Over the last 16
years, chiral phosphoric acids (CPAs) have been
shown to be excellent asymmetric catalysts, very effectively used
in constructing chiral molecules with high enantiocontrol. In 2010,
Ishihara et al. discovered that chiral metal phosphate complexes (or
salts) could be found in substantial quantities, as contaminates,
in some reported CPA-catalyzed reactions (Angew. Chem., Int. Ed.20104938233826). These metal phosphates were shown to actually catalyze the reactions
in addition to CPAs. In this work, we have investigated in depth a
reaction first reported to be catalyzed by CPAs based on a vaulted
bis-phenanthrol (VAPOL) backbone. We have found that VAPOL metal phosphates
were, in fact, superior catalysts for this reaction. Upon optimization,
a wide substrate scope, low catalyst loading, and mild conditions
could provide intermolecular imine amidation reactions producing chiral N,N′-aminal products in high yields
and with excellent ee values (up to >99% yield,
>99% ee).