Enantioselective catalysts carbene insertion reactions

One important advantage of the intermolecular carbene insertion reactions is that simple starting materials can be employed and accordingly there is no need for the construction of complex substrates in advance. However, the intermolecular process requires a delicate balance between electronic and steric effects for metal carbenoids. On the other hand, there are several obstacles to be overcome, including chemo-, regio-, and enantioselectivity. Fortunately, great efforts have been devoted in the past decade and a series of carbene precursors and chiral Rh catalysts have been developed, so satisfactory yields and ee can be obtained in some catalytic systems. Generally, suitable carbene precursors, such as donor/acceptor diazo compounds, could reduce the chance of side product formation due to carbene dimerization. 

Many rhodium(II) complexes are excellent catalysts for metal-carbenoid-mediated enantioselective C-H insertion reactions [101]. In 2002, computational studies by Nakamura and co-workers suggested the dirhodium tetracarboxylate catalyzed diazo compounds insertion reaction to alkanes C-H bonds proceed through a three-centered hydride-transfer-like transition state (Fig. 25) [102]. Only one rhodium atom of the catalyst is involved in the formation of rhodium carbene intermediate, while the other rhodium atom served as a mobile ligand, which enhanced the electrophilicity of the first one and facilitate the cleavage of rhodium-carbon bond. In this case, the metal-metal bond constitutes a special example of Lewis acid activation of Lewis acidic transition-metal catalyst. 

Chapter 10 considers the role of reactive intermediates—carbocations, carbenes, and radicals—in synthesis. The carbocation reactions covered include the carbonyl-ene reaction, polyolefin cyclization, and carbocation rearrangements. In the carbene section, addition (cyclopropanation) and insertion reactions are emphasized. Recent development of catalysts that provide both selectivity and enantioselectivity are discussed, and both intermolecular and intramolecular (cyclization) addition reactions of radicals are dealt with. The use of atom transfer steps and tandem sequences in synthesis is also illustrated. 

As shown in the previous two sections, rhodium(n) dimers are superior catalysts for metal carbene C-H insertion reactions. For nitrene C-H insertion reactions, many catalysts found to be effective for carbene transfer are also effective for these reactions. Particularly, Rh2(OAc)4 has demonstrated great effectiveness in the inter- and intramolecular nitrene C-H insertions. The exploration of enantioselective C-H amination using chiral rhodium catalysts has been reported by several groups.225,244,253-255 Hashimoto s dirhodium tetrakis[A-tetrachlorophthaloyl-(A)-/ r/-leuci-nate], Rh2(derived rhodium complex, Rh2(i -BNP)4 48,244 afforded moderate enantiomeric excess for amidation of benzylic C-H bonds with NsN=IPh. 

Dirhodium(II) tetrakis(carboxamides), constructed with chiral 2-pyrroli-done-5-carboxylate esters so that the two nitrogen donor atoms on each rhodium are in a cis arrangement, represent a new class of chiral catalysts with broad applicability to enantioselective metal carbene transformations. Enantiomeric excesses greater than 90% have been achieved in intramolecular cyclopropanation reactions of allyl diazoacetates. In intermolecular cyclopropanation reactions with monosubsti-tuted olefins, the cis-disubstituted cyclopropane is formed with a higher enantiomeric excess than the trans isomer, and for cyclopropenation of 1-alkynes extraordinary selectivity has been achieved. Carbon-hydro-gen insertion reactions of diazoacetate esters that result in substituted y-butyrolactones occur in high yield and with enantiomeric excess as high as 90% with the use of these catalysts. Their design affords stabilization of the intermediate metal carbene and orientation of the carbene substituents for selectivity enhancement. 

In an exciting new challenge the Bristol-Myers-Squibb group carried out an ACP on a 100-kg scale with a chiral Ru Pybox catalyst, especially in two-phase media of water and ferf-butyl methyl ether (Scheme 5) [35]. The operations produced good yields and enantioselectivity,but separation was difficult. Similarly, Wurz and Charette [36] demonstrated ACP in aqueous media by using Ru, Rh, and Co catalysts including an O-H insertion reaction of carbenes. 

Metal Carbene TVansformations. The effectiveness of Rh2(55 -MEPY)4 and its 5R-form, Rh2 5R-MEPY)4, is exceptional for highly enantioselective intramolecular cyclopropanation and carbon-hydrogen insertion reactions. Intermolecular cyclopropanation occurs with lower enantiomeric excesses than with alternative chiral copper salicylaldimine or C2-symmetric semicorrin or bis-oxazoline copper catalysts, but intermolecular cyclopropenation exhibits higher enantio-control with Rh2(MEPY)4 catalysts. The methyl carboxylate attachment of Rh2(55-MEPY)4 is far more effective than steri-cally similar benzyl or isopropyl attachments for enantioselective metal carbene transformations. The significant enhancement in enantiocontrol is believed to be due to carboxylate carbonyl stabilization of the intermediate metal carbene and/or to dipolar influences on substrate approach to the carbene center. 

