The asymmetric synthesis of β-lactams: HETPHOX/Cu(I) mediated synthesis via the Kinugasa reaction

The reactions of nitrones with terminal alkynes, catalysed by a range of HETPHOX ligands afforded β-lactams in moderate to good conversions with ees up to 55%. High levels of diastereoselectivity, dependent on the alkyne, were obtained. For example, the reaction is highly cis-diastereoselective with phenylacetylene (>9:1), while an unexpected reversal of diastereoselectivity is observed with the 3,5-trifluoromethyl phenylacetylene, which is highly trans selective (1:9) with an ee of 53%. The reaction scope with differently substituted nitrones and phenylacetylenes was also studied.     

A Novel 1‐Glycosyl‐1H‐triazole‐Based P,N Ligand for Rhodium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrosilylation of Ketones

A novel class of chiral glycosyl‐triazole‐based P,N ligands were synthesized by ‘click chemistry’ and were applied to the Rh‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of a range of substituted acetophenones. Enantioselective hydrosilylation of acetophenone gave (S)‐1‐phenylethanol in moderate enantioselectivity (72% ee) and in good conversion (93%).     

Asymmetric hydrosilylation of cyclohexa-1,3-diene with trichlorosilane by palladium catalysts coordinated with chiral phosphoramidite ligands

Chiral phosphoramidite ligands prepared from (S)-binaphthol and various secondary amines were examined for the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of cyclohexa-1,3-diene with trichlorosilane. With a sterically demanding phosphoramidite bearing bis(diphenylmethyl)amine, the high enantiomeric excess of 87% was achieved, which is the highest enantioselectivity in the hydrosilylation of cyclohexadiene reported to date. The catalytic activity in the present hydrosilylation was high with all of the ligands employed, while the enantioselectivities varied dramatically depending on the dialkylamine moiety of the phosphoramidite ligand.     

Reduction of carbonyl compounds via hydrosilylation: V. Synthesis of optically active allylic alcohols via regioselective asymmetric hydrosilylation

Regioselective asymmetric reduction of prochiral α,β-unsaturated ketones to optically active allylic alcohols was performed via hydrosilylation catalyzed by a rhodium(I) complex with (+)-BMPP, (+)-DIOP and (?)-DIOP as chiral ligands. The allylic alcohols with optical purity up to 69% e.e. were obtained in good yields. The extent of asymmetric induction was found to depend on the stereo-electronic matching of the chiral ligand, ketone and hydrosilane employed. In the asymmetric reduction of (R)-carvone, leading to carveol, the extent of asymmetric induction was found to depend markedly on the ligand/rhodium ratio. Either trans-(5R,1S)-carveol or cis-(5R,1R)-carveol was obtained with good stereoselectivity by using (?)-DIOP or (+)-DIOP as chiral ligand, and it turned out that the chiral center present in carvone had only a slight influence on the asymmetric induction by the chiral catalysts.     

Enantioselective hydrosilylation of ketimines with trichlorosilane promoted by chiral N-picolinoylaminoalcohols

Enantioselective hydrosilylation of N-aryl and N-benzyl ketimines with trichlorosilane catalyzed by readily accessible chiral N-picolinoylaminoalcohols proceeded smoothly furnishing chiral secondary amines in good yields (up to 93%) and moderate to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee).     

Rh(1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ylidene)(COD) tetrafluoroborate, an unsymmetrical Rh-homoazallylcarbene: synthesis, X-ray structure and reactivity in carbonyl arylation and hydrosilylation reactions

The synthesis of novel Rh(1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ylidene)(COD) tetrafluoroborate (1, COD = η⁴-1,5-cyclooctadiene) is described. The N-heterocyclic carbene acts as a bidentate ligand with the carbene coordinating to the Rh(I) center and an arene group acting as a homoazallyl ligand. 1 was used in various carbonyl arylation and hydrosilylation reactions allowing the formation of the desired products with unprecedented selectivity and efficiency. Thus, turn-over numbers (TONs) up to 2000 were achieved.     

