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Regio- and enantioselective iridium-catalyzed intermolecular allylic etherification of achiral allylic carbonates
Fernando López1, Toshimichi Ohmura, John F Hartwig
1Department of Chemistry, Yale University, P.O. Box 208107, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, USA.
Abstract:
An enantioselective and regioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic etherification is described. The reaction of sodium and lithium aryloxides with achiral (E)-cinnamyl and terminal aliphatic allylic electrophiles in the presence of 2 mol % of an iridium-phosphoramidite complex provides chiral allylic aryl ethers in high yields and excellent levels of regio- and enantioselectivity. Lithium aryloxides containing a single substituent at an ortho, meta, or para position as well as sterically hindered phenoxides were tolerated. Reactions in THF displayed the most suitable balance of rate, regio-, and enantioselectivity. High ee's were also observed for the products from the reaction of alkyl (E)-allylic carbonates.
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