Highly Versatile Pd–Thioether–Phosphite Catalytic Systems for Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation, Amination, and Etherification Reactions

A Pd–furanoside thioether–phosphite catalytic system that can create new C–C, C–N, and C–O bonds in several substrate types using a wide range of nucleophiles in high yields and enantioselectivities has been identified. Of particular note are the excellent enantioselectivities obtained in the etherification of linear and cyclic substrates. The potential application of the new Pd–thioether–phosphite catalytic systems was also demonstrated by the synthesis of the chiral carbo- and heterocycles

PHOX-Based Phosphite-Oxazoline Ligands for the Enantioselective Ir-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Cyclic β‑Enamides

Simple Ir-PHOX-based phosphite-oxazoline catalysts have been successfully applied in the asymmetric hydrogenation of cyclic β-enamides providing better enantioselectivities than previous effective Ru and Rh catalysts. This protocol allows the synthesis of 2-aminotetralines and 3-aminochromanes, key structural units found in many therapeutic agents and biologically active natural products, in high chemical yields and enantioselectivities (ee’s up to 99%). High enantioselectivities have also been achieved in the hydrogenation of cyclic α-enamides

Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation with Simple Cyclohexane-Based P/S Ligands: <i>In Situ</i> HP-NMR and DFT Calculations for the Characterization of Reaction Intermediates

We report a reduced but structurally valuable phosphite/phosphinite-thioether ligand library for the Ir-hydrogenation of 40 minimally functionalized alkenes, including relevant examples with poorly coordinative groups. We found that enantiomeric excesses are mainly dependent on the substrate structure and on some ligand parameters (i.e., the type of thioether/phosphorus moieties and the configuration of the phosphite group), whereas the substituents of the biaryl phosphite moiety had little impact. By tuning the ligand parameters we were able to find highly selective catalysts for a range of substrates (ee’s up to 99%). These phosphite/phosphinite-thioether ligands have a simple backbone and thus yield simple NMR spectra that reduce signal overlap and facilitate the identification of relevant intermediates. Therefore, by combining HP-NMR spectroscopy and theoretical studies, we were also able to identify the catalytically competent Ir-dihydride alkene species, which made it possible to explain the enantioselectivity obtained

Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation with Simple Cyclohexane-Based P/S Ligands: <i>In Situ</i> HP-NMR and DFT Calculations for the Characterization of Reaction Intermediates

We report a reduced but structurally valuable phosphite/phosphinite-thioether ligand library for the Ir-hydrogenation of 40 minimally functionalized alkenes, including relevant examples with poorly coordinative groups. We found that enantiomeric excesses are mainly dependent on the substrate structure and on some ligand parameters (i.e., the type of thioether/phosphorus moieties and the configuration of the phosphite group), whereas the substituents of the biaryl phosphite moiety had little impact. By tuning the ligand parameters we were able to find highly selective catalysts for a range of substrates (ee’s up to 99%). These phosphite/phosphinite-thioether ligands have a simple backbone and thus yield simple NMR spectra that reduce signal overlap and facilitate the identification of relevant intermediates. Therefore, by combining HP-NMR spectroscopy and theoretical studies, we were also able to identify the catalytically competent Ir-dihydride alkene species, which made it possible to explain the enantioselectivity obtained

Triazolylidene Iridium Complexes for Highly Efficient and Versatile Transfer Hydrogenation of CO, CN, and CC Bonds and for Acceptorless Alcohol Oxidation

