Oxyanion hole stabilization by C-H···O interaction in a transition state--a three-point interaction model for Cinchona alkaloid-catalyzed asymmetric methanolysis of meso-cyclic anhydrides

J Am Chem Soc. 2013 Apr 17;135(15):5808-18. doi: 10.1021/ja4005893. Epub 2013 Apr 8.

Abstract

Oxyanion holes are commonly found in many enzyme structures. They are crucial for the stabilization of high-energy oxyanion intermediates or transition states through hydrogen bonding. Typical functionalities found in enzyme oxyanion holes or chemically designed oxyanion-hole mimics are N-H and O-H groups. Through DFT calculations, we show that asymmetric methanolysis of meso-cyclic anhydrides (AMMA) catalyzed by a class of cinchona alkaloid catalysts involves an oxyanion hole consisting of purely C-H functionality. This C-H oxyanion hole is found to play a pivotal role for stabilizing the developing oxyanion, via C-H···O hydrogen bonds, in our newly proposed three-point interaction transition-state model for AMMA reactions, and is the key reason for the catalyst to adopt the gauche-open conformation in the transition state. Predicted enantioselectivities of three cinchona alkaloid catalysts, namely DHQD-PHN, DHQD-MEQ, and DHQD-CLB, based on calculations of our transition-state model, agree well with experimental findings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anhydrides / chemistry*
  • Carbon / chemistry*
  • Catalysis
  • Cinchona Alkaloids / chemistry*
  • Esterification
  • Hydrogen / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Oxygen / chemistry*
  • Quinuclidines / chemistry
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Substrate Specificity

Substances

  • Anhydrides
  • Cinchona Alkaloids
  • Quinuclidines
  • Carbon
  • Hydrogen
  • Oxygen