Enantioselective Cu-Catalyzed Functionalizations of Unactivated Alkenes

Chiral bisphosphine Ph-BPE ligand: a rising star in asymmetric synthesis

Chiral 1,2-bis(2,5-diphenylphospholano)ethane (Ph-BPE) is a class of optimal organic bisphosphine ligands with C2-symmetry. Ph-BPE with its excellent catalytic performance in asymmetric synthesis has attracted much attention of chemists with increasing popularity and is growing into one of the most commonly used organophosphorus ligands, especially in asymmetric catalysis. Over two hundred examples have been reported since 2012. This review presents how Ph-BPE is utilized in asymmetric synthesis and how powerful it is as a chiral ligand or even a catalyst in a wide range of reactions including applications in the total synthesis of bioactive molecules.

Copper(I)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis of P-Chiral Aminophosphinites

Herein, a copper(I)-catalyzed reaction of diarylphosphines and O-benzoyl hydroxylamines is developed. In the cases of symmetrical diarylphosphines, a series of aminophosphinites is prepared in high yields. In the cases of unsymmetrical diarylphosphines, an array of P-chiral aminophosphinites is synthesized in high yields with high enantioselectivity by using a copper(I)-(R,R_P )-Ph-FOXAP complex as a chiral catalyst. Based on several control experiments and ³¹ P NMR studies, a two-electron redox mechanism involving the dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation of unsymmetrical diarylphosphines is proposed for the copper(I)-catalyzed asymmetric reaction. Finally, one representative P-chiral phosphoric amide generated through the oxidation with H₂ O₂ is transformed to a chiral diarylphosphinate in high yield with retained enantioselectivity, which allows further transformations towards various P-chiral tertiary phosphines.

Hydroamination, Aminoboration, and Carboamination with Electrophilic Amination Reagents: Umpolung-Enabled Regio- and Stereoselective Synthesis of N-Containing Molecules from Alkenes and Alkynes

Nitrogen (N) is ubiquitously found in bioactive molecules, pharmaceutical agents, and organic functional materials. Accordingly, development of new C-N bond-forming catalysis has been one of the long-standing research subjects in synthetic organic chemistry. In this Perspective, recent advances in highly selective amination reactions with electrophilic amination reagents are described: by taking advantage of the concept of nitrogen umpolung, otherwise challenging aminofunctionalizations, such as hydroamination, aminoboration, and carboamination, of readily available feedstock-like alkenes and alkynes are possible, giving densely functionalized complex and often chiral alkylamines with high selectivity. The scope, limitations, and reaction mechanism are briefly summarized.

Copper-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrodeuteration of Aryl Alkenes with Quantitative Isotopomer Purity Analysis by Molecular Rotational Resonance Spectroscopy

A copper-catalyzed alkene transfer hydrodeuteration reaction that selectively incorporates one hydrogen and one deuterium atom across an aryl alkene is described. The transfer hydrodeuteration protocol is selective across a variety of internal and terminal alkenes and is also demonstrated on an alkene-containing complex natural product analog. Beyond using ¹H, ²H, and ¹³C NMR analysis to measure reaction selectivity, six transfer hydrodeuteration products were analyzed by molecular rotational resonance (MRR) spectroscopy. The application of MRR spectroscopy to the analysis of isotopic impurities in deuteration chemistry is further explored through a measurement methodology that is compatible with high-throughput sample analysis. In the first step, the MRR spectroscopy signatures of all isotopic variants accessible in the reaction chemistry are analyzed using a broadband chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. With the signatures in hand, measurement scripts are created to quantitatively analyze the sample composition using a commercial cavity enhanced MRR spectrometer. The sample consumption is below 10 mg with analysis times on the order of 10 min using this instrument-both representing order-of-magnitude reduction compared to broadband MRR spectroscopy. To date, these measurements represent the most precise spectroscopic determination of selectivity in a transfer hydrodeuteration reaction and confirm that product regioselectivity ratios of >140:1 are achievable under this mild protocol.

Cu-Catalyzed Regioselective C-H Alkylation of Benzimidazoles with Aromatic Alkenes

Herein we report a novel Cu-catalyzed regioselective C2-H alkylation of benzimidazoles with aromatic alkenes. The reaction features exclusive regioselectivity and broad substrate scope in the intermolecular alkylation of benzimidazoles with terminal and internal aromatic alkenes, constituting a modular access toward benzimidazole-containing 1,1-di(hetero)aryl alkanes. The intramolecular C2-H alkylation of benzimidazoles with aromatic alkenes has been achieved in an endo-selective manner. The enantioselective C2 alkylation of benzimidazoles has also been realized with moderate to good stereocontrol.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Reductive C-O Bond Cleavage of Lignin β-O-4 Ketone Models via In Situ Generation of the Cobalt-Boryl Species

An efficient and mild method for reductive C-O bond cleavage of lignin β-O-4 ketone models was developed to afford the corresponding ketones and phenols with PDI-CoCl₂ as the precatalyst and diboron reagent as the reductant. The synthetic utility of the methodology was demonstrated by depolymerization of a polymeric model and gram-scale transformation. Mechanistic studies suggested that this transformation involves steps of carbonyl insertion, 1,2-Brook type rearrangement, β-oxygen elimination, and rate-limiting regeneration of the catalytic active Co-B species.

