Following an ISES lead: the first examples of asymmetric Ni(0)-mediated allylic amination

An ISES (in situ enzymatic screening) lead pointed to conditions (PMP N-protecting group, Ni(cod)(2) catalyst precursor) under which chiral, bidentate phosphines could promote Ni(0)-mediated allylic amination. Therefore, bidentate phosphines bearing central, axial, and planar chirality were examined with two model substrates of interest for PLP-enzyme inhibitor synthesis. In the best case, with (R)-MeO-BIPHEP, vinylglycinol derivative 2 was obtained in 75% ee (97% ee, one recrystallization) from 1. Further manipulation provided a Ni(0)-mediated entry into l-vinylglycine. [reaction: see text]     

Highly selective palladium catalyzed kinetic resolution and enantioselective substitution of racemic allylic carbonates with sulfur nucleophiles: asymmetric synthesis of allylic sulfides,allylic sulfones,and allylic alcohols

We describe the highly selective palladium catalyzed kinetic resolutions of the racemic cyclic allylic carbonates rac-1 a-c and racemic acyclic allylic carbonates rac-3 aa and rac-3 ba through reaction with tert-butylsulfinate, tolylsulfinate, phenylsulfinate anions and 2-pyrimidinethiol by using N,N'-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexanediylbis[2-(diphenylphosphino)-benzamide] (BPA) as ligand. Selectivities are expressed in yields and ee values of recovered substrate and product and in selectivity factors S. The reaction of the cyclohexenyl carbonate 1 a (>/=99 % ee) with 2-pyrimidinethiol in the presence of BPA was shown to exhibit, under the conditions used, an overall pseudo-zero order kinetics in regard to the allylic substrate. Also described are the highly selective palladium catalyzed asymmetric syntheses of the cyclic and acyclic allylic tert-butylsulfones 2 aa, 2 b, 2 c, 2 d and 4 a-c, respectively, and of the cyclic and acyclic allylic 2-pyrimidyl-, 2-pyridyl-, and 4-chlorophenylsulfides 5 aa, 5 b, 5 ab, 6 aa-ac, 6 ba and 6 bb, respectively, from the corresponding racemic carbonates and sulfinate anions and thiols, respectively, in the presence of BPA. Synthesis of the E-configured allylic sulfides 6 aa, 6 ab, 6 ac and 6 bb was accompanied by the formation of minor amounts of the corresponding Z isomers. The analogous synthesis of allylic tert-butylsulfides from allylic carbonates and tert-butylthiol by using BPA could not be achieved. Reaction of the cyclopentenyl esters rac-1 da and rac-1 db with 2-pyrimidinethiol gave the allylic sulfide 5 c having only a low ee value. Similar results were obtained in the case of the reaction of the cyclohexenyl carbonate rac-1 a and of the acyclic carbonates rac-3 aa and rac-3 ba with 2-pyridinethiol and lead to the formation of the sulfides 5 ab, 6 ab, and 6 bb, respectively. The low ee values may be ascribed to the operating of a "memory effect", that is, both enantiomers of the substrate give the substitution product with different enantioselectivities. However, in the reaction of the racemic carbonate rac-1 a as well as of the highly enriched enantiomers 1 a (>/=99 % ee) and ent-1 a (>/=99 % ee) with 2-pyrimidinethiol the ee values of the substrates and the substitution product remained constant until complete conversion. Similar results were obtained in the reaction of the cyclic carbonates rac-1 a, ent-1 a (>/=99 % ee) and ent-1 c (>/=99 % ee) with lithium tert-butylsulfinate. Thus, in the case of rac-1 a and 2-pyrimidinthiol and tert-butylsulfinate anion as nucleophiles the enantioselectivity of the substitution step is, under the conditions used, independent of the chirality of the substrate; this shows that no "memory effect" is operating in this case. Hydrolysis of the carbonates ent-1 a-c, ent-3 aa and ent-3 ba, which were obtained through kinetic resolution, afforded the enantiomerically highly enriched cyclic allylic alcohols 9 a-c (>/=99 % ee) and acyclic allylic alcohols 10 a (>/=99 % ee) and 10 b (99 % ee), respectively.     

