In this review, we summarize the origin and advancements of iridium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions during the past two decades. Since the first report in 1997, Ir-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions have attracted intense attention due to their exceptionally high regio- and enantioselectivities. Ir-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions have been significantly developed in recent years in many respects, including ligand development, mechanistic understanding, substrate scope, and application in the synthesis of complex functional molecules. In this review, an explicit outline of ligands, mechanism, scope of nucleophiles, and applications is presented.

Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Substitution Reactions

The preparation of all possible stereoisomers of a given chiral molecule bearing multiple stereocenters by a simple and unified method is a significant challenge in asymmetric catalysis. We report stereodivergent allylic substitutions with aryl acetic acid esters catalyzed synergistically by a metallacyclic iridium complex and benzotetramisole. Through permutations of the enantiomers of the two chiral catalysts, all four stereoisomers of the products bearing two adjacent stereocenters are accessible with high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. The resulting chiral activated ester products can be converted readily to enantioenriched amides, unactivated esters, and carboxylic acids in a one-pot manner.

Stereodivergent Allylic Substitutions with Aryl Acetic Acid Esters by Synergistic Iridium and Lewis Base Catalysis

We report a stereoselective and site-specific allylic alkylation of Schiff base activated amino acids and small peptides via a Pd/Cu dual catalysis. A range of noncoded α,α-dialkyl α-amino acids were easily synthesized in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee). Furthermore, a direct and highly stereoselective synthesis of small peptides with enantiopure α-alkyl or α,α-dialkyl α-amino acids residues incorporated at specific sites was accomplished using this dual catalyst system.

Stereoselective and Site-Specific Allylic Alkylation of Amino Acids and Small Peptides via a Pd/Cu Dual Catalysis

Synergistic catalysis, a type of plural catalysis which utilizes at least two different catalysts to enable a reaction between two separately activated substrates, has unlocked a plethora of previously unattainable transformations and novel chemical reactivity. Despite the appreciable utility of synergistic catalysis, specific examples involving two transition metals have been limited, as ensuring a judicious choice of reaction parameters to prevent deactivation of catalysts, undesirable monocatalytic event(s) leading to side products, or premature termination and other potentially troublesome outcomes present a formidable challenge. Excluding those driven by photocatalytic mechanisms, this review will highlight the reported examples of reactions that make use of two simultaneous catalytic cycles driven by two transition metal catalysts.

Synergistic Dual Transition Metal Catalysis

Synergistic catalysis is gaining increasing attention due to its advantages over traditional catalytic methodologies, such as improved catalytic activity, broader substrate scope, increased selectivity and lower cost. Methodologies involving the synergistic combination of metal catalysts and organocatalysts have been intensively studied. Given the clear benefits of bimetallic catalyst systems consisting of two distinct metal catalysts, cooperative bimetallic catalysis has proved to be successful for a number of difficult asymmetric transformations. This review highlights the recent advances in bimetallic systems for catalytic asymmetric allylic substitution reactions. Strategies using a chiral metal catalyst and the cooperative effect of a second achiral metal catalyst for asymmetric transformations are discussed. Additionally, several challenging asymmetric reactions realized by employing two different chiral metal catalysts in a synergistic manner are also covered.

Cooperative bimetallic catalysis in asymmetric allylic substitution

The direct, catalytic, asymmetric α-functionalization of acyclic esters constitutes a significant challenge in the area of asymmetric catalysis, particularly where the configurational integrity of the products is problematic. Through the unprecedented merger of two independent, yet complementary, catalysis events it has been possible to facilitate the direct asymmetric α-allylation of readily available aryl acetic acid esters. Since enantioselection is determined by the nucleophile, this conceptual approach to cooperative catalysis constitutes a potentially general solution to the direct catalytic asymmetric α-functionalization of acyclic esters.

Uniting C1-Ammonium Enolates and Transition Metal Electrophiles via Cooperative Catalysis: The Direct Asymmetric α-Allylation of Aryl Acetic Acid Esters

The first asymmetric cooperative Lewis base/palladium catalyzed benzylic alkylation of acyclic esters is reported. This reaction proceeds via stereodefined C1-ammonium enolate nucleophiles. Critical to its success was the identification of benzylic phosphate electrophiles, which were uniquely reactive. Alkylated products were obtained with very high levels of enantioselectivity, and this method has been applied toward the synthesis of the thrombin inhibitor DX-9065a.

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Enantioselective α-Benzylation of Acyclic Esters Using π-Extended Electrophiles.

Cooperative catalysis enables the direct enantioselective α-allylation of linear prochiral esters using 2-substituted allyl electrophiles. Critical to the successful development of the method was the recognition that metal-centered reactivity and the source of enantiocontrol are independent. This feature is unique to simultaneous catalysis events and permits logical tuning of the supporting ligands without compromising enantioselectivity.

Traversing Steric Limitations by Cooperative Lewis Base/Palladium Catalysis: An Enantioselective Synthesis of α-Branched Esters Using 2-Substituted Allyl Electrophiles

RNA-based macromolecular machines, such as the ribosome, have functional parts reliant on structural interactions spanning sequence-distant regions. These features limit evolutionary exploration of mutant libraries and confound three-dimensional structure-guided design. To address these challenges, we describe Evolink (evolution and linkage), a method that enables high-throughput evolution of sequence-distant regions in large macromolecular machines, and library design guided by computational RNA modeling to enable exploration of structurally stable designs. Using Evolink, we evolved a tethered ribosome with a 58% increased activity in orthogonal protein translation and a 97% improvement in doubling times in SQ171 cells compared to a previously developed tethered ribosome, and reveal new permissible sequences in a pair of ribosomal helices with previously explored biological function. The Evolink approach may enable enhanced engineering of macromolecular machines for new and improved functions for synthetic biology. 

Three-dimensional structure-guided evolution of a ribosome with tethered subunits

Uniting C1‐Ammonium Enolates and Transition Metal Electrophiles via Cooperative Catalysis: The Direct Asymmetric α‐Allylation of Aryl Acetic Acid Esters.

Kevin J. Schwarz

Papers

Uniting C1-Ammonium Enolates and Transition Metal Electrophiles via Cooperative Catalysis: The Direct Asymmetric α-Allylation of Aryl Acetic Acid Esters

Enantioselective α-Benzylation of Acyclic Esters Using π-Extended Electrophiles.

Traversing Steric Limitations by Cooperative Lewis Base/Palladium Catalysis: An Enantioselective Synthesis of α-Branched Esters Using 2-Substituted Allyl Electrophiles

Three-dimensional structure-guided evolution of a ribosome with tethered subunits

Uniting C1‐Ammonium Enolates and Transition Metal Electrophiles via Cooperative Catalysis: The Direct Asymmetric α‐Allylation of Aryl Acetic Acid Esters.