Cu-catalyzed Asymmetric Dearomative [3+2] Cycloaddition Reaction of Benzazoles with Aminocyclopropanes

Heterocycles are a very important class of compounds that exist extensively as structural cores in natural products and biologically active molecules. Catalytic asymmetric dearomatization (CADA) is an efficient strategy for the construction of chiral fused-or spiro-heterocycles from simple planar aromatic compounds. Herein, we report the development of enantioselective dearomative [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of benzazoles with aminocyclopropanes via kinetic resolution. In the presence of a copper complex, derived from Cu(OTf)(2) and bisoxazoline, a series of hydropyrrolo-benzazole derivatives containing quaternary stereogenic centers were obtained in high yields (up to 99%) with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% enantiomeric excess [ee]). With the same catalytic system, 2-amino cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylates with a high enantiomeric purity (up to 98% ee) were also obtained by an efficient kinetic resolution (s values of up to 95). In addition, the utility of this method was showcased by the facile transformation of products into several important heterocyclic frameworks, including pyrrolo-benzothiazine and 1,5-benzothiazepine.