Cobalt-Catalyzed Sequential Site- and Stereoselective Hydrosilylation of 1,3- and 1,4-Enynes

Catalytic Kinetic Resolution of Monohydrosilanes via Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Intramolecular Hydrosilylation

The catalytic access of silicon-stereogenic organosilanes remains a big challenge, and largely depends on the desymmetrization of the symmetric precursors with two identical substitutes attached to silicon atom. Here we report the construction of silicon-stereogenic organosilanes via catalytic kinetic resolution of racemic monohydrosilanes with good to excellent selectivity factors. Both Si-stereogenic dihydrobenzosiloles and Si-stereogenic monohydrosilanes could be efficiently accessed in one single operation via Rh-catalyzed enantioselective intramolecular hydrosilylation, employing (R,R)-Et-DuPhos as the optimal ligand. This catalytic protocol features mild conditions, a low catalyst loading (0.1 mol % [Rh(cod)Cl]2), high stereoinduction (S factor up to 152), and excellent scalability. Moreover, further derivatizations led to the efficient synthesis of uncommon middle-size (7- and 8-membered) Si-stereogenic silacycles. Preliminary mechanistic study indicates this reaction might undergo a modified Chalk-Harrod mechanism.

Regiodivergent Hydrosilylation of Polar Enynes to Synthesize Site-Specific Silyl-Substituted Dienes

Herein, we present catalyst-regulated switchable site-selective hydrosilylation of enynes, which are suitable for a wide range of alkyl and aryl substituted polar enynes and exhibit excellent functional group compatibility. Under the optimized conditions, silyl groups can be precisely installed at various positions of 1,3-dienes. While α- and γ-silylation products were obtained under platinum-catalytic systems, β-silylation products were delivered with [Cp*RuCl]4 as catalyst. This process lead to the formation of 1,3-dienoates with diverse substitutions, which would pose challenges with other methodologies.

Catalytic Access to Diastereometrically Pure Four- and Five-Membered Silyl-Heterocycles Using Transborylation

Silyl-heterocycles offer a unique handle to expand and explore chemical space, reactivity, and functionality. The shortage of catalytic methods for the preparation of diverse and functionalized silyl-heterocycles however limits widespread exploration and exploitation. Herein the borane-catalyzed intramolecular 1,1-carboboration of silyl-alkynes has been developed for the synthesis of 2,3-dihydrosilolyl and silylcyclobut-2-enyl boronic esters. Successful, catalytic carboboration has been achieved on a variety of functionally diverse silyl-alkynes, using a borane catalyst and transborylation-enabled turnover. Mechanistic studies, including 13C-labelling, computational studies, and single-turnover experiments, suggest a reaction pathway proceeding by 1,2-hydroboration, 1,1-carboboration, and transborylation to release the alkenyl boronic ester product and regenerate the borane catalyst.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Chemodivergent Synthesis of Cyclic Amines and Lactams from Ketoacids and Anilines Using Hydrosilylation

Here, commercially available Co2(CO)8 was utilized as an efficient catalyst for chemodivergent synthesis of pyrrolidines and pyrrolidones from levulinic acid and aromatic amines under slightly different hydrosilylation conditions. 1.5 and 3 equiv of phenylsilane selectively yielded pyrrolidone and pyrrolidine, respectively. Various ketoacids and amines were successfully tested. Plausible mechanism involves the condensation of levulinic acid and amine to form an imine, which cyclizes to 3-pyrrolidin-2-one followed by reduction to pyrrolidone. The final reduction of pyrrolidone gave pyrrolidine.

Manganese/Cobalt Bimetallic Relay Catalysis for Divergent Dehydrogenative Difluoroalkylation of Alkenes

The involvement of manganese radical for halogen atom transfer (XAT) reactions has been esteemed as one reliable method but encountered with limited catalytic models. In this paper, a novel bimetallic relay catalysis of Mn2 (CO)10 and cobaloxime has been developed for divergent dehydrogenative difluoroalkylation of alkenes using commercially available difluoroalkyl bromides. A wide range of structurally diverse terminal, cyclic and internal alkenes as well as tetrasubstituted alkenes are found to be good coupling partners to deliver difluoroalkylated allylic products and difluoromethylated cyclic products, accompanied with the production of H2 as the by-product. This bimetallic relay strategy features broad substrate scope, mild reaction conditions and excellent functional group compatibility. Its success represents an important step-forward to expedite the construction of a rich library of difluoroalkylated products.

