Engineering silica nanocoated whole-cell asymmetric biocatalyst for efficient preparation of a key chiral intermediate of (S)-Rivastigmine

In our previous study, the whole cells containing an aldo-keto reductase (yhdN) and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) were constructed and applied in a stereoselective carbonyl reduction reaction to prepare (S)-NEMCA-HEPE, being a key chiral intermediate of (S)-Rivastigmine which is widely prescribed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Although the conversion and enantiomeric excess (e.e.) could reach to 78.2 % and 99 %, respectively, ionic liquid as an additive was required to improve the permeability of cell membrane. To further simplify the reaction, the molecular docking and saturation mutagenesis technology were used here to obtain an activity-improved yhdN variant such as G19A. And then, both excellent conversion and e.e. of 99 % for (S)-NEMCA-HEPE could be achieved within 40 min by using only G19A-GDH whole cell as a catalyst without any additive. However, the use of the whole cells still faces the issues of poor operation stability and adverse application prospect. Subsequently, a hydrophobic "cell-in-shell" complex of G19A-GDH@O-Silica was constructed by using a silica nanocoated technology. The obtained G19A-GDH@O-Silica exhibited an excellent conversion towards the asymmetric carbonyl reduction, and a good tolerance in changing thermal, pH, and storage environmental. Giving 76.3 % of reaction conversion even after the 11th cycle of reuse, indicated that G19A-GDH@O-Silica also possessed ideal recyclability. The aim of this study is to provide a rapid, and cost-effective nanocoated whole-cell biocatalyst for efficient preparation of (S)-NEMCA-HEPE. The simplicity and robustness of the immobilization approach may become a powerful tool to utilize whole-cell catalysts towards organic catalysis.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Homogeneous Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Naphthol Derivatives

Due to their strong aromaticity and difficulties in chemo-, regio-, and enantioselectivity control, asymmetric hydrogenation of naphthol derivatives to 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthols has remained a long-standing challenge. Herein, we report the first example of homogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation of naphthol derivatives catalyzed by tethered rhodium-diamine catalysts, affording a wide array of optically pure 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthols in high yields with excellent regio-, chemo-, and enantioselectivities (up to 98% yield and >99% ee). Mechanistic studies with experimental and computational approaches reveal that fluorinated solvent 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) plays vital roles in the control of reactivity and selectivity, and 1-naphthol is reduced via a cascade reaction pathway, including dearomative tautomerization, 1,4-hydride addition, and 1,2-hydride addition in sequence. A novel synergistic activation mode was proposed in which HFIP assists a synergistic activation of both the hydrogen molecule and naphthol in the presence of a base, and the in situ-generated fleeting keto tautomer is immediately trapped and reduced by the Rh(III)-H species before it escapes from the solvent cage. This protocol provides a straightforward and practical pathway for the synthesis of key intermediates for several chiral drugs. Particularly, optically pure Nadolol, a drug for the treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, and certain arrhythmias, is enantioselectively synthesized for the first time.

Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Unsymmetrical ortho-Br Substituted Benzophenones

The asymmetric hydrogenation of benzophenones, catalyzed by low-activity earth-abundant metal copper, has hitherto remained a challenge due to the substrates equipped with two indistinguishably similar aryl groups. In this study, we demonstrated that the prochiral carbon of the ortho-bromine substrate exhibits the highest electrophilicity and high reactivity among the ortho-halogen substituted benzophenones, as determined by the Fukui function (f+) analysis and hydrogenation reaction. Considering that the enantiodirecting functional bromine group can be easily derivatized and removed in the products, we successfully achieved a green copper-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of ortho-bromine substituted benzophenones. This method yielded a series of chiral benzhydrols with excellent results. The utility of this protocol has been validated through a gram-scale reaction and subsequent product transformations. Independent gradient model based on Hirshfeld partition (IGMH) and energy decomposition analysis (EDA) indicate that the CH⋅⋅⋅HC multiple attractive dispersion interactions (MADI) effect between the catalyst and substrate enhances the catalyst's activity.

