Synfacts 2010(10): 1143-1143  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1258689
Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis and Stereoselective Reactions
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Iron-Catalyzed Asymmetric OH Bond Insertions

Contributor(s):Hisashi Yamamoto, Zhi Li
S.-F. Zhu, Y. Cai, H.-X. Mao, J.-H. Xie, Q.-L. Zhou*
Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. of China
Enantioselective Iron-Catalysed O-H Bond Insertions
Nat. Chem.  2010,  2:  546-551  
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
22 September 2010 (online)


Significance

The authors developed a highly efficient iron-catalyzed protocol for the enantioselective carbene OH insertion. The reaction produces various α-alkoxy and α-hydroxyl arylacetates, which are quite useful synthetic intermediates, in very high yield and enantioselectivities.

Comment

This work features not only the high ­efficiency of iron-catalyzed carbene insertion to ­alcohol OH bonds, but also the insertion to a ­water OH bond to generate corresponding chiral α-hydroxyl arylacetates in high yields and enan­tioselectivities. The results are better than the ­authors’ previous work with copper catalysts (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 932).