Probing the mechanisms of enantioselective hydrogenation of simple olefins with chiral rhodium catalysts in the presence of anions

The strong influence of various anions upon the hydrogenation of 2-phenyl-1-butene, catalyzed by chiral rhodium catalysts was investigated. Both sulfonates and halides exert large increases in the enantioselectivity when Rh(-)-bdpp](NBD)]ClO4 (bdpp = 2,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane, NBD = 2,5-norbornadiene) is used as the catalyst precursor at high pressures (70 atm) of dihydrogen in nonpolar solvents. A dihydride mechanism similar to that for Wilkinson's catalyst RhCl(PPh3)3] was shown to be operating at both high- and low-pressure conditions through a combination of catalytic studies, 31P, 1H and parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) NMR experiments. With sulfonate and in neat methanol, however, a mechanistic switch takes place from a dihydride route (dihydrogen addition before olefin binding) at high pressure to an unsaturate route (olefin binding before dihydrogen addition) at low pressures (<30 atm). Olefin isomerization is inhibited by halide addition, but occurs with sulfonate and in neat methanol through what is most likely a pi-allyl mechanism. A detailed understanding of the effects of addition of these anions is crucial for development of new classes of catalysts capable of efficient enantioselective reduction of prochiral olefins lacking a secondary polar binding group.