Chirality Transfer of Stereogenic Boron Centers Enabled by a S_N2-Type Mechanism

Enantioenriched boron chelates show promising synthetic and luminescent properties; however, the challenging synthesis makes these compounds scarce. In our earlier work, we established a chirality transfer from boron O,N-chelates toward enantioenriched C,N-chelates. This methodology proved to be quite robust, in terms of yields and selectivity. However, unexpected steric effects on stereocontrol prompted a deeper investigation of the chirality transfer. In order to gain a holistic understanding of this process, we studied the structure of the O,N- and C,N-chelates as well as the stability of the dative B-N bonds. Furthermore, the proposed ate-complex as a reaction intermediate could be characterized using heteronuclear (2D) NMR spectroscopy. For this ate-complex, a tridentate O,N,N-chelate effect of the borate anion with the Li-cation was observed. Additional experiments indicated that the borate formation governs the stereoselectivity of chirality transfer. For a successful chirality transfer, an unprecedented S(N)2-type breaking of the dative B-N bond with an organometallic nucleophile was identified by DFT calculations as the most likely reaction path. For other cases, decreased or inverse enantioselectivity was rationalized by a solvent-assisted pathway.