalization of gamma-allenols can be achieved through the choice of catalyst: use of AuCl(3) exclusively affords tetrahydrofurans, use of La[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3) usually favors the formation of dihydropyrans, whereas use of PdCl(2) solely gives tetrahydrooxepines. In addition, it has been observed that for the Au-catalyzed cycloisomerization, the presence of a methoxymethyl protecting group not only masks a hydroxy functionality, but also exerts directing effects as a controlling unit in a regioselectivity reversal (7-endo versus 5-exo cyclization). In addition, the regioselectivity of the La-catalyzed cycloetherification can be tuned (5-exo versus 7-endo) simply through a subtle variation in the substitution pattern of the allene component (Ph versus Me). Thus, for the first time the regiocontrolled heterocyclization of gamma-allenol derivatives is both catalyst- and substrate-directable. These metal-catalyzed heterocyclization reactions have been developed experimentally (Part 1, this paper), and their mechanisms have additionally been investigated by a theoretical study (Part 2, accompanying paper).

Metal‐Catalyzed Cycloetherification Reactions of β,γ‐ and γ,δ‐Allendiols: Chemo‐, Regio‐, and Stereocontrol in the Synthesis of Oxacycles

Versatile routes that lead to a variety of functionalized enantiopure tetrahydrofurans, dihydropyrans, and tetrahydrooxepines are based on chemo-, regio-, and stereocontrolled metal-catalyzed oxycyclization reactions of β,γ- and γ,δ-allendiols, which were readily prepared from (R)-2,3-O-isopropylideneglyceraldehyde. The application of Pd(II), Pt(II), Au(III), or La(III) salts as the catalysts gives controlled access to differently sized oxacycles in enantiopure form. Usually, chemoselective cyclization reactions occurred exclusively by attack of the secondary hydroxy group (except for the oxybromination of phenyl β,γ-allenic diols 3b and 3d) to an allenic carbon atom. Regio- and stereocontrol issues are mainly influenced by the nature of the metal catalysts and substituents.