Cinchona alkaloid, modified Pt, Pd, and

Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation is a relatively developed process compared to other asymmetric processes practised today. Efforts in this direction have already been made. The first report in this respect is the use of Pd on natural silk for hydrogenating oximes and oxazolones with optical yields of about 36%. Izumi and Sachtler have shown that a Ni catalyst modified with (i ,.R)-tartaric acid can be used for the hydrogenation of methylacetoacetate to methyl-3-hydroxybutyrate. The group of Orito in Japan (1979) and Blaser and co-workers at Ciba-Geigy (1988) have reported the use of a cinchona alkaloid modified Pt/AlaO.i catalyst for the enantioselective hydrogenation of a-keto-esters such as methylpyruvate and ethylpyruvate to optically active (/f)-methylacetate and (7 )-ethylacetate. 

Much work [42] has been devoted to cinchona alkaloid modified Pd and Pt catalysts in the enantioselective hydrogenation of a-keto esters such as ethyl pyruvate (Scheme 5.11). Optimal formulation and conditions include supported Pt, the inexpensive (—)-cinchonidine, acetic acid as solvent, 25 °C and 10-70 bar H2. Presently, the highest e.e. is 97.6% [to (R)-ethyl lactate]. 

Other transition metal catalysts modified with tartaric acid have been used. Tartaric acid is not a good modifier with Pt. Cinchona alkaloids efficiently modify Pt, Pd, Rh, and reduce the carbonyl group of a-ketoesters ... 

The most successful modifier is cinchonidine and its enantiomer cinchonine, but some work in expanding the repertoire of substrate/modifier/catalyst combinations has been reported (S)-(-)-l-(l-naphthyl)ethylamine or (//)-1 -(I -naphth T)eth Tamine for Pt/alumina [108,231], derivatives of cinchona alkaloid such as 10,11-dihydrocinchonidine [36,71], 2-phenyl-9-deoxy-10, 11-dihydrocinchonidine [55], and O-methyl-cinchonidine for Pt/alumina [133], ephedrine for Pd/alumina [107], (-)-dihydroapovincaminic acid ethyl ester (-)-DHVIN for Pd/TiOz [122], (-)-dihydrovinpocetine for Pt/alumina [42], chiral amines such as 1 -(1 -naphtln I)-2-(I -pyrro 1 idiny 1) ethanol, l-(9-anthracenyl)-2-(l-pyrrolidinyl)ethanol, l-(9-triptycenyl)-2-(l-pyrrol idi nyl)cthanol, (Z )-2-(l-pyrrolidinyl)-l-(l-naphthyl)ethanol for Pt/alumina [37,116], D- and L-histidine and methyl esters of d- and L-tryptophan for Pt/alumina [35], morphine alkaloids [113],... 

Heterogeneous Pt and Pd Catalysts Modified with Cinchona Alkaloids 15... 

In contrast to Raney nickel catalysts ( 3.4.1), heterogeneous hydrogenation catalysts based on Pt, Rh or Pd do not induce asymmetry in the presence of tartaric acid [113, 578], Platinum catalysts modified by cinchona alkaloids 3.1 and 3.2 cause asymmetric hydrogenation of the carbonyl group of a-ketoesters with a high enantiomeric excess (> 90%). From other types of ketones, the enantioselectivities are lower. 

Some hydrogenations were carried out in the presence of two modifiers, a vinca type producing, for example, the (S) enantiomer and a cinchona type producing the (R) enantiomer in excess. The catalysts used were Pd black and Pd on titania in the hyirogenation of isophorone, and Pt on carbon, Pt on alumina and Adams Pt in the hydrogenation of ethyl pyruvate. The amount of vinca alkaloid was kept constant, while the amount of the other was increased in each experiment. The results are shown in Figure 5, 6 and 7. 

Pd modified by cinchona, vinca, or ephedra alkaloids is a moderately efficient catalyst but Pd is still the catalyst of choice for the enantioselective hydrogenation of olefins with a functional group in the a position [8,20]. Modification of Pd with cinchonidine is as simple as for Pt, but Pd requires a considerably lower substrate/ modifier ratio than Pt, probably because of weaker adsorption and/or partial degradation (hydrogenation) of the modifier during reaction. Another drawback is that the reactions are not accelerated but decelerated by the chiral modifier (by a factor of up to 140 [21]). This phenomenon can rationalize the moderate performance of chirally modified Pd. 

---