Hydrogenation is a core technology in chemical synthesis. High rates and selectivities are attainable only by the coordination of structurally well-designed catalysts and suitable reaction conditions. The newly devised [RuCl(2)(phosphane)(2)(1,2-diamine)] complexes are excellent precatalysts for homogeneous hydrogenation of simple ketones which lack any functionality capable of interacting with the metal center. This catalyst system allows for the preferential reduction of a C=O function over a coexisting C=C linkage in a 2-propanol solution containing an alkaline base. The hydrogenation tolerates many substituents including F, Cl, Br, I, CF(3), OCH(3), OCH(2)C(6)H(5), COOCH(CH(3))(2), NO(2), NH(2), and NRCOR as well as various electron-rich and -deficient heterocycles. Furthermore, stereoselectivity is easily controlled by the electronic and steric properties (bulkiness and chirality) of the ligands as well as the reaction conditions. Diastereoselectivities observed in the catalytic hydrogenation of cyclic and acyclic ketones with the standard triphenylphosphane/ethylenediamine combination compare well with the best conventional hydride reductions. The use of appropriate chiral diphosphanes, particularly BINAP compounds, and chiral diamines results in rapid and productive asymmetric hydrogenation of a range of aromatic and heteroaromatic ketones and gives a consistently high enantioselectivity. Certain amino and alkoxy ketones can be used as substrates. Cyclic and acyclic alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones can be converted into chiral allyl alcohols of high enantiomeric purity. Hydrogenation of configurationally labile ketones allows for the dynamic kinetic discrimination of diastereomers, epimers, and enantiomers. This new method shows promise in the practical synthesis of a wide variety of chiral alcohols from achiral and chiral ketone substrates. Its versatility is manifested by the asymmetric synthesis of some biologically significant chiral compounds. The high rate and carbonyl selectivity are based on nonclassical metal-ligand bifunctional catalysis involving an 18-electron amino ruthenium hydride complex and a 16-electron amido ruthenium species.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/1521-3773%2820010105%2940%3A1%3C40%3A%3AAID-ANIE40%3E3.0.CO%3B2-5

Asymmetric Catalysis by Architectural and Functional Molecular Engineering: Practical Chemo‐ and Stereoselective Hydrogenation of Ketones

C–H activation has surfaced as an increasingly powerful tool for molecular sciences, with notable applications to material sciences, crop protection, drug discovery, and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Despite major advances, the vast majority of these C–H functionalizations required precious 4d or 5d transition metal catalysts. Given the cost-effective and sustainable nature of earth-abundant first row transition metals, the development of less toxic, inexpensive 3d metal catalysts for C–H activation has gained considerable recent momentum as a significantly more environmentally-benign and economically-attractive alternative. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview on first row transition metal catalysts for C–H activation until summer 2018.

3d Transition Metals for C-H Activation.

Isolation and synthesis of biologically active carbazole alkaloids

The hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of terminal epoxides catalyzed by chiral (salen)CoIII complex 1·OAc affords both recovered unreacted epoxide and 1,2-diol product in highly enantioenriched form. As such, the HKR provides general access to useful, highly enantioenriched chiral building blocks that are otherwise difficult to access, from inexpensive racemic materials. The reaction has several appealing features from a practical standpoint, including the use of H2O as a reactant and low loadings (0.2−2.0 mol %) of a recyclable, commercially available catalyst. In addition, the HKR displays extraordinary scope, as a wide assortment of sterically and electronically varied epoxides can be resolved to ≥99% ee. The corresponding 1,2-diols were produced in good-to-high enantiomeric excess using 0.45 equiv of H2O. Useful and general protocols are provided for the isolation of highly enantioenriched epoxides and diols, as well as for catalyst recovery and recycling. Selectivity factors (krel) were determined ...

Highly Selective Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution of Terminal Epoxides Catalyzed by Chiral (salen)CoIII Complexes. Practical Synthesis of Enantioenriched Terminal Epoxides and 1,2-Diols

Laboratory for Advanced Materials and New Catalysis, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China,Laboratory of Natural Gas Utilization and Applied Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023,China, and Jingmen Technological College, Jingmen 448000, ChinaReceived June 30, 2004

Advances in Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalytic Asymmetric Epoxidation

The use of 3A or 4A molecular sieves (zeolites) substantially increases the scope of the titanium(IV)-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of primary allylic alcohols. Whereas without molecular sieves epoxidations employing only 5 to 10 mol % Ti(O-i-Pr)/sub 4/ generally lead to low conversion or low enantioselectivity, in the presence of molecular sieves such reactions generally lead to high conversion (>95%) and high enantioselectivity (90-95% ee). The epoxidations of 20 primary allylic alcohols are described. Especially noteworthy are the epoxidations of cinnamyl alcohol, 2-tetradecyl-2-propen-1-ol, allyl alcohol, and crotyl alcohol - compounds which heretofore had been considered difficult substrates for asymmetric epoxidation. In the case of allyl alcohol, the use of cumene hydroperoxide substantially increases both the reaction rate and the conversion, even in the absence of molecular sieves. In general, enantioselectivities are slightly depressed (by 1-5% ee) relative employing 50-100 mol % Ti(O-i-Pr)/sub 4/. The epoxidation of low molecular weight allylic alcohols is especially facilitated and, in conjunction with in situ derivatization, provides for the synthesis of many epoxy alcohol synthons which were previously difficult to obtain. The kinetic resolution of four secondary allylic alcohols with 10 mol % Ti(O-i-Pr)/sub 4/ is also described. The role of molecular sieves in the reaction andmore » the effects of variation in reaction stoichiometry, oxidant, and tartrate are discussed.« less

J. M. Klunder

Papers

Catalytic asymmetric epoxidation and kinetic resolution: modified procedures including in situ derivatization

Catalytic Asymmetric Epoxidation and Kinetic Resolution: Modified Procedures Including in situ Derivatization.