ABSTRACT
Chiral coordination cages have emerged as an efficient platform for enantioselective processes via host-guest interactions. Here, we report an enantiomeric pair of tetrahedral cages of formula [(Pd3[PO(N(*CH(CH3)Ph)3])4(C4O4)6] supported by chiral tris(imido)phosphate trianions and squarate (C4O4)2- linkers. These cages exhibit unusual coordination isomerism for Pd(II)-linker bonds compared with the other Pd(II) cages of this family. Further, they were employed for the recognition and separation of small chiral molecules containing various functionalities. High enantioselectivities of 67 and 41 were found in the case of R-4-hydroxydihydrofuran-2(3H)-one and S-epichlorohydrin, recognized by the R-isomer of the cage. Chiral separation studies showed remarkable enantiomeric excess values of 93 and 85% for S-epichlorohydrin and R-4-benzyl-2-oxazolidinone, respectively, from their racemic mixtures. These studies showcase the potential of coordination cages for enantioselective applications.
ABSTRACT
Alkoxylation, hydrosilylative-alkoxylation, and dehydrogenative-polymerization are some of the most widely used transformations in synthetic chemistry. However, these transformations are traditionally catalyzed by precious, and rare late-transition metals. Presented here is a molecularly defined iron complex that catalyzes alkoxylation, tandem hydrosilylative-alkoxylation, and dehydrogenative polymerization of silanes under mild conditions. The iron complex [Fe(CO)4 (H)(SiPh3 )] 1 catalyzes a direct Si-O coupling reaction between an array of silanes and alcohols to produce desired alkoxysilanes in excellent yield, with H2 as the only byproduct. The iron catalyst tolerates various functional groups and provides access to 20 alkoxysilanes, including essential molecules such as ß-citronellol and cholesterol. Further, complex 1 catalyzes the polymerization of renewable diol and silane monomer to produce a renewable and degradable poly(isosorbide-silyl ether). Remarkably, complex 1 catalyzes a tandem hydrosilylative-alkoxylation of alkynes under mild conditions to yield unsaturated silyl ethers. The synthetic utility has been demonstrated by gram-scale alkoxylation and hydrosilylative-alkoxylation reactions.
ABSTRACT
Metal-catalyzed hydroformylation and hydrogenation heavily rely on ligands, among which phosphorous ligands play a pivotal role. This personal account presents a selection of three distinct classes of phosphorous ligands, namely, monodentate meta-substituted phosphinites, bis-phosphites, and P-chiral supramolecular phosphines, developed in our group. The synthesis of these ligands, isolation, characterization, and their performance in transition metal-catalyzed hydroformylation, isomerizing hydroformylation, and asymmetric hydrogenation of olefins is summarized. The state of the art development in iron-catalyzed hydroformylation of alkenes and our contributions to the field is discussed. Use of phosphines enabled iron-catalyzed hydroformylation of alkenes under mild conditions. Thus, this account demonstrates the central role of phosphorus ligands in industrially relevant transformations such as hydrogenation and hydroformylation. The seemingly matured field of ligand discovery still holds significant potential and will steer the field of homogeneous catalysis.
