A Continuously Regenerable Chiral Ammonia Borane for Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenations

TiF4-mediated, one-pot, reductive amination of carboxylic acids with borane-ammonia

A facile one-pot, two-step, reductive alkylation of amines with carboxylic acids has been achieved with BH3-NH3 as an air- and moisture-stable reductant in the presence of TiF4. The catalyst is effective for both amidation and reduction steps, and the product amines are isolated in high yields as either the free amines, for those products containing an arylamine, or the borane-complexes. The free amine can be separated from these complexes using BF3-Et2O, followed by hydrolysis. The amide reduction has been demonstrated for primary, secondary, and tertiary amides, as well as lactams, and the reductive amination is applicable to a wide variety of aromatic and aliphatic acids as well as amines.

Catalytic Asymmetric Desymmetrization of Cyclic 1,3-Diketones Using Chiral Boro-phosphates

Herein, we report a chiral boro-phosphate-catalyzed reductive amination for the desymmetrization of 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-cyclopentadiones with pinacolborane as the reducing agent, delivering chiral β-amino ketones with an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter in good yields (≤94%), high enantioselectivities (≤97% ee), and excellent diastereoselectivities (>20:1 dr). This reaction has a broad substrate scope and high functional group tolerance. The importance of the chiral products was also demonstrated through the preparation of multifunctional building blocks and heterocycles.

Asymmetric catalysis with FLPs

Chiral catalysts play a crucial role in the realm of asymmetric catalysis. Since their breakthrough discovery in 2006, chiral frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) have risen as a novel catalyst category for a broad range of metal-free asymmetric reactions. This review provides an overview of the remarkable progress made in this field over the past 15 years. The design and synthesis of chiral FLPs and their applications in hydrogenation, hydrosilylation, transfer hydrogenation, and various other reactions are summarized and highlighted.

Incorporation of Chiral Frustrated Lewis Pair into Metal-Organic Framework with Tailored Microenvironment for Heterogeneous Enantio- and Chemoselective Hydrogenation

The development of efficient heterogeneous catalysts with multiselectivity (e.g., enantio- and chemoselectivity) has long been sought after but with limited progress being made so far. To achieve enantio- and chemoselectivity in a heterogeneous system, as inspired by enzymes, we illustrate herein an approach of creating an enzyme-mimic region (EMR) within the nanospace of a metal-organic framework (MOF) as exemplified in the context of incorporating a chiral frustrated Lewis pair (CFLP) into a MOF with a tailored pore environment. Due to the high density of the EMR featuring the active site of CFLP and auxiliary sites of the hydroxyl group/open metal site within the vicinity of CFLP, the resultant EMR@MOF demonstrated excellent catalysis performance in heterogeneous hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated imines to afford chiral β-unsaturated amines with high yields and high enantio- and chemoselectivity. The role of the hydroxyl group/open metal site in regulating chemoselectivity was proved by the observation of a catalyst-substrate interaction experimentally, which was also rationalized by computational results. This work not only contributes a MOF as a new platform for multiselective catalysis but also opens a promising avenue to develop heterogeneous catalysts with multiselectivity for challenging yet important transformations.

Asymmetric Reductive Amination with Pinacolborane Catalyzed by Chiral SPINOL Borophosphates

The catalytic asymmetric reductive amination of ketones with pinacolborane employing chiral SPINOL-derived borophosphates as catalysts has been realized. A series of chiral amine derivatives bearing multiple functional groups were obtained in good to excellent yields and enantioselectivities (up to 97% yield, 98% ee) under mild reaction conditions. Moreover, the synthetic applicability of the established method has been demonstrated by the asymmetric synthesis of (R)-Fendiline.

Synthesis of acyloxy-2H-azirine and sulfonyloxy-2H-azirine derivatives via a one-pot reaction of β-enamino esters, PIDA and carboxylic acid or sulfonic acid

PIDA mediated oxidative acyloxylation/azirination and sulfonyloxylation/azirination of β-enamino esters were investigated. A series of functionalized acyloxy-2H-azirine and sulfonyloxy-2H-azirine derivatives was synthesized in moderate to good yields. This represents the first oxidative sulfonyloxylation/azirination of β-enamino esters with PIDA and sulfonic acid for access to sulfonyloxy-2H-azirine. Hypervalent iodine reagents enable cascade C-O/C-N bond formation. Furthermore, a possible reaction pathway was proposed based on the experimental results.

Chemoselective reduction of α,β-unsaturated ketones to allylic alcohols under catalyst-free conditions

A strategy of chemoselective reduction of α, β-unsaturated ketones was developed in our group. H3N·BH3 would prefer to coordinate with CO bond, forming six-membered ring, and ketones were hydrogenated via concerted double-hydrogen-transfer process.