Selective Functionalization of Alkenes and Alkynes by Dinuclear Manganese Catalysts

ConspectusAlkenes and alkynes are fundamental building blocks in organic synthesis due to their commercial availability, bench-stability, and easy preparation. Selective functionalization of alkenes and alkynes is a crucial step for the synthesis of value-added compounds. Precise control over these reactions allows efficient construction of complex molecules with new functionalities. In recent decades, second- and third-row precious transition metal catalysts (palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium) have been pivotal in the development of metal-catalyzed synthetic methodology. These metals exhibit excellent catalytic activity and selectivity, enabling efficient synthesis of functionalized organic molecules. However, recovery and reuse of precious metals have long been a challenge in this field. In recent years, exploration of earth-abundant metal-catalyzed organic reactions has interested both academic and industrial researchers. The development of such catalytic systems offers a promising approach to overcome the limitations of precious metal catalysts. For example, manganese is the third most naturally abundant transition metal with minimal toxicity and excellent biocompatibility. It exhibits good catalytic activity in several organic reactions, including C-H bond functionalization, selective reduction, and radical reactions. This Account outlines our recent progress in dinuclear manganese catalysis for selective functionalization of alkenes and alkynes. We have established the elementary manganese(I)-catalysis in transmetalation with R-B(OH)2. This finding has enabled us to apply the catalyst for the selective 1,2-difunctionalization of structurally diverse alkenes and alkynes. Mechanistic studies suggest a double manganese center synergistic activation model, as superior to Mn(CO)5Br in some cases. In addition, we have developed a ligand-tuned metalloradical strategy of dinuclear manganese catalysts (Mn2(CO)10), bridging the gap between the organometallics and radical chemistry, highlighting the unique radical functionalization of alkenes. Interestingly, using the same starting materials, different ligands can deliver completely different products. Meanwhile, a cooperative catalysis strategy involving manganese and other catalysts (e.g., cobalt, iminium) has also been developed and is briefly discussed. For manganese/iminium synergistic catalysis, a new mechanism for migratory insertion and demetalization-isomerization in synergistic HOMO-LUMO activation was disclosed. This strategy expands the application of low-valent manganese catalysts for enantioselective C-C bond-forming reactions. New reaction discovery is outpacing mechanism studies for dinuclear manganese catalysis, and future studies with time-resolved spectroscopy will improve understanding of the mechanism. Based on these intriguing findings, the precise functionalization of alkenes and alkynes by dinuclear manganese catalysts will expedite a novel activation model to enable late-stage functionalization of complex molecules.

Efficient hydrogenation of ketones over the diaminophosphino manganese complex

Herein, we synthesized new manganese(I) complexes coordinated with the tetradentate ligand PNNP. The complexes show higher activity and excellent substituent tolerance in contrast to their manganese counterparts and are applicable in the hydrogenation of a wide range of aromatic, aliphatic and heterocyclic ketones to their corresponding alcohols.

Structural Basis of Cucurbituril-Containing Self-Assembled Supramolecular Chiral Materials

Macrocycle-based host-guest complexation offers an intriguing protocol in producing chiroptical materials, while the bulky size and dynamic exchange between hosts and guests hinders the ordered aggregation to afford the long-range chiral arrangement. It remains great challenges in assembling cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]s) included complexes to induce supramolecular chirality ascribed to the excellent water solubility and flexible packing. Herein, we unveiled the structural basis on the formation of chiroptical coassemblies from CB[n] (n=6, 7) complexes. Perylene diimides (PDIs) with cationic chiral pendants formed complexes in the aqueous media, which selectively showed chiroptical properties. Chlorination at the bay position, increasing alkyl length of cationic chiral pendants or reducing the number of polyaromatic rings would hinder the chiral aggregation. In a comprehensive manner, CB[6] favors ordered aggregation into one-dimensional fibrous nanoarchitectures that greatly facilitates the supramolecular chirality. In contrast, CB[7] with larger cavity and water solubility shrinks the ordered arrangement of complexes, reducing the formation possibility of supramolecular chiral nanoarchitectures. This work suggests the great potential of CB[6] in the preparation and manipulation of supramolecular chiral assemblies, shedding light on the macrocycle-based functional chiroptical materials.

Design and Synthesis of Sulfur-Containing Tetradentate Ligands for Ir-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Ketones

Developing highly active and enantioselective ligands for the asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones has consistently attracted significant attention from scientists. A series of novel tetradentate sulfur-containing ligands, termed as f-thiophamidol, were successfully designed and synthesized which exhibited excellent performance in the asymmetric hydrogenation of simple ketones (up to 99% yield, 99% ee) and α-substituted β-keto sulfonamides (up to 99% yield, 99% ee, 99:1 dr). The subsequent successful gram-scale experiments with high TON demonstrated the immense potential application value of this system in synthesizing drug molecules.

Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones Improved by PNN-Manganese Complexes

Chiral manganese(I) complexes that contain carbocyclic-fused 8-amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolinyl groups that are appended with distinct para-R substituents have proven to be effective catalysts in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of a wide range of ketones (48 examples). Notably, Mn2 proved to be the most productive catalyst, allowing an outstanding turnover number of 8300 with catalyst loadings as low as 0.01 mol %. Furthermore, this catalytic protocol shows considerable promise for applications in the synthesis of chiral drugs such as Lusutrombopag.

Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Ketones by Simple Alkane-Diyl-Based Ir(P,N,O) Catalysts: A Comparative Study

The development of new chiral ligands with simple and modular structure represents a challenging direction in the design of efficient homogeneous transition metal catalysts. Herein, we report on the asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral ketones catalyzed by the iridium complexes of simple alkane-diyl-based P,N,O-type chiral ligands with a highly modular structure. The role of (i) the P-N and N-O backbone in the potentially tridentate ligands, (ii) the number, position and relative configuration of their stereogenic elements and (iii) the effect of their NH and OH subunits on the activity and enantioselectivity of the catalytic reactions are studied. The systematic variation in the ligand structure and the comparative catalytic experiments shed light on different mechanistic aspects of the iridium-catalyzed reaction. The catalysts containing the simple alkane-diyl-based ligands with central chirality provided high enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee) under optimized reaction conditions and proved to be active and selective even at very high substrate concentrations (100 mmol substrate/mL solvent).

Highly Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Unsymmetrical Benzophenones via Iridium-f-phamidol Catalysis

A sequence of f-phamidol-based tetradentate phosphine ligands have been developed and successfully used in iridium-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of benzophenones to deliver chiral benzhydrols in almost quantitative yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% yield and up to >99% ee). Moreover, the catalytic system shows a broad substrate scope and functional group tolerance. The synthetic utilities of this methodology have been showcased by gram-scale experiments and the formal synthesis of levocetirizine.

Manganese(I)-Catalyzed Enantioselective C(sp2)-C(sp3) Bond-Forming for the Synthesis of Skipped Dienes with Synergistic Aminocatalysis

Mn(I)-catalyzed enantioselective C-C bond-forming reactions represent a great challenge in homogeneous catalysis primarily due to a limited understanding of its mechanistic principles. Herein, we have developed an interesting catalytic strategy that leverages a synergistic combination of a dimeric manganese(I) catalyst and a chiral aminocatalyst to address this issue. A range of conjugated dienals and trienals can exclusively proceed 1,4-hydroalkenylation by using readily available aromatic and aliphatic alkenyl boronic acids as coupling partners, producing a rich library of skipped diene aldehydes in synthetically useful yields and high levels of enantioselectivities. Notably, downstream transformations of these products can not only afford a concise approach to construct enantioenriched skipped trienes but also realize enantioselective total synthesis of analogues to (-)-Blepharocalyxin D in four steps. DFT calculations suggest the 1,4-hydroalkenylation is kinetically more favorable than 1,6-hydroalkenylation.

Impact of the Methylene Bridge Substitution in Chelating NHC-Phosphine Mn(I) Catalyst for Ketone Hydrogenation

Systematic modification of the chelating NHC-phosphine ligand (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) in highly efficient ketone hydrogenation Mn(I) catalyst fac-[(Ph2PCH2NHC)Mn(CO)3Br] has been performed and the catalytic activity of the resulting complexes was evaluated using acetophenone as a benchmark substrate. While the variation of phosphine and NHC moieties led to inferior results than for a parent system, the incorporation of a phenyl substituent into the ligand methylene bridge improved catalytic performance by ca. 3 times providing maximal TON values in the range of 15000-20000. Mechanistic investigation combining experimental and computational studies allowed to rationalize this beneficial effect as an enhanced stabilization of reaction intermediates including anionic hydride species fac-[(Ph2PC(Ph)NHC)Mn(CO)3H]- playing a crucial role in the hydrogenation process. These results highlight the interest of such carbon bridge substitution strategy being rarely employed in the design of chemically non-innocent ligands.

Unlocking the potential of metal ligand cooperation for enantioselective transformations

Metal-ligand cooperation, in which both the metal and the ligand of a transition metal complex actively participate in chemical transformations leading to enhanced reactivity or selectivity in chemical reactions, has emerged as a powerful and versatile concept in catalysis. This Viewpoint discusses the development trajectory of transition metal-based complexes as catalysts in (de)hydrogenative processes, in particular those cases where metal-ligand cooperation has been invoked to rationalise the observed high reactivities and excellent selectivities. The historical context, mechanistic aspects and current applications are discussed with the suggestion to explore the potential of the MLC mode of action of such catalysts in enantioselective transformations beyond (de)hydrogenative processes.

