Asymmetric cyclopropanation of alkenes with dimethyl diazomalonate catalyzed by chiral diene-rhodium complexes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/anie.201003775

Chiral tridentate ligand : A chiral dienerhodium complex (1; see scheme) was found to catalyze the intermolecular asymmetric cyclopropanation of alkenes with dimethyl diazomalonate to give 1,1-cyclopropane diesters in good yields and with high enantioselectivity.

Full text of DOI:10.1002/anie.201003775

Communications
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201003775
Cyclopropanation
Asymmetric Cyclopropanation of Alkenes with Dimethyl
Diazomalonate Catalyzed by Chiral Diene–Rhodium Complexes**
Takahiro Nishimura,* Yuko Maeda, and Tamio Hayashi*
Chiral dienes have been recently developed as ligands for
transition metal complexes that displayed highly efficient and
enantioselective carbon–carbon bond formations.[1] A break-
through reaction that makes use of chiral dienes is the
asymmetric addition of organometallic reagents to electron-
deficient alkenes and related compounds, and is catalyzed by
the corresponding rhodium complexes.[2,3] Herein we report a
new application of chiral diene ligands into rhodium-cata-
lyzed asymmetric cyclopropanation of alkenes with dimethyl
diazomalonate.
Dirhodium(II) carboxamidates and carboxylates have
been developed as catalysts for the asymmetric cyclopropa-
nation of alkenes with diazo compounds, and new catalytic
systems that are capable of high enantioselectivity for a wider
range of substrates have also been reported.[4] Several types of
chiral bridging ligands of the dirhodium(II) catalysts have
been used to achieve high catalytic activity and enantiose-
lectivity. Monomeric Cu,[5] Ru,[6,7] Co,[7] and Ir[8] complexes
coordinated with chiral ligands are another class of successful
catalysts for asymmetric cyclopropanation. A bis(oxazoline)
rhodium(II) complex was reported as a rare monomeric
rhodium catalyst for the asymmetric cyclopropanation of
alkenes with ethyl diazoacetate.[9,10]
malonate groups is realized only by an efficient enantioface
recognition by the approaching alkenes.[12a]
We recently reported that a rhodium(I) complex coordi-
nated with triphenylphosphine and a chiral diene ligand based
on a tetrafluorobenzobarrelene (tfb) skeleton[16] efficiently
catalyzes the asymmetric cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes,
where the active cationic rhodium species has a stereochem-
ically controlled single coordination site on the rhodium
center for electrophilic activation of the alkyne moiety
(Scheme 1).[16c] We focused on a similar type of rhodium(I)
catalyst bearing a single coordination site for the decompo-
sition of dimethyl diazomalonate (2) to generate the rhodium-
carbene A in the asymmetric cyclopropanation of alkenes
(Scheme 2). Our newly designed rhodium catalyst involves a
chelating chiral diene moiety and a carbonyl oxygen as an
intramolecularly coordinating functional group.
There have been many successful reports on the asym-
metric cyclopropanation of alkenes with diazo com-
pounds,[11–13] but the reaction with metal carbenes of malonate
groups remains to be developed although the enantioenriched
cyclopropane gem-diesters are very useful in total synthesis.[14]
Diazomalonate derivatives are substantially less reactive
toward the transition-metal-mediated decomposition leading
to metal–carbene species.[15] In the cyclopropanation reaction
with diazomalonates the enantioselectivity was generally low,
and the highest ee value reported to date was 50% in the
asymmetric cyclopropanation with dimethyl diazomalonate
catalyzed by a chiral dirhodium(II) carboxamidate.[11b] The
difficulty in enantiocontrol with symmetrical alkyl diazomal-
onates is attributed to the lack of enantioface differentiation
of the symmetrically substituted metal-carbene moiety, and
thus the asymmetric cyclopropanation with metal carbenes of
Scheme 1. The cationic rhodium complex coordinated with a chiral
diene and PPh3 in the asymmetric cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes.
