Efficient Synthesis of Differentiated syn-1,2-Diol Derivatives by Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation-Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of α-Alkoxy-Substituted β-Ketoesters

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/chem.201501884

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation was applied to a wide range of racemic aryl α-alkoxy-β-ketoesters in the presence of well-defined, commercially available, chiral catalyst Ru^II-(N-p-toluenesulfonyl-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine) and a 5:2 mixture of formic acid and triethylamine as the hydrogen source. Under these conditions, dynamic kinetic resolution was efficiently promoted to provide the corresponding syn α-alkoxy-β-hydroxyesters derived from substituted aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes with a high level of diastereoselectivity (diastereomeric ratio (d.r.)>99:1) and an almost perfect enantioselectivity (enantiomeric excess (ee)>99>). Additionally, after extensive screening of the reaction conditions, the use of Ru^II- and Rh^III-tethered precatalysts extended this process to more-challenging substrates that bore alkenyl-, alkynyl-, and alkyl substituents to provide the corresponding syn α-alkoxy-β-hydroxyesters with excellent enantiocontrol (up to 99‰ee) and good to perfect diastereocontrol (d.r.>99:1). Lastly, the synthetic utility of the present protocol was demonstrated by application to the asymmetric synthesis of chiral ester ethyl (2S)-2-ethoxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propanoate, which is an important pharmacophore in a number of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α/γ dual agonist advanced drug candidates used for the treatment of type-II diabetes. Ru^II-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation with dynamic kinetic resolution was successfully applied to a wide variety of racemic α-alkoxy-β-ketoesters derived from substituted aromatic and heteroaromatic benzaldehydes and cinnamaldehydes (see scheme; PMB=p-methoxybenzyl, S/C=substrate/catalyst ratio).