This thesis is focused on two main areas of organic synthesis, palladium-catalyzed functionalization of alkenes and allylic alcohols, as well as development of new allylboration reactions. We have developed a palladium-catalyzed selective allylic trifluoroacetoxylation reaction based on C−H functionalization. Allylic trifluoroacetates were synthesized from functionalized olefins under oxidative conditions. The reactions proceed under mild conditions with a high level of diastereoselectivity. Mechanistic studies of the allylic C−H trifluoroacetoxylation indicate that the reaction proceeds via (η3-allyl)palladium(IV) intermediate. Palladium-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective synthesis of allylboronic acids from allylic alcohols has been demonstrated. Diboronic acid B2(OH)4 was used as the boron source in this process. The reactivity of the allylboronic acids were studied in three types of allylboration reactions: allylboration of ketones, imines and acyl hydrazones. All three processes are conducted under mild conditions without any additives. The reactions proceeded with remarkably high regio- and stereoselectivity. An asymmetric version of the allylboration of ketones was also developed. In this process chiral BINOL derivatives were used as catalysts. The reaction using γ-disubstituted allylboronic acids and various aromatic and aliphatic ketones afforded homoallylic alcohols bearing two adjacent quaternary stereocenters with excellent regio-, diastereo- and enantioselectivity (up to 97:3 er) in high yield. The stereoselectivity in the allylboration reactions could be rationalized on the basis of the Zimmerman-Traxler TS model.

Les réactions permettant la création de liaisons carbone-carbone sont des outils essentiels dans le domaine de la synthèse organique. Elles permettent d'accéder à des structures de plus en plus complexes. Cependant le contrôle de ces réactions en utilisant des partenaires hautement fonctionnalisés reste un enjeu majeur.Le développement de nouvelles méthodologies de synthèse basées sur la réactivité des acrylamides chiraux dérivés d'acides aminés est étudié dans ces travaux. Une nouvelle version de la réaction d'alkylation de pyrroles de type Friedel-Crafts a été développée en utilisant le caractère électrophile d'acrylamides chiraux hautement fonctionnalisés. Le pyrrole peut être monoalkylé ou dialkylé de façon sélective conduisant à de nouvelles structures hétérocycliques portant des enchaînements peptidiques pouvant contenir jusqu'à quatre résidus d'acides aminés. Les acrylamides chiraux portant un motif allyltriméthylsilane conjugué ont été utilisés comme nouveaux réactifs permettant des réactions d'allylation hautement diastéréosélectives et chimiospécifiques vis-à-vis d'aldéhydes. L'extension de cette méthodologie aux aldéhydes α- aminés a été réalisée et permet un accès aisé à des structures analogues des acides γ-aminés. / Reactions allowing carbon-carbon bond creation are essential tools in the field of organic synthesis. These reactions are used to access to more and more complex structures. However their control in the case of highly functionnalized partners is still a serious concern.Development of new methodologies based on the reactivity of aminoacid derivating chiral acrylamides is reported. A new version of pyrrole alkylation reaction was developed using the electrophilic behaviour of highly functionnalized chiral acrylamides. Pyrrole can be selectivly monoalkylated or dialkylated leading to new heterocyclic structures bearing peptidic sequences containing up to four aminoacids residues. Chiral acrylamides bearing a conjuguated allyltrimethylsilane moiety have been used as new reagent in highly diastereoselective and chemospecific towards aldehydes allylation reactions. This methodology was extended to α-aminoaldehydes allowing easy access to γ-aminoacidsanalogues.

En esta tesis doctoral se ha estudiado los iluros de azometino generados in situ en reacciones de cicloadición 1,3-dipolar y diferentes dipolarófilos para la síntesis multicomponente (libre de metales) de derivados de indolizidina a partir de pipecolinatos, aldehídos y dipolarofilos de forma térmica, y también a partir de ácido pipecólico de forma descarboxilada. También se ha estudiado la reacción de cicloadición 1,3-dipolar térmica multicomponente entre iluros de azometino no activados generados in situ a partir de aminas, aldehídos aromáticos y alquenos electrofílicos para generar derivados de pirrolidina.Además, se describe la síntesis de pirrolizidinas diastereoméricamente enriquecidas a partir de nitroprolinatos enantioméricamente puros a través de una cicloadición 1,3- dipolar multicomponente catalizada por una sal de plata y, por otro lado, una reacción de Amina-Aldehído-Dienófilo (AAD) para sintetizar estructuras ciclohex-2-en-1-ilprolinato como diastereoisómero enantiopuro único de forma multicomponente y libre de metales.

