Project description:Ten novel hydrogen-bonding catalysts based on open-chain P(V)-amides of BINOL and chinchona alkaloids as well as three catalysts based on rigid cis-P(V)-cyclodiphosphazane amides of N (1),N (1)-dimethylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine have been developed. Employed in the asymmetric Michael addition of 2-hydroxynaphthoquinone to β-nitrostyrene, the open-chain 9-epi-aminochinchona-based phosphorus amides show a high catalytic activity with almost quantitative yields of up to 98% and enantiomeric excesses of up to 51%. The cyclodiphosphazane catalysts show the same high activity and give improved enantiomeric excesses of up to 75%, thus representing the first successful application of a cyclodiphosphazane in enantioselective organocatalysis. DFT computations reveal high hydrogen-bonding strengths of cyclodiphosphazane P(V)-amides compared to urea-based catalysts. Experimental results and computations on the enantiodetermining step with cis-cyclodiphosphazane 14a suggest a strong bidentate H-bond activation of the nitrostyrene substrate by the catalyst.
Project description:A new chiral mesoporous hybrid material was synthesized based on pyrrolidine units included in a siliceous framework, HybPyr, and integrated into the organic-inorganic structure, from a specific bis-silylated precursor. A fluoride sol-gel methodology under soft synthesis conditions and in the absence of sophisticated structural directing agents allowed the generation of a mesoporous architecture with a homogeneous distribution of active chiral moieties along the network. The hybrid material was studied by means of different characterization techniques (TGA, NMR and IR spectroscopy, chemical and elemental analyses, TEM, and textural measurements), verifying the stability and integrity of the asymmetric active sites in the solid. The hybrid material, HybPyr, is an excellent asymmetric heterogeneous and recyclable catalyst for enantioselective Michael addition of linear aldehydes to β-nitrostyrene derivatives with high stereocontrol of the reaction products.
Project description:The enzyme 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase (4-OT) exploits an N-terminal proline as main catalytic residue to facilitate several promiscuous C-C bond-forming reactions via enzyme-bound enamine intermediates. Here we show that the active site of this enzyme can give rise to further synthetically useful catalytic promiscuity. Specifically, the F50A mutant of 4-OT was found to efficiently promote asymmetric Michael additions of nitromethane to various α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to give γ-nitroaldehydes, important precursors to biologically active γ-aminobutyric acids. High conversions, high enantiocontrol, and good isolated product yields were achieved. The reactions likely proceed via iminium ion intermediates formed between the catalytic Pro-1 residue and the α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. In addition, a cascade of three 4-OT(F50A)-catalyzed reactions followed by an enzymatic oxidation step enables assembly of γ-nitrocarboxylic acids from three simple building blocks in one pot. Our results bridge organo- and biocatalysis, and they emphasize the potential of enzyme promiscuity for the preparation of important chiral synthons.
Project description:The use of biological catalysts for industrial scale synthetic chemistry is highly attractive, given their cost effectiveness, high specificity that obviates the need for protecting group chemistry, and the environmentally benign nature of enzymatic procedures. Here we evolve the naturally occurring 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate (KDPG) aldolases from Thermatoga maritima and Escherichia coli, into enzymes that recognize a nonfunctionalized electrophilic substrate, 2-keto-4-hydroxyoctonoate (KHO). Using an in vivo selection based on pyruvate auxotrophy, mutations were identified that lower the K(M) value up to 100-fold in E. coli KDPG aldolase, and that enhance the efficiency of retro-aldol cleavage of KHO by increasing the value of k(cat)/K(M) up to 25-fold in T. maritima KDPG aldolase. These data indicate that numerous mutations distal from the active site contribute to enhanced 'uniform binding' of the substrates, which is the first step in the evolution of novel catalytic activity.
