Systematic Evaluation of 1,2-Migratory Aptitude in Alkylidene Carbenes.

Alkylidene carbenes undergo rapid inter- and intramolecular reactions and rearrangements, including 1,2-migrations of ß-substituents to generate alkynes. Their propensity for substituent migration exerts profound influence over the broader utility of alkylidene carbene intermediates, yet prior efforts to categorize 1,2-migratory aptitude in these elusive species have been hampered by disparate modes of carbene generation, ultrashort carbene lifetimes, mechanistic ambiguities, and the need to individually prepare a series of 13C-labeled precursors. Herein we report on the rearrangement of 13C-alkylidene carbenes generated in situ by the homologation of carbonyl compounds with [13C]-Li-TMS-diazomethane, an approach that obviates the need for isotopically labeled substrates and has expedited a systematic investigation (13C{1H} NMR, DLPNO-CCSD(T)) of migratory aptitudes in an unprecedented range of more than 30 alkylidene carbenes. Hammett analyses of the reactions of 26 differentially substituted benzophenones reveal several counterintuitive features of 1,2-migration in alkylidene carbenes that may prove of utility in the study and synthetic application of unsaturated carbenes more generally.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Planar Chiral Ferrocifens that Show Chiral Discrimination in Antiproliferative Activity on Breast Cancer Cells.

The design and first enantioselective synthesis of a series of chiral ferrocifens and ferrociphenols was realised by enantioselective palladium-catalysed intramolecular direct C-H bond activation followed by McMurry coupling. Biological evaluation revealed moderate anticancer activities on breast cancer cells and evidence of chiral discrimination between enantiomers. Treatment of the novel ferrocifens with Ag2 O revealed that these systems are unable to form a neutral quinone methide, yet still demonstrate marked antiproliferative properties against both the hormone-dependent MCF-7 and hormone-independent MDA-MB-231 cell lines. This bioactivity arises from two mechanisms: Fenton-type chemistry and the anti-estrogenic activity associated with the tamoxifen-like structure.

A Family of Chiral Ferrocenyl Diols: Modular Synthesis, Solid-State Characterization, and Application in Asymmetric Organocatalysis.

Readily available chiral diol scaffolds are useful as sources of chirality for asymmetric synthesis, however, few such scaffolds are readily available in enantiopure form. Reported herein is a cheap and modular synthesis of a novel family of chiral ferrocenyl diols in excellent yields with excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivity (>99 % ee and 99 % de). These diols possess not only planar and central chirality, but also axial chirality around the central iron atom. Characterization of these diols by X-ray crystallography revealed intra- and intermolecular hydrogen-bond networks depending on substitution at the carbinol positions. The potential of these diols as catalysts was subsequently demonstrated in an asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reaction which provided cycloadducts in up to 84 % yield with ee values ranging from -92 to +72 %.

Exploiting the gem-Disubstitution Effect in FcPHOX and HetPHOX P,N Ligands: Synthesis and Applications in Pd-Catalyzed Intermolecular Heck Reactions.

The synthesis of a range of novel gem-disubstituted and electronically varied thiophene-oxazoline (HetPHOX) ligands and ferrocene-oxazoline (FcPHOX) ligands and their application in the Pd-catalyzed intermolecular asymmetric Heck reaction (IAH) is described. These investigations show that gem-disubstitution of i-Pr-PHOX-type ligands can lead to effective and cost-efficient alternatives to the corresponding t-Bu-PHOX systems. The Pd complexes of these ligands were very effective in the IAH, providing phenylated products in up to 100% conversion with up to 97% ee.

Synthesis of Ferrocene Oxazoline N,O ligands and Their Application in Asymmetric Ethyl- and Phenylzinc Additions to Aldehydes.

The synthesis of a range of novel gem-disubstituted ferrocene-oxazoline ligands and their application in both the asymmetric ethyl- and phenylzinc additions to aldehydes is reported. These studies reveal that gem-disubstitution of i-Pr-containing ferrocene oxazoline ligands results in increased enantioselectivity compared to their unsubstituted counterparts. Utilizing zinc catalysis, these ligands provided a wide range of secondary alcohols in yields of up to 93% with ee's of up to >99%. An interesting crystal structure of a ferrocene oxide-lithium tetramer showing lithium-nitrogen coordination in the solid state is also presented.