Asymmetric epoxidation enamides

Many other reports of ligand libraries for specific catalytic applications have been reported. Among them, Gilbertson and co-workers reported a chiral phosphine library, tested in the rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of an enamide (158,159), and a similar library for the palladium-catalyzed allylation of malonates (160, 161) Hoveyda and co-workers (162, 163) reported a chiral Schiff base library, screened in the titanium-catalyzed opening of epoxides with (TMSCN) (trimethyl silyl cyanide) ... 

Supercritical carbon dioxide represents an inexpensive, environmentally benign alternative to conventional solvents for chemical synthesis. In this chapter, we delineate the range of reactions for which supercritical CO2 represents a potentially viable replacement solvent based on solubility considerations and describe the reactors and associated equipment used to explore catalytic and other synthetic reactions in this medium. Three examples of homogeneous catalytic reactions in supercritical CC are presented the copolymerization of CO2 with epoxides, ruthenium>mediated phase transfer oxidation of olefins in a supercritical COa/aqueous system, and the catalyic asymmetric hydrogenation of enamides. The first two classes of reactions proceed in supercritical CO2, but no improvement in reactivity over conventional solvents was observed. Hythogenation reactions, however, exhibit enantioselectivities superior to conventional solvents for several substrates. 

In addition, as discussed above, oxidation reactions and reactions which use CO2 as a reagent as well as a solvent are worth investigating. Examples of both are discussed below. Finally, electrophilic processes may be advantageously transferred to supercritical CO2, as demonstrated by the improved isomerization of C4-C12 paraffins catalyzed by aluminum bromide. 2,44) Below, we describe three catalytic reactions which appear promising by these criteria asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation of enamides, ruthenium-catalyzed two-phase oxidation of cyclohexene, and the catalytic copolymerization of CO2 with epoxides. 

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