Wangchuk Rabten

An Enantioselective Approach to the Preparation of Chiral Sulfones by Ir-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation

Several chiral sulfonyl compounds were prepared using the iridium catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation reaction. Vinylic, allylic and homoallylic sulfone substitutions were investigated, and high enantioselectivity is maintained regardless of the location of the olefin with respect to the sulfone. Impressive stereoselectivity was obtained for dialkyl substitutions, which typically are challenging substrates in the hydrogenation. As expected, the more bulky Z-substrates were hydrogenated slower than the corresponding E isomers, and in slightly lower enantioselectivity.

Enantio- and Regioselective Ir-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Di- and Trisubstituted Cycloalkenes

A number of cyclic olefins were prepared and evaluated for the asymmetric hydrogenation reaction using novel N,P-ligated iridium imidazole-based catalysts (Crabtree type). The diversity of these cyclic olefins spanned those having little functionality to others bearing strongly coordinating substituents and heterocycles. Excellent enantioselectivities were observed both for substrates having little functionality (up to >99% ee) and for substrates possessing functional groups several carbons away from the olefin. Substrates having functionalities such as carboxyl groups, alcohols, or heterocycles in the vicinity of the C═C bond were hydrogenated in high enantiomeric excess (up to >99% ee). The hydrogenation was also found to be regioselective, and by controlling the reaction conditions, selective hydrogenation of one of two trisubstituted olefins can be achieved. Furthermore, trisubstituted olefins can be selectively hydrogenated in the presence of tetrasubstituted olefins.

Catalyst–solvent interactions in a dinuclear Ru-based water oxidation catalyst

Photocatalytic water oxidation represents a key process in conversion of solar energy into fuels and can be facilitated by the use of molecular transition metal-based catalysts. A novel straightforward approach for covalent linking of the catalytic units to other moieties is demonstrated by preparation of a dinuclear complex containing two [Ru(pdc)(pic)3]-derived units (pdc = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate, pic = 4-picoline). The activity of this complex towards chemical and photochemical oxidation of water was evaluated and a detailed insight is given into the interactions between the catalyst and acetonitrile, a common co-solvent employed to increase solubility of water oxidation catalysts. The solvent-induced transformations were studied by electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques and the relevant quantitative parameters were extracted.

Ir-Catalyzed Asymmetric and Regioselective Hydrogenation of Cyclic Allylsilanes and Generation of Quaternary Stereocenters via the Hosomi-Sakurai Allylation

A number of cyclic dienes containing the allylsilane moiety were prepared by a Birch reduction and subjected to iridium-catalyzed regioselective and asymmetric hydrogenation, which provided chiral allylsilanes in high conversion and enantiomeric excess (up to 99 % ee). The compounds were successively used in the Hosomi-Sakurai allylation with various aldehydes employing TiCl4 as Lewis acid, providing adducts with two additional stereogenic centers in excellent diastereoselectivity.

Diastereo- and Enantioselective Synthesis of Fluorine Motifs with Two Contiguous Stereogenic Centers

The synthesis of chiral fluorine containing motifs, in particular, chiral fluorine molecules with two contiguous stereogenic centers, has attracted much interest in research due to the limited number of methods available for their preparation. Herein, we report an atom-economical and highly stereoselective synthesis of chiral fluorine molecules with two contiguous stereogenic centers via azabicyclo iridium-oxazoline-phosphine-catalyzed hydrogenation of readily available vinyl fluorides. Various aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic systems with a variety of functional groups were found to be compatible with the reaction and provide the highly desirable product as single diastereomers with excellent enantioselectivities.

Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Regioselective Asymmetric Mono-Hydrogenation of Dienes and Polyenes

Organic compounds containing multiple C=C bonds are attractive substrates for catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation. The full saturation of prochiral double bonds, controlling the creation of two or more stereocenters in one step, is obviously a remarkable goal. However, another fascinating and useful option is to selectively introduce a new defined stereogenic center while leaving other double bonds untouched. Thus, the retained functionalities can be further exploited in synthesis. Examples of regio- and enantioselective mono-hydrogenations of polyolefins are highlighted in this Concept article, and are divided according to the nature of the reduced double bond and the transition-metal catalyst used. Alkenes bearing coordinating functional groups are often preferentially hydrogenated by Rh- and Ru-complexes, while the more recently developed Ir-based catalysts promote the selective saturation on alkyl-substituted olefins. Relevant applications of this effective methodology in the synthesis of natural products are included to demonstrate its value in organic synthesis.