Imines asymmetric transfer hydrogenation

Among the most active catalysts for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of prochiral ketones and imines to chiral alcohols and amines are arene-ruthenium(II) amino-alcohol (or primary/ secondary 1,2-diamine)-based systems, with an inorganic base as co-catalyst, developed by Noyori139-141 and further explored by others (Scheme 27).142-145... 

Noyori and coworkers reported well-defined ruthenium(II) catalyst systems of the type RuH( 76-arene)(NH2CHPhCHPhNTs) for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones and imines [94]. These also act via an outer-sphere hydride transfer mechanism shown in Scheme 3.12. The hydride transfer from ruthenium and proton transfer from the amino group to the C=0 bond of a ketone or C=N bond of an imine produces the alcohol or amine product, respectively. The amido complex that is produced is unreactive to H2 (except at high pressures), but readily reacts with iPrOH or formate to regenerate the hydride catalyst. 

Palmer and Wills in 1999 reviewed other ruthenium catalysts for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones and imines [101]. Gladiali and Mestro-ni reviewed the use of such catalysts in organic synthesis up to 1998 [102]. Review articles that include the use of ruthenium asymmetric hydrogenation catalysts cover the literature from 1981 to 1994 [103, 104], the major contributions... 

TABLE 6-10. Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of a Variety of Imines... 

Keywords Alcohols Alkenes Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation C-alkylation Imines Ketones W-aUcylation Oxidation Reduction Transfer hydrogenation... 

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines catalyzed by chiral arene-Ru complexes achieves high enantioselectivity (Figure 1.34). Formic acid in aprotic dipolar solvent should be used as a hydride source. The reaction proceeds through the metal-ligand bifunctional mechanism as shown in the carbonyl reduction (Figure 1.24). 

Figure 1.34. Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines catalyzed by chiral Ru complexes.

Roszkowski et have described a method for the enantioselective preparation of Praziquantel (PZQ) a pharmaceutical for the treatment of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Starting with the imine (P) (readily available from phenylethyl amine, phthalyl anhydride and glycine) an asymmetric transfer hydrogenation yielded the chiral intermediate in 62 % ee, and the crude product was easily crystallized to the required high ee and converted into the Praziquantel as shown in Figure 1.34. 

A water-soluble, recyclable ruthenium(II) complex including a chiral diamine ligand has been used for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of cyclic imines and iminiums in water, with yields and ee up to 99%.49... 

Anomalous concentration dependence observed in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines with formic acid, catalysed by chiral rhodium-diamine complexes, has been attributed to the participation of both reactant and product in the formation of formate salt. The probable resting state of the catalyst is a rhodium hydride species.373... 

Phosphoric acid catalysts, bearing bulky groups, have been devised for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines with Hantsch ester. With the catalyst (14), (g) enantioselectivity up to 93% has been achieved in the reduction of aromatic imines. 

The catalytic, asymmetric hydrogenations of alkenes, ketones and imines are important transformations for the synthesis of chiral substrates. Organic dihydropyridine cofactors such as dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) are responsible for the enzyme-mediated asymmetric reductions of imines in living systems [86]. A biomimetic alternative to NADH is the Hantzsch dihydropyridine, 97. This simple compound has been an effective hydrogen source for the reductions of ketones and alkenes. A suitable catalyst is required to activate the substrate to hydride addition [87-89]. Recently, two groups have reported, independently, the use of 97 in the presence of a chiral phosphoric acid (68 or 98) catalyst for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines. 

Chan et al. synthesized first- and second-generation dendrimers containing up to 12 chiral diamines at the periphery (Fig. 8) [29]. Their ruthe-nium(II) complexes displayed high catalytic activity and enantioselectivity in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones and imines. Quantitative yields, and in some cases a slightly higher enantioselectivity compared to those of the monomeric systems (up to 98.7% ee), were obtained. 

Hoffmann S, Seayad AM, List B (2005) A powerful Brpnsted acid catalyst for the organocatalytic asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 44 7424-7427... 

One place to look for good alcohol racemization catalysts is in the pool of catalysts that are used for hydrogen transfer reduction of ketones. One class of complexes that are excellent catalysts for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation comprises the ruthenium complexes of mono sulfonamides of chiral diamines developed by Noyori and coworkers [20, 21]. These catalysts have been used for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones [20] and imines [21] (Fig. 9.9). 

Other aminophosphines have also been sought and applied in different enantio-selective transformations, e. g., allylic substitution [56] (up to 95 % ee), and Ir-based imine hydrogenation (88% ee) [57]. Chiral aminophosphines have also been investigated in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones (up to 84 % ee for the reduction of aryl ketones) [58],... 

The Noyori asymmetric transfer hydrogenation was utilized in the synthesis of the chiral 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines by R.A. Sheldon et al. These compounds are important intermediates in the Rice and Beyerman routes to morphine. The "Rice imine" was exposed to a series of chiral Ru " complexes, which was prepared from r -arene-Ru " chloride dimeric complexes and A/-sulfonated 1,2-diphenylethylenediamines along with the azeotropic mixture of HCOOH/NEts. With the best catalyst the desired tetrahydroisoquinoline was isolated in 73% yield and the enantiomeric excess was 99%. 

Bianchini, C., Glendenning, L. Ruthenium(ll)-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones using a formic acid-triethylamine mixture. Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines. Chemtracts 1997, 10, 333-338. 

In order to facilitate recycling of the multiple TsDPEN-functionalized dendrimer catalysts, the same group recently reported the synthesis of a novel form of hybrid dendrimer ligands by coupling polyether dendrons with peripherally TsDPEN-functionahzed Newkome-type poly(ether-amide) dendrimer (Figure 4.28) [90]. The solubility of these hybrid dendrimers was found to be affected by the generation of the polyether dendron. The ruthenium complexes produced were applied in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones, enones, imines and activated... 

Table 6,10 Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines using HCO2H/NEt3 as the hydrogen source.

Table 6.11 Rhodium catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines.

There have been multiple efforts toward supported catalysts for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, and the 4 position on the aryl sulfonate group of 26 has proven a convenient site for functionalization. Thus far, this ligand has been supported on dendrimers [181,182], polystyrenes [183], silica gel [184], mesoporous siliceous foam [185], and mesoporous siliceous foam modified with magnetic particles [186]. The resulting modified ligands have been used in combination with ruthenium, rhodium, and iridium to catalyze the asymmetric transfer of imines and, more commonly, ketones. 

Finally, ligand 26 has been grafted onto three types of silica materials. Tu and coworkers developed a synthesis of silica bound 26 (Scheme 6.14) and applied it first to the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation ofketones [187] and later to imine 34 [184]. 

Syntheses Using the Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of Imines as a Key Step... 

The past 35 years have seen both the asymmetric hydrogenation and asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines develop into useful methods for the synthesis of chiral amines. Particularly, focused research over the past 15 years has led to highly enantioselective examples of both reaction types and has added aza aromatics, activated imines, and iminium cations to their purview. In addition, the asymmetric hydrogenation and asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines have both been apphed to total syntheses. Because they are necessarily isomeri... 

Ligands with one R2NH terminus and one ArSO2NR terminus have only recently been used in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines. See Martins, J.E.D.. Clarkson, G.J.. Wills, M. (2009) Org. Lett. 11, 847. 

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