Molecular design of chiral quaternary ammonium polymers for asymmetric catalysis applications

Substituent Impact on Quinoxaline Performance and Degradation in Redox Flow Batteries

Aqueous redox flow batteries (RFBs) are attractive candidates for low-cost, grid-scale storage of energy from renewable sources. Quinoxaline derivatives represent a promising but underexplored class of charge-storing materials on account of poor chemical stability in prior studies (with capacity fade rates >20%/day). Here, we establish that 2,3-dimethylquinoxaline-6-carboxylic acid (DMeQUIC) is vulnerable to tautomerization in its reduced form under alkaline conditions. We obtain kinetic rate constants for tautomerization by applying Bayesian inference to ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic data from operating flow cells and show that these rate constants quantitatively account for capacity fade measured in cycled cells. We use density functional theory (DFT) modeling to identify structural and chemical predictors of tautomerization resistance and demonstrate that they qualitatively explain stability trends for several commercially available and synthesized derivatives. Among these, quinoxaline-2-carboxylic acid shows a dramatic increase in stability over DMeQUIC and does not exhibit capacity fade in mixed symmetric cell cycling. The molecular design principles identified in this work set the stage for further development of quinoxalines in practical, aqueous organic RFBs.

Electrochemical Characterization of Aromatic Molecules with 1,4-Diaza Groups for Flow Battery Applications

The aqueous redox flow battery is a promising technology for large-scale low cost energy storage. The rich possibilities for the tailoring of organic molecules and the possibility to discover active materials of lower cost and decreased environmental impact continue to drive research and development of organic compounds suitable for redox flow battery applications. In this work, we focus on the characterization of aromatic molecules with 1,4-diaza groups for flow battery applications. We examine the influence of electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents and the effect of the relative position of the substituent(s) on the molecule. We found that electron-withdrawing substituents increased the potential, while electron-donating decreased it, in agreement with expectations. The number of carboxy-groups on the pyrazinic ring was found to have a strong impact on the heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics, with the slowest kinetics observed for pyrazine-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic acid. The stability of quinoxaline was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and in a flow cell configuration. Substitution at the 2,3-positions in quinoxaline was found to decrease the capacity fade rate significantly. Furthermore, we demonstrated how molecular aggregation reduces the effective number of electrons involved in the redox process for quinoxalines. This translates to a significant reduction of the achievable volumetric capacity at higher concentrations, yielding values significantly lower than the theoretical capacity. Finally, we demonstrate that such capacity-limiting molecular aggregation may be reduced by introducing flexible side chains with bulky charged groups in order to increase electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance.

ADMET Polymerization of Dimeric Cinchona Squaramides for the Preparation of a Highly Enantioselective Polymeric Organocatalyst

Under the acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) reaction condition, the C3-vinyl groups of cinchona alkaloids readily react with each other to form a C-C bond. A novel type of cinchona alkaloid polymers was synthesized from dimeric cinchona squaramides using the Hoveyda-Grubbs’ second-generation catalysts (HG2) by means of ADMET reaction. The chiral polymers, containing cinchona squaramide moieties in their main chains, were subsequently employed as catalysts for the enantioselective Michael reaction to give the corresponding chiral adducts in high yields with excellent enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. Both enantiomers from the asymmetric Michael reaction were distinctively prepared while using the polymeric catalysts, possessing pseudoenantiomeric structures. The catalysts were readily recovered from the reaction mixture and recycled several times due to the insolubility of the cinchona-based squaramide polymers.

The Synthesis of Hydrobenzoin-Based Monoaza Crown Ethers and Their Application as Recyclable Enantioselective Catalysts

Abstract

New recyclable monoaza-15-crown ethers have been synthesized starting from (R,R)-(+)- and (S,S)-(−)-hydrobenzoin. These macrocycles proved to be efficient and reusable phase transfer catalysts in a few asymmetric reactions under mild conditions. The asymmetric epoxidation of trans-chalcone took place with up to 81% ee, while using other chalcone derivatives, the products were formed with 68–88% ee. The hydrobenzoin-based lariat ethers were also tested in the cyclopropanation of a few electron deficient olefins using diethyl bromomalonate to afford the product with good enantioselectivities (54–75% ee). The catalysts were recovered by salt formation, followed by extraction, and were reused without the loss of the activity and effect on the enantioselectivity.

Graphic Abstract

The synthesis of hydrobenzoin-based monaza crown ethers and their application as recyclable enantioselective catalysts.

Cinchona Squaramide-Based Chiral Polymers as Highly Efficient Catalysts in Asymmetric Michael Addition Reaction

We have synthesized novel chiral polymers containing a cinchona-based squaramide in the main chain. We designed a novel cinchona squaramide dimer that contains two cinchona squaramide units connected by diamines. The olefinic double bonds in the cinchona squaramide dimer were used for Mizoroki-Heck (MH) polymerization with aromatic diiodides. The MH polymerization of the cinchona squaramide dimer and aromatic diiodide proceeded well to give the corresponding chiral polymers in good yields. The catalytic activity of the chiral polymers was investigated for asymmetric Michael addition reactions. The effect of the squaramide structure of the polymeric catalyst on the catalytic performance is discussed in detail. We have surveyed the influence of the chiral polymer structure on the catalytic activity and enantioselectivity of the asymmetric reaction. The asymmetric Michael addition of β-ketoesters to nitroolefins was successfully catalyzed by polymeric cinchona squaramide organocatalysts to obtain the corresponding Michael adducts in good yields with excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivities. The polymeric catalysts were insoluble in commonly used organic solvents and easily recovered from the reaction mixture and reused several times without the loss of catalytic activity.

Chiral catalysts immobilized on achiral polymers: effect of the polymer support on the performance of the catalyst

Achiral polymeric supports can have important positive effects on the activity, stability and selectivity of supported chiral catalysts.

Missing metal-linker connectivities in a 3-D robust sulfonate-based metal–organic framework for enhanced proton conductivity

We demonstrate the first example of proton conductivity control with the missing metal–ligand connectivities within a rare 3-D porous sulfonate-based MOF.

Synthesis of cinchona alkaloid sulfonamide polymers as sustainable catalysts for the enantioselective desymmetrization of cyclic anhydrides

Mizoroki–Heck polymerization of cinchona sulfonamide gave chiral polymers, which are active catalysts for enantioselective desymmetrization of cyclic anhydrides to give chiral hemiesters in high yield with high enantioselectivities.

Dimeric Cinchona alkaloids

Nature is full of dimeric alkaloids of various types from many plant families, some of them with interesting biological properties. However, dimeric Cinchona alkaloids were not isolated from any species but were products of designed partial chemical synthesis. Although the Cinchona bark is amongst the sources of oldest efficient medicines, the synthetic dimers found most use in the field of asymmetric synthesis. Prominent examples include the Sharpless dihydroxylation and aminohydroxylation ligands, and dimeric phase transfer catalysts. In this article the syntheses of Cinchona alkaloid dimers and oligomers are reviewed, and their structure and applications are outlined. Various synthetic routes exploit reactivity of the alkaloids at the central 9-hydroxyl group, quinuclidine, and quinoline rings, as well as 3-vinyl group. This availability of reactive sites, in combination with a plethora of linker molecules, contributes to the diversity of the products obtained.

Polymer-immobilized chiral catalysts

This review illustrates the current strategies and potential of polymer-immobilized chiral catalysts for highly enantioselective asymmetric synthesis.

Recent developments in asymmetric phase-transfer reactions

Phase-transfer catalysis has been recognized as a powerful method for establishing practical protocols for organic synthesis, because it offers several advantages, such as operational simplicity, mild reaction conditions, suitability for large-scale synthesis, and the environmentally benign nature of the reaction system. Since the pioneering studies on highly enantioselective alkylations promoted by chiral phase-transfer catalysts, this research field has served as an attractive area for the pursuit of "green" sustainable chemistry. A wide variety of asymmetric transformations catalyzed by chiral onium salts and crown ethers have been developed for the synthesis of valuable organic compounds in the past several decades, especially in recent years.

Soluble polymer-supported organocatalysts

Organocatalysts have been extensively studied for the past few decades as alternatives to transition-metal catalysts. Immobilizing organocatalysts on polymer supports allows easy recovery and simple product purification after a reaction. Select examples of recent reports that describe the potential advantages of using soluble polymers to prepare soluble polymer-supported organocatalysts useful in organic synthesis are reviewed.

Synthesis of main-chain chiral quaternary ammonium polymers for asymmetric catalysis using quaternization polymerization

Main-chain chiral quaternary ammonium polymers were successfully synthesized by the quaternization polymerization of cinchonidine dimer with dihalides. The polymerization occurred smoothly under optimized conditions to give novel type of main-chain chiral quaternary ammonium polymers. The catalytic activity of the polymeric chiral organocatalysts was investigated on the asymmetric benzylation of N-(diphenylmethylidene)glycine tert-butyl ester.