A R T I C L E S
Trost et al.
Table 2. Enantioselective Cyclization Reactions: Nitrogen
Table 3. Optimizing Pyran Formation
Nucleophiles
entry
Pd source
solvent
base
T (
°
C) % yielda % eeb
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
[Pd(η3-C3H5)Cl]2 DCM TBAF
[Pd(η3-C3H5)Cl]2 DCM TMG
Pd2(dba)3‚CHCl3 THF NEt3
Pd2(dba)3‚CHCl3 THF NEt3
Pd2(dba)3‚CHCl3 THF NEt3
Pd2(dba)3‚CHCl3 THF NEt3
Pd2(dba)3‚CHCl3 DCM NEt3
[Pd(η3-C3H5)Cl]2 DCM NEt3
Pd2(dba)3‚CHCl3 DCM 0.2 equiv NEt3
25
25
60
25
0
42
61
73
86
83
27
80
71
85
NAc
NAc
72
77
81
89
94
92
86
-35
0
0
0
a All reactions run in degassed solvent under argon with 1 equiv of base
for 2 h at 0.08 M at the given temperature. Yields represent isolated yields
after chromatography. b The ee was determined by HPLC. c Racemic dppp
ligand used.
conditions that would yield an enantioselective cyclization of
1,4-diene intermediate 23 (Table 3).
Gratifyingly, the palladium-catalyzed cyclization proceeds
smoothly under several conditions. Similar to the sulfonamide
cases, methylene chloride was found to be the optimum solvent
both in terms of yield and selectivity. It was also apparent that
Pd2(dba)3‚CHCl3 afforded better yield and selectivity than the
π-allyl chloride dimer. Furthermore, of all the bases tested,
triethylamine gave the best yield and selectivity. Interesting
temperature effects were also noticed, with the enantioselectivity
displaying a prominent inverse dependence on temperature. As
the temperature of the cyclization was lowered from 60 to 0
°C, there was a continuous increase in the selectivity of (+)-
24. Temperatures below zero led to poor conversions, and as
such 0 °C was chosen as optimal, affording product in 94% ee.
With our optimized conditions in hand, we again tested the
one-pot process for scope (Table 4). Furans and pyrans both
form in good yield, with pyrans affording the highest selectivi-
ties. Attempted seven-membered ring formation was unsuc-
cessful affording only the triene elimination product. The
absolute configuration of these heterocyclic products was
assigned to be opposite of that found in the sulfonamide cases,
based upon subsequent correlation in one case to a known
stereochemistry (vide infra). On the basis of our working
model,11 now the nucleophilic addition constitutes the enantio-
discriminating event. This prediction is supported by the fact
a All reactions run with a 1.7:1 ratio of 15 to alkyne under inert
atmosphere under the conditions listed below. Condition A, for a 0.2 mmol
scale: (i) 5% 1, 1.0 mL of acetone, room temperature, 2 h; (ii) 2% [[Pd(η3-
C3H5)Cl]2, 6% (R,R)-L-1, 1 equiv of DBU, 3.0 mL of DCM, room
temperature, 2 h. Condition B, for a 0.2 mmol scale: (i) 2% 1, 0.4 mL of
acetone, room temperature, 2 h; (ii) 2% [Pd(η3-C3H5)Cl]2, 6% (R,R)-L-1,
1 equiv of DBU, 3.6 mL of DCM, room temperature, 2 h. Condition C, for
a 0.2 mmol scale: (i) 10% 1, 1.0 mL of acetone, room temperature, 2 h;
(ii) 2% [Pd(η3-C3H5)Cl]2, 6% (R,R)-L-1, 1 equiv of DBU, 3.0 mL of DCM,
room temperature, 2 h. b Isolated yields after chromatography. c Percent ee
was measured by chiral HPLC. d Thirty-six percent of triene elimination
product was also observed.
increase the rate of isomerization of the palladium π-allyl
intermediate, which should decrease the selectivity if ionization
is the enantiodiscrimination event. In support of this, addition
of tetrabutylammonium chloride to the cyclization reaction
causes a precipitous drop in the selectivity.
