Asymmetric Oxidative Coupling Research Articles

Catalytic Asymmetric Oxidative Coupling between C(sp3)-H Bonds and Carboxylic Acids.

The direct enantioselective functionalization of C(sp3)-H bonds in organic molecules could fundamentally transform the synthesis of chiral molecules. In particular, the enantioselective oxidation of these bonds would dramatically change the production methods of chiral alcohols and esters, which are prevalent in natural products, pharmaceuticals, and fine chemicals. Remarkable advances have been made in the enantioselective construction of carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen bonds through the C(sp3)-H bond functionalization. However, the direct enantioselective formation of carbon-oxygen bonds from C(sp3)-H bonds remains a considerable challenge. We herein report a highly enantioselective C(sp3)-H bond oxidative coupling with carboxylic acids. The method applies to allylic and propargylic C-H bonds and employs various carboxylic acids as oxygenating agents. The method successfully synthesized a range of chiral esters directly from readily available alkenes and alkynes, greatly simplifying the synthesis of chiral esters and related alcohols.

Chiral α-Aminophosphonates as Ligands in Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Oxidative Coupling of 2-Naphthols.

Chiral α-aminophosphonates with adjacent carbon and phosphonate stereogenic centers have been employed as ligands in the copper-catalyzed oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols, resulting in the production of chiral BINOLs in favorable yields and moderate to good enantiomeric excess. This represents the first application of chiral P-based ligands to enable such a transformation. The synthesis of these chiral α-aminophosphonate ligands offers a significant advantage over approaches that typically necessitate elaborate synthetic processes for chiral ligand production.

Iron-catalyzed asymmetric Csp3–H/Csp3–H coupling: improving the chirality induction by mechanochemical liquid-assisted grinding

A mechanochemical iron-catalyzed asymmetric oxidative coupling between glycines and β-ketoesters has been disclosed, utilizing t-BuOH to improve the enantioselectivity and stabilize the iminium intermediate via intensified hydrogen bond interactions.

Expanding the Promiscuity of a Copper-Dependent Oxidase for Enantioselective Cross-Coupling of Indoles.

Herein, we disclose the highly enantioselective oxidative cross-coupling of 3-hydroxyindole esters with various nucleophilic partners as catalyzed by copper efflux oxidase. The biocatalytic transformation delivers functionalized 2,2-disubstituted indolin-3-ones with excellent optical purity (90-99 % ee), which exhibited anticancer activity against MCF-7 cell lines, as shown by preliminary biological evaluation. Mechanistic studies and molecular docking results suggest the formation of a phenoxyl radical and enantiocontrol facilitated by a suited enzyme chiral pocket. This study is significant with regard to expanding the catalytic repertoire of natural multicopper oxidases as well as enlarging the synthetic toolbox for sustainable asymmetric oxidative coupling.

Expanding the Promiscuity of a Copper‐Dependent Oxidase for Enantioselective Cross‐Coupling of Indoles

AbstractHerein, we disclose the highly enantioselective oxidative cross‐coupling of 3‐hydroxyindole esters with various nucleophilic partners as catalyzed by copper efflux oxidase. The biocatalytic transformation delivers functionalized 2,2‐disubstituted indolin‐3‐ones with excellent optical purity (90–99 % ee), which exhibited anticancer activity against MCF‐7 cell lines, as shown by preliminary biological evaluation. Mechanistic studies and molecular docking results suggest the formation of a phenoxyl radical and enantiocontrol facilitated by a suited enzyme chiral pocket. This study is significant with regard to expanding the catalytic repertoire of natural multicopper oxidases as well as enlarging the synthetic toolbox for sustainable asymmetric oxidative coupling.

μ-Oxo-bis[(octacosafluoro-meso-tetraphenylporphyrinato)iron(iii)] - synthesis, crystal structure, and catalytic activity in oxidation reactions.

We describe the synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of μ-oxo-bis[(octacosafluoro-meso-tetraphenylporphyrinato)iron(iii)] [(FeTPPF28)2O]. This novel iron complex is an efficient catalyst for oxidative biaryl coupling reactions of diarylamines and carbazoles. The asymmetric oxidative coupling in the presence of an axially chiral biaryl phosphoric acid as co-catalyst provides the 2,2'-bis(arylamino)-1,1'-biaryl in 96% ee. The Wacker-type oxidation of alkenes to the corresponding ketones with (FeTPPF28)2O as catalyst in the presence of phenylsilane proceeds at room temperature with air as the terminal oxidant. For internal and aliphatic alkenes increased ketone/alcohol product ratios were obtained.

