Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones

Asymmetric hydrocyanation of hydrazones, catalyzed by a calcium–BINOL phosphate complex, has been studied for the first time both experimentally and computationally with DFT methods. A full catalytic cycle for the enantioselective synthesis of α-hydrazinonitriles is proposed based on insights gained...

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Main Authors: Carola Tortora, Christian A. Fischer, Sascha Kohlbauer, Alexandru Zamfir, Gerd M. Ballmann, Jürgen Pahl, Sjoerd Harder, Svetlana B. Tsogoeva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Beilstein-Institut 2025-04-01
Series:Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.21.59
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author Carola Tortora
Christian A. Fischer
Sascha Kohlbauer
Alexandru Zamfir
Gerd M. Ballmann
Jürgen Pahl
Sjoerd Harder
Svetlana B. Tsogoeva
author_facet Carola Tortora
Christian A. Fischer
Sascha Kohlbauer
Alexandru Zamfir
Gerd M. Ballmann
Jürgen Pahl
Sjoerd Harder
Svetlana B. Tsogoeva
author_sort Carola Tortora
collection DOAJ
description Asymmetric hydrocyanation of hydrazones, catalyzed by a calcium–BINOL phosphate complex, has been studied for the first time both experimentally and computationally with DFT methods. A full catalytic cycle for the enantioselective synthesis of α-hydrazinonitriles is proposed based on insights gained from DFT calculations. Trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) has been used as a sacrificial cyanide source. We found that isocyanide (rather than cyanide) is a preferred coordination to calcium during the catalytic cycle, while the active catalyst prefers a side-on coordination of cyanide. The configuration-determining step is a hydrocyanation via a calcium isocyanide complex, whereas the rate-limiting step is that which recovers the calcium catalyst and replaces the TMS-bound product from the catalyst. While our experimental data demonstrate enantioselectivity values as high as 89% under certain conditions, the overall enantioselectivity achieved with the calcium catalyst remains modest, mainly due to competing pathways for the Z- and E-hydrazone isomers leading to opposite enantiomers. The experimental results confirm these computational proposals.
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spelling doaj-art-1b5d0e542b7848f3a0e6a48ffb0d4a952025-08-20T02:11:12ZengBeilstein-InstitutBeilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry1860-53972025-04-0121175576510.3762/bjoc.21.591860-5397-21-59Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazonesCarola Tortora0Christian A. Fischer1Sascha Kohlbauer2Alexandru Zamfir3Gerd M. Ballmann4Jürgen Pahl5Sjoerd Harder6Svetlana B. Tsogoeva7Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Strasse 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Chair of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Strasse 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Strasse 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Chair of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Chair of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Chair of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Strasse 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany Asymmetric hydrocyanation of hydrazones, catalyzed by a calcium–BINOL phosphate complex, has been studied for the first time both experimentally and computationally with DFT methods. A full catalytic cycle for the enantioselective synthesis of α-hydrazinonitriles is proposed based on insights gained from DFT calculations. Trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) has been used as a sacrificial cyanide source. We found that isocyanide (rather than cyanide) is a preferred coordination to calcium during the catalytic cycle, while the active catalyst prefers a side-on coordination of cyanide. The configuration-determining step is a hydrocyanation via a calcium isocyanide complex, whereas the rate-limiting step is that which recovers the calcium catalyst and replaces the TMS-bound product from the catalyst. While our experimental data demonstrate enantioselectivity values as high as 89% under certain conditions, the overall enantioselectivity achieved with the calcium catalyst remains modest, mainly due to competing pathways for the Z- and E-hydrazone isomers leading to opposite enantiomers. The experimental results confirm these computational proposals.https://doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.21.59asymmetric synthesiscalcium–binol phosphate catalysishydrocyanationhydrazonesisocyanides
spellingShingle Carola Tortora
Christian A. Fischer
Sascha Kohlbauer
Alexandru Zamfir
Gerd M. Ballmann
Jürgen Pahl
Sjoerd Harder
Svetlana B. Tsogoeva
Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones
Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry
asymmetric synthesis
calcium–binol phosphate catalysis
hydrocyanation
hydrazones
isocyanides
title Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones
title_full Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones
title_fullStr Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones
title_full_unstemmed Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones
title_short Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones
title_sort development and mechanistic studies of calcium binol phosphate catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones
topic asymmetric synthesis
calcium–binol phosphate catalysis
hydrocyanation
hydrazones
isocyanides
url https://doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.21.59
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AT gerdmballmann developmentandmechanisticstudiesofcalciumbinolphosphatecatalyzedhydrocyanationofhydrazones
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