checked the performance of monosubstituted allenediene 1a
(R = Me, R’ = H, X = C(CO2Me)2) in the presence of several
chiral phosphoramidite/gold catalysts (Table 1). Gratifyingly,
ratio and a good 74% combined yield (Table 1, entry 3).
Importantly, analysis of the enantioselectivity of this reaction
revealed that 2b was obtained in 87% ee,[16] thus confirming
the potential of this phosphoramidite/gold catalyst to induce
high levels of asymmetry in these (4+3) cycloadditions.
As is shown in Table 1 (Table 1, entries 3–6), precatalyst
(R,R,R)-Au5, which bears 9-anthracenyl groups at the 3 and 3’
positions of the binaphthol unit, provided the best selectivity
in favor of the (4+3) adducts, as well as the highest ee values.
A related phenanthryl-derived complex (R,R,R)-Au6 also
provided the (4+3) adducts 2b and 2b’ with a good 85% ee,
however, the reaction also gave a considerable amount of the
(2+2) cycloadduct 4b (Table 1, entry 4).[17] Other precatalysts,
such as the phenyl-derived complex (R,R,R)-Au4 and the 3,3’
nonsubstituted catalyst (R,R,R)-Au3, led to much lower
ee values (Table 1, entries 5 and 6). The counterion seems to
have little effect on the enantioselectivity (Table 1, entries 7–
10). Thus, an equimolar combination of AgSbF6 and (R,R,R)-
Au5 turned out to be the optimum catalyst. Importantly,
reduction of the catalyst loading to 5 mol%, and even
2 mol%, did not affect the enantioselectivity, although the
transformation requires longer reaction times and leads to
slightly lower yields (Table 1, entries 11 and 12).[18]
Once an optimum catalytic system had been established,
we evaluated the versatility and scope of the process, typically
using 5 mol% of (R,R,R)-Au5/AgSbF6. As shown in the
Table 2, allenediene 1c, with an electron-donating ortho-
methoxy substituent on the aryl group of the allene, also
participated in the cycloaddition, thus providing the (4+3)
cycloadducts 2c/2c’ in 91% yield and 88% ee (Table 2,
entry 2). In contrast, electron-withdrawing substituents on
the aromatic ring, such as a para-trifluoromethyl group, were
not tolerated, thus leading to complete recovery of the
starting material (Table 2, entry 3). The presence of the
Table 1: Preliminary screening on cycloadditions of 1a–b.[a,b]
Entry
1
1
AgX
Au*
Au5
t [h]
Products
(ratio)[c]
Yield
[%][d]
ee (2)
[%][e]
[f]
1a
AgSbF6
4
2a/2a’/4a
(3:2:1)
4a[g]
2b/2b’
(8:1)
55
–
2
3
1a
1b
AgSbF6
AgSbF6
Au2
Au5
0.5
8
40[h]
74
–
87
4
5
6
7
8
9
1b
1b
1b
1b
1b
1b
AgSbF6
AgSbF6
AgSbF6
AgBF4
Au6[i]
Au3
Au4
Au5
Au5
Au5
5
17
5
2b/2b’/4b
(1:1:1)
2b/2b’
(2:1)
2b/2b’
(4:1)
69[j]
70
75
46
64
10
85
13
40
81
84
84
48
36
35
2b/2b’
(1:0)
AgNTf2
AgOTf
2b/2b’
(13:1)
2b/2b’
(15:1)
–
2b/2b’
(9:1)
2b/2b’
(9:1)
[k]
10
1b
1b
AgOTs
AgSbF6
Au5
Au5
–
11
–
–
87
11[l]
64
12[m]
1b
AgSbF6
Au5
14
56
85
Table 2: Enantioselective (4+3) cycloadditions of allenedienes 1, cata-
lyzed by (R,R,R)-Au5/AgSbF6.[a,b]
[a] Allenediene 1 (1 equiv) was added to a mixture of AgX (10 mol%) and
(R,R,R)-Au* (10 mol%), in CH2Cl2 (0.1m) at À158C and the mixture was
slowly warmed to RT. [b] Conversions are greater than 99%, as
1
determined by H NMR spectroscopy, unless otherwise noted.
1
[c] Determined by H NMR spectroscopy of the crude mixtures.
[d] Combined yield of 2 and 2’ upon isolation unless otherwise noted.
[e] Determined by HPLC. [f] The ee value was not determined. [g] Result
taken from reference [10a]: 4a was observed together with other
unknown products. [h] Yield of 4a as determined by GC analysis. [i] Au6:
Ar=9-phenanthryl. [j] Combined yield of 2b, 2b’, and 4b. [k] 0%
conversion; 1b was recovered after 24 h. [l] Used 5 mol% of (R,R,R)-
Au5/AgSbF6 . [m] Used 2 mol% of (R,R,R)-Au5/AgSbF6.
Entry
1
R
X
2/2’[c] Yield [%][d] ee (2) [%]
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1b C6H5
C(CO2Me)2 9 :1
64
87
88[e]
–
1c 2-OMeC6H4 C(CO2Me)2 3.5:1 91
1d 4-F3CC6H4
1e C6H5
1 f 2-MeC6H4
1g 3-MeC6H4
1h 2-OMeC6H4 NTs
[f]
C(CO2Me)2
NTs
NTs
–
–
1:0
1:0
1:0
1:0
74
68
75
80
95
95
95
98
treatment of this substrate with (R,R,R)-Au5/AgSbF6
(10 mol%), provided the (4+3) cycloadducts 2a and 2a’
(3:2 ratio), together with a lower quantity of the (2+2) adduct
4a, in an 55% combined yield (Table 1, entry 1).[15] Interest-
ingly, the racemic phosphite/gold catalyst Au2/AgSbF6
affords a more complex mixture of products than the above
phosphoramidite catalyst (Table 1, entry 2).[10a] Pleasingly, the
cycloaddition of the related allenediene 1b, which bears a
phenyl group at the allene terminus, was completely selective,
thus providing the (4+3) cycloadducts 2b and 2b’ in a 8:1
NTs
[a] Allenediene 1 (1 equiv) was added to a mixture of AgSbF6 (5 mol%)
and (R,R,R)-Au5 (5 mol%), in CH2Cl2 (0.1m) at À158C and the mixture
slowly warmed to RT. [b] Conversions are greater than 99%, as
determined by H NMR spectroscopy, unless otherwise noted.
[c] Determined by H NMR spectroscopy of the crude mixtures.
1
1
[d] Combined yield of 2 and 2’ upon isolation. [e] Used 10 mol% of
catalyst. [f] 1d was recovered after 24 h at RT.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 11496 –11500
ꢀ 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim