Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.141, No.41, 16354-16361, 2019
Multiple Absolute Stereocontrol in Cascade Lactone Formation via Dynamic Kinetic Resolution Driven by the Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of Keto Acids with Oxo-Tethered Ruthenium Catalysts
A straightforward asymmetric construction of chiral fused gamma- and delta-lactones containing multiple contiguous stereocenters was successfully developed by either (1) the dynamic kinetic resolution-asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (DKR-ATH) reaction using oxo-tethered Ru(II) complexes followed by syn-selective lactonization or (2) the tandem DKR-ATH/lactonization in combination with asymmetric hydrogenation catalyzed by Ru-chiral diphosphine complexes. The expedient protocol is applicable to the enantioselective synthesis of natural wine lactone and a biologically active benzo-fused lactone with an unprecedented level of diastereo- and enantioselectivity.