Catalytic Non‐Enzymatic Kinetic Resolution

While tremendous advances have been made in asymmetric synthesis, the resolution of racemates is still the most important industrial approach to the synthesis of chiral compounds. The use of enzymes for the kinetic resolution (KR) of racemic substrates to afford enantiopure compounds in high enantioselectivity and good yield has long been a popular strategy in synthesis. However, transition metal‐mediated and more recently organocatalyzed KRs have gained popularity within the synthetic community over the last two decades due to the progress made in the development of chiral catalysts for asymmetric reactions. Many catalytic non‐enzymatic procedures have been developed providing high enantioselectivity and yield for both products and recovered starting materials. Indeed, the non‐enzymatic KR of racemic compounds based on the use of a chiral catalyst is presently an area of great importance in asymmetric organic synthesis. The goal of this review is to provide an update on the principal developments of catalytic non‐enzymatic KR covering the literature since 2004. This review is subdivided into seven sections, according to the different types of compounds that have been resolved through catalytic non‐enzymatic KR, such as alcohols, epoxides, amines, alkenes, carbonyl derivatives, sulfur compounds and ferrocenes. Abbreviations: Ac: acetyl; acac: acetylacetone; AQN: anthraquinone; Ar: aryl; Atm: atmosphere; BINAM: 1,1′‐binaphthalenyl‐2,2′‐diamine; BINAP: 2,2′‐bis(diphenylphosphanyl)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl; BINEPINE: phenylbinaphthophosphepine; BINOL: 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol; Bmim: 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium; Bn: benzyl; Boc: tert‐butoxycarbonyl; Box: bisoxazoline; BSA: bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide; Bu: butyl; Bz: benzoyl; c: cyclo; CBS: Corey–Bakshi–Shibata; Cbz: benzyloxycarbonyl; COD: cyclooctadiene; COE: cyclooctene; Cy: cyclohexyl; Dba: (E,E)‐dibenzylideneacetone; DBU: 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene; DCC: N,N′‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide; de: diastereomeric excess; DEAD: diethyl azodicarboxylate; Dec: decanyl; DHQD: dihydroquinidine; Difluorphos: 5,5′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐2,2,2′,2′‐tetrafluoro‐4,4′‐bi‐1,3‐benzodioxole; DIPEA: diisopropylethylamine: DKR: dynamic kinetic resolution; DMAP: 4‐dimethylaminopyridine; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid; DOSP: N‐(dodecylbenzenesulfonyl)prolinate; DTBM: di‐tert‐butylmethoxy; ee: enantiomeric excess; Et: ethyl; equiv.: equivalent; Fu: furyl; Hex: hexyl; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; HMDS: hexamethyldisilazide; KR: kinetic resolution; L: ligand; LDA: lithium diisopropylamide; MAO: methylaluminoxane; Me: methyl; Ms: mesyl; MTBE: methyl tert‐butyl ether; Naph: naphthyl; nbd: norbornadiene; NBS: N‐bromosuccinimide; NIS: N‐iodosuccinimide; Pent: pentyl; Ph: phenyl; Piv: pivaloyl; PMB: p‐methoxybenzoyl; Pr: propyl Py: pyridyl; r.t.: room temperature; s: selectivity factor; Segphos: 5,5′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐4,4′‐bi‐1,3‐benzodioxole; (S,S′,R,R′)‐Tangphos: (1S,1S′,2R,2R′)‐1,1′‐di‐tert‐butyl‐(2,2′)‐diphospholane; TBS: tert‐butyldimethylsilyl; TBDPS: tert‐butyldiphenylsilyl; TCCA: trichloroisocyanuric acid ; TEA: triethylamine; TEMPO: tetramethylpentahydropyridine oxide; THF: tetrahydrofuran; Thio: thiophene; Tf: trifluoromethanesulfonyl; TMS: trimethylsilyl; Tol: tolyl; Ts: 4‐toluenesulfonyl (tosyl)     

Efficient Method for the Synthesis of Optically Active 2‐Amino‐2‐chromene Derivatives via One‐Pot Tandem Reactions

The asymmetric synthesis of functionalized 2‐amino‐2‐chromene derivatives with high enantioselectivities via one‐pot tandem reactions of functionalized α,β‐unsaturated ketones with malononitrile catalyzed by 9‐amino‐9‐deoxyepiquinine ( 1a ) in combination with (R)‐1,1′‐binaphth‐2,2′‐diyl hydrogen phosphate ( 1c ) is reported for the first time.     

