Lanthanoid-BINOL complexes

However, the two methods of choice for the oxidations of a, (B-unsaturated ketones are based on lanthanoid-BINOL complexes or a biomimetic process based on the use of polyamino acids as catalysts for the oxidation 1"1. 

Shibasaki has recently described a process for epoxidation of electron-deficient alkenes catalyzed by chiral lanthanoid-BINOL complexes (5-8 mol %) using ferf-butyl hydrogen peroxide [or cumene hydroperoxide (CMHP)] [56]. Epoxides were obtained in excellent yields and enantioselectivities as shown in Scheme 21. 

In the presence of the sodium-containing heterobimetallic catalyst (R)-LSB (10 mol%), the reaction of enone 52 with TBHP (2 equiv) was found to give the desired epoxide with 83% ee and in 92% yield [56]. Unfortunately LSB as well as other bimetallic catalysts were not useful for many other enones. Interestingly, in marked contrast to LSB an alkali metal free lanthanoid BINOL complex, which was prepared from Ln(0- -Pr)3 and (R)-BINOL or a derivative thereof (1 or 1.25 molar equiv) in the presence of MS 4A (Scheme 17), was found to be applicable to a range of enone substrates. Regarding enones with an aryl-substitu-ent in the a-keto position, the most effective catalytic system was revealed when using a lanthanum-(.R/)-3-hydroxymethyl-BINOL complex La-51 (l-5mol%) and cumene hydroperoxide (CMHP) as oxidant. The asymmetric epoxidation proceeded with excellent enantioselectivities (ees between 85 and 94%) and yields up to 95%. 

Sasai, H., Arae, S., Tahara, Y., and Shibasaki, M., Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of alpha-amino phosphonates using lanthanoid-potassium-BINOL complexes, /. Org. Chem., 60, 6656, 1995. 

II. Chiral, alkali metal free-lanthanoid-BINOL derivative complexes... 

III. Chiral lanthanoid-alkali metal-BINOL complexes (LnMB)... 

A. Catalytic, asymmetric nitroaldol reaction promoted by the lanthanoid-lithium-BINOL complex (LnLB)... 

The first part of this chapter describes recent advances in the use of novel, chiral, alkali metal free-lanthanoid-BINOL derivative complexes for a variety of efficient, catalytic, asymmetric reactions. For example, using a catalytic amount of chiral Ln-BINOL derivative complexes, asymmetric Michael reactions and asymmetric epoxidations of enones proceed in a highly enantioselective manner. 

II. CHIRAL, ALKALI METAL FREE-LANTHANOID-BINOL DERIVATIVE COMPLEXES... 

Figure 11. Structure of lanthanoid-sodium-BINOL complexes (LnSB).

Some of the metal-based catalysts used in the asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of aldehydes (see Section 6.4) can also be applied to the phosphonylation of imines. For instance, Shibasaki s heterobimetallic BINOL complexes work well for the catalytic asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of imines. In this case lanthanum-potassium-BINOL complexes (6.138) have been found to provide the highest enantioselectivities for the hydrophosphonylation of acyclic imines (6.139). The hydrophosphonylation of cyclic imines using heterobimetallic lanthanoid complexes has been reported. Ytterbium and samarium complexes in combination with cyclic phosphites have shown the best results in the cases investigated so far. For example, 3-thiazoline (6.140) is converted into the phosphonate (6.141) with 99% ee using ytterbium complex (6.142) and dimethyl phosphite (6.108). The aluminium(salalen) complex (6.110) developed by Katsuki and coworkers also functions as an effective catalyst for the hydrophosphonylation of both aromatic and aliphatic aldimines providing the resulting a-aminophosphonate with 81-91% ee. ... 

Shibasaki and coworkers have developed lanthanoid-lithium-BINOL complexes (LLB catalysts) as efficient catalysts for the asymmetric nitroaldol (Henry) reaction (59-46). The heterobimetallic asymmetric catalysts effectively mediate the reaction of a variety of aldehydes with nitroalkanes to afford the corresponding desired nitroaldols with high enantioselectivity (Scheme 4). We examined the capability of the LLB complexes as asymmetric catalysts for the nitroaldol reaction of 2,2-difluoroaldehydes with nitromethane (47). 

The second part of the chapter deals with several kinds of asymmetric reactions catalyzed by unique heterobimetallic complexes. These reagents are lanthanoid-alkali metal hybrids which form BINOL derivative complexes (LnMB, where Ln = lanthanoid, M = alkali metal, and B = BINOL derivative). These complexes efficiently promote asymmetric aldol-type reactions as well as asymmetric hydrophosphonylations of aldehydes (catalyzed by LnLB, where L = lithium), asymmetric Michael reactions (catalyzed by LnSB, where S = sodium), and asymmetric hydrophosphonylations of imines (catalyzed by LnPB, where P = potassium) to give the corresponding desired products in up to 98% ee. Spectroscopic analysis and computer simulations of these asymmetric reactions have revealed the synergistic cooperation of the two different metals in the complexes. These complexes are believed to function as both Brpnsted bases and as Lewis acids may prove to be applicable to a variety of new asymmetric catalytic reactions.1,2... 

A new type of lanthanoid complex, prepared from BINOL and SmCl3, served as an asymmetric catalyst for MPV reduction of aryl methyl ketones in the presence of molecular sieves. Moderate enantioselectivity was obtained.101... 

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