Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

<p>This thesis deals with synthetically modified chiral molecules and their application in asymmetric catalysis. The first part of the thesis describes the use of commercially available chiral diamine ligands in the iridium catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones. The chiral diamine ligands were mixed with an appropriate transition-metal complex, which after addition of suitable base provided a chiral transition metal complex capable of reducing a range of different aromatic ketones in high yields and enantioselectivities. The developed methodology constitutes a cost effective and readily available procedure for transfer hydrogenation reactions. The following chapters in the thesis are completely devoted to rational design of small organic molecules acting as catalyst in various organocatalytic transformations. Organocatalytic methodology, represent a new and complementary approach to asymmetric organic synthesis, as compared to e.g. transition metal based methodology. Advantages of this methodology typically include mild and less stringent reaction conditions. This, in combination with the lack of toxic transition metal by-products, makes the process more environmentally benign; the organocatalytic methodology, therefore represent a promising approach towards implementation of green chemistry in organic synthesis. Despite this promise, typical drawbacks of the current methodology are long reaction times and the need for high catalyst loadings. Thus, a large demand exists for enhancing reactivity and increasing selectivity in organocatalytic reactions. The present thesis describes several efforts where we have tried to rationally design improved catalysts for various enantioselective organocata-lytic reactions. First, a structurally modified L-proline, incorporating a 1H-tetrazolic acid, was synthesized and evaluated in the direct asymmetric organocatalytic aldol reaction. As shown in Paper II, the catalyst displayed very high reactivity and subsequent studies were initiated in order to rationalize the reactivity enhancement (Paper III). Delightfully, the design principle of a 1H-tetrazolic acid as replacement for a carboxylic acid has since been widely used in the community, including our own efforts in organocatalytic asymmetric cyclopropanations (Paper V)and Diels-Alder reactions (Paper VII). Novel catalysts, including other functionalizations, were also designed for organocatalytic asymmetric addition of nitroalkanes to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes (Paper IV) and for cyclopropanations (Paper VI).</p>

This thesis deals with synthetically modified chiral molecules and their application in asymmetric catalysis. The first part of the thesis describes the use of commercially available chiral diamine ligands in the iridium catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones. The chiral diamine ligands were mixed with an appropriate transition-metal complex, which after addition of suitable base provided a chiral transition metal complex capable of reducing a range of different aromatic ketones in high yields and enantioselectivities. The developed methodology constitutes a cost effective and readily available procedure for transfer hydrogenation reactions. The following chapters in the thesis are completely devoted to rational design of small organic molecules acting as catalyst in various organocatalytic transformations. Organocatalytic methodology, represent a new and complementary approach to asymmetric organic synthesis, as compared to e.g. transition metal based methodology. Advantages of this methodology typically include mild and less stringent reaction conditions. This, in combination with the lack of toxic transition metal by-products, makes the process more environmentally benign; the organocatalytic methodology, therefore represent a promising approach towards implementation of green chemistry in organic synthesis. Despite this promise, typical drawbacks of the current methodology are long reaction times and the need for high catalyst loadings. Thus, a large demand exists for enhancing reactivity and increasing selectivity in organocatalytic reactions. The present thesis describes several efforts where we have tried to rationally design improved catalysts for various enantioselective organocata-lytic reactions. First, a structurally modified L-proline, incorporating a 1H-tetrazolic acid, was synthesized and evaluated in the direct asymmetric organocatalytic aldol reaction. As shown in Paper II, the catalyst displayed very high reactivity and subsequent studies were initiated in order to rationalize the reactivity enhancement (Paper III). Delightfully, the design principle of a 1H-tetrazolic acid as replacement for a carboxylic acid has since been widely used in the community, including our own efforts in organocatalytic asymmetric cyclopropanations (Paper V)and Diels-Alder reactions (Paper VII). Novel catalysts, including other functionalizations, were also designed for organocatalytic asymmetric addition of nitroalkanes to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes (Paper IV) and for cyclopropanations (Paper VI).

Microwave-Assisted Thermolysis of ortho-Substituted Aroylsilanes Marc Tremblay Master of Science Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 2008 The microwave-assisted thermolysis of ortho-substituted aroylsilanes has been investigated. When irradiated at 250ºC in DMSO or o‑dichlorobenzene for 10 minutes, aroylsilanes form siloxycarbenes that react following different pathways depending on the solvent and the structure of the starting material. It is shown that in the case of substrates having an O‑allyl or an O‑propargyl chain ortho to the acylsilane, cycloaddition occurs followed by a cascade ring opening to give respectively chroman‑4-one and chromen‑4-one derivatives in up to 66% yield. Among the major competitive pathways were the insertion of the siloxycarbene into allylic C–H bonds and decomposition of the acylsilane group to the corresponding aldehyde, followed by Claisen rearrangement.

