Pd(II)-Catalyzed Enantioselective C(sp3)-H Arylation of Cyclopropanes and Cyclobutanes Guided by Tertiary Alkylamines

J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Mar 9;144(9):3939-3948. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c11921. Epub 2022 Feb 25.

Abstract

Strained aminomethyl-cycloalkanes are a recurrent scaffold in medicinal chemistry due to their unique structural features that give rise to a range of biological properties. Here, we report a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective C(sp3)-H arylation of aminomethyl-cyclopropanes and -cyclobutanes with aryl boronic acids. A range of native tertiary alkylamine groups are able to direct C-H cleavage and forge carbon-aryl bonds on the strained cycloalkanes framework as single diastereomers and with excellent enantiomeric ratios. Central to the success of this strategy is the use of a simple N-acetyl amino acid ligand, which not only controls the enantioselectivity but also promotes γ-C-H activation of over other pathways. Computational analysis of the cyclopalladation step provides an understanding of how enantioselective C-H cleavage occurs and revealed distinct transition structures to our previous work on enantioselective desymmetrization of N-isobutyl tertiary alkylamines. This straightforward and operationally simple method simplifies the construction of functionalized aminomethyl-strained cycloalkanes, which we believe will find widespread use in academic and industrial settings relating to the synthesis of biologically active small molecules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Cyclobutanes* / chemistry
  • Cycloparaffins*
  • Cyclopropanes / chemistry
  • Palladium / chemistry
  • Stereoisomerism

Substances

  • Cyclobutanes
  • Cycloparaffins
  • Cyclopropanes
  • Palladium