Mechanistic Insights into the Enantioselective Epoxidation of Olefins by Bioinspired Manganese Complexes: Role of Carboxylic Acid and Nature of Active Oxidant

Abstract

Bioinspired manganese and iron complexes bearing nonporphyrinic tetradentate N4 ligands are highly efficient catalysts in asymmetric oxidation reactions by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), in which carboxylic acid is employed as an essential additive to improve product yields and stereo-, regio-, and enantioselectivities. The metal catalysts should possess two cis-binding sites for oxidant (e.g., H2O2) and carboxylic acid to generate high-valent metal-oxo species as active oxidants via a “carboxylic acid-assisted” mechanism. In the present study, we have investigated the role(s) of carboxylic acid and the nature of reactive intermediate(s) in the manganese complex-catalyzed enantioselective epoxidation of olefins, by employing non-heme manganese catalysts, such as 1 bearing a tetradentate N4 ligand (LN4) and 2 bearing a pentadentate N5 ligand (LN5), and using various oxidants, such as H2O2, alkyl hydroperoxides, and iodosylbenzene (PhIO). As expected, 1 possessing two cis-binding sites is an effective catalyst i...