En esta tesis doctoral se ha estudiado la reacción 1,3-dipolar con iluros de azometino y diferentes dipolarófilos para la síntesis de compuestos ópticamente activos, usando diferentes complejos metálicos compuestos por sales de plata y cobre y diversos ligandos quirales. También se ha estudiado la reacción 1,3-dipolar térmicamente para la funcionalización de grafeno, y posterior uso de dicha funcionalización como soporte de un complejo metálico, el cual fue empleado en catálisis heterogénea.

The use of boron in the synthesis and development of asymmetric methodologies and various biological and medicinal compounds has increased significantly over the last decade. This thesis reports the development of a novel diastereoselective reaction for the α-alkylation of chiral β-borylated esters. We propose that standard deprotonation of chiral β-borylated esters with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) leads to the formation of a boron"ate" intermediate that upon treatment with an alkylation reagent collapses to provide chiral α, β-substituted boronic esters with a high degree of diastereoselectivity. This reaction is powerful in that a wide range of chiral β-borylated ester substrates can be employed that possess varying degrees of substitution and steric bulk. Results show that the reaction is syn-selective and provides yields of up to 60%, with diastereomeric ratios as high as (9.7:1). Additionally, alkylation products from bulkier tert-butyl esters provide higher DR values compared to those of methyl esters that possess the same β-functional groups. Several techniques were utilized to elucidate the mechanism of this reaction including variations of reaction temperature and equivalents of base, and also real-time analysis of the reaction by ¹¹B NMR experiments. / Master of Science

Enantiopure α-alkyl-substituted aldehydes are widely recognised as important building blocks in synthesis. Despite this, methods to prepare such substrates are limited. Strategically, asymmetric intermolecular S_N2 α-alkylation represents a highly straightforward transformation, but still remains an elusive feat. This thesis describes efforts to address this challenge, with attempted access to enantioenriched α-alkyl aldehydes by way of C-alkylation of chiral, non-racemic, hindered aldenamines using simple alkyl halides. Enamines derived from four types of auxiliary (a tropane, an oxazolidine, a pyrrolidine and a homotropane) have been prepared, and their alkylation profile examined. While the desired levels of asymmetric induction were not attained, use of the tropane and homotropane auxiliaries, which differ only by a single methylene group, interestingly, gave complimentary diastereocontrol during alkylation with EtI. The observed stereoselectivity is supported by density functional studies performed for ethylation of both enamines. Additionally, in the course of preparing the homotropane a highly efficient asymmetric synthesis of a homotropinone bearing gem-α-substitution has been developed.

