Electronically tuned chiral ruthenium porphyrins: extremely stable and selective catalysts for asymmetric epoxidation and cyclopropanation

We report the use of three enantiomerically pure and electronically tuned ruthenium carbonyl porphyrin catalysts for the asymmetric cyclopropanation and epoxidation of a variety of olefinic substrates. The D(4)-symmetric ligands carry a methoxy, a methyl or a trifluoromethyl group at the 10-position of each of the 9-[anti-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanoanthracene)]-substituents at the meso-positions of the porphyrin. Introduction of a CF(3)-substituent in this remote position resulted in greatly improved catalyst stability, and turnover numbers of up to 7500 were achieved for cyclopropanation, and up to 14,200 for epoxidation, with ee values typically >90 % and approximately equal to 80 %, respectively. In one example, the axial CO ligand at the ruthenium was exchanged for PF(3), resulting in the first chiral ruthenium porphyrin with a PF(3) ligand reported to date. In cyclopropanations with ethyl diazoacetate, the latter catalyst performed exceedingly well, and gave a 95 % ee in the case of 1,1-diphenylethylene as substrate.     

Stable N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-palladium(0) complexes as active catalysts for olefin cyclopropanation reactions with ethyl diazoacetate

The Pd(0) complexes [(NHC)PdL(n)] (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene ligand; L=styrene for n=2 or PR(3) for n=1) efficiently catalyse olefin cyclopropanation by using ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) as the carbene source with activities that improve on previously described catalytic systems based on this metal. Mechanistic studies have shown that all of these catalyst precursors deliver the same catalytic species in solution, that is, [(IPr)Pd(sty)], a 14e(-) unsaturated intermediate that further reacts with EDA to afford [(IPr)Pd(=CHCO(2)Et)(sty)], from which the cyclopropane is formed.     

Synthesis of metal-(pentadentate-salen) complexes: asymmetric epoxidation with aqueous hydrogen peroxide and asymmetric cyclopropanation (salenH2: N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylene-1,2-diamine)

It is known that the rates and stereochemical outcomes of epoxidations and cyclopropanations using a metallosalen (salenH(2): N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylene-1,2-diamine) complex as catalyst are affected by a trans effect of the apical ligand of the complex. By taking into consideration this trans effect, we have synthesized optically active pentadentate salen ligands bearing an imidazole or pyridine derivative as the fifth coordinating group, and have prepared the corresponding manganese(III) and cobalt(II) complexes, in which the fifth ligand is expected to intramolecularly coordinate to the metal center and exert a trans effect. Indeed, high enantioselectivity has been achieved in epoxidations using aqueous hydrogen peroxide as the terminal oxidant and in cyclopropanations with these complexes as catalysts. In general, metallosalen-catalyzed reactions have been carried out in the presence of an excess of a donor ligand; however, the present reactions do not need the addition of any extra donor ligand.     

Catalysts for new tasks: preparation and applications of tunable ruthenium catalysts for olefin metathesis

A continuous survey across structures, made over the past decades, has led to the development of highly active olefin metathesis catalysts for sophisticated synthetic tasks and for polymer technology. In this paper, our efforts toward novel and improved ruthenium complexes with even better performance in olefin metathesis are described. Oxygen ether derivatives 3, pioneered by Hoveyda, exhibit high activity and possess excellent functional group tolerance. We have successfully fine-tuned catalyst 3b to increase its activity and applicability by the introduction of electron-withdrawing groups to diminish the donor properties of the oxygen atom. As a result, the stable and easily accessible nitro-substituted catalyst 6 has found a number of successful applications in various research and industrial laboratories. We were intrigued by the possibility to further fine-tune the Hoveyda-type catalysts by combining two activating effects-steric and electronic-in a single catalyst. This was possible to achieve in so-called scorpio carbenes, which are currently under investigation in our laboratory. These modifications can be used not only to control the catalyst activity, but also to alter its physical-chemical properties, such as solubility in a given medium or an affinity to silica gel. An example of immobilization strategy based on this concept is presented.     

