Asymmetric oxidation of sulfides catalyzed by chiral (salen)Mn(III) complexes with a pyrrolidine backbone

• Catalytic properties of a series of chiral (pyrrolidine salen)Mn(III) complexes for asymmetric oxidation of aryl methyl sulfides were evaluated. Moderate activity, good chemical selectivity and low enantioselectivity were attained with iodosylbenzene as a terminal oxidant. Enantioselectivity of sulfide oxidation was affected slightly by polar solvent and the sulfoxidation carried out in THF for thioanisole and in CH3CO2Et for electron-deficient sulfides gave better enatioselctivities. The addition of the donor ligand PPNO (4-phenylpyridine N-oxide) or MNO (trimethylamine N-oxide) only has a minor positive effect on the enantioselectivity. Also explored was the steric effect of the N-aza-substituent in the backbone of (pyrrolidine salen)Mn(III) complexes on the enantioselectivity of sulfide oxidation. The sulfides' access pathway is discussed based on the catalytic results.

Keyword

asymmetric oxidation

pyrrolidine

(salen)Mn complexes

sulfides

sulfoxides

aqueous hydrogen-peroxide

enantioselective oxidation

(salen)manganese(iii) complexes

aryl sulfides

sulfoxidation

epoxidation

oxidant

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)