Enantioselective Catalysis of Photochemical Reactions

Conjugate Addition-Enantioselective Protonation of N-Aryl Glycines to α-Branched 2-Vinylazaarenes via Cooperative Photoredox and Asymmetric Catalysis

An enantioselective protonation strategy has been successfully applied to the synthesis of chiral α-tertiary azaarenes. With a dual catalytic system involving a chiral phosphoric acid and a dicyanopyrazine-derived chromophore (DPZ) photosensitizer that is mediated by visible light, a variety of α-branched 2-vinylpyridines and 2-vinylquinolines with N-aryl glycines underwent a redox-neutral, radical conjugate addition-protonation process and provided valuable chiral 3-(2-pyridine/quinoline)-3-substituted amines in high yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee). An application of this methodology to a two-step synthesis of the enantiomerically pure medicinal compound pheniramine (Avil) is also presented.

Enantioselective Radical Cyclization for Construction of 5-Membered Ring Structures by Metalloradical C-H Alkylation

Radical cyclization represents a powerful strategy for construction of ring structures. Traditional radical cyclization, which is based on radical addition as the key step, necessitates the use of unsaturated substrates. Guided by the concept of metalloradical catalysis, a different mode of radical cyclization that can employ saturated C-H substrates is demonstrated through the development of a Co(II)-based system for catalytic activation of aliphatic diazo compounds for enantioselective radical alkylation of various C(sp3)-H bonds. It allows for efficient construction of chiral pyrrolidines and other valuable 5-membered cyclic compounds. This alternative strategy of radical cyclization provides a new retrosynthetic paradigm to prepare five-membered cyclic molecules from readily available open-chain aldehydes through the union of C-H and C=O elements for C-C bond formation.

Visible-Light-Driven Alkyne Hydro-/Carbocarboxylation Using CO2 via Iridium/Cobalt Dual Catalysis for Divergent Heterocycle Synthesis

We present herein the first visible-light-driven hydrocarboxylation as well as carbocarboxylation of alkynes using CO₂ via an iridium/cobalt dual catalysis. Such transformations provide access to various pharmaceutically important heterocycles in a one-pot procedure from readily available alkynes. Coumarins, 2-quinolones, and 2-benzoxepinones were directly accessed through a one-pot alkyne hydrocarboxylation/alkene isomerization/cyclization sequence in which the Ir photocatalyst serves a dual role to promote single-electron transfer in alkyne hydrocarboxylation and energy transfer in the subsequent alkene isomerization. Moreover, an unprecedented cobalt carboxylation/acyl migration cascade enables alkyne difunctionalization to introduce γ-hydroxybutenolides with high efficiency. We expect that this cascade strategy will inspire new perspectives for alkyne and alkene difunctionalization.

Iminium and enamine catalysis in enantioselective photochemical reactions

The rapidly growing area of iminium and enamine catalysis in enantioselective photochemistry is reviewed, with an emphasis on catalytic modes and reaction types.

Although enantioselective catalysis under thermal conditions has been well established over the last few decades, the enantioselective catalysis of photochemical reactions is still a challenging task resulting from the complex enantiotopic face differentiation in the photoexcited state. Recently, remarkable achievements have been reported by a synergistic combination of organocatalysis and photocatalysis, which have led to the expedient construction of a diverse range of enantioenriched molecules which are generally not easily accessible under thermal conditions. In this tutorial review, we summarize and highlight the most significant advances in iminium and enamine catalysis of enantioselective photochemical reactions, with an emphasis on catalytic modes and reaction types.

Bifunctional organic sponge photocatalyst for efficient cross-dehydrogenative coupling of tertiary amines to ketones

A novel bifunctional organic sponge photocatalyst can enable the efficient coupling of tertiary amines with ketones in water. The asymmetric transformation can be also achieved by using this sponge photocatalyst.

