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

Fluorohydrins and where to find them: recent asymmetric syntheses of β-fluoro alcohols and their derivatives

Fluorohydrins - or β-fluorinated alcohols - and their fluorinated group derivatives are a biologically relevant class of compounds, with applications ranging from PET tracers to cancer therapeutics. Recent efforts have unlocked asymmetric access to these related motifs through reactions of carbonyls, alkenes, organoboranes, and epoxides or transformations such as cyclizations or ring expansions. The present work provides an overview of synthetic approaches to various fluorohydrins that have been explored in the past decade, as well as selected examples of these syntheses applied to medicinal chemistry.

Amide-Directed Highly Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Diverse Acyclic Multisubstituted Alkenes Under Mild Conditions

Enantioselective hydrogenation of tetrasubstituted alkenes to form 1,2-contiguous stereocenters is a particularly appealing but highly challenging transformation in asymmetric catalysis. Despite the notable progress achieved in enantioselective hydrogenation over the past decades, enantioselective hydrogenation of all-carbon tetrasubstituted alkenes containing multiple alkyl groups remains an unsolved challenge. Here, we report a rhodium-catalyzed highly diastereo- and enantioselective hydrogenation of diverse acyclic multisubstituted alkenes under mild conditions. The coordination assistance of the amide group to the metal center generates a highly active catalyst that effectively overcomes the low reactivity of substrates and precisely controls the stereoselectivity. The generality of this catalyst system is exemplified by its efficacy across at least three types of alkenes including β,γ-unsaturated amides, α,β-unsaturated amides, and enamides.

Stereodivergent Synthesis of the Vicinal Difluorinated Tetralin of Casdatifan Enabled by Ru-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation

We disclose a stereodivergent strategy to prepare vicinal difluorinated tetralins from γ-substituted tetralones via a combination of catalyst-controlled transfer hydrogenation and substrate-controlled fluorinations. This process is easily scalable and amenable to highly functionalized substrates, as demonstrated here in the late-stage synthesis of casdatifan, a clinical-stage inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor-2α. Analysis of the physicochemical properties of casdatifan, which features a cis-vicinal difluoride, revealed a higher level of facial polarization compared to its trans-vicinal difluoride isomers.

Enantio- and Diastereoselective Total Synthesis of Belzutifan Enabled by Rh-Catalyzed Hydrogenation

Herein, we report a nine-step synthesis of belzutifan enabled by a novel Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation to install the contiguous fluorinated stereocenters with high enantioselectivity. Moreover, the final ketone reduction in the synthesis proceeds with high diastereoselectivity, leading to the expedient assembly of the stereotriad. In contrast to the original 16-step synthesis, this route avoids a lengthy bromination-oxidation sequence and introduces the sulfone functionality via nucleophilic aromatic substitution, obviating the need for transition metal catalysis.

Unlocking the Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Tetrasubstituted Acyclic Enones

Asymmetric hydrogenation (AH) of tetrasubstituted olefins generating two stereocenters is still an open topic. There are only a few reports on the AH of tetrasubstituted olefins with conjugated functional groups, while this process can create useful intermediates for the subsequent elaboration of relevant end products. Most of the tetrasubstituted olefins successfully submitted to AH belong to a small number of functional classes; remarkably, the AH of tetrasubstituted acyclic enones still represents an unsolved challenge. Herein, we disclose a class of air-stable Ir-P,N catalysts, prepared in three steps from commercially available amino alcohols, that can hydrogenate, in minutes, a wide range of electronically and sterically diverse acyclic tetrasubstituted enones (including exocyclic ones) with high yields and high enantioselectivities. The factors responsible for the excellent selectivities were elucidated by combining deuterogenation experiments and theoretical calculations. The calculations indicated that the reduction follows an IrI /IrIII mechanism, in which enantioselectivity is controlled in the first migratory insertion of the hydride to the most electrophilic olefinic Cβ and the formation of the hydrogenated product via reductive elimination takes place prior to the coordination of dihydrogen and the subsequent oxidative addition. The potential of the new catalytic systems is demonstrated by the derivatization of hydrogenation products.

Axis-Unfixed Biphenylphosphine-Oxazoline Ligands: Design and Applications in Asymmetric Catalytic Reactions

The design and synthesis of chiral ligands plays an important role in asymmetric catalytic reactions. Over the past decades, various types of chiral phosphine-oxazolines (PHOX ligands) have been developed and have greatly advanced the field of asymmetric catalysis. Novel chiral PHOX ligand with an axis-unfixed biphenyl backbone, developed by our group, have shown interesting coordination behavior and excellent chiral inducing ability in various transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric reactions. This personal account focuses on our developed axis-unfixed biphenylphosphine-oxazoline ligand (BiphPHOX), including an overview of its design and applications, which will provide inspiration for the exploration of novel ligands and related reactions.

