No abstract

[reaction: see text] The enantio- and diastereomerically pure Pd complex of the tropos biphenylphosphine (BIPHEP) ligand is obtained through complexation of the enantiopure (R)-diaminobinaphthyl (DABN) with either enantiomer of the BIPHEP-Pd catalyst, followed by tropo-inversion of the less favorable (S)-BIPHEP-Pd/(R)-DABN diastereomer to the more favorable (R)-BIPHEP-Pd/(R)-DABN diastereomer. The enantiopure BIPHEP-Pd catalyst with DABN affords higher enantioselectivity and catalytic efficiency as an activated Lewis acid catalyst than the enantiopure BIPHEP-Pd catalyst without DABN.

[reaction: see text] The tropos (chirally flexible) or atropos (chirally rigid) nature of BIPHEP-Rh complexes at room temperature critically depends on the amines complexed. The aliphatic DPEN complex is atropos, whereas the aromatic DABN complex is tropos. BIPHEP-Rh chirality can thus be controlled by DABN at room temperature. The amine-free BIPHEP-Rh complex is tropos. At 5 degrees C, even amine-free BIPHEP-Rh complexes are atropos and hence can be used as enantiopure catalysts to give high enantioselectivity in ene-type cyclization of 1,6-enynes.

[reaction: see text] The racemic Pd complex with the chirally flexible (tropos) biphenylphosphine (BIPHEP) ligand can be resolved with enantiopure 3,3'-dimethyl-2,2'-diamino-1,1'-binaphthyl (DM-DABN) as a resolving agent at room temperature. The enantiopure BIPHEP-Pd complex is obtained from complexation with enantiopure DABN followed by tropo-inversion into the single BIPHEP-Pd diastereomer at 80 degrees C and protonation at 0 degrees C. The enantiopure BIPHEP-Pd complex can be used as an efficient Lewis acid catalyst for the Diels-Alder reaction at room temperature to give high enantioselectivity (82% ee, 60%).

A cationic rhodium(I)/Segphos complex catalyzes a [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of internal 1,6-diynes with a phosphonate- or ester-substituted 1,3-butadiyne leading to C(2)-symmetric axially chiral biaryl diphosphonates or dicarboxylates, respectively, in high yields with outstanding ee's. The use of a phosphonate- or ester-substituted 1,3-butadiyne as a cycloaddition partner and Segphos as a ligand is crucial for the success of this transformation.