Diamidophosphites with remote P1-stereocentres and their performance in Pd-catalyzed enantioselective reactions

Diamidophosphite ligands based on 1,1′-bis(hydroxymethyl)ferrocene or N¹,N²-bis((S)-1-hydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutan-2-yl)oxalamide and bearing 1,3,2-diazaphospholidine rings with stereogenic phosphorus atoms were obtained. The use of these ligands provides up to 96% ee in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylations of (E)-1,3-diphenylallyl acetate, up to 70% ee in Pd-catalyzed desymmetrizations of N,N′-ditosyl-meso-cyclopent-4-ene-1,3-diol bis-carbamate and up to 80% ee in Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylations of cinnamyl acetate with ethyl 2-oxocyclohexane-1-carboxylate. Results obtained with a diamidophosphite containing an oxalamide framework show the considerable potential of such ligands in enantioselective catalysis.     

BINOL-derived diphosphoramidites bearing unsymmetrical 1,2-diamine link and their application in asymmetric catalysis

New P,P-bidentate diastereomeric diphosphoramidite chiral ligands with mixed stereogenic elements and a C₁ backbone symmetry have been prepared from (S_a)- and (R_a)-1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diol (BINOL) and (S)-N-benzyl-1-(pyrrolidin-2-yl)methanamine and are fully characterized. The use of these ligands provides up to 84% ee in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution of (E)-1,3-diphenylallyl acetate and up to 95% ee in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of α-dehydrocarboxylic acid esters. The results indicate that the catalytic performance is highly affected by the axial chirality of the binaphthyl moieties of the ligand and the nature of the solvent.     

A new electronically deficient atropisomeric diphosphine ligand (S)-CF3O-BiPhep and its application in asymmetric hydrogenation

A new electronically deficient atropisomeric diphosphine ligand (S)-CF₃O-BiPhep was synthesized from 1-bromo-3-(trifluoromethoxy)benzene in high yield. The key steps included oxidative coupling with anhydrous ferric chloride and optical resolution by (+)-DMTA. The ligand afforded high performance for Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of quinolines with ee up to 92% and TON up to 25,000. It was also successfully applied to the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of simple indoles with ee up to 87% and Rh-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition of phenylboronic acid to 2-cyclohexenone with 97% ee.     

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.     

Pd-Catalyzed asymmetric transformations involving P*-mono- and P*,N-bidentate diamidophosphites derived from (2S,3S)-N 2,3-dimethyl-N 1-phenylpentane-1,2-diamine

The synthesis of new P*-mono- and P*,N-bidentate diamidophosphites, containing 1,3,2-diazaphospholidine rings formed starting from (2S,3S)-N ²,3-dimethyl-N ¹-phenylpentane-1,2-diamine, is described. Comparison of their efficiency in the Pd-catalyzed enantioselective allylation with (E)-1,3-diphenylallyl acetate showed that up to 97% ee was reached in the reaction involving dimethyl malonate as a C-nucleophile. The Pd-catalyzed desymmetrization of N,N′-ditosyl-meso-cyclopent-4-ene-1,3-diol biscarbamate gave up to 61% ee.     

A chiral primary-tertiary-1,2-diamine as an efficient catalyst in asymmetric aldehyde–ketone or ketone–ketone aldol reactions

A novel chiral 1,2-diaminocyclohexane derivative, (1R,2R)-N¹-n-pentyl, N¹-benzyl-1,2-cyclohexanediamine, was designed, synthesized and applied as a catalyst in a number of aldol reactions between ketones and aryl aldehydes. Reactions between acetone and aryl aldehydes gave aldol products with moderate to good yields and with excellent enantioselectivity (up to yield 85%, ee 98%), while reactions between cyclohexanone and aryl aldehydes provided anti-β-hydroxyketone products with excellent yields, diastereoselectivity and with enantioselectivity (up to 82% yield, anti/syn ratio 99:1, ee 99%). The aldol reactions between acetone and isatins were investigated, which afforded excellent yields and enantioselectivity (up to 95% yield, 98% ee). The (R)- and (S)-isomers of convolutamydine A were obtained with 95% yield and 96% ee, and 95% yield and 94% ee, respectively.     