Allylic alkylations catalyzed by palladium-bis(oxazoline) complexes derived from heteroarylidene malonate derivatives

A series of simple heteroarylidene malonate-type bis(oxazoline) ligands 4 and 5 were applied to the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction, and the ligand 4a bearing a phenyl group afforded excellent enantioselectivity (up to 96% ee) for the allylic alkylation product. Other substrates were also examined, giving the allylic alkylated products in high yield but with poor ee values.     

Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination using aspartic acid derived P-chirogenic diaminophosphine oxides: DIAPHOXs

[reaction: see text] A Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination using aspartic acid derived P-chirogenic diaminophosphine oxides (DIAPHOXs) is described. Asymmetric allylic amination of both linear and cyclic substrates proceeded at room temperature to give the chiral allylic amines in 72-99% ee.     

Stereochemical diversity in chiral ligand design: discovery and optimization of catalysts for the enantioselective addition of allylic halides to aldehydes

[reaction: see text] We have identified a new set of stereochemically diverse oxazoline ligands derived from simple amino acids that promote the Cr-catalyzed enantioselective addition of allylic halides to aldehydes in up to 95% ee. The Cr-catalyzed allylation using ligand 1d is rather insensitive to the nature of the allylic bromide (crotyl, allyl, and methallyl) in that >90% ee is observed for all three bromides evaluated in the addition to benzaldehyde.     

Palladium-catalyzed enantioselective 1,3-rearrangement of racemic allylic sulfinates: asymmetric synthesis of allylic sulfones and kinetic resolution of an allylic sulfinate

Described is an asymmetric synthesis of cyclic and acyclic allylic S-aryl and S-alkyl sulfones through a highly selective palladium(0)-catalyzed 1,3-rearrangement of racemic allylic sulfinates. Treatment of racemic cyclic and acyclic allylic S-tolyl- and S-tert-butylsulfinates with Pd(2)(dba)(3).CHCl(3) as precatalyst and N,N'-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexanediylbis[2-(diphenylphosphino)benzamide] as ligand for the palladium atom afforded the corresponding isomeric allylic S-tolyl and S-tert-butyl sulfones of 93-99% ee in 82-96% yield. The rearrangement of the allylic sulfinates most likely proceeds in an intermolecular fashion via formation of a cationic pi-allylpalladium complex and the sulfinate ion. The racemic allylic sulfinates were obtained from the corresponding racemic alcohols and racemic tolylsulfinyl chloride and racemic tert-butylsulfinyl chloride, respectively, in high yields. Rearrangement of the racemic tert-butylsulfinic acid 2-cyclooct-1-enyl ester with Pd(2)(dba)(3).CHCl(3) and the bisphosphane was accompanied by a highly selective kinetic resolution of the substrate and gave at 50% conversion the (R)-configured sulfinate as mixture of the S(S) and R(S) diastereomers of 92% ee and 85% ee and the (S)-configured 3-tert-butylsulfonyl cyclooctene sulfone 15a with 98% ee in almost quantitative yields.     

Application of pyranoside phosphite-pyridine ligands to enantioselective metal-catalyzed allylic substitutions and conjugate 1,4-additions

A series of glucopyranoside phosphite–pyridine ligands have been applied in the metal-catalyzed allylic substitution and conjugate 1,4-addition reactions of several substrate types. We have been able to identify ligands that provided promising enantioselectivities in the Pd-catalyzed intermolecular allylic substitution of cyclic substrates (ee’s up to 86%) and desymmetrization (ee’s up to 94%) and in the Cu-catalyzed conjugate addition of challenging aliphatic enones (ee’s up to 90%).     

Catalytic Allylic Oxidation of Alkenes Using an Asymmetric Kharasch-Sosnovsky Reaction

Kharasch and Sosnovsky reported the allylic oxidation of alkenes to give racemic allylic benzoates. This could be achieved efficiently using a tert-butyl perester as the oxidant, in the presence of a copper or cobalt salt. The use of C(2)-symmetric bis(oxazoline) ligands in the presence of copper(I) triflate with cyclic olefinic substrates gave the first synthetically useful asymmetric variant. The enantioselective control was good (up to 84 % ee) although yields were variable. In all cases the facial preference of the newly formed C-O bond was the same giving an S configuration at the allylic stereocenter. Lower stereocontrol was observed for large-ring alkenes and substantially reduced enantioselectivities were found with open-chain alkenes. This reaction has been further screened using a variety bis(oxazoline) and proline-derived ligands, which give a direct correlation between the chirality of the ligand and the enantioselectivity obtained. Individual substrates were found to be extremely sensitive to both the ligand structure and copper salt used as well as the presence of additives such as zinc, hydrazine, and molecular sieves.     

Asymmetric peroxidation of prochiral allylic and benzylic compounds with tert-butyl hydroperoxide and chiral bisoxazoline–copper complexes

The first enantioselective peroxidation of prochiral allylic and benzylic C-H compounds by the use of chiral bisoxazoline-copper(I) complexes, generated in situ from the ligands 3 and 4a-d, and t-BuOOH as oxidant is reported. Cyclohexene 1, cyclopentene 5, -angelica lactone 7, allylbenzene 9 and 2-phenylbutane 11 were converted into the optically active allylic and benzylic tert-butyl peroxides 2, 6, 8, 10a and 12 in good yields and ee values of 4-20%. Oxidations of 1-substituted 1-cyclohexenes 13a-c led to mixtures of regioisomeric peroxides 16a-c, 17a-c and 18a-c with different regio- and enantioselectivities, depending on the 1-substituent and the ligand used. The highest ee values (up to 84%) were observed for (S)-3-tert-butylperoxy-1-methyl-1-cyclohexene 17a.     

Palladium-catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylation of thiocarboxylate ions: asymmetric synthesis of allylic thioesters and memory effect/dynamic kinetic resolution of allylic esters

The palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of KSAc and KSBz with racemic cyclic and acyclic allylic esters by using N,N'-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexandiylbis[2-(diphenylphosphino)-benzamide] as ligand frequently gave the corresponding allylic thioesters with high ee values and yields. The reaction of the cyclic allylic carbonates with KSAc in the presence of H(2)O was accompanied by a partial palladium-catalyzed enantioselective "hydrolysis" of the substrates with formation of the corresponding enantioenriched allylic alcohols. The degree of the "hydrolysis" was strongly dependent on the solvent and the thiocarboxylate ion. Highly selective kinetic resolutions (KRs) were observed in the palladium-catalyzed reaction of the racemic cyclohexenyl and cycloheptenyl acetates with KSAc. While the KR of the cyclohexenyl acetate is characterized by a selectivity factor S = 72 +/- 19, that of the cycloheptenyl acetate afforded (R)-cycloheptenyl acetate of >or=99% ee in 48% yield and (S)-cycloheptenyl thioacetate of 98% ee in 50% yield. The palladium-catalyzed reaction of the racemic cyclopentenyl acetate with KSAc showed a strong "memory effect" (ME), that is, both enantiomers reacted with different enantioselectivities. The ME was probed by studying the palladium-catalyzed reactions of both the matched acetate of >or=99% ee and the mismatched acetate of >or=99% ee with KSAc. The acetates not only reacted with different enantioselectivities and rates but also suffered an unexpected and concomitant palladium-catalyzed racemization in the presence of the chiral ligand. This led in the case of the mismatched acetate to a temporary dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) that featured a racemization of the mismatched acetate by the chiral catalyst. Studies of the palladium-catalyzed reaction of the racemic cyclopentenyl acetate, carbonate, and naphthoate with KSAc in the presence of the chiral ligand also showed the ME to be strongly dependent on the nucleofuge. This also allowed the synthesis of (S)-cyclopentenyl thioacetate of 92% ee in high yield from the racemic cyclopentenyl naphthoate.     

Asymmetric allylation of unsymmetrical 1,3-diketones using a BINAP-palladium catalyst

[reaction: see text] The chiral palladium complex generated in situ from [Pd(eta(3)-allyl)Cl](2) and (R)-BINAP is a good catalyst for the catalytic asymmetric allylation of 1,3-diketones. The reaction provided chiral 2,2-dialkyl-1,3-diketones with 64-89% ee in high yields (13 examples). Enantiomeric excesses are strongly affected by the gamma-substituent of the allylic substrates. A variety of unsymmetrical 1,3-diketones were alkylated with cinnamyl acetate in good enantioselectivities via use of the BINAP-palladium catalyst (77-89% ee).     