The Catalytic Asymmetric Addition of Diethylzinc to N‐(Diphenylphosphinoyl) Imines Catalyzed by Cu(OTf)2‐Chiral N‐(Binaphthyl‐2‐yl)thiophosphoramide Ligands

Chiral N‐(binaphthyl‐2‐yl)thiophosphoramide L7 [O,O‐diethyl 2′‐(ethylamino)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl‐2‐ylamidothiophosphate] prepared from the reaction of diethyl chlorothiophosphate with (R)‐(+)‐N‐ethyl‐1,1′‐binaphthyl‐2,2′‐diamine was used as a catalytic chiral ligand in the first Cu(OTf)₂‐promoted catalytic asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to N‐(diphenylphosphinoyl) imines in which ~85% ee can be realized.     

Enantioselective Platinum‐Catalyzed Silicon‐Boron Addition to 1,3‐Cyclohexadiene

Silaboration of 1,3‐cyclohexadiene in the presence of Pt(acac)₂, DIBALH, and a phosphoramidite prepared from (S)‐1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol and diisopropylamine led to (1R,4S)‐1‐(dimethylphenylsilyl)‐4‐(4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxaborolan‐2‐yl)‐2‐cyclohexene with 70% ee. Chiral catalysts based on Ni gave no or essentially racemic product, whereas complexes containing Pd were inactive.     

Axially Chiral Phosphine‐Oxazoline Ligands in Silver(I)‐ Catalyzed Asymmetric Mannich Reaction of Aldimines with Trimethylsiloxyfuran

A new asymmetric catalytic system for the Mannich reaction of aldimines with trimethylsiloxyfuran is described. The combination of an axially chiral phosphine‐oxazoline ligand (S)‐2‐[(R)‐2′‐(diphenylphosphino)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl‐2‐yl]‐4‐phenyl‐4,5‐dihydrooxazole with silver acetate and 2,2,2‐trifluoroacetic acid is a very effective catalytic system in the asymmetric Mannich reaction of various aldimines with trimethylsiloxyfuran in dichloromethane at −78 °C, affording the corresponding adducts in up to 99% yield, 99:1 (dr) and 99% ee (major diastereoisomer) under mild conditions.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Intramolecular [4+2] Cycloaddition using a Chiral Phosphine‐Phosphite Ligand: Importance of Microwave‐Assisted Catalyst Conditioning

The use of modular α,α,α′,α′‐tetraaryl‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4,5‐dimethanol (TADDOL)‐ and 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol (BINOL)‐derived phosphine‐phosphite ligands (L₂*) in the asymmetric rhodium‐catalyzed intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition (“neutral” Diels–Alder reaction) of (E,E)‐1,6,8‐decatriene derivatives (including a 4‐oxa and a 4‐aza analogue) was investigated. Initial screening of a small ligand library led to the identification of a most promising, TADDOL‐derived ligand bearing a phenyl group adjacent to the phosphite moiety at the arene backbone. In the course of further optimization studies, the formation of a new, more selective catalyst species during the reaction time was observed. By irradiating the pre‐catalyst with microwaves prior to substrate addition high enantioselectivities (up to 93% ee) were achieved. The new cyclization protocol was successfully applied to all three substrates investigated to give the bicyclic products in good yield and selectivity. ³¹P NMR and ESI‐MS measurements indicated the formation of a [Rh(L₂*)₂]⁺ species as the more selective (pre‐) catalyst.     

