Intermolecular Buchwald–Hartwig Reactions for Enantioselective Synthesis of Diverse Atropisomers: Rerouting the C–N Forming Mechanism to Substrate Oxygen-Assisted Reductive Elimination

Axially chiral biaryls featuring a C–N axis are important functional molecules in diverse fields. The asymmetric Buchwald–Hartwig reaction represents a powerful strategy for these targets. Previous studies, however, have been predominantly restricted to intramolecular atroposelective coupling, likely due to the steric and entropic effects in the reductive elimination of Pd(II) species with sterically congested aryl and nitrogen groups. We now report two intermolecular Buchwald–Hartwig coupling systems of bulky NH lactams and halohydrocarbons enabled by rerouting the mechanism of C–N reductive elimination to one that accommodates sterically challenging substrates. Both atroposelective coupling systems exhibited functional group tolerance, excellent enantioselectivity, and high Z selectivity (if applicable), affording C–N atropisomeric biaryl and olefins through de novo construction of a C–N chiral axis. Experimental and computational studies were performed to elucidate the mechanism, and the switch of the reaction pathways is traced to the steric effect (ortho substituent) of the aryl halide substrate. A bulky 2,6-disubstituted aryl halide reorients the proximal lactamide ligand to its unusual O-ligation mode. With the amide oxygen participation, this intermediate undergoes C–N reductive elimination with an accessible barrier through a five-membered ring transition state, a pathway as well as a chiral induction mode that has been much underexplored in asymmetric catalysis.