Enantioselectivity copper complexes

Asymmetric ring-opening of saturated epoxides by organoctiprates has been studied, hut only low enantioselectivities f -c 1596 ee) have so far been obtained [49, 50]. Muller et al., for example, have reported that tlie reaction between cyclohexene oxide and MeMgBr, catalyzed by 1096 of a chiral Schiffhase copper complex, gave froiis-2-metliylcyclohexanol in 5096 yield and with 1096 ee [50]. 

These authors further described the synthesis and resolution (by chiral HPLC) of a new C2-symmetric planar-chiral bipyridine ligand [43] (see structure 35 in Scheme 18). They obtained an X-ray crystal structure of the corresponding copper complex proving a bidentate complexation. This system led to high diastereo- (up to 94%) and enantioselectivity (up to 94%) in the... 

Suga and Ibata [44] prepared binaphtyldiimine derivatives 36 (Scheme 19) affording 98% ee as best selectivity for the transformation of 1,1-diphenyl-ethylene with Z-menthyl diazoacetate. The authors performed PM3 calculations and proposed an optimized structure of the copper complex to explain the high enantioselectivity observed with 1,1-disubstituted olefins. 

Copper-complexes prepared with other type of N-chelating ligands have been also prepared and evaluated as catalysts for the Diels-Alder reaction. Eng-berts et al. [103] studied enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction of 3-phenyl-l-(2-pyridyl)-2-propen-l-one with cyclopentadiene in water (Scheme 39). By using coordinating chiral, commercially available a-amino-adds and their derivatives with copper salts as catalysts, they obtained the desired product with yields generally exceeding 90%. With L-abrine (72 in Scheme 39) as chiral moiety, an enantiomeric excess of 74% could be achieved. Moreover, the catalyst solution was reused with no loss of enantioselectivity. 

The copper complexes of these ligands were tested in the cyclopropanation of styrene with ethyl diazoacetate (Scheme 7) and the ene reaction between a-methylstyrene and ethyl glyoxylate (Scheme 8). hi both cases moderate enantioselectivities were obtained but these were lower than those foimd with the parent hgand. 

The reaction used to test these solid catalysts was the aziridination of styrene with AT-tosyliminophenyliodinane (Phi = NTos) (Scheme 10). In most cases, enantioselectivities were low or moderate (up to 60% ee). The loss of enantioselectivity on changing from ligand 11a to ligand 12 was attributed to the fact that ligand 12 is too big for the copper complex to be accommodated into the zeolite supercages. Further studies carried out with hgands 11a and 11b [62] demonstrated that the reaction is more enantioselective with the supported catalyst (82% ee with 11a and 77% ee with 11b) than in solution (54% ee with 11a and 31% ee with 11b). This trend supports the confinement effect of the zeolite structure on the stereoselectivity of the reaction. 

In the case of the Diels-Alder reaction [68] (Scheme 12), several soUds (AlSBA-15, MCM-41, MSU-2 and zeolite HY) were tested as supports for the bis(oxazoline)-copper complexes. The best enantioselectivity results were obtained with the zeolite HY, although the yield was the poorest (16% yield, 41% ee). As happened with the aziridination reaction, the enantioselectivity changed with time. Short reaction times led to the same major enantiomer as observed in homogeneous reactions. However, at higher conversions, i.e., longer reaction times, the opposite major enantiomer was obtained. 

Carbonyl- and imino-ene reactions were also catalyzed by the bis(oxazo-line)-copper complexes of ligands 6a, 6b and 11b supported on zeoHte Y (Scheme 13) [69]. The enantioselectivities obtained with the supported catalysts were similar or better than those obtained in homogeneous phase with the same ligands. Some relevant examples are shown in Table 12. 

In addition, the same group has used copper complexes of these ligands as efficient catalysts for enantioselective Cu-catalysed aza-Diels-Alder reactions of A-sulfonyl imines with Danishefsky s dienes, providing the corresponding six-membered heterocycles with enantioselectivities of up to 80% ee. ... 

Subsequently, the enantioselective variant of this reaction202 was carried out in a biphasic medium (water + diethylene glycol) by using a mixture of amino acids and copper complexes (Eq. 3.54). When the reaction was carried out under an argon atmosphere, the recycling of the catalyst was also possible. The enantiomeric excess decreased slightly... 

The selectivity of the aldol addition can be rationalized in terms of a Zimmer -man-Traxler transition-state model with TS-2-50 having the lowest energy and leading to dr-values of >95 5 for 2-51 and 2-52 [18]. The chiral copper complex, responsible for the enantioselective 1,4-addition of the dialkyl zinc derivative in the first anionic transformation, seems to have no influence on the aldol addition. To facilitate the ee-determination of the domino Michael/aldol products and to show that 2-51 and 2-52 are l -epimers, the mixture of the two compounds was oxidized to the corresponding diketones 2-53. 