Synthesis and Transformation of Bis(silyl)-Substituted Conjugated Vinylallene Compounds

We develop a copper-catalyzed disilylation of polysubstituted pent-1-en-4-yn-3-yl acetate derivatives, which in one pot furnishes the bis(silyl)-substituted vinylallenes in moderate yields under mild reaction conditions. The reaction shows broad substrate scope and single stereoselectivity. Besides, we develop a method to decrease the electrocyclization temperature of vinylallenes for the synthesis of methylenecyclobutenes by installing bis(silyl) substituents. And the effect of a silyl substituent on electrocyclization of vinylallenes was studied via DFT computation. The synthetic method features broad substrate scope and excellent stereoselectivity.

Controllable Si-C Bond Formation from Trihydrosilanes En Route to Synthesis of 1,4-Azasilinanes with Diverse Silyl Functionalities

A B(C6F5)3-catalyzed controllable inter/intra-/intermolecular Si-C bond formation process has been developed from trihydrosilane and dienamide with alkenes, anilines, or aryl iodides. A variety of 1,4-azasilinanes have been generated with diverse exo-cyclic heteroleptic disubstitutions on silicon, thereby expanding the range of silaazacyclic rings available for the discovery of silicon-containing drugs.

Stereospecific synthesis of silicon-stereogenic optically active silylboranes and general synthesis of chiral silyl Anions

Silicon-stereogenic optically active silylboranes could potentially allow the formation of chiral silyl nucleophiles as well as the synthesis of various chiral silicon compounds. However, the synthesis of such silicon-stereogenic silylboranes has not been achieved so far. Here, we report the synthesis of silicon-stereogenic optically active silylboranes via a stereospecific Pt(PPh3)4-catalyzed Si-H borylation of chiral hydrosilanes, which are synthesized by stoichiometric and catalytic asymmetric synthesis, in high yield and very high or perfect enantiospecificity (99% es in one case, and >99% es in the others) with retention of the configuration. Furthermore, we report a practical approach to generate silicon-stereogenic silyl nucleophiles with high enantiopurity and configurational stability using MeLi activation. This protocol is suitable for the stereospecific and general synthesis of silicon-stereogenic trialkyl-, dialkylbenzyl-, dialkylaryl-, diarylalkyl-, and alkylary benzyloxy-substituted silylboranes and their corresponding silyl nucleophiles with excellent enantiospecificity (>99% es except one case of 99% es). Transition-metal-catalyzed C-Si bond-forming cross-coupling reactions and conjugate-addition reactions are also demonstrated. The mechanisms underlying the stability and reactivity of such chiral silyl anion were investigated by combining NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations.

Regio- and enantioselective CuH-catalyzed 1,2- and 1,4-hydrosilylation of 1,3-enynes

We report a copper-catalyzed ligand-controlled selective 1,2- and 1,4-hydrosilylation of 1,3-enynes, which furnishes enantiomerically enriched propargyl- and 1,2-allenylsilane products in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). This reaction proceeds under mild conditions, shows broad substrate scope for both 1,3-enynes and trihydrosilanes, and displays excellent regioselectivities. Mechanistic studies based on deuterium-labeling reactions and density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that allenylcopper is the dominant reactive intermediate under both 1,2- and 1,4-hydrosilylation conditions, and it undergoes metathesis with silanes via selective four-membered or six-membered transition state, depending on the nature of the ligand. The weak interactions between the ligands and the reacting partners are found to be the key controlling factor for the observed regioselectivity switch. The origin of high enantiocontrol in the 1,4-hydrosilylation is also revealed by high level DLPNO-CCSD(T) calculations.

