Single‐step synthesis of a radically polymerizable 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol derivative for asymmetric catalysis

A new polymerizable 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol derivative for polymer‐supported catalytic asymmetric synthesis is presented. The synthesis is conducted within a single reaction step, which is a major advantage over other approaches presented in the literature. The ligand‐bearing polymer is prepared through copolymerization with N‐isopropylacrylamide. Preliminary experiments on the utility in catalytic asymmetric alkylation reactions reveal the accessibility and activity of the polymer‐attached catalysts. The stereoselectivity of the reaction is found to be somewhat lower than for reactions performed in the presence of free 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol, and thus requires further optimization. The enantiomeric excess of the reaction products was determined via ¹H NMR spectroscopy after chiral derivatization with (R)‐α‐methylbenzyl isocyanate. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry