Synlett 2007(11): 1667-1670  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-984517
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Asymmetric Organocatalytic Domino Reactions of γ-Nitroketones and Enals

Dieter Enders*, Arun A. Narine, Thomas R. Benninghaus, Gerhard Raabe
Institut für Organische Chemie, RWTH Aachen, Landoltweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Fax: +49(241)8092127; e-Mail: enders@rwth-aachen.de;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 25 April 2007
Publication Date:
25 June 2007 (online)

Abstract

Chiral substituted cyclohexene carbaldehydes are readily synthesized in excellent enantiomeric excesses from simple nitro­ketone and enal precursors. The domino Michael addition-aldol condensation reaction catalyzed by a chiral secondary amine involves tandem iminium-enamine activation.

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CCDC number 642547 contains the supplementary crystallographic data for this paper. These data can be obtained free of charge from the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre via www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/data_request/cif.

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All new compounds were fully characterized (mp, optical rotation, NMR, IR, MS, elemental analysis) and the spectroscopic and analytical data are in agreement with the assigned structures.

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General Procedure
To a solution of nitroketone 2 (3.0 mmol) and TMS-ether (S)-4 (0.60 mmol, 20 mol%) in toluene (3.0 mL) was added enal 3 (3.75 mmol, 1.25 equiv) and benzoic acid (20 mol%). The reaction vessel was then flushed with argon gas, stoppered and stirred at 9 °C for 6-15 d.
Workup A: Direct purification of the reaction mixture by flash chromatography (2:1 pentane-Et2O) afforded cyclohexenes 1.
Workup B: The crude reaction mixture was diluted with CHCl3 (8.0 mL) and heated in the presence of PhCO2H (150 mg) at 65 °C for 2.5 h. Following dilution with Et2O (75 mL), the organic layer was washed with sat. aq NaHCO3 (15 mL) and brine (15 mL), dried (MgSO4), concentrated and purified by flash chromatography (2:1 pentane-Et2O) to afford cyclohexenes 1.11 (5 R ,6 R )-2-Methyl-5-nitro-6-phenylcyclohex-1-ene Carbaldehyde (1a)
Isolated after 7 d as a pale yellow solid (315 mg, 43%). The ee was determined by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase (Daicel Chiralpak IA, n-heptane-i-PrOH = 95:5, 1.0 mL/min), t R = 13.7 min(major), 17.0 min(minor). An analytical sample was prepared by recrystallization (CH2Cl2-Et2O-hexane, slow evaporation); mp 89 °C; [α]D 24 -347 (c 1.02, CHCl3). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 2.02 (dddd, J = 14.7, 10.3, 7.0, 3.5 Hz, 1 H, CHHCH2), 2.32 (s, 3 H, Me), 2.33-2.60 (m, 3 H, CHHCH 2), 4.67 (dd, J = 7.3, 3.6 Hz, 1 H, CHNO2), 4.80 (br s, 1 H, CHPh), 7.13-7.18 (m, 2 H, o-Ph), 7.22-7.26 (m, 1 H, p-Ph), 7.28-7.34 (m, 2 H, m-Ph), 10.11 (s, 1 H, CHO) ppm. 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 18.4 (Me), 20.8 (C-4), 29.6 (C-3), 41.4 (C-6), 85.7 (C-5), 127.4 (p-Ph), 127.9 (o-Ph), 128.9 (m-Ph), 131.1 (ipso-Ph), 140.1 (C-1), 155.7 (C-2), 189.1 (CHO) ppm. IR (KBr): 3061, 3024, 2973, 2891, 1668, 1639, 1544, 1446, 1371, 1236, 759, 702 cm-1. MS (CI, CH4): m/z (%) = 246 (20) [M+ + 1]. Anal. Calcd for C14H15NO3: C, 68.56; H, 6.16; N, 5.71. Found: C, 68.28; H, 6.08; N, 5.53.