Although the first catalysts were copper-based, the insertion of metal-associated carbenes into carbon-hydrogen bonds has undergone a renaissance with the advent of rhodium(II) carboxylate catalysts [56]. Metal-catalyzed enan-tioselective C-H insertions of carbenes have not been studied in great detail. Most of the efficient enantioselective versions of this reaction involve chiral rhodium complexes and until recently, the use of chiral catalysts derived from metals other than copper and rhodium for the asymmetric C-H insertion of metal-associated carbenes are still unexplored. 

Metal catalyzed enantioselective C-H insertions of carbenes have so far not been studies in great detail. Copper catalysts are of no use for this type of reaction, rhodium(Il) catalysts, however, allow intramolecular C-H insertions, for example, in the alkyl group of diazoacetates with longer chains. The formation of five-membered rings such as y-lac-tones is favored. [Rh2(55-mepy)4] affords... 

An alternative organometallic approach for functionalizing C-H bonds is by means of metal carbene- or metal nitrene-induced C-H insertions (Equations (1) and (2)).35 36 A major advantage of this approach over other methods is that the reaction is routinely catalytic and by using chiral catalysts, high enantioselectivity can be achieved. One of the major challenges with the metal carbene- and metal nitrene-induced C-H insertion is controlling the... 

So what is left to be accomplished During the current decade one can expect further asymmetric applications and catalyst designs for metathesis reactions, a maturing of chiral catalyst development for cyclopropanation and insertion with increasing synthetic applications, and decreased reliance on traditional Fischer carbenes in synthesis. Major changes remain for ylide applications, especially those that can be enantioselective, in catalytic carbene chemistry, and advances in nitrene chemistry that are comparable to those achieved over the years in carbene chemistry are in their infancy. 

Addition reactions to olefins can be used both for the construction and for the functionalization of molecules. Accordingly, chiral catalysts have been developed for many different types of reactions, often with very high enantioselectiv-ity. Unfortunately, most either have a narrow synthetic scope or are not yet developed for immediate industrial application due to insufficient activities and/ or productivities. These reactions include hydrocarbonylation [Ilf], hydrosilyla-tion [12 i], hydroboration [12j], hydrocyanation [12 k], Michael addition [11 g, 121, 12 m], Diels-Alder reaction [11 h, 12n] and the insertion of carbenes in C-H bonds [Hi, 12p, 12q, 38], Cyclopropanation [Hi, 12p, 12q] and the isomerization of allylamines [12 s] are already used commercially for the manufacture of Cilastatin (one of the first industrial processes) [12 r], and citronellol and menthol (presently the second largest enantioselective process) [12t] respectively. 

When the chemoselectivity hypothesis was tested with cyclohexane as the substrate and Rh2(OPiv)4 (25d) as the catalyst, it was shown to be true (Table 2) [80], Although the reaction with EDA produced predominantly carbene dimer 76 (entry 1), 94% of the C-H insertion product 75 was isolated with methyl phenyldia-zoacetate as the carbenoid precursor under identical reaction conditions (entry 3). This simple comparison indicated that the donor/acceptor carbenoids are indeed more stable and less prone towards undesired dimerization events. Another feature of the donor/acceptor carbenoids that is not shared by EDA is the fact that the carbenoid carbon possesses two substituents. This opens up the opportunity for asymmetric catalysis to occur. Indeed, when a number of aryldiazoacetates 74 were decomposed with Rh2(,S -D0SP)4 (26) in the presence of cyclohexane, up to 95% ee was achieved for 77 [79, 81]. A fluorous prolinate catalyst was also developed to facilitate purification, but the enantioselectivities were not as high [82],... 

Nevertheless, there still exist some obstacles to be overcome. Generally, the diazo compounds as carbene precursors require a slow addition technique to avoid potential side reactions such as dimerization. For C—H bond insertion by metal nitrenoids, and metal oxo species, only a handful of substrates can lead to products in satisfactory yield and enantioselectivity. Under these circumstances, albeit in limited cases, new carbene precursors are still in great demand to make the reaetion more operative. Since Rh catalysts are not so eheap, reduetion in the eatalyst loading, recovery of eatalyst, simplified syn-thetie routes for the eatalyst, and other cheap and efficient metal catalysts might be the potential solutions to solve this issue. Furthermore, C—H bond insertion by metal nitrenoids, and metal oxo species are largely unexplored. 

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