Enantioselective hydrogenation processes

Figure 2.3 Unsuccessful catalysts for enantioselective hydrogenation processes.

No rate enhancement of the enantioselective hydrogenation pathway is expected, in the manner adduced for the Pt-catalysed reaction, because the process is not one of simple H-atom addition across a carbon-oxygen double bond. 

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. 

Tocopherol can be produced as the pure 2R,4 R,8 R stereoisomer from natural vegetable oils. This is the most biologically active of the stereoisomers. The correct side-chain stereochemistry can be obtained using a process that involves two successive enantioselective hydrogenations.28 The optimum catalyst contains a 6, 6 -dimethoxybiphenyl phosphine ligand. This reaction has not yet been applied to the enantioselective synthesis of a-tocopherol because the cyclization step with the phenol is not enantiospecific. 

The enantioselective hydrogenation of prochirai heteroaromatics is of major relevance for the synthesis of biologically active compounds, some of which are difficult to access via stereoselective organic synthesis [4], This is the case for substituted N-heterocycles such as piperazines, pyridines, indoles, and quinoxa-lines. The hydrogenation of these substrates by supported metal particles generally leads to diastereoselective products [4], while molecular catalysts turn out to be more efficient in enantioselective processes. Rhodium and chiral chelating diphosphines constitute the ingredients of the vast majority of the known molecular catalysts. 

Enantiomerically pure amines are extremely important building blocks for biologically active molecules, and whilst numerous methods are available for their preparation, the catalytic enantioselective hydrogenation of a C=N bond potentially offers a cheap and industrially viable process. The multi-ton synthesis of (S)-metolachlor fully demonstrates this [108]. Although phospholane-based ligands have not proven to be the ligands of choice for this substrate class, several examples of their effective use have been reported. 

Fig. 31.15 Mechanism of the enantioselective hydrogenation of enamides by Ru BINAP, giving the opposite stereochemical course to the corresponding Rh catalyst. Note the heterolytic nature of the addition process with one of the two hydrogens arising from solvent.

Numerous enantioselective transfer hydrogenation processes have now been developed and operated at commercial scale to give consistent, high-quality products, economically. These include variously substituted aryl alcohols, styrene oxides and alicyclic and aliphatic amines. Those discussed in the public domain include (S)-3-trifluoromethylphenylethanol [48], (f )-3,5-bistrifluorophenylethanol [64], 3-nitrophenylethanol [92], (S)-4-fluorophenylethanol [lc], (f )-l-tetralol [lc], and (T)-l-methylnaphthylamine [lc]. 

According to Knowles [28], Monsanto has been producing L-dopa, a drug to relieve Parkinson s disease, on the scale of ca. 1 ty-1 for many years. A few years after Monsanto, the East-German company VEB Isis-Chemie also carried out this process on a similar scale but terminated the production after a few years [29]. The key step in the synthesis is the enantioselective hydrogenation of an enamide intermediate (Fig. 37.3). 

Takaya and co-workers46 found that BINAP-based Ru(II) dicarboxylate complexes 31 can serve as efficient catalyst precursors for enantioselective hydrogenation of geraniol (2E)-32 and nerol (2Z)-32. (R)- or (iS )-citroncllal 33 is obtained in nearly quantitative yield with 96-99% ee. The nonallylic double bonds in geraniol and nerol were intact. Neither double bond migration nor (fi)-/(Z)-isomerization occurred during the catalytic process. Furthermore, the S/C ratio was extremely high, and the catalyst could easily be recovered (Scheme 6-18). This process can be applied to the asymmetric synthesis of a key intermediate for vitamin E. 

Scheme 13. Enantioselective synthesis of hirsutine 67 by a Knoevenagel-hetero-Diels-Alder solvolysis hydrogenation process...

The results illustrate the potential of bidentate ligands which differentiate the two trams disposed coordination sites, since independent variation of the electronic and steric influences of either phosphine unit clearly has a profound effect on both the activity and enantioselectivity of the hydrogenation process, as Achiwa had predicted. 

---