Regioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations

Palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations on asymmetrical allylic carbonates using a variety of chiral ligands gave good to excellent ee’s and poor to excellent regioselectivity depending on the nucleophile used.     

Stereoselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations of peptide amide enolates

Pd-catalyzed allylations are an excellent tool for stereoselective peptide modifications, being clearly superior to normal alkylations. The reactions proceed not only in high yield, but also high regio- and diastereoselectivities, and trans-products are formed exclusively. Therefore, this is a powerful synthetic tool for natural product and drug synthesis.     

Dendritic oxazoline ligands in enantioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations

First to fourth generation dendritic substituents based on 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid and (1R,2S,5R)-menthoxyacetic acid were attached to 2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridinooxazoline and bis[4-(hydroxymethyl)oxazoline] compounds. The new ligands obtained were assessed in palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations. The first type of ligands exhibited enantioselectivity similar to that of a benzoyl ester derivative, whereas the latter type of ligands afforded products with higher selectivity than the analogous benzoyl ester. The activity of the dendritic catalysts decreased with increasing generation.     

Influences on the regioselectivity of palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations

Chelated amino acid ester enolates are excellent nucleophiles for palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations. These enolates react rapidly at -78 degrees C and in general without isomerization of pi-allyl palladium complexes. Therefore, they are good candidates for mechanistic studies and regioselective reactions. Terminal pi-allyl palladium complexes are preferentially attacked at the least hindered position giving rise to linear products, as illustrated with several (E)-configured allylic substrates. Under isomerization free conditions the branched products are formed preferentially from the corresponding (Z)-allyl substrates. An interesting behavior is observed in the reaction of secondary allylic substrates. Aryl-substituted substrates show a significant memory effect which can be explained by an asymmetric pi-allyl complex. For alkyl-substituted substrates a strong dependence of the regioselectivity on the leaving group is observed, which can be explained by different conformations in the ionization step. Under isomerization free conditions the product ratio gives important information about this step.     

Strategy for employing unstabilized nucleophiles in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations

We report a strategy for the employment of highly unstabilized anions in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations (AAA). The "hard" 2-methylpyridyl nucleophiles studied are first reacted in situ with BF3.OEt2; subsequent deprotonation of the resulting complexes with LiHMDS affords "soft" anions that are competent nucleophiles in AAA reactions. The reaction is selective for the 2-position of methylpyridines and tolerates bulky aryl and alkyl substitution at the 3-, 4-, and 5-positions. Investigations into the reaction mechanism demonstrate that the configuration of the allylic stereocenter is retained, consistent with the canonical outer sphere mechanism invoked for palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution processes of stabilized anions.     

Modular multidentate phosphine ligands: application to palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations

Multidentate phosphines were readily obtained by reaction of chiral multidentate amines, prepared via ring opening of (S)-N-tosyl-2-isopropylaziridine with ammonia, primary, and secondary amines, with achiral phosphorus containing building blocks. The phosphines were used in palladium-catalyzed alkylation of rac-3-cyclohexenyl and cyclopentenyl carbonates. The enantioselectivity and reactivity were largely dependent on the structure of the amine core of the ligands. Up to 88% ee was observed in reactions with the six-membered substrate.     

Novel chiral P,N-ferrocene ligands in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations

Novel chiral P,N-ferrocene ligands, 1-diphenylphosphino-1′-oxazolinylferrocenes, were prepared from ferrocene via 1,1′-bis(tributylstannyl)ferrocene and 1-diphenylphosphino-1′-methoxycarbonylferrocene as intermediates, and with this new kind of ligand up to 91% ee with 99% chemical yield was afforded for the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethylmalonate anion. The complexation behavior of this kind of ligand with dichlorobis(acetonitrile)palladium and bis(μ-chloro)(1,3-diphenyl-η³-allyl)dipalladium was investigated.     

Preparation of a new FerroPHOS derivative for palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations

A new C₂-symmetric only cylindrically chiral FerroPHOS derivative possessing (1-methoxy-1-methyl)ethyl substituents was prepared and applied to the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenylprop-2-en-1-yl acetate. Both high catalytic activity (up to 500 turnovers) and enantioselectivity (e.e.'s of up to 96.3%) were attained in reactions using the new diphosphine ligand.     

