Dans le cadre de nos travaux, nous avons développé une méthode extrêmement douce et particulièrement efficace d’accès à des γ-butyrolactones possédant un centre stéréogène quaternaire en α à partir d’énols carbonates d’allyle cycliques et exocycliques en utilisant la réaction d’alkylation allylique asymétrique décarboxylante pallado-catalysée (Pd-DAAA). Remarquablement, cette méthode a permis d’étendre l’utilisation de l’allylation asymétrique décarboxylante à des substrats sans précèdent dans la littérature, tels que les énols carbonates allyliques exocycliques. Cette réaction a été utilisée comme étape clé dans la synthèse des spirolactones chirales qui ont été obtenues avec de bons rendements et d’excellentes énantiosélectivités. Une nouvelle méthode catalytique robuste et hautement énantiosélective permettant d’accéder à des isoxazolidinones possédant un centre stéréogène quaternaire en α a été développée. Ce protocole repose sur une alkylation allylique asymétrique catalysée par des complexes de palladium chiraux (Pd-AAA) et amène aux produits désirés avec de bons rendements et d’excellents excès énantiomériques. Par ailleurs, nous avons également mis au point des conditions permettant de convertir ces isoxazolidinones α,α-disubstituées en acides β2,2 aminés et en β-lactames. / The development of a palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative allylic alkylation protocol (Pd DAAA) applied to cyclic and exocyclic allyl enol carbonates has allowed a highly enantioselective access to a range of γ butyrolactones bearing an all-carbon α quaternary stereogenic center. Remarkably, this approach allowed the extension of this reaction to substrates with no precedent in the literature, such as the exocyclic allyl enol carbonates. The Pd-DAAA process was eventually used for the synthesis of chiral spirolactones, which were readily obtained in high yields and in high optical purity. The synthesis of different isoxazolidin-5-ones bearing highly stereodefined all carbon α quaternary center was accomplished by palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation (Pd-AAA) of 4 substituted isoxazolidin-5-ones with an array of 2 substituted allyl acetates. The reaction proceeded in both excellent enantioselectivity and yield with isoxazolidin-5-ones containing an α-aryl substituents or an α heteroaryl moieties. This robust and highly enantioselective method allowed the access to valuable β2,2-amino acids and β lactams.

Asymmetric synthesis is most significant method to generate chiral compounds from prochiral substrates. It usually involves a chiral catalysis, which can be either metal based or organo-catalysis. Both of these systems have their own advantages and disadvantages. In recent times, organocatalysts are gathering widespread attention due to their low toxicity and inexpensive nature. Organocatalysts can replace traditional metal based Lewis acid catalysts in several useful organic transformations like the Diels-Alder reactions. Carbocations are compounds with positively charged carbon atoms and they can activate the substrate by pulling its electrons thus making it more electrophilic. Though carbocations are well-known in literature, they are not well explored in catalysis despite their tremendous potential. The aim of this project is to synthesize new chiral carbocations, derived from different chiral auxiliaries and substitution on aromatic moiety and to investigate them in asymmetric Diels- Alder reactions. We envisioned the final product to be enantio-enriched as the carbocations are chiral in nature. We have synthesized several chiral secondary and tertiary alcohols as a precursor of carbenium salts. These alcohols were mainly synthesized by addition of Grignard reagent or organolithium reagents to the carbonyl compounds. Though, we have synthesized several chiral alcohols, only three carbocations could be isolated those having methoxy group in the aromatic ring. The methoxy group was found to be crucial for the stabilization of the carbocation. All the isolated carbocations were able to catalyze the Diels-Alder reactions, however it was found that carbocation 4with BF4 as a counter ion was better reactive than others. Unfortunately, we could not get any chiral induction with the use of these catalysts. We believe that with better tuning in catalysts structure and the reaction conditions these carbocations might able to produce chiral induction in the product.

Lewis acids can be used as catalysts in different reactions, but the term Lewis acid catalysts often refers to metal salts. Metal complexes have been widely used for asymmetric catalysis. Asymmetric synthesis can however be performed in a metal-free way by using organocatalysis. New Lewis acid catalysts that are more effective, enantioselective and environmental friendly is of interest. This new type of Lewis acid catalysts could for example be of carbocation based character. The aim of this project was to synthesize chiral carbocations with different degree of sterical hindrance and investigate their catalytic ability in Diels-Alder reactions. It was presumed that the Diels-Alder reactions were going to be performed in an asymmetric way since the carbocation catalysts were achiral. Two chiral carbocations were synthesized successfully. The first synthesized carbocation, the less sterical hindered compound 8, was formed as a racemic mixture. The second carbocation, compound 16, could be formed as an enatiomeric pure compound. Both carbocations showed catalytic ability in Diels-Alder reactions and compound 8 was comparable with some common Lewis acid catalysts. In general, when using compound 8 as catalyst, higher catalyst amount gave higher conversions. Higher concentrations also gave higher conversions, but up to a certain level. No trend between polarity of different solvents and conversions could be seen. However, an increased temperature leads to faster reactions. The more rigid and sterical hindered compound 16 catalyzed the reactions slower than compound 8. The longer reaction time may indicate that the reaction occurs with higher selectivity, but no method to measure the ee of the product was found. An attempt to synthesize a third even more sterical hindered chiral carbocation, compound 19, resulted in a product contaminated by impurities that showed a catalytic ability lower than compound 8 and compound 16 in Diels-Alder reactions. The synthesis and the use of carbocations as Lewis acid catalysts in Diels-Alder reactions seem promising as a new type of catalysts even though there are questions that are still unanswered, e.g. counter ions effects, possible side reactions, selectivity etc.