PPM Ir-f-phamidol-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of γ-Amino Ketones Followed by Stereoselective Cyclization for Construction of Chiral 2-Aryl-pyrrolidine Pharmacophores

Transition metal catalysts with a million turnovers and excellent selectivity are rarely reported but are crucial for the industrial manufacture of optical pure pharmaceuticals, natural products, and fine chemicals. In this paper, we report an unprecedented aninoic Ir-f-phamidol catalyst for asymmetric hydrogenation of γ-amino ketones followed by stereoselective cyclization for construction of valuable chiral 2-aryl-pyrrolidine pharmacophores. The Ir-f-phamidol catalyst showed up to 1,000,000 TON and >99% ee, as well as excellent tolerance of substrates and protecting groups, providing various chiral amino alcohol intermediates. Upon optimization of the conditions, the stereoselective cyclization reaction was highly smooth and efficient (quantitative conversions, 92 to >99% ee). Finally, this solution was applied in the preparation of high-value chiral entities containing such chiral 2-aryl-pyrrolidine pharmacophores.

Iridium Catalysts with f-Amphbinol Ligands: Highly Stereoselective Hydrogenation of a Variety of Ketones

A series of novel and modular ferrorence-based amino-phosphine-binol (f-amphbinol) ligands have been successfully synthesized. The f-amphbinol ligands exhibited extremely high air stability and catalytic efficiency in the Ir-catalyzed stereoselective hydrogenation of various ketones to afford corresponding stereodefined alcohols with excellent results (full conversions, cis/trans >99:1, and 83% → 99% ee, TON up to 500 000). Control experiments have shown that -OH and -NH groups played a key role in this stereoselective hydrogenation.

Borrowing Hydrogen β-Phosphinomethylation of Alcohols Using Methanol as C1 Source by Pincer Manganese Complex

Herein, we report a manganese-catalyzed three-component coupling of β-H containing alcohols, methanol, and phosphines for the synthesis of γ-hydroxy phosphines via a borrowing hydrogen strategy. In this development, methanol serves as a sustainable C1 source. A variety of aromatic and aliphatic substituted alcohols and phosphines could undergo the dehydrogenative cross-coupling process efficiently and deliver the corresponding β-phosphinomethylated alcohol products in moderate to good yields. Mechanistic studies suggest that this transformation proceeds in a sequential manner including catalytic dehydrogenation, aldol condensation, Michael addition, and catalytic hydrogenation.

Manganese Transfer Hydrogenases Based on the Biotin-Streptavidin Technology

Artificial (transfer) hydrogenases have been developed for organic synthesis, but they rely on precious metals. Native hydrogenases use Earth-abundant metals, but these cannot be applied for organic synthesis due, in part, to their substrate specificity. Herein, we report the design and development of manganese transfer hydrogenases based on the biotin-streptavidin technology. By incorporating bio-mimetic Mn(I) complexes into the binding cavity of streptavidin, and through chemo-genetic optimization, we have obtained artificial enzymes that hydrogenate ketones with nearly quantitative yield and up to 98 % enantiomeric excess (ee). These enzymes exhibit broad substrate scope and high functional-group tolerance. According to QM/MM calculations and X-ray crystallography, the S112Y mutation, combined with the appropriate chemical structure of the Mn cofactor plays a critical role in the reactivity and enantioselectivity of the artificial metalloenzyme (ArMs). Our work highlights the potential of ArMs incorporating base-meal cofactors for enantioselective organic synthesis.

Nonporous amorphous superadsorbents for highly effective and selective adsorption of iodine in water

Adsorbents widely utilized for environmental remediation, water purification, and gas storage have been usually reported to be either porous or crystalline materials. In this contribution, we report the synthesis of two covalent organic superphane cages, that are utilized as the nonporous amorphous superadsorbents for aqueous iodine adsorption with the record-breaking iodine adsorption capability and selectivity. In the static adsorption system, the cages exhibit iodine uptake capacity of up to 8.41 g g-1 in I2 aqueous solution and 9.01 g g-1 in I3- (KI/I2) aqueous solution, respectively, even in the presence of a large excess of competing anions. In the dynamic flow-through experiment, the aqueous iodine adsorption capability for I2 and I3- can reach up to 3.59 and 5.79 g g-1, respectively. Moreover, these two superphane cages are able to remove trace iodine in aqueous media from ppm level (5.0 ppm) down to ppb level concentration (as low as 11 ppb). Based on a binding-induced adsorption mechanism, such nonporous amorphous molecular materials prove superior to all existing porous adsorbents. This study can open up a new avenue for development of state-of-the-art adsorption materials for practical uses with conceptionally new nonporous amorphous superadsorbents (NAS).

