Design of oxa-spirocyclic PHOX ligands for the asymmetric synthesis of lorcaserin via iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation

Chem Commun (Camb). 2021 Jan 7;57(2):195-198. doi: 10.1039/d0cc06311h. Epub 2020 Dec 10.

Abstract

Phosphine-oxazoline (PHOX) ligands are a very important class of privileged ligands in asymmetric catalysis. A series of highly rigid oxa-spiro phosphine-oxazoline (O-SIPHOX) ligands based on O-SPINOL was synthesized efficiently, and their iridium complexes were synthesized by coordination of the O-SIPHOX ligands to [Ir(cod)Cl]2 in the presence of sodium tetrakis-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylborate (NaBArF). The cationic iridium complexes showed high reactivity and excellent enantioselectivity in the asymmetric hydrogenation of 1-methylene-tetrahydro-benzo[d]azepin-2-ones (up to 99% yield and up to 99% ee). A key intermediate of the anti-obesity drug lorcaserin could be efficiently synthesized using this protocol.