Tetrabutylammonium Bromide-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation of Quinoxaline with HBpin as a Hydrogen Source

A metal-free environmentally benign, simple, and efficient transfer hydrogenation process of quinoxaline has been developed using the HBpin reagent as a hydrogen source. This reaction is compatible with a variety of quinoxalines offering the desired tetrahydroquinoxalines in moderate-to-excellent yields with Bu₄NBr as a noncorrosive and low-cost catalyst.

KB3H8: an environment-friendly reagent for the selective reduction of aldehydes and ketones to alcohols

Selective reduction of aldehydes and ketones to their corresponding alcohols with KB₃H₈, an air- and moisture-stable, nontoxic, and easy-to-handle reagent, in water and THF has been explored under an air atmosphere for the first time. Control experiments illustrated the good selectivity of KB₃H₈ over NaBH₄ for the reduction of 4-acetylbenzaldehyde and aromatic keto esters.

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.

Catalytic Asymmetric Reduction of α-Trifluoromethylated Imines with Catecholborane by BINOL-Derived Boro-phosphates

A catalytic enantioselective reduction of α-trifluoromethylated imines by a BINOL-derived boro-phosphate employing catecholborane as hydride source has been developed. This method provides an efficient route to prepare synthetically useful chiral α-trifluoromethylated amines in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% yield and 96% ee) under mild conditions.

Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Arenes and Heteroarenes

Transfer hydrogenation reactions are of great interest to reduce diverse molecules under mild reaction conditions. To date, this type of reaction has only been successfully applied to alkenes, alkynes and polarized unsaturated compounds such as ketones, imines, pyridines, etc. The reduction of benzene derivatives by transfer hydrogenation has never been described, which is likely due to the high energy barrier required to dearomatize these compounds. In this context, we have developed a catalytic transfer hydrogenation reaction for the reduction of benzene derivatives and heteroarenes to form complex 3-dimensional scaffolds bearing various functional groups at room temperature without needing compressed hydrogen gas.

Catalytic Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of trans-Chalcone Derivatives Using BINOL-derived Boro-phosphates

Chiral phosphoric-acid-catalyzed asymmetric reductions of trans-chalcones have been investigated in this work. A BINOL-derived boro-phosphate-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of the carbon-carbon double bond of trans-chalcone derivatives employing borane as a hydride source was realized. This methodology provides a convenient procedure to access chiral dihydrochalone derivatives in high yields and with high enantioselectivities under mild conditions.

A diversity of recently reported methodology for asymmetric imine reduction

This review describes recent developments in enantioselective imine reduction, including related substrates in which a CN bond is the target for reduction, and in situ methods.

Ammonia borane as a reducing agent in organic synthesis

Ammonia borane is gaining increasing attention as a sustainable and atom-economical winning reagent for the reduction of several substrates.

Rh(iii)-Catalyzed diastereoselective transfer hydrogenation: an efficient entry to key intermediates of HIV protease inhibitors

A highly efficient diastereoselective transfer hydrogenation of α-aminoalkyl α′-chloromethyl ketones catalyzed by a tethered rhodium complex was developed and successfully utilized in the synthesis of the key intermediates of HIV protease inhibitors.

Enantioselective Imine Reduction Catalyzed by Phosphenium Ions

The first use of phosphenium cations in asymmetric catalysis is reported. A diazaphosphenium triflate, prepared in two or three steps on a multigram scale from commercially available materials, catalyzes the hydroboration or hydrosilylation of cyclic imines with enantiomeric ratios of up to 97:3. Catalyst loadings are as low as 0.2 mol %. Twenty-two aryl/heteroaryl pyrrolidines and piperidines were prepared using this method. Imines containing functional groups such as thiophenes or pyridyl rings that can challenge transition-metal catalysts were reduced employing these systems.

Highly Active Iminopyridyl Iron-Based Catalysts for the Polymerization of Isoprene

