Titanium catalysts asymmetric epoxidation

Following the success with the titanium-mediated asymmetric epoxidation reactions of allylic alcohols, work was intensified to seek a similar general method that does not rely on allylic alcohols for substrate recognition. A particularly interesting challenge was the development of catalysts for enantioselective oxidation of unfunctionalized olefins. These alkenes cannot form conformationally restricted chelate complexes, and consequently the differentiation of the enan-tiotropic sides of the substrate is considerably more difficult. 

This section presents a summary of the currently preferred conditions fw perfrmning titanium-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidations and is derived primarily from the detailed account of Gao et al We wish to draw the reader s attention to several aspects of the terminology used here and throughout this chapter. The terms titanium tartrate complex and titanium tartrate catalyst are used interchangeably. The term stoichiometric reaction refers to the use of the titanium tartrate complex in a stoichiometric ratio (100 mol %) relative to the substrate (allylic alcohol). The term catalytic reaction (or quantity) refers to the use of the titanium tartrate complex in a catalytic ratio (usually S-10 mol %) relative to the substrate. 

The original report32 of the titanium-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols in 1980 has been followed by hundreds of applications, the majority of which use the initially reported conditions. In the decade since the introduction of this reaction numerous improvements have been made41. The most complete discussion of the preparative aspects of both the asymmetric epoxidation and the kinetic resolution was presented by the Sharpless group42. This paper details the effects of reagent stoichiometry and concentration, substrate concentration, aging of the catalyst and variation of oxidant, solvent and tartrate as well as workup procedures. What is particularly noteworthy in this presentation is that significant amounts of unpublished work are drawn upon to develop recommendations for successful reaction. 

The original report on the titanium-catalysed asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols (Sharpless system) prescribed stoichiometric amounts of the titanium tartrate catalyst in the general procedure and many applications of this asymmetric epoxidation have been carried out using stoichiometric or near-stoichiometric amounts of the catalyst. Sharpless has reported the first general procedure for the asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols using catalytic ( <10 %) amounts of titanium(IV) isopropoxide and diethyl tartrate. 

The first practical method for asymmetric epoxidation of primary and secondary allylic alcohols was developed by K.B. Sharpless in 1980 (T. Katsuki, 1980 K.B. Sharpless, 1983 A, B, 1986 see also D. Hoppe, 1982). Tartaric esters, e.g., DET and DIPT" ( = diethyl and diisopropyl ( + )- or (— )-tartrates), are applied as chiral auxiliaries, titanium tetrakis(2-pro-panolate) as a catalyst and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (= TBHP, Bu OOH) as the oxidant. If the reaction mixture is kept absolutely dry, catalytic amounts of the dialkyl tartrate-titanium(IV) complex are suflicient, which largely facilitates work-up procedures (Y. Gao, 1987). Depending on the tartrate enantiomer used, either one of the 2,3-epoxy alcohols may be obtained with high enantioselectivity. The titanium probably binds to the diol grouping of one tartrate molecule and to the hydroxy groups of the bulky hydroperoxide and of the allylic alcohol... 

Allylic alcohols can be converted to epoxy-alcohols with tert-butylhydroperoxide on molecular sieves, or with peroxy acids. Epoxidation of allylic alcohols can also be done with high enantioselectivity. In the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation,allylic alcohols are converted to optically active epoxides in better than 90% ee, by treatment with r-BuOOH, titanium tetraisopropoxide and optically active diethyl tartrate. The Ti(OCHMe2)4 and diethyl tartrate can be present in catalytic amounts (15-lOmol %) if molecular sieves are present. Polymer-supported catalysts have also been reported. Since both (-t-) and ( —) diethyl tartrate are readily available, and the reaction is stereospecific, either enantiomer of the product can be prepared. The method has been successful for a wide range of primary allylic alcohols, where the double bond is mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted. This procedure, in which an optically active catalyst is used to induce asymmetry, has proved to be one of the most important methods of asymmetric synthesis, and has been used to prepare a large number of optically active natural products and other compounds. The mechanism of the Sharpless epoxidation is believed to involve attack on the substrate by a compound formed from the titanium alkoxide and the diethyl tartrate to produce a complex that also contains the substrate and the r-BuOOH. ... 

Asymmetric epoxidation is another important area of activity, initially pioneered by Sharpless, using catalysts based on titanium tetraisoprop-oxide and either (+) or (—) dialkyl tartrate. The enantiomer formed depends on the tartrate used. Whilst this process has been widely used for the synthesis of complex carbohydrates it is limited to allylic alcohols, the hydroxyl group bonding the substrate to the catalyst. Jacobson catalysts (Formula 4.3) based on manganese complexes with chiral Shiff bases have been shown to be efficient in epoxidation of a wide range of alkenes. 

Annual Volume 71 contains 30 checked and edited experimental procedures that illustrate important new synthetic methods or describe the preparation of particularly useful chemicals. This compilation begins with procedures exemplifying three important methods for preparing enantiomerically pure substances by asymmetric catalysis. The preparation of (R)-(-)-METHYL 3-HYDROXYBUTANOATE details the convenient preparation of a BINAP-ruthenium catalyst that is broadly useful for the asymmetric reduction of p-ketoesters. Catalysis of the carbonyl ene reaction by a chiral Lewis acid, in this case a binapthol-derived titanium catalyst, is illustrated in the preparation of METHYL (2R)-2-HYDROXY-4-PHENYL-4-PENTENOATE. The enantiomerically pure diamines, (1 R,2R)-(+)- AND (1S,2S)-(-)-1,2-DIPHENYL-1,2-ETHYLENEDIAMINE, are useful for a variety of asymmetric transformations hydrogenations, Michael additions, osmylations, epoxidations, allylations, aldol condensations and Diels-Alder reactions. Promotion of the Diels-Alder reaction with a diaminoalane derived from the (S,S)-diamine is demonstrated in the synthesis of (1S,endo)-3-(BICYCLO[2.2.1]HEPT-5-EN-2-YLCARBONYL)-2-OXAZOLIDINONE. 

