Enantioselective bromocyclization of 2-geranylphenols induced by chiral phosphite-urea bifunctional catalysts.

Chiral phosphite-urea bifunctional catalysts have been developed for the enantioselective bromocyclization of 2-geranylphenols with N-bromophthalimide (NBP) for the first time. The chiral triaryl phosphite moiety activates NBP to generate a bromophosphonium ion. On the other hand, the urea moiety interacts with a hydroxyl group of the substrate through hydrogen bonding interactions.

Cooperative activation with chiral nucleophilic catalysts and N-haloimides: enantioselective iodolactonization of 4-arylmethyl-4-pentenoic acids.

Chiral triaryl phosphates promote the enantioselective iodolactonization of 4-substituted 4-pentenoic acids to give the corresponding iodolactones in high yields with high enantioselectivity. N-Chlorophthalimide (NCP) is employed as a Lewis acidic activator and oxidant of I2 for the present iodolactonization. In combination with 1.

Selective bromocyclization of 2-geranylphenols promoted by phosphite-urea cooperative catalysts.

Nucleophilic phosphite-urea cooperative catalysts are highly efficient for the bromonium-induced cyclization of 2-geranylphenols. Phosphite-N,N'-dimethylurea catalysts also show moderate activity, probably due to the steric effect of their bent conformation.