A Microporous Binol-Derived Phosphoric Acid

A robust heterogeneous chiral phosphoric acid enables multi decagram scale production of optically active N,S-ketals

Asymmetric organocatalysis has been recognized as one of the "top 10 emerging technologies" in chemistry by IUPAC in 2019. Its potential to make chemical processes more sustainable is promising, but there are still challenges that need to be addressed. Developing new and reliable enantioselective processes for reproducing batch reactions on a large scale requires a combination of chemical and technical solutions. In this manuscript, we combine a robust immobilized chiral phosphoric acid with a new packed-bed reactor design. This combination allows scaling up of the enantioselective addition of thiols to imines from a few milligrams to a multi-decagram scale in a continuous flow process without physical or chemical degradation of the catalyst.

Applications of Hantzsch Esters in Organocatalytic Enantioselective Synthesis

Hantzsch esters (1,4-dihydropyridine dicarboxylates) have become, in this century, very versatile reagents for enantioselective organic transformations. They can act as hydride transfer agents to reduce, regioselectively, a variety of multiple bonds, e.g., C=C and C=N, under mild reaction conditions. They are excellent reagents for the dearomatization of heteroaromatic substances, and participate readily in cascade processes. In the last few years, they have also become useful reagents for photoredox reactions. They can participate as sacrificial electron and hydrogen donors and when 4-alkyl or 4-acyl-substituted, they can act as alkyl or acyl radical transfer agents. These last reactions may take place in the presence or absence of a photocatalyst. This review surveys the literature published in this area in the last five years.

Processable Conjugated Microporous Polymer Gels and Monoliths: Fundamentals and Versatile Applications

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) as a new type of conjugated polymers have attracted extensive attention in academia and industry because of the combination of microporous structure and π-electron conjugated structure. The construction and application of gels and monoliths based on CMPs constitute a fertile area of research, promising to provide solutions to complex environmental and energy issues. This review summarizes and objectively analyzes the latest advances in the construction and application of processable CMP gels and monoliths, linking the basic and enhanced properties to widespread applications. In this review, we open with a summary of the construction methods used to build CMP gels and monoliths and assess the feasibility of different preparation techniques and the advantages of the products. The CMP gels and monoliths with enhanced properties involving various special applications are then deliberated by highlighting relevant scientific literature and discussions. Finally, we present the issues and future of openness in the field, as well as come up with the major challenges hindering further development, to guide researchers in this field.

Porous Organic Polymers: Promising Testbed for Heterogeneous Reactive Oxygen Species Mediated Photocatalysis and Nonredox CO2 Fixation

Catalysts play a pivotal role in achieving the global need for food and energy. In this context, porous organic polymers (POPs) with high surface area, robust architecture, tunable pore size, and chemical functionalities have emerged as promising testbeds for heterogeneous catalysis. Amorphous POPs having functionalized interconnected hierarchical porous structures activate a diverse range of substrates through covalent/non-covalent interactions or act as a host matrix to encapsulate catalytically active metal centers. On the other hand, conjugated POPs have been explored for photoinduced chemical transformations. In this personal account, we have delineated the evolution of various POPs and the specific role of pores and pore functionalities in heterogeneous catalysis. Subsequently, we retrospect our journey over the last ten years towards designing and fabricating amorphous POPs for heterogeneous catalysis, specifically photocatalytic reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated organic transformations and nonredox chemical fixation of CO₂ . We have also outlined some of the future avenues of POPs and POP-based hybrid materials for diverse catalytic applications.

