Bernd Goldfuss

(Phosphanyloxazoline)palladium Complexes, Part I: (η3-1,3-Dialkylallyl)(phosphanyloxazoline)palladium Complexes: X-Ray Crystallographic Studies, NMR Investigations, and Quantum-Chemical Calculations

A series of systematically varied (eta3-1,3-dialkylallyl)palladium complexes of (4S)-[2-(2-diphenylphosphanyl)phenyl]-4,5-dihydrooxazole (PHOX) ligands were characterized by X-ray crystal structure analysis and NMR spectroscopy. Complexes with identical substituents in the 1,3-positions of the allyl group can form eight stereoisomers. In solution four to six isomers were observed and their conformations assigned with the aid of NOE experiments. The dynamic behavior of the complexes was analyzed. In addition, quantum-chemical calculations (restricted Hartree-Fock (HF), density functional theory (DFT)) were carried out and gave satisfactory agreement with experimental findings.

Increasing Enantioselectivities and Reactivities by Stereochemical Tuning: Fenchone‐Based Catalysts in Dialkylzinc Additions to Benzaldehyde

Trimethylsilyl substitutions of the fenchyl alcohols [(1R,2R,4S)-exo-(2-Ar)-1,3,3-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, Ar = 2-methoxyphenyl (1) and Ar = 2-(dimethylaminomethyl)phenyl (2)] yield the chiral ligands 3 [Ar = 2-methoxy-3-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl] and 4 [Ar = 2-(dimethylaminomethyl)3-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl]. Increased reactivities and enantioselectivities in diethylzinc additions to benzaldehyde are obtained from 3 (63% eeR) and 4 (93% eeS), relative to 1 (26% eeS) and 2 (73% eeS). X-ray crystal structures of 3 and of its methylzinc complex 3-Zn reveal out-of-plane bending of the methoxy groups as major geometrical consequences of the trimethylsilyl substitutions. Analyses of QM/MM ONIOM μ-O transition-structure models for 1, 2, 3, and 4 show that trimethylsilyl-induced distortions of methoxy and of dimethylaminomethyl groups explain the observed increased enantioselectivities.

Chiral Modular n‐Butyllithium Aggregates: nBuLi Complexes with Anisyl Fencholates

Chiral, enantiopure aggregates are formed spontaneously by mixing solutions of n-butyllithium with anisyl fenchols. X-ray crystal analyses reveal the structures of these aggregates with different ortho substituents in the anisyl moieties (X), X = H (1-H), SiMe3 (2-H), tBu (3-H) SiMe2(tBu) (4-H) and Me (5-H). While the complex of 1-BuLi shows a 3:1 composition, 2-BuLi, 3-BuLi and 4-BuLi yield 2:2 stoichiometries. The aggregate 5-BuLi crystallizes with a 2:4 composition and hence is a derivative of hexameric n-butyllithium, in which two trans-situated nBuLi molecules are substituted by lithium fencholate moieties. The variety in the synthesized chiral nBuLi aggregates demonstrates the high propensity of anisyl fencholates to chirally modify nBuLi. Variations in the modular ligand structures by alterations of the ortho-substituents (X) enable tunings of compositions and also of enantioselectivities in nBuLi additions to benzaldehyde.

Homo- and heterochiral alkylzinc fencholates: linear or nonlinear effects in dialkylzinc additions to benzaldehyde.

Scalemic mixtures of chiral anisyl fenchols with different ortho-substituents (X) in the anisyl moieties [X = H (1), Me (2), SiMe3 (3) and tBu (4)] are employed as pre-catalysts in enantioselective additions of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde. While a remarkable asymmetric depletion is apparent for X = H and Me, a linear relationship between the enantiomeric purity of the chiral source and the product 1-phenylpropanol is observed for X = SiMe3 and tBu. X-ray single crystal analyses show that racemic methylzinc fencholates obtained from 1 (X = H) and 2 (X = Me) yield homochiral dimeric complexes, while for 3 (X = SiMe3) and 4 (X = tBu) the heterochiral dimeric alkylzinc structures are formed. The enantiopure fenchols 1-4 all yield homochiral dimeric methylzinc complexes. Computed relative energies of homo- and heterochiral fencholate dimers with X = H and Me reveal an intrinsic preference for the formation of the homochiral dimers, consistent with the observed negative NLE. In contrast, similar stabilities are computed for homo- and heterochiral complexes of ligands 3 (X = SiMe3) and 4 (X = tBu), in agreement with the absence of a nonlinear effect for bulky ortho-subsituents.

Experimental and Theoretical Studies on Corvol Ether Biosynthesis

The biosynthesis of corvol ethers A and B, two sesquiterpenes from Kitasatospora setae, proceeds with involvement of either one 1,3‐ or two sequential 1,2‐hydride shifts. Quantum chemical calculations revealed that the sequence of two 1,2‐hydride shifts is energetically favoured. Labelling experiments were in agreement with this finding. In addition, the stereochemical course of a reprotonation step was investigated by incubation of 13C‐labelled isotopomers of farnesyl diphosphate in water and in deuterium oxide.

New hydrogen-bonding organocatalysts: Chiral cyclophosphazanes and phosphorus amides as catalysts for asymmetric Michael additions.