Preparation of chiral-at-metal catalysts and their use in asymmetric photoredox chemistry

Asymmetric catalysis is a powerful approach for the synthesis of optically active compounds, and visible light constitutes an abundant source of energy to enable chemical transformations, which are often triggered by photoinduced electron transfer (photoredox chemistry). Recently, bis-cyclometalated iridium(III) and rhodium(III) complexes were introduced as a novel class of catalysts for combining asymmetric catalysis with visible-light-induced photoredox chemistry. These catalysts are attractive because of their unusual feature of chirality originating exclusively from a stereogenic metal center, which offers the prospect of an especially effective asymmetric induction upon direct coordination of the substrate to the metal center. As these chiral catalysts contain only achiral ligands, special strategies are required for their synthesis. In this protocol, we describe strategies for preparing two types of chiral-at-metal catalysts, namely the Λ- and Δ-enantiomers (left- and right-handed propellers, respectively) of the iridium complex IrS and the rhodium complex RhS. Both contain two cyclometalating 5-tert-butyl-2-phenylbenzothiazoles in addition to two acetonitrile ligands and a hexafluorophosphate counterion. The two cyclometalated ligands set the propeller-shaped chiral geometry, but the acetonitriles are labile and can be replaced by substrate molecules. The synthesis protocol consists of three stages: first, preparation of the ligand 5-tert-butyl-2-phenylbenzothiazole; second, preparation of salicylthiazoline (used for iridium) and salicyloxazoline (used for rhodium) chiral auxiliaries; and third, the auxiliary-mediated synthesis of the individual enantiopure Λ- and Δ-configured catalysts. This class of stereogenic-only-at-metal complexes is of substantial value in the field of asymmetric catalysis, offering stereocontrolled radical reactions based on visible-light-activated photoredox chemistry. Representative examples of visible-light-induced asymmetric catalysis are provided.

Enantioselective Intermolecular [2+2] Photocycloaddition Reaction of Cyclic Enones and Its Application in a Synthesis of (-)-Grandisol

The intermolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition of typical cyclic α,β-unsaturated enones, such as 2-cyclohexenone, with olefins was performed in moderate to good yields (42–82%) and with high enantioselectivity (82%–96% ee). An unusual substitution pattern at the chiral oxazaborolidine-AlBr₃ Lewis acid complex that promotes the reaction was found to be crucial for the success of the reaction. The method was applied to the enantioselective synthesis of the monoterpene (−)-grandisol, which could be accomplished in six steps and with an overall yield of 13% starting from 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone.

Supramolecular Photochirogenesis Driven by Higher-Order Complexation: Enantiodifferentiating Photocyclodimerization of 2-Anthracenecarboxylate to Slipped Cyclodimers via a 2:2 Complex with β-Cyclodextrin

Chiral slipped 5,8:9',10'-cyclodimers were preferentially produced over classical 9,10:9',10'-cyclodimers upon supramolecular photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylate (AC) mediated by β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). This photochirogenic route to the slipped cyclodimers, exclusively head-to-tail (HT) and highly enantioselective, has long been overlooked in foregoing studies but is dominant in reality and is absolutely supramolecularly activated by 2:2 complexation of AC with β-CD. The intricate structural and photophysical aspects of this higher-order complexation-triggered process have been comprehensively elucidated, while the absolute configurations of the slipped cyclodimers have been unambiguously assigned by comparing the experimental and theoretical circular dichroism spectra. In the 2:2 complex, two ACs packed in a dual β-CD capsule are not fully overlapped with each other but are only partially stacked in a slipped anti- or syn-HT manner. Hence, they do not spontaneously cyclodimerize upon photoexcitation but instead emit long-lived excimer fluorescence at wavelengths slightly longer than the monomer fluorescence, indicating that the slipped excimer is neither extremely reactive nor completely relaxed in conformation and energy. Because of the slipped conformation of the AC pair in the soft capsule, the subsequent photocyclodimerization becomes manipulable by various internal or external factors, such as temperature, pressure, added salt, and host modification, enabling us to exclusively obtain the slipped cyclodimers with high regio- and enantioselectivities. In this supramolecularly driven photochirogenesis, the dual β-CD capsule functions as a chiral organophotocatalyst to trigger and accelerate the nonclassical photochirogenic route to slipped cyclodimers by preorganizing the conformation of the encapsulated AC pair, formally mimicking a catalytic antibody.

Heteroatom-Directed Acylation of Secondary Alcohols To Assign Absolute Configuration

Birman's HBTM catalyst is effective for the enantioselective acylation and kinetic resolution of benzylic secondary alcohols. The enantioselective acylation has now been extended to secondary alcohols bearing electron-withdrawing groups such as halides and other heteroatoms. The level of selectivity is modest to good and is sufficient for determining configuration using the competing enantioselective conversion method. A mathematical analysis identifies conditions for achieving maximum differences in conversion and, consequently, assigning configuration with greater confidence. The new method is effective for halohydrins and secondary-tertiary 1,2-diols and was used to confirm the configuration of two inoterpene natural products.

