Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of 2-Substituted Quinoxalines with Regenerable Dihydrophenanthridine

The asymmetric hydrogenation of quinoxalines represents one of the most efficient approaches for the synthesis of optically active tetrahyroquinoxalines. In this paper, we demonstrate a metal-free asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of 2-substituted quinoxalines with regenerable dihydrophenanthridine under H2 using a combination of chiral phosphoric acid and achiral borane as catalysts. A wide range of optically active 2-substituted tetrahydroquinoxalines were produced in high yields with ≤98% ee.

Intramolecular Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Propargylic [4 + 2]- Cycloaddition toward Optically Active Tetrahydroisoindolo[2,1-a]quinoxalines

An intramolecular Cu-catalyzed asymmetric propargylic [4 + 2] cycloaddition of bis-N-nucleophile-functionalized propargylic esters has been realized in the support of a chiral tridentate N-ligand, (S,S)-Pybox-diOAc, leading to chiral tetrahydroisoindolo[2,1-a]quinoxalines in high yields and with good to excellent enantioselectivities. The reaction features high efficiency, simplicity, and broad substrate scope, thus providing a powerful and concise strategy for stereoselective access to optically active polycyclic heterocycle frameworks that are otherwise difficult to synthesize.

Recent Advances in the Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Amines via Transition Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation

Chiral amines are key structural motifs present in a wide variety of natural products, drugs, and other biologically active compounds. During the past decade, significant advances have been made with respect to the enantioselective synthesis of chiral amines, many of them based on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation (AH). The present review covers the use of AH in the synthesis of chiral amines bearing a stereogenic center either in the α, β, or γ position with respect to the nitrogen atom, reported from 2010 to 2020. Therefore, we provide an overview of the recent advances in the AH of imines, enamides, enamines, allyl amines, and N-heteroaromatic compounds.

Asymmetric hydrogenation of O-/N-functional group substituted arenes

Asymmetric hydrogenation of aromatic compounds represents one of the most straightforward synthetic methods to construct important chiral cyclic skeletons that are often found in biologically active agents and natural products. So far, the most successful examples in this field are largely limited to aromatics containing alkyl and aryl substituted groups due to the poor functional-group tolerance of hydrogenation. Direct asymmetric hydrogenation of functionalized aromatics provides enormous potential for expanding the structural diversity of reductive products of planar aromatic compounds, which is highly desirable and has not been well studied. This feature article focuses on the progress in catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation of O/N substituted arenes.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of N-substituted tetrahydroquinoxalines via regioselective Heyns rearrangement and stereoselective transfer hydrogenation in one pot

N-Substituted tetrahydroquinoxalines (37 examples) were step-economically obtained in good yield (<97%) and ee (<99%) with readily available substrates. The reaction proceeds through an interesting regioselective Heyns rearrangement/enantioselective transfer hydrogenation in one pot. The substrate scope and the reaction mechanism were systematically investigated.

N-Substituted tetrahydroquinoxalines were step-economically obtained in good yield and ee with readily available substrates.

Stereoconvergent, Redox-Neutral Access to Tetrahydroquinoxalines through Relay Epoxide Opening/Amination of Alcohols

We present an economical catalytic procedure to convert readily available 1,2-diaminobenzenes and terminal epoxides into valuable 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxalines in a highly enantioselective fashion. This procedure operates through relay zinc and iridium catalysis, and achieves redox-neutral and stereoconvergent production of valuable chiral heterocycles from racemic starting materials with water as the only side product. The use of commercially available reagents and catalysts and a convenient procedure also make this catalytic method attractive for practical application.

Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of 4,6-Disubstituted 2-Hydroxypyrimidines

An efficient iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation of 4,6-disubstituted 2-hydroxypyrimidines has been achieved, giving chiral cyclic ureas with excellent diastereoselectivities and up to 96% ee of enantioselectivities. In the presence of the in situ generated hydrogen halide, the equilibrium of the lactame-lactime tautomerism of 2-hydroxypyrimidine is more toward the oxo form with lower aromaticity, which effectively improves the reactivity to facilitate hydrogenation. Moreover, the cyclic ureas could be readily converted into chiral 1,3-diamine derivatives without loss of optical purity.

