Versatile Cycloaddition Reactions of 1-Alkyl-1,2-Diphospholes

P-Chiral 1,7-diphosphanorbornenes: from asymmetric phospha-Diels-Alder reactions towards applications in asymmetric catalysis

A straightforward synthesis of P-chiral polycyclic phosphines by an asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction of 1-alkyl-1,2-diphospholes and (5R)-(l-menthyloxy)-2(5H)-furanone (MOxF) is presented. The [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 1,2-diphospholes 1-3 with MOxF (4) proceeded with high diastereoselectivity (de up to 90%) resulting in the corresponding enantiopure anti-endo-1,7-diphosphanorbornenes 5a-7a. The absolute configuration of 5-7 was proved by a variety of 1D/2D NMR correlation methods. The use of the anti-endo-1,7-diphosphanorbornene 5a in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of cinnamyl acetate 8 with cyclic β-ketoesters 9a,b provided up to 52% ee.

Enhancing the reactivity of 1,2-diphospholes in cycloaddition reactions

Two different approaches have been employed to enhance the reactivity of 1-alkyl-1,2-diphospholes – the introduction of electron-withdrawing groups either at the phosphorus atoms or in the para-position of the arene ring. The alkylation of sodium 1,2-diphospha-3,4,5-triphenylcyclopentadienide with alkyl halides Hal-CH₂-R (R = CN, COOEt, OMe, CH₂OEt) results in corresponding 1-alkyl-3,4,5-triphenyl-1,2-diphospholes (alkyl = CH₂CN (1a), CH₂COOEt (1b), CH₂OMe (1c), and (CH₂)₂OEt (1d)), which spontaneously undergo the intermolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions at room temperature to form the mixture of the cycloadducts, 2a–c, respectively. However the alkylation of sodium 1,2-diphospha-3,4,5-tri(p-fluorophenyl)cyclopentadienide with ethyl iodide leads to stable 1-ethyl-3,4,5-tris(p-fluorophenyl)-1,2-diphosphole (1e), which forms the [4 + 2] cycloadduct 2,3,4,4a,5,6-hexa(p-fluorophenyl)-1-ethyl-1,7,7a-triphospha-4,7-(ethylphosphinidene)indene (2e) only upon heating up to 60 °C. With further heating to 120 °C with N-phenylmaleimide, the cycloadducts 2a–c and 2e undergo the retro-Diels–Alder reaction and form only one product of the [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction 3a–с, 3e with good yields up to 65%.