Fluorine-Free Superhydrophobic Covalent-Organic-Polymer Nanosheet Coating for Selective Dye and Emulsion Separation

Covalent organic polymer nanosheets (COPNs) endowed with porous networks and large surface areas in their structures offer great advantages over other materials in addressing environmental problems. In this study, fluorine-free superhydrophobic COPNs were designed and applied to selective dye absorption. Notably, COPNs selectively adsorb dyes with a high hydrophobic index (HI) and reject low HI dyes with maximum adsorption capacities of 361 and 263 mg/g for crystal violet and methylene blue, respectively. The adsorption isotherm model showed that the COPNs follow the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Next, we explored the superhydrophobicity of the COPNs by in situ fabrication with melamine sponge (COPNs-MS), which incorporates the superhydrophobicity of COPNs [water contact angle (WCA) of >150°] with the structure and flexibility of the MS skeleton. The COPNs-MS shows various oil-adsorbing properties with good adsorption capacity (from 60 to 120 g/g) and also effectively separates various surfactant-stabilized emulsions with a separation efficiency of over 99%. The as-fabricated COPNs-MS retains its superhydrophobicity in various solvents and hazardous conditions (WCA ≥ 150°) and exhibits good flame retardancy and excellent compression properties with excellent antifouling property due to the superhydrophobic COPN coating. Furthermore, COPNs-MS also demonstrates excellent recyclability because the strong COPN coating in the MS skeleton retains its hydrophobicity. Therefore, our fluorine-free superhydrophobic COPNs are not only capable of selective dye adsorption but also exhibit very good oil adsorption and surfactant-stabilized emulsion separation performance.

BODIPY-Based Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity for the Photocatalytic Detoxification of a Chemical Threat

Effective heterogeneous photocatalysts capable of detoxifying chemical threats in practical settings must exhibit outstanding device integrity. We report a copolymerization that yields robust, porous, processible, chromophoric BODIPY (BDP; boron-dipyrromethene)-containing polymers of intrinsic microporosity (BDP-PIMs). Installation of a pentafluorophenyl at the meso position of a BDP produced reactive monomer that when combined with 5,5,6,6-tetrahydroxy-3,3,3,3-tetramethyl-1,1-spirobisindane (TTSBI) and tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile (TFTPN) yields PIM-1. Postsynthetic modification of these polymers yields Br-BDP-PIM-1a and -1b─polymers containing bromine at the 2,6-positions. Remarkably, the brominated polymers display porosity and processability features similar to those of H-BDP-PIMs. Gas adsorption reveals molecular-scale porosity and Brunette-Emmet-Teller surface areas as high as 680 m² g^-1. Electronic absorption spectra reveal charge-transfer (CT) bands centered at 660 nm, while bands arising from local excitations, LE, of BDP and TFTPN units are at 530 and 430 nm, respectively. Fluorescence spectra of the polymers reveal a Förster resonance energy-transfer (FRET) pathway to BDP units when TFTPN units are excited at 430 nm; weak phosphorescence at room temperature indicates a singlet-to-triplet intersystem crossing. The low-lying triplet state is well positioned energetically to sensitize the conversion of ground-state (triplet) molecular oxygen to electronically excited singlet oxygen. Photosensitization capabilities of these polymers toward singlet-oxygen-driven detoxification of a sulfur-mustard simulant 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) have been examined. While excitation of CT and LE_BDP bands yields weak catalytic activity (t_1/2 > 15 min), excitation to higher energy states of TFTPN induces significant increases in photoactivity (t_1/2 ≅ 5 min). The increase is attributable to (i) enhanced light collection, (ii) FRET between TFTPN and BDP, (iii) the presence of heavy atoms (bromine) having large spin-orbit coupling energies that can facilitate intersystem crossing from donor-acceptor CT-, FRET-, or LE-generated BDP singlet states to BDP-related triplet states, and (iv) polymer triplet excited-state sensitization of the formation of CEES-reactive, singlet oxygen.

Recent advances in the asymmetric reduction of imines by recycled catalyst systems

Recent advances relating to the asymmetric reduction of imines to afford optically active amines via recyclable catalyst systems are reviewed.

