An alternative stereoselective synthesis of (R)- and (S)-Rosaphen® via asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation.

We report an alternative synthesis of the two enantiomers of the floral fragrance Rosaphen®. The key intermediate 2-methyl-5-phenylpentanoic acid 3 is synthesized via asymmetric hydrogenation (ee up to 99%) in the presence of an in situ prepared ruthenium catalyst containing the chiral ferrocenyl phosphine Mandyphos-4.

Homogeneous asymmetric catalysis in fragrance chemistry.

Opposite enantiomers of a chiral fragrance may exhibit different olfactory activities making a synthesis in high enantiomeric purity commercially and scientifically interesting. Accordingly, the asymmetric synthesis of four chiral odorants, Fixolide, Phenoxanol, Citralis, and Citralis Nitrile, has been investigated with the aim to develop practically feasible processes. In the devised synthetic schemes, the key step that leads to the formation of the stereogenic center is the homogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation of a prochiral olefin. By an appropriate choice of the catalyst and the reaction conditions, Phenoxanol, Citralis, and Citralis Nitrile were obtained in high enantiomeric purity, and odor profiles of the single enantiomers were determined.

Mechanistic study on the coupling reaction of aryl bromides with arylboronic acids catalyzed by (iminophosphine)palladium(0) complexes. Detection of a palladium(II) intermediate with a coordinated boron anion.

The complexes [Pd(eta2-dmfu)(P-N)] [P-N = 2-(PPh2)C6H4-1-CH=NR, R = C(6)H(4)OMe-4; CHMe2; C6H3Me2-2,6; C6H3(CHMe2)-2,6] react with an excess of BrC6H4R1-4 (R1= CF3; Me) yielding the oxidative addition products [PdBr(C6H4R1-4)(P-N)] at different rates depending on R [C6H4OMe-4 > C6H3(CHMe2)-2,6 > CHMe2 approximately C6H3Me2-2,6] and R1 (CF3>> Me). In the presence of K2CO3 and activated olefins (ol = dmfu, fn), the latter compounds react with an excess of 4-R2C6H4B(OH)2 (R2= H, Me, OMe, Cl) to give [Pd(eta2-ol)(P-N)] and the corresponding biaryl through transmetallation and fast reductive elimination. The transmetallation proceeds via a palladium(II) intermediate with an O-bonded boron anion, the formation of which is markedly retarded by increasing the bulkiness of R. The intermediate was isolated for R = CHMe2, R1 = CF3 and R2= H. The boron anion is formulated as a diphenylborinate anion associated with phenylboronic acid and/or as a phenylboronate anion associated with diphenylborinic acid. In general, the oxidative addition proceeds at a lower rate than transmetallation and represents the rate-determining-step in the coupling reaction of aryl bromides with arylboronic acids catalyzed by [Pd(eta2-dmfu)(P-N)].