Chiral ligand design: A bidentate ligand incorporating an acyclic phosphaalkene

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/anie.200802949

(Chemical Equation Presented) Simply made and stable: An asymmetric phosphaalkene has been synthesized from L-valine, a readily available chiral precursor. This air-stable ligand forms a P(sp²),N(sp²) complex to iridium(I) (see schem

Full text of DOI:10.1002/anie.200802949

Communications
DOI: 10.1002/anie.200802949
Low Coordinate Phosphorus
Chiral Ligand Design: A Bidentate Ligand Incorporating an Acyclic
Phosphaalkene**
Julien Dugal-Tessier, Gregory R. Dake,* and Derek P. Gates*
Since Beckerꢀs landmark discovery of the first isolable
phosphaalkene just over three decades ago,[1] there has been
a growing interest in low coordinate multiply bonded
phosphorus compounds.[2] In fact, these species, although
once considered exotic, are now being utilized in catalysis and
materials science. As a consequence of their excellent p-
acceptor properties, there has been considerable recent
interest in the development of low valent phosphorus ligands
for catalysis.[3] Of particular significance are those in which
Here we report a synthetic strategy to air- and moisture-
stable chiral, enantioenriched phosphaalkene ligands. Our
approach provides a convergent and highly modular means
for future tailoring of the ligandꢀs steric and electronic
properties (Scheme 1). Importantly, the stereogenic center
=
the P C donor moiety is incorporated into a cyclic structure
(i.e. phosphinines,[4] phosphaferrocenes,[5] and phospho-
[6]
=
lides ). Ligands containing acyclic P C bonds are less well-
developed, however the diphosphinidenecyclobutenes (dpcb)
have been demonstrated to be highly effective in catalytic
transformations.[7] We,[8] and others,[9] have also reported
examples of acyclic P(sp2),N(sp2) phosphaalkene ligands,
however their application in catalysis is still at a preliminary
stage of development.
Scheme 1. Modular strategy for the preparation of chiral oxazoline-
based phosphaalkenes. R1, R2 and R3 represent adjustable substitu-
ents.
present in the ligand is derived directly from the chiral pool.
The phosphaalkene substituents (R1 and R2) can be easily
adjusted through selection of precursors. The “linker” moiety
must be selected to avoid undesired reactivity of phosphaal-
kenes such as cycloadditions or 1,3-hydrogen migrations. The
effectiveness of this new phosphaalkene as a bidentate
chelating P(sp2),N(sp2) ligand is demonstrated through the
isolation of an iridium(I) complex.
Amino acids are cheap, readily available sources of
chirality on which to build the chiral oxazoline-containing
ketone precursors to phosphaalkenes. The known oxazoline 1
was prepared in two steps from l-valine using a modified
literature procedure (Scheme 2).[13,14] Our attempts to deprot-
onate 1 using LDA or nBuLi were unsuccessful. Fortunately,
treatment of 1 with 1 equivalent each of sec-BuLi and
TMEDA for one hour at À788C formed the desired
The design of asymmetric ligands for transition elements
has had a profound impact on the field of synthetic organic
chemistry. Of particular importance in asymmetric catalysis
are the sp3 hybridized phosphane ligands which are excellent
sigma donors and weak p-acceptors (binap, DuPhos, etc.).
Modification of the steric and electronic properties of the
metalꢀs supporting ligands provides a means to optimize the
selectivity and activity of a catalyst. p-Accepting ligands are
also of considerable importance in catalysis, however the
classic p-accepting ligands used in inorganic chemistry (CO,
bipy) cannot be trivially reconstituted into “chiral versions”
for asymmetric catalysis. To our knowledge, the only enan-
tiomerically pure P(sp2)-based ligands are based on cyclic
phosphinines and phosphaferrocenes.[4e,5,10–12] Consequently,
the introduction of low valent, p-accepting phosphorus atoms
within a readily available chiral ligand framework may fill an
important gap in modern ligand design.
[*] J. Dugal-Tessier, Prof. Dr. G. R. Dake, Prof. Dr. D. P. Gates
Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia
2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1 (Canada)
Fax: (+1)604-822-2847
E-mail: gdake@chem.ubc.ca
dgates@chem.ubc.ca
[**] We gratefully acknowledge the following funding sources: The
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
(NSERC Discovery and Research Tools grants to G.R.D. and D.P.G.
and a PGS D scholarship to J.D.-T.), The Canada Foundation for
Innovation, and The BC Knowledge Development Fund. We thank
Joshua I. Bates for crystallographic work.
Scheme 2. Synthesis of phosphaalkene ligand. a) NaBH4, I2, THF,
608C, 18 h (92%); b) isobutyric acid, xylenes, 1308C (58%); c) 1.
sBuLi, TMEDA, THF, À788C; 2. ethyl benzoate, THF, À788C to 258C
(49%); d) 1. MesP(SiMe3)Li, THF, À788C to 258C; 2. Me3SiCl quench
(52%). THF=tetrahydrofuran, Bu=butyl, TMEDA=N,N,N’,N’-tetra-
methylethylenediamine, Mes=2,4,6-trimethylphenyl.
Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW
under http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.200802949.
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carbanion.[15] Claisen-type condensation of this anion with
ethyl benzoate formed ketone 2 in 49% isolated yield.
Importantly, these synthetic steps can be performed without
recourse to flash chromatography. Ketone 2 was fully
characterized using NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C), mass
spectrometry [HRMS (2·Na+): m/z 282.1469 (found);
282.1470 (calcd)], infrared spectroscopy and elemental anal-
ysis. Compound
2
showed an optical rotation [a]D22
=
a p-methoxyphenyl moiety (3b) in place of the phenyl group
À28.1 degcm3 gÀ1 dmÀ1 (c = 1.3 ” 10À3 gcmÀ3, CHCl3).
(3a). In addition, the steric bulk of the P-substituent is
increased in 3c by employing the 2,4,6-tri(isopropyl)phenyl
moiety. Each new phosphaalkene was characterized by
31P NMR spectroscopy (3b: d = 245 ppm; 3c: d = 248 ppm),
1H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (3b: [M+] 42 3;
3c: [M+] 477).
The complexation of E-3a to late transition metals for
catalysis applications is of particular interest. Iridium com-
plexes have been used to catalyze asymmetric hydrogenation,
allylic alkylation and hydroformylation, amongst other trans-
formations.[17] A mixture of E-3a and [(cod)IrCl]2 in the
presence of AgOTf as a halide acceptor was dissolved in
CH2Cl2 and was stirred for 30 min whereupon the solution
was separated from a white precipitate of AgCl (Scheme 3).
With ketone 2 in hand, the phospha-Peterson reaction, a
general and clean route to phosphaalkenes,[16] was attempted
=
as the P C bond forming step. A solution of ketone 2 in THF
was added dropwise to a cooled (À788C) solution of
MesP(Li)SiMe3 in THF. The reaction mixture was warmed
slowly to room temperature (1 h) whereupon an aliquot was
removed for analysis by 31P NMR spectroscopy. Importantly,
the signal assigned to MesP(Li)SiMe3 (d = À187 ppm) was
replaced by a new singlet resonance at 244 ppm which is
=
consistent with that expected for a phosphaalkene (cf. MesP
CPh2: d = 233 ppm). The presence of a single signal suggests
that only one isomer is formed. The product was recrystallized
from n-pentane to afford colorless crystals of E-3a (yield
52%) which were characterized crystallographically
(Figure 1). The optical rotation of E-3a was [a]D22
=
Scheme 3. Synthesis of iridium complex 4. a) [(cod)IrCl]2, AgOTf,
CH2Cl2, RT, 30 min (72%). cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene, OTf=trifluorome-
thanesulfonate.
Subsequently, the reaction mixture was analyzed by 31P NMR
spectroscopy that showed a new singlet resonance at 197 ppm
which is shifted upfield considerably from E-3a (Dd =
À47 ppm) and is consistent with that expected for iridium(I)
complex 4. For comparison, similar upfield shifts are observed
for iridium(III) complexes of related phosphaalkenes [Dd =
Figure 1. Molecular structure of E-3a (50% probability ellipsoids). All
hydrogen atoms are omitted for clarity. Selected bond lengths [Š] and
angles [8]: P(1)–C(1) 1.826(2), P(1)–C(10) 1.679(2), C(10)–C(17)
1.529(3), C(17)–C(20) 1.511(3), C(20)–N(1) 1.248(3), C(20)–O(1)
1.356(3); C(1)-P(1)-C(10) 105.3(1), P(1)-C(10)-C(17) 119.2(2), C(10)-
C(17)-C(20) 108.9(2), C(17)-C(20)-N(1) 127.6(2), C(17)-C(20)-O(1)
113.7(2).
À50 ppm,
L = dpcb;
Dd = À41 ppm,
L = Mes*P =
C(py)H].[18,19] Complex 4 was further characterized by 1H
and 13C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis which all
provided support for the retention of the cod ligand.
À65.8 degcm3 gÀ1 dmÀ1 (c = 5.0 ” 10À3 gcmÀ3, CHCl3). Perhaps
most remarkable is the air- and moisture-stability of com-
pound E-3a. The 31P NMR spectrum of a THF solution of the
phosphaalkene exposed to oxygen and/or water shows no
change. Moreover, crystals of E-3a have been stored on the
open benchtop for months without any degradation. This
stability, a relatively unusual property for phosphaalkenes,
allows for the manipulation of this compound without the
need for special precautions.
The chiral phosphaalkene (E-3a) and its iridium(I)
complex (4) were each characterized crystallographically
(Figures 1 and 2).[20] Importantly, the structural data were
consistent with the enantiomeric purity of these new phos-
phaalkene species and the retention of the (S)-configuration
from l-valine.[21] The P C bond length of complex 4
=
[1.663(5) Š] is similar in length to the free ligand E-3a
=
[1.679(2) Š] and is typical of the bond lengths found for P C
To illustrate the modularity of our synthetic route to chiral
phosphaalkenes, we have prepared two additional phosphaal-
kenes, 3b (yield 50%) and 3c (yield 93%). These compounds
are conveniently prepared following the same route as
described for 3a. The C-substituent is modified by employing
bonds. This observation is similar to that observed between
structures of p-accepting ligand dpcb and its metal complexes
and cannot solely be used to judge the p-acceptor properties
of the ligand.[22] Interestingly, the angle at phosphorus
expands significantly upon complexation and approaches
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Communications
Phosphorus Chemistry (Eds.: M. Regitz, O. J. Scherer),
Thieme, Stuttgart, 1990.
[3] For recent reviews highlighting the use of low-coordinate
phosphorus compounds in catalysis see: a) P. Le Floch, Coord.
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[4] For a recent review, see: C. Müller, D. Vogt, Dalton Trans. 2007,
5505; for recent work on mono- and diphosphinine complexes,
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Figure 2. Molecular structure of 4 (50% probability ellipsoid). All
hydrogen atoms are omitted for clarity. Selected bond lengths [Š] and
angles [8]: P(4)–C(1) 1.806(5), P(4)–C(10) 1.663(5), C(10)–C(17)
1.546(6), C(17)–C(20) 1.514(7), C(20)–N(1) 1.290(6), C(20)–O(1)
1.335(5), P(4)–Ir(1) 2.212(1), N(1)–Ir(1) 2.077(4); C(1)-P(4)-C(10)
114.3(2), P(4)-C(10)-C(17) 118.5(4), C(10)-C(17)-C(20) 111.3(4), C(17)-
C(20)-N(1) 129.4(4), C(17)-C(20)-O(1) 114.7(4), C(20)-N(1)-Ir(1)
129.1(3), N(1)-Ir(1)-P(4) 85.6(1), Ir(1)-P(4)-C(10) 121.0(2).
ideal sp2 hybridization [C-P-C = 105.3(1)8 in E-3a, 114.3(2)8
À
in 4]. The P Ir bond in 4 [2.212(1) Š] is shorter than that
found in a phosphinine–iridium(I) complex [ca. 2.4 Š],[23]
a
phosphaferrocene–iridium(I) complex [avg. 2.298(2) Š),[24]
ans a dpcb–iridium(III) complex [avg. 2.525(21) Š].[19] To
our knowledge, these are the only other structurally charac-
terized iridium complexes containing sp2 phosphorus. For
comparison, an analogous iridium(I)–cod complex containing
[6] J. Grundy, B. Donnadieu, F. Mathey, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006,
128, 7716.
À
the Pfaltz ligand, Ph2P-C6H4(2-ox), exhibits a P Ir bond
[7] See, for example: a) A. Hayashi, T. Yoshitomi, K. Umeda, M.
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length of 2.266(3) Š which is longer than that found in 4.[25]
À
The Ir N distance in 4 [2.077(4) Š] is also similar to that
found in the Pfaltz complex [2.119(7) Š].
In closing, we report the synthesis of the first examples of
a new class of enantiomerically pure phosphaalkenes and, by
forming an iridium(I) complex, demonstrate their effective-
ness as a bidentate chelating ligand. This air-stable phos-
phaalkene is of considerable interest as a p-accepting ligand
in asymmetric catalysis, a topic which is currently under active
investigation.
Received: June 20, 2008
Revised: August 8, 2008
Published online: September 15, 2008
[9] For recent work, see: a) A. Hayashi, M. Okazaki, F. Ozawa, R.
Tanaka, Organometallics 2007, 26, 5246; b) F. Basuli, J. Tomas-
zewski, J. C. Huffman, D. J. Mindiola, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003,
125, 10170; c) A. Ionkin, W. Marshall, Chem. Commun. 2003,
710; d) A. Daugulis, M. Brookhart, P. S. White, Organometallics
2002, 21, 5935; e) A. S. Ionkin, W. J. Marshall, Heteroat. Chem.
2002, 13, 662.
Keywords: iridium · ligand design · N,P-ligands ·
phosphaalkenes · phosphorus
.
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=
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Chemie
phosphaalkene was not reported. See, R. De Vaumas, A.
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[20] CCDC 692226 (E-3a) and 692227 (4) contain the supplementary
crystallographic data for this paper. These data can be obtained
free of charge from The Cambridge Crystallographic Data
Centre via www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/data_request/cif.
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[21] Analysis of the Flack parameters for each structure [0.13(9) for
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enantiomeric purity.
=
[22] The P C bond lengths in dpcb complexes are also similar to
those of the free ligand. See, for example: F. Ozawa, S.
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=
C moiety [3a: d = 203.3 ppm (1JPC = 48 Hz); 4: d = 175.5 ppm
(1JPC = 58 Hz)] are consistent with that expected for a p-accept-
ing ligand and are also observed in the case of the p-accepting
dpcb. We speculate that the apparent contradiction in the
=
expected P C bond length upon coordination may be
a
consequence of increased phosphorus s-orbital character in the
=
P C s-bond as evinced by the C-P-C angles.
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