Asymmetric counteranion-directed reactions

Matsunaga S, Kumagai N, Harada S, Shibasaki M (2003) anti-Selective direct catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reaction of hydroxyketone providing beta-amino alcohols. J Am Chem Soc 125 4712—4713 Mayer S, List B (2006) Asymmetric counteranion-directed catalysis. 

S.C. PanandB. List s paper spans the whole field of current organocat-alysts discussing Lewis and Brpnsted basic and acidic catalysts. Starting from the development of proline-mediated enamine catalysis— the Hajos-Parrish-Eder-Sauer-Wiechert reaction is an intramolecular transformation involving enamine catalysis—into an intermolecular process with various electrophilic reaction partners as a means to access cY-functionalized aldehydes, they discuss a straightforward classification of organocatalysts and expands on Brpnsted acid-mediated transformations, and describe the development of asymmetric counteranion-directed catalysis (ACDC). 

The transfer hydrogenation of ketones was subsequently attempted, although for these more challenging substrates chiral primary amines such as L-valine terf-butyl ester were required in order to obtain good yields (68-99%) and enantioselectivities (70-98% ee) [168]. The reaction most likely involves an iminium-phosphate hydrogen bond. Another important application of asymmetric counteranion-directed catalysis developed by the List group is the chiral phosphate anion-directed epoxidation of a, 3-unsamrated carbonyls [169]. 

The discrimination of the face of the chiral carbenium ion is determined by the hindrance of the flanking groups. In the case of chiral Bronsted acids, the chiral counter ion, formed after effective protonation or partial donation of the proton, surrounds the created cationic intermediate. One face of the intermediate is effectively covered by the chiral counter ion and the nucleophile reacts with the less covered face. However, in many SNl-type transformations mediated by Lewis acids, a transition state in which a couple of protons interact with the phosphates is often invoked. This double interaction seems cmcial and only a partial success in the use of nucleophiles was achieved. Nevertheless, a series of successful S l-type reactions were discovered and are highUghted in this section. The chiral ion pairs between phosphate anions and iminiums [64] or metal ions were developed [65]. This powerful strategy is called asymmetric counteranion-directed catalysis (ACDC) and it has been applied successfully to several innovative transformations. The generation of carbenium ion in situ from alcohol, with the use of acids able to form a tight chiral ion pair with the phosphate anion, can be used in S il-type... 

Amino catalysts are one of the most dominant organocatalysts in the activation and transformation of aldehydes or ketones through enamine or iminium intermediates. Initially, the presence of an acid co-catalyst is crucial for the catalytic activation. Later it was reaUzed that the introduction of a chiral counteranion to the catalytic system enables the reactions proceeding through cationic intermediates to be conducted in a highly enantioselective manner, and thus stereochemical control could be effectively induced by the chiral counteranion. This strategy has been defined as asymmetric counterion-directed catalysis (ACDC) [25]. 

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