Volume 55, Issue 14 pp. 4527-4531
Communication

Highly Enantioselective Rhodium-Catalyzed Addition of Arylboroxines to Simple Aryl Ketones: Efficient Synthesis of Escitalopram

Linwei Huang

Linwei Huang

Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Rd, Shanghai, 200237 China

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Jinbin Zhu

Jinbin Zhu

Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Rd, Shanghai, 200237 China

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Guangjun Jiao

Guangjun Jiao

State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China

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Dr. Zheng Wang

Dr. Zheng Wang

Innovation Center China, AstraZeneca Global R&D, China

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Prof. Dr. Xingxin Yu

Prof. Dr. Xingxin Yu

Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Rd, Shanghai, 200237 China

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Prof. Dr. Wei-Ping Deng

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Wei-Ping Deng

Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Rd, Shanghai, 200237 China

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Prof. Dr. Wenjun Tang

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Wenjun Tang

Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Rd, Shanghai, 200237 China

State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China

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First published: 02 March 2016
Citations: 87

Graphical Abstract

Wing it: The title reaction has been achieved for the first time with a Rh/(R,R,R,R)-WingPhos catalyst, providing a range of chiral diaryl alkyl carbinols with excellent ee values and yields. The method was applied for a concise synthesis of the antidepressant drug escitalopram. MTBE=tert-butyl methyl ether.

Abstract

Highly enantioselective additions of arylboroxines to simple aryl ketones have been achieved for the first time with a Rh/(R,R,R,R)-WingPhos catalyst, thus providing a range of chiral diaryl alkyl carbinols with excellent ee values and yields. (R,R,R,R)-WingPhos has been proven to be crucial for the high reactivity and enantioselectivity. The method has enabled a new, concise, and enantioselective synthesis of the antidepressant drug escitalopram.

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