Enantioselective Synthesis of (−)‐CP‐55940 via Ruthenium‐ Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Ketones

A new and efficient catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the potent cannabinoid receptor agonist (−)‐CP‐55940 has been developed by using ruthenium‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of racemic α‐aryl ketones via dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) as a key step. With RuCl₂‐SDPs/diamine [SDPs=7,7′‐bis(diarylphophino)‐1,1′‐spirobiindane] catalysts the asymmetric hydrogenation of racemic α‐arylcyclohexanones via DKR provided the corresponding cis‐β‐arylcyclohexanols in high yields with up to 99.3% ee and >99:1 cis‐selectivities. Both ethylene ketal group at the cyclohexane ring and ortho‐methoxy group at the phenyl ring of the substrates 6 have little effect on the selectivity and reactivity of the hydrogenations. Based on this highly efficient asymmetric ketone hydrogenation, (−)‐CP‐55940 was synthesized in 13 steps (the longest linear steps) in 14.6% overall yield starting from commercially available 3‐methoxybenzaldehyde and 1,4‐cyclohexenedione monoethylene acetal.     

Recent Developments in Enantioselective Metal‐Catalyzed Domino Reactions

Since the first definition of domino reactions by Tietze in 1993, an explosive number of these fascinating reactions has been developed, allowing the easily building of complex chiral molecular architectures from simple materials to be achieved in a single step. Even more interesting, the possibility to join two or more reactions in one asymmetric domino process catalyzed by chiral metal catalysts has rapidly become one challenging goal for chemists, due to economical advantages, such as avoiding costly protecting groups and time‐consuming purification procedures after each step. The explosive development of enantioselective metal‐catalyzed domino including multicomponent reactions is a consequence of the considerable impact of the advent of asymmetric transition metal catalysis. This review aims to update the last developments of enantioselective one‐, two‐ and multicomponent domino reactions mediated by chiral metal catalysts, covering the literature since the beginning of 2006. Abbreviations: Ac: acetyl; AQN: anthraquinone; Ar: aryl; bdpp: 2,4‐bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane; BINAP: 2,2′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl; BINEPINE: phenylbinaphthophosphepine; BINIM: binapthyldiimine; BINOL: 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol; BIPHEP: 2,2′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐1,1′‐biphenyl; Bn: benzyl; Boc: tert‐butoxycarbonyl; Box: bisoxazoline; BOXAX: 2,2′‐bis(oxazolyl)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl; BPTV: N‐benzene‐fused