Synthesis of chiral sulfonamide/Schiff base ligands

We report a facile two step synthesis of chiral ligands for bonding to transition metals. The ligands are easily prepared from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane by reaction with sulfonyl chlorides to give amino-sulfonamide compounds. These intermediates are then condensed with salicylaldehyde derivatives to provide sulfonamide/Schiff base compounds which represent a new class of chiral ligands.     

Practical preparation of chiral keto-imine type ONO Schiff base ligands

A practical preparation of chiral keto-imine type ONO Schiff base ligands has been reported. Metal complexes of these Schiff bases work as efficient chiral catalysts in a variety of asymmetric reactions.     

New pinene-derived pyridines as bidentate chiral ligands

A synthesis of new bidentate pyridines 8a-d, 9, and 10 has been developed, starting from triflate 14, readily available from β-pinene 11. A copper complex of the pyridine-oxazoline ligands 8a has been found to catalyze asymmetric allylic oxidation of cyclic olefins 36a-c with good conversion rates and acceptable enantioselectivity (≤67% ee). The imidazolium salt 10 has been identified as a precursor of the corresponding N,N′-unsymmetrical N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, whose complex with palladium catalyzed the intramolecular amide enolate α-arylation leading to oxindole 45 in excellent yield but with low enantioselectivity.     

Bisthioxanthylidene biscrown ethers as potential stereodivergent chiral ligands

The concept of bisthioxanthylidene biscrown ethers as potential stereodivergent chiral ligands in asymmetric synthesis is introduced. Substituted bisthioxanthylidenes may be chiral and can exist as stable enantiomers due to their folded structure. As a result, both a right-handed helix (P) and left-handed helix (M) are present in this type of molecule. This offers the unique possibility to construct two crown ether moieties, attached to the same molecule, of which one exhibits (P)-helicity and the other (M)-helicity. When the crown ether moieties differ in size they can be complexed selectively with a base containing a cation of appropriate diameter. In this manner the (P)-helix and the (M)-helix can be activated selectively to serve as a chiral environment for base catalyzed asymmetric synthesis. Thus, we envisioned the new concept of a single chiral ligand to separately synthesize two enantiomers of a chiral product just by varying the added base. For this purpose, four new bisthioxanthylidene monocrown ethers and two new bisthioxanthylidene biscrown ethers were synthesized. Two biscrowns and two monocrowns were separated into their respective enantiomers (HPLC) and optical data (UV and CD) were collected to ensure stability of enantiomers at ambient temperatures. Ion complexation of one mono- and two biscrown ethers with potassium and sodium cations was investigated.     

Palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation using chiral hydrazones as ligands

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate (4) with a dimethyl malonate-BSA-LiOAc system and its derivatives has been successfully carried out in the presence of a new chiral hydrazone ligands such as 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde SAMP hydrazone (DPPBA-SAMP) (3a) in high yields with high enantioselectives.     

Novel chlorotitanium complexes containing chiral tridentate schiff base ligands for ring-opening polymerization of lactide

The selective synthesis of tri- and dichlorotitanium species containing chiral tridentate Schiff base ligands, derived from (1R,2S)-(-)-1-aminoindanol, was achieved by changing the solvent. Single-crystal X-ray analyses reveal that chlorotitanium complexes are monomeric and octahedral with the meridional occupation of the Schiff base. Although the chlorotitanium complexes lack typical initiating groups such as alkoxides or amides, they are effective catalysts for the controlled ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide (L-LA) as shown by the linearity of the molecular weight vs [L-LA]/[Ti] ratio plot as well as very narrow polydispersity index values.     

Quinoid BINOL-type compounds as a novel class of chiral ligands

A short and efficient synthesis of a novel family of quinone-substituted BINOL-type ligands exploiting the chromium-templated [3+2+1]benzannulation reaction as the key step is reported.     

Optically active polypyrazolylborate molybdenum complexes with aminophosphines as chiral ligands

The prochiral polypyrazolylborate complexes [R---B(3,5-X₂-pz)₃]Mo(CO)₂(NO) (R = pz, X = H; R = H, X = CH₃), react with the optically active aminophosphines L = (C₆H₅)₂PNR′CH(CH₃)(C₆H₅) (R′= H, CH₃), to give the monosubstitution products [R---B(3,5-X₂-pz)₃]Mo(CO)(NO)L, in which the metal atom is a new chiral center. The separation of the diastereoisomers, differing only in the Mo configuration, by preparative liquid chromatography and fractional crystallization is described, their CD and ¹H NMR spectra and their reactivities are discussed and compared with those of the cyclopentadienyl analogues.     

Synthesis of novel chiral oxazoline-Schiff base ligands for the catalytic asymmetric chlorination of β-keto esters

A series of novel monooxazoline-Schiff base ligands 1 has been successfully synthesized. The Cu(I)–1a complex showed excellent catalytic activities with up to 83% ee for the asymmetric α-chlorination of β-keto esters.     

Enantioselective palladium catalyzed allylic substitution using chiral P,N,O Schiff base ligands

Palladium complexes prepared in situ from [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)Cl]₂ and a number of chiral Schiff ligands having hard and soft donor atoms were evaluated as catalysts for allylic substitution reaction. Enantioselectivity of up to 92% was observed.     

