Axially chiral bidentate ligands in asymmetric catalysis

Preparation of enantiomerically pure 2'-substituted 2-diphenylphosphino-1,1'-binaphthyls by reductive cleavage of the carbon-phosphorus bond in a borane complex of 2-diphenylphosphino-2'-diphenylphosphinyl-1,1'-binaphthyl

Reaction of (S)-2'-boranatodiphenylphosphino-2-diphenylphosphinyl-1,1'-binaphthyl (3, borane complex of BINAP monoxide) with an excess of n-butyllithium in THF at -78 degrees C brought about a selective cleavage of the carbon-phosphorus bond between the binaphthyl and diphenylphosphinyl groups to generate the binaphthyllithium 14, the treatment of which with electrophiles MeOD, I(2), and ClSnMe(3) gave, after removal of the borane, the corresponding 2'-substituted 2-diphenylphosphino-1,1'-binaphthyls (E-MOP 9: E = D, I, SnMe(3)), without loss of the enantiomeric purity.

BINAPS - An axially chiral P,S-heterodonor ligand for asymmetric catalysis based on binaphthalene backbone

The chelating P,S-heterodonor ligand 2-diphenylphosphanyl-1,1'-binaphthalene-2'-thiol (11) (BINAPS), which features a chiral axis as the unique stereogenic element, has been prepared in both racemic and enantiopure form through a multistep reaction sequence using 2,2'-dihydroxy-1,1'-binaphthalene (BINOL) as the starting material. The reaction sequence is completely stereoconservative and (S)-11 is obtained with no loss of enantiopurity from pure (S)-BINOL. (R)-11 can be alternatively obtained by resolution of racemic 11 using the chiral (S)-benzylaminato Pd(II)-complex 19 as the resolving agent. The S-methyl or the S-i-propyl derivatives 14 have been used as chiral ligands in the Rh(I)-catalyzed asymmetric hydroformylation of styrene and in the hydrogen transfer reduction of acetophenone with modest success (up to 20% ee). In the presence of suitable Pd-complexes the same ligands provide higher ees in the hydrosilylation of styrene (50% ee) and in the allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenylprop-2-enyl acetate (60% ee).Key words: heterodonor ligands, binaphthalene derivatives, enantioselective catalysis, transition metal catalysts, allylic alkylation.