Ln] (binol = 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol; M = Li, Na, K; thf = tetrahydrofuran) catalysts (Figure 1) developed by Shibasaki and co-workers have proven to be among the most versatile and successful asymmetric Lewis acid catalysts introduced to date. [1][2][3] Central to mechanistic proposals involving [M 3 A C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (thf) n -A C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (binolate) 3 Ln] heterobimetallic compounds is Lewis acid activation of the substrate by the lanthanide. [2][3][4] Prior efforts to detect lanthanide-substrate interactions, however, have not been successful. Herein, we disclose solid-state and solution evidence that [Li 3 A C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (thf) n A C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (binolate) 3 Ln] catalysts can bind organic substrates and substrate analogues to form seven-and eight-coordinate Ln centers. , 6] and , 5, 7, 8] complexes have been characterized crystallographically.[9] The lanthanide centers in these structures are either six-coordinate (Figure 1) or sevencoordinate when bound to a water molecule. Each maingroup-metal center is bound by one or two organic solvent molecules. The lanthanide centers in sterically hinderedLn] complexes have a much higher affinity for water than for organic ligands, evidence for which was found by crystallization of the hydrates above from THF and Et 2 O. In this regard, the absence of structurally characterizedLn(S)] (S = substrate or solvent) complexes with Lewis basic organic ligands bound to the lanthanide atom raises questions concerning the ability of the lanthanide center to bind and activate substrates in asymmetric catalysis. One approach used by prior investigators to address these concerns involved probing Ln-substrate binding interactions in solution by using paramagnetic Pr, Eu, and Yb analogues. Paramagnetic complexes provide greater chemical-shift dispersions than their diamagnetic counterparts, thereby allowing the study of normally unobservable metal-substrate interactions.[10] Previously reported 1 H NMR spectroscopic binding studies of [Eu] with cyclohexenone showed small chemicalshift differences for the a-vinyl proton of 0.1 and 0 ppm, respectively. [8] Similarly, addition of pivalaldehyde to 3 Pr] resulted in a shift of the signal for the formyl hydrogen atom of only 0.1 ppm.
A C H T U N G T R E N N U N G [Li 3 A C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (thf) 6 A C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (binolate)[11] These small lanthanide-induced shifts (LISs) could be attributed to coordination of the carbonyl groups to the main-group atoms. Alternatively, the small LIS may indicate weak, reversible substrate binding to the lanthanide center. A related NMR spectroscopic study with paramagnetic 3 Yb] showed that the small Yb center does not even bind water. [6] To reconcile some of the differences in proposed mechanisms and experimental observations for this important class of catalysts, we set out 1) to assess whether the lanthanide in [Li 3 A C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (sol) n A C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (binolate) 3 Ln] complexes could bind org...