Triply Halide-Bridged Dinuclear Iridium(III) Complexes with Chiral Diphosphine Ligands as New Easy-to-Handle Iridium Catalysts for Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Imines and N-Heteroaromatics

Iridium(III) complexes bearing chiral ligands have proved to be active species in asymmetric hydrogenation of C=N bonds, though there are only a few iridium(III) precursors. We prepared triply halide-bridged dinuclear iridium complexes bearing chiral diphosphine ligands by simple treatment of the iridium(I) precursor, chiral diphosphine, and aqueous hydrogen halide. The strong advantage of these dinuclear iridium complexes is that they are air and moisture stable, leading to easy handling in asymmetric synthesis. The dinuclear iridium complexes exhibited high catalytic activity toward asymmetric hydrogenation of imines and N-heteroaromatics. Moreover, we demonstrated the application of triply halide-bridged dinuclear ruthenium(II) and rhodium(III) catalyst precursors for the asymmetric hydrogenation of ketonic substrates and simple olefins, respectively.

Chloride-Bridged Dinuclear Rhodium(III) Complexes Bearing Chiral Diphosphine Ligands: Catalyst Precursors for Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Simple Olefins

Efficient rhodium(III) catalysts were developed for asymmetric hydrogenation of simple olefins. A new series of chloride-bridged dinuclear rhodium(III) complexes 1 were synthesized from the rhodium(I) precursor [RhCl(cod)]2 , chiral diphosphine ligands, and hydrochloric acid. Complexes from the series acted as efficient catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenation of (E)-prop-1-ene-1,2-diyldibenzene and its derivatives without any directing groups, in sharp contrast to widely used rhodium(I) catalytic systems that require a directing group for high enantioselectivity. The catalytic system was applied to asymmetric hydrogenation of allylic alcohols, alkenylboranes, and unsaturated cyclic sulfones. Control experiments support the superiority of dinuclear rhodium(III) complexes 1 over typical rhodium(I) catalytic systems.

Efficient Synthesis of Differentiated syn-1,2-Diol Derivatives by Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation-Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of α-Alkoxy-Substituted β-Ketoesters

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation was applied to a wide range of racemic aryl α-alkoxy-β-ketoesters in the presence of well-defined, commercially available, chiral catalyst Ru(II) -(N-p-toluenesulfonyl-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine) and a 5:2 mixture of formic acid and triethylamine as the hydrogen source. Under these conditions, dynamic kinetic resolution was efficiently promoted to provide the corresponding syn α-alkoxy-β-hydroxyesters derived from substituted aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes with a high level of diastereoselectivity (diastereomeric ratio (d.r.)>99:1) and an almost perfect enantioselectivity (enantiomeric excess (ee)>99 %). Additionally, after extensive screening of the reaction conditions, the use of Ru(II) - and Rh(III) -tethered precatalysts extended this process to more-challenging substrates that bore alkenyl-, alkynyl-, and alkyl substituents to provide the corresponding syn α-alkoxy-β-hydroxyesters with excellent enantiocontrol (up to 99 % ee) and good to perfect diastereocontrol (d.r.>99:1). Lastly, the synthetic utility of the present protocol was demonstrated by application to the asymmetric synthesis of chiral ester ethyl (2S)-2-ethoxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propanoate, which is an important pharmacophore in a number of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α/γ dual agonist advanced drug candidates used for the treatment of type-II diabetes.

Activation of a (cyclooctadiene) rhodium(I) complex supported by a chiral ferrocenyl phosphine thioether ligand for hydrogenation catalysis: a combined parahydrogen NMR and DFT study

The reaction of [RhCl(P,S(t)Bu)(COD)] (1) or [Rh(P,S(t)Bu)(COD)]BF4 (2) where (P,S(t)Bu) is CpFe[η(5)-1,2-C5H3(PPh2)(CH2S(t)Bu)] with H2 in MeOH gives rise to COD hydrogenation and formation of a solvent-stabilized product. The formation of hydride species cannot be observed in view of a very rapid H/D exchange between H2 and the solvent. Introduction of pyridine or acetonitrile slows down this exchange process and allows observation of diastereometric dihydride complexes, [Rh(P,S(t)Bu)(H)2(L)2](+), the stereochemistry of which was fully elucidated. The hydride site exchange rates have been derived from EXSY NMR experiments and used, with assistance from DFT calculation, to elucidate the isomerization and site exchange mechanisms.

Practical and efficient iridium catalysis for benzannulation: an entry to isoindolines

Iridium(III) catalysis provides a convenient and general method for the synthesis of isoindolines via [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions of diynes and alkynes. The reaction proceeds smoothly in environmentally benign and non-distilled isopropyl alcohol, providing highly functionalized aromatic compounds in moderate to excellent yields.

Asymmetric hydrogenation of thiophenes and benzothiophenes

An efficient and highly asymmetric ruthenium-N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed hydrogenation of substituted thiophenes and benzothiophenes is described, providing a new strategy for the formation of valuable enantiomerically pure tetrahydrothiophenes and 2,3-dihydrobenzothiophenes.