[*] Dr. T. Nishimura, Y. Maeda, Prof. Dr. T. Hayashi
Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science
Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)
Scheme 2. Asymmetric cyclopropanation catalyzed by chiral diene–
Fax: (+81)75-753-3988
rhodium complexes.
E-mail: tnishi@kuchem.kyoto-u.ac.jp
thayashi@kuchem.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Several chiral rhodium(I) catalysts were tested to estimate
their catalytic activity and enantioselectivity in the cyclo-
propanation of styrene (1a, 5 equiv) with dimethyl diazo-
malonate (2) in toluene at 608C for 24 hours (Table 1). The
[**] This work has been supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific
Research (S) from the MEXT (Japan).
Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW
under http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.201003775.
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Table 1: Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric cyclopropanation of styrene
1a.[a]
produced 3a in 81% yield with 75% ee (Table 1, entry 9). It is
remarkable that the use of C1-symmetric L6 substituted with a
methyl and a 2-(amido)phenyl group gave 3a in 76% yield
(Table 1, entry 10). These results indicate that the presence of
one amide group on the ligand is responsible for the high
catalytic activity. The use of isolated monomeric rhodium–
diene complex [RhCl((R,R)-L5)] (Scheme 3, see below)
Entry
Rhodium catalyst
Yield [%][b]
ee [%][c]
1
2
3
4
[{RhCl((R)-binap)}2]
0
0
–
–
–
[{RhCl((R)-binap)}2]/NaBArF
4
[RhCl(PPh3)((R,R)-L1)]/NaBArF
4[d]
3[d]
11
11[d]
64
70
81
76
84
3[d]
86
62
[e]
4
[e]
[{RhCl((R,R)-L2)}2]
–
[{RhCl((R,R)-L2)}2]/NaBArF
6 (S)
–
Scheme 3. Synthesis of [RhCl((R,R)-L5)].
5
4
6[f]
7
[{RhCl((R,R)-L2)}2]/NaBArF
[e]
4
[RhCl(C2H4)2]2/(R,R)-L3/NaBArF
[RhCl(C2H4)2]2/(R,R)-L4/NaBArF
[RhCl(C2H4)2]2/(R,R)-L5/NaBArF
[RhCl(C2H4)2]2/(S,S)-L6/NaBArF
33 (S)
39 (S)
75 (S)
43 (R)
83 (S)
4
4
4
combined with NaBArF led to higher enantioselectivity
8
9
4
compared with that generated in situ and gave 3a in 84%
yield with 83% ee (Table 1, entry 11). In the absence of
10
11
12
13[g]
14[g,h]
4
[RhCl((R,R)-L5)]/NaBArF
[RhCl((R,R)-L5)]
NaBArF , the complex [RhCl((R,R)-L5)] had no catalytic
4
4
[e]
–
activity, indicating that an active single coordination site on a
cationic rhodium is essential for the catalytic activity (Table 1,
entry 12). The reaction proceeded well even at 408C to give
3a in 86% yield with 89% ee (Table 1, entry 13). The
cyclopropanation of 1.2 equiv of styrene also proceeded,
although a slight decrease of the yield and ee value was
observed (62% yield with 84% ee; Table 1, entry 14). The
absolute configuration of 3a produced by use of (R,R)-L5 was
determined to be (S)-(À) by comparison of its specific
rotation with the value reported previously.[19]
We succeeded in the determination of the structure of the
chloro rhodium complex [RhCl((R,R)-L5)] by X-ray crystal-
lographic analysis (Scheme 3 and Figure 1a).[20] A rhodium(I)
center of [RhCl((R,R)-L5)] is coordinated with a diene
moiety and a carbonyl oxygen on the benzene ring together
with a chloride ligand. The 1H NMR spectrum (CDCl3) of the
complex [RhCl((R,R)-L5)] had signals corresponding to two
non-equivalent vinylic groups (d = 2.95 and 4.03 ppm) and
two bridgehead protons (d = 5.55 and 5.99 ppm), which
indicates that the complex is not a chloro-bridged dimer but
[RhCl((R,R)-L5)]/NaBArF
[RhCl((R,R)-L5)]/NaBArF
89 (S)
84 (S)
4
4
[a] Reaction conditions: rhodium catalyst (2 mol% of Rh), 1a (5 equiv),
2 (0.50m), with or without NaBArF4 (4 mol%) in toluene at 608C for 24 h.