An important breakthrough in asymmetric epoxidation has been the Katsuki-Sharpless invention [1], The reaction uses a chiral Ti(IV) catalyst, t-butylhydroperoxide as the oxidant and it works only for allylic alcohols as the substrate. In the first report titanium is applied in a stoichiometric amount. The chirality is introduced in the catalyst by reacting titanium tetra-isopropoxide... 

There has recently been much work in this area using Ru-based catalysts, particularly with porphyrin-based catalysts, following the work by Sharpless et al. on asynunetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols by a titanium-based tartrate system. There are reviews on asymmetric epoxidations catalysed by chiral Ru porphyrins [5, 18]. 

Zrrconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) complexes have also been employed as catalysts for the epoxidation of olefins. The general trend is that with TBHP as oxidant, lower yields of the epoxides are obtained compared to titanium(IV) catalyst and therefore these catalysts will not be discussed iu detail. For example, zirconium(IV) alkoxide catalyzes the epoxidation of cyclohexene with TBHP yielding less than 10% of cyclohexene oxide but 60% of (fert-butylperoxo)cyclohexene °. The zirconium and hafnium alkoxides iu combiuatiou with dicyclohexyltartramide and TBHP have been reported by Yamaguchi and coworkers to catalyze the asymmetric epoxidation of homoallylic alcohols . The most active one was the zirconium catalyst (equation 43), giving the corresponding epoxides in yields of 4-38% and enantiomeric excesses of <5-77%. This catalyst showed the same sense of asymmetric induction as titanium. Also, polymer-attached zirconocene and hafnocene chlorides (polymer-Cp2MCl2, polymer-CpMCls M = Zr, Hf) have been developed and investigated for their catalytic activity in the epoxidation of cyclohexene with TBHP as oxidant, which turned out to be lower than that of the immobilized titanocene chlorides . ... 

Asymmetric epoxidation of ailylic alcohols.1 Epoxidation of allylic alcohols with r-bulyl hydroperoxide in the presence of titanium(lV) isopropoxide as the metal catalyst and either diethyl D- or diethyl L-tartrate as the chiral ligand proceeds in > 90% stereoselectivity, which is independent of the substitution pattern of the allylic alcohol but dependent on the chirality of the tartrate. Suggested standard conditions are 2 equivalents of anhydrous r-butyl hydroperoxide with 1 equivalent each of the alcohol, the tartrate, and the titanium catalyst. Lesser amounts of the last two components can be used for epoxidation of reactive allylic alcohols, but it is important to use equivalent amounts of these two components. Chemical yields are in the range of 70-85%. 

Review M. G. Finn and K. B. Sharpless, On the Mechanism of Asymmetric Epoxidation with Titanium-Tartrate Catalysts, in J. D. Morrison, ed., Asymmetric Synthesis, Vol. 5, Chap. 8, Academic Press, New York, 1985 R. A. Johnson and K. B. Sharpless, Addition Reactions with Formation of Car-... 

Titanium-pillared montmorillonite may be used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols (Scheme 20) (46). The enantiomeric purities of the epoxy products are comparable with those achieved using homogeneous Ti isopropoxide with molecular sieves as water scavengers (Chapter 4). Since basal spacing of the recovered catalyst after the reaction is unaltered, the catalyst can be recycled. 

Finally, a titanium(IV) pillared clay (Ti-PILC) catalyst has been prepared.71 In the presence of tartaric acid esters as chiral ligands Ti-PILC is an effective, heterogeneous catalyst for the asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols. Enantioselectivities were comparable to those observed in the homogeneous system - and reactions could be carried out at concentrations up to 2M with a simple work-up via filtration of the catalyst. 

The epoxidation of electron-deficient alkenes with either vanadium or titanium catalysts give syw-epoxides347 a free hydroxy group and a ketone or ester function are necessary for the reaction to take place, and a modest level of asymmetric induction can be achieved with y-hydroxy enone substrates and chiral titanium catalysts348. 

B. E. Rossiter (1985). Synthetic aspects and application of asymmetric epoxidation , in Asymmetric Synthesis. Ed. J. Morrison. Orlando Academic Press, p. 194 M. G. Finn and K. B. Sharpless On the mechanism of asymmetric epoxidation with titanium-tartrate catalysts . Ibid., p. 247. 

The known allylic alcohol 9 derived from protected dimethyl tartrate is exposed to Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation conditions with (-)-diethyl D-tartrate. The reaction yields exclusively the anti epoxide 10 in 77 % yield. In contrast to the above mentioned epoxidation of the ribose derived allylic alcohol, in this case epoxidation of 9 with MCPBA at 0 °C resulted in a 65 35 mixture of syn/anti diastereomers. The Sharpless epoxidation of primary and secondary allylic alcohols discovered in 1980 is a powerful reagent-controlled reaction.12 The use of titanium(IV) tetraisopropoxide as catalyst, tert-butylhydro-peroxide as oxidant, and an enantiopure dialkyl tartrate as chiral auxiliary accomplishes the epoxidation of allylic alcohols with excellent stereoselectivity. If the reaction is kept absolutely dry, catalytic amounts of the dialkyl tartrate(titanium)(IV) complex are sufficient. 

---