Enantioselective, Palladium-Catalyzed α-Arylation of N-Boc Pyrrolidine: In Situ React IR Spectroscopic Monitoring, Scope, and Synthetic Applications

A comprehensive study of the enantioselective Pd-catalyzed α-arylation of N-Boc pyrrolidine has been carried out. The protocol involves deprotonation of N-Boc pyrrolidine using s-BuLi/(−)-sparteine in TBME or Et2O at −78 °C, transmetalation with ZnCl2 and Negishi coupling using Pd(OAc)2, t-Bu3P-HBF4 and the aryl bromide. This paper reports several new features including in situ React IR spectroscopic monitoring of the process; use of (−)-sparteine and the (+)-sparteine surrogate to access products with opposite configuration; development of a catalytic asymmetric lithiation–Negishi coupling reaction; extension to a wide range of heteroaromatic bromides; total synthesis of (R)-crispine A, (S)-nicotine and (S)-SIB-1508Y via short synthetic routes; and examples of α-vinylation of N-Boc pyrrolidine using vinyl bromides exemplified by the total synthesis of naturally occurring (+)-maackiamine (thus establishing its configuration as (R)). In this way, the full scope and limitations of the methodology are delineated.