Pure and Applied Chemistry

Abstract: A conjugate amination of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with lithium amides has become a powerful method of N-C bond-forming reactions. Chiral ligand-controlled asymmetric version of the conjugate amination of enoates was developed for practical bench chemistry, giving the enantioenriched amination product with over 99 % ee. In situ diastereoselective alkylation of resulting lithium enolates allowed us to form vicinal N-C and C-C bonds in a one-pot operation. This protocol enabled us to realize a short-step asymmetric synthesis of otamixaban key intermediate. Treatment of product 3-benzylamino- and 3-allylaminoesters with tert-butyllithium gave five- or seven-membered lactams through [1,2]- or [2,3]-rearrangement of intermediate β-lactams. Isolated C-C double bonds were also found to accept intramolecular aminolithiation affording the corresponding hydroamination products. Chiral lithiophilic ligand-catalyzed reaction gave enantioenriched hydroamination products with high ee. Stereoselective intramolecular aminolithiation of allylaminoalkenes was coupled with subsequent carbolithiation to give doubly cyclized product amines.