Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Azaindoles: Chemo- and Enantioselective Reduction of Fused Aromatic Ring Systems Consisting of Two Heteroarenes.

High enantioselectivity was achieved for the hydrogenation of azaindoles by using the chiral catalyst, which was prepared from [Ru(η(3) -methallyl)2 (cod)] and a trans-chelating bis(phosphine) ligand (PhTRAP). The dearomative reaction exclusively occurred on the five-membered ring, thus giving the corresponding azaindolines with up to 97:3 enantiomer ratio.

Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Isoxazolium Triflates with a Chiral Iridium Catalyst.

The iridium catalyst [IrCl(cod)]2 -phosphine-I2 (cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene) selectively reduced isoxazolium triflates to isoxazolines or isoxazolidines in the presence of H2 . The iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation proceeded in high-to-good enantioselectivity when an optically active phosphine-oxazoline ligand was used. The 3-substituted 5-arylisoxazolium salts were transformed into 4-isoxazolines with up to 95:5 enantiomeric ratio (e.

Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of quinoline carbocycles: unusual chemoselectivity in the hydrogenation of quinolines.

The reduction of quinolines selectively took place on their carbocyclic rings to give 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolines, when the hydrogenation was conducted in the presence of a Ru(η(3)-methallyl)2(cod)-PhTRAP catalyst. The chiral ruthenium catalyst converted 8-substituted quinolines into chiral 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolines with up to 91 : 9 er.

Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of pyrimidines.

The asymmetric hydrogenation of pyrimidines proceeded with high enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee) using an iridium catalyst composed of [IrCl(cod)]2, a ferrocene-containing chiral diphosphine ligand (Josiphos), iodine, and Yb(OTf)3 (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene). The chiral catalyst converted various 4-substituted pyrimidines into chiral 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidines in high yield. The lanthanide triflate is crucial for achieving the high enantioselectivity as well as for activating the heteroarene substrate.

Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of N-Boc-imidazoles and oxazoles.

Substituted imidazoles and oxazoles were respectively hydrogenated into the corresponding chiral imidazolines and oxazolines (up to 99% ee). The highly enantioselective hydrogenation was achieved by using the chiral ruthenium catalyst, which is generated from Ru(η(3)-methallyl)(2)(cod) and a trans-chelating chiral bisphosphine ligand, PhTRAP. This is the first successful catalytic asymmetric reduction of 5-membered aromatic rings containing two or more heteroatoms.

Benzyl protection of phenols under neutral conditions: palladium-catalyzed benzylations of phenols.

Benzyl protection of phenols under neutral conditions was achieved by using a Pd(eta3-C3H5)Cp-DPEphos catalyst. The palladium catalyst efficiently converted aryl benzyl carbonates into benzyl-protected phenols through the decarboxylative etherification. Alternatively, the nucleophilic substitution of benzyl methyl carbonates with phenols proceeded in the presence of the catalyst, yielding aryl benzyl ethers.