Isothiourea-Catalyzed Acylative Desymmetrization of Silicon-Centered Bisphenols

The preparation of optically pure organosilicon compounds bearing a stereogenic center at the silicon atom is an attractive but challenging enterprise. Herein we disclose an isothiourea (ITU)-catalyzed monoacylation reaction of silicon-centered bisphenols with 2,2-diphenylacetic pivalic anhydride, delivering tetrasubstituted organosilanes in moderate to excellent yields (36-91%) with moderate to excellent enantiomeric ratios (68:32-97.5:2.5). This organocatalytic desymmetrization approach can be performed on gram scale, and the products can be converted to other valuable compounds.

Amide-Directed, Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrosilylation of Unactivated Internal Alkenes

Despite the recent advances made in the area of asymmetric hydrosilylation, metal-catalyzed enantioselective hydrosilylation of unactivated internal alkenes remains a challenge. Here, we report a rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective hydrosilylation of unactivated internal alkenes bearing a polar group. The coordination assistance by an amide group enables the hydrosilylation to occur with high regio- and enantioselectivity.

Photoinduced Cobalt-Catalyzed Desymmetrization of Dialdehydes to Access Axial Chirality

Enantioselective metallaphotoredox catalysis, which combines photoredox catalysis and asymmetric transition-metal catalysis, has become an effective approach to achieve stereoconvergence under mild conditions. Although many impressive synthetic approaches have been developed to access central chirality, the construction of axial chirality by metallaphotoredox catalysis still remains underexplored. Herein, we report two visible light-induced cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric reductive couplings of biaryl dialdehydes to synthesize axially chiral aldehydes (60 examples, up to 98% yield, >19:1 dr, and >99% ee). This protocol shows good functional group tolerance, broad substrate scope, and excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Diastereo- and Enantioselective Carbon-Carbon Bond Forming Reactions of Cyclobutenes

Catalytic enantioselective functionalization of cyclobutenes constitutes a general and modular strategy for construction of enantioenriched complex cyclobutanes bearing multiple stereogenic centers, as chiral four-membered rings are common motifs in biologically active molecules and versatile intermediates in organic synthesis. However, enantioselective synthesis of cyclobutanes through such a strategy remained significantly limited. Herein, we report a series of unprecedented cobalt-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond forming reactions of cyclobutenes that are initiated through enantioselective carbometalation. The protocols feature diastereo- and enantioselective introduction of allyl, alkynyl, and functionalized alkyl groups. Mechanistic studies indicated an unusual 1,3-cobalt migration and subsequent β-carbon elimination cascade process occurred in the allyl addition. These new discoveries established a new elementary process for cobalt catalysis and an extension of diversity of nucleophiles for enantioselective transformations of cyclobutenes.

An unusual autocatalysis with an air-stable Pd complex to promote enantioselective synthesis of Si-stereogenic enynes

Given the powerful potential of chiral-at-silicon chemistry, enantioselective synthesis of Si-stereogenic centers has attracted substantial research interest in recent years. However, the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of Si-stereogenic organosilicon compounds remains an appealing venture and is a challenging subject because of the difficulty in achieving high reactivity and stereoselectivity for "silicon-center" transformations. Herein, we disclose a highly enantioselective palladium-catalyzed hydrosilylation of 1,3-diynes with dihydrosilanes, which enables the facile preparation of Si-stereogenic enynes and an enyne-linked chiral polymer (polyenyne) in good yields and excellent ees (up to >99%) by desymmetrization. The unusual stereoselectivity in this reaction is achieved by precisely controlling the steric hindrance and electronic effect of the newly developed chiral ligands, resulting in a wide range of chiral silanes and a Si-containing polymer bearing a Si-stereogenic center which is otherwise difficult to access. The key to the high enantioselectivity relies on catalyst aggregation-induced non-covalent interaction, which exerts a remarkably positive influence on the Si-H bond activation and enhancement of enantioselectivity, in which the palladium/P-ligand complex was proved to be air-stable and moisture-insensitive in this reaction.