Rh/L=(1.0:1.1) in entries 7–10. [b] Yield of isolated product. [c] Deter-
mined by HPLC analysis with chiral stationary phase column (Chiralcel
OD-H). [d] Determined by 1H NMR. [e] Not determined. [f] For 48 h.
[g] At 408C for 48 h. [h] Reaction of 1.2 equiv of styrene.
rhodium/bisphosphine
catalyst
[{RhCl((R)-binap)}2][17]
(2 mol% Rh) had no catalytic activity for the formation of
cyclopropane diester 3a with or without NaBArF (4 mol%)
4
(ArF = 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl), which was used for
the generation of cationic complexes (Table 1, entries 1 and
2). The [RhCl(PPh3)((R,R)-L1)]/NaBArF catalyst, which
4
efficiently catalyzes the asymmetric cycloisomerization of
1,6-enynes (Scheme 1), gave only 4% yield of 3a (Table 1,
entry 3). The rhodium catalyst coordinated with phenyl
substituted tfb ligand L2 [{RhCl((R,R)-L2)}2][16a] was also
inactive for the present reaction (Table 1, entry 4). Although
the cationic RhI/L2 catalyst gave an 11% yield of 3a (Table 1,
entry 5), the ee value of 3a was low (6% ee) and the catalyst
lost its catalytic activity, resulting in 11% yield of 3a even
after a prolonged reaction time (48 hours; Table 1, entry 6).[18]
In contrast, newly designed chiral diene ligands L3–L6
bearing an ester or an amide group at the ortho position of
the phenyl ring were found to display high catalytic activity
(Table 1, entries 7–10). Thus, the reaction in the presence of
[{RhCl(C2H4)2}2], (R,R)-L3 (2 mol% of Rh, Rh/L3 = 1.0/1.1),
and NaBArF gave 64% yield of 3a with 33% ee (Table 1,
4
entry 7). The use of L4 substituted with (diethylamido)phenyl
groups also gave 3a in 70% yield with 39% ee (Table 1,
entry 8). Higher enantioselectivities were observed by using
L5, which contains 2-(diisopropylamido)phenyl groups and
Figure 1. a) ORTEP of [RhCl((R,R)-L5)] (ellipsoids set at 50% proba-
bility level; hydrogen atoms omitted for clarity). b) ORTEP of [Rh-
((R,R)-L5)PF6] set at 50% probability level. The PF6À counterion and
the hydrogen atoms are omitted for clarity.
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Communications
gel with hexane/ethyl acetate (3:1) to give 3a (40.1 mg, 0.171 mmol,
86%).
has a monomeric C1-symmetric form in solution. The cationic
complex [Rh((R,R)-L5)PF6] was also isolated by the reaction
of [RhCl((R,R)-L5)] with AgPF6, and it was characterized by
X-ray crystallographic analysis (Figure 1b).[21] A rhodium
center of the cationic complex is coordinated with two
carbonyl oxygen atoms to provide a C2-symmetric square
planar structure.
Received: June 21, 2010
Published online: August 26, 2010
Keywords: asymmetric synthesis · chiral dienes ·
.
cyclopropanation · diazomalonate · rhodium
Table 2 summarizes the results obtained for the reactions
of several alkenes 1 with dimethyl diazomalonate (2), which
were carried out in the presence of [RhCl((R,R)-L5)]
(2 mol%) and NaBArF (4 mol%) at 408C. The cyclopropa-
4
[1] For reviews of chiral diene ligands, see: a) R. Shintani, T.
Hayashi, Aldrichimica Acta 2009, 42, 31; b) C. Defieber, H.
Grꢀtzmacher, E. M. Carreira, Angew. Chem. 2008, 120, 4558;
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 4482.
