Copper‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Borylative Cyclization of Cyclohexadienone‐Containing 1,6‐Dienes

P-Stereogenic Phosphorus Ligands in Asymmetric Catalysis

Chiral phosphorus ligands play a crucial role in asymmetric catalysis for the efficient synthesis of useful optically active compounds. They are largely categorized into two classes: backbone chirality ligands and P-stereogenic phosphorus ligands. Most of the reported ligands belong to the former class. Privileged ones such as BINAP and DuPhos are frequently employed in a wide range of catalytic asymmetric transformations. In contrast, the latter class of P-stereogenic phosphorus ligands has remained a small family for many years mainly because of their synthetic difficulty. The late 1990s saw the emergence of novel P-stereogenic phosphorus ligands with their superior enantioinduction ability in Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation reactions. Since then, numerous P-stereogenic phosphorus ligands have been synthesized and used in catalytic asymmetric reactions. This Review summarizes P-stereogenic phosphorus ligands reported thus far, including their stereochemical and electronic properties that afford high to excellent enantioselectivities. Examples of reactions that use this class of ligands are described together with their applications in the construction of key intermediates for the synthesis of optically active natural products and therapeutic agents. The literature covered dates back to 1968 up until December 2023, centering on studies published in the late 1990s and later years.

Rhodium(I)/Chiral Diene Complexes Catalyzed Asymmetric Desymmetrization of Alkynyl-Tethered 2,5-Cyclohexadienones Through an Arylative Cyclization Cascade

Cis-hydrobenzofurans, cis-hydroindoles, and cis-hydrindanes, privileged structural motifs found in numerous biologically active natural and synthetic compounds, are efficiently prepared by a Rh(I)-catalyzed cascade syn-arylation/1,4-addition protocol. This approach starts with the regioselective syn-arylation of the alkyne tethered to 2,5-hexadienone moieties, using a chiral Rh(I) catalyst generated in situ from a chiral bicyclo[2.2.1]hepatadiene ligand L4f. By forging two new carbon-carbon bonds and introducing two chiral centers, the resulting alkenylrhodium species undergoes desymmetrization via an intramolecular 1,4-addition reaction, delivering annulated products with high yields and enantioselectivities.

Palladium-Catalyzed Hydroboration/Cyclization of 1,n-Dienes

While the hydroboration of alkenes is well established, the corresponding cyclization reaction of dienes remains challenging. Here, we report a new method for hydroboration/cyclization applicable to various 1,n-dienes and hydroboranes. The method features the direct synthesis of borylalkyl cyclopentanes from common 1,6-dienes, which is highlighted by syntheses of elaborated pyrrolidine cores from easily accessible diallylamines. Notably, 1,n-dienes (n > 6) also undergo five-membered ring formation, offering "remote" hydroboration/cyclization that would be otherwise difficult to achieve.

A Highly Enantioselective Homoenolate Michael Addition/Esterification Sequence of Cyclohexadienone-Tethered Enals via NHC Catalysis

Reported here is a highly enantioselective homoenolate Michael addition/esterification sequence of cyclohexadienone-tethered enals via N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis, affording the enantiopure cis-hydrobenzofurans, cis-hydroindoles, and cis-hydroindenes. The NHC catalyst bearing a nitro group greatly enhances the stereocontrol, and a bulky N-aryl substituent of the triazolium salt in the catalyst is helpful for inhibiting the further aldol condensation after homoenolate Michael addition. The utility of this protocol is highlighted by a gram-scale experiment and versatile downstream transformations.

Copper-Catalyzed Diastereo- and Enantioselective Borylative Cyclization

Copper-catalyzed enantioselective borylative cyclization with various electrophiles via difunctionalization of unsaturated hydrocarbons is a powerful tool for the generation of interesting boron-containing carbocycles and heterocycles processes involving a chiral organocopper intermediate. Alkenes, allenes, and alkynes are versatile and easily accessible substrates that can be subjected to a wide range of reactions to produce densely functionalized, enantioenriched products. In this chapter, I discuss copper-catalyzed alkenes, allenes, and alkynes borofunctionalization and enantioselective cyclization via chiral organocopper intermediate. Copper-catalyzed enantioselective borylative cyclization and regiodivergent functionalization of alkenes, allenes, and alkynes, as well as the current mechanistic understanding of such processes, are given special attention in this review.

Ir-Catalyzed cyclization of α,ω-dienes with an N-methyl group via two C-H activation steps

Iridium-catalyzed sp³ C-H alkylation of an N-methyl group with 1,5- and 1,6-dienes proceeded to give five- and six-membered carbocyclic compounds, respectively, in high yields. The reaction involves intermolecular alkylation of the N-methyl group with a vinyl moiety and subsequent intramolecular cyclization at the β-position of the initially formed alkylated intermediate. The reaction using a chiral bidentate phosphine ligand enabled the asymmetric synthesis of the cyclic compounds.

