Tricyclic Sulfoxide–Alkene Hybrid Ligands for Chiral Rh(I) Complexes: The “Matched” Diastereomer Catalyzes Asymmetric C–C Bond Formations

Deprotonation of phenyldibenzo­[b,f]­tropylidene (8) with LDA/t-BuOK followed by quenching with either diastereomer of inexpensive glucose-based t-Bu-sulfinate (R)- or (S)-11 affords a sulfoxide–alkene hybrid ligand as the diastereomeric pairs (SS,SC)-9/(SS,RC)-10 and (RS,RC)-9/(RS,SC)-10, respectively, which via chromatographic/recrystallization may be separated into the four isomers. The optically pure diastereomeric ligands (SS,SC)-9 and (SS,RC)-10 react with [RhCl­(coe)2]2 to form the dinuclear complexes (RS,SC)-11 and (RS,RC)-12, respectively, in which the bidentate ligands coordinate the metal centers through the sulfur and alkene donor functions. These complexes catalyze the conjugate addition of arylboronic acids to cyclic Michael acceptors with enantioselectivities of up to 99% ee. DFT calculations show the preponderant influence of planar chirality of the ligand alkene function. The enantioselectivity switch observed between (RS,SC)-11 and (RS,RC)-12 is explained by the inverted cis–trans coordinations of the substrate molecules in catalytic steps.