Oxazoline Ligands Research Articles

Electrochemical Enantioselective Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Aldehydes with Aryl Iodides.

The preparation of enantioenriched diarylmethanol derivatives is described using nickel-catalyzed electrochemical cross-couplings between various alkyl/aryl aldehydes and aryl iodides. Performed in an electrochemical cell equipped with an iron anode and a nickel cathode, this electrocatalytic variant led to the scalemic targeted products in the presence of 2,2-bis((4R,5S)-4,5-diphenyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-2-yl)acetonitrile (L2), as enantiopure cyano-bis(oxazoline) ligand. X-ray structure analysis of a pre-catalyst, for instance the [Ni(II)(L2)2] complex, with L2 as an anionic bisoxazolinate ligand, confirms the chemical formulation of one nickel surrounded by two ligands. The redox behavior of the new Ni complexes generated in situ was first assessed by cyclic voltammetry showing a redox wave at ca. -1.5 V that can be assigned to the two-electron reduction of the Ni(II) center to the Ni(0) state. Oxidative addition between the electrogenerated Ni(0) complex and aryl iodide was evidenced. An intense current was observed in presence of a mixture of the two substrates pertaining an electrocatalytic process. Interestingly, we found that the sacrificial iron anode plays a crucial role in the catalytic mechanism.

Copper‐Catalyzed Simultaneous Dehydrogenation and Enantioselective Allylic Oxidation of Alkanes Using Chiral Heterogeneous Ligands to Produce Allylic Esters and Theoretical Investigation of the Mechanism

ABSTRACTA new asymmetric method for preparing chiral allylic esters from various unactivated alkanes through simultaneous dehydrogenation and enantioselective allylic oxidation in the presence of chiral heterogeneous oxazoline–based ligands is reported for the first time. For this purpose, chiral amino oxazoline ligands, synthesized from chiral amino alcohols and cyanogen bromide, were immobilized on modified MCM‐41 mesoporous silica. These chiral heterogeneous ligands were then characterized using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda techniques. Finally, copper complexes of these ligands were employed in the synthesis of chiral allylic esters, achieving the best result with a 90% yield and 77% enantiomeric excess. Evaluation of the recyclability of the chiral heterogeneous catalysts revealed that they can be reused three times without a noticeable reduction in the results. In addition, the mechanism of formation of the chiral allylic esters was investigated using a density functional theory method.

Enhancing stability of cationic palladium complexes with hemilabile 2-benzyl oxazoline ligands: Structural insights and catalytic implications

This article describes the synthesis and characterization of Pd cationic complexes incorporating mono(2-benzyl oxazoline) ligands. Our study focuses on exploring the impact of electrostatic interactions of aromatic π-electrons of the benzyl group, aimed at enhancing the structural rigidity of cationic Pd complexes. Introduction of an aromatic moiety, which weakly coordinates with the Pd cation, led to a two-fold increase in the stability of the Pd cationic complex compared to complexes lacking any coordinating substituents. This research represents the initial instance of a cationic Pd complex with 2-benzyl oxazolines, highlighting the importance of weak electrostatic interactions in elucidating the three-dimensional structure of a metal complex.

Redox Activity and Potentials of Bidentate N-Ligands Commonly Applied in Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions.

Bidentate N-ligands are paramount to recent advances in nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Through comprehensive organometallic, spectroscopic, and computational studies on bi-oxazoline and imidazoline ligands, we reveal that a square planar geometry enables redox activity of these ligands in stabilizing nickel radical species. This finding contrasts with the prior assumption that bi-oxazoline lacks redox activity due to strong mesomeric donation. Moreover, we conducted systematic cyclic voltammetry (CV) analyses of bidentate pyridyl, oxazoline, and imidazoline nitrogen ligands, along with their corresponding nickel complexes. Complexation with nickel shifts the reduction potentials to a more positive region and narrows the differences in redox potentials among the ligands. Additionally, various ligands led to different degrees of bromide dissociation from singly reduced (L)Ni(Ar)(Br) complexes, reflecting varying reactivity in the subsequent activation of alkyl halides, a crucial step in cross-electrophile coupling. These insights highlight the significant electronic effects of ligands on the stability of metalloradical species and their redox potentials, which interplay with coordination geometry. Quantifying the electron-donating, π-accepting properties of these ligands, as well as their effect on catalyst speciation, provides crucial benchmarks for controlling catalytic activity and enhancing catalyst stability.