Table 2: Asymmetric cyclopropanation of alkenes
diazomalonate (2).[a]
1
with dimethyl
[2] For selected examples, see: a) T. Hayashi, K. Ueyama, N.
Tokunaga, K. Yoshida, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 11508; b) Y.
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by chiral diene–metal complexes other than addition of organ-
ometallic reagents; see: a) C. Fischer, C. Defieber, T. Suzuki,
E. M. Carreira, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 1628; b) R.
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Ref. [16c].
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f) M. P. Doyle, Chem. Rev. 1986, 86, 919.
Entry
R
Yield [%][b]
ee [%][c]
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Ph (1a)
86 (3a)
78 (3b)
79 (3c)
76 (3d)
96 (3e)
64 (3 f)
57 (3g)
62 (3h)
14 (3i)
89 (S)
88 (S)
87 (S)
88 (S)
80 (S)
90 (S)
87 (S)
57
2-MeC6H4 (1b)
3-MeC6H4 (1c)
4-MeC6H4 (1d)
4-MeOC6H4 (1e)
4-ClC6H4 (1 f)
4-CF3C6H4 (1g)
[a-methylstyrene, 1h]
PhCH2CH2 (1i)
29
[a] Reaction conditions: [RhCl((R,R)-L5)] (2 mol%), 1 (1.00 mmol), 2
(0.20 mmol), NaBArF (4 mol%), toluene (0.4 mL) at 408C. For 48 h
4
(entries 1, 4, and 6), and 72 h (other entries). [b] Yield of isolated
product. [c] Determined by HPLC analysis.
nation of styrene derivatives bearing a variety of substituents
on the benzene rings gave the corresponding cyclopropane
diesters in good yields, with enantioselectivities ranging from
80 to 90% ee (Table 2, entries 2–7). The reaction of a-
methylstyrene (1h) gave 62% yield of 3h with modest
enantioselectivity (57% ee; Table 2, entry 8). Both the yield
and the enantioselectivity were low in the reaction of 4-
phenylbut-1-ene (1i) (Table 2, entry 9).
In summary, we have developed new chiral diene ligands
for rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric cyclopropanation of
alkenes with dimethyl diazomalonate. The intramolecular
coordination of the diene moiety and the carbonyl oxygen on
the ligand to the rhodium(I) center was found to be important
for high catalytic activity.
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[10] For an example of monomeric RhI-catalyzed polymerization of
ethyl diazoacetate, see: a) D. G. H. Hetterscheid, C. Hendriksen,
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7896.
Experimental Section
NaBArF4 (7.4 mg calculated as dihydrate, 0.0080 mmol) was added to
a solution of [RhCl((R,R)-L5)] (3.1 mg, 0.0040 mmol), styrene (1a)
(104.2 mg, 1.00 mmol), and dimethyl diazomalonate (2) (31.6 mg,
0.200 mmol) in toluene (0.4 mL), and the mixture was stirred at 408C
for 48 h. The mixture was filtered though a short silica gel column
with ethyl acetate, and the eluate was concentrated on a rotary
evaporator. The residue was subjected to preparative TLC on silica
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[18] In entries 1–6 and 12 of Table 1, a significant amount of
unreacted 2 was observed by 1H NMR spectroscopy of the
crude mixture (for example, 86% for entry 5 and 77% for
entry 6).
[19] E. J. Corey, T. G. Gant, Tetrahedron Lett. 1994, 35, 5373.
[20] CCDC 775834 ([RhCl((R,R)-L5)]) and 775847 ([Rh((R,R)-
L5)PF6]) 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.
[21] The cationic complex [Rh((R,R)-L5)PF6] also catalyzed the
asymmetric cyclopropanation of 1a with 2 in 1,2-dichloroethane
(owing to the low solubility of the complex) to give 3a in 69%
yield with 71% ee.
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alkenes with dimethyl diazomalonate catalyzed by a dirhodium
carboxylate, see: F. Gonzꢃlez-Bobes, M. D. B. Fenster, S. Kiau,
L. Kolla, S. Kolotuchin, M. Soumeillant, Adv. Synth. Catal. 2009,
350, 813.
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