Zinc complexes formed by 2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline moieties combined with 2-azanorbornane: modular chiral catalysts for aldol reactions?

New Journal of Chemistry Pub Date: 2016-09-30 DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ02251K

Abstract

Chiral scaffolds of 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane and 2-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane were used for the construction of new modular catalysts containing complexing moieties pyridine, 2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline appended by an imine linkage. The coordination abilities of the new ligands towards Zn(II) were investigated using NMR and UV spectroscopy. The plausible structures of the [ZnL2]2+ and [ZnLXn](2?n)+ complexes formed were established by comparison of the experimental and DFT-calculated NMR spectra. The catalytic application of the [ZnLXn](2?n)+-type complexes in the asymmetric aldol reaction of ketones with aromatic aldehydes produced an excess of the respective syn-aldols in up to >98% ee.

Graphical abstract: Zinc complexes formed by 2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline moieties combined with 2-azanorbornane: modular chiral catalysts for aldol reactions
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