phthaloyl‐valine; Bu: butyl; Bz: benzoyl; Cat: catechol; Chiraphos: 2,3‐bis(diphenylphosphine)butane; cod: cyclooctadiene; Cy: cyclohexyl; DABCO: 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane; dba: (E,E)‐dibenzylideneacetone; DBU: 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene; DCE: dichloroethane; de: diastereomeric excess; DHQ: hydroquinine; DHQD: dihydroquinidine; DIFLUORPHOS: 5,5′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐2,2,2′,2′‐tetrafluoro‐4,4′‐bi‐1,3‐benzodioxole; DIPEA: diisopropylethylamine; DMF: dimethylformamide; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; DOSP: N‐p‐dodecylbenzenesulfonylprolinate; DPEN: 1,2‐diphenylethylenediamine; dtb: di‐tert‐butyl; dtbm: di‐tert‐butylmethoxy; E: electrophile; ee: enantiomeric excess; Et: ethyl; FBIP: ferrocene bis‐imidazoline bis‐palladacycle; Fc: ferrocenyl; FOXAP: ferrocenyloxazolinylphosphine; Hex: hexyl; HFIP: hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol; HMPA: hexamethylphosphoramide; iPr‐DuPhos: 1,2‐bis(2,5‐diisopropylphospholano)benzene; Josiphos: 1‐[2‐(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenyl]ethyldicyclohexylphosphine ethanol adduct; L: ligand; MCPBA: 3‐chloroperoxybenzoic acid; Me: methyl; Me‐DuPhos: 1,2‐bis(2,5‐dimethylphospholano)benzene; MEDAM: bis(dimethylanisyl)methyl; MOM: methoxymethyl; Naph: naphthyl; NMI: N‐methylimidazole; MWI: microwave irradiation; Norphos: 2,3‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐bicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐ene; Ns: nosyl (4‐nitrobenzene sulfonyl); Nu: nucleophile; Oct: octyl; Pent: pentyl; Ph: phenyl; PHAL: 1,4‐phthalazinediyl; Pin: pinacolato; PINAP: 4‐[2‐(diphenylphosphino)‐1‐naphthalenyl]‐N‐[1‐phenylethyl]‐1‐phthalazinamine; Pr: propyl; Py: pyridyl; PYBOX: 2,6‐bis(2‐oxazolyl)pyridine; QUINAP: 1‐(2‐diphenylphosphino‐1‐naphthyl)isoquinoline; QUOX: quinoline‐oxazoline; Segphos: 5,5′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐4,4′‐bi‐1,3‐benzodioxole; Solphos: 7,7′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetrahydro‐4,4′‐dimethyl‐8,8′‐bis‐2H‐1,4‐benzoxazine; SPRIX: spirobis(isoxazoline); SYNPHOS: 6,6′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐2,2′,3,3′‐tetrahydro‐5,5′‐bi‐1,4‐benzodioxin; Taniaphos: [2‐diphenylphosphinoferrocenyl](N,N‐dimethylamino)(2‐diphenylphosphinophenyl)methane; TBS: tert‐butyldimethylsilyl; TC: thiophene carboxylate; TCPTTL: N‐tetrachlorophthaloyl‐tert‐leucinate; TEA: triethylamine; Tf: trifluoromethanesulfonyl; TFA: trifluoroacetic acid; THF: tetrahydrofuran; TMS: trimethylsilyl; Tol: tolyl; Ts: 4‐toluenesulfonyl (tosyl); C₃‐Tunephos: 1,13‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐7,8‐dihydro‐6H‐dibenzo[f,h][1,5]dioxonin; VAPOL: 2,2′‐diphenyl‐[3,3′‐biphenanthrene]‐4,4′‐diol     

