Use of a bulky phosphine of weak σ-donicity with palladium as a versatile and highly-active catalytic system: allylation and arylation coupling reactions at 10-10 mol% catalyst loadings of ferrocenyl bis(difurylphosphine)/Pd

Carbon-carbon(sp²-sp² and sp¹-sp²) and carbon-nitrogen (nucleophilic allylation) coupling processes are promoted by a catalytic system containing [PdCl(η³-C₃H₅)]₂ with the new ferrocenyl bis(difurylphosphine) 1,1′-bis[di(5-methyl-2-furyl)phosphino]ferrocene, Fc[P(Fu^Me)₂]₂. Starting from aryl bromides or allylic acetates this versatile catalyst system may be used at low palladium loadings (10⁻¹-10⁻⁴ mol%) in some Heck, Suzuki, Sonogashira and allylic amination reactions to give cross-coupled products in excellent yield. Remarkably high activity is obtained in allylic substitution reactions, providing a significant impetus for the development of bulky phosphines possessing weak σ-donicity for this particular reaction.     

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones catalyzed by ruthenium(II) complexes bearing a chiral phosphinoferrocenyloxazoline ligand

The catalytic activity in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones using octahedral and half-sandwich (η⁵-indenyl and η⁶-arene) ruthenium(II) complexes containing the chiral ligand (4S)-2-[(S_p)-2-(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenyl]-4-(isopropyl)oxazoline (FcPN) has been explored. Catalytic studies with complex fac-[RuCl₂{η²(P,N)-FcPN}(PMe₃)₂] (1) show excellent TOF values (9600 h⁻¹). Experiments in the presence of free FcPN, which lead to an increase in conversion rates and ee values when the catalyst is complex [Ru(η⁵-C₉H₇){κ²(P,N)-FcPN}(PPh₃)][PF₆] (4) have been carried out. The characterization of the new complexes mer-trans-[RuCl₂{P(OMe)₃}₂{κ²(P,N)-FcPN}] and of the water-soluble complexes fac- and mer-trans-[RuCl₂(PTA)₂{κ²(P,N)-FcPN}] is also reported.