Chiral Catalyst System Research Articles

Organocatalysis for Enantioselective Decarboxylative Nucleophilic Addition Reactions

AbstractThe catalytic decarboxylation of malonic acid half oxy‐ and thioesters, β‐ketocarboxylic acids, and their related compounds is a straightforward, powerful, and atom‐economical strategy for the in‐situ formation of enolates, which are important and well‐studied synthons for various functional materials and natural products. This strategy, inspired by the biosynthesis of polyketides and fatty acids, is an attractive method for synthesizing enols from carboxyl compounds with less reactive α‐hydrogen atoms under mild conditions. In addition, these reactions are environmentally friendly and are of great interest to chemists because the use of a stoichiometric amount of base can be avoided, and the only byproduct is CO2. Thus far, remarkable progress has been made, especially in the field of organocatalytic enantioselective decarboxylation reactions, allowing for the stereocontrolled formation of new C−H, C−C, C−heteroatom, and C−X bonds. This review provides a comprehensive overview of organocatalytic enantioselective decarboxylation reactions and highlights the significant progress made since 2020. In particular, it focuses on chiral catalyst systems and transition states as key parameters for decarboxylation reactions.

Photochemical Synthesis of Chiral Heterocycles via Asymmetric Carbon‐Heteroatom Bond Formation

AbstractChiral heterocyclic compounds play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical science, materials science, and agrochemical industries. The critical step for synthesizing chiral heterocycles is the formation of asymmetric carbon‐heteroatom bonds, which can be achieved in a chiral environment under thermal or photochemical conditions. However, photochemical asymmetric transformation has become an area of immense growth in the past 15 years. In the drug discovery and development era, chiral photochemical transformations have drawn the attention of researchers to develop new synthetic strategies for chiral heterocycles via asymmetric carbon‐heteroatom bond formation. Chiral photochemistry in the pathway of asymmetric synthesis requires a chirality source which is transferred to the products. A catalytic chiral metal complexing agent or a chiral photosensitizer that generally follows a single electron transfer (SET) or oxidative and reductive quenching cycle has been widely exploited to achieve this goal. In this review, we have demonstrated the recent development of photochemical synthesis of chiral heterocycles via asymmetric carbon‐heteroatom bond formation by using a chiral metal catalyst, asymmetric organocatalyst, or dual catalytic system based on their plausible mechanism.

Bimetallic Ru/Ru-Catalyzed Asymmetric One-Pot Sequential Hydrogenations for the Stereodivergent Synthesis of Chiral Lactones.

Asymmetric sequential hydrogenations of α-methylene γ- or δ-keto carboxylic acids are established in one-pot using a bimetallic Ru/Ru catalyst system, achieving the stereodivergent synthesis of all four stereoisomers of both chiral γ- and δ-lactones with two non-vicinal carbon stereocenters in high yields (up to 99%) and with excellent stereoselectivities (up to >99% ee and >20:1 dr). The compatibility of the two chiral Ru catalyst systems is investigated in detail, and it is found that the basicity of the reaction system plays a key role in the sequential hydrogenation processes. The protocol can be performed on a gram-scale with a low catalyst loading (up to 11000 S/C) and the resulting products allow for many transformations, particularly for the synthesis of several key intermediates useful for the preparation of chiral drugs and natural products.

Catalytic Enantioselective Alkyne Addition to Nitrones Enabled by Tunable Axially Chiral Imidazole-Based P,N-Ligands.

Although catalytic enantioselective alkyne addition is an established method for the synthesis of chiral propargylic alcohols and amines, addition to nitrones presents unique challenges, and no general chiral catalyst system has been developed. In this manuscript, we report the first Cu-catalyzed enantioselective alkyne addition to nitrones utilizing tunable axially chiral imidazole-based P,N-ligands. Our approach effectively overcomes difficulties in both reactivity and selectivity, resulting in a simple Cu-catalyzed protocol. The reaction accommodates a wide range of nitrones and alkynes, enabling the streamlined synthesis of chiral propargyl N-hydroxylamines via the enantioselective C-C bond formation. A diverse array of optically active nitrogen-containing compounds, including chiral hydroxylamines, can be accessed directly through facile transformations of the reaction products.

Asymmetric synthesis of aryl-substituted pyrrolidines by using CFAM ligand-AgOAc chiral system via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction.

