Rh(I)–Bisphosphine-Catalyzed Asymmetric, Intermolecular Hydroheteroarylation of α-Substituted Acrylate Derivatives

Asymmetric hydroheteroarylation of alkenes represents a convenient entry to elaborated heterocyclic motifs. While chiral acids are known to mediate asymmetric addition of electron-rich heteroarenes to Michael acceptors, very few methods exploit transition metals to catalyze alkylation of heterocycles with olefins via a C-H activation, migratory insertion sequence. Herein, we describe the development of an asymmetric, intermolecular hydroheteroarylation reaction of α-substituted acrylates with benzoxazoles. The reaction provides 2-substitued benzoxazoles in moderate to excellent yields and good to excellent enantioselectivities. Notably, a series of mechanistic studies appears to contradict a pathway involving enantioselective protonation of a Rh(I)-enolate, despite the fact that such a mechanism is invoked almost unanimously in the related addition of aryl boronic acids to methacrylate derivatives. Evidence suggests instead that migratory insertion or beta-hydride elimination is enantiodetermining and that isomerization of a Rh(I)-enolate to a Rh(I)-heterobenzyl species insulates the resultant α-stereocenter from epimerization. A bulky ligand, CTH-(R)-Xylyl-P-Phos, is crucial for reactivity and enantioselectivity, as it likely discourages undesired ligation of benzoxazole substrates or intermediates to on- or off-cycle rhodium complexes and attenuates coordination-promoted product epimerization.