Asymmetric mechanistic studies

In the second half of this section, we will discuss the mechanistic understanding of this chiral addition with lithium acetylide, the cornerstone of the first manufacturing process. Based on the mechanism of asymmetric lithium acetylide addition, we will turn our attention toward the novel highly efficient zincate chemistry. This is an excellent example in which mechanistic studies paid off handsomely. 

Recently, several mechanistic studies have been performed by means of calculations based on density functional theory. - Pfaltz s model proposed for asymmetric cyclopropanation using copper-semicorrin or -bis(oxazolines) complex has been supported by calculation.295 Another calculation also supports the parallel approach.296... 

Rhodium catalysts have also been used with increasing frequency for the allylic etherification of aliphatic alcohols. The chiral 7r-allylrhodium complexes generated from asymmetric ring-opening (ARO) reactions have been shown to react with both aromatic and aliphatic alcohols (Equation (46)).185-188 Mechanistic studies have shown that the reaction proceeds by an oxidative addition of Rh(i) into the oxabicyclic alkene system with retention of configuration, as directed by coordination of the oxygen atom, and subsequent SN2 addition of the oxygen nucleophile. 

Mechanistic studies103 revealed that chiral ketone-mediated asymmetric epoxidation of hydroxyl alkenes is highly pH dependent. Lower enantioselectivity is obtained at lower pH values at high pH, epoxidation mediated by chiral ketone out-competes the racemic epoxidation, leading to higher enantioselectivity. (For another mechanistic study on ketone-mediated epoxidation of C=C bonds, see Miaskiewicz and Smith.104)... 

Detailed studies in these laboratories have shed light on the mechanistic intricacies of asymmetric catalytic carbomagnesations, allowing for an understanding of the above trends in regio- and stereoselectivity [9]. Importantly, these mechanistic studies have indicated that there is no preference for the formation of either the anti or the syn (ebthi)Zr—alkene isomers (e. g. 8 anti vs. 8 syn) it is only that one metallocene—alkene... 

The attractive (80) features of MOFs and similar materials noted above for catalytic applications have led to a few reports of catalysis by these systems (81-89), but to date the great majority of MOF applications have addressed selective sorption and separation of gases (54-57,59,80,90-94). Most of the MOF catalytic applications have involved hydrolytic processes and several have involved enantioselec-tive processes. Prior to our work, there were only two or three reports of selective oxidation processes catalyzed by MOFs. Nguyen and Hupp reported an MOF with chiral covalently incorporated (salen)Mn units that catalyzes asymmetric epoxidation by iodosylarenes (95), and in a very recent study, Corma and co-workers reported aerobic alcohol oxidation, but no mechanistic studies or discussion was provided (89). 

Catalytic asymmetric methylation of 6,7-dichloro-5-methoxy-2-phenyl-l-indanone with methyl chloride in 50% sodium hydroxide/toluene using M-(p-trifluoro-methylbenzyDcinchoninium bromide as chiral phase transfer catalyst produces (S)-(+)-6,7-dichloro-5-methoxy-2-methyl-2--phenyl-l-indanone in 94% ee and 95% yield. Under similar conditions, via an asymmetric modification of the Robinson annulation enqploying 1,3-dichloro-2-butene (Wichterle reagent) as a methyl vinyl ketone surrogate, 6,7 dichloro-5-methoxy 2-propyl-l-indanone is alkylated to (S)-(+)-6,7-dichloro-2-(3-chloro-2-butenyl)-2,3 dihydroxy-5-methoxy-2-propyl-l-inden-l-one in 92% ee and 99% yield. Kinetic and mechanistic studies provide evidence for an intermediate dimeric catalyst species and subsequent formation of a tight ion pair between catalyst and substrate. 

Mechanistic studies showed that metalacycle la is competent to be a catalyst in asymmetric allylic substitution reactions. The reaction of benzylamine with methyl ciimamyl carbonate catalyzed by a mixture of LI and [Ir(COD)Cl]2 occurs with an induction period and forms product in 84% yield and 95% ee, whereas the same reaction catalyzed by a mixture of metalacycle la and [Ir(COD)Cl]2 occurs without an induction period in just 2 hours to form the substitution product in 81% yield and 97% ee. The latter reaction was conducted with added [Ir(COD)Cl]2 to trap the -bound LI after dissociation. This ligand must dissociate to provide a site for oxidative addition of the allylic carbonate. 

