Tunable phosphinite, phosphite and phosphoramidite ligands for the asymmetric hydrovinylation reactions

Only a limited number of ligands have been successfully employed for the Ni-catalyzed asymmetric hydrovinylation reaction. Diarylphosphinites, carrying β-acylamino groups prepared from readily available carbohydrates, in conjunction with highly dissociated counteranions {[(3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]4B− or SbF6−}, effect the hydrovinylation of vinylarenes under ambient pressure of ethylene with high enantioselectivity. Nitrogen substituents such as –COCF3 and COPh groups lead to isomerization of the primary products (3-arylbutenes) to Z- and E-2-aryl-2-butenes. In a prototypical synthesis of a 2-arylproionic acid, (S)-3-(4-bromophenyl)-1-butene (89% ee) has be transformed into (R)-ibuprofen by Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling with i-BuMgBr, followed by oxidation of the double bond with NaIO4 and KMnO4. Asymmetric codimerization of norbonene and ethylene using binaphthol-derived phosphoramidites as ligands gives 1:1, 2:1 or polymeric adducts depending on the relative configurations and nature of the BINAP and amine moieties. With one of the phosphoramidite–Ni complexes, counteranions BAr4− [Ar=3,5-(CF3)2C6H3] and SbF6−, which had been used interchangeably in other reactions, give either a 1:1 adduct or a 2:1 adduct, respectively.