Photoinduced Rearrangement of Dienones and Santonin Rerouted by Amines

The photoinduced rearrangement pathways of simple 2,5-dienones and the natural product santonin were found to be effectively rerouted by amines, giving rise to unprecedented products. Either cis olefins or cyclobutenes were obtained from 4,4-disubstituted 2,5-dienone upon irradiation (365 nm) in the presence of various amines depending on the solvent. Previously undescribed [4.4.0] and [5.3.0] fused-ring-containing products were obtained when santonin was irradiated (365 nm) in the presence of methylamine. The amines present in these reactions were incorporated into the products by means of amide-group formation.

Enantioselective Photochemical Organocascade Catalysis

Reported herein is a photochemical cascade process that combines the excited-state and ground-state reactivity of chiral organocatalytic intermediates. This strategy directly converts racemic cyclopropanols and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes into stereochemically dense cyclopentanols with exquisite stereoselectivity. Mechanistic investigations have enabled elucidating the origin of the stereoconvergence, which is governed by a kinetic resolution process.

Enantioselective Di-/Perfluoroalkylation of β-Ketoesters Enabled by Cooperative Photoredox/Nickel Catalysis

Efficient and enantioselective radical difluoroalkylation and perfluoroalkylation reactions of β-ketoesters were successfully developed through an asymmetric photoredox and nickel catalysis cascade. This protocol provides R_f-containing quaternary stereocenters in up to 67% yield and 95:5 er with ethyl iododifluoroacetate and perfluoroalkyl iodides (C₃F₇I and C₄F₉I) as radical sources under extremely mild conditions.

A microfluidic photoreactor enables 2-methylbenzophenone light-driven reactions with superior performance

A general and scalable microfluidic photoreactor for light-driven reaction of 2-methylbenzophenones was successfully developed.

TiO2 photocatalysis for C–C bond formation

Synergistic utilization of TiO₂-photo-generated holes and electrons is a potential protocol for catalytic C–C bond formation reactions.

A new approach to access difluoroalkylated diarylmethanes via visible-light photocatalytic cross-coupling reactions

A para-quinone methide and difluoroalkylating reagent involved radical cross-coupling reaction was described, through photocatalytically generated diarylmethane radical intermediates.

Electron donor-free photoredox catalysis via an electron transfer cascade by cooperative organic photocatalysts

Electron transfer cascade in cooperative organic photocatalysts can prevent the use of sacrificial reagent for photoredox catalysis.

Evidence for Triplet Sensitization in the Visible-Light-Induced [2+2] Photocycloaddition of Eniminium Ions

Εniminium ions were prepared from the corresponding α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds (enones and enals), and were found to be promoted to their respective triplet states by energy transfer. The photoexcited intermediates underwent intra- or intermolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition in good yields (50-78 %) upon irradiation at λ=433 nm or λ=457 nm. Iridium or ruthenium complexes with a sufficiently high triplet energy were identified as efficient catalysts (2.5 mol % catalyst loading) for the reaction. The intermolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition of an eniminium ion derived from a chiral secondary amine proceeded with high enantioselectivity (88 % ee).

Enantioselective Excited-State Photoreactions Controlled by a Chiral Hydrogen-Bonding Iridium Sensitizer

Stereochemical control of electronically excited states is a long-standing challenge in photochemical synthesis, and few catalytic systems that produce high enantioselectivities in triplet-state photoreactions are known. We report herein an exceptionally effective chiral photocatalyst that recruits prochiral quinolones using a series of hydrogen-bonding and π-π interactions. The organization of these substrates within the chiral environment of the transition-metal photosensitizer leads to efficient Dexter energy transfer and effective stereoinduction. The relative insensitivity of these organometallic chromophores toward ligand modification enables the optimization of this catalyst structure for high enantiomeric excess at catalyst loadings as much as 100-fold lower than the optimal conditions reported for analogous chiral organic photosensitizers.

