HIGHLY ENANTIOSELECTIVE ISOMERIZATION OF PROCHIRAL ALLYLAMINES CATALYZED BY CHIRAL DIPHOSPHINE RHODIUM(I) COMPLEXES. PREPARATION OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE ENAMINES

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00330a029

Rh(I) complexes of types ClO4 and n>ClO4 (diphosphine = cis-chelating tertiary diphosphine; diene = 1,5-cyclooctadiene or norbornadiene; S = solvent) were found to be effective catalists for allylic hydrogen migration of tertiary and secondary allylamines to give the corresponding (E)-enamines and imines, respectively.Studies on diphosphine ligands with respect to the catalytic activity and product selectivity led to the discovery of a fully aryl-substituted diphosphine, BINAP <2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphtyl>, which produces very active Rh(I) complex catalysts.With ClO4 (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) or n>ClO4 as catalyst, (Z)-(diethylnerylamine, 1) or (E)-N,N-diethyl-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienylamine (diethylgeranylamine, 2) was isomerized into the racemic (E)-enamine (E)-N,N-diethyl-3,7dimethyl-1,6-octadienylamine (citronellenamine, 3) with a chemical selectivity of over 95percent, the 6-double bond being retained intact.A variety of substituted allylamines serves as the substrate, e.g., (E)-N,N-dimethyl-2-butenylamine, N,N-dimethyl-2-methyl-2-propenylamine, N,N-dimethyl-3-methyl-2-butenylamine, N,N-dimethyl-3-phenyl-2-butenylamine.Asymmetric isomerization of prochiral allylamines producing optically active enamines or imines can be effected with cationic Rh(I) complexes of various chiral diphosphine ligands such as (2R,3R)-DIOP and others.The ligand that gives the highest optical yield was (+)- or (-)-BINAP.Virtually perfect enantioselectivity (95-99percent ee) was achieved with ⁺ for the isomerization of 1 or 2 into the optically active (E)-enamine (3).A clear stereochemical correlation was established between the olefin geometry (E or Z) of substrates, the configuration of the chiral diphosphines (R or S), and the chiral carbon configuration of the product enamines (R or S).The present catalytic system thus provides a convenient and practical access to optically active aldehydes.For example, optically pure natural citronellal can be produced either from nerylamine with the Rh(I)-(+)-BINAP catalyst or from geranylamine with the Rh(I)-(-)-BINAP complex catalyst.