Copper complexes Lewis acid catalysts

Keywords bis(oxazoiine) copper complexes, Lewis-acid catalysts for carbo-cyclic and hefero-Diels-Alder reaction, chiral synthesis... 

As anticipated from the complexation experiments, reaction of 4.42 with cyclopentadiene in the presence of copper(II)nitrate or ytterbium triflate was extremely slow and comparable to the rate of the reaction in the absence of Lewis-acid catalyst. Apparently, Lewis-acid catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions of p-amino ketone dienophiles is not practicable. 

Evans et al. reported that the bis(imine)-copper (II) complex 25, prepared from chiral bis(imine) ligand and Cu(OTf)2, is also an effective chiral Lewis acid catalyst [34] (Scheme 1.44, Table 1.18). By tuning the aryl imine moiety, the bis(2,6-dichlor-ophenylimine) derivative was found to be suitable. Although the endojexo selectivity for 3-alkenoyloxazolidinones is low, significant improvement is achieved with the thiazolidine-2-thione analogs, for which both dienophile reactivity and endojexo selectivity are enhanced. 

The most commonly used traditional Lewis acids are halides of aluminum, boron, titanium, zinc, tin, and copper. However, there are also more complex Lewis-acids that are quite effective catalysts that can be easily modified for carring out enantioselective processes, by incorporating chiral ligands. These can overcome some limitations associated with the use of classical Lewis acids [47]. 

Evans and coworkers262 demonstrated the utility of bis(oxazolidine)copper(II) complexes 425 as Lewis acid catalysts in Diels-Alder reactions of iV-enoyl-l,3-oxazolidin-2-ones 423 with cyclopentadiene, which gave adducts 424 (equation 128, Table 25). Their best results were obtained using catalyst 425c. Surprisingly, only 30% ee was obtained in the reaction between cyclopentadiene and 17a when catalyzed by 425a. Similar results were obtained for the thiazolidine-2-thione analogs of the iV-enoyl-l,3-oxazolidin-2-ones. 

Copper(II) complexes of amino acids have been explored as chiral Lewis acid catalysts in the Diels-Alder reaction of 3-phenyl-l-(2-pyridyl)-2-propen-l-one with cyclopentadiene. The best results were obtained using /V-methyl-/.-tryptophan, but more interestingly, the highest ee values for the major endo adduct were achieved in aqueous solution273. 

Jorgensen et al. reported that C2-symmetric bis(oxazoline)-copper(II) complex 25 also acts as chiral Lewis acid catalyst for a reaction of allylic stannane with ethyl glyoxylate [37]. Meanwhile, p-Tol-BINAP-CuCl complex 26 was shown to be a promising chiral catalyst for a catalytic enantioselective allylation of ketones with allyltrimethoxysilane under the influence of the TBAT catalyst [38]. Evans and coworkers have developed (S,S)-Ph-pybox-Sc(OTf)3 complex 27 as a new chiral Lewis acid catalyst and shown that this scandium catalyst promotes enantioselective addition reactions of allenyltrimethylsilanes to ethyl glyoxylate [39]. But, when the silicon substituents become bulkier, nonracemic dihydrofurans are predominantly obtained as products of [3+2] cycloaddition. 

Phenols have been condensed with alkenoylesters to give chromans by an oxa-Michael addition/electrophilic aromatic addition sequence with magnesium(II)- or copper(II)-bis-oxazoline complexes as chiral Lewis acid catalysts (Scheme 17b) [97]. This reaction may be initiated by an oxa-Michael reaction, followed by a hydroarylation of a carbonyl group. The authors suggest that the initial stereodetermining oxa-Michael addition is followed by a fast diastereoselective aromatic substimtion [97]. A nickel Lewis acid, derived from Ni(hfacac)2 (hfacac = 1,LL5,5,5-hexafluoro-3,5-dioxopentane enolate) and chiral Al-oxide ligands, catalyzes the enantioselective oxa-Michael cyclization of 2-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-2 -hydroxy-chalcones to 3-ferf-butoxycarbonyl flavanones, which can be decarboxylated to flavanons in a separate step (Scheme 17c) [98]. A Lewis acid activation of the unsaturated p-ketoester unit can be assumed. 

A small number of enantiomerically pure Lewis acid catalysts have been investigated in an effort to develop a catalytic asymmetric process. Initial work in this area was carried out by Narasaka and coworkers using the titanium complex derived from diol (8.216) in the cycloaddition of electron-deficient oxazolidinones such as (8.217) with ketene dithioacetal (8.218), alkenyl sulfides and alkynyl sulfides. Cyclic alkenes can be used in this reaction and up to 73% ee has been obtained in the [2- -2] cycloaddition ofthioacetylene (8.220) and derivatives with2-methoxycarbonyl-2-cyclopenten-l-one (8.221) usingthe copper catalyst generated with bis-pyridine (8.222). Furthermore, up to 99% ee has been obtained in the [2-1-2] cycloaddition of norbornene with alkynyl esters using rhodium/Hs-BINAP catalysts. This reaction is not restricted to the use of transition metal-based Lewis... 

Group 11 Copper, Silver, and Gold. A series of reports appeared in 1970s have highlighted the ability of copper(II) cations to function as promoters for the direct aldol addition of ketones to aldehydes (86). However, the successful application of Cu(II) complexes as chiral Lewis acid catalysts for the aldol... 

