Lewis acid, Lanthanide

To achieve catalytic enantioselective aza Diels-Alder reactions, choice of metal is very important. It has been shown that lanthanide triflates are excellent catalysts for achiral aza Diels-Alder reactions [5]. Although stoichiometric amounts of Lewis acids are often required, a small amount of the triflate effectively catalyzes the reactions. On the basis of these findings chiral lanthanides were used in catalytic asymmetric aza Diels-Alder reactions. The chiral lanthanide Lewis acids were first developed to realize highly enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions of 2-oxazolidin-l-one with dienes [6]. 

Catalytic asymmetric aza-Diels-Alder reactions using a chiral lanthanide Lewis acid. Enantioselective synthesis of tetrahydroquinoline derivatives using a catalytic amount of a chiral source [98]... 

A more recent report by Sibi and co-workers displayed the utility of chiral lanthanide Lewis acids for addition-trapping reactions [150]. An exhaustive screening of lanthanide Lewis acids and several chiral ligands revealed that Y(OTf)3 and proline derived ligand 138 was optimal (data not shown). Upon further optimization it was discovered that achiral additives 139 and 212 increased ee s (Scheme 56, entries 2 and 3). Bulkier radicals were found to decrease the enantioselectivity (entries 4 and 5). Also, larger aryl substituents on the ligand gave similar ee s as observed for 138 (compare entries 1, 6, and 7). 

Scheme 56 Radical allylations using chiral lanthanide Lewis acids... 

Widenhoefer has developed methods for Pd-catalyzed addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl nucleophiles to alkenes [ 171-173]. Most of these reactions employ stoichiometric copper as the oxidant however, Yang and coworkers recently reported a modified procedure that employs cocatalytic lanthanide Lewis acids to achieve direct dioxygen-coupled turnover (Eq. 39) [174], The Lewis acid is thought to activate the carbon nucleophile, P-keto amide, toward attack on the tethered alkene. 

Another related feature is the observation that monomeric organo-lanthanides (Lewis acids) interact with nitrosyl groups. This occurs for example with CrCl(n-Cp)(NO)2 and (MeCp)3Sm. Adduct formation through the oxygen atom is proposed in order to explain the decreases that are found in the NO stretching frequencies.105... 

Scheme 12) [20a]. Shibasaki et al. [20b] used a chiral in situ generated lanthanide complex (64) as catalyst. The optically active lanthanide complex 66 is postulated as the basic intermediate, activating the nitromethane as shown in 67. However, in the case of the Mukaiyama aldol addition, lanthanide Lewis acids still give moderate ee values. 

J. Nishlkido etal, US Patent 6,436,866 (August 20, 2002) Assignee Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha Utility Lanthanide Lewis Acid Catalysts... 

Other Reactions Catalyzed by Lanthanide Lewis Acids... 

Lanthanide Lewis acids catalyze many of the reactions catalyzed by other Lewis acids, for example, the Mukaiyama-aldol reaction [14], Diels-Alder reactions [15], epoxide opening by TMSCN and thiols [14,10], and the cyanosilylation of aldehydes and ketones [17]. For most of these reactions, however, lanthanide Lewis acids have no advantages over other Lewis acids. The enantioselective hetero Diels-Alder reactions reported by Danishefsky et al. exploited one of the characteristic properties of lanthanides—mild Lewis acidity. This mildness enables the use of substrates unstable to common Lewis acids, for example Danishefsky s diene. It was recently reported by Shull and Koreeda that Eu(fod)3 catalyzed the allylic 1,3-transposition of methoxyace-tates (Table 7) [18]. This rearrangement did not proceed with acetates or benzoates, and seemed selective to a-alkoxyacetates. This suggested that the methoxy group could act as an additional coordination site for the Eu catalyst, and that this stabilized the complex of the Eu catalyst and the ester. The reaction proceeded even when the substrate contained an alkynyl group (entry 7), or when proximal alkenyl carbons of the allylic acetate were fully substituted (entries 10, 11 and 13). In these cases, the Pd(II) catalyzed allylic 1,3-transposition of allylic acetates was not efficient. 

The reaction of 5-nitrofuran-2-carboxaldehyde and 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-P-o-glucopyrano-sides of ( , )-4-ethoxy-2-[(r rf-butyl)dimethylsilyloxy]butadiene can be highly diastereoselective depending on the nature of the lanthanide Lewis acid used to promote the cycloaddition (Yb(fod)3, La(fod)3). The adducts thus obtained are readily converted into (3-D-glucopyranosyl (1 4)-linked glycals [136b]. 

Shibasaki, M., Yamada, K.-i., Yoshikawa, N. Lanthanide Lewis acid catalysis. Lewis Acidsin Organic Synthesis - 2 vols. 2000, 2, 911-944. 

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