Cobalt-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Diaryl Ketones with Ferrocene-Based Secondary Phosphine Oxide Ligands

A new class of cobalt catalytic system for asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones was herein reported, involving the development of novel ferrocene-based secondary phosphine oxide ligands. An unusual P-O bidentate coordination pattern with cobalt was confirmed by an X-ray diffraction study. The bichelating tetrahedral cobalt(II) complexes afforded high reactivities (up to 99% yield) and good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee) in the AH of various ortho-substituted diaryl ketones. In addition, the diferrocenyl cobalt complex was characterized with intriguing UV-vis absorption and electrochemical properties.

A 13-million turnover-number anionic Ir-catalyst for a selective industrial route to chiral nicotine

Developing catalysts with both useful enantioselectivities and million turnover numbers (TONs) for asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones is attractive for industrial production of high-value bioactive chiral entities but remains a challenging. Herein, we report an ultra-efficient anionic Ir-catalyst integrated with the concept of multidentate ligation for asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones. Biocatalysis-like efficacy of up to 99% ee (enantiomeric excess), 13,425,000 TON (turnover number) and 224 s^-1 TOF (turnover frequency) were documented for benchmark acetophenone. Up to 1,000,000 TON and 99% ee were achieved for challenging pyridyl alkyl ketone where at most 10,000 TONs are previously reported. The anionic Ir-catalyst showed a novel preferred ONa/MH instead of NNa/MH bifunctional mechanism. A selective industrial route to enantiopure nicotine has been established using this anionic Ir-catalyst for the key asymmetric hydrogenation step at 500 kg batch scale, providing 40 tons scale of product.

Manganese Salan Complexes as Catalysts for Hydrosilylation of Aldehydes and Ketones

Manganese has attracted significant recent attention due to its abundance, low toxicity, and versatility in catalysis. In the present study, a series of manganese (III) complexes supported by salan ligands have been synthesized and characterized, and their activity as catalysts in the hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds was examined. While manganese (III) chloride complexes exhibited minimal catalytic efficacy without activation of silver perchlorate, manganese (III) azide complexes showed good activity in the hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds. Under optimized reaction conditions, several types of aldehydes and ketones could be reduced with good yields and tolerance to a variety of functional groups. The possible mechanisms of silane activation and hydrosilylation were discussed in light of relevant experimental observations.

Co-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation. The Same Enantioselection Pattern for Different Mechanisms

The mechanism of the recently reported catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of enyne 1 catalyzed by the Co-(R,R)-QuinoxP* complex was studied by DFT. Conceivable pathways for the Co(I)-Co(III) mechanism were computed together with a Co(0)-Co(II) catalytic cycle. It is commonly assumed that the exact nature of the chemical transformations taking place along the actually operating catalytic pathway determine the sense and level of enantioselection of the catalytic reaction. In this work, two chemically different mechanisms reproduced the experimentally observed perfect stereoselection of the same handedness. Moreover, the relative stabilities of the transition states of the stereo induction stages were controlled via exactly the same weak disperse interactions between the catalyst and the substrate.

Enantiodivergent Hydrogenation of Exocyclic α,β-Unsaturated Lactams Enabled by Switching the N-Chirality of Iridium Catalyst

Central chirality is an important chiral element used in the design of chiral ligands and catalysts. Mostly, the attention of organic chemists is focused on developing of chiral ligands with stable stereogenic centers. However, the N-chirality in chiral ligand design has been rarely explored due to its flexibility. Here we demonstrate the design, synthesis, and application of a class of simple P,N-ligands with flexible N-chirality and their derived iridium complexes with fixed N-chiral stereocenters. Both fixed configurations of the N-stereocenter of the iridium complexes could be selectively formed from the same chiral ligand. This pair of diastereoisomeric iridium complexes showed good performance in the enantiodivergent asymmetric hydrogenation of exocyclic α,β-unsaturated lactams. The N-H group plays an impressive role in catalytic activity. Computational studies emphasized the importance of N-chirality and N-H group.

Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Simple Ketones with Tridentate PNN Ligands Bearing Unsymmetrical Vicinal Diamines

An iridium catalytic system with a ferrocene-based phosphine ligand bearing a modular and tunable unsymmetrical vicinal diamine scaffold was developed for the asymmetric hydrogenation of aryl ketones. This approach provided a powerful tool for the enantioselective synthesis of diverse chiral alcohols with excellent reactivity and enantioselectivity (up to 99% yield, up to 99% ee, and up to 50,000 turnover number). The substituents and chirality of unsymmetrical diamines in ligands played an important role in the satisfactory results.

