Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution - Asymmetric Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution

Asymmetric Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution

Electrophilic aromatic substitutions with prochiral carbon electrophiles have been adapted for asymmetric synthesis by switching to chiral Lewis acid catalysts especially in Friedel-Crafts type reactions. An early example concerns the addition of chloral to phenols catalyzed by aluminium chloride modified with (-)-menthol. A glyoxylate compound has been added to N,N-dimethylaniline with a chiral bisoxazoline ligand - copper(II) triflate catalyst system also in a Friedel-Crafts hydroxyalkylation :

In another alkylation N-methylpryrrole reacts with crotonaldehyde catalyzed by trifluoroacetic acid modified with a chiral imidazolidinone :

Indole reacts with an enamide catalyzed by a chiral BINOL derived phosphoric acid :

In all these reactions the chiral catalyst load is between 10 to 20% and a new chiral carbon center is formed with 80-90% ee.

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