Enantioselective C-H Bond Functionalization Involving Arene Ruthenium(II) Catalysis

The p-Cymene ruthenium(II) complex is one of the most widely used catalysts in C-H activation. However, enantioselective C-H activation promoted by arene ruthenium(II) complexes has not been realized until recently. The revealed strategies include intramolecular nitrene C-H insertion, the use of chiral transient directing groups, chiral carboxylic acid, relay catalysis, and chiral arene ligands. In this minireview, these advances are summarized and discussed in the hope of spurring further developments.

Nitrene-Mediated C-H Oxygenation: Catalytic Enantioselective Formation of Five-Membered Cyclic Organic Carbonates

The synthesis of non-racemic 5-membered cyclic carbonates from abundant alcohols is reported. Conversion of the alcohol into an azanyl carbonate is followed by a chiral-at-ruthenium catalyzed cyclization to provide chiral cyclic carbonates in yields of up to 95 % and with up to 99 % ee. This new synthetic method is proposed to proceed through a nitrene-mediated intramolecular C(sp³ )-H oxygenation which includes an unusual 1,7-hydrogen atom transfer within a ruthenium nitrene intermediate. The method is applicable to the synthesis of non-racemic chiral mono-, di- and trisubstituted cyclic alkylene carbonates.

Interweaving Visible-Light and Iron Catalysis for Nitrene Formation and Transformation with Dioxazolones

Herein, visible-light-driven iron-catalyzed nitrene transfer reactions with dioxazolones for intermolecular C(sp³ )-N, N=S, and N=P bond formation are described. These reactions occur with exogenous-ligand-free process and feature satisfactory to excellent yields (up to 99 %), an ample substrate scope (109 examples) under mild reaction conditions. In contrast to intramolecular C-H amidations strategies, an intermolecular regioselective C-H amidation via visible-light-induced nitrene transfer reactions is devised. Mechanistic studies indicate that the reaction proceeds via a radical pathway. Computational studies show that the decarboxylation of dioxazolone depends on the conversion of ground sextet state dioxazolone-bounding iron species to quartet spin state via visible-light irradiation.