Mechanistic insights into iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of dienes

Hydrogenation of 2,3-diphenylbutadiene (1) with the chiral carbene-oxazoline-iridium complex C has been studied by means of a combined experimental and computational approach. A detailed kinetic profile of the reaction was obtained with respect to consumption of the substrate and formation of the intermediate half-reduction products, 2,3-diphenylbut-1-ene (2) and the final product, 2,3-diphenylbutane (3). The data generated from these analyses, and from NMR experiments, revealed several facets of the reaction. After a brief induction period (presumably involving reduction of the cyclooctadiene ligand on C), the diene concentration declines in a zero-order process primarily to give monoene intermediates. When all the diene is consumed, the reaction accelerates and compound 3 begins to accumulate. Interestingly, the prevalent enantiomer of the monoene intermediate 2 is converted mostly to meso-3 so the enantioselectivity of the reaction appears to reverse. The reaction seems to be first-order with respect to the catalyst when the catalyst concentration is less than 0.0075 M; diffusion of hydrogen across the gas-liquid interface complicates the analysis at higher catalyst concentrations. Similarly, these diffusion effects complicated measurements of reaction rate versus applied pressure of dihydrogen; other factors like stir speed and flask geometry come into play under some, but not all, the conditions examined. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, using the PBE method, were used to probe the reaction. These studies indicate a transoid-eta(4)-diene-dihydride complex forms in the first stages of the catalytic cycle. Further reaction requires dissociation of one alkene ligand to give a eta(2)-diene-dihydride-dihydrogen intermediate. A catalytic cycle that features Ir(3+)/Ir(5+) seems to be involved thereafter.     

Tuning of the structures of chiral phosphane-phosphites: application to the highly enantioselective synthesis of alpha-acyloxy phosphonates by catalytic hydrogenation

A family of new chiral phosphane-phosphites 5 has been prepared and employed in the synthesis of rhodium complexes of formulation [Rh(cod)(5)]BF4 (7). The use of bulky phosphane or phosphite groups in the preparation of 7 avoids the formation of undesired disubstituted complexes, one of which (9 a) has been isolated and characterized. Ligands 5 display important differences from the bulkier phosphane-phosphites 1: complexes 7-unlike their rigid [Rh(cod)(1)]BF4 counterparts-show fluxional behaviour in solution, consistent with backbone oscillation around the coordination plane. A detailed screening of ligands 1 and 5 in catalytic asymmetric hydrogenations of enol phosphonates 12 demonstrated a critical influence of the steric characteristics of the phosphane-phosphite in the course of the reaction, and optimization of the two phosphorus functionalities resulted in the production of versatile and efficient catalysts for this class of hydrogenations: enantioselectivities of up to 98% ee were thus obtained with substrates bearing an alkyl substituent in the beta-position, while for their challenging aryl counterparts values of up to 92% ee were achieved. The coordination mode of phosphonate 12 a towards a Rh phosphane-phosphite fragment has also been investigated and a preference of the olefin fragment to occupy the position cis to the phosphite group has been observed. From this observation an interpretation of the configurations of the hydrogenated phosphonates has also been made.     

Enantioselective iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation of 3,4-disubstituted isoquinolines

Reining in the outliers: An efficient approach for enantioselective hydrogenation of 3,4-disubstituted isoquinolines was successfully developed. When isoquinolines are treated with [Ir(cod)Cl](2) /(R)-synphos in the presence of 1-bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethyl-hydantoin (BCDMH), the chiral 3,4-disubstituted tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives are obtained with ee?values as high as 96?% (see scheme; cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene).     

Phosphoramidite ligands in iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution

A new phosphoramidite ligand was used in the iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution reaction. This permitted high regio- and enantioselectivities on a wide variety of substrates and nucleophiles. Because of the stereospecificity of the reaction obtained by using branched substrates, a kinetic resolution reaction was attempted. The origin of the impressive efficiency of this ligand in terms of kinetics was explored in detail, as was the role of the substituent in the ortho-position of the amine moiety.     

Enantioselective synthesis of cis-1,2-disubstituted cyclopentanes and cyclohexanes by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling and iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation

A series of 1,2-disubstituted cyclohexene derivatives was prepared through Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of 2-bromo-1-cyclohexenecarbaldehyde or 2-carbomethoxy-1-cyclohexen-1-yl triflate with arylboronates. These tetra-substituted cyclic alkenes were subjected to Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation. In this way cis-1-methoxymethyl-2-arylcyclohexanes were obtained in high yield with excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivities (up to >99% ee, >99% cis) by using phosphinomethyloxazolines as ligands. Asymmetric hydrogenation of analogous cyclopentene derivatives, prepared by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling, proved to be more difficult and proceeded with lower enantioselectivities of up to 88% ee. The synthetic potential of this cross-coupling/asymmetric-hydrogenation strategy was demonstrated by an enantioselective route to chiral hexahydrofluorenones.     

A highly tunable family of chiral bisphospholanes for rh-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation reactions

A set of 16 new and closely related bisphospholane ligands have been prepared by using a highly flexible and convergent approach. Each synthesis can be performed on an industrially relevant scale. The bisphosphines differ in the nature of the bridge connecting both phospholane units. Bridges are formed by three-, four-, five- and six-membered heterocyclic or alicyclic rings. Bisphospholanes and their Rh-precatalysts have been investigated by using results of theoretical calculations (DFT) and analytic measurements ((31)P and (103)Rh NMR spectroscopy, X-ray structure analysis). The studies showed that catalysts based on ligands with maleic anhydride or maleimide bridges give constantly superior enantioselectivities in methanol as the solvent. This may account for optimised steric and electronic effects. However, by changing the solvent catalysts with other backbones can give rise to excellent results. This gives proof that simple correlations between steric and electronic properties and results in the enantioselective hydrogenation frequently claimed in literature are not general.     

Efficient iridium and rhodium‐catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation using 9‐amino(9‐deoxy) cinchona alkaloids as chiral ligands

9‐Amino (9‐deoxy) cinchona alkaloids, derived from natural cinchona alkaloids, were applied in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation in both iridium and rhodium catalytic systems using i‐propanol as the hydrogen source. A series of aromatic ketones was examined, and good to excellent conversions and enantioselectivities were observed. The best results were achieved using 9‐amino(9‐deoxy) epicinchonine 2a as the ligand and [Ir(COD)Cl]₂ as the metal precursor, and for the isobutylphenone, the conversion and enantioselectivity were obtained in 90 and 97% e.e. respectively. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of novel chiral tetraaza ligands and their application in enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of ketones

Novel chiral tetraaza ligands(R)-N,N′-bis[2-(piperidin-1-yl)benzylidene]propane-l,2-diamine 6 and(S)-N-[2-(piperidin-l- yl)benzylidene]-3-{[2-(piperidin-1-yl)benzylidene]amino}-alanine sodium salt 7 have been synthesized and fully characterized by NMR,IR,MS and CD spectra.The catalytic property of the ligands was investigated in Ir-catalyzed enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of ketones.The corresponding optical active alcohols were obtained with high yields and moderate ees under mild reaction conditions.