Synthesis of Tridentate PNO Ligands with Planar Chirality and Application in Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Simple Ketones

A series of [2,2]paracyclophane-based tridentate PNO ligands with planar chirality were designed and synthesized. The easily prepared chiral tridentate PNO ligands were successfully applied to the iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of simple ketones, giving chiral alcohols with high efficiency and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield and >99% ee). Control experiments revealed the indispensability of both N-H and O-H in the ligands.

Precise Synthesis of Chiral Z-Allylamides by Cobalt-Catalyzed Asymmetric Sequential Hydrogenations

Asymmetric sequential hydrogenations of conjugated enynes have been developed using a Ph-BPE-Co^I catalyst for the precise synthesis of chiral Z-allylamides in high activity (up to 1000 substrate/catalyst (S/C)) and with excellent enantioselectivity (up to >99 % enantiomeric excess (ee)). Mechanism experiments and theoretical calculations support a cationic Co^I /Co^III redox catalytic cycle. The catalytic activity difference between cobalt complexes of Ph-BPE and QuinoxP* was explained by the process decomposition of rate-determining step in the second hydrogenation.

Manganese-Catalyzed Hydrogenative Desulfurization of Thioamides

Earth-abundant transition metal catalysis has emerged as an important alternative to noble transition metal catalysis in hydrogenation reactions. However, there has been no Earth-abundant transition metal catalyzed hydrogenation of thioamides reported so far, presumably due to the poisoning of catalysts by sulfur-containing molecules. Herein, we described the first manganese-catalyzed hydrogenative desulfurization of thioamides to amines or imines. The key to success is the use of MnBr(CO)₅ instead of commonly-employed pincer-manganese catalysts, together with simple NEt₃ and CuBr. This protocol features excellent selectivity on sole cleavage of the C=S bond of thioamides, in contrast to the only known Ru-catalyzed hydrogenation of thioamides, and unprecedented chemo-selectivity tolerating vulnerable functional groups such as nitrile, ketone, aldehyde, ester, sulfone, nitro, olefin, alkyne and heterocycle, which are usually susceptible to common hydride-type reductive protocols.

Rational Design of a Facially Coordinating P,N,N Ligand for Manganese-Catalysed Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Cyclic Ketones

DFT calculations on the full catalytic cycle for manganese catalysed enantioselective hydrogenation of a selection of ketones have been carried out at the PBE0-D3PCM //RI-BP86PCM level. Mn complexes of an enantiomerically pure chiral P,N,N ligand have been found to be most reactive when adopting a facial coordination mode. The use of a new ligand with an ortho-substituted dimethylamino-pyridine motif has been calculated to completely transform the levels of enantioselectivity possible for the hydrogenation of cyclic ketones relative to the first-generation Mn catalysts. In silico evaluation of substrates has been used to identify those likely to be reduced with high enantiomer ratios (er), and others that would exhibit less selectivity; good agreements were then found in experiments. Various cyclic ketones and some acetophenone derivatives were hydrogenated with er's up to 99 : 1.

Room temperature chemoselective hydrogenation of C[double bond, length as m-dash]C, C[double bond, length as m-dash]O and C[double bond, length as m-dash]N bonds by using a well-defined mixed donor Mn(i) pincer catalyst

Chemoselective hydrogenation of C[double bond, length as m-dash]C, C[double bond, length as m-dash]O and C[double bond, length as m-dash]N bonds in α,β-unsaturated ketones, aldehydes and imines is accomplished at room temperature (27 °C) using a well-defined Mn(i) catalyst and 5.0 bar H₂. Amongst the three mixed-donor Mn(i) complexes developed, κ³-(^R2PN³N^Pyz)Mn(CO)₂Br (R = Ph, ⁱPr, ^t Bu); the ^t Bu-substituted complex ( ^tBu2PN³N^Pyz)Mn(CO)₂Br shows exceptional chemoselective catalytic reduction of unsaturated bonds. This hydrogenation protocol tolerates a range of highly susceptible functionalities, such as halides (-F, -Cl, -Br, and -I), alkoxy and hydroxy, including hydrogen-sensitive moieties like acetyl, nitrile, nitro, epoxide, and unconjugated alkenyl and alkynyl groups. Additionally, the disclosed method applies to indole, pyrrole, furan, thiophene, and pyridine-containing unsaturated ketones leading to the corresponding saturated ketones. The C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond is chemoselectively hydrogenated in α,β-unsaturated ketones, while the aldehyde's C[double bond, length as m-dash]O bond and imine's C[double bond, length as m-dash]N bond are preferentially reduced over the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond. A detailed mechanistic study highlighted the non-innocent behavior of the ligand in the ( ^tBu2PN³N^Pyz)Mn(i) complex and indicated a metal-ligand cooperative catalytic pathway. The molecular hydrogen (H₂) acts as a hydride source, whereas MeOH provides a proton for hydrogenation. DFT energy calculations supported the facile progress of most catalytic steps, involving a crucial turnover-limiting H₂ activation.

