Asymmetric Hydrogen Transfer

The catalytic alcohol racemization with diruthenium catalyst 1 is based on the reversible transfer hydrogenation mechanism. Meanwhile, the problem of ketone formation in the DKR of secondary alcohols with 1 was identified due to the liberation of molecular hydrogen. Then, we envisioned a novel asymmetric reductive acetylation of ketones to circumvent the problem of ketone formation (Scheme 6). A key factor of this process was the selection of hydrogen donors compatible with the DKR conditions. 2,6-Dimethyl-4-heptanol, which cannot be acylated by lipases, was chosen as a proper hydrogen donor. Asymmetric reductive acetylation of ketones was also possible under 1 atm hydrogen in ethyl acetate, which acted as acyl donor and solvent. Ethanol formation from ethyl acetate did not cause critical problem, and various ketones were successfully transformed into the corresponding chiral acetates (Table 17). However, reaction time (96 h) was unsatisfactory. 

The modifier in these cases seems to generate enantioselective sites at the metal surface and helps the molecule to adsorb in a preferred fashion so that the formation of only one stereo- product is possible. There are several milestones that have contributed to this state-of-the-art technology. Discovery of Wilkinson s catalyst led to the feasibility of asymmetric hydrogen transfer with the aid of an optically active Wilkinson-type catalyst for L-DOPA (Monsanto s anti-Parkinson disease drug) synthesis (Eqn. (21)). 

In another context, chiral thioimidazolidine ligands have been successfully applied to the ruthenium-catalysed asymmetric hydrogen transfer of several aryl ketones by Kim et al., furnishing the corresponding chiral alcohols with high yields and enantioselectivities of up to 77% ee (Scheme 9.12). ... 

Finally, the use of S/P ligands derived from (i )-binaphthol has been considered by Gladiali et al. in the asymmetric rhodium-catalysed hydrogen-transfer reduction of acetophenone performed in the presence of i-PrOH as the hydrogen donor.It was noted that racemisation occurred when the reaction time increased and consequently the corresponding alcohol was obtained in only low enantioselectivities (< 5% ee) as shown in Scheme 9.21. Similar results were more recently reported by these authors by using iridium combined with the same ligands. ... 

The use of chiral ruthenium catalysts can hydrogenate ketones asymmetrically in water. The introduction of surfactants into a water-soluble Ru(II)-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones led to an increase of the catalytic activity and reusability compared to the catalytic systems without surfactants.8 Water-soluble chiral ruthenium complexes with a (i-cyclodextrin unit can catalyze the reduction of aliphatic ketones with high enantiomeric excess and in good-to-excellent yields in the presence of sodium formate (Eq. 8.3).9 The high level of enantioselectivity observed was attributed to the preorganization of the substrates in the hydrophobic cavity of (t-cyclodextrin. 

Goldberg, K., Edegger, K., Kroutil, W. and Liese, A. (2006) Overcoming the thermodynamic limitation in asymmetric hydrogen transfer reactions catalyzed by whole cells. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 95,192-198. 

Stampfer, W., Kosjek, B., Faber, K. and Kroutil, W. (2003) Biocatalytic asymmetric hydrogen transfer employing Rhodococcus ruber DSM 44541. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 68 (2), 402-406. 

Inoue, K., Makino, Y., Dairi, T. and Itoh, N. (2006) Gene cloning and expression of Leifsonia alcohol dehydrogenase (LSADH) involved in asymmetric hydrogen-transfer bioreduction to produce (/ )-form chiral alcohols. Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry, 70 (2), 418-426. 

Itoh, N., Nakamura, M., Inoue, K. and Makino, Y. (2007) Continuous production of chiral 1,3-butanediol using immobilized biocatalysts in a packed bed reactor promising biocatalysis method with an asymmetric hydrogen-transfer bioreduction. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 75 (6), 1249-1256. 

