CuII-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of diaryl- and aryl heteroaryl ketones: Application in the enantioselective synthesis of orphenadrine and neobenodine

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/chem.201200379

With certain amounts of sodium tert-butoxide and tert-butanol as additives, catalytic amounts of an inexpensive and easy-to-handle copper source Cu(OAc)₂·H₂O, a commercially available and air-stable non-racemic dipyridylphosphine ligand, as well as the stoichiometric desirable hydride donor polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS), formed a versatile in situ catalyst system for the enantioselective reduction of a broad spectrum of prochiral diaryl and aryl heteroarylketones in air, in high yields and with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 96 %). In particular, the practical viability of this process was evinced by its successful applications in the asymmetric synthesis of optically enriched potent antihistaminic drugs orphenadrine and neobenodine. Copyright