Copper(II) Acetate-Induced Oxidation of Hydrazones to Diazo Compounds under Flow Conditions Followed by Dirhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Cyclopropanation Reactions

Org Lett. 2021 Jul 16;23(14):5363-5367. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c01580. Epub 2021 Jul 6.

Abstract

A tandem system comprising in-line diazo compound synthesis and downstream consumption in a rhodium-catalyzed cyclopropanation reaction has been developed. Passing hydrazone through a silica column absorbed with Cu(OAc)2-H2O/N,N-dimethylaminopyridine oxidized the hydrazone to generate an aryldiazoacetate in flow. The crude aryldiazoacetate elutes from this column directly into a downstream cyclopropanation reaction, catalyzed by the chiral dirhodium tetracarboxylates, Rh2(R-p-Ph-TPCP)4 and Rh2(R-PTAD)4. This convenient flow to batch method was applied to the synthesis of a range of 1,2-diarylcyclopropane-1-carboxylates in high yields and with high levels of enantioselectivity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.