Axially chiral rac-1-(2-methyl-1H-inden-3-yl)-2-(methylsulfanyl)naphthalene (rac-3) was synthesized from methyl 2-(methylsulfanyl)-1-naphthoate through reaction with the di-Grignard reagent derived from 1-bromo-2-(2-bromopropyl)benzene, followed by acid-catalyzed dehydration of the intermediate indanol. Oxidation of rac-3 with m-CPBA gave the diastereomeric sulfoxides (aR*,R S *)-5 and (aR*,S S *)-6, with the relative configuration of 5 established using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The dichloro[η 5 :κS-indenylsulfanyl and -sulfinyl]rhodium complexes rac-4, (pR*,S S *)-7, and (pR*,R S *)-8 were synthesized through reaction of the ligands rac-3, (aR*,R S *)-5, and (aR*,S S *)-6, respectively, with rhodium trichloride in 9:1 methanol/water solution heated under reflux. The use of water as a cosolvent was found to be critical for obtaining good yields in the complexation reactions. Solid-state structures for the racemic rhodium complexes were determined through single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The enantiomers of the ligands 3, 5, and 6 were obtained in high enantiopurity through subjecting rac-3 to a series of Kagan asymmetric sulfoxidation, deoxygenation, and resulfoxidation reactions. The enantiomeric relationship of the rhodium complexes derived from the enantio-enriched ligands was confirmed by CD spectroscopy, and the high enantiopurity of the complexes established by 1 H NMR analysis using the chiral shift reagent Eu(hfc) 3 . The absolute configurations of the nonracemic ligands and rhodium complexes were established by a singlecrystal X-ray diffraction determination of the solid-state structure of (pS,S S )-8, with the Flack parameter refining to 0.00(2).
■ INTRODUCTIONPlanar chiral ferrocenyl ligands have been successfully utilized in a wide range of asymmetric transition-metal-catalyzed reactions. While the iron center does not participate directly in the catalytic cycle of these reactions, the chemical robustness of ferrocenes has the advantage of enabling numerous synthetic transformations that allow for the introduction of a variety of different coordinating groups, together with specific strategies for the stereoselective creation of the planar chiral element. 1 Planar chiral transition-metal complexes where the metal involved in the planar chiral element is also the site for catalysis have also been examined as asymmetric catalysts. The most successful examples to date are early transition-metal and lanthanide metallocenes, in particular ansa-metallocenes, where a tether between the cyclopentadienyl (Cp; we also use this abbreviation to cover related indenyl and fluorenyl systems) rings prevents the normally facile rotation around the Cp−metal axis, creating a well-defined steric and electronic environment around the metal. 2 As an extension of this development, planar chiral constrainedgeometry half-sandwich metal complexes would appear to be an attractive target for use in asymmetric catalysis. Takahashi and Onitsuka and their co-workers have, for example, demonstrated that planar chiral ruthen...