We have prepared a ligand library based on a ferrocenyl aziridinyl methanol core unit (simply called FAM) having a phenyl group, a cyclohexyl group, and a naphthyl group to be used in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (1,3-DC) reactions for the synthesis of chiral pyrrolidines. These chiral ligands were used with AgOAc in 1,3-DC reactions taking place between the aryl-substituted azomethine ylides and N-methylmaleimide as the dipolarophile. In each case, the expected aryl-substituted pyrrolidines were obtained in good to excellent yields with acceptable enantioselectivities favoring only the endo product. The chiral catalyst system CFAM4-AgOAc was also used in 1,3-DC reaction with different dipolarophiles such as dimethyl maleate, tert-butyl acrylate, methyl acrylate, trans-chalcone, and vinyl sulfone. In each case, the cycloadducts were obtained in acceptable yields albeit with low ee. Fortunately, it was possible to increase the ee up to >99% upon crystallization.

Accessing unnatural α-amino acids with tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers via catalytic enantioselective reactions of ketimine-type α-iminoesters/α-iminoamides.

Catalytic enantioselective synthesis methodologies have been actively explored and developed owing to the significance of chiral molecules and their utilities. In particular, unnatural α-amino acids with tetrasubstituted stereogenic carbon centers (α-tertiary amino acids; ATAAs) are undoubtedly among the most valuable compounds. Asymmetric addition to an α-iminoester or α-iminoamide is widely recognized as a straightforward, powerful, and atom-economical strategy for accessing optically active α-amino acids and their derivatives. However, this type of chemistry, which relies on ketimine-type electrophiles, was quite limited only a few decades ago owing to low reactivities and difficulties associated with enantiofacial control. This feature article comprehensively overviews this research field and highlights the significant progress that has been made. In particular, it focuses on the chiral catalyst system and the transition state as the key parameters for such reactions.

Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Carbofunctionalization of Uncommon C,N-Diacyliminium Ions: Controlling Regio- and Enantioselectivity.

The tricyclic azepino[1,2-a]indole acetates 7, readily accessible by visible-light-driven catalytic photooxygenation of cyclohepta[b]indoles 1, are convenient precursors to novel and uncommon cyclic C,N-diacyliminium ions 3. We report here the first Lewis acid-catalyzed C-C bond forming reactions of these species with TMSCN and silyl enol ethers as nucleophiles and utilizing TIPSOTf as well as Sc(OTf)3 as catalysts. Employing Sc(OTf)3/pybox complexes as a chiral catalyst system, regio- and enantioselective asymmetric alkylations with silyl enol ethers were achieved.

Synthesis of 2,2'-Dihalobiaryls via Cu-Catalyzed Halogenation of Cyclic Diaryliodonium Salts.

We report an efficient method for the preparation of various 2,2'-dihalobiaryls from cyclic diaryliodonium salts. With cheap halogen sources as starting materials, a broad range of 2,2'-diiodobiaryls, 2-bromo-2'-iodobiaryls, and 2-chloro-2'-iodobiaryls were obtained under mild reaction conditions. More importantly, a chiral copper-bisoxazoline catalyst system was further developed for the preparation of axially chiral 2,2'-dihalobiaryls in excellent yields and enantioselectivities, which can serve as versatile precursors for the synthesis of various chiral ligands.

Asymmetric Alternating Copolymerization of CO2 with meso-Epoxides: Ring Size Effects of Epoxides on Reactivity, Enantioselectivity, Crystallization, and Degradation

In this study, we report a systematical investigation regarding the ring size effects of meso-epoxides on reactivity and enantioselectivity as well as crystallization and degradation of the polycarbonates resulting from the asymmetric alternating copolymerization of various alicyclic epoxides (cyclopentene oxide, cyclohexene oxide, cycloheptene oxide, and cyclooctene oxide) with CO2 using the privileged chiral catalyst system of biphenol-linked bimetallic salcyCo(III)DNP complex and PPN-DNP (PPN = bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium and DNP = 2,4-dinitrophenoxide). The ring size of meso-epoxides has a strong impact on both reactivity and enantioselectivity: epoxide with a six-membered ring is highly reactive, five- or seven-membered-ring fused epoxide is less reactive, and especially, no copolymerization reactivity is observed for cyclooctene oxide with an eight-membered ring due to the inherent high steric hindrance of the crowded catalytic active site for binding the epoxide and growing copolymer chain. Moreover, a reverse relationship was discovered between copolymerization reactivity and enantioselectivity. In addition, further investigation has demonstrated that the ring size of meso-epoxides also impacts significantly crystallization, stereocomplexation, and degradation of the resultant polycarbonates.

Helix-Sense-Selective Polymerization of 3,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)phenylacetylene Rigidly Bearing Galvinoxyl Residues and Their Chiroptical Properties.

