Dehydrogenation of aromatic amines to imines via ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen transfer

An efficient ruthenium-catalyzed transfer dehydrogenation of amines to imines was achieved under mild conditions using 2,6-dimethoxy benzoquinone (2) or cat. 2/MnO2 as oxidant.     

2-Azanorbornyl alcohols: very efficient ligands for ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones

2-Azanorbornyl-derived amino alcohols were prepared and evaluated as ligands in the Ru(II)-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones. To improve selectivity and rate, the structure of the ligand was optimized. Acetophenone was reduced using 0.5 mol % catalyst in 40 min in 94% ee. This system was also able to reduce a wide range of aromatic ketones to the corresponding alcohols, while maintaining high enantioselectivities and yields. The effects of catalyst loading and the presence of cosolvents in the reaction vessel were examined, and a linearity study was also done.     

N-Benzyl-norephedrine derivatives as new,efficient ligands for ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of functionalized ketones

Significant catalytic activities (up to 600 h⁻¹ at 20°C) and enantiomeric excesses ranging from 56 to 89% for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of β-ketoesters, methoxyacetone and 2-acetylpyridine to the corresponding alcohols are achieved in the presence of catalytic combinations of [RuCl₂(η⁶-arene)]₂ and N-substituted derivatives of (1S,2R)-norephedrine such as N-benzyl-norephedrine and N-(4-biphenyl)methyl-norephedrine.     

Realistic modeling of ruthenium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation

We report the first computational study of a fully atomistic model of the ruthenium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of formaldehyde and the reverse reaction in an explicit methanol solution. Using ab initio molecular dynamics techniques, we determined the thermodynamics, mechanism, and electronic structure along the reaction path. To assess the effect of the solvent quantitatively, we make a direct comparison with the gas-phase reaction. We find that the energy profile in solution bears little resemblance to the profile in the gas phase and a distinct solvation barrier is found: the activation barriers in both directions are lowered and the concerted hydride and proton transfer in the gas phase are converted into a sequential mechanism in solution with the substrate appearing as methoxide-like intermediate. Our results indicate that besides the metal-ligand bifunctional mechanism, as proposed by Noyori, also a concerted solvent-mediated mechanism is feasible. Our study gives a new perspective of the active role a solvent can have in transition-metal-catalyzed reactions.     

Biocatalytic asymmetric hydrogen transfer employing Rhodococcus ruber DSM 44541

Nonracemic sec-alcohols of opposite absolute configuration were obtained either by asymmetric reduction of the corresponding ketone using 2-propanol as hydrogen donor or by enantioselective oxidation through kinetic resolution of the rac-alcohol using acetone as hydrogen acceptor employing whole lyophilized cells of Rhodococcus ruber DSM 44541. The microbial oxidation/reduction system exhibits not only excellent stereo- and enantioselectivity but also a broad substrate spectrum. Due to the exceptional tolerance of the biocatalyst toward elevated concentrations of organic materials (solvents, substrates and cosubstrates), the process is highly efficient. The simple preparation of the biocatalyst and its ease of handling turns this system into a versatile tool for organic synthesis.     

Ruthenium amino carboxylate complexes as asymmetric hydrogen transfer catalysts

The synthesis and characterization of optically active amino carboxylate complexes of formula [(η(6)-arene)Ru(Aa)Cl] (arene = C(6)H(6), C(6)Me(6), Aa = amino carboxylate) as well as those of the related trimers [{(η(6)-arene)Ru(Aa)}(3)][BF(4)](3) are reported. Trimerization takes place with chiral self-recognition: only diastereomers equally configured at the metal, R(Ru)R(Ru)R(Ru) or S(Ru)S(Ru)S(Ru), are detected. The crystal structures of the complexes [(η(6)-C(6)H(6))Ru(Pip)Cl] and [{(η(6)-C(6)Me(6))Ru(Pro)}(3)][BF(4)](3) have been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. Both types of complexes catalyse the hydrogen transfer reaction from 2-propanol to ketones with moderate enantioselectivity (up to 68% ee). The enantiodifferentiation achieved can be accounted for by assuming that Noyori's bifunctional mechanism is operating.     

Total synthesis of dolastatin 10 through ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenations

A total synthesis of dolastatin 10, a potent inhibitor of microtubule assembly, which displayed remarkable antineoplastic activity, is reported. Our synthetic approach was based upon ruthenium-promoted asymmetric hydrogenation of β-keto esters derived from (S)-Boc-proline and (S)-Boc-isoleucine for the construction of the two key units: (2R,3R)-Boc-dolaproine (Dap) and (3R)-Boc-dolaisoleucine (Dil).     

Stereodivergent ruthenium-catalyzed transfer semihydrogenation of diaryl alkynes

[Ru(3)(CO)(12)]-catalyzed transfer semihydrogenation of various functionalized diaryl alkynes with N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and water as hydrogen source affords cis- and trans-stilbenes. The stereodivergent approach can be switched by the use of acetic (HOAc) or trifluoroacetic (TFA) acid as additives. The catalytic processes can be applied to the synthesis of analogues of natural products such as cis-combretastatin A-4 and trans-resveratrol.     

