Fluoromethyl groups possess specific steric and electronic properties and serve as a bioisostere of alcohol, thiol, nitro, and other functional groups, which are important in an assortment of molecular recognition processes. Herein we report a catalytic method for the asymmetric synthesis of a variety of enantioenriched products bearing fluoromethylated stereocenters with excellent yields and enantioselectivities. Various N,P-ligands were designed and applied in the hydrogenation of fluoromethylated olefins and vinyl fluorides.

We present a highly efficient convergent asymmetric hydrogenation of E/Z mixtures of enamides catalyzed by N,P–iridium complexes supported by mechanistic studies. It was found that reduction of the olefinic isomers (E and Z geometries) produces chiral amides with the same absolute configuration (enantioconvergent hydrogenation). This allowed the hydrogenation of a wide range of E/Z mixtures of trisubstituted enamides with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). A detailed mechanistic study using deuterium labeling and kinetic experiments revealed two different pathways for the observed enantioconvergence. For α-aryl enamides, fast isomerization of the double bond takes place, and the overall process results in kinetic resolution of the two isomers. For α-alkyl enamides, no double bond isomerization is detected, and competition experiments suggested that substrate chelation is responsible for the enantioconvergent stereochemical outcome. DFT calculations were performed to predict the correct absolute configuration of the products and strengthen the proposed mechanism of the iridium-catalyzed isomerization pathway.

We have developed a simple protocol for the preparation of 1,2-fluorohydrin by asymmetric hydrogenation of fluorinated allylic alcohols using an efficient azabicyclo thiazole-phosphine iridium complex. The iridium-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of chiral 1,2-fluorohydrin molecules was carried out at ambient temperature with operational simplicity, and scalability. This method was compatible with various aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic fluorinated compounds as well as a variety of polyfluorinated compounds, providing the corresponding products in excellent yields and enantioselectivities.

The development of new general methods for the synthesis of chiral fluorine-containing molecules is important for several scientific disciplines. We herein disclose a straightforward method for the preparation of chiral organofluorine molecules that is based on the iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of trisubstituted alkenyl fluorides. This catalytic asymmetric process enables the synthesis of chiral fluorine molecules with or without carbonyl substitution. Owing to the tunable steric and electronic properties of the azabicyclo thiazole-phosphine iridium catalyst, this stereoselective reaction could be optimized and was found to be compatible with various aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic systems with a variety of functional groups, providing the highly desirable products in excellent yields and enantioselectivities.

A highly efficient iridium N,P-ligand-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of functionalized tetrasubstituted olefins lacking a directing group has been developed. Various structural diverse chiral succinate derivatives were obtained in high yields and excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivities (up to 99% ee) using 0.5-1.0 mol % catalyst loadings. This stereoselective reaction is applicable for the synthesis of chiral acyclic molecules (up to >99% ee) having two contiguous stereogenic centers and is compatible with various aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic systems, a variety of functional groups of different electronic nature. Furthermore, this asymmetric protocol allows a short enantioselective route to the butyrolactone building block, an intermediate in the synthesis of anticancer agent BMS-871 and pharmaceuticals (2S)-(-)-Verapamil and (2S)-(-)-Gallopamil.

Asymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes is one of the most powerful tools for the preparation of optically active compounds. However, to achieve high enantioselectivity, the starting olefin in most cases needs to be isomerically pure in either the cis or the trans form. Generally, most olefination protocols provide olefins as isomeric mixtures that are difficult to separate, and in many cases also generate lots of waste. In contrast, the synthesis of racemic alcohols is straightforward and highly atom-efficient, with products that are easier to purify. Here, we describe a strategy that enables rapid access to chiral alkanes via enantioconvergent formal deoxygenation of racemic alcohols. Mechanistic studies indicate an Ir-mediated elimination of water and subsequent in situ hydrogenation. This approach allows rapid and efficient assembly of chiral intermediates and is exemplified in the total synthesis of antidepressant sertraline and sigma(2) receptor PB 28.

The synthesis of chiral fluorine containing motifs, in particular, chiral fluorine molecules with two contiguous stereogenic centers, has attracted much interest in research due to the limited number of methods available for their preparation. Herein, we report an atom-economical and highly stereoselective synthesis of chiral fluorine molecules with two contiguous stereogenic centers via azabicyclo iridium-oxazoline-phosphine-catalyzed hydrogenation of readily available vinyl fluorides. Various aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic systems with a variety of functional groups were found to be compatible with the reaction and provide the highly desirable product as single diastereomers with excellent enantioselectivities.