Iridium, allyl complex

Iridium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of aldehyde 73 in the presence of 1,1-dimethylallene promotes tert-prenylation [64] to form the secondary neopentyl alcohol 74. In this process, isopropanol serves as the hydrogen donor, and the isolated iridium complex prepared from [Ir(cod)Cl]2, allyl acetate, m-nitrobenzoic acid, and (S)-SEGPHOS is used as catalyst. Complete levels of catalyst-directed diastereoselectivity are observed. Exposure of neopentyl alcohol 74 to acetic anhydride followed by ozonolysis provides p-acetoxy aldehyde 75. Reductive coupling of aldehyde 75 with allyl acetate under transfer hydrogenation conditions results in the formation of homoallylic alcohol 76. As the stereochemistry of this addition is irrelevant, an achiral iridium complex derived from [Ir(cod)Cl]2, allyl acetate, m-nitrobenzoic acid, and BIPHEP was employed as catalyst (Scheme 5.9). 

A two-component bimetallic catalytic system has been developed for the allylic etherification of aliphatic alcohols, where an Ir(i) catalyst acts on allylic carbonates to generate electrophiles, while the aliphatic alcohols are independently activated by Zn(n) coordination to function as nucleophiles (Equation (48)).194 A cationic iridium complex, [Ir(COD)2]BF4,195 and an Ru(n)-bipyridine complex196 have also been reported to effectively catalyze the O-allylation of aliphatic alcohols, although allyl acetate and MeOH, respectively, are employed in excess in these examples. 

A wide range of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen nucleophiles react with allylic esters in the presence of iridium catalysts to form branched allylic substitution products. The bulk of the recent literature on iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution has focused on catalysts derived from [Ir(COD)Cl]2 and phosphoramidite ligands. These complexes catalyze the formation of enantiomerically enriched allylic amines, allylic ethers, and (3-branched y-8 unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The latest generation and most commonly used of these catalysts (Scheme 1) consists of a cyclometalated iridium-phosphoramidite core chelated by 1,5-cyclooctadiene. A fifth coordination site is occupied in catalyst precursors by an additional -phosphoramidite or ethylene. The phosphoramidite that is used to generate the metalacyclic core typically contains one BlNOLate and one bis-arylethylamino group on phosphorus. 

Iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution was first investigated after many years of development of allylic substitution reactions catalyzed by a variety of complexes of other metals, particularly those containing palladium. While iridium-catalyzed... 

Although Helmchen et al. showed that asymmetric iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution could be achieved, the scope of the reactions catalyzed by iridium complexes of the PHOX ligands was limited. Thus, they evaluated reactions catalyzed by complexes generated from [lr(COD)Cl]2 and the dimethylamine-derived phosphoramidite monophos (Scheme 8) [45,51]. Although selectivity for the branched isomer from addition of malonate nucleophiles to allylic acetates was excellent, the highest enantiomeric excess obtained was 86%. This enantiomeric excess was obtained from a reaction of racemic branched allylic acetate. The enantiomeric excess was lower when linear allylic acetates were used. This system catalyzed addition of the hthium salts of A-benzyl sulfonamides to aUylic acetates, but the product of the reaction between this reagent and an alkyl-substituted linear aUylic acetate was formed with an enantiomeric excess of 13%. 

Concurrent with studies on cyclometalation, studies on the effects of the structure of phosphoramidite ligand had been conducted. Several groups studied the effect of the stmcmre of ligand on the rate and selectivity of these iridium-catalyzed allylic substitutions. LI contains three separate chiral components - the two phenethyl moieties on the amine as well as the axially chiral BINOL backbone. These portions of the catalyst structure can control reaction rates by affecting the rate of cyclometalation, by inhibiting catalyst decomposition, or by forming a complex that reacts faster in the mmover-limiting step(s) of the catalytic cycle. 

As previously discussed, activation of the iridium-phosphoramidite catalyst before addition of the reagents allows less basic nitrogen nucleophiles to be used in iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions [70, 88]. Arylamines, which do not react with allylic carbonates in the presence of the combination of LI and [Ir(COD)Cl]2 as catalyst, form allylic amination products in excellent yields and selectivities when catalyzed by complex la generated in sim (Scheme 15). The scope of the reactions of aromatic amines is broad. Electron-rich and electron-neutral aromatic amines react with allylic carbonates to form allylic amines in high yields and excellent regio- and enantioselectivities as do hindered orlAo-substituted aromatic amines. Electron-poor aromatic amines require higher catalyst loadings, and the products from reactions of these substrates are formed with lower yields and selectivities. 

Protected primary allylic amines were generated from allylic carbonates and ammonia equivalents. Iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution has now been reported with sulfonamides [90, 91], imides [89, 91-93], and trifluoroacetamide [89] to form branched, protected, primary allylic amines (Table 5). When tested, yields and selectivities were highest from reactions catalyzed by complexes derived from L2. Reactions of potassium trifluoroacetamide and lithium di-tert-butyhminodi-carboxylate were conducted with catalysts derived from the simplified ligand L7. Reactions of nosylamide and trifluoroacetamide form singly-protected amine products. The other ammonia equivalents lead to the formation of doubly protected allylic amine products, but one protecting group can be removed selectively, except when the product is derived from phthalimide. 