Development of P1-monodentate diamidophosphites with a C1-symmetric 1,2-diamine backbone: the effects of substituents in the 1,3,2-diazaphospholidine cycle on Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylations

We have designed and synthesized a small library of modular monodentate diamidophosphite ligands with stereogenic phosphorus atoms. The library was prepared efficiently from the commercially available and inexpensive (S)-N-Boc-amino acids. These novel ligands were screened in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylations of (E)-1,3-diphenylallyl acetate with dimethyl malonate as the C-nucleophile with up to 93% ee being obtained. The results showed that the different substituents in the 1,3,2-diazaphospholidine cycle had remarkable effects on the enantioselectivity.     

Preparation of enantiomerically pure (3E)-alkyl-4-(hetero-2-yl)-2-hydroxybut-3-enoates by Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330 mediated deracemisation and determination of the absolute configuration of (3E)-ethyl-4-(thiophene-2-yl)-2-hydroxybut-3-enoate

Deracemisation of racemic (3E)-alkyl-4-(hetero-2-yl)-2-hydroxybut-3-enoates using Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330 resulted in the formation of one enantiomer in high enantiomeric excess [up to >99% ee] and isolated yields [up to 79%]. The absolute configuration of the enantiomerically pure (3E)-ethyl-4-(thiophene-2-yl)-2-hydroxybut-3-enoate as determined by ¹H NMR of the Mosher esters was found to be (S).     

Determination of absolute configuration of 2-methyl-1-(o-tolyl)naphthalene and the related axially chiral biaryls

An enantiomerically enriched sample (84.3% ee) of (aS)-2-methyl-1-[(((o-triisopropylsilyl)oxy)methyl)phenyl]naphthalene was produced via catalytic asymmetric Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling using an atropisomeric naphthamide-derived phosphine (A²phos) as the chiral ligand. After one recrystallization, enantiopurity of the biaryl product was improved to 98.9% ee and its absolute configuration was determined by X-ray crystal structural analysis. Through chemical transformations, the (aS)-enantiomers of 1-[(o-hydroxymethyl)phenyl]-2-methylnaphthalene, 1-[(o-chloromethyl)phenyl]-2-methylnaphthalene, and 2-methyl-1-(o-tolyl)naphthalene were obtained. Several other chiral biaryls were synthesized and stereochemically assigned.     

Synthesis of Optically Active Bifunctional Isoprenoid Building Blocks by Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylamine to Enamine Isomerization

The application of the known asymmetric allylamine to enamine isomerization methodology to bifunctional C⁵-isoprenoid allylic amines of types IId and IIe (Scheme 1) is described. It is shown that a number of such substrates can be isomerized with enantioselectivities of > 90% ee. using cationie Rh¹ complexes containing (6. 6′-dimethylbiphenyl′2, 2′-diyl)bis(dipheny phosphine) (BIPHEMP; 9) as asymmetry-inducing ligand (Scheme 2, Tables 1 and 2). Synthetically most useful is the isomerization of the benzyloxy derivative 10a into the (E)-enamine 11a . This isomerization proceeds with very high enantioselectivity (98-99% ee) and affords, after enamine hydrolysis, the optically active 4-(benzyloxy)-3-methylbutanals ((R)- or (S)- 12 ) in chemical yields of ca. 90%. In conjunction, a short synthetic route to the starting material 10a has been developed which has a Pd-catalyzed amination of isoprene epoxide ( 30 ) as the key step. Thus, convenient and practical access to the optically active aldehydes (R)-and (S)- 12 is now at hand. These aldehydes are useful optically active bifunctional building blocks for isoprenoid homologation.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed reduction of racemic tricarbonyl(η-aryl ketone)chromium complexes using transfer hydrogenation: A simple alternative to the resolution of planar chiral organometallics