As with hydrogenation, hydrogen transfer of imines is a poorly developed field.126-130 However, recent arene-Ru11 systems bearing chiral 1,2-diamine co-ligands have been found to be excellent catalysts for asymmetric reduction of imines with formic acid as donor.31,131-134... 

Scheme 6.53 Asymmetric Heck and hydrogen-transfer reactions.

Other enantioselective reactions performed by microwave heating include asymmetric Heck reactions (Scheme 6.53 a) [109] and ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogen-transfer processes (Scheme 6.53 b) [110]. 

Increasing effort has been applied to develope asymmetric transfer hydrogenations for reducing ketones to alcohols because the reaction is simple to perform and does not require the use of reactive metal hydrides or hydrogen. Ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen transfer from 2-propanol to ketones is an efficient method for the preparation of secondary alcohols. 

Other amino alcohols have also been used as chiral ligands in asymmetric catalytic hydrogen transfer. Scheme 6-54 depicts another example. Ruthenium complex bearing 2-azanorbornyl methanol was used as the chiral ligand, and the corresponding secondary alcohols were obtained in excellent ee.116... 

As an alternative to the use of hydrogen gas, asymmetric ruthenium-catalysed hydrogen transfer reactions have been explored with significant success [381. 

In summary, the asymmetric hydrogenation of olefins or functionalized ketones catalysed by chiral transition metal complexes is one of the most practical methods for preparing optically active organic compounds. Ruthenium and rhodium-diphosphine complexes, using molecular hydrogen or hydrogen transfer, are the most common catalysts in this area. The hydrogenation of simple ketones has proved to be difficult with metallic catalysts. However,... 

BINAP has been extensively used for the asymmetric hydrogenation, transfer hydrogenation and isomerisation of double bonds using both ruthenium and rhodium complexes. 

In Figure 13.19 we have shown a route to L-699,392 published by Merck involving three steps based on homogeneous catalysts, viz. two Heck reactions and one asymmetric hydrogen transfer reaction, making first an alcohol and subsequently a sulphide [21], Stoichiometric reductions for the ketone function have been reported as well [22] and the Heck reaction on the left-hand side can be replaced by a classic condensation reaction. L-699,392 is used in the treatment of asthma and related diseases. 

A review on asymmetric induction in hydrogen-transfer and allylation reactions of a range of chiral ester derivatives has highlighted both structural and electronic roles... 

Asymmetric Synthesis Based on Hydrogen Transfer 113 Table 5.2 Transfer hydrogenation of quinolines catalyzed by [Cp lrCl2]2 (1) ... 

Asymmetric Synthesis Based on Hydrogen Transfer 117 HaN NHSOaC6H4S03Na-p 15b... 

Other than hydrogen transfer reactions, catalytic applications of Cp lr complexes for the deuteration of organic molecules [81-84], asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions [85, 86],... 

CHR—CO—), polyoxy acids (—O—CHR—CO—), poly-l-alkylbuta-dienes (—CH=CH—CHR—CH2—). To the same class iKlong the polymers with two asymmetric atoms for every monomer unit, such as polysoibates (—CH=CH—CHA—CHB—, 32 and 33) where both eiythio- and thieo-diisotactic forms are chiral, or polyhexadiene (—CH=CH—CHA—CHA—) and poly-2,3-epoxybutane (—O— CHA-CHA-), 39, where only the thieo-diisotactic structures are chiral, and the polymers of some bicyclic monomers such as those shown in 41 and 42. Other examples are the polymers obtained by hydrogen transfer fk m substituted benzalacetone (79, Scheme 17) (266, 267). 

Moreover, the already known abihty of iridium compounds to catalyze hydrogen transfer reactions has been excellently applied in Oppenauer-type and domino-type reactions for valuable organic chemicals and further developments, including asymmetric variants to kinetic resolution of alcohols and fine chemicals, can be expected. 

Blacker, J. and Martin, J. Scale-up Studies in Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation in Asymmetric Catalysis on Industrial Scale, Blaser, H.U. and Schmidt, E. (Eds). Wiley-VCH New York, 2004, 201-216. 

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