Studies of Catalyst-Controlled Regioselective Acetalization and Its Application to Single-Pot Synthesis of Differentially Protected Saccharides

This article describes studies on the regioselective acetal protection of monosaccharide-based diols using chiral phosphoric acids (CPAs) and their immobilized polymeric variants, (R)-Ad-TRIP-PS and (S)-SPINOL-PS, as the catalysts. These catalyst-controlled regioselective acetalizations were found to proceed with high regioselectivities (up to >25:1 rr) on various d-glucose-, d-galactose-, d-mannose-, and l-fucose-derived 1,2-diols and could be carried out in a regiodivergent fashion depending on the choice of chiral catalyst. The polymeric catalysts were conveniently recycled and reused multiple times for gram-scale functionalizations with catalytic loadings as low as 0.1 mol %, and their performance was often found to be superior to the performance of their monomeric variants. These regioselective CPA-catalyzed acetalizations were successfully combined with common hydroxyl group functionalizations as single-pot telescoped procedures to produce 32 regioisomerically pure differentially protected mono- and disaccharide derivatives. To further demonstrate the utility of the polymeric catalysts, the same batch of (R)-Ad-TRIP-PS catalyst was recycled and reused to accomplish single-pot gram-scale syntheses of 6 differentially protected d-glucose derivatives. The subsequent exploration of the reaction mechanism using NMR studies of deuterated and nondeuterated substrates revealed that low-temperature acetalizations happen via a syn-addition mechanism and that the reaction regioselectivity exhibits strong dependence on the temperature. The computational studies indicate a complex temperature-dependent interplay of two reaction mechanisms, one involving an anomeric phosphate intermediate and another via concerted asynchronous formation of an acetal, that results in syn-addition products. The computational models also explain the steric factors responsible for the observed C2 selectivities and are consistent with experimentally observed selectivity trends.

Chiral Phosphoric Acids as Versatile Tools for Organocatalytic Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenations

Herein, recent developments in the field of organocatalytic asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of C=N, C=O and C=C double bonds using chiral phosphoric acid catalysis are reviewed. This still rapidly growing area of asymmetric catalysis relies on metal-free catalysts in combination with biomimetic hydrogen sources. Chiral phosphoric acids have proven to be extremely versatile tools in this area, providing highly active and enantioselective alternatives for the asymmetric reduction of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, imines and various heterocycles. Eventually, such transformations are more and more often used in multicomponent/cascade reactions, which undoubtedly shows their great synthetic potential and the bright future of organocatalytic asymmetric transfer hydrogenations.

Synthesis and practical applications of 2-(2-nitroalkyl)pyrroles

Functionalization of pyrroles introducing a 2-nitroalkyl moiety allows the formation of nitro-containing compounds to be used as pivotal intermediates for the synthesis of bioactive compounds. The reaction of pyrroles with nitroalkenes under the Friedel-Crafts conditions allows a direct entry to 2-(2-nitroalkyl)pyrroles. This approach can also be used for the preparation of enantioenriched derivatives exploiting asymmetric catalysis. In a complementary fashion, the Henry reaction between 2-formylpyrroles and nitroalkanes generates the corresponding nitroaldol products which upon dehydration and reduction of the intermediate 2-pyrrolylnitroethene efficiently afford 2-(2-nitroalkyl)pyrroles. This review article summarizes the most relevant procedures for the preparation of 2-(2-nitroalkyl)pyrroles during the last two decades as well as their significant practical applications.

Multifunctional chiral cationic porous organic polymers: gas uptake and heterogeneous asymmetric organocatalysis

Chiral porous organic polymers are characterized by robust, non-toxic and recyclable properties. Therefore, compared with small molecular catalysts, they have attracted much attention in the field of heterogeneous asymmetric organic catalysis.

Organometal-Free Arylation and Arylation/Trifluoroacetylation of Quinolines by Their Reaction with CF3-ynones and Base-Induced Rearrangement

The reaction of quinolines with CF₃-ynones resulted in the formation of 1,3-oxazinoquinolines. Subsequent treatment of the reaction mixture with a base initiated deep structural transformation of primary products. Both steps proceed in very high yield. As a result, unusual rearrangement of 1,3-oxazinoquinolines to form either 2-arylquinolines or 2-aryl-3-trifluoroacetylquinolines was discovered. The decisive role of the base in the reaction direction was shown. Using these reactions, highly efficient pathways to 2-arylquinolines and 2-aryl-3-trifluoroacetylquinolines were elaborated to provide the corresponding compounds in high yields using a simple one-pot procedure. The possible mechanism of rearrangement is discussed.