New chiral ruthenium(II) catalysts containing 2,6-bis(4'-(R)-phenyloxazolin-2'-yl)pyridine (Ph-pybox) ligands for highly enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of ketones

Treatment of complex trans-[RuCl(2)(eta(2)-C(2)H(4))[kappa(3)-N,N,N-(R,R)-Ph-pybox]] [(R,R)-Ph-pybox = 2,6-bis[4'-(R)-phenyloxazolin-2'-yl]pyridine] with phosphines or phosphites in dichloromethane at 50 degrees C leads to the formation of novel ruthenium(II)-pybox complexes trans-[RuCl(2)(L)[kappa(3)-N,N,N-(R,R)-Ph-pybox]] [L = PPh(3) (1 a), PPh(2)Me (2 a), PPh(2)(C(3)H(5)) (3 a), PPh(2)(C(4)H(7)) (4 a), PMe(3) (5 a), PiPr(3) (6 a), P(OMe)(3) (7 a) and P(OPh)(3) (8 a)]. Likewise, reaction of trans-[RuCl(2)(eta(2)-C(2)H(4))[kappa(3)-N,N,N-(R,R)-Ph-pybox]] with PPh(3) or PiPr(3) in refluxing methanol leads to the complexes cis-[RuCl(2)(L)(kappa(3)-N,N,N-(R,R)-Ph-pybox] [L = PPh(3) (1 b), PiPr(3) (6 b)]. No trans-cis isomerisation of complexes 1 a-8 a has been observed. Complexes 1 a-8 a, 1 b, 6 b together with the analogous trans-[RuCl(2)[P(OMe)(3)][kappa(3)-N,N,N-(S,S)-iPr-pybox]] (10 a) and the previously reported trans- and cis-[RuCl(2)(PPh(3))[kappa(3)-N,N,N-(S,S)-iPr-pybox]] (9 a and 9 b, respectively) are active catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone in 2-propanol in the presence of NaOH (ketone/cat/NaOH 500:1:6). cis-Ph-pybox derivatives are the most active catalysts. In particular, cis complexes 1 b and 6 b led to almost quantitative conversions in less than 5 min with a high enantioselectivity (up to 95 %). A variety of aromatic ketones have also been reduced to the corresponding secondary alcohols with very high TOF and ee up to 94 %. The overall catalytic performance seems to be a subtle combination of the steric and/or electronic properties both the phosphines and the ketones. A high TOF (27 300 h(-1)) and excellent ee (94 %) have been found for the reduction of 3-bromoacetophenone with catalyst 6 b. Reductions of alkyl ketones also proceed with high and rapid conversions but low enantioselectivities are achieved.     

Structural studies on ruthenium(II) complexes used in interphase catalysis for the hydrogenation of ketones

Structural studies were performed on catalytically active ruthenium(II) complexes used in interphases, by means of XAFS spectroscopy. The EXAFS investigations indicate that the complexes retain their structural integrity when they are embedded on polysiloxane matrices to form stationary phase materials. The AXAFS studies reveal that the variations in the catalytic activity of the complexes with different ligands can be correlated to the differences in the electronic structure around the active ruthenium center. The EXAFS investigations show that, in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reactions catalysed by ruthenium(II) complexes, the co‐catalyst plays a crucial role not only in enhancing the catalytic activity, but also in determining the structure of the intermediate species. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Construction of Robust Ruthenium(salen)(CO) Complexes and Asymmetric Aziridination with Nitrene Precursors in the Form of Azide Compounds That Bear Easily Removable N‐Sulfonyl Groups

We synthesized new Ru(salen)(CO) complexes of high durability and achieved aziridination with good to excellent enantioselectivity by using azide compounds that contain an easily removable N‐sulfonyl group, such as the 2‐(trimethylsilyl)ethanesulfonyl group, as a nitrene precursor. Aziridination of less‐reactive α,β‐unsaturated esters (and amides) proceeded with excellent enantioselectivities, from which it is inferred that an electrophilic species is the active species of this reaction. The present asymmetric aziridination provides a useful tool for introducing optically active nonprotected amine groups.     

