Despite the significant progress of the enantioselective reaction using chiral catalysts, the enantioselective nucleophilic substitution reaction at the chiral sp3 -hybridized carbon atom of a racemic electrophile has not been largely explored. Herein, we report the enantioconvergent propargylic substitution reaction of racemic propargylic alcohols with thiols using chiral bis-phosphoric acid as the chiral Brønsted acid catalyst. The substitution products were formed in high yields with high enantioselectivities in most cases. The cation-stabilizing effect of the sulfur functional group introduced at the alkynyl terminus is the key to achieving the efficient enantioconvergent process, in which chiral information originating from not only the racemic stereogenic center but also the formed contact ion pair is completely eliminated from the present system.
Keywords: Brønsted acids; enantioselectivity; organocatalysis; substitution reactions; thioethers.
© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.