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of chiral allylic amines. Evaluation of ferrocenyloxazoline palladacycle catalysts and imidate motifs

Palladium(II) catalysts based on a ferrocenyloxazoline palladacyclic (FOP) scaffold were synthesized and evaluated for the rearrangement of prochiral allylic N-(4-methoxyphenyl)benzimidates. When iodide-bridged dimer FOP precatalysts are activated by reaction with excess silver trifluoroacetate, the allylic rearrangement of both E and Z prochiral primary allylic N-(4-methoxyphenyl)benzimidates takes place at room temperature to give the corresponding chiral allylic N-(4-methoxyphenyl)benzamides in high yield and good ee (typically 81-95%). Several allylic imidate motifs were evaluated also. Because the corresponding enantioenriched allylic amide products can be deprotected in good yield to give enantioenriched allylic amines, allylic N-aryltrifluoroacetimidates were identified as promising substrates.     

Palladium-diphosphite catalysts for the asymmetric allylic substitution reactions

[structure: see text] We have designed a series of diphosphite ligands to study the effect of the backbone, the size of the chelate ring, and the substituents of the biphenyl moieties and to determine the scope of this type of ligand in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric substitution reactions of different types of substrates. Good-to-excellent activities and enantioselectivities have been obtained for disubstituted linear substrate 11 (TOF's up to >2000 mol x (mol x h)(-1), ee values up to 99%) and cyclic substrate 14 (TOF up to 285 mol x (mol x h)(-1), ee values up to 92%). However, these ligands are inadequate for the Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation of monosubstituted linear substrates because they provide low enantioselectivities.     

Platinum-catalysed allylic alkylation: reactivity, enantioselectivity, and regioselectivity

The use of platinum complexes as catalysts for allylic substitution has been studied. A variety of different complexes catalyse the reaction, and several substrates have been tested. In the alkylation of mono(alkyl)-substituted allylic acetates, regioselectivity is highly dependent on ligand choice. By using tricyclohexylphosphine as the ligand, almost complete formation of branched products is observed. The development of a highly enantioselective (ca. 80-90% ee) reaction that makes use of chiral diphenylphosphinooxazoline ligands (abbreviated as (S)-PN) is also described. The enantioselectivity is highly dependent on the ratio of ligand to platinum (when the ratio ligand/Pt is greater than 1:1, the ee drops off dramatically). This is in contrast to palladium and is interpreted in terms of differing coordination chemistry for the two metals ((S)-PN is hemilabile when complexed to platinum) and should be of significance to future systems that utilise heterobidentate ligands. The crystal structures of two isoelectronic platinum and palladium complexes [[(S)-PN]MCl2] are also described.     

A strongly positive dendrimer effect in asymmetric catalysis: allylic aminations with Pyrphos-palladium functionalised PPI and PAMAM dendrimers

A remarkable and unprecedented increase in catalyst selectivity in dendrimer catalysis is observed for the Pyrphos-Pd catalysed allylic amination of 1,3-diphenyl-1-acetoxypropene as a function of the dendrimer generation (with up to 64 metal sites). This steady increase in ee-values for the allylic amination is less pronounced for the poly(propyleneimine)-derived catalysts than for the corresponding palladium-PAMAM dendrimer catalysts for which an increase in selectivity from 9% ee for a mononuclear reference system to 69% ee for the Pd64-dendrimer was found.     

Application of Walphos Ligand in the Pd(0)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation Reaction

One relatively unexploited commercial ligand, Walphos 1, was tested in the Pd(0)-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation using rac-1,3-diphenyl propenyl acetate and rac-1-acetoxycyclohexene as substrates, methyl malonate as nucleophile, and a variety of Pd precatalysts under standard conditions. The conversions and enantioselectivities were generally good, with the greatest substrate conversion of 99% and a greatest ee of 70%. With the latter cyclic substrate, an enantioselectivity of 98% was obtained, but the conversions were all poor (15–33%).     

