Angewandte
Communications
Chemie
[
a]
Table 1: Optimization of reaction parameters.
effect of the chloride anions more
pronounced. To our delight, regio-
selectivity
was
dramatically
improved with the use of crotyl
chloride, albeit with diminished
diastereoselectivity (entry 5).
Previous work demonstrating
the marked effect of bases on
regio- and diastereoselectivity in
iridium-catalyzed allylic alkylations
prompted an extensive exploration
of bases (see Supporting Informa-
[
c]
Entry
L
Base
Additive
mol %)
LG
4:5 Yield of
6+7 [%]
6:7
dr of
6
ee of
6 [%]
[
b]
[c]
[d]
(
1
2
3
4
5
6
L1
L1
L1
L1
L1
–
LiBr (100) OCO Me 2:1
100
85
100
69
55:45 6.4:1
34:66 5.3:1
45:55 6.8:1
50:50 7.2:1
86:14 4.8:1
–
–
–
–
–
2
LiOt-Bu
LiOt-Bu
LiOt-Bu
LiOt-Bu
–
OCO Me 2:1
2
LiBr (100) OCO Me 2:1
LiCl (100) OCO Me 2:1
LiCl (100)
2
2
[
5–8]
tion for details).
We found that
Cl
Cl
2:1
2:1
94
100
L1 proton sponge LiCl (100)
93:7
7.9:1
66
the use of proton sponge in place of
LiOt-Bu afforded the desired
branched product 6 with high regio-
selectivity (93:7, 6:7) and diastereo-
selectivity (7.9:1 dr), though in
a modest 66% enantiomeric excess
7
8
9
L3 proton sponge LiCl (100)
L4 proton sponge LiCl (100)
L2 proton sponge LiCl (100)
Cl
Cl
Cl
2:1
2:1
2:1
79
91
46
69:31 2.4:1
52:48 1.5:1
95:5
–
–
96
6.0:1
1
0
L2 proton sponge
–
Cl
2:1 trace
–
–
–
(
entry 6). A brief study of ligand
1
1
L2 proton sponge LiCl (400)
Cl
2:1
78
94:6
6.7:1
97
[
9]
frameworks (entries 7–9) revealed
3,3’-diphenyl-phosphoramidite L2
to be optimal. Using L2, allylic
alkylation product 6 was obtained
1
1
2
3
L2 proton sponge LiCl (400)
L2 proton sponge LiCl (400)
Cl
Cl
1:1
1:2
55
76
95:5
>95:5
5.3:1
5.3:1
98
85
in
excellent
enantioselectivity
(96% ee) with comparable regio-
and diastereoselectivities to L1,
though in considerably lower yield
(entry 9). Efforts to increase the
yield revealed super-stoichiometric
levels of LiCl to be both essential
and correlative to the conversion
(entries 10 and 11). Ultimately, we
[
a] Reactions performed on 0.1 mmol scale using base (200 mol %), [Ir(cod)Cl] (2 mol %), L (4 mol %),
2
1
and TBD (10 mol %) in THF (0.1m) at 258C for 18 h. [b] H NMR yield of the mixture of diastereomers
based on internal standard. [c] Determined by H NMR analysis of the crude reaction mixture.
[
1
found that the combination of cata-
d] Determined by chiral SFC analysis. [e] TBD=1,3,5-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene, proton
1
sponge=1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene.
lytic phosphoramidite L2· = [Ir-
2
(cod)Cl]2, 200 mol
%
proton
sponge, and 400 mol % LiCl deliv-
ered product 6 in 78% yield (entry 11) with an exceptional
branched to linear ratio (94:6, 6:7), diastereoselectivity (6.7:1
dr), and enantioselectivity (97% ee). Finally, it should be
noted that we observed optimal conversion and selectivity
using a 2:1 nucleophile to electrophile ratio; however, the
nucleophile and electrophile stoichiometry could be varied
(1:1 or 1:2) without dramatically affecting reaction conversion
or selectivity, rendering the reaction synthetically practical
1
[6a]
L1· = [Ir(cod)Cl] and either LiBr (Table 1, entry 1), LiOt-
2
2
[
6b]
Bu (entry 2),
or a combination of LiBr and LiOt-Bu
(
entry 3). Unfortunately, while these conditions resulted in
excellent conversion and good diastereoselectivity, low levels
of regioselectivity were observed. As our earlier work on
cinnamyl-derived electrophiles revealed that the regioselec-
tivity improved as carbocation stability increased (i.e.,
[6b]
increasingly electron-rich aromatic cinnamyl derivatives),
[
10]
we reasoned that the poor regioselectivity in this case was
likely due to the minimal stabilization of the carbocation
afforded by the methyl substituent of 5. Specifically, we
hypothesized that the attenuated carbocation stability could
be effecting slow equilibration between diastereomers of the
iridium p-allyl complex, translating into diminished regio-
selectivity. Previous reports have proposed that LiCl may
facilitate the equilibration leading to increased regio- and
(entries 12 and 13).
With the optimized conditions identified, we explored the
substrate scope of this enantio-, diastereo-, and regioselective
allylic alkylation reaction (Table 2). Generally, the process is
tolerant of a wide range of substituents and functionality on
[
12]
both the arene and ester groups. We found that increasing
the size of the ester moiety (ÀCO Me, ÀCO Et, ÀCO i-Pr)
2
2
2
resulted in formation of the corresponding products 6, 10a,
and 10b in increasingly improved regio- and diastereoselec-
tivity but moderately diminished yields. As a balance between
yield and selectivity, we moved forward in our investigation
using a-carboxyethyl tetralone derivatives. Moreover, we
were pleased to find that a (2-trimethylsilyl)ethyl substrate
underwent allylic alkylation to provide 10c with good
[
10]
enantioselectivity,
but we noted little improvement in
selectivity with the use of LiCl as compared to LiBr (entry 4).
We subsequently turned our attention to the nature of the
leaving group on the electrophile. We envisioned that switch-
ing from crotyl methyl carbonate to crotyl chloride would
render the anions in solution congruent and perhaps make the
2
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Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 1 – 5
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