Les phosphinosucres appelés aussi « phostines » sont des analogues phosphorés des sucres pyranoses et des C-arylglycosides. L'évaluation biologique de ses composés a révélé une activité anticancéreuse des phosphinosucres sur les cellules de glioblastome multiforme, un cancer particulièrement malin et invasif qui ne possède pas de solution thérapeutique. Dans le but de comprendre les mécanismes d'action des phosphinosucres et la stéréo-dépendance de leur activité biologique, la caractérisation des diastéréomères de « phostines » a été menée. Suite à cette détermination structurale, le développement de synthèses diastéréosélectives a permis d'obtenir un mélange fortement enrichi en diastéréomère le plus actif par une séquence réactionnelle qui a mis en jeu une réaction d'oxydation de phosphinosucres -hydroxylés en α-cétophosphinosucres, suivie d'une réduction diastéréosélective. Afin d'améliorer l'activité antiproliférative des phosphinosucres, une diversification chimique a été réalisée. Les variations du groupement aryle lié à l'atome de phosphore nous ont amené à développer une synthèse des aryl-hydrogénophosphinates qui a permis d'obtenir une large variété de ces composés. Par la suite, les aryl-hydrogénophosphinates obtenus ont été engagés dans la synthèse des « phostines ». De plus, des variations chimiques sur le carbone en position α de l'atome de phosphore ont été entreprises et ont permis l'élaboration de plusieurs composés (triflate, azido, amino, déoxy et triazolyles), puis finalement à l'analogue phosphinosucre du N-acétylglucosamine qui a présenté une importante activité anticancéreuse in vitro. / Phosphinosugars also called « phostines » are new cyclic phosphinates, analogs of carbohydrates and C-aryglycosides, with phosphorus atom mimicking the anomeric carbon. Biological screening tests of these compounds revealed an anticancer activity against glioblastoma multiform, a highly invasive and malignant tumor without curative therapy.With the aim of understanding the phosphinosugars mode of action and their stereo-dependent biological activity, characterization of four phosphinosugars diastereomers formed during the chemical process has been performed. After their structural determination, diastereoselective synthesis enabled us to obtain an enriched mixture of the most active diastereomer based on an oxidation of -hydroxyled phosphinosugars in corresponding -keto phosphinosugars followed by a diastereoselective reduction. Thereafter, antiproliferative activity of phoshinosugars was performed by chemical diversification. Modification of the aryl group linked to phosphorus atom led us to develop aryl-hydrogenophosphinate synthesis to create a broad variety of these structures. Then, the expected aryl-hydrogenophosphinates were used for phostines preparation. Furthermore, chemical modifications on the carbon in α position of phosphorus atom were led and furnished several new compounds (triflate, azido, amino, deoxy and triazolyl), as well as the phosphinosugar analog of N-acetylglucosamine which presented in vitro a high anticancer activity.

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Thesis advisor: Amir H. Hoveyda / Chapter 1. Through the use of quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) the similarities and differences between transition metal complexes ligated by phosphines and N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) were elucidated. Among the key findings, the phosphines were identified as stronger charge donors than NHCs; however, the latter class of ligands exhibits a weaker p-accepting character than the former. Furthermore, Tolman electronic parameter (TEP) was determined to be an inadequate gauge for the total electron donating ability of phosphines and NHCs; rather TEP can serve as a measurement of population of dp set of orbitals of a metal center in question. Computational and experimental studies of the mechanism of NHC-catalyzed boron and silicon addition to a,ß-unsaturated carbonyls reactions were carried out. Through the use of radical traps the mechanisms involving homolytic cleavage of B-B or B-Si bonds were ruled out. Computational (DFT) studies of the mechanism identified two pathways: (1) direct activation of diboron or borosilyl reagents through coordination of NHC to the B atom, (2) net oxidative addition of the diboron or borosilyl reagents to the carbon (II) of the NHC. The insights gained from the aforementioned studies were employed to rationalize the observed lack of reactivity of NHC-activated diboron complexes in the presence of aldehydes. Chapter 2. New C(1)-symmetric chiral monodentate N-heterocyclic carbenes were prepared, and corresponding chiral Ru-carbene complexes were synthesized. These complexes were employed to gain empirical understanding of factors that govern stereoselectivity in Ru-catalyzed enantioselective olefin ring-closing metathesis. The data thus obtained was employed to infer that syn-to-NHC reaction pathways are competitive and non-selective. One plausible mechanism, through which syn-to-NHC pathways can be accessed, involves Berry pseudorotations. Through the use of stereogenic-at-Ru complexes diastereomeric Ru-carbenes were isolated (silica gel chromatography) and spectroscopically characterized in solution phase. The diastereomeric Ru-carbenes were found to undergo non-metathesis stereomutations at Ru center, thereby providing additional support for the above hypothesis regarding accessibility of syn-to-NHC olefin metathesis pathways. Non-metathesis stereomutation at Ru was found to be accelerated in the presence of protic additives, suggesting the plausibility of hydrogen bonding between the acidic proton and the X-type ligands on Ru. Occurrence of hydrogen bonding was corroborated through the use of chiral allylic alcohols in Ru-catalyzed diastereoselective ring-opening/cross metathesis, which was developed into a versatile method for highly diastereoselective functionalization of terminal olefins. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Chemistry.