Synthesis of E-vinylogous (R)-amino acid derivatives via metal-catalyzed allylic substitutions on enzyme-derived substrates

Oxynitrilase-derived allylic (R)-cyanohydrin carbonates 3 and allylic (R)-α-hydroxy ester carbonates 6 were examined as substrates for a palladium(0)-catalyzed allylic azidation reaction. The enantioselectivities and cis/trans diastereoselectivities of the concomitant 1,3-chirality transposition step were studied. The cyano carbonates 3a–c were found to be unimpressive substrates producing γ-azido-α,β-unsaturated nitriles 4a–c with cis/trans ratios that approached unity and gave enantiomeric excesses that ranged from 57% to 85%. In contrast, ester carbonates 6a and b were excellent substrates for the reaction exclusively affording trans substitution products 7a and b in identical enantiomeric excesses of 95% ee.     

Synthesis of nearly enantiopure allylic amines by aza-Claisen rearrangement of Z-configured allylic trifluoroacetimidates catalyzed by highly active ferrocenylbispalladacycles

The development of the first highly active enantioselective catalyst for the aza-Claisen rearrangement of Z-configured allylic trifluoroacetimidates generating valuable almost enantiopure protected allylic amines is described. Usually Z-configured allylic imidates react significantly slower than their E-configured counterparts, but in the present study the opposite effect was observed. Z-Configured olefins have the principal practical advantage that a geometrically pure C=C double bond can be readily obtained, for example, by semihydrogenations of alkynes. Our catalyst, a C(2)-symmetric planar chiral bispalladacycle complex, is rapidly prepared from ferrocene in four simple steps. Key step of this protocol is an unprecedented highly diastereoselective biscyclopalladation providing dimeric macrocyclic complexes of fascinating structure. In the present study as little as 0.1 mol % of catalyst precursor were sufficient for most of the alkyl substituted substrates to give in general almost quantitative yields. NMR investigations revealed a monomeric structure for the active catalyst species. The bispalladacycle can also be used for the formation of almost enantiomerically pure allylic amines (ee > or =96 %) substituted with important functional groups such as ester, ketone, ether, silyl ether, acetal or protected amino moieties providing high-added-value allylic amine building blocks in excellent yield (> or =94 %). The preparative advantages should render this methodology highly appealing as a practical and valuable tool for the formation of allylic amines in target oriented synthesis.     

Geminal dicarboxylates as carbonyl surrogates for asymmetric synthesis. Part I. Asymmetric addition of malonate nucleophiles.

Asymmetric alkylations of allylic geminal dicarboxylates with dialkyl malonates have been investigated. The requisite allylic geminal dicarboxylates are prepared in good yields and high isomeric purities by two catalytic methods, ferric chloride-catalyzed addition of acid anhydrides to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes and palladium-catalyzed isomerization and addition reactions of propargylic acetates. The complex of palladium(0) and the chiral ligand derived from the diamide of trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane and 2-diphenylphosphinobenzoic acid most efficiently catalyzed the asymmetric process to provide allylic carboxylate esters with high ee. By systematic optimization studies, factors affecting the enantioselectivity of the reaction have been probed. In general, higher ee's have been achieved with those conditions which facilitate kinetic capture of the incipient pi-allylpalladium intermediate. These conditions also proved effective for achieving high regioselectivities. The minor regioisomeric product was formed when reactive substrates or achiral ligands were employed for the reaction, and could be minimized through the use of the chiral ligand. Under the established conditions, the alkylation of various gem-dicarboxylates afforded monoalkylated products in high yields with greater than 90% ee. The process constitutes the equivalent of an addition of a stabilized nucleophile to a carbonyl group with high asymmetric induction.     

Novel C2-symmetric bisoxazolines with a chiral trans-(2R,3R)-diphenylcyclopropane backbone: preparation and application in several enantioselective catalytic reactions

Various chiral bisoxazoline ligands with a chiral trans-(2R,3R)-diphenylcyclopropane backbone have been efficiently synthesized (five examples). These chiral ligands were tested and compared in palladium(0)-catalysed enantioselective allylic alkylations (up to 97% ee), copper(I)-catalysed enantioselective cyclopropanations (up to 89% ee) and aziridinations (up to 90% ee). We observed that the presence of a stereogenic centre on the oxazoline moiety is mandatory in order to obtain acceptable enantioselectivities.