1. Metal-free and regiospecific synthesis of 3-arylindoles
Chuangchuang Xu, Wenlai Xie, Jiaxi Xu Org Biomol Chem. 2020 Apr 8;18(14):2661-2671.doi: 10.1039/d0ob00317d.
A convenient, metal-free, and organic acid-base promoted synthetic method to prepare 3-arylindoles from 3-aryloxirane-2-carbonitriles and arylhydrazine hydrochlorides has been developed. In the reaction, the organic acid catalyzes a tandem nucleophilic ring-opening reaction of aryloxiranecarbonitriles and arylhydrazine hydrochlorides and Fischer indolization. The organic base triethylamine plays a crucial role in the final elimination step in the Fischer indole synthesis, affording 3-arylindoles regiospecifically. The reaction features advantages of microwave acceleration, non-metal participation, short reaction time, organic acid-base co-catalysis, and broad substrate scope.
2. 1-Haloacylpiperazines
S Groszkowski, J Sienkiewicz, L Korzycka Pol J Pharmacol Pharm. 1975 Apr-Jun;27(2):183-6.
By direct acylation of piperazine with halogenocarboxylic acid chlorides in acid medium, the hydrochlorides of 1-haloacylpiperazines were obtained.
3. Diastereo- and enantioselective anti-selective hydrogenation of α-amino-β-keto ester hydrochlorides and related compounds using transition-metal-chiral-bisphosphine catalysts
Yasumasa Hamada Chem Rec. 2014 Apr;14(2):235-50.doi: 10.1002/tcr.201300032.Epub 2014 Feb 18.
This review describes our recent works on the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of anti-β-hydroxy-α-amino acid esters using transition-metal-chiral-bisphosphine catalysts. A variety of transition metals, namely ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), and nickel (Ni), in combination with chiral bisphosphines, worked well as catalysts for the direct anti-selective asymmetric hydrogenation of α-amino-β-keto ester hydrochlorides, yielding anti-β-hydroxy-α-amino acid esters via dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) in excellent yields and diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of α-amino-β-ketoesters via DKR is the first example of generating anti-β-hydroxy-α-amino acids. Complexes of iridium and axially chiral bisphosphines catalyze an efficient asymmetric hydrogenation of α-amino-β-keto ester hydrochlorides via dynamic kinetic resolution. A homogeneous Ni-chiral-bisphosphine complex also catalyzes an efficient asymmetric hydrogenation of α-amino-β-keto ester hydrochlorides in an anti-selective manner. As a related process, the asymmetric hydrogenation of the configurationally stable substituted α-aminoketones using a Ni catalyst via DKR is also described.