Atropisomerism is a stereochemical behavior portrayed by three-dimensional molecules that bear rotationally restricted σ bond. Akin to the well-represented point-chiral molecules, atropisomerically chiral compounds are finding increasing utilities in many disciplines where molecular asymmetry is influential. This provides steady demand on atroposelective synthesis, where numerous synthetic pursuits have been rewarded with conceptually novel and streamlined methods while expanding the structural diversity of atropisomers. This review summarizes key achievements in stereoselective preparation of biaryl, heterobiaryl, and nonbiaryl atropisomers documented between 2015 and 2020. Emphasis is placed on the synthetic strategies for each structural class, while examples are cited to illustrate the potential applications of the accessed atropochiral targets.

Recent Advances in Catalytic Asymmetric Construction of Atropisomers.

Indole-based chiral heterocycles constitute a class of important heterocyclic compounds that are found in numerous pharmaceuticals, functional materials, and chiral catalysts or ligands. Catalytic asymmetric synthesis, for which the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded, has been demonstrated to be the most efficient method for accessing chiral compounds. Therefore, the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of indole-based chiral heterocycles has attracted great interest from the scientific community. However, the strategies toward this goal are rather limited, and great challenges remain in this field, such as metal contamination in the products, the limited number of platform molecules with versatile reactivity, and the limited number of catalytic asymmetric reactions that offer high step economy, atom economy, and excellent enantiocontrol. Therefore, novel strategies for the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of indole-based chiral heterocycles are urgently needed. To achieve this goal, our group has developed a series of unique strategies, such as designing and developing versatile platform molecules and their corresponding organocatalytic asymmetric reactions to access indole-based chiral heterocycles. In this Account, we describe our efforts to address the remaining challenges in this research field. Namely, we have designed and developed vinylindoles, indolylmethanols, arylindoles and indole derivatives as versatile platform molecules for the construction of indole-based chiral heterocyclic scaffolds with structural diversity and complexity. Based on the reactivities of these platform molecules, we have designed and accomplished a series of organocatalytic asymmetric cycloaddition, cyclization, addition and dearomatization reactions with a high step economy, atom economy and excellent enantiocontrol. Using these strategies, a wide range of indole-based chiral heterocycles, including five-membered to seven-membered heterocycles, axially chiral heterocycles and tetrasubstituted heterocycles, have been synthesized with high efficiency and excellent enantioselectivity. In addition, we have investigated the properties of some indole-based chiral heterocycles, including their bioactivities and catalytic activities, and showed that these chiral heterocycles have potent anticancer activities and promising catalytic activities in asymmetric catalysis. These results help elucidate the potential applications of indole-based chiral heterocycles in drug development and chiral catalysts. The organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of indole-based chiral heterocycles has undoubtedly become and will continue to be a hot topic in the field of asymmetric catalysis and synthesis. Our efforts, summarized in this Account, will not only open a window for the future development of innovative strategies toward organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of indole-based chiral heterocycles but also inspire chemists worldwide to confront the remaining challenges in this field and prompt further advances.

Organocatalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Indole-Based Chiral Heterocycles: Strategies, Reactions, and Outreach.

Enantiomeric access to pentatomic biaryls is challenging due to their relatively low rotational barrier. Reported herein is the mild and highly enantioselective synthesis of 2,3′-biindolyls via und...

Rh(III)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis of Axially Chiral Biindolyls by Merging C–H Activation and Nucleophilic Cyclization

Axially chiral biaryl scaffolds are essential structural units in chemistry. The asymmetric Pd-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction has been widely recognized as one of the most practical methods for constructing atropisomers of biaryls. However, longstanding challenges remain in this field. For example, substrate scope is often narrow and specialized, functional groups and heterocycles can lead to reduced reactivity and selectivity, bulky ortho-substituents are usually needed, and reported methods are generally inapplicable to tetra-ortho-substituted biaryls. We have developed an unprecedented highly enantioselective N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-Pd catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction for the synthesis of atropisomeric biaryls. These reactions enable efficient coupling of aryl halides (Br, Cl) or aryl triflates with various types of aryl boron compounds (B(OH)2, Bpin, Bneo, BF3K), tolerate a remarkably broad scope of functional groups and heterocycles (>41 examples), employ low lo...

A Bulky Chiral N-Heterocyclic Carbene Palladium Catalyst Enables Highly Enantioselective Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reactions for the Synthesis of Biaryl Atropisomers

Axially chiral indole-based frameworks have been recognized as a class of important five-membered heterobiaryls and developing catalytic asymmetric approaches for constructing these frameworks in an enantioselective manner is highly desirable. In recent years, synthetic chemists have paid much attention to this research field, and rapid developments have occurred. At this point, a range of axially chiral indole-based scaffolds have been constructed via various catalytic asymmetric reactions based on different strategies. Thus, the catalytic asymmetric construction of axially chiral indole-based frameworks has become an emerging area. This minireview summarizes the rapid advances in this field and gives some insights into future developments, which will help this research field to thrive.