Summary Ten novel hydrogen-bonding catalysts based on open-chain PV-amides of BINOL and chinchona alkaloids as well as three catalysts based on rigid cis-PV-cyclodiphosphazane amides of N 1,N 1-dimethylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine have been developed. Employed in the asymmetric Michael addition of 2-hydroxynaphthoquinone to β-nitrostyrene, the open-chain 9-epi-aminochinchona-based phosphorus amides show a high catalytic activity with almost quantitative yields of up to 98% and enantiomeric excesses of up to 51%. The cyclodiphosphazane catalysts show the same high activity and give improved enantiomeric excesses of up to 75%, thus representing the first successful application of a cyclodiphosphazane in enantioselective organocatalysis. DFT computations reveal high hydrogen-bonding strengths of cyclodiphosphazane PV-amides compared to urea-based catalysts. Experimental results and computations on the enantiodetermining step with cis-cyclodiphosphazane 14a suggest a strong bidentate H-bond activation of the nitrostyrene substrate by the catalyst.

Control of enantioselectivity with flexible biaryl axes: terpene-based alkylzinc catalysts in enantioselective dialkylzinc additions.

New enantiopure pyridyl alcohols are efficiently accessible through few synthetic steps from commercially available terpenes, that is, (+)-fenchone, (-)-menthone and (-)-verbenone as well as 2,6-diphenylpyridine. These chelating pyridyl alcohols exhibit flexible pyridyl-phenylene axes, which give rise to P and M conformers. Alkylzincation of the hydroxy groups eliminates equilibria of the conformers and generates alkylzinc complexes with adjusted biaryl axes, as it is demonstrated by NMR studies. These alkylzinc catalysts perform well in the addition of dimethylzinc or diethylzinc to benzaldehyde with yields up to 99% and ees up to 95%. The adjusted pyridylphenylene conformations in the ligands now control enantioselectivities of the catalysts, which were also analysed by computations at the DFT level.

Anion recognition with hydrogen-bonding cyclodiphosphazanes.

Modular cyclodiphosph(V)azanes are synthesised and their affinity for chloride and actetate anions were compared to those of a bisaryl urea derivative (1). The diamidocyclodiphosph(V)azanes cis-[{ArNHP(O)(μ-tBu)}2 ] [Ar=Ph (2) and Ar=m-(CF3 )2 Ph (3)] were synthesised by reaction of [{ClP(μ-NtBu)}2 ] (4) with the respective anilines and subsequent oxidation with H2 O2 . Phosphazanes 2 and 3 were obtained as the cis isomers and were characterised by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, HRMS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The cyclodiphosphazanes 2 and 3 readily co-crystallise with donor solvents such as MeOH, EtOH and DMSO through bidentate hydrogen bonding, as shown in the X-ray analyses. Cyclodiphosphazane 3 showed a remarkably high affinity (log[K]=5.42) for chloride compared with the bisaryl urea derivative 1 (log[K]=4.25). The affinities for acetate (AcO(-) ) are in the same range (3: log[K]=6.72, 1: log[K]=6.91). Cyclodiphosphazane 2, which does not contain CF3 groups, exhibits weaker binding to chloride (log[K]=3.95) and acetate (log[K]=4.49). DFT computations and X-ray analyses indicate that a squaramide-like hydrogen-bond directionality and Cα H interactions account for the efficiency of 3 as an anion receptor. The Cα H groups stabilise the Z,Z-3 conformation, which is necessary for bidentate hydrogen bonding, as well as coordinating with the anion.

Asymmetric Michael Additions of 4-Hydroxycoumarin to β-Nitrostyrenes with Chiral, Bifunctional Hydrogen-Bonding Catalysts.

Enantioselective Michael additions of 4-hydroxycoumarin to β-nitrostyrenes are catalyzed by different chiral, bifunctional hydrogen-bonding catalysts, based on thiourea- and squaramide motifs. The scope of the catalysis is tested by employing a series of substituted β-nitrostyrenes as well as different solvents. The 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl- and quinine-substituted squaramide catalyst is shown to be the most selective catalyst, resulting in 78% yield and 81% ee. Computational analyses of transition structures with different binding modes show that the most favored transition structure exhibits squaramide (NH)2 binding to an oxygen atom of the enolate nucleophile, while the nitroalkene coordinates via hydrogen bonding to the ammonium function of the quinuclidine unit of the catalyst. Hence, the canted directionality of the squaramide (NH)2 motif, favoring one-atom binding, might be decisive for the selectivity of the reaction. The absolute configuration of the major (-)-(R) enantiomer of the product is assigned computationally according to its optical rotation.

Quantifying N-heterocyclic carbenes as umpolung catalysts in the benzoin reaction: balance between nucleophilicity and electrophilicity

Different types of N-heterocyclic carbenes, i.e. normal, reduced heteroatom stabilized, remote and abnormal carbenes, are computationally studied (THF-CPCM-B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d)) in the benzoin reaction to assess their characteristics as umpolung catalysts. Two general trends are apparent with an increasing number of nitrogen atoms in the heterocycles: (a) the tendency for the initial addition of the carbenes to the aldehyde decreases, due to decreased nucleophilicity; (b) during the umpolung step, the developing negative charge in the Breslow intermediates becomes better stabilized by conjugation with the adjacent, more electrophilic carbene carbon atoms. Relative to the starting reactants, the free energies for the intermediates and the transition structures decrease with more remote positions of the nitrogen atoms to the carbene carbon atoms. Among the normal N-heterocyclic carbenes oxazole-2-ylidene shows the lowest activation barrier for the rate determining umpolung step (Ea = 25.2 kcal mol−1) in the benzoin reaction. The comparison of all computed carbenes points to remote and abnormal pyridyl-3-ylidene as catalyst with the lowest activation energy (Ea = 24.0 kcal mol−1). This abnormal carbene exhibits the best balance between nucleophilic and electrophilic characteristics in the benzoin reaction.