La construction de complexes polymétalliques de lanthanides préprogrammés et sophistiqués, de taille nanométrique, pour le développement de matériaux luminescents présentant des propriétés photophysiques nouvelles ou améliorées (double émission, transfert d'énergie intermétallique, etc.) est un des sujets de la chimie supramoléculaire des lanthanides suscitant énormément d'intérêt. La compréhension, le contrôle et la programmation de l'auto-assemblage de complexes de lanthanides est un défi majeur en raison de la difficulté à contrôler l'environnement de coordination de ces ions qui se caractérise par des nombres de coordinations importants et variables et peu de préférences stéréochimiques. Ainsi, la plupart des complexes polynucléaires de lanthanides décrits dans la littérature sont formés de façon fortuite plutôt que par conception rationnelle. Afin d'inclure les ions lanthanides dans des architectures polymétalliques de haute nucléarité tout en améliorant leurs propriétés photophysiques, nous nous sommes concentrés sur des études de complexation de ligands dissymétriques (tridentates anioniques, tétradentates chiraux) permettant de promouvoir la formation des assemblages. Nous avons par ailleurs commencé à explorer le potentiel d'une méthode synthétique originale de clusters oxo par réactivité redox de complexes divalents de lanthanides. Nous présentons ici la synthèse et les propriétés photophysiques de complexes stables émettant dans le proche infrarouge basés sur des ligands anioniques hydroxyquinoléine fonctionnalisé par des groupes carboxylates ou tétrazolates. En outre, nous pouvons montrer que l'utilisation de ligands chiraux possédant un groupement oxazoline favorise l'auto-assemblage diastéréosélectif de complexes de lanthanides homo- et hétéro-polymétalliques énantiopures émettant dans le visible et le proche infrarouge. Un complexe trinucléaire d'europium énantiopure a été caractérisé par cristallographie, celui-ci présentant une forte activité en polarisation circulaire de luminescence (CPL). Le ligand chiral oxazoline a permis d'obtenir une roue heptanucléaire d'europiums, le plus important assemblage polymétallique énantiopure. Enfin, nous avons pu préparer et caractériser des complexes de lanthanides divalents hautement réactifs basés sur un ligand tripode neutre possédant des groupements pyridine (tpa). Des résultats préliminaires montrent que ces complexes peuvent être des précurseurs très utiles pour isoler des clusters oxo polymétalliques. En particulier, la réaction d'un complexe de néodyme hautement réactif a conduit à isoler un cluster oxo volumineux et très intéressant par clivage de THF en présence de tpa. / The construction of preprogrammed, sophisticated and nanoscopic polymetallic lanthanide complexes for the development of luminescent materials that possess new or improved photophysical properties (dual emission, intermetallic energy transfer, etc.) is one of the hot topics in the lanthanide supramolecular chemistry. Understanding, controlling and programming self assembly of lanthanide complexes is a key challenge due to the difficulty in controlling the coordination environment of these ions which display high and variable coordination numbers with little stereochemical preferences. As a result of this, most of the polynuclear lanthanide complexes reported in literature are formed by serendipity rather than rational design. In order to include lanthanide ions in discrete high nuclearity polymetallic architectures with improved photophysical properties we have concentrated on complexation studies with dissymmetric chelating ligands (tridentate anionic ligands, tetradentate chiral ligand) with possibility of promoting assembly formation, and we started to investigate the potential of an original synthetic method using the redox reactivity of divalent lanthanides complexes for the synthesis of oxo clusters. Here we present the synthesis and photophysical properties of NIR emissive stable complexes obtained with hydroxyquinoline based tridentate dianionic ligands functionalised with carboxylic acid and tetrazole groups. Moreover we show that the use of a chiral tetradentate ligand possessing oxazoline ring promotes the diastereoselective self assembly of enantiopure homo- and hetero-polymetallic lanthanide complexes emitting in the visible and NIR range. An original enantiopure trinuclear europium complex was crystallographically characterised and we found that it displays a high circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity. The chiral oxazoline based ligand also led to the synthesis of the largest enantiopure polymetallic assembly of europium, a heptanuclear wheel. Finally we were able to prepare and characterize highly reactive complexes of divalent lanthanides with a neutral tripodal pyridine based ligand and very preliminary results show that these complexes can be useful precursors for the isolation of polymetallic oxoclusters. Notably, the reaction of the highly reactive neodymium complex led to the isolation of a very interesting large neodymium oxo cluster by cleavage of THF in the presence of the ligand tpa.