Screening method for the evaluation of asymmetric catalysts for the reduction of aliphatic ketones

ATH reductions of aliphatic ketones in water catalyzed by ruthenium coordinated by prolinamide ligands produce alcohols with moderate enantiomeric excesses in most cases. A set of seven aliphatic ketones is proposed for a rapid evaluation of the enantioselectivity of catalysts by one-pot multi-substrates reduction. The screening of a library of prolinamides shows that according to the structure of the ketones different ligands give the best asymmetric inductions.     

Novel chiral C2-symmetric multidentate aminophosphine ligands for use in catalytic asymmetric reduction of ketones

A series of novel chiral C₂-symmetric multidentate aminophosphine ligands have been successfully synthesized by Schiff-base condensation of bis（o-formylphenyl）phenylphosphane and easily available monoprotected（1R,2R）-diaminocyclohexane.The catalytic properties of these ligands were investigated in Ir-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of various aromatic ketones,giving the corresponding optical active alcohols with up to 98%conversion and good ee under mild reaction conditions.     

Novel chiral multidentate P3N4-type ligand for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones

Novel chiral multidentate P₃N₄-type ligand has been synthesized and characterized by NMR and HRMS. Using i-PrOH as solvent and hydrogen source, asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of various ketones was investigated. The catalyst generated in situ from chiral multidentate aminophosphine ligand (R,R,R,R)-3 and IrCl(CO)(PPh₃)₂ exhibited highly catalytic activity and excellent enantioselectivity under mild conditions, achieving the corresponding chiral alcohols with up to 99% yield and 99% ee.     

Highly efficient chiral PNNP ligand for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones in water

Chiral PNNP ligand II and [IrHCl₂(COD)]₂ were applied for the first time in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones with HCOONa in water, giving the corresponding optical alcohols in high yield and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). Particularly, the reduction of propiophenone proceeded smoothly at a substrate to catalyst molar ratio of 8000, without compromising the ee values obtained.     

Screening of a phosphite-phosphoramidite ligand library for palladium-catalysed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions: the origin of enantioselectivity

We have designed a new library of readily available, highly modular phosphite-phosphoramidite ligands for asymmetric allylic substitution reactions. They are easily prepared in one step from commercially available chiral 1,2-amino alcohols. The introduction of a phosphoramidite moiety into the ligand design is highly advantageous for the product outcome. This ligand library affords high reaction rates (TOFs of up to 800 mol (mol h)(-1)) and enantioselectivities (ees of up to 99%) and, at the same time, contains a broad range of disubstituted hindered and unhindered substrate types. NMR study of the Pd-pi-allyl intermediates provide a deeper understanding of the effect of the ligand parameters on the origin of enantioselectivity.     

New C2-symmetric bis(sulfonamide)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine-RhCp complex and its application in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of ketones in water

C₂-symmetric bis(sulfonamide) ligands derived from trans-(1R,2R)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine were synthesized and complexed with [Cp^∗RhCl₂]₂ in situ and used in the ATH of aromatic ketones with aqueous sodium formate as the hydrogen source. The chiral secondary alcohols were obtained with 90-99% enantioselectivity and in 50-100% yield. Reductions in water were faster than those in isopropanol/KOH.