CuH-Catalyzed Olefin Functionalization: From Hydroamination to Carbonyl Addition

In organic synthesis, ligand-modified copper(I) hydride (CuH) complexes have become well-known reagents and catalysts for selective reduction, particularly toward Michael acceptors and carbonyl compounds. Recently, our group and others have found that these hydride complexes undergo migratory insertion (hydrocupration) with relatively unactivated and electronically unpolarized olefins, producing alkylcopper intermediates that can be leveraged to forge a variety of useful bonds. The resulting formal hydrofunctionalization reactions have formed the basis for a resurgence of research in CuH catalysis. This Account chronicles the development of this concept in our research group, highlighting its origin in the context of asymmetric hydroamination, evolution to more general C-X bond-forming reactions, and applications in the addition of olefin-derived nucleophiles to carbonyl derivatives.Hydroamination, the formal insertion of an olefin into the N-H bond of an amine, is a process of significant academic and industrial interest, due to its potential to transform widely available alkenes and alkynes into valuable complex amines. We developed a polarity-reversed strategy for catalytic enantioselective hydroamination relying on the reaction of olefins with CuH to generate chiral organocopper intermediates, which are intercepted by electrophilic amine reagents. By engineering the auxiliary ligand, amine electrophile, and reaction conditions, the scope of this method has since been extended to include many types of olefins, including challenging internal olefins. Further, the scope of amine reagents has been expanded to enable the synthesis of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines as well as amides, N-alkylated heterocycles, and anilines. All of these reactions exhibit high regio- and stereoselectivity and, due to the mild conditions required, excellent tolerance for heterocycles and polar functional groups.Though the generation of alkylcopper species from olefins was originally devised as a means to solve the hydroamination problem, we soon found that these intermediates could react efficiently with an unexpectedly broad range of electrophiles, including alkyl halides, silicon reagents, arylpalladium species, heterocycles, and carbonyl derivatives. The general ability of olefins to function as precursors for nucleophilic intermediates has proved particularly advantageous in carbonyl addition reactions because it overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with traditional organometallic reagents. By removing the need for pregeneration of the nucleophile in a separate operation, CuH-catalyzed addition reactions of olefin-derived nucleophiles feature improved step economy, enhanced functional group tolerance, and the potential for catalyst control over regio- and stereoselectivity. Following this paradigm, feedstock olefins such as allene, butadiene, and styrene have been employed as reagents for asymmetric alkylation of ketones, imines, and aldehydes.

Enantioselective Synthesis of 4-Aminotetrahydroquinolines via 1,2-Reductive Dearomatization of Quinolines and Copper(I) Hydride-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydroamination

A 1,2-reductive dearomatization of quinolines and copper(II) acetate monohydrate/( R, R)-Ph-BPE/P( p-tolyl)₃-catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination sequence was developed, affording diverse 4-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines with high levels of enantioselectivity in either a stepwise or one-pot fashion. Pleasingly, internal cis-cyclic alkenes, which are challenging substrates in copper hydride-catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination reactions, were transformed efficiently under mild conditions.

Copper-Catalyzed Propargylic Reduction with Diisobutylaluminum Hydride

A mild and efficient method for the synthesis of allenes through selective copper-catalyzed hydride addition to propargylic chlorides using commercially available diisobutylaluminum hydride has been developed. This transformation, which is promoted by a readily accessible N-heterocyclic carbene-copper complex, provides a wide range of new and versatile functionalized allenes in good to excellent yields with high regio- and stereoselectivities.

Electrochemical strategies for C-H functionalization and C-N bond formation

Conventional methods for carrying out carbon-hydrogen functionalization and carbon-nitrogen bond formation are typically conducted at elevated temperatures, and rely on expensive catalysts as well as the use of stoichiometric, and perhaps toxic, oxidants. In this regard, electrochemical synthesis has recently been recognized as a sustainable and scalable strategy for the construction of challenging carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. Here, electrosynthesis has proven to be an environmentally benign, highly effective and versatile platform for achieving a wide range of nonclassical bond disconnections via generation of radical intermediates under mild reaction conditions. This review provides an overview on the use of anodic electrochemical methods for expediting the development of carbon-hydrogen functionalization and carbon-nitrogen bond formation strategies. Emphasis is placed on methodology development and mechanistic insight and aims to provide inspiration for future synthetic applications in the field of electrosynthesis.

Asymmetric hydrofunctionalization of minimally functionalized alkenes via earth abundant transition metal catalysis

The development of earth-abundant transition metal-catalysed highly enantioselective hydrofunctionalization of minimally functionalized alkenes was summarized.

Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed Alkylation of Quinoline N-Oxides with Vinylarenes

An asymmetric copper-catalyzed alkylation of quinoline N-oxides with chiral Cu-alkyl species, generated by migratory insertion of a vinylarene into a chiral Cu-H complex, is reported. A variety of quinoline N-oxides and vinylarenes underwent this Cu-catalyzed enantioselective alkylation reaction, affording the corresponding chiral alkylated N-heteroarenes in high yield with high-to-excellent enantioselectivity. This enantioselective protocol represents the first general and practical approach to access a wide range of chiral alkylated quinolines.