L'utilisation du cobalt en synthèse et catalyse organiques est reconnue depuis les années 1970, notamment dans la réaction de Pauson-Khand. Dès lors, de nombreux systèmes catalytiques au cobalt ont prouvé leur efficacité dans diverses transformations chimiques telles que les cycloadditions [2+2+2] ou l'activation des liaisons C(sp2)-H. Dans ce manuscrit, sont présentés des transformations chimiques basées sur l’utilisation de catalyseurs au cobalt s’effectuant essentiellement avec économie d’atomes, et les essais de développement des versions énantioselectives.Tout d'abord, l'activité de catalyseurs au cobalt(I) a été établie dans la réaction de cycloisomérisation de diènynes pour obtention de bicycles[4.3.0]. Les études concernant différents paramètres du système catalytique ainsi que le champ d'application sont présentés. Les catalyseurs à base d'acétate de cobalt(II) se sont révélés très efficaces pour les réactions d'hydroalcynylation. L'hydroalcynylation de vinylaziridines a été développée après optimisation du système catalytique et, le domaine d’application selon la nature des réactants a été défini. Finalement, les études préliminaires de l'allylation énantiosélective avec les catalyseurs de cobalt(II) ont été réalisées. Ceux-ci se sont révélés plutôt comme activateurs du groupement carbonyle, compromettant la version asymétrique de la réaction / The application of cobalt in organic synthesis and catalysis has been known since the 1970s, especially in Pauson-Khand reaction. Until now, a lot of catalytic systems with cobalt have demonstrated their efficiency in various chemical transformations including [2+2+2] cycloadditions or the activation of C(sp2)-H bonds. In this manuscript are presented the chemical transformations based on the use of cobalt to catalyze atom-economical reactions, and the attempts to develop enantioselective versions. First of all, the activity of cobalt(I) catalysts was established for the cycloisomerisation reaction of dienynes giving bicycles[4.3.0]. The studies of different parameters of the catalytic system, as well as the scope reaction, will be presented. Moreover, the catalysts based on cobalt(II) acetate proved to be very efficient for hydroalkynylation reactions. The hydroalkynylation reaction of vinylaziridines was developed after catalyst optimisation and, the scope reaction according to the nature of reactants was defined. Finally, preliminary studies of enantioselective allylation using cobalt(II) catalysts were performed. These promoters were found to be activators of the carbonyl group, thus compromising the asymmetric version of the reaction

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This thesis concerns the development of the first BINOL phosphoric acid (BPA) catalysed enantioselective N-acyliminium cyclisation reactions and their incorporation into domino sequences that allow for the construction of architecturally complex enantioenriched polycycles in a single step from easily accessible starting materials. More specifically, this thesis deals with the discovery of a BPA-catalysed enantioselective N-acyliminium cyclisation cascade of enol lactones and tryptamines. Its extension to a doubly catalysed process involving gold(I) to cycloisomerise alkynoic acids and a BPA to effect the enantioselective N-acyliminium cyclisation is presented. In addition, the exploitation of this method in highly diastereo- and enantioselective N-acyliminium cyclisations of oxoacids and tryptamines and in a site isolated base-catalysed Michael addition / acid-catalysed N-acyliminium cyclisation cascade is described. A study on the proposed mechanism and model for the origin of enantioselectivity is discussed, based on experimental data and a computational study. As a separate part of our programme, the development of a new class of stronger Brønsted acids, chiral benzenesulphonic acids, is described. The optimisation of the synthetic routes as well as the synthesis of a library of acids is presented and their assessment in precedented reactions is discussed.

The aim of this project was to develop new catalytic methods to control asymmetry in electrocyclic reactions, and to apply these methods to generate complex molecules. Initial efforts were directed towards the catalysis of anionic 8π electrocyclizations (Chapter 2 and Figure i). 8π electrocyclization was not achieved due to issues with alkene geometry and anion stability. Our efforts were then directed towards using phase-transfer catalysis to generate complex polycyclic compounds via a cascade electrocyclization-1,4-addition (Chapter 3 and Figure ii). Pyrrolidines and indolizidines were generated in excellent yield from simple starting-materials with high levels of stereocontrol. Finally, we investigated the catalysis of a 6π [1,6] electrocyclization to generate dihydroquinolones (Chapter 4 and Figure iii). A novel BINOL-derived copper(II) catalyst was developed, and afforded dihydroquinolones directly from their amine and aldehyde precursors with good yields and enantioselectivities.

This thesis details the application of two synthetic methodologies, developed by the Donohoe group, to the synthesis of the ABC fragment of pectenotoxin-4, a macrolide marine natural product that consists of 19 stereogenic centres, three tetrahydrofuran rings, one spiroketal and one bicyclic ketal embedded within a 26-membered macrocycle. Pivotal to the developed synthetic route was the utilisation of an unprecedented cascade osmium catalysed oxidative cyclisation for the construction of two THF rings (the BC ring system). After successfully developing a model system for the synthesis of the AB anomeric 6,5 spiroketal, which involved the employment of a hydride shift initiated oxo carbenium ion formation followed by intramolecular spiroketalisation, the developed system was then applied to the fully elaborated synthesis of the ABC fragment. The synthesis of the ABC fragment of pectenotoxin-4 was completed in 20 linear steps, with an overall yield of 3.3%.