Cationic Co(I)-Intermediates for Hydrofunctionalization Reactions: Regio- and Enantioselective Cobalt-Catalyzed 1,2-Hydroboration of 1,3-Dienes

Much of the recent work on catalytic hydroboration of alkenes has focused on simple alkenes and styrene derivatives with few examples of reactions of 1,3-dienes, which have been reported to undergo mostly 1,4-additions to give allylic boronates. We find that reduced cobalt catalysts generated from 1,n- bis-diphenylphosphinoalkane complexes [Ph₂P-(CH₂) _n-PPh₂]CoX₂; n = 1-5) or from (2-oxazolinyl)phenyldiarylphosphine complexes [(G-PHOX)CoX₂] (G = 4-substituent on oxazoline ring) effect selective 1,2-, 1,4-, or 4,3-additions of pinacolborane (HBPin) to a variety of 1,3-dienes depending on the ligands chosen. Conditions have been found to optimize the 1,2-additions. The reactive catalysts can be generated from the cobalt(II)-complexes using trimethylaluminum, methyl aluminoxane, or activated zinc in the presence of sodium tetrakis[(3,5-trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate (NaBARF). The complex, (dppp)CoCl₂, gives the best results (ratio of 1,2- to 1,4-addition >95:5) for a variety of linear terminal 1,3-dienes and 2-substituted 1,3-dienes. The [(PHOX)CoX₂] (X = Cl, Br) complexes give mostly 1,4-addition with linear unsubstituted 1,3-dienes, but, surprisingly, selective 1,2-additions with 2-substituted or 2,3-disubstituted 1,3-dienes. Isolated and fully characterized (X-ray crystallography) Co(I)-complexes, (dppp)₃Co₂Cl₂ and [( S,S)-BDPP]₃Co₂Cl₂, do not catalyze the reaction unless activated by a Lewis acid or NaBARF, suggesting a key role for a cationic Co(I) species in the catalytic cycle. Regio- and enantioselective 1,2-hydroborations of 2-substituted 1,3-dienes are best accomplished using a catalyst prepared via activation of a chiral phosphinooxazoline-cobalt(II) complex with zinc and NaBARF. A number of common functional groups, among them, -OBn, -OTBS, -OTs, N-phthalimido- groups, are tolerated, and er's > 95:5 are obtained for several dienes including 1-alkenylcycloalk-1-enes. This operationally simple reaction expands the realm of asymmetric hydroboration to provide direct access to a number of nearly enantiopure homoallylic boronates, which are not readily accessible by current methods. The resulting boronates have been converted into the corresponding alcohols, potassium trifluororoborate salts, N-BOC amines, and aryl derivatives by C-BPin to C-aryl transformation.

Computationally Assisted Mechanistic Investigation and Development of Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric Suzuki-Miyaura and Negishi Cross-Coupling Reactions for Tetra-ortho-Substituted Biaryl Synthesis

Metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions are extensively employed in both academia and industry for the synthesis of biaryl derivatives for applications to both medicine and material science. Application of these methods to prepare tetra-ortho-substituted biaryls leads to chiral atropisomeric products that introduces the opportunity to use catalyst-control to develop asymmetric cross-coupling procedures to access these important compounds. Asymmetric Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura and Negishi cross-coupling reactions to form tetra-ortho-substituted biaryls were studied employing a collection of P-chiral dihydrobenzooxaphosphole (BOP) and dihydrobenzoazaphosphole (BAP) ligands. Enantioselectivities of up to 95:5 and 85:15 er were identified for the Suzuki-Miyaura and Negishi cross-coupling reactions, respectively. Unique ligands for the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction vs the Negishi reaction were identified. A computational study on these Suzuki-Miyaura and Negishi cross-coupling reactions enabled an understanding in the differences between the enantiodiscriminating events between these two cross-coupling reactions. These results support that enantioselectivity in the Negishi reaction results from the reductive elimination step, whereas all steps in the Suzuki-Miyaura catalytic cycle contribute to the overall enantioselection with transmetalation and reductive elimination providing the most contribution to the observed selectivities.