Microwave-Assisted Thermolysis of ortho-Substituted Aroylsilanes Marc Tremblay Master of Science Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 2008 The microwave-assisted thermolysis of ortho-substituted aroylsilanes has been investigated. When irradiated at 250ºC in DMSO or o‑dichlorobenzene for 10 minutes, aroylsilanes form siloxycarbenes that react following different pathways depending on the solvent and the structure of the starting material. It is shown that in the case of substrates having an O‑allyl or an O‑propargyl chain ortho to the acylsilane, cycloaddition occurs followed by a cascade ring opening to give respectively chroman‑4-one and chromen‑4-one derivatives in up to 66% yield. Among the major competitive pathways were the insertion of the siloxycarbene into allylic C–H bonds and decomposition of the acylsilane group to the corresponding aldehyde, followed by Claisen rearrangement.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Depuis une dizaine d'années, les carbènes N-hétérocycliques(CNHs) ont prouvé leur efficacité en organocatalyse et comme ligands en catalyse organométallique. Dans ce contexte nous avons souhaité développer deux nouvelles familles decarbènes N hétérocycliques originaux :* La première famille de CNHs étudiée comporte une chiralité planaire apportée par un motif ferrocénique énantiomériquement pur lié directementsur l'hétérocycle imidazolium ou triazolium. Diverses stratégies ont été envisagées et étudiées afin de préparer des précurseurs de CNH à chiralité planaire.Ces travaux ont notamment permis l'obtention d'un selde triazolium énantiopur, dont la structure a étéconfirmée par diffraction des rayons X. Une étude préliminaire a également été amorcée pour la préparation d'un sel d'imidazolium à chiralité planaire.* La deuxième famille de CNHs considérée durant ce travail de thèse est basée sur l'utilisation de structures spirocycliques originales obtenues par une réaction de cyclopropanation de cyanoesters en présence d'un complexe de titane. Ce travail a été consacré à valider l'utilisation de spirooxazolidinones et de spirolactames comme briques élémentaires pour la synthèse de sels de triazolium originaux, ainsi qu'à étudier le dédoublement d'oxazolidinones et delactames racémiques.

Depuis une dizaine d’années, les carbènes N-hétérocycliques(CNHs) ont prouvé leur efficacité en organocatalyse et comme ligands en catalyse organométallique. Dans ce contexte nous avons souhaité développer deux nouvelles familles decarbènes N hétérocycliques originaux :• La première famille de CNHs étudiée comporte une chiralité planaire apportée par un motif ferrocénique énantiomériquement pur lié directementsur l’hétérocycle imidazolium ou triazolium. Diverses stratégies ont été envisagées et étudiées afin de préparer des précurseurs de CNH à chiralité planaire.Ces travaux ont notamment permis l'obtention d’un selde triazolium énantiopur, dont la structure a étéconfirmée par diffraction des rayons X. Une étude préliminaire a également été amorcée pour la préparation d’un sel d’imidazolium à chiralité planaire.• La deuxième famille de CNHs considérée durant ce travail de thèse est basée sur l'utilisation de structures spirocycliques originales obtenues par une réaction de cyclopropanation de cyanoesters en présence d’un complexe de titane. Ce travail a été consacré à valider l'utilisation de spirooxazolidinones et de spirolactames comme briques élémentaires pour la synthèse de sels de triazolium originaux, ainsi qu’à étudier le dédoublement d’oxazolidinones et delactames racémiques. / Since the beginning of 21st century, N-heterocycliccarbenes (NHCs) proved their efficiency in asymmetric organocatalysis and as ligands in enantioselective organometallic catalysis. In this context, we developed two families of original NHCs: The first one displays a planar chirality afforded by an enantiopure ferrocene scaffold directlygrafted on an imidazolium or triazolium heterocycle.Different strategies have been investigated towards thepreparation of these chiral targets. This work allowedthe synthesis of an enantiopure triazolium salt and itsstructure was confirmed by X-ray analysis. A preliminarystudy concerning the preparation of an imidazolium saltbearing a planar chirality has been initiated.• The second NHC family considered during this project relies in the use of original spirocyclic structures obtained from a cyanoester cyclopropanationreaction catalyzed by a titanium complex. The main goal was to validate the use of spirooxazolidinones and spirolactams as building blocks for the synthesis oforiginal triazolium salts, and to study the resolution of racemic lactams and oxazolidinones.

<p>Cyclopropanes are found in an array of synthetic and natural products. The Simmons–Smith reaction has been one of the most common methods used to synthesize cyclopropanes since it was first discovered in the 1950s. The Simmons–Smith reaction entails the transfer of a carbene (:CH2) from a zinc carbenoid to an alkene, forming a cyclopropane. However, there are still many limitations to the Simmons–Smith method, including poor functional group tolerance and poor regioselectivity in polyalkene substrates. </p> <p>To address the weaknesses in the Simmons–Smith reactions, we have pursued a transition metal-catalyzed method. Our group has reported a cobalt pyridinediimine (PDI) catalyst system to carry out cyclopropanation reactions using gem-dichloroalkanes and gem-dibromoalkanes in order to access nonstabilized carbenes. This method also offers an advantage over diazo transfer chemistry since diazo chemistry requires a stabilizing group to be present in most cases.  This established work has demonstrated a complimentary reactivity to the Simmons–Smith reaction.</p> <p>In this work, we demonstrate that we could expand upon the existing methods of dimethylcyclopropanation to access spirocyclopropanated products by changing the identity of the dichloroalkane. In addition to this reactivity, an enantiopure catalyst that is able to catalyze an enantioselective cyclopropanation was found. We were able to show a broad scope of this new reaction, and mechanistic experiments are carried out in order to probe the mechanism of this reaction. Overall, this thesis offers a new way to access enantiopure dimethylcyclopropane and spirocyclopropanated products.</p>

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