ABSTRACT
The dihalogenation of alkenes is one of the classic reactions in organic chemistry and a prime example of an electrophilic addition reaction. The often observed anti-selectivity in this addition reaction can be explained by the formation of a haliranium-ion intermediate. Although dihalogenations have been studied for more than a century, the development of reagent-controlled, enantioselective dihalogenation has proved to be very difficult. Only recently, significant progress has been achieved. In this review, an overview on current method development in enantioselective dihalogenation is provided and mechanistic aspects that render this transformation challenging are discussed.
ABSTRACT
The use of a new class of unsymmetrical cinchona-alkaloid-based, phthalazine-bridged organocatalysts enabled the highly enantioselective dichlorination of unfunctionalized alkenes. In combination with the electrophilic chlorinating agent 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DCDMH) and triethylsilyl chloride (TES-Cl) as the source of nucleophilic chloride, 1-aryl-2-alkyl alkenes were dichlorinated with enantioselectivities of up to 94:6 er. Initial mechanistic investigations suggest that no free chlorine is formed, and by replacement of the chloride by fluoride, enantioselective chlorofluorinations of alkenes are possible.
