Scalable Ruthenium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis of a Key Intermediate for the β2-Adrenergic Receptor Agonist

Enantioselective Transformations in the Synthesis of Therapeutic Agents

The proportion of approved chiral drugs and drug candidates under medical studies has surged dramatically over the past two decades. As a consequence, the efficient synthesis of enantiopure pharmaceuticals or their synthetic intermediates poses a profound challenge to medicinal and process chemists. The significant advancement in asymmetric catalysis has provided an effective and reliable solution to this challenge. The successful application of transition metal catalysis, organocatalysis, and biocatalysis to the medicinal and pharmaceutical industries has promoted drug discovery by efficient and precise preparation of enantio-enriched therapeutic agents, and facilitated the industrial production of active pharmaceutical ingredient in an economic and environmentally friendly fashion. The present review summarizes the most recent applications (2008-2022) of asymmetric catalysis in the pharmaceutical industry ranging from process scales to pilot and industrial levels. It also showcases the latest achievements and trends in the asymmetric synthesis of therapeutic agents with state of the art technologies of asymmetric catalysis.

Convincing Catalytic Performance of Oxo-Tethered Ruthenium Complexes for Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of Cyclic α-Halogenated Ketones through Dynamic Kinetic Resolution

A highly efficient dynamic kinetic resolution of cyclic halohydrins was achieved by the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of racemic α-haloketones. Bifunctional oxo-tethered Ru(II) catalysts could promote the reduction without deterioration of halogens. By structural tuning of the catalyst, chiral alcohols having halogen, ester, carboxamide, and sulfone functions were obtained variably with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to >99:1 d.r. and >99.9 ee), which provided a concise synthetic approach to a dopamine D3 receptor ligand, (+)-PHNO.

Accessible Bifunctional Oxy-Tethered Ruthenium(II) Catalysts for Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation

A concise synthesis of new oxy-tethered ruthenium complexes effective for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones is described. The oxy-tether was constructed via a defluorinative etherification arising from an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution of a perfluorinated phenylsulfonyl substituent. The obtained tethered complexes exhibited desirable catalytic activity and selectivity, especially in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of functionalized aromatic ketones. The robustness and rigidity of the tether contribute to their superior catalytic performance relative to the nontethered prototype complex.

Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of 1,3-Alkoxy/Aryloxy Propanones Using Tethered Arene/Ru(II)/TsDPEN Complexes

A series of propanones containing combinations of aryloxy and alkoxy substituents at the 1- and 3-positions were reduced to the alcohols via asymmetric transfer hydrogenation using a tethered Ru(II)/TsDPEN catalyst. The enantioselectivities of the reductions reveal a complex pattern of electronic and steric effects which, when used in a matched combination, can lead to the formation of products of up to 68% ee (84:16 er) from this highly challenging class of substrate.