Novel Axially Chiral Ligand-Enabled Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Oxidative Coupling of 2-Naphthols for the Synthesis of 6,6'-Disubstituted BINOLs.

Novel axially chiral ligands have been designed and synthesized by merging the chelating picolinic acid with substituted BINOLs. The in-situ-prepared copper catalysts from the ligands and CuI enable the asymmetric oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols, affording 6,6'-disubstituted BINOLs in up to 89% yield with good enantioselectivities (up to 96:4 e.r.).

Organocatalytic asymmetric formal oxidative coupling for the construction of all-aryl quaternary stereocenters.

A new catalytic asymmetric formal cross dehydrogenative coupling process for the construction of all-aryl quaternary stereocenters is disclosed, which provides access to rarely explored chiral tetraarylmethanes with excellent enantioselectivity. The suitable oxidation conditions and the hydrogen-bond-based organocatalysis have enabled efficient intermolecular C–C bond formation in an overwhelmingly crowded environment under mild conditions. para-Quinone methides bearing an ortho-directing group serve as the key intermediate. The precise loading of DDQ is critical to the high enantioselectivity. The chiral products have also been demonstrated as promising antiviral agents.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Cross-Selective Asymmetric Oxidative Coupling of Arenols.

(Aqua)ruthenium(salen) complex 1c achieved good to high chemo- and enantioselective oxidative cross-coupling of arenols. The catalytic system can be used to selectively produce C1-symmetric bis(arenol)s from the combination of C3- and C7-substituted 2-naphthols or phenols even when there is no significant difference in oxidation potential between the cross-coupling partners. This unique cross-selectivity is dominated by steric rather than electronic effects of the arenols and can be controlled by chemoselective single-electron oxidation and oxidative carbon-carbon bond formation.

Toward Rational Understandings of α-C-H Functionalization: Energetic Studies of Representative Tertiary Amines.

SummaryFunctionalization of α-C–H bonds of tertiary amines to build various α-C–X bonds has become a mainstream in synthetic chemistry nowadays. However, due to lack of fundamental knowledge on α-C–H bond strength as an energetic guideline, rational exploration of new synthetic methodologies remains a far-reaching anticipation. Herein, we report a unique hydricity-based approach to establish the first integrated energetic scale covering both the homolytic and heterolytic energies of α-C–H bonds for 45 representative tertiary amines and their radical cations. As showcased from the studies on tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs) by virtue of their thermodynamic criteria, the feasibility and mechanisms of THIQ oxidation were deduced, which, indeed, were found to correspond well with experimental observations. This integrated scale provides a good example to relate bond energetics with mechanisms and thermodynamic reactivity of amine α-C–H functionalization and hence, may be referenced for analyzing similar structure-property problems for various substrates.

Cu(II) complexes derived from N-carboxymethyl and N-carboxyethyl amino acids as catalysts for asymmetric oxidative coupling of 2-naphthol

The synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance of chiral Cu(II) complexes derived from N-carboxymethylated and N-carboxyethylated amino acids is reported. The ligand precursors are prepared by single step N-alkylation of the sodium salts of the appropriate chiral amino acid with either sodium chloroacetate or sodium 3-chloropropionate in water. The Cu(II) complexes are obtained upon reaction of Cu(CH3COO)2 with the aqueous or alcoholic suspension of the suitable ligand under vigorous stirring or ultrasound irradiation at room temperature. The Cu(II) compounds are characterised by EPR, UV–vis, circular dichroism and ESI-MS. The molecular structures of two of the prepared complexes are also obtained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The catalytic activity of the complexes in the asymmetric oxidative coupling of 2-naphthol is described. All compounds exhibit moderate activity, selectivity and enantioselectivity in ethanol/water mixtures, under aerobic conditions and using potassium iodide as additive. The yields of 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) reached 50% under the optimal conditions, while enantiomeric excesses reached ca. 48%. The effect of variables such as ligand substituents, solvent, temperature and additives on the catalytic activity is also described. In the absence of a base, the complexes only show catalytic activity in the presence of alkali metal iodide such as KI. Details of the oxidative coupling mechanism are studied using spectroscopic and electrochemical methodologies.