Highly stereoselective peptide modifications through Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylations of chelated peptide enolates

Deprotonation of peptides in the presence of zinc chloride gives rise to highly reactive nucleophiles that can be subjected to palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reactions. Excellent diastereoselectivities are obtained that are nearly independent of the allylic substrate used. By using this protocol, highly functionalized side chains can also be incorporated in excellent yields and selectivities. The stereochemical outcome of the reaction is exclusively controlled by the peptide chain as long as terminal pi-allyl-palladium complexes are involved. Probably, there is a threefold coordination, at least, of the deprotonated peptide chain to the chelating zinc ion. In such metal peptide complexes, one face of the generated enolate is shielded by the side chain of the adjacent amino acid, thus directing the electrophilic attack onto the opposite face. This behavior explains why an S amino acid always generates an R amino acid (and the other way round).     

Direct palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations of alcohols with enamines: Synthesis of homoallyl ketones

An efficient, direct nucleophilic allylic substitution of α-, β- and γ-substituted alcohols with enamines, using the Pd(OAc)_2/PPh₃ catalyst system and ZnBr₂ as a promoter in CH₂Cl₂ at reflux, is reported. The reaction course was dependent on the steric hindrance at the α- or γ-positions with respect to the functionalized α-carbon, selectively affording in moderate to good yields, α- or γ-homoallyl ketones, the so-called “linear” and “branched” products, respectively.     

Chiral sulfoxide ligands bearing nitrogen atoms as stereocontrollable coordinating elements in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations were studied by using chiral sulfoxide ligands bearing nitrogen atoms as coordinating elements, such as chiral α-sulfinylacetamides, β or γ-amino sulfoxides, and β-sulfinyl sulfonamides. The effects of the chiral sulfinyl functions on the asymmetric induction were demonstrated. Use of (S)-2-pyrrolidinophenyl p-tolyl sulfoxide or (S)-2-(N-butyl-N-methylaminomethyl)phenyl p-tolyl sulfoxide as chiral ligands in the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations provided the highest enantioselectivity (50 or 58% e.e., respectively) among chiral sulfoxide ligands examined by us. The participation of the sulfinyl groups in these catalytic asymmetric reactions is rationalized, and the mechanism for the asymmetric induction is proposed on the basis of the stereochemical outcome obtained.     

Kinetic resolution and unusual regioselectivity in palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylations with a chiral P,S ligand

Effective kinetic resolutions of acyclic allylic acetates and benzoates have been obtained using a palladium/(S)-BINAP(S) catalyst system. Unusually large preferences for the formation of branched alkylation products from 3-but-2-enyl and crotyl substrates have been observed. [reaction: see text]     

Recognition and catalysis in allylic alkylations

[structure: see text] A cavitand outfitted with a chelated palladium atom catalyzes allylic alkylation reactions. Molecular recognition by the cavitand distinguishes between closely related structures and results in subtle substrate specificities.     

Ir-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective decarboxylative allylic alkylations

[Ir(COD)Cl]2/phosphoramidite ligand 1a was found to be an efficient catalytic system for the highly regio- and enantioselective decarboxylative alkylation of gamma-substituted allyl beta-ketocarboxylates, affording the branched products with up to >99/1 branched-linear ratio and 96% ee.     

On the mechanism of allylic alkylations catalyzed by palladium

Reults are reported indicating the intermediacy of a symmetrical π-allyl species in the alkylation of an allylic lactone. A previous report indicating that another mechanism was operative is disputed.     

Chemo- and regioselectivity-tunable Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation of imines

α-Carbanions of cyclic and acyclic imines have been successfully applied as nucleophiles in the Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction. Tuning of chemo- and regioselectivity has been realized by using t-BuOK/THF and LDA/toluene to give branched and linear products, respectively, with high regio- and diastereoselectivities. A plausible mechanism is proposed on the basis of the experimental results and DFT calculations.