Nickel-Catalyzed Asymmetric Borylative Coupling of 1,3-Dienes with Aldehydes

AbstractThe nickel-catalyzed borylative coupling of aldehydes and 1,3-dienes with diboron reagents offers an efficient method for synthesizing valuable homoallylic alcohols from easily accessible starting materials. However, achieving enantioselectivity in this reaction has been a significant challenge. We discuss our recent report on the first example of a nickel-catalyzed enantioselective borylative coupling of aldehydes with 1,3-dienes, employing a chiral spiro-phosphine–oxazoline ligand. Notably, by utilizing (E)-1,3-dienes or (Z)-1,3-dienes, we can reverse the diastereoselectivity, yielding either anti- or syn-products, respectively.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydroboration of α-Substituted Acrylates.

Even though metal-catalyzed enantioselective hydroborations of alkenes have attracted enormous attention, few preparatively useful reactions of α-alkyl acrylic acid derivatives are known, and most use rhodium catalysts. No examples of asymmetric hydroboration of the corresponding α-arylacrylic acid esters are known. In our continuing efforts to search for new applications of earth-abundant cobalt catalysts for broadly applicable organic transformations, we have identified 2-(2-diarylphosphinophenyl)oxazoline ligands and mild reaction conditions for efficient and highly regio- and enantioselective hydroboration of α-alkyl- and α-aryl- acrylates, giving β-borylated propionates. Since the C-B bonds in these compounds can be readily replaced by C-O, C-N, and C-C bonds, these intermediates could serve as valuable chiral synthons, some from feedstock carbon sources, for the synthesis of propionate-bearing motifs including polyketides and related molecules. Two-step syntheses of "Roche" ester from methyl methacrylate (79%; er 99:1), arguably the most widely used chiral fragment in polyketide synthesis, and tropic acid esters (∼80% yield; er ∼93:7), which are potential intermediates for several medicinally important classes of compounds, illustrate the power of the new methods. Mechanistic studies confirm the requirement of a cationic Co(I) species [(L)Co]+as the viable catalyst in these reactions and rule out the possibility of a [L]Co-H-initiated route, which has been well-established in related hydroborations of other classes of alkenes. A mechanism involving an oxidative migration of a boryl group to the β-carbon of an η4-coordinated acrylate-cobalt complex is proposed as a plausible route.

Synthesis of bis(oxazoline)-based rare-earth metal complexes and their catalytic performance in the polymerization of isoprene and polar ortho-methoxystyrene.

A series of bis(oxazoline) rare-earth metal dialkyl complexes [(L)Ln(CH2SiMe3)2(THF)n] (L = L1 (dimethyl-substituted bis(oxazoline) ligand), Ln = Y (1-Y), Lu (1-Lu), Sc (1-Sc), n = 1; L = L2 (phenyl-substituted bis(oxazoline) ligand), Ln = Y (2-Y), Lu (2-Lu), Sc (2-Sc), n = 2) was successfully prepared. NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction indicated that all the complexes ligated with a C2 symmetric bis(oxazoline) and two trimethylsilylmethyl ligands. In the presence of borate and triisobutyl aluminium, these complexes exhibited high catalytic activity for the polymerization of isoprene, yielding the polymer with high cis-1,4-regularity (up to 99.9%) and high molecular weight. Moreover, these ternary catalytic systems also served as efficient initiators for the polymerization of polar ortho-methoxystyrene. However, atactic polymers in all the cases were isolated despite the C2 symmetric geometry of bis(oxazoline) ligands.

Supramolecular bidentate rhodium(I) or iridium(I) phosphine and oxazoline amino acid bioconjugates as selective catalysts for enantioselective reactions.