Project description:A protocol by which ketone or ester enolates and ortho-quinone methides (o-QMs) are generated in situ in a single reaction flask from silylated precursors under the action of anhydrous fluoride is reported. The reaction partners are joined to give a variety of β-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-carbonyl compounds in 32-94% yield in a single laboratory operation. The intermediacy of o-QMs is supported by control experiments utilizing enolate precursors and conventional alkyl halides as competitive alkylating agents and the isolation of 1,5-dicarbonyl products resulting from conjugate additions that do not restore the aromatic system.
Project description:Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) have recently attracted much attention as catalysts in various reactions. Organocatalysts have emerged as sustainable alternatives to metal-based catalysts in green organic synthesis, with concerted systems containing CNFs that are expected to provide next-generation catalysis. Herein, for the first time, we report that a representative organocatalyst comprising an unexpected combination of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized CNFs and proline shows significantly enhanced catalytic activity in an asymmetric Michael addition.
Project description:Michael addition reactions of triketopiperazine (TKP) derivatives to enones, mediated by a cinchona alkaloid-derived catalyst, deliver products in high yield and enantiomeric ratio (er). Use of unsaturated ester, nitrile or sulfone partners gives bridged hydroxy-diketopiperazine (DKP) products resulting from a novel Michael addition-ring closure.
Project description:We describe an unprecedented cycloaddition reaction of 2-pyrones with aliphatic nitroalkenes catalyzed by a new bifunctional cinchona alkaloid-derived catalyst bearing a bulky TIPS-ether at the 9-position. The [2.2.2] bicyclic adducts were obtained in good yield with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Carbon isotope effects were measured by (13)C NMR and are indicative of a stepwise mechanism. Finally, a synthetic application is demonstrated, highlighting the utility of the cycloadducts.
Project description:In vivo, 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate (KDPG) aldolase catalyzes the reversible, stereospecific retro-aldol cleavage of KDPG to pyruvate and D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate. The enzyme is a lysine-dependent (Class I) aldolase that functions through the intermediacy of a Schiff base. Here, we propose a mechanism for this enzyme based on crystallographic studies of wild-type and mutant aldolases. The three dimensional structure of KDPG aldolase from the thermophile Thermotoga maritima was determined to 1.9A. The structure is the standard alpha/beta barrel observed for all Class I aldolases. At the active site Lys we observe clear density for a pyruvate Schiff base. Density for a sulfate ion bound in a conserved cluster of residues close to the Schiff base is also observed. We have also determined the structure of a mutant of Escherichia coli KDPG aldolase in which the proposed general acid/base catalyst has been removed (E45N). One subunit of the trimer contains density suggesting a trapped pyruvate carbinolamine intermediate. All three subunits contain a phosphate ion bound in a location effectively identical to that of the sulfate ion bound in the T. maritima enzyme. The sulfate and phosphate ions experimentally locate the putative phosphate binding site of the aldolase and, together with the position of the bound pyruvate, facilitate construction of a model for the full-length KDPG substrate complex. The model requires only minimal positional adjustments of the experimentally determined covalent intermediate and bound anion to accommodate full-length substrate. The model identifies the key catalytic residues of the protein and suggests important roles for two observable water molecules. The first water molecule remains bound to the enzyme during the entire catalytic cycle, shuttling protons between the catalytic glutamate and the substrate. The second water molecule arises from dehydration of the carbinolamine and serves as the nucleophilic water during hydrolysis of the enzyme-product Schiff base. The second water molecule may also mediate the base-catalyzed enolization required to form the carbon nucleophile, again bridging to the catalytic glutamate. Many aspects of this mechanism are observed in other Class I aldolases and suggest a mechanistically and, perhaps, evolutionarily related family of aldolases distinct from the N-acetylneuraminate lyase (NAL) family.
Project description:An asymmetric sulfa-Michael addition of alkyl thiols to enone diesters is reported. The reaction is catalyzed by a bifunctional triaryliminophosphorane-thiourea organocatalyst and provides a range of α-sulfaketones in high yields and enantioselectivities. Leveraging the gem-diester functional handle via a subsequent diastereotopic group discrimination generates functionalized lactones with three contiguous stereocenters.