Ligand Effects in Carboxylic Ester- and Aldehyde-Assisted β-C-H Activation in Regiodivergent and Enantioselective Cycloisomerization-Hydroalkenylation and Cycloisomerization-Hydroarylation, and [2 + 2 + 2]-Cycloadditions of 1,6-Enynes.

Herein, we report room temperature, atom-economic protocols for high regio- and enantioselective tandem cycloisomerization-hydroarylation and cycloisomerization-hydroalkenylation of 1,6-enynes leading to vicinal -functionalized pyrrolidines, tetrahydrofurans, and cyclopentanes. The latter steps in these processes involve carbonyl-coordination-assisted C-H activation of aromatic aldehydes and esters, and, a similar, yet rarely seen, β-C-H activation in the case of the acrylates. Synthetically useful enantioselective versions of such reactions are rare and are limited to the C-H activation of indoles and pyrroles.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydroboration of α-Substituted Acrylates.

Even though metal-catalyzed enantioselective hydroborations of alkenes have attracted enormous attention, few preparatively useful reactions of α-alkyl acrylic acid derivatives are known, and most use rhodium catalysts. No examples of asymmetric hydroboration of the corresponding α-arylacrylic acid esters are known. In our continuing efforts to search for new applications of earth-abundant cobalt catalysts for broadly applicable organic transformations, we have identified 2-(2-diarylphosphinophenyl)oxazoline ligands and mild reaction conditions for efficient and highly regio- and enantioselective hydroboration of α-alkyl- and α-aryl- acrylates, giving β-borylated propionates.

Ligand Control in Co-Catalyzed Regio- and Enantioselective Hydroboration: Homoallyl Secondary Boronates via Uncommon 4,3-Hydroboration of 1,3-Dienes.

Enantiopure homoallylic boronate esters are versatile intermediates because the C-B bond in these compounds can be stereospecifically transformed into C-C, C-O, and C-N bonds. Regio- and enantioselective synthesis of these precursors from 1,3-dienes has few precedents in the literature. We have identified reaction conditions and ligands for the synthesis of nearly enantiopure (er >97:3 to >99:1) homoallylic boronate esters via a rarely seen cobalt-catalyzed [4,3]-hydroboration of 1,3-dienes.

Chemodivergent, Regio- and Enantioselective Cycloaddition Reactions between 1,3-Dienes and Alkynes.

Alkynes and 1,3-dienes are among the most readily available precursors for organic synthesis. We report two distinctly different, catalyst-dependent, modes of regio- and enantioselective cycloaddition reactions between these classes of compounds providing rapid access to highly functionalized 1,4-cyclohexadienes or cyclobutenes from the same precursors. Complexes of an earth abundant metal, cobalt, with several commercially available chiral bisphosphine ligands with narrow bite angles catalyze [4+2]-cycloadditions between a 1,3-diene and an alkyne giving a cyclohexa-1,4-diene in excellent chemo-, regio- and enantioselectivities.

Catalytic Enantioselective Hydrovinylation of Trialkylsilyloxy and Acetoxy-1,3-Dienes: Cationic Co(I) Complexes for the Synthesis of Chiral Enolate Surrogates and Their Applications for Synthesis of Ketones and Cross-Coupling Reagents in High Enantiomeric Purity.

()-2-Trialkylsilyloxy-1,3-dienes and the corresponding 2-acetoxy derivatives participate in cobalt-catalyzed heterodimerization reactions with ethylene, giving mostly 4,1-hydrovinylation products with addition of the vinyl group to C and H at C of the diene. The reaction, which gives highly functionalized, protected enolates, is best carried out at room temperature with the diene dissolved in methylene chloride and ethylene delivered from a balloon in the presence of a catalyst generated in situ by the reaction of (P~P)CoCl with methylaluminoxane (MAO). Commercially available chiral ligands, 2,3--isopropylidene-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4--(diphenylphosphino)butane (DIOP) and 2,4--diphenylphosphinopentane (BDPP) in combination with the earth-abundant metal cobalt, gave excellent regio- and enantio-selectivities (up to 99% ee) for the chiral enolate surrogates from both silyloxy and acetoxydienes.