Four kinds of newly synthesized achiral phenylacetylenes bearing a phenylhydrogalvinoxyl residue at 4-position were polymerized by using a chiral rhodium catalyst system, [Rh(nbd)B(C6H5)4] or [Rh(nbd)Cl]2 catalysts in the presence of chiral (R)-(+)- or (S)-(–)-1-phenylethylamine ((R)- or (S)-PEA) cocatalysts. Poly(m-HGDHPA) and poly(m-HGTHPA) in THF showed Cotton signals at the absorption regions of the main chain and hydrogalvinoxyl in the circular dichroism (CD) spectra. It indicated that excess of one-handed helical polyacetylene backbone was induced by helix-sense-selective polymerization (HSSP) under the asymmetric conditions despite the achiral monomer, and the hydrogalvinoxyl moieties were also arranged to form one-handed helical structure. However, there was no Cotton effect for poly(p-HGDHPA) and poly(p-HGTHPA) because the intramolecular hydrogen bonding did not act well to stabilize the helical conformation. The hydrogalvinoxyl units of poly(m-HGDHPA) and poly(m-HGTHPA) were converted to the corresponding galvinoxyl radicals after treatment with PbO2. In the CD spectra of the polyradicals, the Cotton effects decreased depending on their static stability of helical conformation, suggesting that reversal conformation of the polymer chain arose.

Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Borylation of Unactivated Methylene C(sp3)-H Bonds.

Herein, we show the highly enantioselective borylation of unactivated methylene C(sp3)-H bonds in 2-alkylpyridines and 2-alkyl-1,3-azole derivatives using an iridium-BINOL-based chiral monophosphite catalyst system. Quantum chemical calculations using the artificial force induced reaction (AFIR) method suggested that a monophosphite-Ir-tris(boryl) complex generates a narrow chiral reaction pocket where the differentiation of the enantiotopic methylene C-H bonds is accomplished through an assembly of multiple noncovalent interactions.

Predictive Model for the [Rh2(esp)2]-Catalyzed Intermolecular C(sp3)–H Bond Insertion of β-Carbonyl Ester Carbenes: Interplay between Theory and Experiment

Intermolecular C(sp3)–H insertions of β-carbonyl ester dirhodium-carbenes are extremely rare. Toward developing efficient reactions of these carbenes, a model for their insertion into C(sp3)–H bonds is described using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In this study, the relevant electronic and steric components of β-carbonyl ester dirhodium-carbenes that affect intermolecular C(sp3)–H activation energies are explored, parametrized, and used to construct an intuitive model for predicting propensity for C–H insertion. The resulting insights from the theoretical investigation are actualized through experiments to establish reactivity trends for these species and reaction discovery. On the basis of these integrated computational and experimental efforts, examples of intermolecular C(sp3)–H insertions featuring secondary α-diazo-β-amide esters are reported. The resulting carbenes feature an intramolecular 1,6-hydrogen bond that affords increased stability and enhanced reactivity for C(sp3)–H insertion as compared to other β-carbonyl ester dirhodium-carbenes. The reactivity of these carbenes is also highlighted through (1) an example of a cyclopropanation reaction and (2) the use of a chiral dirhodium catalyst system.

Helix-Sense-Selective Polymerization of Phenylacetylenes Having a Porphyrin and a Zinc-Porphyrin Group: One-Handed Helical Arrangement of Porphyrin Pendants.

Newly synthesized two kinds of achiral phenylacetylenes having a free-base- or a zinc-porphyrin (1 and Zn1, respectively) were polymerized by using a chiral rhodium catalyst system, Rh+(nbd)[(η6-C6H5)B–(C6H5)3] catalyst and (R)-(+)- or (S)-(–)-1-phenylethylamine ((R)- or (S)-PEA, respectively) cocatalyst. Poly(1) and poly(Zn1) in THF showed a Cotton signal at the absorption region of the porphyrin and the main chain in the circular dichroism (CD) spectra. This result suggests that poly(1) and poly(Zn1) exist in a conformation with an excess of one-handed helix sense and the porphyrin moiety arranged in chiral helical fashion. The one-handed helical structure of poly(1) could be sustained in a mixture of THF/HMPA (10/2, v/v) due to stabilizing by stacking effect of porphyrin moieties along the main chain. This is the first example about helix-sense-selective polymerization by using Rh+(nbd)[(η6-C6H5)B–(C6H5)3] catalyst. Additionally, poly(Zn1) showed about 10 times larger CD intensity in comparison with poly(1). This result suggests the regularity of arrangement of the porphyrin in poly(Zn1) is higher compared with poly(1). Spatial arrangement of porphyrins was achieved by utilizing a one-handed helical poly(phenylacetylenes) as a template.