This publication describes monodentate phosphine and oxazoline ligands attached to an amino acid ester and the application of their supramolecularly assembled rhodium(I) or iridium(I) complexes in asymmetric catalysis. The major feature of these complexes is the transmission of chirality from distant hydrogen bonded amino acids to the prochiral catalytic metal center ("backdoor induction"). The in situ generated homoleptic and heteroleptic rhodium(I) or iridium(I) precatalysts were studied by NMR, UV-VIS and CD spectroscopy as well as X-ray single crystal diffraction. In asymmetric hydrogenation of methyl α-acetamidocinnamate, rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes afforded complete conversions with enantioselectivities up to 85%, while iridium complexes proved to be more sensitive to the variation of reaction conditions, including catalyst loading, metal to ligand ratio and temperature. The hydrogenation of four other dehydroamino acid substrates resulted in similar conversion and selectivity as obtained with methyl α-acetamidocinnamate. The influence of the phosphine/oxazoline heteroleptic mixtures in catalysis was studied using both rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes. Finally, a homoleptic phosphine rhodium(I) complex was successfully applied in asymmetric hydroformylation of styrene and 1-octene with complete conversions and selectivity up to 40% ee for the branched styrene product.

A Site-Specific Synthetic Route to Substituted Inda(box) Ligands.

Aminoindanol-derived bis(oxazoline) ligands are widely used in metal-catalyzed transformations, but the synthesis of structural derivatives is challenging. We report the gram-scale, seven-step synthesis of five bromine-functionalized inda(box) ligands that have varied bridge substituents. The bromoinda(box) ligands undergo late-stage modification via Pd-catalyzed cross-couplings, which allows for the synthesis of twelve unique inda(box) ligands. This complementary synthetic route could enable the discovery of new asymmetric metal-catalyzed transformations through the modification of the inda(box) ligand architecture.

Synthesis of α-Hydroxyl and α-Amino Pyridinyl Esters via Photoreductive Dual Radical Cross-Coupling.

A method for the synthesis of α-hydroxyl and α-amino pyridinyl esters via photoreductive dual radical cross-coupling catalyzed by the super-organoreductant CBZ6 has been developed. A wide range of 2-pyridinylation and 4-pyridinylation of either α-ketoesters or imine derivatives has been achieved. The applications in the synthesis of pyridinyl amino-hydroxyl acids as well as a new chiral oxazoline ligand have also been accomplished.

Symmetrical and Unsymmetrical Dicopper Complexes Based on Bis-Oxazoline Units: Synthesis, Spectroscopic Properties and Reactivity

Copper–oxygen adducts are known for being key active species for the oxidation of C–H bonds in copper enzymes and their synthetic models. In this work, the synthesis and spectroscopic characterizations of such intermediates using dinucleating ligands based on a 1,8 naphthyridine spacer with oxazolines or mixed pyridine-oxazoline coordination moieties as binding pockets for copper ions have been explored. On the one hand, the reaction of dicopper(I) complexes with O2 at low temperature led to the formation of a µ-η2:η2 Cu2:O2 peroxido species according to UV-Vis spectroscopy monitoring. The reaction of these species with 2,4-di-tert-butyl-phenolate resulted in the formation of the C–C coupling product, but no insertion of oxygen occurred. On the other hand, the synthesis of dinuclear Cu(II) bis-µ-hydroxido complexes based on pyridine–oxazoline and oxazoline ligands were carried out to further generate CuIICuIII oxygen species. For both complexes, a reversible monoelectronic oxidation was detected via cyclic voltammetry at E1/2 = 1.27 and 1.09 V vs. Fc+/Fc, respectively. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and UV-Vis spectroelectrochemical methods indicated the formation of a mixed-valent CuIICuIII species. Although no reactivity towards exogeneous substrates (toluene) could be observed, the CuIICuIII complexes were shown to be able to perform hydroxylation on the methyl group of the oxazoline moieties. The present study therefore indicates that the electrochemically generated CuIICuIII species described herein are capable of intramolecular aliphatic oxidation of C–H bonds.