A few Lewis acids have been shown to catalyze the Yonemitsu-type reactions of indoles, aldehydes, and several CH acids (Scheme 13.79). Dimethyhnalonate 358 was successfully reacted with indole 327 and several aldehydes 357 under solvent-free ultrasound irradiation conditions to provide the desired products 359 in moderate yields [135]. Ytterbium triflate was used as the Lewis-acidic catalyst in this case. A copper-salen complex was utilized in water at elevated temperature to facilitate the Yonemitsu-type reaction of indoles 360, aldehydes 361, and malonodinitrile 21 [136]. In close similarity copper(II) acetate was used in polyethylene glycol at elevated temperatures to provide Yonemitsu-type products 366 in moderate to high yields (48-98%) [137]. 

Since Evans s initial report, several chiral Lewis acids with copper as the central metal have been reported. Davies et al. and Ghosh et al. independently developed a bis(oxazoline) ligand prepared from aminoindanol, and applied the copper complex of this ligand to the asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction. Davies varied the link between the two oxazolines and found that cyclopropyl is the best connector (see catalyst 26), giving the cycloadduct of acryloyloxazolidinone and cyclopentadiene in high optical purity (98.4% ee) [35] (Scheme 1.45). Ghosh et al., on the other hand, obtained the same cycloadduct in 99% ee by the use of unsubstituted ligand (see catalyst 27) [36] (Scheme 1.46, Table 1.19). 

Jorgensen has recently reported similar enantioselective reactions between N-tosylimines 107 and trimethylsilyldiazomethane (TMSD) catalyzed by chiral Lewis acid complexes (Scheme 1.32) [57, 53]. The cis-aziridine could be obtained in 72% ee with use of a BINAP-copper(i) catalyst, but when a bisoxazoline-copper(i) complex was used the corresponding trans isomer was fonned in 69% ee but with very poor diastereoselectivity. 

Associated to copper(II) pre-catalysts, bis(oxazolines) also allowed the asymmetric Diels-Alder and hetero Diels-Alder transformations to be achieved in nearly quantitative yield and high diastereo- and enantioselectivities. Optically active sulfoximines, with their nitrogen-coordinating site located at close proximity to the stereogenic sulfur atom, have also proven their efficiency as copper ligands for these asymmetric cycloadditions. Other precursors for this Lewis acid-catalyzed transformation have been described (e.g., zinc salts, ruthenium derivatives, or rare earth complexes) which, when associated to bis(oxazolines), pyridine-oxazolines or pyridine-bis(oxazolines), led to efficient catalysts. 

Ghosh et al. [70] reviewed a few years ago the utihty of C2-symmetric chiral bis(oxazoline)-metal complexes for catalytic asymmetric synthesis, and they reserved an important place for Diels-Alder and related transformations. Bis(oxazoline) copper(II)triflate derivatives have been indeed described by Evans et al. as effective catalysts for the asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction [71]. The bis(oxazoline) Ugand 54 allowed the Diels-Alder transformation of two-point binding N-acylimide dienophiles with good yields, good diastereos-electivities (in favor of the endo diastereoisomer) and excellent ee values (up to 99%) [72]. These substrates represent the standard test for new catalysts development. To widen the use of Lewis acidic chiral Cu(ll) complexes, Evans et al. prepared and tested bis(oxazoHnyl)pyridine (PyBOx, structure 55, Scheme 26) as ligand [73]. 

Perhaps the most attractive method of introducing enantioselectivity into the Diels-Alder reaction is to use a chiral catalyst in the form of a Lewis acidic metal complex. In recent years, this area has shown the greatest progress, with the introduction of many excellent catalytic processes. Quite a number of ligand-metal combinations have been evaluated for their potential as chiral catalysts in Diels-Alder reactions. The most commonly used metals are boron, titanium, and aluminum. Copper, magnesium, and lanthanides have also been used in asymmetric catalytic Diels-Alder reactions. 

The initial screen of potential catalysts by these workers revealed that several Lewis acids are capable of effecting nitrenoid transfer to alkenes. In particular, SmLOf-Bu, a species that is unlikely to participate in redox processes, was found to work well for 7ra s-p-methylstyrene aziridination. Although the generality of this catalyst fell far short of the copper system, it raises the intriguing possibility that the Cu(II) species formed in the aziridination acts at least in part as a Lewis acid. The considerable Lewis acidity of cationic Cu(II) complexes has since been extensively exploited (cf. Section V). 

Given the prevalence of bis(oxazoline)-copper catalysts as chiral Lewis acids, it seems appropriate to comment briefly on catalyst preparations, since differences arise in the nature of the catalyst complex. Triflate-derived catalysts are formed simply by combining the ligand and Cu(OTf)2 in a given solvent and stirring for an appropriate length of time (typically >2 h) to achieve complete dissolution and complexation, Scheme 14. The hydrated version is formed by addition of 2 equiv of water to this catalyst solution, followed by removal of solvent after 15 min of stirring. The hydrated triflate catalyst is bench stable for months. 

The considerable Lewis acidity of bis(oxazoline)-copper(II) complexes held promise for catalyzing the ene reaction, a process that usually requires strong Lewis acids. Indeed, these catalysts effect a highly selective ene reaction between a variety of alkene partners and glyoxylate esters to produce a-hydroxy esters in good yield, Eq. 210 (245). The ene reaction between cyclohexene and ethyl glyoxylate proceeds in excellent diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity, Eq. 211. As a testament to the Lewis acidity of these complexes, it is noteworthy that... 

Takaya and co-workers (256) disclosed that chiral copper alkoxide complexes catalyze the transesterification and kinetic resolution of chiral acetate esters. Selec-tivities are very poor (E values of 1.1-1.5) but it was noted that the Lewis acid BINAP CuOTf was not an effective catalyst. The observation thatp-chlorophcnyl-BINAP-CuOf-Bu complex gave faster rates than BINAP-CuOt-Bu suggests that both the Lewis acidic and Lewis basic properties of the copper alkoxide are required for optimal reactivity. 

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