Novel thiolated amino-alcohols as chiral ligands for copper-catalyzed asymmetric nitro-aldol reactions

Thiolated amino-alcohols have been synthesized and evaluated as a potential new class of chiral ligands for copper-catalyzed nitro-aldol reactions. The model nitro-aldol reaction took place smoothly at ambient temperature in the presence of catalytic amounts (5-15 mol %) of the ligands and copper(II) acetate to afford the nitro-aldol product in good to excellent yield without accompanying dehydration. Amino-alcohol ligands bearing N-(2-alkylthio)benzyl substituents provided only modest enantioselectivities (22-46% ee) while those carrying N-2-thienylmethyl substituents provided better enantioselectivities (up to 75% ee). A range of aromatic aldehydes were acceptable for the nitro-aldol reaction with nitromethane, giving moderate to good enantioselectivities (69-88% ee).     

Trifluoromethylated amino alcohols as chiral ligands for highly enantioselective Reformatsky reaction

The enantioselective Reformatsky reaction of PhCHO was achieved by the use of trifluoromethylated amino alcohols as chiral ligands to afford the corresponding optically active β-hydroxy ester with up to 90% ee.     

Aziridine ring-containing chiral ligands as highly efficient catalysts in asymmetric synthesis

Enantiomerically pure bidentate heteroorganic ligands built on an achiral skeleton containing hydroxyl and aziridine moieties as nucleophilic centers, capable of binding various organometallic reagents, have proven to be highly efficient catalysts in the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc and phenylethynylzinc to aryl and alkyl aldehydes to give the desired chiral products in high chemical yields (up to 90%) and with ees of up to 95%. The influence of the stereogenic center located in the carbon atom in the aziridine moiety on the stereochemical course of the reaction is reported.     

Synthesis of new chiral thiazoline-containing ligands

New chiral ligands, including bi- and tridentate thiazoline derivatives, analogues of known oxazolines, have been synthesized by a general and convenient procedure, starting from dithioesters and commercial enantiopure 2-aminoalcohols. A preliminary test shows the ability of such ligands to act as asymmetric catalysts in Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution reaction.     

Amino acid-derived hydroxamic acids as chiral ligands in the vanadium catalysed epoxidation

New sulfonamide-derived hydroxamic acids have been developed as chiral ligands for the V-catalysed asymmetric epoxidation, showing high reactivity at subzero temperatures and moderate to good enantioselectivity. The strong accelerating effect exhibited by the ligands of this type can be attributed to the sulfonamide functionality. A range of cinnamyl type allylic alcohols were epoxidised with up to 74% ee.     

Oxazolines as chiral building blocks for imidazolium salts and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands

Enantiomerically pure imidazolium triflates can be readily prepared from bioxazolines and oxazolineimines; deprotonation of imidazolium triflate 2 gives a chiral N-heterocyclic carbene that can act as a ligand in a catalytically active palladium complex.     

New amidophosphine-phosphinites (tLANOPs) as chiral ligands for asymmetric hydrogenation reactions

The new amidophosphine-phosphinite (AMPP) ligands 4a–g (called tLANOP ligands) derived from the chiral hydroxy amide (R)- or (S)-2-hydroxy-3,3,N-trimethylbutyramide have been prepared in 48–83% yield. The crystal structures of the square planar complexes [(SP-4-3)-Pd((R)-dmphea)((S)-4a)]BF₄ and [Rh((R)-4a)(COD)]BF₄ have allowed the absolute configurations of the ligands to be assigned. In both complexes the 7-membered chelating ring of 4a has virtually the same twist-boat conformation. With this class of ligands the rhodium catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of 4-oxoisophorone enol acetate gave (S)-phorenol acetate in up to 71% ee. The iridium catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of the cyclic iminium salts 16a and 16b afforded after work-up the corresponding cyclic secondary amine (S)-17 in up to 86% ee, when bulky groups were present on the phenyl substituents on the two phosphorus atoms.     

Heterocyclic lithium amides as chiral ligands for an enantioselective hydroxyalkylation with n-BuLi

Chiral heterocyclic structures based on 3-aminopyrrolidines (3APs), 3-aminotetrahydrothiophens (3ATTs), and 3-aminotetrahydrofurans (3ATFs) have been synthesized. The corresponding lithium amides have been evaluated as chiral ligands in the condensation of n-BuLi on o-tolualdehyde. The returned levels of induction were in the 46-80% ee range. The cheap and easily prepared 3ATFLi's turned out to be also the best ligands, giving access to the expected R or S alcohols in a same 80% level of induction at -78 degrees C in THF. In all cases, the sense of induction depends on the absolute configuration of C(8) on the 3-amino appendage. A general concept is proposed to rationalize the process of induction in the presence of organolithium species.     

Palladium-catalyzed, asymmetric Mizoroki-Heck reaction of benzylic electrophiles using phosphoramidites as chiral ligands

We report herein the first examples of asymmetric Mizoroki-Heck reactions using benzyl electrophiles. A new phosphoramidite was identified to be an effective chiral ligand in the palladium-catalyzed reaction. The reaction is compatible with polar functional groups and can be readily scaled up. Several cyclic olefins worked well as olefin components. Thirty-one examples are included.