手性(salen)Co在不对称催化反应和天然产物合成中 的应用

手性(salen)Co是最近几年发展起来的一种重要的不对称催化剂,受到人们的广泛重视。综述了手性(salen)Co在不对称催化反应和天然产物合成中的一些最新研究进展。     

Monodisperse crosslinked pHEMA particle‐supported chiral Mn(III)salen catalyst for asymmetric epoxidation of olefin

Monodisperse crosslinked poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) particles (pHEMA) were synthesized for immobilization of the chiral Mn(III)salen homogeneous catalyst by axial coordination. The pHEMA‐Mn(III)salen catalyst was subsequently characterized by FT‐IR, UV and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that, the heterogeneous Mn(III)salen catalysts also exhibited high activity and enantioselectivity compared to the homogeneous catalyst for the disubstituted cyclic indene and 6‐cyano‐2,2‐dimethylchromene. Moreover, the catalysts were easily separated from the reaction systems and could be renewed several times without significant loss of catalytic activity. Meanwhile, the enantiomeric excess (ee) value remained at 80% in the eighth cycle. The pHEMA support, immobilized by Mn(III)salen, probably acted as a mediator of the reaction between the substrate and the oxidant, and enhanced the stability of the Mn(III)salen compound. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A mixed chloride/trifluoromethanesulfonate ligand species in a ruthenium(II) complex

The compound [2‐(aminomethyl)pyridine‐κ²N,N′][chlorido/trifluoromethanesulfonato(0.91/0.09)][(10,11‐η)‐5H‐dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten‐5‐amine‐κN](triphenylphosphane‐κP)ruthenium(II) trifluoromethanesulfonate dichloromethane 0.91‐solvate, [Ru(CF₃SO₃)_0.09Cl_0.91(C₆H₈N₂)(C₁₅H₁₃N)(C₁₈H₁₅P)]CF₃SO₃·0.91CH₂Cl₂, belongs to a series of Ru^II complexes that had been tested for transfer hydrogenation, hydrogenation of polar bonds and catalytic transfer hydrogenation. The crystal structure determination of this complex revealed disorder in the form of two different anionic ligands sharing the same coordination site, which other spectroscopic methods failed to characterize. The reduced catalytic activity of the title compound was not fully understood until the crystallographic data provided evidence for the mixed ligand species. The crystal structure clearly shows that the majority of the synthesized material has a chloride ligand present. Only a small portion of the material is the expected complex [Ru^II(OTf)(ampy)(η²‐tropNH₂)(PPh₃)]OTf, where OTf is triflate or trifluoromethanesulfonate, ampy is 2‐(aminomethyl)pyridine and tropNH₂ is 5H‐dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten‐5‐amine.     

Effects of the temperature and substituents in chiral TiIV(salen) catalysts on the enantioselectivity of the addition of Me3SiCN to PhCHO

The enantiomeric purity (ee) of the addition product of Me₃SiCN to PhCHO at ∼20 °C catalyzed by chiral Ti^IV complexes, which were preparedin situ from Ti(OPrⁱ)₄ and the Schiff bases (condensation products of substituted salicylaldehydes with (1R, 2R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane), was, on the average, 20–30% lower than that achieved at −80 °C. The substituents at position 5 of 3-tert-butylsalicylaldehyde exert only the steric effect. It was shown that the stereochemical result of the reaction is controlled by the stage which involves the formation of the C−C bond rather than the transfer of the Me₃Si group. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1139–1141, June, 1999.     

The even-handed approach: strategies for the deployment of racemic chiral catalysts

Asymmetric catalysis is predominantly associated with the use of enantiomerically pure chiral ligands and catalysts. Although racemic chiral catalysts have been employed quite extensively in polymerization, their utility in mainstream organic synthesis and catalyst development has arguably been rather overlooked. This Minireview collates various themes for the strategic application of racemic ligands and catalysts, ranging from the estimation of selectivity and determination of enantiomeric excess, through to control of regio- and stereochemical outcomes, and mechanistic studies. What emerges is a clear picture that, in isolation or in concert with enantiopure catalysts, the "even-handed" approach has much to offer.     

