Computational Design of an Intramolecular Frustrated Lewis Pair Catalyst for Enantioselective Hydrogenation

We report DFT calculations on potential intramolecular, enantioselective hydrogenation catalysts based around borenium-carbenes based on a camphor scaffold. Using the M06-2X meta-hybrid functional, we find frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) behavior with suitably chosen linkers that prevent association of Lewis bases with the borenium center. These intramolecular FLPs are predicted to be able to heterolytically dissociate H-2. Barriers to dissociation and the endo/exoergic nature of the reaction can be tuned by the nature of the base and substituent on B. The reactivity of the hydrogenated FLP catalyst with olefin and carbonyl substrates is then explored: we predict concerted reactions for all substrates considered with relatively low barriers and large exoergic character. Hydrogenation of both faces of a prochiral substrate is also examined, indicating a small but significant variation in reaction barrier in favor of the Si-face, ascribed to stronger interactions with the aromatic pi-system in the TS compared to the Re-face.