Markovic and Hartwig isolated and characterized the first intermediate in iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution [100]. They isolated the metalacyclic iridium-phosphor-amidite fragment containing COD and the olefinic portion ofN- l -phenylallyl)aniline, the product of the allylic substitution reaction between cinnamyl carbonate and aniline (5 in Scheme 22). This complex containing the product of allylic substitution was first detected by NMR spectroscopy during catalytic reactions. It was then isolated, prepared independently, and shown to be chemically and kinetically competent to be an intermediate in allylic substitutions. 

Additional mechanistic insights were gained when Hartwig and coworkers isolated and characterized the first 7t-allyl complexes that are chemically and kinetically competent to be intermediates in iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution [46]. These complexes were prepared independently from allylic electrophiles that are more reactive than allylic carbonates. The isolation and structural characterization of these species provided a detailed view into the origins of enantioselectivity. 

These recent mechanistic studies have provided the foundation for the most recent work that has expanded the scope of iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution. The synthesis and characterization of the ethylene-bound complex lb resulted directly... 

The scope of reactions catalyzed by metalacychc iridium-phosphoramidite complexes is remarkably broad, but reactions with some substrates, such as allylic alcohols, prochiral nucleophiles, branched allylic esters, and highly substituted allylic esters, that would form synthetically valuable products or would lead to simpler symthesis of reactants occur with low yields and selectivities. In addition, iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions are sensitive to air and water and must be conducted with dry solvents under an inert atmosphere. Several advances have helped to overcome some, but not aU of these challenges. 

Allylic substitution reactions catalyzed by metalacyclic iridium-phosphoramidite complexes form branched products from linear allylic esters with high regioselec-tivity. However, reactions with racemic, branched allylic esters would be particularly valuable because they are readily accessible from a wide array of aldehydes and vinylmagnesium halides. However, iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions of branched allylic esters have so far occurred with low enantioselectivities [45, 75]. 

Carreira et al. reported the kinetic resolution of branched allylic carbonates catalyzed by an iridium complex derived from a chiral [2.2.2]-bicyclooctadiene [48]. Reactions of allylic carbonates with phenol were run to 50% conversion of the carbonate, leaving unreacted allylic carbonate in high enantiomeric excess (Scheme 32). The phenyl ether products were also isolated in mid-to-high enantiomeric excess. 

No examples have been reported of enantioselective, iridium-catalyzed allylic substitutions of linear allylic esters to generate 1,1-disubstituted or 2-substituted 7i-allyl intermediates. Takeuchi published reactions in which the proposed allylir-idium intermediates are 1,1- or 1,3-disubstituted, but these substrates have not been shown to undergo reactions catalyzed by chiral iridium complexes. No reactions of 1,2-disubstituted substrates have been published (Scheme 34). 

Except for one recent example, all iridium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions have been performed under an inert atmosphere with dry solvent and reagents. The iridium metalacycle is sensitive to protonation, which opens the metalacycle and results in the formation of a less-active complex containing a K -phosphoramidite ligand. A paper by Helmchen et al. addressed this issue [107]. Nearly all iridium catalysts used for allylic substitution consist of an iridium fragment chelated by COD. In the presence of a catalyst containing dibenzo[a,c]cyclooctatetraene (dbcot) in place of COD, allylic substimtion reactions occur in air with results that are comparable to those of reactions performed under an inert atmosphere (Scheme 35). 

The reaction would proceed through formation of the tr-allyl-iridium complex, followed by a nucleophilic attack of the alcohol. 

For further details of this reaction, the reader is referred to Chapter 9. The catalytic allylation with nucleophiles via the formation of Ti-allyl metal intermediates has produced synthetically useful compounds, with the palladium-catalyzed reactions being known as Tsuji-Trost reactions [31]. The reactivity of Ti-allyl-iridium complexes has been widely studied [32] for example, in 1997, Takeuchi idenhfied a [lrCl(cod)]2 catalyst which, when combined with P(OPh)3, promoted the allylic alkylation of allylic esters 74 with sodium diethyl malonate 75 to give branched... 

The complexes of the composition [ Ir( t-X)(diene) 2], where X = halogen, OH, OMe (e.g. [IrCl(CO)(cod)]) appeared to be very effective catalysts for the hydrosilylation of allyl chloride by trialkoxy- and alkylalkoxy-silanes [22]. Other iridium complexes have been subsequently reported as catalysts for the synthesis of silane... 

Ruthenium complexes mediate the hydroamination of ethylene with pyridine.589 The reaction, however, is not catalytic, because of strong complexation of the amine to metal sites. Iridium complexes with chiral diphosphine ligands and a small amount of fluoride cocatalyst are effective in inducing asymmetric alkene hydroamination reaction of norbomene with aniline [the best enantiomeric excess (ee) values exceed 90%].590 Strained methylenecyclopropanes react with ring opening to yield isomeric allylic enamines 591... 

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