A Catalyst-Controlled Enantiodivergent Bromolactonization
Yuk-Cheung Chan1, Xinyan Wang1, Ying-Pong Lam1
1Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
Abstract:
A catalyst-controlled enantiodivergent bromolactonization of olefinic acids has been developed. Quinine-derived amino-amides bearing the same chiral core but different achiral aryl substituents were used as the catalysts. Switching the methoxy substituent in the aryl amide system from meta- to ortho-position results in a complete switch in asymmetric induction to afford the desired lactone in good enantioselectivity and yield. Mechanistic studies, including chemical experiments and density functional theory calculations, reveal that the differences in steric and electronic effects of the catalyst substituent alter the reaction mechanism.
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