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Updated: Dec 30, 2025

A Microwave-Assisted Direct Heteroarylation of Ketones Using Transition Metal Catalysis
Published on: February 16, 2020
Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of exocyclic α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds
Jiaxin Yang1, Xiuxiu Li1, Cai You1
1Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Engineering Research Center of Organosilicon Compounds & Materials, Ministry of Education, Sauvage Center for Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, People's Republic of China. huilv@whu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
A highly enantioselective hydrogenation of exocyclic α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds catalyzed by Rh/bisphosphine-thiourea (ZhaoPhos) has been developed, giving the corresponding α-chiral cyclic lactones, lactams and ketones with high yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield and 99% ee). Remarkably, the hydrogen bond between the substrate and the catalyst plays a critical role in this transformation. The synthetic utility of this protocol has been demonstrated by efficient synthesis of chiral 3-(4-fluorobenzyl)piperidine, a key chiral fragment of bioactive molecules.
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