This invention relates to
phosphoramidite compounds and catalyst complexes which can be used to provide enantioselective reactions including
hydroamination reactions, etherification reactions and conjugate addition reactions and allylic substitution reactions, among others. In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to
phosphoramidite and related compounds according to general structure (I), where Z is absent or is a group containing O, N or S, preferably O; R1 and R2 are independently an optionally substituted C1-12
alkyl group, an optionally substituted (CH2)n-aromatic group or (CH2)n-heteroaromatic group, or are linked together to form an optionally substituted aliphatic or (CH2)n-aromatic dianion of a
diol,
diamine,
dithiol, aminoalcohol, aminohiolate or a alcoholthiol group; R3′ and R3 are each independently H, an optionally substituted C1-C12
alkyl group or an optionally substituted (CH2)n-aromatic group with the proviso that R3′ and R3 are not both H, or together R3′ and R3 form an optionally substituted C5-C15 saturated or unsaturated carbocyclic ring; R4 is H, an optionally substituted C1-C12
alkyl group or an optionally substituted (CH2)n-aromatic group; R5 is absent, H, an optionally substituted C1-C12 alkyl group or an optionally substituted (CH2)n-aromatic or (CH2)n-heteroaromatic group; Ra and Ra′ are each independently H or a C1-C3 alkyl group, or Ra and Ra′ together with the carbon to which they are attached form a optionally substituted C5-C15 saturated or unsaturated carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring, or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring; R6 and R7 are each independently H, an optionally substituted C1-C12 alkyl group or an optionally substituted (CH2)n-aromatic group, with the proviso that R5, R6 and R7 cannot simultaneously be H, and when Ra and Ra′, together with the carbon to which they are attached, form a carbocyclic ring, heterocyclic ring or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, R5 is absent or is preferably H; R6 and R7 are preferably H or CH3; and each n is independently 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 and wherein at least one of the carbon atoms attached to the
nitrogen of the
phosphoramidite group is a chiral center.