New Methods for C–N Ring Construction
The reduction of pyridines offers an attractive approach to piperidine synthesis, and now Toshimichi Ohmura and Michinori Suginome of Kyoto University have developed (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 3699) a rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of pyridines, including the reaction of 1 to produce 3. Timothy J. Donohoe at the University of Oxford has found (Org. Lett. 2011, 13, 2074) that pyridinium silanes 4 undergo intramolecular hydride transfer by treatment with TBAF to produce dihydropyridones (e.g., 5) with good diastereoselectivity. Enantioselective amination of allylic alcohols has proven challenging, but Ross A. Widenhoefer at Duke University has reported (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 1405) that a chiral gold catalyst can effect such intramolecular cyclizations with good enantioselectivity, as in the synthesis of 7 from 6. Alternatively, Masato Kitamura at Nagoya University has developed (Org. Lett. 2012, 14, 608) a ruthenium catalyst that operates at as low as 0.05 mol% loading for the conversion of substrates such as 8 to 9. Efforts to replace transition metal catalysts with alkaline earth metal-based alternatives have been gaining increasing attention, and Kai C. Hultzsch at Rutgers University has found (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 394) that the magnesium complex 12 is capable of catalyzing intramolecular hydroamination (e.g., 10 to 11) with high enantioselectivity. Meanwhile, a stereoselective Wacker-type oxidation of tert-butanesulfinamides such as 13 to produce pyrrolidine derivatives 14 has been disclosed (Org. Lett. 2012, 14, 1242) by Shannon S. Stahl at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Though highly desirable, Heck reactions have rarely proven feasible with alkyl halides due to competitive β-hydride elimination of the alkyl palladium intermediates. Sherry R. Chemler at the State University of New York at Buffalo has demonstrated (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 2020) a copper-catalyzed enantioselective amination Heck-type cascade (e.g., 15 and 16 to 17) that is thought to proceed via radical intermediates. David L. Van Vranken at the University of California at Irvine has reported (Org. Lett. 2012, 14, 3233) the carbenylative amination of N-tosylhydrazones, which proceeds through η3-allyl Pd intermediates constructed via carbene insertion. This chemistry was applied to the two-step synthesis of caulophyllumine B from vinyl iodide 18 and N-tosylhydrazone 19.