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Chiral and C2-symmetrical 2,6-bis(4'-R-oxazolin-2'-yl)pyridines (pybox, la-e, R = t-Pr, sec-Bu, f-Bu, Et, and Ph) have been newly designed and synthesized from the corresponding optically active d-amino alcohols and pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid as auxiliaries for metal-catalyzed reactions. We have found that the trivalent rhodium-pybox complexes 2a-e can act as catalysts for asymmetric reduction of ketones

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Merging cooperative Si-H bond activation and electrophilic aromatic substitution paves the way for C-3-selective indole C-H functionalization under electronic and not conventional steric control. The Si-H bond is heterolytically split by the Ru-S bond of a coordinatively unsaturated cationic ruthenium(II) complex, forming a sulfur-stabilized silicon electrophile. The Wheland intermediate of the subsequent Friedel-Crafts-type process is assumed to be deprotonated by the sulfur atom, no added base required. The overall catalysis proceeds without solvent at low temperature, only liberating dihydrogen.

Chiral bis(oxazolinylphenyl)amines proved to be efficient auxiliary ligands for iron and cobalt catalysts with high activity for asymmetric hydrosilylation of ketones and asymmetric conjugate hydrosilylation of enones.

In the presence of a catalytic amount of Cp*RuCl(cod), 1,6-diynes were allowed to react chemo- and regioselectively with electron-deficient nitriles and heterocumulenes at 60-90 degrees C to afford heterocyclic compounds. The mechanism of the ruthenium-catalyzed regioselective formations of bicyclic pyridines and pyridones were analyzed on the basis of density functional calculations. Cyclocotrimerizations of ethyl propiolate with ethyl cyanoformate or propyl isocyanate gave rise to two of the four possible pyridine or pyridone regioisomers.

A chiral ruthenium(II)–bis(2-oxazolin-2-yl)pyridine catalyst prepared in situ from optically active bis(2-oxazolin-2-yl)pyridine (Pybox-ip) (2) and [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 (1) exhibited efficient activity for the asymmetric cyclopropanation (ACP) of styrene and several diazoacetates to give the corresponding trans- and cis-2-phenylcyclopropane-1-carboxylates (3 and 4) in good yields (66—87%). A mixture of 1 and 2 in an atmosphere of ethylene produced the trans-RuCl2(Pybox-ip)(ethylene) complex (5), which also proved to be a powerful catalyst for ACP. The stereoselectivity of the trans- and cis-cyclopropanes were from 90 : 10 up to 98 : 2, and their enantioselectivities reached 97%. A catalytic system with 5 could be used for several olefins and internal olefins. A concerted mechanism of ACP with the Ru–Pybox catalyst was postulated on the basis of the stereospecificity with deuterated styrene. Other substituents, such as ethyl, s-butyl, benzyl, and phenyl on the oxazoline rings of Pybox in place of the isopropyl group were also examined, and were found to exhibit a similar high trans-stereoselection and a high enantioselectivity of the cyclopropane products; ex. with Ru–Pybox-ethyl 91 : 9 of 3 : 4 and 82% ee for 3. The non-chiral Ru–Pybox-dihydro catalyst exhibited asymmetric induction with 39% ees of 3 with d- and l-menthyl diazoacetates, and kept a high trans- and cis-stereoselection of 97 : 3.

The reaction of (Phebox)SnMe3 (4; Phebox = 2,6-bis(oxazolinyl)phenyl) and [(cyclooctene)2RhCl]2 in the presence of CCl4 provided the air-stable and water-tolerant (Phebox)RhCl2(H2O) complexes 5. These neutral (noncationic) aqua complexes 5 acted as asymmetric catalysts for enantioselective allylation of aldehydes with allyltin reagents in the presence of 4 Å molecular sieves (MS 4A). Furthermore, these aqua complexes could be recovered quantitatively from the reaction media. Detailed mechanistic studies of this catalytic system using X-ray and NMR spectroscopy revealed that the (Phebox)RhCl2 fragment, generated by releasing H2O from aqua complex 5, is an active catalyst and the reaction proceeds by a Lewis acid catalyzed mechanism. The relative stereochemistry of the major adduct of the reaction of benzaldehyde with crotyltin reagents was anti (threo). The observed anti diastereoselectivity and si-face attack of allyltins on the carbonyl carbon of aldehydes were explained by the inverse antiperiplanar transition-state model.