Asymmetric hydroborations vinylarenes

An extensive array of chiral phosphine ligands has been tested for the asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of aryl-substituted alkenes. It is well known that cationic Rh complexes bearing chelating phosphine ligands (e.g., dppf) result in Markovnikoff addition of HBcat to vinylarenes to afford branched boryl compounds. These can then be oxidized through to the corresponding chiral alcohol (11) (Equation (5)) ... 

PHENAP 65 was prepared and resolved98 in a similar manner to QUINAP 60 and tested in asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration-oxidations." Impressive enantioselectivities were obtained and the sterically demanding cyclic substrates were hydroborated with 64-84% ee. Compared to the corresponding results obtained with diphosphine ligands, it is clear that QUINAP 60, and structural relatives 61-64 and PHENAP 65, give superior results in the asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of several vinylarenes, and are essentially the only practical solution for / -substituted alkenes.100 The reasons for this are not well understood, but thought to be due to the particular... 

The two-substituted-Quinazolinap-derived rhodium complexes proved extremely efficient catalysts for the hydro-boration-oxidation of vinylarenes (Table 6). For styrene derivatives, in most cases quantitative conversions were obtained after just 2 h at the relevant temperature (entries 1-6). Higher enantioselectivities were afforded with a 4-methoxy substituent (up to 95% ee, entry 3) compared to the 4-chloro or unsubstituted styrene analogs (entries 5 and 1), a trend also observed in hydroboration with rhodium complexes of QUINAP 60. This highlights that both the electronic nature of the substrate combined with the inherent steric properties of the catalyst are important for high asymmetric induction. It is noteworthy that in most cases, optimum enantioselectivities were afforded by the... 

In an attempt to rationalize the factors that control selectivity in the Rh- and Ir-catalyzed hydroboration reactions, Fernandez and Bo [35] carried out experimental and theoretical studies on the H—B addition of catecholborane to vinylarenes with [M(C0D)(R-QUINAP)]BF4, (QUINAP = l-(2-diphenylphosphino-l-naphthyl) isoquinoHne). A considerable difference was found in the stability of the isomers when the substrate was coordinated to the iridium(I) or rhodium(I) complexes. In particular, the difference between pro-R B1 and pro-S B2 isomers was not so great when the metal center was iridium and not rhodium (Figure 7.1), which explains the low ee-values observed experimentally when asymmetric iridium-catalyzed hydroboration was performed. Structurally, the energy analysis of the n2 and Tti interactions [36] seems to be responsible for the extra stabilization of the B2 isomer in the iridium intermediates (Figure 7.1). The coordination and insertion of alkenes, then, could be considered key steps in the enantiodifferentiation pathway. 

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