Stereochemically inert and positively charged chiral complexes of Co III prepared from Schiff bases derived from chiral diamines and salicylaldehydes were shown to be efficient catalysts of the asymmetric phase transfer benchmark reaction of alkylation of O'Donnell's substrate with alkyl halides. The enantiomeric purities of the reaction products were up to 92%.

Stereochemically inert cationic cobalt(III) complexes were shown to be one-component catalysts for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and carbon dioxide at 50 °C and 5 MPa carbon dioxide pressure. The optimal catalyst possessed an iodide counter anion and could be recycled. A catalytic cycle is proposed in which the ligand of the cobalt complexes acts as a hydrogen-bond donor, activating the epoxide towards ring opening by the halide anion and activating the carbon dioxide for subsequent reaction with the halo-alkoxide. No kinetic resolution was observed when terminal epoxides were used as substrates, but chalcone oxide underwent kinetic resolution.

Stereochemically inert and positively charged chiral complexes of cobalt(III) prepared from Schiff bases derived from chiral diamines and salicylaldehydes were shown to be efficient catalysts of the benchmark asymmetric phase‐transfer Michael addition of nine activated olefins to O’Donnell’s substrate. The reaction products had enantiomeric purities of up to 96%. DFT calculations were invoked to rationalize the stereochemistry of the addition.magnified image

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