Enantio- and Z-Selective δ-Hydroarylation of Aryl-Substituted 1,3-Dienes via Rh-Catalyzed Conjugate Addition

Metal-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate arylations of electron-poor alkenes are highly selective processes for C(sp2)-C(sp3) bond formation. δ-Selective hydroarylations of electron-poor 1,3-dienes are less well developed and reactions that deliver high enantioselectivity while giving single alkene isomer products are elusive. Here we report the Rh-catalyzed δ-arylation of aryl-substituted 1,3-dienes that gives nearly exclusive Z-1,4-addition products (generally with >95 : 5 positional and geometrical selectivity). This remote functionalization provides access to chiral diarylated alkenes from readily available precursors poised for further functionalization, including in the synthesis of bioactive molecules. Mechanistic studies suggest that protonolysis of a Rh-allyl intermediate generated by diene insertion into a Rh-aryl is the turnover limiting step and occurs by an inner-sphere proton transfer pathway.

Chiral Diene Ligands in Asymmetric Catalysis

Asymmetric catalysis has emerged as a general and powerful approach for constructing chiral compounds in an enantioselective manner. Hence, developing novel chiral ligands and catalysts that can effectively induce asymmetry in reactions is crucial in modern chemical synthesis. Among such chiral ligands and catalysts, chiral dienes and their metal complexes have received increased attention, and a great progress has been made over the past two decades. This review provides comprehensive and critical information on the essential aspects of chiral diene ligands and their importance in asymmetric catalysis. The literature covered ranges from August 2003 (when the first effective chiral diene ligand for asymmetric catalysis was reported) to October 2021. This review is divided into two parts. In the first part, the chiral diene ligands are categorized according to their structures, and their preparation methods are summarized. In the second part, their applications in asymmetric transformations are presented according to the reaction types.

Enantioselective Hydroarylation or Hydroalkenylation of Benzo[b]thiophene 1,1-Dioxides with Organoboranes

An efficient protocol for the asymmetric hydroarylation and hydroalkenylation of benzo[b]thiophene 1,1-dioxides with organoboranes has been developed. The combination of a rhodium(I) precatalyst and a chiral diene ligand constitutes the catalytic system, which enables the facile synthesis of 2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]thiophene 1,1-dioxides in good yields with high enantioselectivities. The merging of this asymmetric hydroarylation with the downstream alkylations delivers 2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]thiophene 1,1-dioxides that contain two continuous quaternary stereocenters with high enantioselectivities in a diastereodivergent manner.

Chiral Rhodium Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation Reactions

The development of heterogeneous catalyst systems for enantioselective reactions is an important subject in modern chemistry as they can be easily separated from products and potentially reused; this is particularly favorable in achieving a more sustainable society. Whereas numerous homogeneous chiral small molecule catalysts have been developed to date, there are only limited examples of heterogeneous ones that maintain high activity and have a long lifetime. On the other hand, metal nanoparticle catalysts have attracted much attention in organic chemistry due to their robustness and ease of deposition on solid supports. Given these advantages, metal nanoparticles modified with chiral ligands, defined as "chiral metal nanoparticles", would work efficiently in asymmetric catalysis. Although asymmetric hydrogenation catalyzed by chiral metal nanoparticles was pioneered in the late twentieth century, the application of chiral metal nanoparticle catalysis for asymmetric C-C bond-forming reactions that give a high level of enantioselectivity with wide substrate scope was very limited.This Account summarizes recent investigations that we have carried out in the field of chiral rhodium (Rh) nanoparticle catalysis for asymmetric arylation reactions. We initially utilized composites of polystyrene-based copolymers with cross-linking moieties and carbon black incarcerated Rh nanoparticle catalysts for the asymmetric 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to enones. We found that chiral diene-modified heterogeneous Rh nanoparticles were effective in these reactions, with excellent enantioselectivities and without causing metal leaching, and that bimetallic Rh/Ag nanoparticle catalysts enhanced activity. The catalyst could be easily recovered and reused more than ten times, thus demonstrating the robustness of metal nanoparticle catalysts.We then developed a secondary amide-substituted chiral diene modifier designed as a bifunctional ligand that possesses a metal biding site and a NH group to activate a substrate through hydrogen bonding. This chiral diene was very effective for the Rh/Ag nanoparticle-catalyzed asymmetric arylation of various electron-deficient olefins, including enones, unsaturated esters, unsaturated amides and nitroolefins, and imines to afford the corresponding products in excellent yields and with outstanding enantioselectivities. The system was also applicable for the synthesis of intermediates of various useful compounds. Furthermore, the compatibility of chiral Rh nanoparticles with other catalysts was confirmed, enabling the development of tandem reaction systems and cooperative catalyst systems.The nature of the active species was investigated. Several characteristic features of the heterogeneous nanoparticle systems that were completely different from those of the corresponding homogeneous metal complex systems were found.

Organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of β,β-diaryl ketones via one-pot tandem dehydration/1,6-addition/decarboxylation transformation of β-keto acids and 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohols

Herein we describe an organocatalytic protocol for the asymmetric synthesis of β,β-diaryl ketones. Under the catalysis of a chiral phosphoric acid, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohols underwent dehydration to form para-quinone methides, which reacted with β-keto acids in 1,6-addition reactions. Upon treatment with Et₃N in one-pot, decarboxylation proceeded to provide the desired chiral ketones in nearly quantitative yields with high enantioselectivities.

Boosting Conjugate Addition to Nitroolefins Using Lithium Tetraorganozincates: Synthetic Strategies and Structural Insights

We report the first transition metal catalyst- and ligand-free conjugate addition of lithium tetraorganozincates (R₄ ZnLi₂ ) to nitroolefins. Displaying enhanced nucleophilicity combined with unique chemoselectivity and functional group tolerance, homoleptic aliphatic and aromatic R₄ ZnLi₂ provide access to valuable nitroalkanes in up to 98 % yield under mild conditions (0 °C) and short reaction time (30 min). This is particularly remarkable when employing β-nitroacrylates and β-nitroenones, where despite the presence of other electrophilic groups, selective 1,4 addition to the C=C is preferred. Structural and spectroscopic studies confirmed the formation of tetraorganozincate species in solution, the nature of which has been a long debated issue, and allowed to unveil the key role played by donor additives on the aggregation and structure of these reagents. Thus, while chelating N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) and (R,R)-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (TMCDA) favour the formation of contacted-ion pair zincates, macrocyclic Lewis donor 12-crown-4 triggers an immediate disproportionation process of Et₄ ZnLi₂ into equimolar amounts of solvent-separated Et₃ ZnLi and EtLi.

Natural carbolines inspired the discovery of chiral CarOx ligands for asymmetric synthesis and antifungal leads

Natural carboline-inspired novel chiral β-CarOx ligands were designed and synthesized for asymmetric synthesis and discovery of antifungal leads.

Multifunctional isoquinoline-oxazoline ligands of chemical and biological importance

Multifunctional isoquinoline-oxazolines (MIQOXs) were conceived, synthesized and demonstrated.

Aqueous Asymmetric 1,4-Addition of Arylboronic Acids to Enones Catalyzed by an Amphiphilic Resin-Supported Chiral Diene Rhodium Complex under Batch and Continuous-Flow Conditions

A rhodium-chiral diene complex immobilized on amphiphilic polystyrene-poly(ethylene glycol) (PS-PEG) resin (PS-PEG-diene*-Rh) has been developed. The immobilized rhodium-chiral diene complex (PS-PEG-diene*-Rh) efficiently catalyzed the asymmetric 1,4-addition of various arylboronic acids to cyclic or linear enones in water under batch conditions to give the corresponding β-arylated carbonyl compounds in excellent yields and with excellent enantioselectivity. The catalyst was readily recovered by simple filtration and reused 10 times without loss of its catalytic activity and enantioselectivity. Moreover, a continuous-flow asymmetric 1,4-addition in a flow reactor containing PS-PEG-diene*-Rh proceeded efficiently at 50 °C with retention of high enantioselectivity. Long-term continuous-flow asymmetric 1,4-addition during 12 h readily gave the desired product on a 10 g scale with high enantioselectivity.

Enantioselective synthesis of gem-diarylalkanes by transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric arylations (TMCAAr)

To date, enantiomerically enriched molecules containing gem(1,1)-diaryl containing tertiary or quaternary stereogenic centers have been readily accessed by transition metal-catalyzed enantioselective or stereoconvergent aryl transfer reactions.

Chiral gem(1,1)-diaryl containing tertiary or quaternary stereogenic centers are present in many natural products and important pharmacophores. While numerous catalytic asymmetric methods enable access to 1,1-diaryl motifs, transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric arylations (TMCAAr) are one of the most powerful methods to prepare enantiopure gem-diarylalkane compounds. The main methodology includes enantioselective 1,2- or 1,4-additions across C Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> O, C Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> N and C Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> C bonds by arylmetallic reagents; aryl cross-couplings of olefins, benzylic (pseudo)halides and aziridines; asymmetric aryl substitution reactions of allylic substrates; and isotopic benzylic C–H arylation.

Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions of aryl boronic acids with nitroalkenes: reaction mechanism and development of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts

Asymmetric 1,4-additions of arylboronic acids with nitroalkenes catalyzed by rhodium complexes or heterogeneous Rh–Ag bimetallic nanoparticles with a chiral diene ligand bearing a tertiary butyl amide moiety are developed.

Asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions with nitroalkenes are valuable because the resulting chiral nitro compounds can be converted into various useful species often used as chiral building blocks in drug and natural product synthesis. In the present work, asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions of arylboronic acids with nitroalkenes catalyzed by a rhodium complex with a chiral diene bearing a tertiary butyl amide moiety were developed. Just 0.1 mol% of the chiral rhodium complex could catalyze the reactions and give the desired products in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. The homogeneous catalyst thus developed could be converted to a reusable heterogeneous metal nanoparticle system using the same chiral ligand as a modifier, which was immobilized using a polystyrene-derived polymer with cross-linking moieties, maintaining the same level of enantioselectivity. To our knowledge, this is the first example of asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions of arylboronic acids with nitroalkenes in a heterogeneous system. Wide substrate generality and high catalytic turnover were achieved in the presence of sufficient water without any additives such as KOH or KHF₂ in both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Various insights relating to a rate-limiting step in the catalytic cycle, the importance of water, role of the secondary amide moiety in the ligand, and active species in the heterogeneous system were obtained through mechanistic studies.