2.2. Enantioselective O-Heterocyclization Reactions. Since
many complex natural products contain chiral pyrans and furans,
we were interested in extending the enantioselective mixed-
metal process to oxygen-containing heterocycles. However, in
contrast to their phenolic and carboxylate counterparts, simple
alkyl alcohols are known to be poor nucleophiles for enanti-
oselective palladium π-allyl substitutions.12 The poor nucleo-
philicity is attributed to the mismatch between the “hard” alcohol
nucleophile and “soft” palladium π-allyl complex. To overcome
the inherent mismatch presented by alkoxy nucleophiles, previ-
ous solutions have relied on intramolecular closures,13 large
excesses of alcohol, or using tin,14 boron,15 silyl,16 or zinc17
ethers to “soften” the nucleophile. Furthermore, to our knowl-
edge there were no reports of an asymmetric allylic substitution
using simple alcohol nucleophiles without boron cocatalysis.18,19
Despite this significant challenge, we began a search for
(13) (a) Trost, B. M.; Tenaglia, A. Tetrahedron Lett. 1988, 29, 2927. (b)
Lakhmiri, R.; Lhoste, P.; Sinou, D. Tetrahedron Lett. 1989, 30, 4669. (c)
Thorey, C.; Wilken, J.; Henin, F.; Martens, J.; Mehler, T.; Muzart, J.
Tetrahedron Lett. 1995, 36, 5527. (d) Fournier-Nguefack, C.; Lhoste, P.;
Sinou, D. Tetrahedron 1997, 53, 4353. (e) Hamada, Y.; Seto, N.;
Takayanagi, Y.; Nakano, T.; Hara, O. Tetrahedron Lett. 1999, 40, 7791.
(f) Lautens, M.; Fagnou, K.; Rovis, T. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 5650.
(14) (a) Trost, B. M.; Bonk, P. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1985, 107, 8277. (b) Trost,
B. M.; Tenaglia, A. Tetrahedron Lett. 1988, 29, 2931.
(15) (a) Trost, B. M.; McEachern, E. J.; Toste, F. D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998,
120, 12702. (b) Trost, B. M.; McEachern, E. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999,
121, 8649. (c) Trost, B. M.; Brown, B. S.; McEachern, E. J.; Kuhn, O.
Chem. Eur. J. 2003, 9, 4442.
(16) Suzuki, T.; Sato, O.; Hirama, M. Tetrahedron Lett. 1990, 31, 4747.
(17) Kim, H.; Lee, C. Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 4369.
(18) Enantioselective cyclization using boron cocatalysis has been achieved, see
ref 15.
(19) Low enantioselectivity has been reported: (a) Fournier-Nguefack, C.;
Lhoste, P.; Sinou, D. J. Chem. Res. 1988, 105A. Enantioselective allylic
cyclizations of alkoxy nucleophiles were developed independently and
concurrently with this work: (b) Jiang, L.; Burke, S. D. Org. Lett. 2001,
3, 1953. (c) Jiang, L.; Burke, S. D. Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 3411.
(12) (a) Takahashi, K.; Miyaki, A.; Hata, G. Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 1972, 45,
230. (b) Stork, G.; Poirier, J. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1983, 105, 1073. (c)
Keinan, E.; Roth, Z. J. Org. Chem. 1983, 48, 1769. (d) Stanton, S. A.;
Felman, S. W.; Parkhurst, C. S.; Godleski, S. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1983,
105, 1964. (e) Keinan, E.; Sahai, M.; Poth, Z.; Nudelman, A.; Herzig, J. J.
Org. Chem. 1985, 50, 3558.
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6748 J. AM. CHEM. SOC. VOL. 128, NO. 20, 2006