Vanadyl salen complexes covalently anchored to an imidazolium ion as catalysts for the cyanosilylation of aldehydes in ionic liquids

Two vanadyl salen complexes having peripheral styryl substituents have been reacted with 1-methyl-3-(3-mercaptopropyl)-imidazolium chloride using azoisobutyronitrile as radical initiator. The resulting compounds contain at the same time a vanadyl salen complex and one imidazolium cation. In agreement with the expectations in view of their structure, these compounds were insoluble in conventional organic solvents, but completely miscible in imidazolium ionic liquids. These vanadyl salen complexes bonded to an imidazolium cation are highly active and reusable catalysts for the cyanosilylation of aldehydes. Moderate enantiomeric excesses were obtained using the chiral version of this complex.     

Chiral C1-symmetric 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine ligands: Synthesis,characterization, complexation with copper(II), rhodium(III) and ruthenium(II) ions and use of the complexes in catalytic cyclopropanation of styrene

Three new optically pure C₁-terpyridine ligands (L1–3) were prepared and the copper(II) complexes, of formula [Cu(L)Cl₂], the rhodium(III) complexes, of formula [Rh(L)Cl₃], and the ruthenium(II) complexes, of formula cis- or trans-[Ru(L)(X)Cl₂] (X = DMSO or CO), were synthesized. Structures of a chiral C₁-ligand, a copper complex, a rhodium complex and a ruthenium DMSO complex were analysed using X-ray crystal structure analysis. The copper, rhodium and ruthenium complexes were shown to be precursors of catalysts for cyclopropanation. Reaction of [Cu(L)Cl₂], [Rh(L)Cl₃] or cis- or trans-[Ru(L)(X)Cl₂] with AgOTf converted the complex to catalyst, which in the case of trans-[Ru(L)(CO)Cl₂] gave enantioselectivities of up to 67% ee for the cis-isomers of styrene cyclopropanes with t-butyl diazoacetate. Comparisons with C₂-analog of copper, rhodium and ruthenium catalysts were made.     

Heterogeneous chiral Mn(III) salen catalysts for the epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins immobilized on mesoporous materials with different pore sizes

Two chiral Mn(III) salen complexes were immobilized onto a series of mesoporous MCM-41 and MCM-48 materials with different pore sizes and the as-synthesized catalysts were active and enantioselective for the asymmetric epoxidation of styrene and indene. The results of XRD, FTIR, DR UV-vis, and N₂ sorption showed that the chiral Mn(III) salen complexes were anchored in the channels of mesoporous materials. The influence of organic silicane dosage on the catalytic performance was studied and the optimum dosage of organic silicane for preparing heterogeneous catalysts was determined. Furthermore, the effect of the fine-tuning of pore size on the performance of heterogeneous catalysts was discussed. In general, larger pore size of the supports could lead to higher conversions and the compatible pore size with substrate may be responsible for the improved enantiomeric excess (ee) values.     

Self-assembly approach toward chiral bimetallic catalysts: bis-urea-functionalized (salen)cobalt complexes for the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of epoxides

A series of novel bis-urea-functionalized (salen)Co complexes has been developed. The complexes were designed to form self-assembled structures in solution through intermolecular urea-urea hydrogen-bonding interactions. These bis-urea (salen)Co catalysts resulted in rate acceleration (up to 13 times) in the hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of rac-epichlorohydrin in THF by facilitating cooperative activation, compared to the monomeric catalyst. In addition, one of the bis-urea (salen)Co(III) catalyst efficiently resolves various terminal epoxides even under solvent-free conditions by requiring much shorter reaction time at low catalyst loading (0.03-0.05 mol %). A series of kinetic/mechanistic studies demonstrated that the self-association of two (salen)Co units through urea-urea hydrogen bonds was responsible for the observed rate acceleration. The self-assembly study with the bis-urea (salen)Co by FTIR spectroscopy and with the corresponding (salen)Ni complex by (1)H NMR spectroscopy showed that intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions exist between the bis-urea scaffolds in THF. This result demonstrates that self-assembly approach by using non-covalent interactions can be an alternative and useful strategy toward the efficient HKR catalysis.