Electrostatic Interactions in Asymmetric Organocatalysis

ConspectusElectrostatic interactions are ubiquitous in catalytic systems and can be decisive in determining the reactivity and stereoselectivity. However, difficulties quantifying the role of electrostatic interactions in transition state (TS) structures have long stymied our ability to fully harness the power of these interactions. Fortunately, advances in affordable computing power, together with new quantum chemistry methods, have increasingly enabled a detailed atomic-level view. Empowered by this more nuanced perspective, synthetic practitioners are now adopting these techniques with growing enthusiasm.In this Account, we narrate our recent results rooted in state-of-the-art quantum chemical computations, describing pivotal roles for electrostatic interactions in the organization of TS structures to direct the reactivity and selectivity in the realm of asymmetric organocatalysis. To provide readers with a fundamental foundation in electrostatics, we first introduce a few guiding principles, beginning with a brief discussion of how electrostatic interactions can be harnessed to tune the strength of noncovalent interactions. We then describe computational approaches to capture these effects followed by examples in which electrostatic effects impact structure and reactivity. We then cover some of our recent computational investigations in three specific branches of asymmetric organocatalysis, beginning with chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) catalysis. We disclose how CPA-catalyzed asymmetric ring openings of meso-epoxides are driven by stabilization of a transient partial positive charge in the S_N2-like TS by the chiral electrostatic environment of the catalyst. We also report on substrate-dependent electrostatic effects from our study of CPA-catalyzed intramolecular oxetane desymmetrizations. For nonchelating oxetane substrates, electrostatic interactions with the catalyst confer stereoselectivity, whereas oxetanes with chelating groups adopt a different binding mode that leads to electrostatic effects that erode selectivity. In another example, computations revealed a pivotal role of CH···O and NH···O hydrogen bonding in the CPA-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolinones. These interactions control selectivity during the enantiodetermining intramolecular amine addition step, and their strength is modulated by electrostatic effects, allowing us to rationalize the effect of introducing o-substituents. Next, we describe our efforts to understand selectivity in a series of NHC-catalyzed kinetic resolutions, where we discovered that the electrostatic stabilization of key proton(s) is the common driver of selectivity. Finally, we discuss our breakthrough in understanding asymmetric silylium ion-catalyzed Diels-Alder cycloaddition of cinnamate esters to cyclopentadienes. The endo:exo of these transformations is guided by electrostatic interactions that selectively stabilize the endo-transition state.We conclude with a brief overview of the outstanding challenges and potential roles of computational chemistry in enabling the exploitation of electrostatic interactions in asymmetric organocatalysis.