Asymmetric Catalysis Ligand Design and Conformational Studies.

This thesis deals with the design of ligands for efficientasymmetric catalysis and studies of the conformation of theligands in the catalytically active complexes. All ligandsdeveloped contain chiral oxazoline heterocycles.

The conformations of hydroxy- and methoxy-substitutedpyridinooxazolines and bis(oxazolines) during Pd-catalysedallylic alkylations were investigated using crystallography,2D-NMR techniques and DFT calculations. A stabilising OH-Pdinteraction was discovered which might explain the differencein reactivity between the hydroxy- and methoxy-containingligands. The conformational change in the ligands due to thisinteraction may explain the different selectivities observed inthe catalytic reaction.

Polymer-bound pyridinooxazolines and bis(oxazolines) weresynthesised and employed in Pd-catalysed allylic alkylationswith results similar to those of monomeric analogues;enantioselectivities up to 95% were obtained. One polymer-boundligand could be re-used several times after removal of Pd(0).The polymer-bound bis(oxazoline) was also used in Zn-catalysedDiels-Alder reactions, but the heterogenised catalyst gavelower selectivities than a monomeric analogue.

A series of chiral dendron-containing pyridinooxazolines andbis(oxazolines) were synthesised and evaluated in Pd-catalysedallylic alkylations. The dendrons did not seem to have anyinfluence on the selectivity and little influence on the yieldwhen introduced in the pyridinooxazoline ligands. In thebis(oxazoline) series lower generation dendrimers had a postiveon the selectivity, but the selectivity and the activitydecreased with increasing generation.

Crown ether-containing ligands were investigated inpalladium-catalysed alkylations. No evidence of a possibleinteraction between the metal in the crown ether and thenucleophile was discovered.

A new type of catalyst, an oxazoline-containing palladacyclewas found to be very active in oxidations of secondary alcoholsto the corresponding aldehydes or ketones. The reactions wereperformed with air as the re-oxidant. Therefore, this is anenviromentally friendly oxidation method.

Keywords:asymmetric catalysis, chiral ligand,oxazolines, conformational study, allylic substitution,polymer-bound ligands, dendritic ligands, crown ether,oxidations, palladacycle.