Stereoselective recognition of an aziridine with a Co(III) complex: a potential transition-state analogue for catalytic epoxidation

Mini-ISES identifies promising carbafructopyranose-based salens for asymmetric catalysis: Tuning ligand shape via the anomeric effect

This study introduces new methods of screening for and tuning chiral space and in so doing identifies a promising set of chiral ligands for asymmetric synthesis. The carbafructopyranosyl-1,2-diamine(s) and salens constructed therefrom are particularly compelling. It is shown that by removing the native anomeric effect in this ligand family, one can tune chiral ligand shape and improve chiral bias. This concept is demonstrated by a combination of (i) x-ray crystallographic structure determination, (ii) assessment of catalytic performance, and (iii) consideration of the anomeric effect and its underlying dipolar basis. The title ligands were identified by a new mini version of the in situ enzymatic screening (ISES) procedure through which catalyst-ligand combinations are screened in parallel, and information on relative rate and enantioselectivity is obtained in real time, without the need to quench reactions or draw aliquots. Mini-ISES brings the technique into the nanomole regime (200 to 350 nmol catalyst/20 μml organic volume) commensurate with emerging trends in reaction development/process chemistry. The best-performing β-d-carbafructopyranosyl-1,2-diamine-derived salen ligand discovered here outperforms the best known organometallic and enzymatic catalysts for the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of 3-phenylpropylene oxide, one of several substrates examined for which the ligand is "matched." This ligand scaffold defines a new swath of chiral space, and anomeric effect tunability defines a new concept in shaping that chiral space. Both this ligand set and the anomeric shape-tuning concept are expected to find broad application, given the value of chiral 1,2-diamines and salens constructed from these in asymmetric catalysis.

Mechanistic basis for high stereoselectivity and broad substrate scope in the (salen)Co(III)-catalyzed hydrolytic kinetic resolution

In the (salen)Co(III)-catalyzed hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of terminal epoxides, the rate- and stereoselectivity-determining epoxide ring-opening step occurs by a cooperative bimetallic mechanism with one Co(III) complex acting as a Lewis acid and another serving to deliver the hydroxide nucleophile. In this paper, we analyze the basis for the extraordinarily high stereoselectivity and broad substrate scope observed in the HKR. We demonstrate that the stereochemistry of each of the two (salen)Co(III) complexes in the rate-determining transition structure is important for productive catalysis: a measurable rate of hydrolysis occurs only if the absolute stereochemistry of each of these (salen)Co(III) complexes is the same. Experimental and computational studies provide strong evidence that stereochemical communication in the HKR is mediated by the stepped conformation of the salen ligand, and not the shape of the chiral diamine backbone of the ligand. A detailed computational analysis reveals that the epoxide binds the Lewis acidic Co(III) complex in a well-defined geometry imposed by stereoelectronic rather than steric effects. This insight serves as the basis of a complete stereochemical and transition structure model that sheds light on the reasons for the broad substrate generality of the HKR.

Interplay between the diamine structure and absolute helicity in Ni-salen metallofoldamers

The nature of internal chiral diamines can greatly influence the ratio of helical diastereomers for Ni-salen based metallofoldamers. The diastereomer ratio is small for metallofoldamers derived from (1R, 2R)-cyclohexanediamine, (11R, 12R)-9,10-dihydro-9,10-ethanoanthracene-11,12-diamine, or (1R, 2R)-cyclopentanediamine. By contrast, the foldamer from (1S, 2S)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine provides a relatively large bias (6 : 1) for the P-helical diastereomer as evidenced by NMR studies, chiroptical data, and X-ray studies. A model is proposed to explain the origin of the helical bias. These findings underscore the need to consider helical diastereomers in models for asymmetric induction in metal-salen catalyzed reactions.

Reactions of Cu(I)Br with aziridine derivatives. Synthesis, characterization and crystal structures of monomeric, dimeric and hexameric aziridine (= az) complexes of the formal type [CuBr(az)2]n (n = 1, 2) and [CuBr(az)]6

The first syntheses of monomeric and oligomeric aziridine complexes of copper(I) are described. Cu(I)Br (1) reacts with a series of different aziridine derivatives (C(2)H(3)PhNH (2), C(2)H(2)Me(2)NH (3), C(2)H(2)Me(2)NC(2)H(2)Me(2)NH(2) (4)) to give the neutral dimeric complex [CuBr(C(2)H(3)PhNH)(2)](2) (5) and the ionic hexameric complex [Cu(6)Br(5)(C(2)H(2)Me(2)NH)(6)]Br (6) with terminal bound aziridine ligands as well as the neutral monomeric complex [CuBr(C(2)H(2)Me(2)NC(2)H(2)Me(2)NH(2))] (7) where the dimerized aziridine acts as a N,N'-chelating ligand. After purification, all of the complexes were fully characterized and their IR, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra are reported and discussed. The single crystal structure analysis revealed distorted tetrahedral geometry for the copper(I) centres in the complexes 5 and 6 and a trigonal planar structure for complex 7. In the oligomers the copper centres are bridged by two μ(2)- (5) or two μ(3)- and three μ(4)-bromido ligands (6), respectively.