Enantioselective Hydrosilylation of β,β-Disubstituted Enamides to Construct α-Aminosilanes with Vicinal Stereocenters

Despite the advances in the area of catalytic alkene hydrosilylation, the enantioselective hydrosilylation of alkenes bearing a heteroatom substituent is scarce. Here we report a rhodium-catalyzed hydrosilylation of β,β-disubstituted enamides to directly afford valuable α-aminosilanes in a highly regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective manner. Stereodivergent synthesis could be achieved by regulating substrate geometry and ligand configuration to generate all the possible stereoisomers in high enantio-purity.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Asymmetric Hydrosilylation to Access Silicon-Stereogenic Center

Strategies on the construction of enantiomerically pure silicon-stereogenic silanes generally relies on desymmetrization of prochiral and symmetric substrates. However, dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformations of organosilicon compounds have remained underdeveloped and unforeseen owing to a lack of an effective method for deracemization of the static silicon stereocenters. Here we report the first Rh-catalyzed dynamic kinetic asymmetric intramolecular hydrosilylation (DyKAH) with "silicon-centered" racemic hydrosilanes that enables the facile preparation of silicon-stereogenic benzosiloles in good yields and excellent enantioselectivities. The special rhodium catalyst controlled by non-diastereopure-type mixed phosphine-phosphoramidite ligand with axial chirality and multiple stereocenters can induce enantioselectivity efficiently in this novel DyKAH reaction. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the amide moiety in chiral ligand plays important role in facilitating the S_N 2 substitution of chloride ion to realize the chiral inversion of silicon center.

Cascade Multicomponent Assemblies Involving 1,3-Enynes via Auto-Tandem Palladium Catalysis

Here we report a three-component auto-tandem reaction of 1,3-enyne-tethered carbonyls, organoboronic reagents, and suitable nucleophiles catalyzed by palladium, proceeding through consecutive intramolecular vinylogous addition, Suzuki coupling, and allylic alkylation. This process exhibited high chemo- and regioselectivity with 1,3,4-trifunctionalization of the 1,3-enyne motif, and a wide range of 2H-chromenes, 1,2-dihydroquinolines, benzo[b]oxepines, 1,7-annulated indoles, and other frameworks were efficiently constructed in fair to good yields and E/Z selectivity.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrosilylation of Allenes to Access Axially Chiral (Cyclohexylidene)ethyl Silanes

A novel strategy of copper-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective hydrosilylation of 4-substituted vinylidenecyclohexanes with silanes was developed. In this protocol, various allenes and silanes were used to afford the corresponding (cyclohexylidene)ethyl silanes in moderate to high yields with good enantioselectivities.

Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Sequential Hydroamination of 1,3-Enynes: Enantioselective Syntheses of Chiral Imidazolidinones

Pd-catalyzed sequential hydroamination of readily available 1,3-enynes is reported. The redox-neutral process provides an efficient route to synthesize a broad scope of imidazolidinones, thiadiazolidines, and imidazolidines. Asymmetric sequential hydroamination generates a series of synthetically valuable, enantioenriched imidazolidinones. Mechanistic studies revealed that the transformation occurred via an intermolecular enyne hydroamination pathway to give an allene intermediate. Subsequent intramolecular hydroamination of the allene intermediate proceeded under the Curtin-Hammett principle to provide enantioenriched imidazolidinone products.

Silicon-Stereogenic Monohydrosilane: Synthesis and Applications

Optically active organosilanes have been demonstrated to be versatile chiral reagents in synthetic chemistry since the early seminal contributions by Sommer and Corriu. Among these silicon-containing chiral architectures, monohydrosilanes, which bear a Si-H bond, hold a unique position because of their facile transformations through stereospecific Si-carbon or Si-heteroatom bond-formation reactions. In addition, those compounds have also been leveraged as chiral reagents for alcohol resolution, chiral auxiliaries, mechanistic probes, as well as potential optoelectronic materials. This Minireview comprehensively summarizes the synthesis and synthetic applications of silicon-stereogenic monohydrosilanes, particularly the advances in the transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of this class of functional molecules.

Mechanism of a cobalt-catalyzed hydroarylation reaction and origin of stereoselectivity

In the present study, the mechanism of a cobalt-catalyzed hydroarylation reaction between N-pyridylindole and 1,6-enynes and the origin of its stereoselectivity have been systematically investigated using the DFT calculation method.