Resolution of terminal 1,2-diols via silyl transfer.

Through kinetic analysis and optimization, we report an improved resolution of terminal 1,2-diols via asymmetric silyl transfer. Because the reaction is a regiodivergent resolution, the monoprotected product could be isolated in excess of 95:5 er and 40% yield. The described method offers a means of chemically differentiating a terminal 1,2-diol with concomitant resolution of the enantiomers.

Site-selective catalysis: toward a regiodivergent resolution of 1,2-diols.

This paper demonstrates that the secondary hydroxyl can be functionalized in preference to the primary hydroxyl of a 1,2-diol. The site selectivity is achieved by using an enantioselective organic catalyst that is able to bond to the diol reversibly and covalently. The reaction has been parlayed into a divergent kinetic resolution on a racemic mixture, providing access to highly enantioenriched secondary-protected 1,2-diols in a single synthetic step.

Scaffolding Catalysis: Expanding the Repertoire of Bifunctional Catalysts.

Inducing an intramolecular reaction is a powerful means of accelerating reactions. Though this mechanism of catalysis is common in enzymes, it is underutilized in synthetic catalysts. This article outlines our group's recent efforts to use reversible covalent bonding to induce an intramolecular reaction, allowing for rate acceleration as well as control of the selectivity in the desymmetrization of 1,2-diols.

Scaffolding catalysts: highly enantioselective desymmetrization reactions.

Ex-changing places: a highly enantioselective desymmetrization of 1,2-diols has been developed in which the catalyst utilizes reversible covalent bonding to the substrate to achieve both high selectivity and rate acceleration (see scheme, PMP=pentalmethylpiperidine, TBS=tert-butyldimethylsilyl). Induced intramolecularity is responsible for the enhanced rate, thus allowing the reaction to be performed at room temperature.

Application of a chiral scaffolding ligand in catalytic enantioselective hydroformylation.

The synthesis of ß-amino-aldehydes has been achieved through enantioselective hydroformylation of PMP-protected allylic amines. The reaction is accomplished by using a scalemic scaffolding ligand that covalently and reversibly binds to the substrate. These ligands behave like chiral auxiliaries because they are covalently attached to the substrate during hydroformylation; however, similar to traditional asymmetric ligands, they can be used in catalytic quantities. The directed hydroformylation of disubstituted olefins occurs under mild conditions (35 °C and 50 psi CO/H(2)), and Z-olefins afford excellent enantioselectivities (up to 93% ee).

Regioselective hydroformylation of sulfonamides using a scaffolding ligand.

A highly regioselective hydroformylation of allylic sulfonamides has been developed by employing a catalytic directing group. The reaction tolerates a wide range of electronically and sterically modified olefins, and only 10% of the scaffolding ligand is required to effectively control the regioselectivity.

Palladium-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition of carbon dioxide and trimethylenemethane under mild conditions.

Carbon dioxide undergoes a Pd-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition with trimethylenemethane (TMM) under mild conditions (1 atm, 75 degrees C, 30 min) to produce a gamma-butyrolactone product in 63% yield, when the Pd-TMM complex is generated from 2-(acetoxymethyl)-3-(trimethylsilyl)propene. The reaction reported here is more rapid than the all-carbon [3+2] cycloaddition, and only the gamma-butyrolactone is produced in a competition experiment. With substituted substrates, the reaction is completely regioselective, producing the product derived from the kinetic Pd-TMM complex.