Recent Developments in Enantioselective Metal‐Catalyzed Domino Reactions

This review updates the major progress in the field of enantioselective one‐, two‐, and multi‐component domino reactions promoted by chiral metal catalysts, covering the literature since the beginning of 2012. It illustrates how enantioselective metal‐catalyzed processes have emerged as outstanding tools for the development of a wide variety of fascinating one‐pot asymmetric domino reactions, allowing complex and diverse structures to be easily generated from simple materials in a single step. During the last 4 years, a myriad of already existing as well as completely novel and powerful asymmetric domino processes have been developed on the basis of asymmetric metal catalysis, taking economical advantages, such as avoiding costly protecting groups and time‐consuming purification procedures after each step. Abbreviations: acac: acetylacetonate; Ad: 1‐adamantyl; Ar: aryl; BArF: tetrakis[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate; BBN: 9‐borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane; BINAP: 2,2′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl; BINAP(O): 2‐diphenylphosphino‐2′‐diphenylphosphinyl‐1,1′‐binaphthalene; BINOL: 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol; BIPHEP: 2,2′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐1,1′‐biphenyl; Bipy: bipyridine; Bn: benzyl; Boc: tert‐butoxycarbonyl; bod: bicyclo[2.2.2]octane‐2,5‐diene; Box: bisoxazoline; bpe: 1,2‐bis(2‐pyridyl)ethane; Bs: p‐bromobenzenesulfonyl (brosyl); Bz: benzoyl; Cat: catalyst; Cbz: benzyloxycarbonyl; CMOF: chiral mixed metal‐organic framework; cod: cyclooctadiene; coe: cyclooctene; Cp: cyclopentadienyl; CPME: cyclopentyl methyl ether; Cy: cyclohexyl; DABCO: 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane; dba: (E,E)‐dibenzylideneacetone; DBDMH: 1,3‐dibromo‐5,5‐dimethylhydantoin; DCE: dichloroethane; de: diastereomeric excess; Dec: decyl; DET: diethyl tartrate; DIPEA: diisopropylethylamine; DME: 1,2‐dimethoxyethane; DMF: N,N‐dimethylformamide; DTBM: di‐tert‐butylmethoxy; ee: enantiomeric excess; EWG: electron‐withdrawing group; Fesulphos: 1‐phosphino‐2‐sulfenylferrocene; Hept: heptyl; Hex: hexyl; HFIPA: hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol; HMPA: hexamethylphosphoramide; JohnPhos: (2‐biphenyl)di‐tert‐butylphosphine; Josiphos: 1‐[2‐(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenyl]ethyldicyclohexylphosphine ethanol adduct; L: ligand; Mandyphos: 1,1′‐bis[(dimethylamino)benzyl]‐2,2′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene; Me‐DuPhos: 1,2‐bis(2,5‐dimethylphospholano)benzene; MOM: methoxymethyl; Ms: mesyl; MS: molecular sieves; MTBE: methyl tert‐butyl ether; Naph: naphthyl; NBS: N‐bromosuccinimide; Ns: nosyl (4‐nitrobenzenesulfonyl); Oct: octyl; Pent: pentyl; Phos: phosphinyl; Phox: phosphinooxazoline; Pin: pinacolato; PG: protecting group; Phth: phthalimido; Piv: pivaloyl; PMB: p‐methoxybenzyl; PMP: 1,2,2,6,6‐pentamethylpiperidine; PTAD: 4‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione; Py: pyridyl; Pybox: 2,6‐bis(2‐oxazolyl)pyridine; QUINOX: (quinolin‐2‐yl)‐oxazoline; rs: regioselectivity ratio; r.t.: room temperature; SDS: sodium dodecyl sulfate; Segphos: 5,5′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐4,4′‐bi‐1,3‐benzodioxole; SES: β‐trimethylsilylethanesulfonyl; Taniaphos: [2‐diphenylphosphinoferrocenyl](N,N‐dimethylamino)(2‐diphenylphosphinophenyl)methane; TBS: tert‐butyldimethylsilyl; TEA: trimethylamine; Tf: trifluoromethanesulfonyl; TFA: trifluoroacetic acid; THF: tetrahydrofuran; TIPS: triisopropylsilyl; TMG: 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidine; TMS: trimethylsilyl; Tol: tolyl; Ts: 4‐toluenesulfonyl (tosyl); VANOL: 3,3′‐diphenyl‐2,2′‐bi‐1‐naphthol; Walphos: 1‐{2‐[2′‐(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]ferrocenyl}ethyldi[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]phosphine; Xyl: 3,5‐dimethylphenyl.

     

Controlled synthesis of low‐molecular‐weight polyethylene waxes by titanium–biphenolate–ethylaluminum sesquichloride based catalyst systems

Soluble complexes of titanium(IV) bearing sterically hindered biphenols, such as biphenol, 1,1′‐methylene di‐2‐naphthol, 2,2′‐methylene bis(4‐chlorophenol), 2,2′‐methylene bis(6‐tert‐butyl‐4‐ethyl phenol), and 2,2′ ethylidene bis(4,6‐di‐tert‐butyl phenol), were prepared and characterized. These catalyst precursors, formulated as [Ti(O∧O)X₂], were active in the polymerization of ethylene at high temperatures in combination with ethylaluminum sesquichloride as a cocatalyst. The ultra‐low‐molecular‐weight polyethylenes (PEs) were linear and crystalline and displayed narrow polydispersities. The catalytic polymerization leading to PE waxes in this reaction exhibited unique properties that have potential applications in surface coatings and adhesive formulations. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1531–1539, 2007     