P-Stereogenic Ir-MaxPHOX: A Step toward Privileged Catalysts for Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Nonchelating Olefins

The Ir-MaxPHOX-type catalysts demonstrated high catalytic performance in the hydrogenation of a wide range of nonchelating olefins with different geometries, substitution patterns, and degrees of functionalization. These air-stable and readily available catalysts have been successfully applied in the asymmetric hydrogenation of di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted olefins (ee's up to 99%). The combination of theoretical calculations and deuterium labeling experiments led to the uncovering of the factors responsible for the enantioselectivity observed in the reaction, allowing the rationalization of the most suitable substrates for these Ir-catalysts.

The Implications of the Brønsted Acidic Properties of Crabtree-Type Catalysts in the Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Olefins

Chiral iridium complexes derived from Crabtree's catalyst are highly useful in modern hydrogenations of olefins attributed to high reactivity, stereoselectivity, and stability. Despite that these precatalysts are pH neutral, the reaction mixtures turn acidic under hydrogenation conditions. This Perspective is devoted to the implications of the intrinsic Brønsted acidity of catalytic intermediates in asymmetric hydrogenation of olefins. Despite that the acidity has often been used only as a rationale for side-product formation, more recent methodologies have started to use this property advantageously. We hope that this Perspective serves as a stimulant for the development of such compelling and new asymmetric hydrogenations. The inherent scientific opportunities in utilizing or annihilating the generated Brønsted acid are enormous, and potential new innovations are outlined toward the end.

Chiral FLP-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of 3-fluorinated chromones

The asymmetric hydrogenation of fluorinated olefins is an efficient pathway towards the synthesis of chiral fluorine-containing compounds. This paper described metal-free asymmetric hydrogenation of 3-fluorinated chromones with the use of readily available achiral borane and chiral oxazoline as an FLP catalyst for the first time. A variety of optically active 3-fluorochroman-4-ones were obtained in high yields with up to 88% ee.

Catalytic Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Tetrasubstituted Unsaturated Lactams: An Efficient Approach to Enantioenriched 3,4-Disubstituted Piperidines

Asymmetric hydrogenation of tetrasubstituted alkenes remains a formidable challenge in asymmetric catalysis. We report herein an unprecedented Rh-catalyzed enantioselective and diastereoselective hydrogenation of easily accessed α,β-disubstituted unsaturated lactams to afford synthetically valuable chiral lactams with 1,2-consecutive stereocenters. The reaction could be performed on the gram scale, and the products could be concisely transformed to enantiomerically pure trans-3,4-disubstituted piperidines, which are prevalent structural units in medicinal agents.

Hydrogenation of fluorinated molecules: an overview

The review aims at providing an overview on the developments made in hydrogenation reactions of molecules having various fluorinated groups (F, CF3, CF2H, CF2Rf). Indeed, the hydrogenation of fluorine-containing molecules is a straightforward and atom-economical way to access challenging (chiral) fluorinated scaffolds. This promising field is still in its infancy and milestones are expected in the coming years. To illustrate that, the review will highlight the major contributions made in that field and will be organized by fluorinated groups.

Further Developments and Applications of Oxazoline-Containing Ligands in Asymmetric Catalysis

The chiral oxazoline motif is present in many ligands that have been extensively applied in a series of important metal-catalyzed enantioselective reactions. This Review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the most significant applications of oxazoline-containing ligands reported in the literature starting from 2009 until the end of 2018. The ligands are classified not by the reaction to which their metal complexes have been applied but by the nature of the denticity, chirality, and donor atoms involved. As a result, the continued development of ligand architectural design from mono(oxazolines), to bis(oxazolines), to tris(oxazolines) and tetra(oxazolines) and variations thereof can be more easily monitored by the reader. In addition, the key transition states of selected asymmetric transformations will be given to illustrate the features that give rise to high levels of asymmetric induction. As a further aid to the reader, we summarize the majority of schemes with representative examples that highlight the variation in % yields and % ees for carefully selected substrates. This Review should be of particular interest to the experts in the field but also serve as a useful starting point to new researchers in this area. It is hoped that this Review will stimulate both the development/design of new ligands and their applications in novel metal-catalyzed asymmetric transformations.

Iodine(III)-Mediated Fluorination/Semipinacol Rearrangement Cascade of 2-Alkylidenecyclobutanol Derivatives: Access to β-Monofluorinated Cyclopropanecarbaldehydes

A hypervalent iodine(III)-mediated ring-contractive fluorination reaction of 2-alkylidenecyclobutanol derivatives is presented. The protocol allows the facile synthesis of β-monofluorinated cyclopropanecarbaldehydes via a fluorination/semipinacol rearrangement cascade using nucleophilic Py·HF as the fluorine source. For challenging electron-rich arene substrates, the installation of a protecting group on the free alcohol is pivotal for maintaining the reaction efficiency. The synthetic utility was demonstrated by the scalability of this reaction and further transformations of the products.

Kinetic resolution of racemic allylic alcohols via iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation: scope, synthetic applications and insight into the origin of selectivity

Asymmetric hydrogenation is one of the most commonly used tools in organic synthesis, whereas, kinetic resolution via asymmetric hydrogenation is less developed. Herein, we describe the first iridium catalyzed kinetic resolution of a wide range of trisubstituted secondary and tertiary allylic alcohols. Large selectivity factors were observed in most cases (s up to 211), providing the unreacted starting materials in good yield with high levels of enantiopurity (ee up to >99%). The utility of this method is highlighted in the enantioselective formal synthesis of some bioactive natural products including pumiliotoxin A, inthomycin A and B. DFT studies and a selectivity model concerning the origin of selectivity are presented.

