Asymmetric catalysis using enantiomerically pure catalysts is one of the most widely used methods for the preparation of enantiomerically pure compounds. The separate synthesis of both enantiomerically pure compounds requires tedious and time-consuming preparation of both enantiomerically pure catalysts or chiral separation of the racemic products. Here, we report a stereochemically flexible diastereomeric rhodium(I) catalyst for asymmetric hydrogenations of prochiral (Z)-α-acetamidocinnamates and α-substituted acrylates, which changes its enantioselectivity depending on the temperature to produce each enantiomerically pure compound in high yield with constant high enantioselectivity over time. The same axially chiral rhodium(I) catalyst produces (R)-phenylalanine derivatives in enantiomeric ratios of up to 87:13 (R/S) at low temperature and up to 3:97 (R/S) of the corresponding S enantiomers after re-equilibration of the same catalyst at elevated temperature.

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The synthesis of enantiomerically pure compounds is of great importance in pharmaceuticals, fragrances and biological applications, and functions as a key to many processes in nature. Asymmetric catalysis using enantiomerically pure catalysts represents an efficient synthetic method to achieve this goal. The enantiomeric excess of the reaction product correlates with the enantiomeric purity of the catalysts, except for nonlinear behaviour, therefore the use of stereochemically flexible catalysts seems to complicate the control of stereoselectivity. Self-amplifying catalytic reactions are attractive, but a general rational design is highly challenging. Here we show that product interaction with chiral recognition sites attached to structurally flexible phoshoramidite-type catalysts can sense the chirality and induce enantioselectivity in the catalyst. Structural flexibility along with sensing of the chirality of the product molecules results in a rapid increase of enantioselectivity of the dynamic catalysts (Δe.e. of up to 76%) and a shift out of equilibrium. In contrast to stereodynamic catalysts controlled with cleavable chiral auxiliaries, the enantioselectivity does not decrease.

A challenging synthetic modification of PEPPSI-type palladium pre-catalysts consisting of a stepwise incorporation of one and two amino groups onto the NHC skeleton was seen to exert a sequential enhancement of the electronic donor properties. This appears to be positively correlated with the catalytic performances of the corresponding complexes in the Buchwald-Hartwig amination. This is illustrated, for example, by the quantitative amination of 4-chloroanisole by morpholine within 2 h at 25 °C with a 2 mol% catalyst/substrate ratio or by a significant reduction of catalytic loading (down to 0.005 mol%) for the coupling of aryl chlorides with anilines (max TON: 19,600).

Arvicola materials from Mosbaeh 2, including the types of A. mosbachensis housed at the Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg Frankfurt am Main, are described. Six specimens display incipient root development. This population is therefore one of the oldest of the genus Arvicola. This is confirmed by SDQ and tooth length values indicating a primitive evolutionary stage. The age of the population correlates with either Cromer lnterglacial III or IV.The type material of Arvicola cantianus consists of a few fragmentary molars only. This scarce material does not permita clear assessment of the most significant features in middle Pleistocene populations, rootless molars with negative enamel differentiation, and is not clearly distinguishable flora either Mimomys savini of Arvicola terrestris. We therefore propose to restrict the name A. cantianus to the type material. All other middle Pleistocene Arvicola finds should be referred to A. mosbachensis.

A photochemical deracemization of 5-substituted 3-phenylimidazolidine-2,4-diones (hydantoins) is reported (27 examples, 69%-quant., 80–99% ee). The reaction is catalyzed by a chiral diarylketone which displays a two-point hydrogen bonding site. Mechanistic evidence (DFT calculations, radical clock experiments, H/D labeling) suggests the reaction to occur by selective hydrogen atom transfer (HAT). Upon hydrogen binding, one substrate enantiomer displays the hydrogen atom at the stereogenic center to the photoexcited catalyst allowing for a HAT from the substrate and eventually for its conversion into the product enantiomer. The product enantiomer is not processed by the catalyst and is thus enriched in the photostationary state.

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