Cooperative Ni/Cu-Catalyzed Asymmetric Propargylic Alkylation of Aldimine Esters

A novel Ni/Cu dual catalysis gives rise to fundamentally new cooperative reactivity and enables the regio- and enantioselective propargylic alkylation reaction. A diverse set of α-quaternary propargylated amino ester derivatives were synthesized in good yields with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee). This work highlights the power of cooperative catalysis, which can be expected to have broad implications in homogeneous catalysis beyond the highly valuable synthetic intermediates.     

Efficient Synthesis of N‐Alkylated 4‐Pyridones by Copper‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Asymmetric Propargylic Amination

Copper‐catalyzed intermolecular asymmetric propargylic amination with 4‐hydroxypyridines has been realized for the first time. In the presence of Cu complex derived from Pybox ligand, the N‐propargylated 4‐pyridones were obtained under mild reaction conditions with up to 99 % yield and 95 % ee. The Pybox ligand bearing a 4‐F‐phenyl substituent plays a key role for the high enantioselectivity. The products can be easily transformed to the core structure of quinolizidine alkaloids.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Asymmetric Propargylic Dearomatization of Indoles

The first copper‐catalyzed intermolecular dearomatization of indoles by an asymmetric propargylic substitution reaction was developed. This method provides a highly efficient synthesis of versatile furoindoline and pyrroloindoline derivatives containing a quaternary carbon stereogenic center and a terminal alkyne moiety with up to 86 % yield and 98 % ee.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation of Ketone Enolates

Palladium‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of nonstabilized ketone enolates to generate quaternary centers has been achieved in excellent yield and enantioselectivity. Optimized conditions consist of performing the reaction in the presence of two equivalents of LDA as base, one equivalent of trimethytin chloride as a Lewis acid, 1,2‐dimethoxyethane as the solvent, and a catalytic amount of a chiral palladium complex formed from π‐allyl palladium chloride dimer 3 and cyclohexyldiamine derived chiral ligand 4 . Linearly substituted, acyclic 1,3‐dialkyl substituted, and unsubstituted allylic carbonates function well as electrophiles. A variety of α‐tetralones, cyclohexanones, and cyclopentanones can be employed as nucleophiles. The absolute configuration generated is consistent with the current model in which steric factors control stereofacial differentiation. The quaternary substituted products available by this method are versatile substrates for further elaboration.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of 2‐Amidoacrylates

Earth‐abundant nickel, coordinated with a suitable chiral bisphosphine ligand, was found to be an efficient catalyst for the asymmetric hydrogenation of 2‐amidoacrylates, affording the chiral α‐amino acid esters in quantitative yields and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 96 % ee). The active catalyst component was studied by NMR and HRMS, which helped us to realize high catalytic efficiency on a gram scale with a low catalyst loading (S/C=2000). The hydrogenated products could be simply converted into chiral α‐amino acids, β‐amino alcohols, and their bioactive derivatives. Furthermore, the catalytic mechanism was investigated using deuterium‐labeling experiments and computational calculations.     

Asymmetric Catalysis Mediated by the Ligand Sphere of Octahedral Chiral‐at‐Metal Complexes

Due to the relationship between structure and function in chemistry, access to novel chemical structures ultimately drives the discovery of novel chemical function. In this light, the formidable utility of the octahedral geometry of six‐coordinate metal complexes is founded in its stereochemical complexity combined with the ability to access chemical space that might be unavailable for purely organic compounds. In this Minireview we wish to draw attention to inert octahedral chiral‐at‐metal complexes as an emerging class of metal‐templated asymmetric “organocatalysts” which exploit the globular, rigid nature and stereochemical options of octahedral compounds and promise to provide new opportunities in the field of catalysis.     

Synthesis of Chiral Tertiary Boronic Esters by Oxime‐Directed Catalytic Asymmetric Hydroboration

Chiral boronic esters are useful intermediates in asymmetric synthesis. We have previously shown that carbonyl‐directed catalytic asymmetric hydroboration (CAHB) is an efficient approach to the synthesis of functionalized primary and secondary chiral boronic esters. We now report that the oxime‐directed CAHB of alkyl‐substituted methylidene and trisubstituted alkene substrates by pinacolborane (pinBH) affords oxime‐containing chiral tertiary boronic esters with yields up to 87 % and enantiomeric ratios up to 96:4 e.r. The utility of the method is demonstrated by the formation of chiral diols and O‐substituted hydroxylamines, the generation of quaternary carbon stereocenters through carbon–carbon coupling reactions, and the preparation of chiral 3,4,4‐trisubstituted isoxazolines.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling of Redox‐Active Esters with Boronic Acids

A transformation analogous in simplicity and functional group tolerance to the venerable Suzuki cross‐coupling between alkyl‐carboxylic acids and boronic acids is described. This Ni‐catalyzed reaction relies upon the activation of alkyl carboxylic acids as their redox‐active ester derivatives, specifically N‐hydroxy‐tetrachlorophthalimide (TCNHPI), and proceeds in a practical and scalable fashion. The inexpensive nature of the reaction components (NiCl₂?6 H₂O—$9.5 mol^?1, Et₃N) coupled to the virtually unlimited commercial catalog of available starting materials bodes well for its rapid adoption.     

Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Intramolecular Cycloisomerization of Propargylic Esters with Furan Rings

A gold‐catalyzed intramolecular cycloisomerization of α‐yne‐furans 1 is described in this contribution. A variety of cyclic α,β‐unsaturated aldehyde or ketone derivatives and nitrogen‐containing tricyclic adducts were obtained selectively in moderate to excellent yields under mild conditions by varying the substituents on the standard substrates.     

Development of a syn‐Selective Mannich Reaction of Aldehydes with Propargylic Imines by Dual Catalysis: Asymmetric Synthesis of Functionalized Propargylic Amines

Direct coupling of enolizable aldehydes with C‐alkynyl imines is realized affording the corresponding propargylic Mannich adducts of syn configuration, thus complementing previous methods that gave access to the anti‐isomers. The combination of proline and a urea Brønsted base cocatalyst is key for the reactions to proceed under very mild conditions (3–10 mol % catalyst loading, dichloromethane as solvent, ?20 °C, 1.2 molar equivalents of aldehyde) and with virtually total stereocontrol (syn/anti ratio up to 99:1; ee up to 99 %). Some possibilities of further chemical elaboration of adducts are also briefly illustrated.     

Cooperative Catalysis: Enantioselective Propargylic Alkylation of Propargylic Alcohols with Enecarbamates Using Ruthenium/Phosphoramide Hybrid Catalysts

The diastereo‐ and enantioselective propargylic alkylation of propargylic alcohols with E‐enecarbamates in the presence of a catalytic amount of thiolate‐bridged diruthenium complexes bearing an optically active phosphoramide moiety gives the corresponding propargylic alkylated products (up to 97 % ee).     

Chiral Borated Esters in Asymmetric Synthesis： 1. The First Asymmetric Reaction Catalyzed by Chiral Spiroborated Esters with an O3BN Framework

The first asymmetric reaction catalyzed by chiral spiroborated esters with an O3BN framework was reported. In the presence of 0.1 equivalent of (R,S)-1 or (S,S)-1, acetophenone was reduced by 0.6 equivalent of borane in THF at 0-5℃ for 2 h to give (R)-1-phenylethanol of up to 76% ee and 73% isolated yield. Influence of reaction conditions on the stereoselectivity of the reduction was investigated and a possible catalytic mechanism of the chiral spiroborated esters toward the reduction was also suggested.     

Kinetic Resolution of Tertiary Propargylic Alcohols by Enantioselective Cu−H‐Catalyzed Si−O Coupling

A broad range of tertiary propargylic alcohols were kinetically resolved by catalyst‐controlled enantioselective silylation. This non‐enzymatic kinetic resolution is catalyzed by a Cu?H species and makes use of the commercially available precatalyst MesCu/(R,R)‐Ph‐BPE and a simple hydrosilane as the resolving reagent. Both alkyl,aryl‐ as well as dialkyl‐substituted propargylic alcohols participate, and especially high selectivity factors are achieved when the alkyne terminus carries a TIPS group, which also enables facile post‐functionalization in this position (s up to 207).     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Regiodivergent Substitution of Propargylic Carbonates

The palladium(0)‐catalyzed, ligand‐controlled, regioselective addition of diaryl acetonitrile pronucleophiles to propargylic carbonates is reported. Selective formation of either terminal 1,3‐dienyl or propargylated products is proposed to arise from a change in reaction mechanism controlled by the denticity of the coordinating ligand.     

Total Synthesis of (R,R,R)‐α‐Tocopherol Through Asymmetric Cu‐Catalyzed 1,4‐Addition

By introducing a disposable activating substituent at C‐3, the asymmetric 1,4‐addition to a notoriously unreactive 2‐substituted chromenone was achieved with high levels of (2R)‐stereoselectivity in the presence of a chiral Cu^I‐phosphoramidite complex as a catalyst. This paved the way for an efficient and conceptually novel synthesis of (R,R,R)‐α‐tocopherol from readily available starting materials.