A novel Ag3L2 coordination cage derived from a tripodal oxazoline ligand: synthesis, structure and catalysis

Coordination cages have attracted considerable attention recently due to the well-defined cavities and varied potential applications in different fields. In this work, a new tripodal oxazoline-based ligand with C3 symmetry, tris(4-(4,5-dihydrooxazol-2-yl)phenyl)amine (TOPA), was synthesized and employed to constitute coordination cage compounds. By the reaction of TOPA and AgPF6 at room temperature, a novel M3L2-type crystalline coordination cage complex was obtained with the formula of {[Ag3(TOPA)2]·(PF6)3}(1). In this complex, the adjacent two ligands coordinated with three Ag+ ions to form a coordination cage and these cages further generate the three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular networks through noncovalent interactions including hydrogen bond, C-H…π and F…Ag interactions. Moreover, cage complex 1 exhibited good catalytic performance in the cyclopropanation of styrene with methyl 2-diazo-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)acetate.

Non-nucleophilic Grignard Synthesis of Bridged Pyridine–Oxazoline Ligands and Evaluation in Palladium-Catalysed Allylic Alkylation

AbstractThe synthesis of eight pyridine-oxazoline ligands, five of which have never been reported previously, is described. The ligands were prepared in two efficient steps, initially preparing 2-pyridyl alkylnitriles, followed by their conversion into oxazolines ligands using chiral amino alcohols and zinc chloride. The 2-pyridyl nitriles are prepared via a novel SNAr alkylation reaction of 2-bromopyridine with alkyl nitriles using methylmagnesium chloride as a non-nucleophilic base in conjunction with an amine mediator. This methodology allows preparation of the existing gem-dimethyl motif and its elaboration beyond previously prepared ligands in fewer steps with simplicity and scalability. The toleration of variation in the nitrile, halopyridine, and amino alcohol starting materials allows for other novel bridging substitution which gives new ligands with enhanced reactivity. The library of bridging ligands was applied to the Pd-catalysed allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenylprop-2-enyl acetate with dimethyl malonate and afforded conversions of up to 100% and enantioselectivities of up to 68%.

Highly Enantioselective Catalytic Alkynylation of Quinolones: Substrate Scope, Mechanistic Studies, and Applications in the Syntheses of Chiral N-Heterocyclic Alkaloids and Diamines.

The alkynylation of 4-siloxyquinolinium triflates has been achieved under the influence of copper bis(oxazoline) catalysis. The identification of the optimal bis(oxazoline) ligand was informed through a computational approach that enabled the dihydroquinoline products to be produced with up to 96% enantiomeric excess. The conversions of the dihydroquinoline products to biologically relevant and diverse targets are reported.

Synthesis and structural studies of group 12 oxazoline-enolate coordination complexes of (Z)-1-R-2-(4′,4′-dimethyl-2′-oxazolin-2′-yl)-eth-1-en-1-ates; part I: the zinc derivatives

The synthesis and characterisation (IR, NMR, HR-MS, and X-ray crystallography) of six oxazoline Zn complexes, containing enolate ligands derived from a series of ( Z)-1- R-2-(4′,4′-dimethyl-2′-oxazolin-2′-yl)-eth-1-en-1-ols ( R = C6H5, C6H4- p-NO2, C6H4- p-OCH3, CF3, CH3, or CMe3) is detailed. All derivatives are air-stable solids of formula Zn( Ln)2and are formed in the presence of the title ligands and NEt3. Reasonable yields (53%–82%) are obtained with the exception of R = CMe3(9%); in this case, by-product formation and high solubility affected complex isolation. Crystallographic characterisation reveals that in all cases the ligands are bound in a κ2-N ,O-bonding motif. Little structural diversity is noted within the series; these complexes are further placed into structural context with related Zn materials containing oxazoline, phenolate, and (or) Schiff base ligands.