An Enantioselective CpxRh(III)‐Catalyzed C−H Functionalization/Ring‐Opening Route to Chiral Cyclopentenylamines

AbstractA chiral CpxRhIII catalyst system in situ generated from a CpxRhI(cod) precatalyst and bis(o‐toluoyl) peroxide as activating oxidant was developed for a C−H activation/ring‐opening sequence between aryl ketoxime ethers and 2,3‐diazabicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐enes. This transformation provides access to densely functionalized chiral cyclopentenylamines in excellent yields and enantioselectivities of up to 97:3 er. The reported method is also well suitable for asymmetric alkenyl C−H functionalizations of α,β‐unsaturated oxime ethers, furnishing skipped dienes with high levels of enantiocontrol.

Recent Advances in the Catalytic Enantioselective Reactions of para-Quinone Methides.

In recent years, the catalytic enantioselective reactions of p-QMs have drawn much attention, because of their distinctive reactivities. As such, a variety of chiral catalytic systems have been developed. This Focus Review describes the reactions of p-QMs according to the chiral catalyst system used, with the aim of provide the first complete picture of the exciting developments in this field. Special emphasis is placed on recent work regarding their reaction mechanisms.

Chemo- and Enantioselective Pd/B Hybrid Catalysis for the Construction of Acyclic Quaternary Carbons: Migratory Allylation of O-Allyl Esters to α- C-Allyl Carboxylic Acids.

We describe herein the asymmetric synthesis of α-allyl carboxylic acids containing an α-quaternary stereocenter by a chiral hybrid catalyst system comprising palladium and boron complexes. The reaction proceeded through palladium-catalyzed ionization of α,α-disubstituted O-allyl esters for the generation of chiral π-allyl palladium complex as an electrophile, boron-catalyzed enolization of the carboxylate part for the generation of chiral α,α-disubstituted carboxylic acid-derived enolates as a nucleophile, and enantioselective coupling between the thus-generated nucleophile and electrophile. Proper combinations of chiral ligands for the boron and palladium catalysts were crucial. The reaction proceeded chemoselectively at the α-position of the carboxylic acid group.

Asymmetric Synthesis of 2H-Azirines with a Tetrasubstituted Stereocenter by Enantioselective Ring Contraction of Isoxazoles.

Highly strained 2H-azirines with a tetrasubstituted stereocenter were synthesized by the enantioselective isomerization of isoxazoles with a chiral diene-rhodium catalyst system. The effect of ligands and the coordination behavior support the proposed catalytic cycle in which the coordination site is fixed in favor of efficient enantiodiscrimination by a bulky substituent of the ligand. In silico studies also support the existence of a rhodium-imido complex as a key intermediate for enantiodiscrimination.

Chiral Aluminum Catalyst System for the Enantioselective Addition of Vinylaluminum Reagents to Aldehydes: Metal Controlled Reversal of Enantioselectivity

AbstractA chiral aluminum catalyst system has been developed for the enantioselective vinylation of aldehydes. β,β‐Disubstituted (E)‐vinylaluminum reagents, generated regio‐ and stereoselectively by the carboalumination of terminal alkynes with trimethylalumunim (Me3Al), were used straightforwardly without transmetalation to vinyltitanium reagents in the subsequent enantioselective addition to aldehydes with a DPP‐H8‐BINOL‐derived chiral aluminum catalyst at low catalyst loading (5 mol%). The reaction afforded the corresponding enantiomerically enriched secondary allylic alcohols with a reversal of the selectivity observed in closely related reactions catalyzed by a chiral titanium complex derived from the same ligand.magnified image

ChemInform Abstract: Development of Highly Active Chiral Titanium Catalysts for the Enantioselective Addition of Various Organometallic Reagents to Aldehydes

AbstractReview: [56 refs.

Development of Highly Active Chiral Titanium Catalysts for the Enantioselective Addition of Various Organometallic Reagents to Aldehydes.

The catalytic enantioselective carbonyl addition reaction has long attracted the interest of chemists because of its synthetic importance. Although many highly enantioselective reactions have been developed, with few exceptions the reactions are carried out at relatively high catalyst loadings, making them less practical for scale-up applications. In addition, organometallic reagents employed as carbon nucleophiles have been limited to those with relatively low reactivity, such as diorganozincs and arylboronic acids. In an effort to enhance the practicality, a highly active and enantioselective chiral titanium catalyst system was recently developed in our laboratory, enabling the enantioselective carbonyl addition reaction to aldehydes using various organometallic reagents (RM; M = MgX, Li, BY2 , ZnX, AlMe2 ) at lower catalyst loadings (≤5 mol %).