Chiral and Regenerable NAD(P)H Models Enabled Biomimetic Asymmetric Reduction: Design, Synthesis, Scope, and Mechanistic Studies

The coenzyme NAD(P)H plays an important role in electron as well as proton transmission in the cell. Thus, a variety of NAD(P)H models have been involved in biomimetic reduction, such as stoichiometric Hantzsch esters and achiral regenerable dihydrophenantheridine. However, the development of a general and new-generation biomimetic asymmetric reduction is still a long-term challenge. Herein, a series of chiral and regenerable NAD(P)H models with central, axial, and planar chiralities have been designed and applied in biomimetic asymmetric reduction using hydrogen gas as a terminal reductant. Combining chiral NAD(P)H models with achiral transfer catalysts such as Brønsted acids and Lewis acids, the substrate scope could be also expanded to imines, heteroaromatics, and electron-deficient tetrasubstituted alkenes with up to 99% yield and 99% enantiomeric excess (ee). The mechanism of chiral regenerable NAD(P)H models was investigated as well. Isotope-labeling reactions indicated that chiral NAD(P)H models were regenerated by the ruthenium complex under hydrogen gas first, and then the hydride of NAD(P)H models was transferred to unsaturated bonds in the presence of transfer catalysts. In addition, density functional theory calculations were also carried out to give further insight into the transition states for the corresponding transfer catalysts.

Thiophene-embedded conjugated microporous polymers for photocatalysis

“Bottom-up” embedding of thiophene derivatives into CMPs for highly efficient heterogeneous photocatalysis is reported.

Conjugated porous polymers: incredibly versatile materials with far-reaching applications

This review discusses conjugated porous polymers and focuses on relating design principles and synthetic methods to key properties and applications such as (photo)catalysis, gas storage, chemical sensing, energy storage and environmental remediation.

Metal organic frameworks as solid catalysts for liquid-phase continuous flow reactions

This Feature Article describes the recent developments in the use of MOFs as catalysts under continuous flow conditions illustrating that these materials can meet the required stability.

Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymer on the Hollow Conjugated Microporous Polymer Platform: A Heterogeneous Catalytic System for Poly(caprolactone) Synthesis

This work shows that the shape-controlled microporous organic polymer (MOP) can be utilized for the morphological engineering of another class of MOP materials. The morphology of a hyper-cross-linked polymer (HCP) was successfully engineered on the hollow conjugated microporous polymer (CMP). Through the postsynthetic modification of HCP bearing BINOLs (HCP-B) on the hollow CMP-like material (H-CMPL), the HCP bearing BINOL phosphoric acid (HCP-BP) was engineered on the H-CMPL platform. The resultant H-CMPL@HCP-BP showed good catalytic performance as a heterogeneous catalytic system and excellent recyclability in the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactones to poly(caprolactone).

Design and synthesis of new alkyl-based chiral phosphoric acid catalysts

Using chiral BINOL-derived phosphoric acids (PA's) to activate substrates for enhanced reactivity is now regarded as a powerful strategy to control enantioselectivity in asymmetric synthesis. Generally, most substituents at the 3,3'-positions of BINOL PA's are aryl derivatives. These derivatives are pivotal in attaining high selectivity. PA's with alkyl substituents in these positions have rarely been reported. Herein, we introduced alkyl-based substituents at the 3,3'-position of PA's. These new potential catalysts, if applied in reactions, may allow altered noncovalent interactions (as opposed to the typical aryl substituents in these positions) with substrates used in chiral PA-catalyzed chemistry in the future.

