Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric 1,4-Additions, in Water at Room Temperature, with In-Flask Catalyst Recycling.

Using the newly introduced designer surfactant polyethyleneglycol ubiquinol sebacate (PQS), as the platform for micellar catalysis, nonracemic BINAP has been covalently attached and rhodium(I) inserted to form PQS-BINAP-Rh. This species, the first example of a nonracemically-ligated transition metal catalyst-tethered amphiphile, can be utilized for Rh-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition reactions of arylboronic acids to acyclic and cyclic enones. These are performed in water at room temperature, while the catalyst can be recycled without its removal from water in the reaction vessel.

Highly stereoselective anti SN2' substitutions of (Z)-allylic pentafluorobenzoates with polyfunctionalized zinc-copper reagents.

[reaction: see text] Allylic substitution reactions of zinc-copper organometallics on (Z)-allylic pentafluorobenzoates proceed with very high regioselectivity and excellent anti selectivity. The high fidelity in transfer of stereochemical information allowed a short synthesis of (+)-ibuprofen (97% ee).