Hydrophosphonylation Kabachnik Fields Reaction

The Kabachnik Fields reaction, which involves the hydrophosphonylation of phos phites with imines generated in situ from carbonyl compounds and amines, is an attractive method for the preparation of a amino phosphonates. Optically active a amino phosphonic acids and their phosphonate esters are an attractive class of compounds due to their potent biological activities as nonproteinogenic analogues of a amino acids. Therefore, considerable attention has been given to their enantio selective synthesis by hydrophosphonylation of preformed imines, using either metal based catalysts or organocatalysis [107]. 

Akiyama et al. reported that chiral phosphoric acid Ir functioned as an efficient 

R = secondary alkyl group (cyclopentyl, 61-86%, 87-97% anti, 76-94% ee /Pr, cyclohexyl) 

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It worth to mention that despite the importance of the Kabachnik-Fields reaction, stereoselective versions for the synthesis of enantioenriched a-aminophosphonates are scarce [212, 213], and only few enantioselective examples have been published to date (for reviews on enantioselective catalytic direct hydrophosphonylations of imines, see Refs. [162a-c]). Organocatalytic examples use well-known chiral binol-derived phosphoric acid organocatalysts (Fig. 12.6,80 and 81) [214], and regarding metal catalysis, chiral scandium(III)-A,A -dioxide and... 

The Kabachnik-Fields reaction is a three-component hydrophosphonylation of imines formed in the reaction mixture from carbonyl compounds and amines [75]. In 2008, List and coworkers reported on such a reaction catalyzed by chiral phosphoric acids that combines a dynamic kinetic resolution with the concomitant generation of a new stereogenic center (Scheme 42.30). The resolution is possible when chiral racemic aldehydes 135 are used. This is because the imine formed in the first step of the reaction is in equilibrium with its achiral enamine tautomer, thereby racemizing the starting material continuously. Since one of the two enantiomers is selectively activated by the chiral phosphoric acid catalyst, the addition of phosphite 136 affords the exclusive formation of one diastereomer. All phos-phonate products 137 were obtained with good yields and moderate to excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity [76]. 

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