Synthesis of Enantiomerically-Enriched α-Boryl Organometallic Reagents by Transition-Metal Catalysis:

Thesis advisor: James MorkenThis dissertation will present two main projects focusing on the construction of enantiomerically enriched α-boryl organometallic reagents by transition metal catalysis. The first project describes the development of a platinum-catalyzed enantioselective hydrosilylation reaction of alkenyl boronic esters, which provides a general and efficient route to α-borylsilane species. Such species are configurationally stable and exhibit significant synthetic utilities. The second project depicts a nickel-catalyzed enantioselective carbozincation reaction of vinyl boronic esters, which for the first time giving approach to enantioenriched α-borylzinc reagents. These reagents possess good configurational stability at low temperatures and can participate in copper-catalyzed allylation, palladium-catalyzed Negishi cross-coupling and electrophilic halogenation reactions in stereospecific fashion to furnish a broad array of chiral boronic esters. These compounds are important and versatile building blocks in organic synthesis and utilized in the synthesis of (–)-aphanorphine and (–)-enterolactone. Detailed mechanistic studies were carried out, which revealed a nickel(I)-based redox neutral catalytic cycle. The properties of α-borylzinc compounds were also studied by 1H NMR and enabled the development of a stereoconvergent cross-coupling of racemic α-borylzinc reagents. Such catalytic system is also effective for an enantioselective silylzincation of vinyl boronic esters.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021.Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Chemistry