Enolate chemistry has been extensively used for stereoselective C-C bond formation, in which metal amide bases are frequently employed in strictly anhydrous solvents at low temperatures. However, we found that asymmetric intramolecular C-C bond formation via axially chiral enolate intermediates proceeded in up to 99% ee at 20 degrees C using powdered KOH in dry or wet DMSO as a base. The enantioselectivity was even higher than that of the corresponding reactions with potassium hexamethyldisilazide in DMF at -60 degrees C. The racemization barrier of the axially chiral enolate intermediate was estimated to be approximately 15.5 kcal/mol. On the basis of the barrier, the chiral enolate intermediate was supposed to undergo cyclization within approximately 10(-3) sec at 20 degrees C after it is generated to give the product in >or=99% ee. Thus, enolates generated with powdered KOH in DMSO were expected to be extremely reactive.
An enantiodivergent asymmetric cyclization of N-Boc-N-omega-bromoalkyl-alpha-amino acid derivatives has been developed. With potassium amide bases in DMF, cyclization proceeds with retention of configuration, while inversion of configuration was observed with lithium amide bases in THF. Chirality of the parent amino acids was preserved during enolate formation and cyclization to give aza-cyclic amino acids in up to 98% ee with retention of configuration or inversion of configuration, depending on the reaction conditions. Thus, both enantiomers of cyclic amino acids with a tetrasubstituted stereocenter were prepared in high enantiomeric purity from readily available l-alpha-amino acids. This protocol is also applicable to a spirocyclization and an intramolecular conjugate addition of alpha-amino acid derivatives, giving either of the enantiomers of a diazaspiro compound and a tetrahydroisoquinoline derivative, respectively, in up to 99% ee.
N-(omega-Bromoalkyl)-amino acid derivatives, readily prepared from natural alpha-amino acids, gave cyclic amino acids with a quaternary stereocenter by treatment with potassium hexamethyldisilazaide in DMF. The chirality of parent amino acids was almost completely preserved during an enolate-formation and cyclization process, giving aza-cyclic amino acids in up to 98% ee in retention of configuration. This method is applicable to the asymmetric synthesis of azetidine, pyrrolidine, piperidine, and azepane derivatives. The asymmetric cyclization seems to proceed via an axially chiral enolate intermediate and not through a concerted SEi process.
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