Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Cross-Coupling of Aldehydes and Imines.

A copper-catalyzed enantioselective reductive cross-coupling using aromatic aldehydes and imines, producing chiral β-amino alcohols, is described. The catalytic formation of enantioenriched chiral α-alkoxyalkylcopper(I) species from aromatic aldehydes and the subsequent reaction with imine electrophiles are attractive features of this protocol.

Reductive Coupling between Aromatic Aldehydes and Ketones or Imines by Copper Catalysis.

The copper-catalyzed reductive coupling of two different carbonyl compounds has been achieved. The reaction of aromatic aldehydes and arylketones with a silylboronate in the presence of a catalytic amount of a CuCl-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex and a stoichiometric amount of alkoxide base yielded cross-coupled 1,2-diol derivatives. A reaction pathway is proposed that involves the catalytic formation of a nucleophilic α-silyloxybenzylcopper(I) species from the aromatic aldehyde and its subsequent coupling with the arylketone.