Asymmetric enamine catalysis.

Most enzymatic transformations have a synthetic counterpart. Often though, the mechanisms by which natural and synthetic catalysts operate differ markedly. The catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction as a fundamental C-C bond forming reaction in chemistry and biology is an interesting case in this respect. Chemically, this reaction is dominated by approaches that utilize preformed enolate equivalents in combination with a chiral catalyst.1 Typically, a metal is involved in the reaction mechanism.1d Most enzymes, however, use a fundamentally different strategy and catalyze the direct aldolization of two unmodified carbonyl compounds. Class I aldolases utilize an enamine based mechanism,2 while Class II aldolases mediate this process by using a zinc cofactor.3 The development of aldolase antibodies that use an enamine mechanism and accept hydrophobic organic substrates has demonstrated the potential inherent in amine-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions.4 Recently, the first small-molecule asymmetric class II aldolase mimics have been described in the form of zinc, lanthanum, and barium complexes.5,6 However, amine-based asymmetric class I aldolase mimics have not been described in the literature.7 Here we report our finding that the amino acid proline is an effective asymmetric catalyst for the direct aldol reaction between unmodified acetone and a variety of aldehydes. Recently we developed broad scope aldolase antibodies that show very high enantioselectivities, have enzymatic rate accelerations, and use the enamine mechanism of class I aldolases.4 During the course of these studies, we found that one of our aldolase catalytic antibodies (Aldolase Antibody 38C2, Aldrich) is an efficient catalyst for enantiogroup-differentiating aldol cyclodehydrations of 2,6-heptanediones to give cyclohexenones, including the Wieland-Miescher ketone.8,9 These intramolecular reactions are also catalyzed by proline (Hajos-Eder-Sauer-Wiechert reaction)10 and it has been postulated that they proceed via an enamine mechanism.11 However, the proline-catalyzed direct intermolecular asymmetric aldol reaction has not been described. Further, there are no asymmetric small-molecule aldol catalysts that use an enamine mechanism.7 Based on our own results and Shibasaki’s work on lanthanum-based small-molecule aldol catalysts,4,6 we realized the great potential of catalysts for the direct asymmetric aldol reaction. We initially studied the reaction of acetone with 4-nitrobenzaldehyde. Reacting proline (30 mol %) in DMSO/acetone (4:1) with 4-nitrobenzaldehyde at room temperature for 4 h furnished aldol product (R)-1 in 68% yield and 76% ee (eq 1). This result

https://www.scripps.edu/barbas/pdf/List00JACS.pdf

Proline-Catalyzed Direct Asymmetric Aldol Reactions

Small-molecule H-bond donors in asymmetric catalysis.

4.2.8. Reductive Coupling 3109 5. Reaction of Aromatic Compounds 3110 5.1. Electrophilic Substitutions 3110 5.2. Radical Substitution 3111 5.3. Oxidative Coupling 3111 5.4. Photochemical Reactions 3111 6. Reaction of Carbonyl Compounds 3111 6.1. Nucleophilic Additions 3111 6.1.1. Allylation 3111 6.1.2. Propargylation 3120 6.1.3. Benzylation 3121 6.1.4. Arylation/Vinylation 3121 6.1.5. Alkynylation 3121 6.1.6. Alkylation 3121 6.1.7. Reformatsky-Type Reaction 3122 6.1.8. Direct Aldol Reaction 3122 6.1.9. Mukaiyama Aldol Reaction 3124 6.1.10. Hydrogen Cyanide Addition 3125 6.2. Pinacol Coupling 3126 6.3. Wittig Reactions 3126 7. Reaction of R,â-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds 3127

Organic Reactions in Aqueous Media with a Focus on Carbon−Carbon Bond Formations: A Decade Update

The use of small organic molecules as catalysts has been known for more than a century. But only in the past decade has organocatalysis become a thriving area of general concepts and widely applicable asymmetric reactions. Here I present my opinion on why the field of organocatalysis has blossomed so dramatically over the past decade.

The advent and development of organocatalysis

Asymmetric synthesis of bicyclic intermediates of natural product chemistry

Synthesis and conversion of 2-methyl-2-(3-oxobutyl)-1,3-cyclopentanedione to the isomeric racemic ketols of the (3.2.1)bicyclooctane and of the perhydroindan series.

The stereocontrolled synthesis of trans-hydrindan steroidal intermediates.

Total synthesis of optically active (−)17β-hydroxy-Δ9(10)-desA-androsten-5-one

A series of heterocyclic (aryloxy)alkylamines of structures II and III were prepared and found to possess gastric antisecretory activity. Of the variety of substituted thiazoles, benzoxazoles, and benzothiazoles prepared, thiazole 18, benzoxazole 32, and benzothiazole 47 exhibited gastric antisecretory potency comparable to that of ranitidine in vivo in the pylorous ligated rat model. In an isolated rabbit parietal system, the series of thiazoles, benzoxazoles, and benzothiazoles also demonstrated similar potency to that of ranitidine toward the inhibition of both histamine-stimulated and dcAMP-stimulated uptake of amino[14C]pyrine. These compounds inhibited the H+K+-sensitive ATPase enzyme in isolated gastric microsomes. A direct correlation existed between inhibition of 14C uptake, in vivo antisecretory activity, and inhibition of the H+K+-ATPase enzyme. The more potent antisecretory compounds 18, 32, and 47 were also the more potent enzyme inhibitors. These data suggest that the mechanism responsible for the observed in vitro and in vivo gastric antisecretory activity, in these series of compounds, is a consequence of the inhibition of the H+K+-sensitive ATPase enzyme.

Zoltan G. Hajos

Papers

Asymmetric synthesis of bicyclic intermediates of natural product chemistry

Synthesis and conversion of 2-methyl-2-(3-oxobutyl)-1,3-cyclopentanedione to the isomeric racemic ketols of the (3.2.1)bicyclooctane and of the perhydroindan series.

The stereocontrolled synthesis of trans-hydrindan steroidal intermediates.

Total synthesis of optically active (−)17β-hydroxy-Δ9(10)-desA-androsten-5-one

Synthesis of (aryloxy)alkylamines. I. Novel antisecretory agents with H+K+-ATPase inhibitory activity