Highly Stable Zr(IV)-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks with Chiral Phosphoric Acids for Catalytic Asymmetric Tandem Reactions

Heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalysts featuring high porosity, crystallinity, and stability have been of great interest for both fundamental studies and practical applications, but synthetically, they still face a formidable challenge. Here, we illustrated a ligand design strategy for directly installing chiral phosphoric acid catalysts into highly stable Zr-MOFs by sterically protecting them from coordinating with metal ions. A pair of chiral porous Zr(IV)-MOFs with the framework formula [Zr₆O₄(OH)₈(H₂O)₄(L)₂] were prepared from enantiopure 4,4',6,6'-tetra(benzoate) and -tetra(2-naphthoate) ligands of 1,1'-spirobiindane-7,7'-phosphoric acid. They share the same topological structure but differ in channel sizes, and both of them demonstrate excellent tolerance toward water, acid and base. Significantly enhanced Brønsted acidity was observed for the phosphoric acids that are uniformly distributed within the frameworks in comparison with the nonimmobilized acids. This not only facilitates the catalysis of asymmetric two-component tandem acetalization, Friedel-Crafts, and iso-Pictet-Spengler reactions but also promotes the catalysis of asymmetric three-component tandem deacetalization-acetalization and Friedel-Crafts reactions benefiting from the synergy with exposed Lewis acidic Zr(IV) sites. The enantioselectivities are comparable or favorable compared to those obtained from the corresponding homogeneous systems. The features of high reactivity, selectivity, stability, and recyclability for Zr(IV)-MOFs make them hold promise as a new type of heterogeneous acid catalyst for the eco-friendly synthesis of fine chemicals.

Permanent porous hydrogen-bonded frameworks with two types of Brønsted acid sites for heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis

The search for porous materials with strong Brønsted acid sites for challenging reactions has long been of significant interest, but it remains a formidable synthetic challenge. Here we demonstrate a cage extension strategy to construct chiral permanent porous hydrogen-bonded frameworks with strong Brønsted acid groups for heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis. We report the synthesis of two octahedral coordination cages using enantiopure 4,4’,6,6’-tetra(benzoate) ligand of 1,1’-spirobiindane-7,7’-phosphoric acid and Ni₄/Co₄-p-tert-butylsulfonylcalix[4]arene clusters. Intercage hydrogen-bonds and hydrophobic interactions between tert-butyl groups direct the hierarchical assembly of the cages into a permanent porous material. The chiral phosphoric acid-containing frameworks can be high efficient and recyclable heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalysts for asymmetric [3+2] coupling of indoles with quinone monoimine and Friedel-Crafts alkylations of indole with aryl aldimines. The afforded enantioselectivities (up to 99.9% ee) surpass those of the homogeneous counterparts and compare favorably with those of the most enantioselective homogeneous phosphoric acid catalysts reported to date.

The search for porous materials with strong Brønsted acid sites for challenging chemical reactions has been of significant interest, but remains challenging. Here the authors report a cage extension strategy to construct chiral permanent porous hydrogen-bonded frameworks with strong Brønsted acid groups for heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis.

Enantioselective Biocatalytic Reduction of 2 H-1,4-Benzoxazines Using Imine Reductases

A biocatalytic reduction of 2 H-1,4-benzoxazines using imine reductases is reported. This process enables a smooth and enantioselective synthesis of the resulting cyclic amines under mild conditions in aqueous media by means of a catalytic amount of the cofactor NADPH as hydride source as well as glucose as the reducing agent used in stoichiometric amounts for in situ cofactor recycling. Several substrates were studied, and the 3,4-dihydro-2 H-1,4-benzoxazines were obtained with up to 99% ee. In addition, the efficiency of this reduction process based on imine reductases as catalysts has been demonstrated for one 2 H-1,4-benzoxazine on an elevated laboratory scale running at a substrate loading of 10 g L^-1 in the presence of a tailor-made whole-cell catalyst.