Catalytic Enantioselective Inverse-Electron-Demand Diels–Alder Reaction of 2-Pyrones and Vinyl Selenides

AbstractWe report an asymmetric inverse-electron-demand Diels–Alder reaction of electron-deficient 2-pyrones with various phenyl vinyl selenides catalyzed by a chiral bis(oxazoline)/Cu(OTf)2 complex. By using a side-arm-modified chiral bis(oxazoline)ligand, a variety of [2,2,2]-bicyclic lactones with phenyl selenide substituents were obtained in good to excellent yields (up to 99%) and enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee) under mild conditions. Based on this strategy, a highly concise enantioselective synthesis of the Corey lactone was accomplished.

Lewis Acid Catalysed Asymmetric One-Carbon Ring-Expansion of Prochiral Cyclobutanones

AbstractEnantioselective methylene insertion into prochiral cyclobutanones is described providing access to chiral β-substituted cyclopentanones as important structural motif in synthesis and natural products. Commercially available trimethylsilyl as well as other silyl diazomethanes act as one-carbon synthon and scandium triflate is found to be a potent Lewis acid catalyst. By using bis(oxazoline) ligands, enantioinduction is achieved for a number of β-substituted cyclopentanones including examples bearing all-carbon quaternary stereocentres.

Enantioselective Alkylation of Amino Acid Derivatives with ­Unactivated Olefins via C–N Bond Cleavage

AbstractWe reported a nickel-catalyzed enantioconvergent deaminative alkylation of α-amino acid derivatives with unactivated olefins, providing an efficient and convenient access to a range of α-enantioenriched amides. This method represents the first example of enantioselective deaminative functionalization with racemic amine precursors and features in mild conditions and broad substrate scope. New sterically encumbered bis(oxazoline) ligand was developed to improve both reactivity and enantioselectivity, which is key to the success of this reaction.

Anion-Driven Circularly Polarized Luminescence Inversion of Unsymmetrical Europium(III) Complexes for Target Identifiable Sensing.

Anion-responsive sign inversion of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) was successfully achieved by N3O6-type nona-coordinated europium(III) (Eu3+) complexes [(R)-1 and (S)-1] composed of a less-hindered unsymmetrical N3-tridentate ligand (a chiral bis(oxazoline) ligand) and three O2-chelating (β-diketonate) ligands. Here, (R)-1 exhibited a positive CPL signal (IL – IR > 0) at the 5D0 → 7F1 transition of Eu3+, which can be changed to a negative sign (i.e., IL – IR > 0 → IL – IR < 0) by the coordination of trifluoroacetic anions (CF3COO–) to the Eu3+ center. However, (R)-1 preserved the original positive CPL signal (i.e., IL – IR > 0 → IL – IR > 0) in the presence of a wide range of competing anions (Cl–, Br–, I–, BF4–, ClO4–, ReO4–, PF6–, OTf–, and SbF6–). Thus, (R)-1 acts as a smart target identifiable probe, where the CPL measurement (IL – IR) can distinguish the signals from the competing anions (i.e., IL – IR < 0 vs IL – IR > 0) and eliminate the background emission (i.e., IL – IR = 0) from the background emitter (achiral luminescent compounds). The presented approach is also promising in terms of bio-inspired optical methodology because it enables nature’s developed chiral sensitivity to use circularly polarized light for object identification (i.e., IL – IR = 0 vs | IL – IR | > 0).

Synthesis and characterization of Ni(0) complexes supported by an unsymmetric C,N ligand

Over the past decade, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), bipyridine (bpy), and pyridine oxazoline (PyOx) ligands have been increasingly applied in nickel catalysis, where the combination of a low-oxidation-state 3d metal and an electron-rich ligand can enable otherwise challenging bond activations. Herein we report the synthesis and characterization of two Ni(0) complexes supported by an alternative, bidentate, C,N ligand, hIMesPy (“half-IMes-pyridine” or 1-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3-(2-pyridinyl)-imidazol-2-ylidene). The unsymmetric ligand combines the strong σ-donating properties of an NHC with the π-accepting properties of pyridine to afford homoleptic [Ni(hIMesPy)2] and heteroleptic [Ni(cod)(hIMesPy)] complexes. Characterization through the combination of single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and NMR spectroscopy, as well as reactivity studies demonstrating reversible interconversion between the two species, provide a strong basis for future applications to overcome reactivity challenges.