A new easily accessible chiral phosphite–phosphoramidite ligand based on 2-anilinoethanol and R-BINOL moieties for Rh-catalyzed asymmetric olefin hydrogenation

Asymmetric Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation using a furanoside phosphite-phosphoroamidite and diphosphoroamidite ligand library

A furanoside phosphite-phosphoroamidite and diphosphoroamidite ligand library L1-L5a-f was tested in the asymmetric Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives and enamides. Enantioselectivity depended strongly on the ligand parameters. High enantioselectivities were obtained in the reduction of dimethyl itaconate (up to >99% ee), α-dehydroamino acid esters (up to 99% ee) and several enamides (up to 92% ee). Kinetic and NMR studies on the intermediates of the catalytic cycle of the reaction indicate that the [Rh(P(1)-P(2))(substrate)](+) species is the resting state of the reaction and that the rate dependence is first order in rhodium and hydrogen pressure and zeroth order in the substrate.

Synthesis and characterization of privileged monodentate phosphoramidite ligands and chiral Brønsted acids derived from d-mannitol

The synthesis of several novel chiral phosphoramidite ligands (L1-L8) with C(2) symmetric, pseudo C(2) symmetric secondary amines and chiral Brønsted acids 1a,b has been achieved. These chiral auxiliaries were obtained from commercially available d-mannitol, and secondary amines in moderate to excellent yields. Excellent diastereoselectivites of ten chiral auxiliaries were obtained. The chiral phosphoramidite ligands and chiral Brønsted acids were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods.

New chiral phosphoramidite complexes of iron as catalytic precursors in the oxidation of activated methylene groups

New phosphoramidite complexes of iron were synthesized and structurally characterized. Reaction of the known chiral phosphoramidites (RO)2PNR'2 (R = binaphthyl, R' = CH3, 1a; R = binaphthyl, R' = benzyl, 1b) with [FeBr(Cp)(CO)2] afforded the title compounds [FeBr(Cp)(CO)(1a,b)] (4a,b) in 34 and 65 % isolated yields as mixtures of diastereomers, since both the metal and the ligand are stereogenic. Similarly, reaction of 1b with [Fe(Cp)I(CO)2] in the presence of catalytic [Fe(Cp)(CO)2]2 afforded [Fe(Cp)I(CO)(1b)] (5b) in 81% yield as a mixture of diastereomers. The molecular structures of 4a, 4b and 5 were determined, revealing a pseudo octahedral coordination geometry about the iron center. The new metal complexes are catalytically active in the oxidation of benzylic methylene groups to the corresponding ketones, utilizing t-BuOOH as oxidant (2 mol% catalyst, 36 h, room temperature, 31-80% yield).