Recyclable helical poly(phenylacetylene)‐supported catalyst for asymmetric aldol reaction in aqueous media

Abstract

ABSTRACTA novel one‐handed helical poly(phenylacetylene) bearing L‐hydroxyproline pendants (poly(PA‐P)) was synthesized as an eco‐friendly polymer‐supported catalyst for asymmetric reactions. The helical poly(PA‐P) catalyzed the asymmetric aldol reactions of cyclohexanone with p‐nitrobenzaldehyde, and showed good recyclability and higher enantiomeric excess (ee) in aqueous medias than that in organic medias. The one‐handed helicity of poly(PA‐P) was clearly affected by the water content in the aqueous media. The helical poly(PA‐P) showed the higher enantioselectivity (ee = 99%) than its monomer PA‐P (ee = 54%) in THF/H2O (H2O vol % = 25.0 vol %). After the one‐handed helical structure of poly(PA‐P) was destroyed by grinding treatment, the ee of the reaction clearly decreased from 99 to 49%. These indicate that the one‐handed helical structure of poly(PA‐P) played an important role in the high enantioselectivity of the asymmetric aldol reactions in the aqueous media. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1024–1031