A set of iridium­(I) and iridium­(III) complexes is reported with triazolylidene ligands that contain pendant benzoxazole, thiazole, and methyl ether groups as potentially chelating donor sites. The bonding mode of these groups was identified by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray structure analysis. The complexes were evaluated as catalyst precursors in transfer hydrogenation and in acceptorless alcohol oxidation. High-valent iridium­(III) complexes were identified as the most active precursors for the oxidative alcohol dehydrogenation, while a low-valent iridium­(I) complex with a methyl ether functionality was most active in reductive transfer hydrogenation. This catalyst precursor is highly versatile and efficiently hydrogenates ketones, aldehydes, imines, allylic alcohols, and most notably also unpolarized olefins, a notoriously difficult substrate for transfer hydrogenation. Turnover frequencies up to 260 h^–1 were recorded for olefin hydrogenation, whereas hydrogen transfer to ketones and aldehydes reached maximum turnover frequencies greater than 2000 h^–1. Mechanistic investigations using a combination of isotope labeling experiments, kinetic isotope effect measurements, and Hammett parameter correlations indicate that the turnover-limiting step is hydride transfer from the metal to the substrate in transfer hydrogenation, while in alcohol dehydrogenation, the limiting step is substrate coordination to the metal center

Asymmetric Catalyzed Allylic Substitution Using a Pd/P–S Catalyst Library with Exceptional High Substrate and Nucleophile Versatility: DFT and Pd-π-allyl Key Intermediates Studies

A large library of furanoside phosphite/phosphinite/phosphine-thioether ligands <b>L1</b>–<b>L17a</b>–<b>l</b> has been applied in the Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions of several substrate types using a wide range of nucleophiles. These ligands, which are prepared from inexpensive d-xylose, also incorporate the advantages of the heterodonor, the robustness of the thioether moiety, and the extra control provided by the flexibility of the chiral pocket through the presence of a biaryl phosphite group and a modular sugar backbone. By selecting the ligand components, we have been able to identify catalytic systems that can create new C–C, C–N, and C–O bonds in several substrate types (hindered and unhindered) using a wide range of nucleophiles in high yields and enantioselectivities (ee’s up to >99%). Of particular note are the excellent enantioselectivities obtained in the etherification of linear and cyclic substrates, which represent the first example of successful etherification of both substrate types. The DFT computational study is in agreement with an early transition state. Further studies on the Pd-π-allyl intermediates provided a deep understanding of the effect of ligand structure in the origin of enantioselectivity

Amino‑P Ligands from Iminosugars: New Readily Available and Modular Ligands for Enantioselective Pd-Catalyzed Allylic Substitutions

The construction of a novel class of amino-phosphite/phosphinite/phosphine ligands containing a protected pyrrolidine-3,4-diol moiety is presented. These ligands are obtained from readily available sugars. They thus contain the advantages of carbohydrates in terms of selection of the stereogenic carbons, polyfunctional groups able to modulate the electronic and steric properties, and the general good stability of carbohydrate derivatives. They constitute a novel class of P,N-ligands that have been used in the enantioselective allylic substitutions of acyclic and cyclic substrates with varied electronic and steric requirements, using different C- and N-nucleophiles, with high enantioselectivities. Among the three groups of P,N-ligands (amino-P; P = phosphite, phosphinite, and phosphine groups) the new amino-phosphite ligands give the widest substrate and nucleophile scope, including the more challenging hindered linear and cyclic substrates. In particular, for carbohydrate-derived amino-phosphite ligands and linear substrates, high enantioselectivity in the reactions requires an <i>R</i> configuration of the binaphthyl moiety. However, for cyclic substrates both product enantiomers can be reached by setting out the chirality of the binaphthyl phosphite moiety. A detailed investigation of the appropriate Pd intermediates is also presented

Conformational Preferences of a Tropos Biphenyl Phosphinooxazoline–a Ligand with Wide Substrate Scope

Excellent enantioselectivities are observed in palladium-catalyzed allylic substitutions of a wide range of substrate types and nucleophiles using a bidentate ligand composed of oxazoline and chirally flexible biaryl phosphite elements. This unusually wide substrate scope is shown by experimental and theoretical studies of its η³-allyl and η²-olefin complexes not to be a result of configurational interconversion of the biaryl unit, since the ligand in all reactions adopts an <i>S</i>_a,<i>S</i> configuration on coordination to palladium, but rather the ability of the ligand to adapt the size of the substrate-binding pocket to the reacting substrate. This ability also serves as an explanation to its excellent performance in other types of catalytic processes