Deuterium-labeled biologically active compounds are gaining importance because they can be utilized as tracers or surrogate compounds to understand the mechanism of action, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Deuterated drug molecules (heavy drugs) become novel as well as popular because of better stability and bioavailability compared with their hydrogen analogs. Labeling of organic molecules with deuterium at specific positions is thus gaining popularity. In this work, we have exploited a highly regioselective and enantioselective direct Michael addition of methyl-d3 alkyl ketones to dimethyl(phenyl)silylmethylene malonate that was catalyzed by (S)-N-(2-pyrrolidinylmethyl)pyrrolidine/trifluoroacetic acid/ D2 O combination with high yield and isotopic purity. The 5,5-dideutero-4-dimethyl(phenyl)silyl-6-undecyl-tetrahydropyran-2-one was obtained from the adduct of methyl-d3 undecanyl ketone and dimethyl(phenyl)silylmethylene malonate by a silicon controlled diastereoselective ketone reduction, lactonization, and deethoxycarbonylation. The dideuterated silylated tetrahydropyran-2-one is the precursor for geminal (2) H2 -labeled (+)-4-hydroxy-6-undecyl-tetrahydropyran-2-one, an advanced intermediate for gem-dideutero (-)-tetrahydrolipstatin and (+)-δ-hexadecanolide syntheses.
A simple primary-secondary diamine organocatalyst catalyzes the cascade Michael–aldol–dehydration of chalcones and unmodified ketones to produce substituted cyclohex-2-enones under mild conditions with good yields and high enantio- and/or diastereoselectivities. The success of the catalyst system is possibly due to simultaneous activation of the electrophilic chalcone by iminium formation and the nucleophilic ketone by enamine formation with an overall intramolecular iminium–di-enamine mechanism.
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