Asymmetric Organocatalytic Oxidative Coupling of Indoles with Aldehydes

Asymmetric Organocatalytic Oxidative Coupling of Indoles with Aldehydes

Transition Metal Catalyzed Aerobic Asymmetric Coupling of 2-Naphthols

Optically pure 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) and its derivatives are among the most widely used chiral ligands and auxiliaries for asymmetric synthesis. These molecules also occur as scaffolds for various biologically active compounds. Direct oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols in the presence of chiral catalysts provides a powerful strategy for the synthesis of optically pure 1,1′-bi-2-naphthols (BINOLS). In 1978, Wynberg with co-workers discovered that a copper salt with chiral auxiliary mediates the oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols, which can be taken as the starting point for further progress in this area. Over the last decades, a number of efficient and stereoselective catalyst systems have been developed. This mini-review surveys the aerobic asymmetric oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols catalyzed by transition metal complexes reported since 1995.

Asymmetric Oxidative Coupling of Carboxylic Acids to α-Branched Aldehydes

Key words oxidative coupling - amine catalysis - aldehydes - carboxylic acids

Enantioselective Vanadium-Catalyzed Oxidative Coupling: Development and Mechanistic Insights

The evolution of a more reactive chiral vanadium catalyst for enantioselective oxidative coupling of phenols is reported, ultimately resulting in a simple monomeric vanadium species combined with a Brønsted or Lewis acid additive. The resultant vanadium complex is found to effect the asymmetric oxidative ortho-ortho coupling of simple phenols and 2-hydroxycarbazoles with good to excellent levels of enantioselectivity. Experimental and quantum mechanical studies of the mechanism indicate that the additives aggregate the vanadium monomers. In addition, a singlet to triplet crossover is implicated prior to carbon-carbon bond formation. The two lowest energy diastereomeric transition states leading to the enantiomeric products differ substantially with the path to the minor enantiomer involving greater torsional strain between the two phenol moieties.

Asymmetric oxidative coupling of hydroxycarbazoles: Facile synthesis of (+)-bi-2-hydroxy-3-methylcarbazole

Asymmetric oxidative coupling reactions of hydroxycarbazoles have been established using a chiral dinuclear vanadium complex. To demonstrate the utility of vanadium-catalyzed reactions, we have used them to synthesize (+)-bi-2-hydroxy-3-carbazole in three steps from cyclohexanone and commercially available aniline derivatives.

Highly efficient asymmetric aerobic oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols in the presence of bioinspired iron aminopyridine complexes

For the first time, it has been shown that chiral bipyrrolidine derived bioinspired non-heme iron complexes of the types [LFeX2], [LFe(μ-O)2FeL][X]4, and [LFe(μ-O)(μ-OAc)FeL][X]2 (where L – aminopyridine ligand, X−=OTf−, SbF6−, ClO4−) are capable of efficiently conducting aerobic oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols in an asymmetric fashion, with formation of the corresponding enantiomerically enriched BINOLs (up to 56% ee) in good yields (up to 94% within 24h), using as little as 1mol% of the catalyst. The effect of ligand substitutents, solvent, counteranion, 2-naphthol structure, and oxygen pressure on the catalytic performance has been systematically examined.

Asymmetric Oxidative Coupling of Phenols and Hydroxycarbazoles.

The first examples of asymmetric oxidative coupling of simple phenols and 2-hydroxycarbazoles are outlined. Generation of a more vanadium catalyst by ligand design and by addition of an exogenous Brønsted or Lewis acid was found to be key to coupling the more oxidatively resistant phenols. The resultant vanadium complex is both more Lewis acidic and more strongly oxidizing. Good to excellent levels of enantioselectivity could be obtained, and simple trituration readily provided the products with ≥95% ee.

Reversal of Enantioselectivity Approach to BINOLs via Single and Dual 2-Naphthol Activation Modes.

A mechanism-driven enantiodivergent approach to chiral 1,1'-bi-2-naphthols via catalytic asymmetric oxidative coupling of 2-naphthol derivatives is described for the first time. By utilizing 2-naphthol derivatives with low oxidation potential, the substrates were activated by either chiral mononuclear or dinuclear vanadium(V) catalyst to promote distinctively different asymmetric reaction pathways: single versus dual substrate activation mechanisms.

Catalytic Asymmetric Electrochemical Oxidative Coupling of Tertiary Amines with Simple Ketones.

Catalytic asymmetric electrochemical C-H functionalization of simple ketones has been developed. The transformation is realized by the combination of electrochemical oxidation and chiral primary amine catalysis. This metal- and oxidant-free method furnishes diverse C1-alkylated tetrahydroisoquinolines in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities under very mild conditions.