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Updated: Jun 20, 2025

A Microwave-Assisted Direct Heteroarylation of Ketones Using Transition Metal Catalysis
Published on: February 16, 2020
Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of lactones under base-free conditions
Han Wang1,2, Shan-Shan Xun2, Chang-Bin Yu2
1School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology Dalian 116033 P. R. China.
Abstract:
Asymmetric hydrogenation of esters through homogeneous catalysis is a significantly important transformation in organic synthesis. The systems developed so far mainly focused on chiral iridium and ruthenium catalysts, which required a base to facilitate the activity. Herein, we present a palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of lactones under base-free conditions through dynamic kinetic resolution and kinetic resolution. The reaction exhibits high enantioselectivity and excellent functional group tolerance. Remarkably, the hydrogenation proceeds smoothly at the gram scale, and the products can be transformed into several chiral potential building blocks without loss of optical purity. This work provides a new strategy for asymmetric hydrogenation of esters under base-free conditions.
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