Enantioselective Titanium‐Catalyzed Cyanation Reactions of Carbonyl Compounds

This review surveys the recent developments in enantioselective titanium‐catalyzed cyanation reactions of carbonyl compounds, covering the literature since the beginning of 2008. It well demonstrates that this reaction constitutes an important tool in organic synthesis, still attracting a considerable interest due to the potential use of enantiopure cyanohydrins as natural products and useful synthetic intermediates in the synthesis of biologically active molecules. Abbreviations: Ac: acetyl; Ar: aryl; BINOL: 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol; BINOLAM: bis(diethylaminomethyl)‐1,1‘‐binaphthol; Bn: benzyl; Cy: cyclohexyl; DFT: density functional theory; DMAP: 4‐(dimethylamino)pyridine; ee: enantiomeric excess; Naph: naphthyl; r.t.: room temperature; salen: 1,2‐bis(salicylidenamino)ethane; TADDOL: α,α,α′,α′‐tetraphenyl‐2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4,5‐dimethanol; TEA: trimethylamine; THF: tetrahydrofuran; TMS: trimethylsilyl; Tol: tolyl.

     

Palladium(II) Complexes of C2‐Bridged Chiral Diphosphines: Application to Enantioselective Carbonyl‐Ene Reactions

(11bR,11′bR)‐4,4′‐(1,2‐Phenylene)bis[4,5‐dihydro‐3H‐dinaphtho[2,1‐c:1′,2′‐e]phosphepin] [abbreviated as (R)‐BINAPHANE], (3R,3′R,4S,4′S,11bS,11′bS)‐4,4′‐bis(1,1‐dimethylethyl)‐4,4′,5,5′‐tetrahydro‐3,3′‐bi‐3H‐dinaphtho[2,1‐c:1′,2′‐e]phosphepin [(S)‐BINAPINE], (1S,1′S,2R,2′R)‐1,1′‐bis(1,1‐dimethylethyl)‐2,2′‐biphospholane [(S,S,R,R)‐TANGPHOS] and (2R,2′R,5R,5′R)‐1,1′‐(1,2‐phenylene)bis[2,5‐bis(1‐methylethyl)phospholane] [(R,R)‐i‐Pr‐DUPHOS] are C₂‐bridged chiral diphosphines that form stable complexes with palladium(II) and platinum(II) containing a five‐membered chelate ring. The Pd(II)‐BINAPHANE catalyst displayed good to excellent enantioselectivities with ee values as high as 99.0% albeit in low yields for the carbonyl‐ene reaction between phenylglyoxal and alkenes. Its Pt(II) counterpart afforded improved yields while retaining satisfactory enantioselectivity. For the carbonyl‐ene reaction between ethyl trifluoropyruvate and alkenes, the Pd(II)‐BINAPHANE catalyst afforded both good yields and extremely high enantioselectivities with ees as high as 99.6%. A comparative study on the Pd(II) catalysts of the four C₂‐bridged chiral diphosphines revealed that Pd(II)‐BINAPHANE afforded the best enantioselectivity. The ee values derived from Pd(II)‐BINAPHANE are much higher than those derived from the other three Pd(II) catalysts. A comparison of the catalyst structures shows that the Pd(II)‐BINAPHANE catalyst is the only one that has two bulky (R)‐binaphthyl groups close to the reaction site. Hence it creates a deep chiral space that can efficiently control the reaction behavior in the carbonyl‐ene reactions resulting in excellent enantioselectivity.     

A fluorescent chemosensor based on optically active 2,2′‐binaphtho‐20‐crown‐6 for metal ions

A chiral conjugated polymer can be obtained by the polymerization of (S)‐6,6′‐dibromo‐2,2′‐binaphtho‐20‐crown‐6 and 1,4‐divinyl‐2,5‐dibutoxybenzene via a palladium‐catalyzed Heck cross‐coupling reaction. The chiral conjugated polymer shows strong green‐blue fluorescence. The responsive properties of the chiral polymer to metal ions were investigated using fluorescence and UV‐visible absorption spectra. K⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Ba²⁺ enhance the fluorescence of the polymer; in contrast, Hg²⁺ causes effective quenching of the fluorescence of the polymer. The obvious influences on the fluorescence indicate that the 2,2′‐binaphtho‐20‐crown‐6 moiety plays an important role in fluorescence recognition for Hg²⁺ due to the effective photo‐induced electron transfer or charge transfer between the conjugated polymer backbone and the receptor ions. The responsive properties of the polymer to metal ions show that the chiral conjugated polymer incorporating 2,2′‐binaphtho‐20‐crown‐6 moieties in the main‐chain backbone as recognition sites can act as an excellent fluorescent probe for the sensitive detection of Hg²⁺. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Modification of Chiral Monodentate Phosphine Ligands (MOP) for Palladium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrosilylation of Cyclic 1,3‐Dienes