Strategies to diversify natural products for drug discovery

Natural product libraries contain specialized metabolites derived from plants, animals, and microorganisms that play a pivotal role in drug discovery due to their immense structural diversity and wide variety of biological activities. The strategies to greatly extend natural product scaffolds through available biological and chemical approaches offer unique opportunities to access a new series of natural product analogues, enabling the construction of diverse natural product-like libraries. The affordability of these structurally diverse molecules has been a crucial step in accelerating drug discovery. This review provides an overview of various approaches to exploit the diversity of compounds for natural product-based drug development, drawing upon a series of examples to illustrate each strategy.

Organocatalytic Enantioselective Protonation for Photoreduction of Activated Ketones and Ketimines Induced by Visible Light

The first catalytic asymmetric photoreduction of 1,2-diketones and α-keto ketimines under visible light irradiation is reported. A transition-metal-free synergistic catalysis platform harnessing dicyanopyrazine-derived chromophore (DPZ) as the photoredox catalyst and a non-covalent chiral organocatalyst is effective for these transformations. With the flexible use of a chiral Brønsted acid or base in H⁺ transfer interchange to control the elusive enantioselective protonation, a variety of chiral α-hydroxy ketones and α-amino ketones were obtained with high yields and enantioselectivities.

Forging Fluorine-Containing Quaternary Stereocenters by a Light-Driven Organocatalytic Aldol Desymmetrization Process

Reported herein is a light-triggered organocatalytic strategy for the desymmetrization of achiral 2-fluoro-substituted cyclopentane-1,3-diketones. The chemistry is based on an intermolecular aldol reaction of photochemically generated hydroxy-o-quinodimethanes and simultaneously forges two adjacent fully substituted carbon stereocenters, with one bearing a stereogenic carbon-fluorine unit. The method uses readily available substrates, a simple chiral organocatalyst, and mild reaction conditions to afford an array of highly functionalized chiral 2-fluoro-3-hydroxycyclopentanones.

Combining the catalytic enantioselective reaction of visible-light-generated radicals with a by-product utilization system

We report an unusual reaction design in which a chiral bis-cyclometalated rhodium(iii) complex enables the stereocontrolled chemistry of photo-generated carbon-centered radicals and at the same time catalyzes an enantioselective sulfonyl radical addition to an alkene.

We report an unusual reaction design in which a chiral bis-cyclometalated rhodium(iii) complex enables the stereocontrolled chemistry of photo-generated carbon-centered radicals and at the same time catalyzes an enantioselective sulfonyl radical addition to an alkene. Specifically, employing inexpensive and readily available Hantzsch esters as the photoredox mediator, Rh-coordinated prochiral radicals generated by a selective photoinduced single electron reduction are trapped by allyl sulfones in a highly stereocontrolled fashion, providing radical allylation products with up to 97% ee. The hereby formed fragmented sulfonyl radicals are utilized via an enantioselective radical addition to form chiral sulfones, which minimizes waste generation.

Stereogenic-Only-at-Metal Asymmetric Catalysts

Chirality is an essential feature of asymmetric catalysts. This review summarizes asymmetric catalysts that derive their chirality exclusively from stereogenic metal centers. Reported chiral-at-metal catalysts can be divided into two classes, namely, inert metal complexes, in which the metal fulfills a purely structural role, so catalysis is mediated entirely through the ligand sphere, and reactive metal complexes. The latter are particularly appealing because structural simplicity (only achiral ligands) is combined with the prospect of particularly effective asymmetric induction (direct contact of the substrate with the chiral metal center). Challenges and solutions for the design of such reactive stereogenic-only-at-metal asymmetric catalysts are discussed.

A Conjugated Microporous Polymer for Palladium-Free, Visible Light-Promoted Photocatalytic Stille-Type Coupling Reactions

The Stille coupling reaction is a versatile method to mainly form aromatic C-C bonds. However, up to now, the use of palladium catalysts is necessary. Here, a palladium-free and photocatalytic Stille-type coupling reaction of aryl iodides and aryl stannanes catalyzing a conjugated microporous polymer-based phototcatalyst under visible light irradiation at room temperature is reported. The novel coupling reaction mechanism occurs between the photogenerated aryl radical under oxidative destannylation of the aryl stannane, and the electron-activated aryl iodide, resulting into the aromatic C-C bond formation reaction. The visible light-promoted Stille-type coupling reaction using the polymer-based pure organic photocatalyst offers a simple, sustainable, and more economic synthetic pathway toward palladium-free aromatic C-C bond formation.