Phosphonate-directed catalytic asymmetric hydroboration (CAHB) of
β-aryl/heteroaryl methylidenes and trisubstituted alkenes by
pinacolborane enables facile access to functionalized, chiral tertiary benzylic
boronic esters. Hydroboration is catalyzed by a chiral rhodium catalyst prepared
in situ from a Rh(I)-precursor in combination with a simple
TADDOL-derived chiral cyclic monophosphite in a 1:1 ratio. The regio- and
stereochemistry arises from the combined effects of the relative disposition of
the directing group to the alkene, the alkene substitution pattern, and the
necessity of an aryl substituent attached to the alkene. A range of aryl and
heteroaryl substituents can be accommodated, and for several chiral substrates,
the reactions are efficiently catalyst-controlled enabling the choice of
diastereomeric products as desired. Stereospecific transformations of the chiral
boronic ester afford chiral phosphonates bearing a quaternary carbon
stereocenter. The synthetic utility of the products is further demonstrated by
α-oxidation of the phosphonate leading to hydroxy- and oxo-phosphonates;
the latter readily undergo elimination/substitution reactions to unmask the
phosphonate functionality with the formation of aldehydes, alcohols, esters,
amides, acids and ketones.