Central to Axial Transfer of Chirality in Menthone or Camphor-Derived 2,2'-Biphenols

A study aimed at defining a molecular arrangement where a chiral fragment derived from menthone or camphor transfers its central chirality to a 2,2'-biphenol residue, inducing an axial chirality, is reported. The menthol or isoborneol groups are attached at the two benzylic positions at 3,3' in order to maximize efficiency in practical applications. A reliable and high-yielding procedure for the synthesis of such C(2)-symmetric molecules substituted at the 3,3'-positions has been developed. The procedure entails Mannich condensation with paraformaldehyde and morpholine, protection of the hydroxylic functions, chlorination, metalation, and addition to (-)-menthone and (+)-camphor. The use of samarium diiodide is essential in the latter step for optimum selectivity and efficiency. The tetrols exhibit intramolecular hydrogen bonding between phenolic and alcoholic hydroxy functions within each monomeric unity, so that they retain their rotational freedom. NOEDS and COSY experiments show that the tetrols are present in more than one rotamer. The tetrols react with tetrachlorosilane to afford siloxanes as pure diastereoisomers, showing that the metal is able to induce preferential helicity at the biphenyl residue; i.e., the central chirality of menthol or isoborneol auxiliary is totally transfered to the axial chirality of the biphenyl. The configurations could be determined by NOEDS and heterocorrelated HMQC experiments. Remarkably, while the menthol derivative induces total M helicity, the camphor induces complementary P helicity. These results suggest that these tetrols may be useful as ligands in catalysts for asymmetric synthesis.