文摘
A highly enantioselective synthesis of 3-aryl-, vinyl-, and alkynyl-2,1-benzoxasiloles (up to 99.9% ee and 99% yield) was achieved via the sequential activation of an aldehyde and a silane by nickel(0). This strategy was applied to a simultaneous generation of carbon- and silicon-stereogenic centers with excellent selectivity (dr = 99:1) via diastereotopic aryl transfer. Initial mechanistic studies revealed the complete switching of an aryl-transfer process from an intermolecular (racemic synthesis in the presence of IPr) to an intramolecular (enantioselective synthesis using chiral NHC, L5) fashion. A plausible rationale for the switching of the aryl-transfer process is given by a preliminary DFT calculation, which suggests that the coordination of 1 to the nickel(0)/L5 fragment in an 畏2-arene:畏2-aldehyde fashion would be a key to the intramolecular process, while the formation of the corresponding intermediate is not possible in the presence of IPr. Owing to the chemically labile nature of its C鈥揝i and O鈥揝i bonds, enantioenriched benzoxasiloles are utilized for the synthesis of chiral building blocks and antihistaminic and anticholinergic drug molecules such as (R)-orphenadrine and (S)-neobenodine with no erosion of the enantiomeric excess.