Racemic planar chiral (η⁶-aryl ketone)Cr(CO)₃ complexes (aryl ketone = 1-indanone, 1-tetralone, 4-chromanone and thiochroman-4-one) were prepared by refluxing the aryl ketone with Cr(CO)₆ in a 10:1 mixture of dibutyl ether and THF. The reductions of the organometallic ketones by transfer hydrogenation in 2-propanol containing KOH and the catalyst precursor, generated from [RuCl₂(η⁶-benzene)]₂ and (−)-ephedrine, resulted in optically active syn-(R,S)-(η⁶-aryl alcohol)Cr(CO)₃ and (R)-(η⁶-aryl ketone)Cr(CO)₃ compounds in 31-97% ee. Reduction of racemic (η⁶-thiochroman-4-one)Cr(CO)₃ with the catalyst precursor generated from (+)-norephedrine, instead of (−)-ephedrine, inverted the configuration of the products obtained. Syn-(S,R)-(η⁶-thiochroman-4-ol)Cr(CO)₃ and (S)-(η⁶-thiochroman-4-one)-Cr(CO)₃ were isolated in 49% and >95% ee, respectively. The free aryl ketones were reduced using the same conditions as their respective chromium complexes, giving aryl alcohols in high ee (>95%). Reactions of non-rigid acetophenone, propriophenone and their tricarbonylchromium complexes resulted in moderate to low ee.     

Homochiral (R)- and (S)-1-heteroaryl- and 1-aryl-2-propanols via microbial redox

Preparation of various heteroaryl propanols 2a–g and of the corresponding propanones 3a–g as starting materials for microbial redox is described. The kinetic resolution of the racemic propanols 2a–g is obtained via oxidation with Pseudomonas paucimobilis and Bacillus stearothermophilus [(R)-alcohols, ee 74–100%]. Similar results are achieved with 3-(2-hydroxypropyl)trifluoromethylbenzene 7 (44%, ee 100% of the (R)-alcohol 6). The reduction of the propanones 3a–d and 3g with baker's yeast and other fungi gives the (S)-alcohols (ee 100%). The pure (S)-alcohols are also obtained by reduction of 1-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-propanone 7. 1-[(4,4-Dimethyl)-2-(Δ²)oxazolinyl]-2-propanone 3e and 1[2-(Δ²)-thiazolinyl)-2-propanone 3f are not reduced. The heterocyclic rings of (S)-5-(2-hydroxypropyl)-3-methylisoxazole 2d and of (S)-2-(2-hydroxypropyl)-4-methylthiazole 2g are deblocked to the homochiral enamino ketone 8 (78%) and to the protected β-hydroxy aldehyde 9 (73%), respectively. The (R)-3-(2-hydroxypropyl)trifluoromethylbenzene 6 is transfomed into the homochiral precursor of (S)-fenfluramine 10 (overall yield 65%).     

Diastereomeric P,N-bidentate amidophosphites based on (S,S)- and (R,R)-hydrobenzoin as ligands in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylation

New P,N-bidentate diastereomeric amidophosphite ligands were obtained by phosphorylation of (S)-2-[(phenylamino)methyl]pyrrolidine involving (4S,5S)- and (4R,5R)-2-chloro-4,5-diphenyl-1,3,2-dioxaphospholanes. Their efficiency in the Pd-catalyzed enantioselective allylic substitution was compared, it was found that the reaction involving (E)-1,3-diphenylallyl acetate and pyrrolidine gives up to 75% ee.     

Synthesis of (1S,4R)-4-isopropyl-1-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-ol,the aggregation pheromone of the ambrosia beetle Platypus quercivorus,its racemate, (1R,4R)- and (1S,4S)-isomers

(S)-Perillyl alcohol was converted to (R)-cryptone (91.5–93% ee) in six steps, which was then treated with methyllithium to give (1S,4R)-4-isopropyl-1-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-ol, the aggregation pheromone of the ambrosia beetle Platypus quercivorus. The racemic pheromone was also prepared by methylation of (±)-cryptone. Both (1R,4R)- and (1S,4S)-isomers (98% ee) of the pheromone were synthesized from the enantiomers of dihydrolimonene oxide.     

Enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc to aldehydes catalyzed by (S)-2-(N,N-disubstituted aminomethyl)indoline

Chiral di- or triamines, (S)-2-(N,N-disubstituted aminomethyl)indoline 1a–d, derived from (S)-indoline-2-carboxylic acid were efficient chiral catalysts for the enantioselective addition of dialkylzincs to aldehydes. The best results were obtained by employing 15 mol% of (S)-2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-ylmethyl)indoline 1c, and chiral secondary alcohols were obtained in up to 97% ee.     

Synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of a chiral molybdenum porphyrin and its catalytic behaviour toward asymmetric epoxidation of aromatic alkenes

Reaction of M(CO)₆ with H₂P* (5,10,15,20-tetrakis-{(1S,4R,5R,8S)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanoanthracene-9-yl}porphyrin) followed by treatment with methanol afforded [Mo^VO(P*)(OMe)] (1) in ∼80% yield. Complex 1 was characterised by IR and ESR spectroscopy and X-ray structure determination. This chiral molybdenum porphyrin was found to catalyse the epoxidation of styrene, cis-β-methylstyrene, and 1,2-dihydronaphthalene with tert-butyl hydroperoxide in up to 29% ee.     

Towards enantiomeric 2,3-epoxypropylphosphonates

Hydrolysis of diethyl 2,3-epoxypropylphosphonate in the presence of (R,R)-salen–Co(III)-OAc after 19 h afforded a mixture of (S)-epoxide (82% ee) and diethyl (R)-2,3-dihydroxypropylphosphonate (98% ee). Improved enantiomeric excess (93%) of the (S)-epoxide was obtained in the 72 h hydrolytic kinetic resolution experiment. Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of (S)-epoxide (91% ee) gave (S)-diol (72% ee) due to low C-3 regioselectivity of the reaction.     

The cooperative effect of a hydroxyl and carboxyl group on the catalytic ability of novel β-homoproline derivatives on direct asymmetric aldol reactions

Novel β-homoproline derivatives, 2-hydroxy-2-(pyrrolidin-2-yl)acetic acids (R,S)- and (S,S)-1a-d, were synthesized. All of the prepared compounds were used as organocatalysts in the direct asymmetric aldol reaction of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde with several ketones. Among these catalysts, (R)-2-hydroxy-2-((S)-pyrrolidin-2-yl)acetic acid (R,S)-1a showed good catalytic ability in the formation of aldol product 13 (up to 69% ee, 95% yield), which was similar to the results catalyzed by l-proline (71% ee, 96% yield). Relatively low yields and low enantioselectivities were observed in aldol reactions catalyzed by (S,S)-1a, for example, 13 was obtained in 55% yield and 13% ee. The aldol reaction catalyzed by the methyl-protected carboxylic acid 1b and esters 1c,d produced much lower chemical yields and enantioselectivities during the formation of 13. The cooperative effect of the (R)-configured hydroxyl group and the carboxyl group was found to play an important role in inducing enantioselectivity in the aldol reaction. Relatively high diastereoselectivities (anti:syn = 85:15) and enantioselectivity (anti, 83% ee) were observed in the aldol reactions of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde with cyclohexanone, which was catalyzed by (R,S)-1a.     

Efficient and practical synthesis of both enantiomers of 6-silyloxy-3-pyranone derivatives

Lipase catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemic cis-6-(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-3-ol (rac)-1 was achieved in high enantiomeric excess. Transesterification of (rac)-1 with vinylacetate in ^tBuOMe yielded the alcohol (3S,6R)-1 in 99.0% ee, whereas (3R,6S)-1 was obtained, in 99.0% ee, by the lipase catalyzed ester hydrolysis of acetate (3R,6S)-2, which was obtained along with the transesterification. Both (3S,6R)-1 and (3R,6S)-1 were subjected to oxidation to provide the corresponding 6-silyloxy-3-pyranone (6R)-3 and (6S)-3, respectively. Application to the synthesis of 7, which is the key intermediate of asymmetric synthesis of pseudomonic acid A 9 is also described.     

Separation of secondary alcohols via enzymatic kinetic resolution using fatty esters as reusable acylating agents

A two consecutive step procedure for the resolution-separation of secondary alcohols employing ethyl tetradecanoate in the presence of lipase allowed the enzymatic kinetic resolution of two target molecules, 1-phenylethanol and 6-methylhept-5-en-2-ol. (S)-1-Phenylethanol was isolated in a yield of 47% with an ee of 94% and (R)-1-phenylethanol in a yield of 51% with an ee of 95%. (S)-6-Methylhept-5-en-2-ol was isolated in a yield 47% and an ee of 87% and (R)-6-methylhept-5-en-2-ol in a yield 49% and an ee of 90%.