Several MOP ligands 5 containing aryl groups at 2′ position of (R)‐2‐(diphenylphosphino)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl skeleton were prepared and used for palladium‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of cyclic 1,3‐dienes 6 with trichlorosilane. Highest enantioselectivity was observed in the reaction of 1,3‐cyclopentadiene ( 6a ) catalyzed by a palladium complex (0.25 mol %) coordinated with (R)‐2‐(diphenylphosphino)‐2′‐(3,5‐dimethyl‐4‐methoxyphenyl)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl ( 5f ), which gave (S)‐3‐(trichlorosilyl)cyclopentene of 90% ee.     

Synthesis and characterization of the soluble fluorescent poly[2‐decyloxy‐5‐(2′‐(6′‐dodecyloxy)naphthyl)‐1,4‐phenylenevinylene]

A new soluble fluorescent polymer, poly[2‐decyloxy‐5‐(2′‐(6′‐dodecyl‐oxy)naphthyl)‐1,4‐phenylenevinylene] (DDN‐PPV), with no tolane‐bisbenzyl (TBB) structure defects is prepared by the dehydrohalogenation of 1,4‐bis(bromomethyl)‐2‐decyloxy‐5‐(2′‐(6′‐dodecyloxy)naphthyl)benzene (as monomer) in this study. The aforementioned monomer is synthesized via such chemical reactions as alkylation, bromination, and Suzuki coupling reactions. The structure and properties of the DDN‐PPV are examined by ¹H NMR, FTIR, UV/vis, TGA, photoluminescence (PL), and electroluminescence (EL) analyses. The two asymmetric decyloxy and 6′‐dodecyloxynaphthyl substituents on the phenylene ring make the DDN‐PPV soluble in organic solvents and eliminate the TBB structure defects. With the DDN‐PPV acting as a light‐emitting polymer, a device is fabricated with a sequential lamination of ITO/PEDOT/DDN‐PPV/Ca/Ag. The EL spectrum of the device shows a maximum emission at 538 nm. The turn on voltage of the device is about 16.6 V. Its maximum brightness is 14 cd/m² at a voltage of 18.2 V. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2734–2741, 2007     

Preparation of Optically Enriched 3‐Hydroxy‐3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐ones by Heterogeneous Catalytic Cascade Reaction over Supported Platinum Catalyst

The development of a novel heterogeneous catalytic asymmetric cascade reaction for the synthesis of tetrahydroquinolines from 2‐nitrophenylpyruvates is reported. Optically enriched 3‐hydroxy‐3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐ones are prepared by enantioselective hydrogenation of the activated keto group over a Cinchona alkaloid‐modified Pt catalyst, reduction of the nitro group and spontaneous cyclization cascade. Acceleration of the enantioselective hydrogenation of the activated keto group over the catalyst modified by Cinchona alkaloids ensured high tetrahydroquinolinone selectivities. The scope of the reaction was checked using twelve substrates. Both yields and enantioselectivities were significantly influenced by the nature and position of the substituents on the phenyl ring. Substituents adjacent to the nitro group considerably increased the product yield, due to their effect on the nitro group′s reduction rate; however, had only a limited effect on enantioselectivities.     