In the very recent past, metal complex catalysis has been used with advantage for the stereo- and enantio selective syntheses based on the Henry and Michael reactions with SENAs (454-458). The characteristic features of these transformations can be exemplified by catalysis of the reactions of SENAs (327) with functionalized imides (328) by ligated trivalent scandium complexes or mono-and divalent copper complexes (454) (Scheme 3.192). Apparently, the catalyst initially forms a complex with imide (328), which reacts with nitronate (327) to give the key intermediate A. Evidently, diastereo- and enantioselectivity of the process are associated with preferable transformations of this intermediate. 

Activation of a C-H bond requires a metallocarbenoid of suitable reactivity and electrophilicity.105-115 Most of the early literature on metal-catalyzed carbenoid reactions used copper complexes as the catalysts.46,116 Several chiral complexes with Ce-symmetric ligands have been explored for selective C-H insertion in the last decade.117-127 However, only a few isolated cases have been reported of impressive asymmetric induction in copper-catalyzed C-H insertion reactions.118,124 The scope of carbenoid-induced C-H insertion expanded greatly with the introduction of dirhodium complexes as catalysts. Building on initial findings from achiral catalysts, four types of chiral rhodium(n) complexes have been developed for enantioselective catalysis in C-H activation reactions. They are rhodium(n) carboxylates, rhodium(n) carboxamidates, rhodium(n) phosphates, and < // < -metallated arylphosphine rhodium(n) complexes. 

Bis(oxazoline)-copper complexes 158 have been used by Evans group as chiral catalysts for the enantioselective aziridination of olefins.116 Aryl-substituted olefins have been found to be particularly suitable substrates, which can be efficiently converted to A-tosylaziridines with ee of up to 97% (R = Ph... 

Jorgensen s group44a carried out the reaction using the anhydrous form of chiral bis(oxazoline) coordinated copper complex. Complex 106 containing 83 as the chiral ligand was found to be the most effective. As shown in Scheme 5-32, the asymmetric hetero Diels-Alder reaction of //.y-unsaturated a-keto esters with acyclic enol ethers results in products with excellent yield and enantioselectivity. 

Asymmetric synthesis of 2,5-dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene (28) and /-menthyl diazoacetate (29) with chiral copper complexes (30) was successfully conducted by Aratani et al. [13] to afford the (1 A)-chrysanthem ic acid /-menthyl ester (31) in high optical and chemical yield. Since this finding, a lot of chiral copper complexes have been reported and applied to the asymmetric synthesis of (IR)-chrysanthemate. However, these copper complexes required more than 1 mol% of the catalyst and the cis/trans ratio still remains unsatisfactory. Moreover, /-menthyl ester was crucial for the high enantioselectivity. Given an industrial production of... 

The utilization of copper complexes (47) based on bisisoxazolines allows various silyl enol ethers to be added to aldehydes and ketones which possess an adjacent heteroatom e.g. pyruvate esters. An example is shown is Scheme 43[126]. C2-Symmetric Cu(II) complexes have also been used as chiral Lewis acids for the catalysis of enantioselective Michael additions of silylketene acetals to alkylidene malonates[127]. 

Cyclopropanation reactions can be promoted using copper or rhodium catalysts or indeed systems based on other metals. As early as 1965 Nozaki showed that chiral copper complexes could promote asymmetric addition of a carbenoid species (derived from a diazoester) to an alkene. This pioneering study was embroidered by Aratani and co-workers who showed a highly enantioselective process could be obtained by modifying the chiral copper... 

The use of chiral copper complexes in asymmetric synthesis was inaugurated in 1966 when the first homogeneous asymmetric metal-catalyzed reaction was reported a copper catalyzed cyclopropanation (2). At the end of 1999, more than 25 distinct reactions were reported wherein the use of a chiral copper complex had induced an enantioselective transformation. The field grew quickly and the best is most likely yet to come. 

Shibasaki and co-workers (47) modified bis(oxazoline) (55c) by slightly increasing the steric demand and found that the resulting ligand-copper complex exhibited good facial selectivity in the intramolecular cyclopropanation of enolsilanes. Enantioselectivity was improved from 78% for 55c to 92% for 55e. The product cyclopropane (73) is a component of the phorbol skeleton. 

Kanemasa et al. (60) showed that chiral diamine-copper complexes are moderately effective catalysts for cyclopropanation. Phenylhydrazine reduction of the complex formed from Cu(OTf)2 and excess diamine afforded the active catalyst. Cyclopropanation of styrene proceeds in moderate diastereoselectivity and good enantioselectivity with these catalysts, Eq. 43. 

Cai et al. (71) examined the use of dinuclear copper complexes as catalysts in the cyclopropanation reaction. Their ligand design, based on the success exhibited by the Aratani system, incorporates a diimine aryloxide. A comparison of the mononuclear catalyst 99 with the corresponding dinuclear catalyst 100 showed certain modest benefits conferred by the latter, Eq. 52. The authors note that these catalysts are effective at ambient temperature but isolated yields are higher at 50°C with no loss in enantioselectivity. 

K. A. Woerpel, Ph.D. Thesis, Bis(oxazoline)-Copper Complexes as Catalysts for Enantioselective Cyclopropanation of Olefins, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1992. 

Nair, U.B. et al.. Elucidation of vancomycin s enantioselective binding site using its copper complex. Chirality, 8, 590, 1996. 

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