A series of iminopyridyl-based ligands, 6-[(Ar)N=C(R)]-2-C₆H₅N [(Ar = 2,6-Me₂-C₆H₃, R = Me (L1); Ar = 2,6-ⁱPr₂-C₆H₃, R = Me (L2); Ar = 2,6-Me₂-C₆H₃, R = H (L3); Ar = 2,6-ⁱPr₂-C₆H₃, R = H (L4); Ar = 3,5-(CF₃)₂-C₆H₃, R = Me (L5); Ar = C₆F₅, R = Me (L6)], and their corresponding iron (II) complexes were developed to investigate their application in the controlled coordinative polymerization of isoprene. The modulation of steric and electronic properties within this family of ligands/pre-catalysts has shown to influence the stereo-selectivity and activity of the polymerization of isoprene after activation. Upon activation with various co-catalysts such as AlⁱBu₃/[Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄], AlEt₃/[Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] or MAO, the resulting catalysts produced polyisoprenes with an excellent conversion (>99% of 500–5000 equiv.) within less than 1 h (TOF > 500 h⁻¹) and having a variety of stereo-/regio-regularities. The presence of electron-donating and withdrawing groups drastically impacted the activity and the stereoselectivity of the catalysts during the course of the polymerization of isoprene. When activated with AlⁱBu₃/[Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄], the complexes {6-[(2,6-Me₂-C₆H₃)N=C(Me)]-2-C₆H₅N}FeCl₂ (C1) and {6-[(2,6-ⁱPr₂-C₆H₃)N=C(Me)]-2-C₆H₅N}FeCl₂ (C2) exhibited moderate trans-1,4 selectivity (>67%) while the iron-based systems bearing related aldiminopyridyl ligands {6-[(2,6-Me₂-C₆H₃)N=C(H)]-2-C₆H₅N}FeCl₂ (C3) and {6-[(2,6-ⁱPr₂-C₆H₃)N=C(H)]-2-C₆H₅N}FeCl₂ (C4) were found to afford significant cis-1,4 selectivity at low temperature (>86% at −40 °C). On the other hand, the ternary {6-[(3,5-(CF₃)₂-C₆H₃)N=C(Me)]-2-C₆H₅N}FeCl₂ (C5) or {6-[(C₆F₅)N=C(Me)]-2-C₆H₅N}FeCl₂ (C6)/AlⁱBu₃/[Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] catalytic combinations showed exceptional activity for the polymerization of isoprene (TOF > 1,000,000 h⁻¹), albeit providing less stereoselectivity.

Dehydrogenation of Amine-Boranes Using p-Block Compounds

Amine-boranes have gained a lot of attention due to their potential as hydrogen storage materials and their capacity to act as precursors for transfer hydrogenation. Therefore, a lot of effort has gone into the development of suitable transition- and main-group metal catalysts for the dehydrogenation of amine-boranes. During the past decade, new systems started to emerge solely based on p-block elements that promote the dehydrogenation of amine-boranes through hydrogen-transfer reactions, polymerization initiation, and main-group catalysis. In this review, we highlight the development of these p-block based systems for stoichiometric and catalytic amine-borane dehydrogenation and discuss the underlying mechanisms.

Spontaneous trans-Selective Transfer Hydrogenation of Apolar Boron-Boron Double Bonds

The transfer hydrogenation of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-supported diborenes with dimethylamine borane proceeds with high selectivity for the trans-1,2-dihydrodiboranes. DFT calculations, supported by kinetic studies and deuteration experiments, suggest a stepwise proton-first-hydride-second reaction mechanism via an intermediate μ-hydrodiboronium dimethylaminoborate ion pair.

Room Temperature Iron-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation and Regioselective Deuteration of Carbon-Carbon Double Bonds

An iron catalyst has been developed for the transfer hydrogenation of carbon-carbon multiple bonds. Using a well-defined β-diketiminate iron(II) precatalyst, a sacrificial amine and a borane, even simple, unactivated alkenes such as 1-hexene undergo hydrogenation within 1 h at room temperature. Tuning the reagent stoichiometry allows for semi- and complete hydrogenation of terminal alkynes. It is also possible to hydrogenate aminoalkenes and aminoalkynes without poisoning the catalyst through competitive amine ligation. Furthermore, by exploiting the separate protic and hydridic nature of the reagents, it is possible to regioselectively prepare monoisotopically labeled products. DFT calculations define a mechanism for the transfer hydrogenation of propene with ⁿBuNH₂ and HBpin that involves the initial formation of an iron(II)-hydride active species, 1,2-insertion of propene, and rate-limiting protonolysis of the resultant alkyl by the amine N-H bond. This mechanism is fully consistent with the selective deuteration studies, although the calculations also highlight alkene hydroboration and amine-borane dehydrocoupling as competitive processes. This was resolved by reassessing the nature of the active transfer hydrogenation agent: experimentally, a gel is observed in catalysis, and calculations suggest this can be formulated as an oligomeric species comprising H-bonded amine-borane adducts. Gel formation serves to reduce the effective concentrations of free HBpin and ⁿBuNH₂ and so disfavors both hydroboration and dehydrocoupling while allowing alkene migratory insertion (and hence transfer hydrogenation) to dominate.