Adil R. Zhugralin

The remarkable metal-catalysed olefin metathesis reaction

Catalytic olefin metathesis—through which pairs of C = C bonds are reorganized—transforms simple molecules to those that are complex and precious. This class of reactions has noticeably enriched chemical synthesis, which is the art of preparing scarce molecules with highly desirable properties (for example, medicinal agents or polymeric materials). Research in the past two decades has yielded structurally well-defined catalysts for olefin metathesis that are used to synthesize an array of molecules with unprecedented efficiency. Nonetheless, the full potential of olefin metathesis will be realized only when additional catalysts are discovered that are truly practical and afford exceptional selectivity for a significantly broader range of reactions.

Efficient C−B Bond Formation Promoted by N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Synthesis of Tertiary and Quaternary B-Substituted Carbons through Metal-Free Catalytic Boron Conjugate Additions to Cyclic and Acyclic α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyls

Metal-free nucleophilic activation of a B-B bond has been exploited in the development of a highly efficient method for conjugate additions of commercially available bis(pinacolato)diboron to cyclic or acyclic alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyls. The reactions are readily catalyzed by a simple N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) present at 2.5-10 mol %. A variety of cyclic and acyclic unsaturated ketones and esters can serve as substrates. The transformations deliver beta-boryl carbonyls bearing tertiary or quaternary B-substituted carbons in up to >98% yield. Preliminary studies indicate that although related Cu-NHC-catalyzed reactions are equally efficient, the metal-free variant is more functional-group-tolerant; in contrast to the Cu-catalyzed reactions, the metal-free processes proceed readily in the presence of a terminal alkyne and do not promote concomitant diboration of an aldehyde. Representative functionalization of the resulting boron enolates demonstrates the strong influence of the Lewis acidic B atom of the beta-boronate.

Highly Selective Methods for Synthesis of Internal (α-) Vinylboronates through Efficient NHC–Cu-Catalyzed Hydroboration of Terminal Alkynes. Utility in Chemical Synthesis and Mechanistic Basis for Selectivity

Cu-catalyzed methods for site-selective hydroboration of terminal alkynes, where the internal or α-vinylboronate is generated predominantly (up to >98%) are presented. Reactions are catalyzed by 1-5 mol % of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of copper, easily prepared from N-aryl-substituted commercially available imidazolinium salts, and proceed in the presence of commercially available bis(pinacolato)diboron [B(2)(pin)(2)] and 1.1 equiv of MeOH at -50 to -15 °C in 3-24 h. Propargyl alcohol and amine and the derived benzyl, tert-butyl, or silyl ethers as well as various amides are particularly effective substrates; also suitable are a wide range of aryl-substituted terminal alkynes, where higher α-selectivity is achieved with substrates that bear an electron-withdrawing substituent. α-Selective Cu-catalyzed hydroborations are amenable to gram-scale procedures (1 mol % catalyst loading). Mechanistic studies are presented, indicating that α selectivity arises from the structural and electronic attributes of the NHC ligands and the alkyne substrates. Consistent with suggested hypotheses, catalytic reactions with a Cu complex, derived from an N-adamantyl-substituted imidazolinium salt, afford high β selectivity with the same class of substrates and under similar conditions.

Catalytic Enantioselective Olefin Metathesis in Natural Product Synthesis. Chiral Metal-Based Complexes that Deliver High Enantioselectivity and More

Chiral olefin metathesis catalysts enable chemists to access enantiomerically enriched small molecules with high efficiency; synthesis schemes involving such complexes can be substantially more concise than those that would involve enantiomerically pure substrates and achiral Mo alkylidenes or Ru-based carbenes. The scope of research towards design and development of chiral catalysts is not limited to discovery of complexes that are merely the chiral versions of the related achiral variants. A chiral olefin metathesis catalyst, in addition to furnishing products of high enantiomeric purity, can offer levels of efficiency, product selectivity and/or olefin stereoselectivity that are unavailable through the achiral variants. Such positive attributes of chiral catalysts (whether utilized in racemic or enantiomerically enriched form) should be considered as general, applicable to other classes of transformations.

H-Bonding as a Control Element in Stereoselective Ru-Catalyzed Olefin Metathesis

H-bonding interactions have been exploited extensively in the design of catalysts for stereoselective synthesis but have rarely been utilized in the development of metal-catalyzed processes. Studies described herein demonstrate that intramolecular H-bonding interactions can significantly increase the rate and levels of stereochemical control in Ru-catalyzed olefin metathesis reactions. The utility of H-bonding in catalytic olefin metathesis is elucidated through development of exceptionally facile and highly diastereoselective ring-opening/cross-metathesis (DROCM) reactions, involving achiral Ru catalysts and enantiomerically enriched allylic alcohols. Transformations proceed to completion readily (> 98% conversion, up to 87% yield), often within minutes, in the presence of < or = 2 mol % of an achiral catalyst to afford synthetically versatile products of high stereochemical purity (up to > 98:2 dr and 11:1 E:Z).

Mechanism of NHC-Catalyzed Conjugate Additions of Diboron and Borosilane Reagents to α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds

Broadly applicable enantioselective C-B and C-Si bond-forming processes catalyzed by an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) were recently introduced; these boryl and silyl conjugate addition reactions (BCA and SCA, respectively), which proceed without the need for a transition-metal complex, represent reaction pathways that are distinct from those facilitated by transition-metal-containing species (e.g., Cu, Ni, Pt, Pd, or Rh based). The Lewis-base-catalyzed (NHC) transformations are valuable to chemical synthesis, as they can generate high enantioselectivities and possess unique chemoselectivity profiles. Here, the results of investigations that elucidate the principal features of the NHC-catalyzed BCA and SCA processes are detailed. Spectroscopic evidence is provided illustrating why the presence of excess base and MeOH or H2O is required for efficient and enantioselective boryl and silyl addition reactions. It is demonstrated that the proton sources influence the efficiency and/or enantioselectivity of NHC-catalyzed enantioselective transformations in several ways. The positive, and at times adverse, impact of water (biphasic conditions) on catalytic enantioselective silyl addition reactions is analyzed. It is shown that a proton source can facilitate nonenantioselective background reactions and NHC decomposition, requiring the catalyst to surpass such complications. Stereochemical models are presented that account for the identity of the observed major enantiomers, providing a rationale for the differences in selectivity profiles of BCA and SCA processes.

Synthesis, isolation, characterization, and reactivity of high-energy stereogenic-at-Ru carbenes: stereochemical inversion through olefin metathesis and other pathways.

The synthesis, isolation, purification (routine silica gel chromatography), and spectroscopic characterization of high-energy endo stereogenic-at-Ru complex isomers, generated by ring-opening/cross-metathesis (ROCM) reaction of the corresponding exo carbenes, are disclosed. We provide experimental evidence showing that an endo isomer can undergo thermal or Brønsted acid-catalyzed polytopal rearrangement, causing conversion to the energetically favored exo carbene.