Synthesis and characterization of 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl methane‐based benzoxazines and their polymers

A series of diamine‐based benzoxazine precursors have been prepared using 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl methane, formaldehyde, and different phenol derivatives including phenol, p‐cresol, and 2‐naphthol. Their chemical structures were identified by FTIR, ¹H NMR, and elemental analysis. The curing reactions of those precursors were monitored by FTIR and DSC. The obtained materials exhibited higher glass transition temperature and char yields than the corresponding bisphenol‐A based polybenzoxazines. The polybenzoxazine prepared from phenol showed the highest char yields of 65% and thermal stability with 5 and 10% weight‐loss temperatures at 346 and 432°C, respectively. The polybenzoxazine prepared from 2‐naphthol exhibited the highest glass transition temperature at 244°C. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

One‐Pot Hydroxy Group Activation/Carbon‐Carbon Bond Forming Sequence Using a Brønsted Base/Brønsted Acid System

A new sequential two‐step multicatalytic strategy is presented consisting in the efficient DBU‐catalysed trichloroacetimidation of an alcohol followed by a ditriflylamine (Tf₂NH)‐catalysed intermolecular alkylation by silicon‐based nucleophiles and C H nucleophiles. The distinct feature of the trichloroacetimidate group allows use of weaker acid catalysts such as 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol (BINOL)‐derived phosphoric acid, pointing out the possible development of an enantioselective variant. This unprecedented sequential one‐pot Brønsted base‐Brønsted acid catalysis further expands the synthetic scope of the trichloroacetimidate group.     

Highly Active and Enantioselective Rhodium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric 1,4‐Addition of Arylboronic Acid to α,β‐ Unsaturated Ketone by using Electron‐Poor MeO‐F12‐BIPHEP

The asymmetric 1,4‐addition of phenylboronic acid to cyclohexenone were performed by using a low amount of rhodium/(R)‐(6,6′‐dimethoxybiphenyl‐2,2′‐diyl)bis[bis(3,4,5‐trifluorophenyl)phosphine] (MeO‐F₁₂‐BIPHEP) catalyst. Because the catalyst shows thermal resistance at 100 °C, up to 0.00025 mol% Rh catalyst showed good catalytic activity. The highest turnover frequency (TOF) and turnover number (TON) observed were 53,000 h⁻¹ and 320,000, respectively. The enantioselectivities of the products were maintained at a high level of 98% ee in these reactions. The Eyring plots gave the following kinetic parameters (ΔΔH^≠=−4.0±0.1 kcal mol⁻¹ and ΔΔS^≠=−1.3±0.3 cal mol⁻¹ K⁻¹), indicating that the entropy contribution is relatively small. Both the result and consideration of the transition state in the insertion step at the B3LYP/6‐31G(d) [LANL2DZ for rhodium] levels indicated that the less σ‐donating electron‐poor (R)‐MeO‐F₁₂‐BIPHEP could be creating a rigid chiral environment around the rhodium catalyst even at high temperature.     

Asymmetric Hydrogenation Catalyzed by (S,S)‐R‐BisPast;‐Rh and (R,R)‐R‐MiniPHOS Complexes: Scope,Limitations, and Mechanism

A new class of chiral C₂‐symmetric bis(trialkyl)phosphine ligands has been prepared and used in Rh(I)‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation reactions. The ligands, 1,2‐bis(alkylmethylphosphino)ethanes 1a‐g (abbreviated as BisP*, alkyl = t‐butyl, 1‐adamantyl, 1‐methylcyclohexyl, 1,1‐diethylpropyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, isopropyl) and 1,2‐bis(alkylmethylphosphino)methanes 2a‐d (abbreviated as MiniPHOS, alkyl = t‐butyl, cyclohexyl, isopropyl, phenyl) are prepared by a simple synthetic approach based on the air‐stable phosphine–boranes. These new ligands give the corresponding Rh(I) complexes, which are effective catalytic precursors for the asymmetric hydrogenation of a representative series of dehydroamino acids and itaconic acid derivatives. Enantioselectivities observed in these hydrogenations are universally high and in many cases exceed 99%. X‐Ray characterization of four precatalysts, study of the pressure effects, deuteration experiments, and characterization of the wide series of intermediates in the catalytic cycle are used for the discussion of the possible correlation between the structure of the catalysts and the outcome of the catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation.