Chiral Phosphine Ligands of COAP and SKP Switched Regiodivergent Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation of MBH Adducts

The palladium-catalyzed highly regioselective asymmetric allylic alkylation of 3'-indolyl-3-oxindole derivatives with Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates was developed to facilely construct chiral 3,3'-bisindole derivatives under mild reaction conditions. The regioselectivity (α/γ) of MBH carbonates was efficiently switched in the presence of chiral oxalamide phosphine or spiroketal-based diphosphine/Pd(0) complexes as a chiral catalyst. A series of multifunctional 3,3'-bisindole derivatives with all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers were obtained in high yields with good to excellent enantio-, diastereo-, and regioselectivity. The present process is endowed with some salient features such as broad substrate scope, N-protecting group-free, excellent stereoselectivity, as well as adjustable regioselectivity.

TADDOL-based P,S-bidentate phosphoramidite ligands in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution

A series of easy-to-prepare and modular chiral P,S-bidentate phosphoramidites were synthesized. With respect to Pd(II), these ligands showed the ability to form stable P,S-chelate allylic complexes. The structures of the ligands and their complexes were confirmed by 2D NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These chiral inducers provided up to 99% ee in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution of (E)-1,3-diphenylallyl acetate with C- and N-nucleophiles and up to 94% ee in the Pd-mediated allylic alkylation of cinnamyl esters with β-ketoesters and 2,5-dimethylpyrrole. Furthermore, up to 92% ee with quantitative conversion and chemo- and regioselectivity was achieved in the rare reaction between 2-(diethoxyphosphoryl)-1-phenylallyl acetate and aniline. The effects of the structural parameters, reaction conditions and ligand-to-metal ratio on the catalytic results are discussed. It was shown that the ligands surpass their analogues with different denticity.

Iridium-catalysed reductive allylic amination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

Allylic amination is a powerful tool for constructing N-allylic amines widely found in bioactive molecules. Generally, allylic alcohols and unsaturated hydrocarbons have been considered for allylic amination reactions to minimize waste production. Herein, we present an iridium-catalysed method for reductive allylic amination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with amines to afford N-allylic amines under air conditions. This protocol is demonstrated to provide products from many substrates (41 examples) in moderate-to-excellent yields. This synthetic methodology is also highlighted by the synthesis of drug molecules, optically pure products, as well as scale-up experiments.

Diverse “roof shaped” chiral diamidophosphites: palladium coordination and catalytic applications

“Roof shaped” chiral diamidophosphites of various structures and denticities were obtained and tested in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution.

Recent Advances in Asymmetric Hydrogenation Catalysis Utilizing Spiro and Other Rigid C-Stereogenic Phosphine Ligands

Transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric reactions have been a powerful tool in organic synthesis for many years. The design of chiral ligands with the right configuration is fundamental to induce high regio- and stereoselectivity to catalytic reactions and to achieve high turnover numbers and high yields. A challenge is the control of prochiral centers with similar electronic properties in a similar steric environment within the same molecule. Over the last 10 years, a range of novel rigid C-stereogenic chiral phosphine ligands has been developed and successfully applied in various types of asymmetric transformations. Many of these ligands are of a di-, tri-, or multidentate nature. The purpose of this Perspective is to highlight recent synthetic achievements (since 2010) with spiro-phosphines and other rigid phosphines and discuss some mechanistic aspects of the catalytic reactions.

Recent Advances in Enantioselective Pd-Catalyzed Allylic Substitution: From Design to Applications

This Review compiles the evolution, mechanistic understanding, and more recent advances in enantioselective Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution and decarboxylative and oxidative allylic substitutions. For each reaction, the catalytic data, as well as examples of their application to the synthesis of more complex molecules, are collected. Sections in which we discuss key mechanistic aspects for high selectivity and a comparison with other metals (with advantages and disadvantages) are also included. For Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution, the catalytic data are grouped according to the type of nucleophile employed. Because of the prominent position of the use of stabilized carbon nucleophiles and heteronucleophiles, many chiral ligands have been developed. To better compare the results, they are presented grouped by ligand types. Pd-catalyzed asymmetric decarboxylative reactions are mainly promoted by PHOX or Trost ligands, which justifies organizing this section in chronological order. For asymmetric oxidative allylic substitution the results are grouped according to the type of nucleophile used.

A Type of Structurally Adaptable Aromatic Spiroketal Based Chiral Diphosphine Ligands in Asymmetric Catalysis

ConspectusWhile spectacular successes have been achieved in homogeneous catalysis with the use of achiral diphosphine ligands featuring a wide natural bite angle, such as XantPhos, chiral diphosphines that can induce a large P-M-P bite angle in their transition metal complexes are conspicuously less explored in asymmetric catalysis, probably due to the challenges in the identification and efficient construction of a suitable chiral backbone. In the past decade, a highly efficient synthesis of chiral aromatic spiroketals and the corresponding diphosphine ligands (SKPs) has been developed in this group.Based on a one-pot catalytic tandem double asymmetric hydrogenation-spiroketalization ring-closure reaction sequence, these SKP ligands featuring an extraordinarily long P···P distance and a flexible backbone have been readily prepared in large scale. Remarkably versatile coordination modes have been found in the complexes of SKP with some catalysis-relevant transition metals, for example, Pd, Cu, Au, and Rh. Whereas SKP enforces an unusually large bite angle in [Pd(SKP)Cl₂] and [Cu(SKP)Cl] complexes (160.1° and 132.8°, respectively), it also allows for a bimetallic Au-Au interaction (3.254 Å) in the complex of [Au₂(SKP)Cl₂] or a square-planar coordination geometry for the [Rh(SKP)(cod)]SbF₆ complex. Such an adaptable nature of SKP ligands for transition metal coordination has profound consequences in homogeneous asymmetric catalysis, as demonstrated by their unique performance in several types of catalytic asymmetric reactions. One of the most exciting examples is SKP/Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination of Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) adducts, in which SKP/Pd complexes demonstrated excellent control of regio- and enantioselectivities and exhibited exceptionally high efficiency (with a TON up to 4750) in the catalysis. SKP ligands have also found a diversity of successful applications in Cu-, Au-, or Rh-catalyzed asymmetric reactions, further attesting their wide utilities in asymmetric catalysis. Overall, this class of readily accessible SKP ligands featuring a chiral aromatic spiroketal skeleton have demonstrated unique adaptable structures in a variety of transition metal complexes and provided outstanding performance in some difficult asymmetric transformations. The works delineated herein would be expected to stimulate further research efforts on the application of this type of chiral ligand and to provide useful clues in the design of new chiral diphosphine ligands with adaptable bite angles for transition metal catalyzed asymmetric reactions.

Construction of All-Carbon Chiral Quaternary Centers through CuI -Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Hydroxymethylation of 1,1-Disubstituted Allenes with CO2

A catalytic enantioselective construction of all-carbon chiral quaternary centers through reductive hydroxymethylation of 1,1-disubstituted allenes with CO₂ has been developed. In the presence of a copper/Mandyphos catalyst, CO₂ is transformed into an alcohol oxidation level by an asymmetric reductive C-C bond formation with allenes by using hydrosilane (HSi(OMe)₂ Me) as a reductant. The resulting chiral homoallylic alcohols are versatile synthetic intermediates and can be conveniently converted into a variety of useful chiral chemicals.

Chiral Cyclohexyl-Fused Spirobiindanes: Practical Synthesis, Ligand Development, and Asymmetric Catalysis

1,1'-Spirobiindane has been one type of privileged skeleton for chiral ligand design, and 1,1'-spirobiindane-based chiral ligands have demonstrated outstanding performance in various asymmetric catalysis. However, the access to enantiopure spirobiindane is quite tedious, which obstructs its practical application. In the present article, a facile enantioselective synthesis of cyclohexyl-fused chiral spirobiindanes has been accomplished, in high yields and excellent stereoselectivities (up to >99% ee), via a sequence of Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of α,α'-bis(arylidene)ketones and TiCl₄ promoted asymmetric spiroannulation of the hydrogenated chiral ketones. The protocol can be performed in one pot and is readily scalable, and has been utilized in a 25 g scale asymmetric synthesis of cyclohexyl-fused spirobiindanediol (1 S,2 S,2' S)-5, in >99% ee and 67% overall yield for four steps without chromatographic purification. Facile derivations of (1 S,2 S,2' S)-5 provided straightforward access to chiral monodentate phosphoramidites 6a-c and a tridentate phosphorus-amidopyridine 11, which were evaluated as chiral ligands in several benchmark enantioselective reactions (hydrogenation, hydroacylation, and [2 + 2] reaction) catalyzed by transition metal (Rh, Au, or Ir). Preliminary results from comparative studies showcased the excellent catalytic performances of these ligands, with a competency essentially equal to the corresponding well-established privileged ligands bearing a regular spirobiindane backbone. X-ray crystallography revealed a close resemblance between the structures of the precatalysts 20 and 21 and their analogues, which ultimately help to rationalize the almost identical stereochemical outcomes of reactions catalyzed by metal complexes of spirobiindane-derived ligands with or without a fused cyclohexyl ring on the backbone. This work is expected to stimulate further applications of this type of readily accessible skeletons in development of chiral ligands and functional molecules.

Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylations of Colby Pro-Enolates with MBH Carbonates: Enantioselective Access to Quaternary C-F Oxindoles

Owing to the innovative applications of fluorinated compounds in many areas of technology and medicine, methods for the preparation of C-F quaternary fluorine containing compounds are in extremely high demand. Here, we report the discovery of a general procedure for an S_N 2 reaction catalyzed by Pd/Ding-SKP-type ligands, and that occurs between Colby pro-enolates with MBH carbonates to afford the corresponding products featuring two consecutive stereogenic carbons, including a C-F quaternary stereogenic center. The reactions readily occur at ambient temperatures with high chemical yields and in excellent chemo-, diastereo- and enantioselective manners. This practically attractive stereochemical outcome, coupled with the operational simplicity and structural generality, bodes well for the synthetic application of this process in the preparation of a novel class of biologically relevant fluorine-containing compounds.

Palladium-catalysed coupling of α-halo vinylphosphonate and α-phosphonovinyl sulfonate with alkylzincs: straightforward and versatile synthesis of α-alkyl vinylphosphonates

Easy and efficient access to α-alkylated vinylphosphonates via Pd-catalysed Negishi coupling!

Enantioselective and regiodivergent allylation of pyrimidines with terminal allenes: an approach to pyrimidine acyclic nucleosides

An atom-economic addition of pyrimidines to allenes has been developed for the diverse synthesis of branched or linear N-allylpyrimidine analogues.

Pd-Catalysed Suzuki coupling of α-bromoethenylphosphonates with organotrifluoroborates: a general protocol for the synthesis of terminal α-substituted vinylphosphonates

No concern will arise in the preparation of terminal α-substituted vinylphosphonates employing our general and practical protocol.