Porous Polymers as Multifunctional Material Platforms toward Task-Specific Applications

Exploring advanced porous materials is of critical importance in the development of science and technology. Porous polymers, being famous for their all-organic components, tailored pore structures, and adjustable chemical components, have attracted an increasing level of research interest in a large number of applications, including gas adsorption/storage, separation, catalysis, environmental remediation, energy, optoelectronics, and health. Recent years have witnessed tremendous research breakthroughs in these fields thanks to the unique pore structures and versatile skeletons of porous polymers. Here, recent milestones in the diverse applications of porous polymers are presented, with an emphasis on the structural requirements or parameters that dominate their properties and functionalities. The Review covers the following applications: i) gas adsorption, ii) water treatment, iii) separation, iv) heterogeneous catalysis, v) electrochemical energy storage, vi) precursors for porous carbons, and vii) other applications (e.g., intelligent temperature control textiles, sensing, proton conduction, biomedicine, optoelectronics, and actuators). The key requirements for each application are discussed and an in-depth understanding of the structure-property relationships of these advanced materials is provided. Finally, a perspective on the future research directions and challenges in this field is presented for further studies.

Pyrrolidine-based chiral porous polymers for heterogeneous organocatalysis in water

The “bottom-up” reticulation of chiral pyrrolidine into POPs for heterogeneous organocatalysis in pure water.

Asymmetric fluorination of indanone-2-carboxylates using a polystyrene-supported diphenylamine-linked bis(oxazoline) complex

A highly enantioselective fluorination of indanone-2-carboxylates catalyzed by a polystyrene-supported diphenylamine-linked bis(oxazoline) (PS-box)-Cu(OTf)₂ complex has been developed in a continuous flow system. The supported complex exhibited extremely efficient catalytic performance with high activity, affording the corresponding products in excellent yields (up to 99% yield) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) and more than 4000 turnover number (TON).

Desymmetrisation of meso-diones promoted by a highly recyclable polymer-supported chiral phosphoric acid catalyst

A polystyrene-supported BINOL-derived chiral phosphoric acid has been applied to the desymmetrisation of meso-diones to produce enantioenriched cyclohexenones. The catalytic resin has proven highly active and robust, giving rise to Hajos-Parrish or Wieland-Miescher type products in good yields and enantioselectivities, while allowing for extended recycling.

A 1,2,3-triazolyl based conjugated microporous polymer for sensitive detection of p-nitroaniline and Au nanoparticle immobilization

A 1,2,3-triazolyl based fluorescent CMP was used as an excellent chemosensor for p-nitroaniline detection and a support for Au catalyst deposition.

Chiral catalysts immobilized on achiral polymers: effect of the polymer support on the performance of the catalyst

Achiral polymeric supports can have important positive effects on the activity, stability and selectivity of supported chiral catalysts.

Synthesis of a palladium acetylide-based tubular microporous polymer monolith via a self-template approach: a potential precursor of supported palladium nanoparticles for heterogeneous catalysis

A monolithic, palladium acetylide-based conjugated microporous polymer, Pd-CMP, was synthesized from a palladium dichloride and a trialkyne. The polymerization proceeded in two different ways, the dehydrohalogenation reaction between the alkyne and the palladium halide and the homocoupling reaction of the alkyne. Pd-CMP had a rigid hollow tubular structure. The in situ formed crystalline triethylammonium chloride (TEACl) rod played a critical role in the formation of the tubular morphology as a template. Through the attachment of the polymer particles to the surface of the rod and their reactions with soluble alkynes, a core–shell structure with a TEACl core and a polymer shell formed. The TEACl core was removed by washing with methanol to yield a hollow polymer tube. Pd-CMP showed a hierarchical pore structure and reversible compressibility. Supported Pd nanoparticles were prepared by one-step thermolysis of Pd-CMP as a heterogeneous catalyst. The average diameters of NPs in the products thermolyzed at 300 (Pd-CMP₃₀₀) and 500 °C (Pd-CMP₅₀₀) were 2.6 and 4.1 nm, respectively. Pd-CMP₃₀₀ was used in the heterogeneous catalysis of the 4-nitrophenol reduction reaction and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling between iodobenzene and phenylboronic acid. The reaction yields were higher than 95%. The catalyst could be used for a flow reaction and easily recycled without significant activity loss.

A monolithic palladium acetylide-based tubular microporous polymer was synthesized as a promising precursor of a palladium heterogeneous catalyst.