Historical perspective on ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen transfer and survey of enantioselective hydrogen auto-transfer processes for the conversion of lower alcohols to higher alcohols

Ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen auto-transfer reactions for the direct enantioselective conversion of lower alcohols to higher alcohols are surveyed. These processes enable completely atom-efficient carbonyl addition from alcohol proelectrophiles in the absence of premetalated reagents or metallic reductants. Applications in target-oriented synthesis are highlighted, and a brief historical perspective on ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen transfer processes is given.

Ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen auto-transfer reactions for the direct enantioselective conversion of lower alcohols to higher alcohols are surveyed. A brief historical perspective on ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen transfer is given.     

Synthesis of (R)- and (S)-4-hydroxyisophorone by ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketoisophorone

The first synthesis of (R)- and (S)-4-hydroxyisophorone by catalytic transfer hydrogenation of ketoisophorone is reported. Ruthenium catalysts containing commercially available chiral amino alcohols afforded 4-hydroxyisophorone in up to 97% selectivity and 97% ee. (R)- or (S)-4-Hydroxyisophorones with >99% ee were isolated by crystallization. The catalyst precursors [RuCl₂((S,R)-ADPE)(η⁶-p-cymene)] ((S,R)-ADPE=(1S,2R)-amino-1,2-diphenylethanol-N) and (R_Ru)-[RuCl((S,R)-ADPE⁻¹)(η⁶-p-cymene)] (ADPE⁻¹=amino-1,2-diphenylethanolato-N,O) were isolated for the first time and the X-ray crystal structure of the latter determined.     

Readily available hydrogen bond catalysts for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of nitroolefins

This paper focuses on readily accessible thiourea hydrogen bond catalysts derived from amino acids, whose steric and electronic features are modulated by their degree of substitution at the carbinol carbon center. These catalysts were applied in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of nitroolefins furnishing the chiral products in up to 99% yield and 86% enantiomeric excess. The proposed catalyst's mode of action is supported by mechanistic investigations.     

Effective synthesis of bicyclodienes via palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation and ruthenium-catalyzed cycloisomerization

[n.3.0]Bicycles (n = 3–6) can be synthesized using palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation followed by ruthenium-catalyzed cycloisomerization. New types of triarylphosphino-1,2-diaminooxazoline ligands show the same high levels of enantioselectivity observed with Trost ligand when employed in Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation reactions. The enyne products of these allylic alkylation reactions were further elaborated using a Ru-catalyzed redox isomerization process, for which a mechanism is proposed.     

Mechanism of ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen transfer reactions. Concerted transfer of OH and CH hydrogens from an alcohol to a (Cyclopentadienone)ruthenium complex

Kinetic studies of the ruthenium-catalyzed dehydrogenation of 1-(4-fluorophenyl)ethanol (4) by tetrafluorobenzoquinone (7) using the Shvo catalyst 1 at 70 degrees C show that the dehydrogenation by catalytic intermediate 2 is rate-determining with the rate = k[4][1](1/2) and with deltaH++ = 17.7 kcal mol(-1) and deltaS++ = -13.0 eu. The use of specifically deuterated derivative 4-CHOD and 4-CDOH gave individual isotope effects of k(CHOH)/k(CHOD) = 1.87 +/- 0.17 and k(CHOH)/k(CDOH) = 2.57 +/- 0.26, respectively. Dideuterated derivative 4-CDOD gave a combined isotope effect of k(CHOH)/k(CDOD) = 4.61 +/- 0.37. These isotope effects are consistent with a concerted transfer of both hydrogens of the alcohol to ruthenium species 2.     

Diboron-mediated palladium-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation using the proton of alcohols as hydrogen source

The developments of hydrogen sources stand at the forefront of asymmetric reduction. In contrast to the well-studied alcohols as hydrogen sources via β-hydride elimination, the direct utilization of the proton of alcohols as a hydrogen source for activatormediated asymmetric reduction is rarely explored. Herein we report the proton of alcohols as a hydrogen source in diboronmediated palladium-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of 1,3-diketones and indoles, providing a series of chiral β-hydroxy ketones and indolines with excellent yields and enantioselectivities. This strategy would be useful for the synthesis of chiral deuterium-labelled compounds due to the ready availability of deuterium-labelled alcohols. Mechanistic investigations and DFT calculations revealed that active chiral Pd-H species was generated from the proton of alcohols by activating of tetrahydroxydiboron, hydrogen transfer was the rate-determining step, and the reaction preferred Pd(0)-catalyzed mechanism.     

A feasibility study on the synthesis of phenylephrine via ruthenium-catalyzed homogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation

We report a feasibility study on a new route to (R)-phenylephrine, based on the ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of an aminoketone precursor. The direct and fast asymmetric reduction of aminoketones or their hydrochloride salts is achievable at low catalyst loadings (molar substrate to catalyst ratio, S/C, >25,000/1, TOF up to 25,000 h^?1) with high enantioselectivity (>95% ee), without the need for N-protection nor isolation of the free base prior to reaction.     

A convenient and general ruthenium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of nitro- and azobenzenes

An easily accessible in situ catalyst composed of [{RuCl(2)(p-cymene)}(2)] and terpyridine has been developed for the selective transfer hydrogenation of aromatic nitro and azo compounds. The procedure is general and the selectivity of the catalyst has been demonstrated by applying a series of structurally diverse nitro and azo compounds (see scheme).