Diastereoselective Synthesis of New Rhodium-Based Amphiphilic Polyol-Cp Systems

Abstract

The cyclopentadienide nucleophilic ring opening on the cyclopentene oxide affords diastereoselectively an efficient entry to a new polyalcoholic (1,2,4)-C5H2[CH(CH2)3CHOH]3 propeller-like, hybrid ligand CpOOO. The diastereoselective rhodium complexation gives rise almost quantitatively to a new class of racemic CpOOORh(L,L) (L,L = nbd, cod, C2H4, CO) complexes. Thermal treatment gives predominantly the air-stable CpOOORh(nbd) rac-4a (73.5%), having SP planar chirality, as determined by X-ray diffraction studies. It has also been possible to isolate its stable atropisomer rac-4c (20.5%), while the minor kinetic isomer rac-4b, showing opposite planar chirality (∼10%), has been identified by NOESY NMR experiments. The high solubility in water and benzene, evidencing the amphiphilic character, has been measured by the n-octanol/water partition coefficient. The intermolecular H-binding, due to the hydroxy groups, plays a crucial role in selecting the rhodium coordination in the reaction mixture, whereas in the...