Pyridine-2,6-bis(oxazolines), helpful ligands for asymmetric catalysts

Ex situ generation of stoichiometric and substoichiometric 12CO and 13CO and its efficient incorporation in palladium catalyzed aminocarbonylations

A new technique for the ex situ generation of carbon monoxide (CO) and its efficient incorporation in palladium catalyzed carbonylation reactions was achieved using a simple sealed two-chamber system. The ex situ generation of CO was derived by a palladium catalyzed decarbonylation of tertiary acid chlorides using a catalyst originating from Pd(dba)(2) and P(tBu)(3). Preliminary studies using pivaloyl chloride as the CO-precursor provided an alternative approach for the aminocarbonylation of 2-pyridyl tosylate derivatives using only 1.5 equiv of CO. Further design of the acid chloride CO-precursor led to the development of a new solid, stable, and easy to handle source of CO for chemical transformations. The synthesis of this CO-precursor also provided an entry point for the late installment of an isotopically carbon-labeled acid chloride for the subsequent release of gaseous [(13)C]CO. In combination with studies aimed toward application of CO as the limiting reagent, this method provided highly efficient palladium catalyzed aminocarbonylations with CO-incorporations up to 96%. The ex situ generated CO and the two-chamber system were tested in the synthesis of several compounds of pharmaceutical interest and all of them were labeled as their [(13)C]carbonyl counterparts in good to excellent yields based on limiting CO. Finally, palladium catalyzed decarbonylation at room temperature also allowed for a successful double carbonylation. This new protocol provides a facile and clean source of gaseous CO, which is safely handled and stored. Furthermore, since the CO is generated ex situ, excellent functional group tolerance is secured in the carbonylation chamber. Finally, CO is only generated and released in minute amounts, hence, eliminating the need for specialized equipment such as CO-detectors and equipment for running high pressure reactions.

Alkaline earth metal catalysts for asymmetric reactions

The group 2 alkaline earth metals calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba) are among the most common elements on Earth, abundant in both the sea and the Earth's crust. Although they are familiar in our daily lives, their application to organic synthesis has, so far, been limited. Some particularly useful properties of these elements include (i) low electronegativity, (ii) a stable oxidation state of +2, meaning that they can potentially form two covalent bonds with anions, and (iii) the ability to occupy a variety of coordination sites due to their large ionic radius. Furthermore, the alkaline earth metals, found between the group 1 and group 3 elements, show mild but significant Lewis acidity, which can be harnessed to control coordinative molecules via a Lewis acid-base interaction. Taken together, these characteristics make the metals Ca, Sr, and Ba very promising components of highly functionalized acid-base catalysts. In this Account, we describe the development of chiral alkaline earth metal catalysts for asymmetric carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. Recently prepared chiral alkaline earth metal complexes have shown high diastereo- and enantioselectivities in fundamental and important chemical transformations. We chose chiral bisoxazoline (Box) derivatives bearing a methylene tether as a ligand for chiral modification. These molecules are very useful because they can covalently coordinate to alkaline earth metals in a bidentate fashion through deprotonation of the tether portion. It was found that chiral calcium-Box complexes could successfully promote catalytic asymmetric 1,4-addition and [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities. Both the calcium-Box complexes and chiral strontium-bis-sulfonamide and chiral barium-BINOLate complexes could catalyze asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions with high enantioselectivities. Furthermore, we designed a calcium-neutral coordinative ligand complex as a new type of chiral alkaline earth metal catalyst. We found that pyridinebisoxazolines (Pybox) worked well: they served as excellent ligands for calcium compounds in 1,4-addition reactions and Mannich reactions. Moreover, they were successful in 1,4-additions in concert with enantioselective protonation, affording the desired products in good to high enantioselectivities. Our results demonstrate that alkaline earth metals are very useful and attractive catalysts in organic synthesis. Moreover, their ubiquity in the environment is a distinct advantage over rare metals for large-scale processes, and their minimal toxicity is beneficial in both handling and disposal.

Novel metal complexes containing a chiral trinitrogen isoindoline-based pincer ligand: in situ synthesis and structural characterization

The first synthesis and characterization of metal coordinated complexes containing in situ prepared chiral trinitrogen 1,3-bis(4,5-dihydrooxazol-2-ylimino)isoindoline-based pincer ligands are reported. Two zinc complexes, isolated as Zn(L)(2), where L = 1,3-bis(4,5-dihydro-4-(R)-phenyloxazol-2-ylimino)isoindoline ((R,R)-5) or 1,3-bis(4,5-dihydro-4-(S)-iso-propyloxazol-2-ylimino)isoindoline ((S,S)-6), respectively, are reported. Complexes Zn((R,R)-5)(2) and Zn((S,S)-6)(2) were prepared in situ through the condensation of phthalonitrile with enantiopure 2-amino-4-(R)-phenyloxazoline ((R)-3) or 2-amino-4-(S)-iso-propyloxazoline ((S)-4) in the presence of ZnCl(2) at 80 °C in dry toluene over 3-4 days. The characterizations of Zn((R,R)-5)(2) and Zn((S,S)-6)(2) in both the solid (X-ray crystallography) and solution (multinuclear NMR spectroscopy) states are reported.

