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Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Furans and Benzofurans with Iridium–Pyridine–Phosphinite Catalysts
Author(s) -
Pauli Larissa,
Tannert René,
Scheil Robin,
Pfaltz Andreas
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201404903
Subject(s) - iridium , chemistry , substituent , phosphinite , furan , enantioselective synthesis , aryl , pyridine , catalysis , asymmetric hydrogenation , organic chemistry , noyori asymmetric hydrogenation , alkyl , medicinal chemistry
Enantioselective hydrogenation of furans and benzofurans remains a challenging task. We report the hydrogenation of 2‐ and 3‐substituted furans by using iridium catalysts that bear bicyclic pyridine–phosphinite ligands. Excellent enantioselectivities and high conversions were obtained for monosubstituted furans with a 3‐alkyl or 3‐aryl group. Furans substituted at the 2‐position and 2,4‐disubstituted furans proved to be more difficult substrates. The best results (80–97 % conversion, 65–82 % enantiomeric excess) were obtained with monosubstituted 2‐alkylfurans and 2‐[4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]furan. Benzofurans with an alkyl substituent at the 2‐ or 3‐position also gave high conversions and enantioselectivity, whereas 2‐aryl derivatives showed essentially no reactivity. The asymmetric hydrogenation of a 3‐methylbenzofuran derivative was used as a key step in the formal total synthesis of the cytotoxic naphthoquinone natural product (−)‐thespesone.