The mechanistic study on the hydrophosphination of activated olefins, in conjunction with rapid inversion of the configuration at the phosphorus center, was elaborated to develop asymmetric hydrophosphination catalyzed by a chiral phosphine platinum complex although the % ee is not excitingly high yet (Scheme 9) [15]. 

Gaul and Seebach showed that lithiated methylthiomethyl-substituted chiral oxazolidi-nones react with aldehydes, ketones, imines and chalcones (Scheme 41). In this case, the oxazolidinone is derived from diphenylvalinol. The products, with two new asymmetric centers, are formed in good yield and excellent diastereoselectivity.A detailed mechanistic study of this and related systems, using computational methods, IR and NMR... 

Lastly, Antilla has disclosed a novel asymmetric desymmetrization of a wide range of aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic meso-aziridines with TMS-N3 promoted by 11 and related 12 (Scheme 5.31) [56]. Uniquely, this is one of only several reports of electrophilic activation of nonimine substrates by a chiral phosphoric acid. Mechanistic studies suggest that silylation of 11 or 12 by displacement of azide generates the active catalytic species A. Consequently, the aziridine is activated through coordination of it carbonyl with chiral silane A to produce intermediate B. Nucleophilic ring opening by azide furnishes the desymmetrized product and regenerates 11 or 12. 

A further catalytic method for asymmetric sulfoxidation of aryl alkyl sulfides was reported by Adam s group, who utilized secondary hydroperoxides 16a, 161 and 191b as oxidants and asymmetric inductors (Scheme 114) . This titanium-catalyzed oxidation reaction by (S)-l-phenylethyl hydroperoxide 16a at —20°C in CCI4 afforded good to high enantiomeric excesses for methyl phenyl and p-tolyl alkyl sulfides ee up to 80%). Detailed mechanistic studies showed that the enantioselectivity of the sulfide oxidation results from a combination of a rather low asymmetric induction in the sulfoxidation ee <20%) followed by a kinetic resolution of the sulfoxide by further oxidation to the sulfone... 

In 1993, Jacobsen and Evans simultaneously reported that [7V-(p-tolylsulfonyl)imino]phenyliodinane (TsN=IPh, 195) is an efficient asymmetric nitrene transfer reagent to alkenes in the presence of a catalytic amount of a copper(i) salt and a chiral diimine ligand or a chiral bis(oxazoline) ligand (Equation (31)). Mechanistic study by Jacobsen and co-workers suggests that a discrete copper(iii) nitrene complex is an intermediate responsible to the reaction. ... 

Asymmetric synthesis has evolved rapidly during recent years. Most of the progress is registered in synthetic methods less emphasis has been given to theoretical concepts and mechanistic studies. Methods have been devised for achieving optical yields exceeding 95%. A number of stochiometric reactions with respect to the chiral auxiliary moiety are now highly efficient. 

Mechanistic studies of asymmetric amplification using a chiral amino alcohol catalyst have continued to dale"1 151 155. In the case of the chiral titanium complex, the observed asymmetric amplification was influenced by the method of preparation of the catalyst153. Asymmetric amplification is also observed in the catalytic addition of diphenylzinc to ketones100. 

Several recent reviews on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation are available. The mechanistic studies have been summarized by Halpern.81,259 The synthesis and use of phosphorus(III) ligands have been reviewed by Horner.270 Ferrocene-based and nitrogen-containing phosphorus ligands have also been covered.271 General reviews of the subject have appeared.272"275... 

Mechanistic Studies of Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Homogeneous Hydrogenation... 

Three types of experiments have proved informative in the mechanistic study of asymmetric hydrogenation. These are, respectively, rate measurements and product analysis, X-ray crystallography and NMR-derived identification of stable and transient species involved in the catalytic cycle. The first two of these have been reviewed elsewhere (2, 3, 4) our own work has been concerned with NMR and has provided a surprising wealth of structural and mechanistic detail. A variety of chiral phosphine procatalysts have been used but the current discussion will be concerned largely with two. Thus (R,R)-1,2-ethanediylbis-[(2-methoxyphenyl)phenylphosphine] (1) (DiPAMP)... 

The Wittig and related reactions have been reviewed in the context of natural product synthesis 120 mechanistic studies of the Wittig reaction have also been reviewed with particular reference to asymmetric induction.121... 

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