New chiral tridentate ligands for asymmetric catalysis

The synthesis of new tridentate, isoquinoline-derived ligands, involving successive Suzuki cross-coupling reactions, is described. We were able to resolve 1-[3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-isoquinolin-1-yl]-naphthalen-2-ol via molecular complexation with N-benzyl-cinchonidinium chloride, whereas 1,3-bis(2-hydroxy-naphthalen-1-yl)-isoquinoline was resolved by chromatographic separation of its epimeric camphorsulfonates. Their barrier to rotation about the central biaryl axis was evaluated via racemization studies. Application of enantiopure 1,3-bis(2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)-isoquinoline in the addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes proceeded in moderate yield but without asymmetric induction. A new tridentate ligand, 4-tert-butyl-2-chloro-6-[1-(2-hydroxymethyl-naphthalen-1-yl)-isoquinolin-3-yl]-phenol, was prepared in good yield and resolved by semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Its application in the addition of diethylzinc to a range of aromatic aldehydes proceeded in near perfect enantioselectivities at low ligand loadings of 1 mol %.