Asymmetric palladium-catalyzed benzylic nucleophilic substitution: high enantioselectivity with the DUPHOS family ligands

The asymmetric palladium-catalyzed benzylic reaction of 1-(2-naphthyl)ethyl acetate and its 6-methoxy substituted analogue with dimethyl malonate anion led to substitution products with up to 90% ee when the iPr-DUPHOS chiral ligand was used.     

Chiral ligand derived from (1S,2R)-norephedrine as a catalyst for enantioselective prochiral ketone reduction

Chiral oxazaborolidines derived from (1S,2R)-(+)-norephedrine and substituted salicylaldehydes were employed in the asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones using borane dimethyl sulfide as a reducing agent. The secondary alcohols were formed in excellent yields (45–99.8%) with enantioselectivities up to 99.8%. The effect of the substitution in the aromatic ring of the ligand was discussed with the enantioselectivity of the product.     

Enantioselective 1,4-conjugate addition of diethylzinc to (E)-alkenyl aryl ketones catalysed by Cu/DiPPAM complex

We report here the use of the DiPPAM-L1 ligand for copper-catalysed asymmetric conjugate addition (ACA) of diethylzinc to various (E)-alkenyl aryl ketones where the aryl ring is either a phenyl group substituted by nitro, chloro or methoxy groups or not substituted, or a naphthyl group. When the conjugate addition was performed in the greener AcOEt solvent with 1 or 2 mol % of Cu(OTf)₂/DiPPAM complex, moderate to good yields (45–83%) and high enantioselectivities (up to 98%) were reached.     

Bridge functionalized bis-N-heterocyclic carbene rhodium(I) complexes and their application in catalytic hydrosilylation

A series of chelating bridge functionalized bis-N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) complexes of rhodium (I) were prepared by reacting the corresponding imidazolium salts with [Rh(COD)Cl]₂ in an in-situ reaction. For the N-methyl substituted complex with a PF₆-anion an X-ray crystal structure was exemplary obtained. All complexes were spectroscopically characterized and tested for the hydrosilylation of acetophenone.     

Chiral thiophosphoramide catalyzed asymmetric aryl transfer reactions for the synthesis of functional diarylmethanols

In this investigation, chiral thiophosphoramide 3d was easily prepared from chiral (1R,2R)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine and then applied as an efficient chiral ligand in the catalytic asymmetric arylation reactions of various aromatic aldehydes. The corresponding diarylmethanol products were produced with good to excellent yields (up to 98%) and enantioselectivities (up to 94%). The recovery of chiral ligand 3d could be as high as 96%.     

Copper-catalyzed Ullmann coupling under ligand- and additive- free conditions. Part 1: O-Arylation of phenols with aryl halides

O-Arylation of a wide variety of substituted phenols and aliphatic alcohols with aryl halides catalyzed by copper iodide under mild ligand and additive free conditions (ⁿBu₄NBr, DMF, K₃PO₄, reflux, 22 h) is accomplished in good to excellent product yields (up to 95%).     

Enantioselective hydrosilylation of ketimines catalyzed by Lewis basic C2-symmetric chiral tetraamide

l-Proline derived C₂-symmetric chiral tetraamide 5b was found to behave as an effective Lewis basic catalyst in the enantioselective hydrosilylation of ketimines, affording high isolated yields (up to 95%) and moderate to high enantioselectivities (up to 86% ee) for a broad range of ketimines. A clear synergistic effect of the two identical diamide units of 5b was observed for asymmetric induction.     

Regio- and stereoselective hydrosilylation of immobilized terminal alkynes

Regio- and stereoselective hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes on solid support using diisopropyl hydrosilanes yielding β-(E)-vinyl silanes with excellent selectivity is reported. The hydrosilylation is catalyzed by Pt(DVDS)/P(ⁱBuNCH₂CH₂)₃N (DVDS = 1,3-divinyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-disiloxane), in which the bulky proazaphosphatrane ligand plays a key role for the selectivity. The immobilized products are characterized with gel phase¹³C NMR and ¹H high resolution magic angle spinning NMR.     