Asymmetric hydrogenation is one of the most commonly used tools in organic synthesis, whereas, kinetic resolution via asymmetric hydrogenation was less developed.

Asymmetric synthesis of 1,2-fluorohydrin: iridium catalyzed hydrogenation of fluorinated allylic alcohol

We have developed a simple protocol for the preparation of 1,2-fluorohydrin by asymmetric hydrogenation of fluorinated allylic alcohols using an efficient azabicyclo thiazole-phosphine iridium complex. The iridium-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of chiral 1,2-fluorohydrin molecules was carried out at ambient temperature with operational simplicity, and scalability. This method was compatible with various aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic fluorinated compounds as well as a variety of polyfluorinated compounds, providing the corresponding products in excellent yields and enantioselectivities.

Mechanistic Understanding of the Heterogeneous, Rhodium-Cyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbene-Catalyzed (Fluoro-)Arene Hydrogenation

Recently, chemoselective methods for the hydrogenation of fluorinated, silylated, and borylated arenes have been developed providing direct access to previously unattainable, valuable products. Herein, a comprehensive study on the employed rhodium-cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC) catalyst precursor is disclosed. Mechanistic experiments, kinetic studies, and surface-spectroscopic methods revealed supported rhodium(0) nanoparticles (NP) as the active catalytic species. Further studies suggest that CAAC-derived modifiers play a key role in determining the chemoselectivity of the hydrogenation of fluorinated arenes, thus offering an avenue for further tuning of the catalytic properties.

Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Unfunctionalized Tetrasubstituted Acyclic Olefins

Asymmetric hydrogenation has evolved as one of the most powerful tools to construct stereocenters. However, the asymmetric hydrogenation of unfunctionalized tetrasubstituted acyclic olefins remains the pinnacle of asymmetric synthesis and an unsolved challenge. We report herein the discovery of an iridium catalyst for the first, generally applicable, highly enantio- and diastereoselective hydrogenation of such olefins and the mechanistic insights of the reaction. The power of this chemistry is demonstrated by the successful hydrogenation of a wide variety of electronically and sterically diverse olefins in excellent yield and high enantio- and diastereoselectivity.

Ir–Biaryl phosphite–oxazoline catalyst libraries: a breakthrough in the asymmetric hydrogenation of challenging olefins

This work describes our progress in the successful development of phosphite/phosphinite–oxazoline ligands for the Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of challenging olefins.

Stereoelectronic Effects in Ligand Design: Enantioselective Rhodium-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Aliphatic Cyclic Tetrasubstituted Enamides and Concise Synthesis of (R)-Tofacitinib

We herein report the development of a conformationally defined, electron-rich, C₂ -symmetric, P-chiral bisphosphorus ligand, ArcPhos, by taking advantage of stereoelectronic effects in ligand design. With the Rh-ArcPhos catalyst, excellent enantioselectivities and unprecedentedly high turnovers (TON up to 10 000) were achieved in the asymmetric hydrogenation of aliphatic carbocyclic and heterocyclic tetrasubstituted enamides, to generate a series of chiral cis-2-alkyl-substituted carbocyclic and heterocyclic amine derivatives in excellent enantiomeric ratios. This method also enabled an efficient and practical synthesis of the Janus kinase inhibitor (R)-tofacitinib.

Silver-Mediated Decarboxylative Fluorodiiodination of Alkynoic Acids: Synthesis of Regio- and Stereoselective Fluoroalkenes

A variety of arylalkynoic acids reacted with 1,3-diiodo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin and HF·pyridine in the presence of AgOAc to provide the corresponding 1-fluoro-2,2-diiodovinylarenes in good yields and high regioselectivity. In addition, Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of 1-fluoro-2,2-diiodovinylarenes afforded diaryl coupling products in the Suzuki reaction and monoaryl coupling products with high stereoselectivity in the Hiyama reaction. It was found that C-F-activated borylation of fluoroalkenes using Pd catalyst afforded the vinylboranes with good yields.

Enantio- and Diastereoselective Hydrofluorination of Enals by N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysis

In contrast to well-established asymmetric hydrogenation reactions, enantioselective protonation is an orthogonal approach for creating highly valuable methine chiral centers under redox-neutral conditions. Reported here is the highly enantio- and diastereoselective hydrofluorination of enals by an asymmetric β-protonation/α-fluorination cascade catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). The two nucleophilic sites of a homoenolate intermediate, generated from enals and an NHC, are sequentially protonated and fluorinated. The results show that controlling the relative rates of protonation, fluorination, and esterification is crucial for this transformation, and can be accomplished using a dual shuttling strategy. Structurally diverse carboxylic acid derivatives with two contiguous chiral centers are prepared in a single step with excellent d.r. and ee values.