Importance of planar chirality in chiral catalysts with three chiral elements:: The role of planar chirality in 2′-substituted 1,1′-P,N-Ferrocene ligands on the enantioselectivity in Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution

A series of novel planar chiral 2'-substituted 1,1'-P,N-ferrocene ligands 9-11, 14, and 16 were prepared with diastereopurity > 99:1 and found to be effective in asymmetric allylic alkylation and amination reactions. Ligand 14 furnished the highest enantiomeric excess, 98.5% and 96.5% ee in alkylation and amination reactions, respectively. The role of planar chirality in asymmetric reactions has been examined, and decisive effects on enantioselectivity as well as the control of absolute configuration in palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation and amination reactions were observed. To clarify why and how the planar chirality governed the stereochemical outcome, X-ray crystallographic structures of eta (3)-diphenylallyl Pd complexes, H-1 NMR. P-31 NMR spectra of palladium dichloride complexes, and eta (3)-diphenylallyl Pd complexes of three 1,1'-P,N-ferrocene ligands were analyzed with the aid of COSY and 2D NOESY experiments. All results led to the conclusion that planar chirality influences the stereochemical outcome by changing or even inverting the ratio of two rotamers because of the steric interaction between a planar chiral group and the coordination site.