Cross-coupling reactions secondary alkyl

Asymmetric cross-coupling of secondary alkyl Grignard reagents represented by 1-phenylethylmagnesium chloride, which undergo racemization under the reaction conditions, produces enantiomericaUy emiched alkenes of up to 94% ee. The reaction has been studied mainly with nickel catalysts rather than palladium catalysts. 

A polystyrene-bound chiral aminophosphine-Ni(II) chloride complex catalyzes the asymmetric cross-coupling reaction of a secondary alkyl Grignard reagent with vinyl bromide in a moderate optical yield (25). 

Transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions between vinyl organometallic compounds and unactivated alkyl halides that can be usually performed with palladium, nickel and cobalt are of particular synthetic interest [37-39]. Recently, the groups of Cahiez [48] and Cossy [49] concurrently reported the first iron-catalyzed reaction of alkenyl Grignard compounds with primary and secondary alkyl halides (X=Br, I) (Scheme 5.15). The two protocols basically differ in the iron source... 

Negishi-type cross-coupling reactions of primary and secondary alkyl iodides 1 and alkylzinc bromides 2 proceeded with 10 mol% of Ni(py)4Cl2/(sBu)-PyBOX 5a (entry 6) [48]. Based on calculations, an alkylNi(I)(PyBOX) complex is formed by initial SET reduction, which carries much of the spin density in the ligand, similar to Vicic s catalysts 9. Based on this result a Ni(I)-Ni(II)-Ni(III) catalytic cycle was proposed to operate. 

Of the various possible asymmetric cross-coupling reactions, (1) asymmetric alkylation with secondary alkylmetals, (2) asymmetric biaryl synthesis, and (3) asymmetric allylation with allylic electrophiles have been most extensively studied with chiral Ni and Pd complexes [166]. The initial study in this area was reported as early as 1974 by Kumada and his co-workers, but only a meager range of 8-15% ee was reported [167]. By the end of the 1970s, however, the cross-coupling reaction had been sufficiently developed so that its application to the asymmetric synthesis was already practically attractive, as indicated by an asymmetric total sythesis of (R)-(—)-a-curcumene in five steps in 66% ee and 34% overall yield shown in Scheme 1-47 [168]. 

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