Critical role of external axial ligands in chirality amplification of trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine in salen complexes

A series of Mn(IV)(salen)(L)(2) complexes bearing different external axial ligands (L = Cl, NO(3), N(3), and OCH(2)CF(3)) from chiral salen ligands with trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine as a chiral scaffold are synthesized, to gain insight into conformational properties of metal salen complexes. X-ray crystal structures show that Mn(IV)(salen)(OCH(2)CF(3))(2) and Mn(IV)(salen)(N(3))(2) adopt a stepped conformation with one of two salicylidene rings pointing upward and the other pointing downward due to the bias from the trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine moiety, which is in clear contrast to a relatively planar solid-state conformation for Mn(IV)(salen)(Cl)(2). The CH(2)Cl(2) solution of Mn(IV)(salen)(L)(2) shows circular dichroism of increasing intensity in the order L = Cl < NO(3) << N(3) < OCH(2)CF(3), which indicates Mn(IV)(salen)(L)(2) adopts a solution conformation of an increasing chiral distortion in this order. Quantum-chemical calculations with a symmetry adapted cluster-configuration interaction method indicate that a stepped conformation exhibits more intense circular dichroism than a planar conformation. The present study clarifies an unexpected new finding that the external axial ligands (L) play a critical role in amplifying the chirality in trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine in Mn(IV)(salen)(L)(2) to facilitate the formation of a chirally distorted conformation, possibly a stepped conformation.

Jacobsen's catalyst for hydrolytic kinetic resolution: structure elucidation of paramagnetic Co(III) salen complexes in solution via combined NMR and quantum chemical studies

NMR investigation of chiral Co(III) salen catalysts, important for enantioselective hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR), revealed the presence of a paramagnetic high-spin Co(III) species, which is in solvent- and temperature-dependent equilibrium with the known diamagnetic low-spin Co(III) complex. Combined with quantum chemical DFT calculations, the para- and diamagnetic chemical shifts were used to study the salen ligand conformation of the para- and diamagnetic complexes, resulting in a mechanistic proposal for the enantioselective step in catalysis.

Imprinting and locking chiral memory for stereoselective catalysis

A salen ligand based Co(III) complex +/- with imprintable chiral memory was locked-in and used for stereoselective catalysis.

Preorganization in Highly Enantioselective Diaza-Cope Rearrangement Reaction

Crystal structure and activation entropy data indicate that H-bond directed diaza-Cope rearrangement of chiral diimines takes place with a high degree of preorganization. CD spectroscopy and HPLC data show that there is inversion of stereochemistry for the reaction with excellent enantioselectivity.

A Cobalt(III)−Salen Complex with an Axial Substituent in the Diamine Backbone: Stereoselective Recognition of Amino Alcohols

A cobalt(III)-salen complex (3) with an axial substituent on the diamine backbone has been synthesized. Crystal structure reveals that the axial substituent (p-nitrophenyl group) is positioned in close proximity to the metal binding site. The stereoselectivity of the cobalt complex for binding amino alcohols increases with increasing steric bulk of the amino alcohol from alaninol (2.9) to valinol (6.2) and t-leucinol (36.0).

Direct observation of enantiomer discrimination of epoxides by chiral salen complexes using ENDOR

Electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy was used to investigate the weak enantioselective binding between chiral salen complexes [VO(1)] ((R,R)- and (S,S)-vanadyl N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalcylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine) and chiral epoxides (e.g., (R)-/(S)-propylene epoxide, 5) in frozen (10 K) solution. Differences in epoxide binding by enatiomers of [VO(1)] was evidenced by changes to the 1H epoxide derived peaks in the ENDOR spectra, such that (R,R)-[VO(1)] + (R)-5 and (R,R)-[VO(1)] + (S)-5 yield noticeably different spectra. These changes were assigned to the small structural differences between the diastereomeric metal-epoxide adducts. Simulation of the spectra revealed differences in the VO...1Hepoxide distances for the diastereomeric pairs, which was confirmed by a complementary set of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. While the epoxide molecule is very weakly coordinated, ENDOR measurements of the racemic complex in racemic epoxide nevertheless indicated the preferential coordination of the (R)-5 to (R,R)-[VO(1)] (likewise (S)-(5) to (S,S)-[VO(1)]), which is favored over the binding of (S)-5 epoxide to (R,R)-[VO(1)] (and likewise (R)-5 epoxide to (S,S)-[VO(1)]). This demonstrates the unique power of the ENDOR technique to resolve weak chiral interactions for which EPR spectroscopy alone lacks sufficient resolution.