Recyclable Mn(I) Catalysts for Base-Free Asymmetric Hydrogenation: Mechanistic, DFT and Catalytic Studies

We report here a mechanistic, DFT and catalytic study on a series of Mn(I) complexes 1, 2(a-d), 3, 4. The studies apprehended the requirements for Mn(I) complexes to be active in both asymmetric direct (AH) and transfer hydrogenations (ATH). The investigations disclosed 6 vital factors accelerating the formation of a resting species, which plays a significant role in lowering the activities of the Mn(I) complex 1 in ATH and AH, respectively. In addition, we also report here a base free Mn(I) catalyzed ATH of aryl alkyl ketones with high enantioselectivity (up to 98 % ee) and improved activity. More significantly, a novel and simple single-step process for recycling the resting species from the catalytic leftover has been discovered. Notably, the studies provide evidence for the existence of two different temperature dependent mechanisms for AH and ATH, in contrast to previous studies on related systems.

Switching between Hydrogenation and Olefin Transposition Catalysis via Silencing NH Cooperativity in Mn(I) Pincer Complexes

While Mn-catalyzed (de)hydrogenation of carbonyl derivatives has been well established, the reactivity of Mn hydrides with olefins remains very rare. Herein, we report a Mn(I) pincer complex that effectively promotes site-controlled transposition of olefins. This reactivity is shown to emerge once the N–H functionality within the Mn/NH bifunctional complex is suppressed by alkylation. While detrimental for carbonyl (de)hydrogenation, such masking of the cooperative N–H functionality allows for the highly efficient conversion of a wide range of allylarenes to higher-value 1-propenybenzenes in near-quantitative yield with excellent stereoselectivities. The reactivity toward a single positional isomerization was also retained for long-chain alkenes, resulting in the highly regioselective formation of 2-alkenes, which are less thermodynamically stable compared to other possible isomerization products. The detailed mechanistic analysis of the reaction between the activated Mn catalyst and olefins points to catalysis operating via a metal–alkyl mechanism—one of the three conventional transposition mechanisms previously unknown in Mn complexes.

HFIP in Organic Synthesis

1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) is a polar, strongly hydrogen bond-donating solvent that has found numerous uses in organic synthesis due to its ability to stabilize ionic species, transfer protons, and engage in a range of other intermolecular interactions. The use of this solvent has exponentially increased in the past decade and has become a solvent of choice in some areas, such as C-H functionalization chemistry. In this review, following a brief history of HFIP in organic synthesis and an overview of its physical properties, literature examples of organic reactions using HFIP as a solvent or an additive are presented, emphasizing the effect of solvent of each reaction.

Highly Enantioselective Iridium-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of o-Amidophenyl Ketones Enabled by 1,2-Diphenylethylenediamine-Derived P,N,N-Ligands with Tertiary Amine Terminus

A readily available and highly modular class of chiral P,N,N-ligands based on a structurally flexible nonchiral phosphine-amine framework with an optically active 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine unit bearing a tertiary amine terminus as the chiral source have been developed and successfully applied in the Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of o-amidophenyl ketones. These tridentate P,N,N-ligands exhibited excellent activity, enantioselectivity, and substrate tolerance, thus furnishing various optically active o-amidobenzhydrols in up to 99% yields and with >99% ee. The utility of this protocol has been proven by synthetically diverse product transformation and highly enantioselective production of a rice plant growth regulator, (S)-inabenfide.

Manganese-Catalyzed Asymmetric Formal Hydroamination of Allylic Alcohols: A Remarkable Macrocyclic Ligand Effect

A unique family of chiral peraza N₆ -macrocyclic ligands, which are conformationally rigid and have a tunable saddle-shaped cavity, is described. Utilizing their manganese(I) complexes, the first example of earth-abundant transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric formal anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of allylic alcohols was realized, providing a practical access to synthetically important chiral γ-amino alcohols in excellent yields and enantioselectivities (up to 99 % yield and 98 % ee). The single-crystal structure of a Mn^I complex indicates that the manganese atom coordinates with the chiral dialkylamine moiety in a bidentate fashion. Further DFT calculations revealed that five of the six nitrogen atoms in the ligand were engaged in multiple noncovalent interactions with Mn, an isopropanol molecule, and a β-amino ketone intermediate via coordination, hydrogen bonding, and/or CH⋅⋅⋅π interactions in the transition state, showing a remarkable role of the macrocyclic framework.

