The unprecedented phospha‐aza‐Diels–Alder reaction between an activated electron‐poor imine and 2H‐phospholes yields 1‐phospha‐2‐azanorbornenes in a highly chemoselective and moderately diastereoselective reaction. The intermediate 2H‐phospholes, which act as dienes, are formed in situ from the corresponding 1H‐phospholes. Theoretical calculations confirm that the phospha‐aza‐Diels–Alder reaction is of normal electron demand. The reactive P−N bond in 1‐phospha‐2‐azanorbornenes can be cleaved by nucleophiles leading to the formation of 2,3‐dihydrophospholes.
The principle of stereotopic face differentiation was successfully applied to 2H-phospholes which undergo a very efficient and highly stereoselective Diels-Alder reaction giving phosphorus-chiral 1-phosphanorbornenes with up to 87% yield. The observed reaction pathway has been supported by theoretical calculations showing that the cycloaddition reaction between 2H-phosphole 3a and the dienophile (5R)-(-)-menthyloxy-2(5H)-furanone (8) is of normal electron demand. Optically pure phosphanes were obtained by separation of the single diastereomers and subsequent desulfurisation of the sulfur-protected phosphorus atom. Finally, divergent ligand synthesis is feasible by reduction of the chiral auxiliary, subsequent stereospecific intramolecular Michael addition, and various functionalisations of the obtained key compound 13a. Furthermore, the unique structural properties of phospanorbornenes are presented and compared to those of phosphanorbornanes.
A straightforward synthesis of P-chiral polycyclic 7-phospha-norbornenes via an asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction is presented. The employed starting materials are cheap, easily accessible and of structural diversity facilitating a new flexible route towards differently functionalised P-chiral phosphanes.
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