First-Row d-Block Element-Catalyzed Carbon-Boron Bond Formation and Related Processes

Organoboron reagents represent a unique class of compounds because of their utility in modern synthetic organic chemistry, often affording unprecedented reactivity. The transformation of the carbon-boron bond into a carbon-X (X = C, N, and O) bond in a stereocontrolled fashion has become invaluable in medicinal chemistry, agrochemistry, and natural products chemistry as well as materials science. Over the past decade, first-row d-block transition metals have become increasingly widely used as catalysts for the formation of a carbon-boron bond, a transformation traditionally catalyzed by expensive precious metals. This recent focus on alternative transition metals has enabled growth in fundamental methods in organoboron chemistry. This review surveys the current state-of-the-art in the use of first-row d-block element-based catalysts for the formation of carbon-boron bonds.

Stereodivergent Nucleophilic Additions to Racemic β-Oxo Acid Derivatives: Fast Addition Outcompetes Stereoconvergence in the Archetypal Configurationally Unstable Electrophile

Additions of carbon nucleophiles to racemic α-stereogenic β-oxo acid derivatives that deliver enantiomerically enriched tertiary alcohols are valuable, but uncommon. This article describes stereodivergent Cu-catalyzed borylative cyclizations of racemic β-oxo acid derivatives bearing tethered pro-nucleophilic olefins to deliver highly functionalized cyclopentanols containing four contiguous stereogenic centers. The reported protocol is applicable to a range of β-oxo acid derivatives, and the diastereomeric products are readily isolable by typical chromatographic techniques. α-Stereogenic-β-keto esters are typically thought to have extreme or spontaneous configurational fragility, but mechanistic studies for this system reveal an unusual scenario wherein productive catalysis occurs on the same time scale as background substrate racemization and completely outcompetes on-cycle epimerization, even under the basic conditions of the reaction.

Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed Borylative Cyclization for the Synthesis of Quinazolinones

Quinazolinones are common substructures in molecules of medicinal importance. We report an enantioselective copper-catalyzed borylative cyclization for the assembly of privileged pyrroloquinazolinone motifs. The reaction proceeds with high enantio- and diastereocontrol, and can deliver products containing quaternary stereocenters. The utility of the products is demonstrated through further manipulations.

Transition-Metal Catalyzed Stereoselective Desymmetrization of Prochiral Cyclohexadienones

The development of transition-metal catalyzed enantioselective and diastereoselective transformations has contributed many advances in the field of synthetic organic chemistry. Particularly, stereoselective desymmetrization of prochiral cyclohexadienones represents a powerful strategy for accessing highly functionalized and stereochemically enriched scaffolds, which are often found in biologically active compounds and natural products. In recent years, several research groups including our group have made a significant progress on transition-metal catalyzed stereoselective desymmetrizations of 2,5-cyclohexadienones. In this account, we will provide an overview of the recent developments in this area employing Pd, Cu, Rh, Au, Ag, Ni, Co, and Mn-catalysts.

Asymmetric desymmetrization of alkene-, alkyne- and allene-tethered cyclohexadienones using transition metal catalysis

This review is covering the recent development of catalytic asymmetric domino reactions for the desymmetrization of alkene-, alkyne- and allene-tethered cyclohexadienones using transition metals and chiral ligands.

Recent advances in the asymmetric transformations of achiral cyclohexadienones

This review describes recent developments in the asymmetric transformations of achiral cyclohexadienones, including enantioselective desymmetrization of prochiral cyclohexadienones and kinetic resolution of racemic cyclohexadienones.

One-Pot Preparation of Tricyclo[5.2.2.04,9]undecanes via Cu-Catalyzed Asymmetric Carboboration of Cyclohexadienone-Tethered Allenes

The Cu-catalyzed asymmetric carboboration of cyclohexadienone-tethered allenes has been achieved through regioselective β-borylation of the allenes and subsequent conjugate addition to cyclohexadienones, affording cis-bicyclic frameworks with acceptable yields and high to excellent enantioselectivities. Further conjugate borylation of the carboboration products proved to be a favorable kinetic resolution process, which improved the overall enantioselectivity. Finally, one-pot preparation of highly enantioenriched tricyclo[5.2.2.0^4,9]undecanes was developed from the cyclohexadienone-tethered allenes through β-borylation/1,4-addition and subsequent tandem oxidation/intramolecular aldol reaction.