Ru(II)-Catalyzed Enantioselective Transfer Hydrogenation of α-Ketophosphonates: Straightforward Access to Valuable Chiral α-Hydroxy Phosphonates

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) is arguably one of the most powerful tools for the synthesis of chiral compounds. Despite tremendous advances in this field, the reduction of α-ketophosphonates remains largely unexplored. Herein, we report an efficient Ru-catalyzed ATH on a broad range of α-ketophosphonates. Compared with existing methods, our approach offers as advantages mild conditions, operational simplicity, limited waste generation, broad substrate scope (26 examples), good to excellent yields (75-93%), and excellent levels of stereoinduction (from 90% to >99% ee).

Overcoming Limitations in Decarboxylative Arylation via Ag-Ni Electrocatalysis

A useful protocol for achieving decarboxylative cross-coupling (DCC) of redox-active esters (RAE, isolated or generated in situ) and halo(hetero)arenes is reported. This pragmatically focused study employs a unique Ag-Ni electrocatalytic platform to overcome numerous limitations that have plagued this strategically powerful transformation. In its optimized form, coupling partners can be combined in a surprisingly simple way: open to the air, using technical-grade solvents, an inexpensive ligand and Ni source, and substoichiometric AgNO3, proceeding at room temperature with a simple commercial potentiostat. Most importantly, all of the results are placed into context by benchmarking with state-of-the-art methods. Applications are presented that simplify synthesis and rapidly enable access to challenging chemical space. Finally, adaptation to multiple scale regimes, ranging from parallel milligram-based synthesis to decagram recirculating flow is presented.

Cobalt-electrocatalytic HAT for functionalization of unsaturated C-C bonds

The study and application of transition metal hydrides (TMHs) has been an active area of chemical research since the early 1960s¹, for energy storage, through the reduction of protons to generate hydrogen^2,3, and for organic synthesis, for the functionalization of unsaturated C-C, C-O and C-N bonds^4,5. In the former instance, electrochemical means for driving such reactivity has been common place since the 1950s⁶ but the use of stoichiometric exogenous organic- and metal-based reductants to harness the power of TMHs in synthetic chemistry remains the norm. In particular, cobalt-based TMHs have found widespread use for the derivatization of olefins and alkynes in complex molecule construction, often by a net hydrogen atom transfer (HAT)⁷. Here we show how an electrocatalytic approach inspired by decades of energy storage research can be made use of in the context of modern organic synthesis. This strategy not only offers benefits in terms of sustainability and efficiency but also enables enhanced chemoselectivity and distinct, tunable reactivity. Ten different reaction manifolds across dozens of substrates are exemplified, along with detailed mechanistic insights into this scalable electrochemical entry into Co-H generation that takes place through a low-valent intermediate.

Electrochemically driven desaturation of carbonyl compounds

Electrochemical techniques have long been heralded for their innate sustainability as efficient methods to achieve redox reactions. Carbonyl desaturation, as a fundamental organic oxidation, is an oft-employed transformation to unlock adjacent reactivity through the formal removal of two hydrogen atoms. To date, the most reliable methods to achieve this seemingly trivial reaction rely on transition metals (Pd or Cu) or stoichiometric reagents based on I, Br, Se or S. Here we report an operationally simple pathway to access such structures from enol silanes and phosphates using electrons as the primary reagent. This electrochemically driven desaturation exhibits a broad scope across an array of carbonyl derivatives, is easily scalable (1-100 g) and can be predictably implemented into synthetic pathways using experimentally or computationally derived NMR shifts. Systematic comparisons to state-of-the-art techniques reveal that this method can uniquely desaturate a wide array of carbonyl groups. Mechanistic interrogation suggests a radical-based reaction pathway.

Electroreductive Olefin-Ketone Coupling

A user-friendly approach is presented to sidestep the venerable Grignard addition to unactivated ketones to access tertiary alcohols by reversing the polarity of the disconnection. In this work a ketone instead acts as a nucleophile when adding to simple unactivated olefins to accomplish the same overall transformation. The scope of this coupling is broad as enabled using an electrochemical approach, and the reaction is scalable, chemoselective, and requires no precaution to exclude air or water. Multiple applications demonstrate the simplifying nature of the reaction on multistep synthesis, and mechanistic studies point to an intuitive mechanism reminiscent of other chemical reductants such as SmI₂ (which cannot accomplish the same reaction).

Recent Progress and Applications of Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation and Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones and Imines through Dynamic Kinetic Resolution

Based on the ever-increasing demand for enantiomerically pure compounds, the development of efficient, atom-economical, and sustainable methods to produce chiral alcohols and amines is a major concern. Homogeneous asymmetric catalysis with transition-metal complexes including asymmetric hydrogenation (AH) and transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of ketones and imines through dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) allowing the construction of up to three stereogenic centers is the main focus of the present short review, emphasizing the development of new catalytic systems combined to new classes of substrates and their applications as well.

1 Introduction

2 Asymmetric Hydrogenation via Dynamic Kinetic Resolution

2.1 α-Substituted Ketones

2.2 α-Substituted β-Keto Esters and Amides

2.3 α-Substituted Esters

2.4 Imine Derivatives

3 Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation via Dynamic Kinetic Resolution

3.1 α-Substituted Ketones

3.2 α-Substituted β-Keto Esters, Amides, and Sulfonamides

3.3 α,β-Disubstituted Cyclic Ketones

3.4 β-Substituted Ketones

3.5 Imine Derivatives

4. Conclusion

Iron- or Palladium-Catalyzed Reaction Cascades Merging Cycloisomerization and Cross-Coupling Chemistry

A conceptually novel reaction cascade is presented, which allows readily available enynes to be converted into functionalized 1,3-dienes comprising a stereodefined tetrasubstituted alkene unit; such compounds are difficult to make by conventional means. The overall transformation is thought to commence with formation of a metallacyclic intermediate that evolves via cleavage of an unstrained C-X bond in its backbone. This non-canonical cycloisomerization process is followed by a cross-coupling step, such that reductive C-C bond formation regenerates the necessary low-valent metal fragment and hence closes an intricate catalytic cycle. The cascade entails the formation of two new C-C bonds at the expense of the constitutional C-X entity of the substrate: importantly, the extruded group X must not be a heteroelement (X=O, NR), since activated β-C-C bonds can also be broken. This concern was reduced to practice in two largely complementary formats: one procedure relies on the use of alkyl-Grignard reagents in combination with catalytic amounts of Fe(acac)_3, whereas the second method amalgamates cycloisomerization with Suzuki coupling by recourse to arylboronic acids and phosphine-ligated palladium catalysts.

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of α-amino β-keto ester hydrochlorides through dynamic kinetic resolution

The development of Ru-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of α-amino β-keto ester hydrochlorides is described.