N-Hydroxyalkyl-1-menthopyrazoles acted as a chiral catalyst for the diethylzinc (1) addition to aromatic aldehydes, and 1-aryl-1-propanols were afforded enantioselectively. These reactions were carried out optimally in toluene at 40 °C in the presence of 30 mol% of (2′S)-2-(2-phenyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-3-phenyl-1-men-thopyrazole ((S)-16d) to afford optically active 1-aryl-1-propanols up to 70% ee (S).
The chelation of AlCl3 with N-acylpyrazoles leads to structural fixation of the acyl moiety and an acceleration in the rate of acylation of secondary alcohols. The chiral environment of the fixed acyl moiety of 2-acyl-3-phenyl-1-menthopyrazole 2 causes diastereofacial selectivity in the reaction with secondary alcohols, and thus 2 behaves as an enantioselective acylating agent. By the use of 2.4 molar equivalents of racemic 1-phenylethanol 3a, 2-acetyl-3-phenyl-1-menthopyrazole 2a afforded (S)-1-phenylethyl acetate (S)-4aa enantioselectively and unreacted 3a was recovered with (R)-configuration. Furthermore, the inverse configurational preferences were observed to give (R)-4aa and (S)-3a by the addition of strongly basic amines, which sometimes behaved as catalysts for enolate formation from 2 and AlCl3. These dramatic changes in stereoselective preference should be useful properties of 2-acyl-3-phenyl-1-menthopyrazole 2 as an enantioselective acylating agent. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Stereocontrolled Aldol Reaction of N-Acylpyrazoles with Aldehydes Using LDA or MgBr2-DIEA
The aldol reaction of 1-acyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazoles (1) was kinetically controlled with syn stereoselectivity through lithium enolate intermediate using LDA. On the contrary, the anti stereoselective aldol reaction of 1 was caused by the action of DIEA in the presence of MgBr2 under the thermodynamic control. in the formation of syn-aldol products using 3-phenyl-1-menthopyrazole as a chiral auxiliary, the diastereoselectivity was observed up to 81% de with the predominant configuration of 2'S form.