Manganese-catalyzed hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and hydroelementation reactions

The emerging field of organometallic catalysis has shifted towards research on Earth-abundant transition metals due to their ready availability, economic advantage, and novel properties. In this case, manganese, the third most abundant transition-metal in the Earth's crust, has emerged as one of the leading competitors. Accordingly, a large number of molecularly-defined Mn-complexes has been synthesized and employed for hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and hydroelementation reactions. In this regard, catalyst design is based on three pillars, namely, metal-ligand bifunctionality, ligand hemilability, and redox activity. Indeed, the developed catalysts not only differ in the number of chelating atoms they possess but also their working principles, thereby leading to different turnover numbers for product molecules. Hence, the critical assessment of molecularly defined manganese catalysts in terms of chelating atoms, reaction conditions, mechanistic pathway, and product turnover number is significant. Herein, we analyze manganese complexes for their catalytic activity, versatility to allow multiple transformations and their routes to convert substrates to target molecules. This article will also be helpful to get significant insight into ligand design, thereby aiding catalysis design.

Ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of aromatic and heteroaromatic ketones using cinchona alkaloid-derived NNP ligands

A series of cinchona alkaloid-based NNP ligands, including a new one, have been employed for the asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones. By combining ruthenium complexes, various aromatic and heteroaromatic ketones were smoothly reacted, yielding valuable chiral alcohols with extremely high 99.9% ee. Moreover, a proposed reaction mechanism was discussed and verified by NMR.

Manganese-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of 3H-Indoles

The asymmetric hydrogenation (AH) of 3H-indoles represents an ideal approach to the synthesis of useful chiral indoline scaffolds. However, very few catalytic systems based on precious metals have been developed to realize this challenging reaction. Herein, we report a Mn-catalyzed AH of 3H-indoles with excellent yields and enantioselectivities. The kinetic resolution of racemic 3H-indoles by AH was also achieved with high s-factors to construct quaternary stereocenters. Many acid-sensitive functional groups, which cannot be tolerated when using a state-of-the-art ruthenium catalyst, were compatible with manganese catalysis. This new process expands the scope of this transformation and highlights the uniqueness of earth-abundant metal catalysis. The reaction could proceed with catalyst loadings at the parts per million (ppm) level with an exceptional turnover number of 72 350. This is the highest value yet reported for an earth-abundant metal-catalyzed AH reaction.

Basic Promotors Impact Thermodynamics and Catalyst Speciation in Homogeneous Carbonyl Hydrogenation

Homogeneously catalyzed reactions often make use of additives and promotors that affect reactivity patterns and improve catalytic performance. While the role of reaction promotors is often discussed in view of their chemical reactivity, we demonstrate that they can be involved in catalysis indirectly. In particular, we demonstrate that promotors can adjust the thermodynamics of key transformations in homogeneous hydrogenation catalysis and enable reactions that would be unfavorable otherwise. We identified this phenomenon in a set of well-established and new Mn pincer catalysts that suffer from persistent product inhibition in ester hydrogenation. Although alkoxide base additives do not directly participate in inhibitory transformations, they can affect the equilibrium constants of these processes. Experimentally, we confirm that by varying the base promotor concentration one can control catalyst speciation and inflict substantial changes to the standard free energies of the key steps in the catalytic cycle. Despite the fact that the latter are universally assumed to be constant, we demonstrate that reaction thermodynamics and catalyst state are subject to external control. These results suggest that reaction promotors can be viewed as an integral component of the reaction medium, on its own capable of improving the catalytic performance and reshaping the seemingly rigid thermodynamic landscape of the catalytic transformation.

Proton-Promoted Nickel-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Aliphatic Ketoacids

A robust and highly active homogeneous chiral nickel-phosphine complex for the asymmetric hydrogenation of aliphatic γ- and δ-ketoacids has been discovered. The hydrogenation could proceed smoothly in the presence of 0.0133 mol% catalyst loading (S/C=7500). The coordination chemistry and catalytic behavior of Ni(OTf)₂ with (S,S)-Ph-BPE were explored by ¹ H NMR and HRMS. The mechanistic studies revealed that a proton promoted the activation of the substrate C=O bond and controlled the stereoselectivity through hydrogen bonds. A series of chiral γ- and δ-alkyl substituted lactones were obtained in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98 % yield and 99 % ee). In addition, this catalytic system also demonstrated that levulinic acid produced from a biomass feedstock was converted into chiral γ-valerolactone without loss of ee value.