Substrate range of the titanium TADDOLate catalyzed asymmetric fluorination of activated carbonyl compounds

The substrate range of the [TiCl ₂(TADDOLate)] (TADDOL=α,α,α′,α′-tetraaryl-1,3-dioxolane-4, 5-dimethanol)-catalyzed asymmetric α-fluorination of activated β-carbonyl compounds has been investigated. Optimal conditions for catalysis are characterized by using 5 mol-% of TiCl ₂(naphthalen-1- yl)-TADDOLate) as catalyst in a saturated (0.14 mol/l) MeCN solution of F-TEDA (1-(chloromethyl)-4-fluoro-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bis- [tetrafluoroborate]) at room temperature. A series of α-methylated β-keto esters (3-oxobutanoates, 3-oxopentanoates) with bulky benzyl ester groups (60-90% ee) or phenyl ester (67-88% ee) have been fluorinated readily, whereas α-acyl lactones were also readily fluorinated, but gave lower inductions (13-46% ee). Double stereochemical differentiation in β-keto esters with chiral ester groups raised the stereoselectivity to a diastereomeric ratio (dr) of up to 96.5:3.5. For the first time, β-keto S-thioesters were asymmetrically fluorinated (62-91.5% ee) and chlorinated (83% ee). Lower inductions were observed in fluorinations of 1,3-diketones (up to 40% ee) and β-keto amides (up to 59% ee). General strategies for preparing activated β-carbonyl compounds as important model substrates for asymmetric catalytic α-functionalizations are presented (>60 examples).