Catalytic Asymmetric Construction of Axially Chiral Indole-Based Frameworks: An Emerging Area.

The first catalytic asymmetric construction of 3,3'-bisindole skeletons bearing both axial and central chirality has been established by organocatalytic asymmetric addition reactions of 2-substituted 3,3'-bisindoles with 3-indolylmethanols (up to 98 % yield, all >95:5 d.r., >99 % ee). This reaction also represents the first highly enantioselective construction of axially chiral 3,3'-bisindole skeletons, and utilizes the strategy of introducing a bulky group to the ortho-position of prochiral 3,3'-bisindoles. This reaction not only provides a good example for simultaneously controlling axial and central chirality in one operation, but also serves as a new strategy for catalytic enantioselective construction of axially chiral 3,3'-bisindole backbones from prochiral substrates.

Design and Catalytic Asymmetric Construction of Axially Chiral 3,3′-Bisindole Skeletons

Atroposelective synthesis of axially chiral molecules has attracted substantial attention from chemists because of the importance of such molecules. However, catalytic asymmetric synthesis of axially chiral styrenes or vinyl arenes is underdeveloped and challenging due to the low rotational barrier and weak configurational stability of such molecules. Therefore, the development of powerful strategies for the catalytic atroposelective synthesis of axially chiral styrenes or vinyl arenes is of great importance. In this work, we have accomplished the first atroposelective access to oxindole-based axially chiral styrenes by the strategy of catalytic kinetic resolution, and this strategy offered two kinds of oxindole-based axially chiral styrene derivatives in good diastereoselectivities (up to 94:6 dr) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee) with high selectivity factors (S up to 106). This strategy not only provides easy access to oxindole-based axially chiral styrenes but also offers a robust method for synthesizing bisamide derivatives bearing both axial and central chirality. More importantly, this strategy has added a new class of members to the atropisomeric family, especially to the family of axially chiral styrenes.

Atroposelective Access to Oxindole-Based Axially Chiral Styrenes via the Strategy of Catalytic Kinetic Resolution.

Atroposelective Synthesis of 3,3’-Bisindoles Bearing Axial and Central Chirality: Using Isatin-Derived Imines as Electrophiles

A new strategy for the enantioselective synthesis of axially chiral 3,3'-bisindoles was devised by the direct coupling of two indole rings. This strategy makes use of the C3-umpolung reactivity of 2-indolylmethanols, which enables the catalytic asymmetric addition reaction of 2-indolylmethanols with rationally designed 2-substituted indoles, thus constructing axially chiral 3,3'-bisindole scaffolds in overall excellent yields (up to 98%) with high enantioselectivities (up to 96 : 4 er). This approach not only has overcome the challenges in constructing axially chiral five-five-membered heterobiaryls, but also represents a new application of the C3-umpolung reactivity of 2-indolylmethanols in asymmetric catalysis. More importantly, this class of axially chiral 3,3'-bisindoles can undergo a variety of post-functionalizations to give axially chiral 3,3'-bisindole-based organocatalysts, which have found their preliminary applications in asymmetric catalysis. Appendix S1: Supporting Information Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. 

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Axially Chiral 3,3'‐Bisindoles by Direct Coupling of Indole Rings

Design of ligands in transition-metal catalyzed reactions is challenging, especially in asymmetric transformations. With each step in the catalytic cycle promoted by its privileged ligand and different steps well-connected by dynamic ligand exchange, synergistic combination of multiple ligands could potentially enhance the catalytic efficiency and selectivity. Now, this concept has been applied to the NiH-catalyzed asymmetric remote hydroacylation of olefins and migratory acylation of alkyl halides with excellent regio- and enantioselectivity, utilizing two simple ligands, one for chain-walking and the other for asymmetric acylation. Starting from abundant alkenes/alkyl halides and carboxylic acids, a wide range of enantioenriched chiral α-aryl ketones can be efficiently accessed under mild conditions.

Feng-Tao Sheng

Papers

Design and Catalytic Asymmetric Construction of Axially Chiral 3,3′-Bisindole Skeletons

Atroposelective Access to Oxindole-Based Axially Chiral Styrenes via the Strategy of Catalytic Kinetic Resolution.

Atroposelective Synthesis of 3,3’-Bisindoles Bearing Axial and Central Chirality: Using Isatin-Derived Imines as Electrophiles

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Axially Chiral 3,3'‐Bisindoles by Direct Coupling of Indole Rings

Ligand Relay Catalysis Enables Asymmetric Migratory Reductive Acylation of Olefins or Alkyl Halides.