Concise methods for the synthesis of chiral polyoxazolines and their application in asymmetric hydrosilylation

Seven polyoxazoline ligands were synthesized in high yield in a one-pot reaction by heating polycarboxylic acids or their esters and chiral β-amino alcohols under reflux with concomitant removal of water or the alcohol produced in the reaction. The method is much simpler and more efficient in comparison to those methods reported in the literature.The compounds were used as chiral ligands in the rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of aromatic ketones, and the effects of the linkers and the substituents present on the oxazoline rings on the yield and enantioselectivity investigated. Compound 2 was identified as the best ligand of this family for the hydrosilylation of aromatic ketones.

Design of a well-defined, silica-supported chiral Zn scaffold for enantioselective catalysis

New compound Zn[(S,S)-iPr-pybox](Et)(2) (1) was fully characterized, including by X-ray diffraction structural studies. Its grafting onto partially dehydroxylated silica affords material 2, which bears well-defined chiral ([triple bond]SiO)Zn[(S,S)-iPr-pybox](Et) sites. Hybrid material 2 displays significantly better catalytic performances than 1 in enantioselective silylcyanation, thus demonstrating a beneficial grafting effect.

Synthesis of copper(I) complexes containing enantiopure pybox ligands. First assays on enantioselective synthesis of propargylamines catalyzed by isolated copper(I) complexes

Dinuclear [Cu(2)(R-pybox)(2)][X](2) [X = PF(6), R-pybox = 2,6-bis[4'-(S)-isopropyloxazolin-2'-yl]pyridine (S,S)-(i)Pr-pybox (1), 2,6-bis[4'-(R)-phenyloxazolin-2'-yl]pyridine) (R,R)-Ph-pybox (2), 2,6-bis[4'-(S)-isopropyl-5',5'-difeniloxazolin-2'-yl]pyridine (S,S)-(i)Pr-pybox-diPh (3); X = OTf, (R,R)-Ph-pybox (4)] and mononuclear complexes [Cu(R-pybox)(2)][PF(6)] [R-pybox = (S,S)-(i)Pr-pybox (5), (R,R)-Ph-pybox (6)] have been diastereoselectively prepared by reaction of [Cu(MeCN)(4)][PF(6)] or CuOTf.0.5C(6)H(6) and the corresponding pybox ligand. The reaction of CuX (X = I, Br, Cl) with substituted pybox in a 2:1 molar ratio allows us to synthesize tetranuclear complexes [Cu(4)X(4)(R-pybox}(2)] [R-pybox = (S,S)-(i)Pr-pybox, X = I (7), Br (8); (R,R)-Ph-pybox, X = I (9), Br (10), Cl (11); (S,S)-(i)Pr-pybox-diPh, X = I (12), Cl (13)]. Dinuclear complexes [Cu(2)(mu-Cl)(R-pybox)(2)][CuCl(2)] [R-pybox = (S,S)-(i)Pr-pybox (15), (R,R)-Ph-pybox (16)] have been prepared by reaction of CuCl with (i)Pr-pybox or Ph-pybox in 3:2 molar ratio. The structures of the complexes 1, 2, 7, 15, 16 and that of the polymeric species [Cu(4)(mu(3)-Br)(3)(mu-Br)((i)Pr-pybox)](n) (14) have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Diffusion studies using (1)H and (19)F-DOSY experiments provide evidence that the different nuclearity of compounds 1 and 5 is maintained in the solution state and confirm that these ionic compounds exist in solution as stable, discrete, cationic complexes. The complexes 1-4, 6, 9, 10, and 16 as well as the previously reported [Cu(2){(S,S)-(i)Pr-pybox}(2)][OTf](2) have been assayed as catalysts in the enantioselective synthesis of propargylamines. The dinuclear complexes [Cu(2){(R,R)-Ph-pybox}(2)][X](2) (2, 4) were found to be the most efficient catalysts (up to 89% e.e.).

Bis(oxazolinyl)phenyl transition-metal complexes: asymmetric catalysis and some reactions of the metals

Several transition-metal complexes that bind the bis(oxazolinyl)phenyl moiety as a tridentate ligand have been prepared to showcase their highly potent activities for asymmetric catalysis in conjugate reductions, reductive aldol reactions, direct aldol reactions and hydrogenation reactions. Some reactions of the metals were also examined.