Synthesis of chiral mono(N-heterocyclic carbene) palladium and gold complexes with a 1,1'-biphenyl scaffold and their applications in catalysis

Cycloisomerization of π-Coupled Heteroatom Nucleophiles by Gold Catalysis: En Route to Regiochemically Defined Heterocycles

Since the dawn of millennium, catalytic gold chemistry is at the forefront to set off diverse organic reactions via unique activation of π-bonded molecules. Within this purview, cycloisomerization of heteroatom nucleophiles linked to a π-system is one of the well recognized chemistry for the construction of numerous heterocyclic cores. Though the rudimentary aspects of this transformation are reviewed by several groups in different timeline, a holistic view on regiochemistry of such reactions went largely overlooked. Hence, this account emphasizes the gold catalyzed regioselective cycloisomerization of structurally distinctive π-connected hetero-nucleophiles leading to different heterocycles documented in the last two decades. From an application perspective, this account also highlights those methodologies which find a role in the total synthesis of natural products. Wherever appropriate, mechanistic details and contributing factors for selectivity are also discussed.

Chiral N-heterocyclic Carbene Gold Complexes: Synthesis and Applications in Catalysis

N-Heterocyclic carbenes have found many applications in modern metal catalysis, due to the formation of stable metal complexes, and organocatalysis. Among a myriad of N-heterocyclic carbene metal complexes, gold complexes have gained a lot of attention due to their unique propensity for the activation of carbon-carbon multiple bonds, allowing many useful transformations of alkynes, allenes, and alkenes, inaccessible by other metal complexes. The present review summarizes synthetic efforts towards the preparation of chiral N-heterocyclic gold(I) complexes exhibiting C2 and C1 symmetry, as well as their applications in enantioselective catalysis. Finally, the emerging area of rare gold(III) complexes and their preliminary usage in asymmetric catalysis is also presented.

Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation using a [2.2]paracyclophane based chiral 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene–Pd complex under ambient conditions and 1 atmosphere of H2

1,2,3-Triazol-5-ylidene–Pd complexes with the planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophane group have been synthesized, structurally characterized and used as catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenation.

Gold-catalyzed reaction of oxabicyclic alkenes with electron-deficient terminal alkynes to produce acrylate derivatives

Oxabicyclic alkenes can react with electron-deficient terminal alkynes in the presence of a gold catalyst under mild conditions, affording the corresponding addition products in moderate yields. When using alkynyl esters as substrates, the (Z)-acrylate derivatives are obtained. Using but-3-yn-2-one (ethynyl ketone) as a substrate, the corresponding addition product is obtained with (E)-configuration. The proposed mechanism of these reactions is also discussed.

Synthesis of axially chiral gold complexes and their applications in asymmetric catalyses

Several novel chiral N-heterocyclic carbene and phosphine ligands were prepared from (S)-BINOL. Moreover, their ligated Au complexes were also successfully synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystal diffraction. A weak gold-π interaction between the Au atom and the aromatic ring in these gold complexes was identified. Furthermore, we confirmed the formation of a pair of diastereomeric isomers in NHC gold complexes bearing an axially chiral binaphthyl moiety derived from the hindered rotation around C–C and C–N bonds. In the asymmetric intramolecular hydroamination reaction most of these chiral Au(I) complexes showed good catalytic activities towards olefins tethered with a NHTs functional group to give the corresponding product in moderate yields and up to 29% ee.

Palladium(II)-catalyzed Heck reaction of aryl halides and arylboronic acids with olefins under mild conditions

A series of general and selective Pd(II)-catalyzed Heck reactions were investigated under mild reaction conditions. The first protocol has been developed employing an imidazole-based secondary phosphine oxide (SPO) ligated palladium complex (6) as a precatalyst. The catalytic coupling of aryl halides and olefins led to the formation of the corresponding coupled products in excellent yields. A variety of substrates, both electron-rich and electron-poor olefins, were converted smoothly to the targeted products in high yields. Compared with the existing approaches employing SPO-Pd complexes in a Heck reaction, the current strategy features mild reaction conditions and broad substrate scope. Furthermore, we described the coupling of arylboronic acids with olefins, which were catalyzed by Pd(OAc)2 and employed N-bromosuccinimide as an additive under ambient conditions. The resulted biaryls have been obtained in moderate to good yields.

Synthesis of axially chiral oxazoline-carbene ligands with an N-naphthyl framework and a study of their coordination with AuCl·SMe(2)

Axially chiral oxazoline–carbene ligands with an N-naphthyl framework were successfully prepared, and their coordination behavior with AuCl·SMe₂ was also investigated, affording the corresponding Au(I) complexes in moderate to high yields.

Chiral (acyclic diaminocarbene)gold(I)-catalyzed dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation of propargyl esters

A highly enantioselective transformation catalyzed by chiral (acyclic diaminocarbene)gold(I) complexes is reported. The enantioselective synthesis of 2-substituted chromenyl pivalates from racemic phenol-substituted propargyl pivalates was developed. Rearrangement of the substrates in the presence of cationic gold gave allene intermediates, whose cyclization resulted in formation of enantioenriched product through a dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation.