Abstract
Optically active 5-aryl 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines are the principal structural moiety of many bioactive compounds including natural products and catalysts for asymmetric synthesis. A highly regio- and diastereoselective and enantiospecific method for direct C H arylation of aliphatic amine has been developed. Structurally diverse enantiopure arylated pyrrolidines were synthesized from commercially available starting materials, through a single-step three-component reaction under metal- and oxidant-free conditions. Furthermore, the complex analogous structure of CCK antagonist RP 66803 and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors was easily constructed using the synthe- sized arylated pyrrolidine derivative. Detailed theoretical calculations (M06-2X/TZVPP/SMD//M06-2X16-31 G(d,p) level) were also carried to investigate the mechanism and high level of stereocontrol involved in this direct sp3 C H arylation reaction. Preference for a given regio- and stereoselectivity in the arylated product can be explained through elucidation of the mechanism for dehydration, generating azomethine ylide, and for the final re-aromatization step. The calculated energies reveals that the re-aromatization step is essentially rate determining, accompanying an activation barrier of Delta* G(L)(S)=25.6 kcal mol(-1)