Catalytic cycles with external reactions

Cu(0) species. Alternatively, the Cu(n) species may first undergo oxidation by an external oxidant (or internal redox process) to a Cu(m) intermediate, and then undergo reductive elimination to provide the product and a Cu(i) species. Re-oxidation to Cu(n) would then, in theory, complete the catalytic cycle, but in practice, most reactions of this type have been performed with stoichiometric amounts of the copper reagent. 

In a lipase-catalyzed reaction, the acyl group of the ester is transferred to the hydroxyl group of the serine residue to form the acylated enzyme. The acyl group is then transferred to an external nucleophile with the return of the enzyme to its preacylated state to restart the catalytic cycle. A variety of nucleophiles can participate in this process. For example, reaction in the presence of water results in hydrolysis, reaction in alcohol results in esterification or transesterification, and reaction in amine results in amination. Kirchner et al.3 reported that it was possible to use hydrolytic enzymes under conditions of limited moisture to catalyze the formation of esters, and this is now becoming very popular for the resolution of alcohols.4... 

There are two solutions to this problem. We could use stoichiometric Pd(II) but this is acceptable only if the product is very valuable or the reaction is performed on a small scale. It is better to use ail external oxidant to return the palladium to the Pd(II) oxidation state so that the cycle can continue. Air alone does not react fast enough (even though Pd(0) must be protected from air to avoid oxidation) but, in combination with Cu(II) chloride, oxygen completes the catalytic cycle. The Cu(II) chloride oxidizes Pd(0) to Pd(II) and is itself oxidized back to Cu(II) by oxygen, ready to oxidize more palladium. 

The enantioselectivity associated with quaternary allylation is connected with scenario 5 above (one of the five points associated in the catalytic cycles shown by Schemes 12.10a and b where chirality could be induced), which is where enantioselection of one of two faces of the nucleophile (the enolate ion) occurs. Theoretical studies of the transformation using the PHOX ligand have shown support for an inner sphere mechanism, where nucleophilic attack of the enolate onto the rf-allyl ligand occurs from the Pd-bound enolate and not from an external nucleophile.74 These studies have not been able to definitively determine the step that defines the enantioselectivity of the reaction, and it is not clear how these results would carry over to reactions involving the Trost ligands. At this time, selection of which ligand one should use not only to induce enantioselectivity but also to predict the sense of absolute configuration of any asymmetric Tsuji-Trost allylation is mostly based on empirical results. Work continues on this... 

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