Bifunctional Photocatalysts for Enantioselective Aerobic Oxidation of β-Ketoesters

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b11418
• Publication Date: 2016-12-21T21:21:58Z
• Authors: Wei Ding; Liang-Qiu Lu; Quan-Quan Zhou; Yi Wei; Jia-Rong Chen; Wen-Jing Xiao
• Keywords: 01 natural sciences; 0104 chemical sciences

A novel visible-light-responsive chiral ligand has been developed by grafting a triplet state photosensitizer to chiral bisoxazoline ligands. Complexation of this ligand with Ni(acac)2 results in a powerful catalyst for the asymmetric oxidation reaction of β-ketoesters, which uses oxygen or air as the green oxidant and visible light or sunlight as the ideal driving force. Using this protocol, products containing the α-hydroxy-β-dicarbonyl motif are produced in high yields and with excellent enantiopurities.