Reaction of hydrosilanes with alkynes catalyzed by gold nanoparticles supported on TiO2

Gold nanoparticles supported on TiO₂ (0.8–1.4 mol %) catalyze the β-(E) regioselective hydrosilylation of a variety of functionalized terminal alkynes with alkylhydrosilanes in 1,2-dichloroethane (70 °C). The product yields are excellent, and the reaction times relatively short, while almost equimolar amounts of alkynes and hydrosilanes can be used. Minor side-products in up to 35% relative yield of cis-oxidative (dehydrogenative) disilylation, an unprecedented reaction pathway, are formed in the cases of the less hindered hydrosilanes and alkynes. Triethoxysilane reacts faster and affords apart from β-(E) addition products, minor α-hydrosilylation regio-isomers in upto 15% relative yield. Internal alkynes are generally less reactive or even unreactive. It is proposed that cationic Au(I) species stabilized by the support are the reactive catalytic sites, forming in the presence of hydrosilanes either silyl–Au(III)–H (hydrosilylation pathway) or Au(III)–disilyl species (dehydrogenative disilylation pathway). Regarding the mechanism of hydrosilylation, kinetic experiments are in agreement with silyl carbometallation of the triple bond in the rate determining step of the reaction.     

Platinum chloride/Xphos-catalyzed regioselective hydrosilylation of functionalized terminal arylalkynes

Totally regioselective hydrosilylation of functionalized terminal arylalkynes was achieved using PtCl₂ associated with the air-stable and bulky Xphos ligand with various silanes. Regardless of the electronic nature of the substituents on the aromatic ring, a single β-(E)-vinylsilane was obtained in excellent yields.     

Cationic rhodium(I)–diolefin complexes containing an optically active C2-symmetric bis(sulfoximine) ligand: Synthesis and catalytic activity

A series of cationic rhodium(I) complexes [Rh(diene)(N^N)][BF₄] (diene = 1,5-cyclooctadiene (cod), norbornadiene (nbd), tetrafluorobenzobarralene (tfb)), containing the optically pure bis(sulfoximine) ligand 1,2-bis(S-methyl-S-phenylsulfonimidoyl)benzene, have been synthesized and fully characterized. The structure of the R,R enantiomer of the ligand, and that of its cyclooctadiene–Rh(I) complex, were confirmed by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Studies on the catalytic activity of these complexes in acetophenone hydrosilylation and dimethyl itaconate hydrogenation are also reported.     

New developments in zinc-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of ketones with PMHS

The influence of structural modifications of the diamine ligand and the ZnR₂ precursor in the [ZnR₂-diamine]-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of prochiral ketones with PMHS in aprotic medium is reported. A new diamine ligand giving up to 91% ee in the reduction of acetophenone is described. The scope of this reduction system has been investigated using variously functionalized ketones and some deactivation pathways have been identified.     

Malonate-type bis(oxazoline) ligands with sp hybridized bridge carbon: synthesis and application in Friedel-Crafts alkylation and allylic alkylation

A series of simple and new C₂-symmetric diphenylmethylidene malonate-type bis(oxazoline) ligands were synthesized and applied to the Friedel-Crafts reaction and allylic alkylation. The Cu(II) complex of ligand 4b bearing the benzyl group afforded good to excellent enantioselectivity for the F-C adducts (up to >99% ee) between indole and alkylidene malonate, and the palladium complex of ligand 4c bearing the phenyl group afforded excellent enantioselectivity (up to 94% ee) for the allylic alkylation product.     

Novel sterically congested chiral tripodal phosphite ligands: catalytic asymmetric hydrosilylation of ketones with a Rh(I)–TRISPHOS catalyst

A new chiral trisphosphite ligand, (S,S,S)-2,2′,2″-tris(2,4,8,10-tetra-tert-butyl-dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepin-6-yl-6-oxy)tri-2-propylamine, (S,S,S)-TRISPHOS, was synthesized and coordination chemistry investigated. The Rh(I)–(S,S,S)-TRISPHOS complexes were found to be effective catalysts for the enantioselective hydrosilylation of ketones.