Relative reactivity of alkenyl alcohols in the palladium-catalyzed redox-relay Heck reaction

The relative rates of alkenyl alcohols in the Pd-catalyzed redox-relay Heck reaction were measured in order to examine the effect of their steric and electronic properties on the rate-determining step. Competition experiments between an allylic alkenyl alcohol and two substrates with differing chain lengths revealed that the allylic alcohol reacts 3–4 times faster in either case. Competition between di- and trisubstituted alkenyl alcohols provided an interesting scenario, in which the disubstituted alkene was consumed first followed by reaction of the trisubstituted alkene. Consistent with this observation, the transition structures for the migratory insertion of the aryl group into the di- and trisubstituted alkenes were calculated with a lower barrier for the former. An internal competition between a substrate containing two alcohols with differing chain lengths demonstrated the catalyst's preference for migrating toward the closest alcohol. Additionally, it was observed that increasing the electron-density in the arene boronic acid promotes a faster reaction, which correlates with Hammett [sigma-rho] values to give a [rho] of −0.87

Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Redox-Relay Heck Arylation of 1,1-Disubstituted Homoallylic Alcohols

An enantio­selective redox-relay oxidative Heck arylation of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes to construct β-stereo­centers was developed using a new pyridyl-oxazoline ligand. Various 1,2-diaryl carbonyl compounds were readily obtained in moderate yield and good to excellent enantio­selectivity. Additionally, analysis of the reaction outcomes using multi­dimensional correlations revealed that enantio­selectivity is tied to specific electronic features of the 1,1-disubstituted alkenol and the extent of polarizability of the ligand

Mechanistic Investigations of the Pd(0)-Catalyzed Enantioselective 1,1-Diarylation of Benzyl Acrylates

A mechanistic study of the Pd-catalyzed enantioselective 1,1-diarylation of benzyl acrylates that is facilitated by a chiral anion phase transfer (CAPT) process is presented. Kinetic analysis, labeling, competition, and nonlinear effect experiments confirm the hypothesized general mechanism and reveal the role of the phosphate counterion in the CAPT catalysis. The phosphate was found to be involved in the phase transfer step and in the stereoinduction process, as expected, but also in the unproductive reaction that provides the traditional Heck byproduct. Multivariate correlations revealed the CAPT catalyst’s structural features, affecting the production of this undesired byproduct, as well as weak interactions responsible for enantioselectivity. Such putative interactions include π-stacking and a CH···O electrostatic attraction between the substrate benzyl moiety and the phosphate. Analysis of the computed density functional theory transition structures for the stereodetermining step of the reaction supports the multivariate model obtained. The presented work provides the first comprehensive study of the combined use of CAPT and transition metal catalysis, setting the foundation for future applications

Development and Analysis of a Pd(0)-Catalyzed Enantioselective 1,1-Diarylation of Acrylates Enabled by Chiral Anion Phase Transfer

Enantioselective 1,1-diarylation of terminal alkenes enabled by the combination of Pd catalysis with a chiral anion phase transfer (CAPT) strategy is reported herein. The reaction of substituted benzyl acrylates with aryldiazonium salts and arylboronic acids gave the corresponding 3,3-diarylpropanoates in moderate to good yields with high enantioselectivies (up to 98:2 er). Substituents on the benzyl acrylate and CAPT catalyst significantly affect the enantioselectivity, and multidimensional parametrization identified correlations suggesting structural origins for the high stereocontrol

Mechanism, Reactivity, and Selectivity in Palladium-Catalyzed Redox-Relay Heck Arylations of Alkenyl Alcohols

The enantioselective Pd-catalyzed redox-relay Heck arylation of acyclic alkenyl alcohols allows access to various useful chiral building blocks from simple olefinic substrates. Mechanistically, after the initial migratory insertion, a succession of β-hydride elimination and migratory insertion steps yields a saturated carbonyl product instead of the more general Heck product, an unsaturated alcohol. Here, we investigate the reaction mechanism, including the relay function, yielding the final carbonyl group transformation. M06 calculations predict a ΔΔ<i>G</i>^⧧ of 1 kcal/mol for the site selectivity and 2.5 kcal/mol for the enantioselectivity, in quantitative agreement with experimental results. The site selectivity is controlled by a remote electronic effect, where the developing polarization of the alkene in the migratory insertion transition state is stabilized by the C–O dipole of the alcohol moiety. The enantioselectivity is controlled by steric repulsion between the oxazoline substituent and the alcohol-bearing alkene substituent. The relay efficiency is due to an unusually smooth potential energy surface without high barriers, where the hydroxyalkyl-palladium species acts as a thermodynamic sink, driving the reaction toward the carbonyl product. Computational predictions of the relative reactivity and selectivity of the double bond isomers are validated experimentally