Thesis advisor: Amir H. Hoveyda / In the course of a total synthesis of quebrachamine, we were faced with a late-stage enantioselective ring-closing metathesis that could not be promoted by any of the state-of-the-art chiral metathesis catalysts. To overcome this deficiency, we designed and developed a new class of catalysts based on mechanistic and theoretical principles. The new catalysts contain a stereogenic metal center and display unprecedented levels of reactivity and selectivity in enantioselective olefin metathesis, enabling us to complete our planned synthesis of quebrachamine. We have also discovered that non-productive metathesis reactions with stereogenic-at-Mo catalysts, generated and used in situ as a mixture of diastereomers, are crucial to the efficiency and enantioselectivity of the ring-closing metathesis reactions. Specifically, our studies have indicated that the two diastereomers of catalyst are in rapid equilibrium due to non-productive metathesis with ethylene, generated as the desired ring-closing reaction proceeds, thereby establishing a reaction manifold that is under Curtin-Hammett control. Finally, in our efforts to prepare air-stable precursors to stereogenic-at-Mo olefin metathesis catalysts, we have examined the addition of N,N-chelating ligands to Mo bis-pyrrolide complexes. Upon addition of 2,2′-bipyridyl to bis-dimethylpyrrolide Mo complexes, rather than the expected octahedral chelate, a five-coordinate monopyrrolide alkylidyne complex is generated. The complex displays good air-stability and efficiently serves as a precursor to stereogenic-at-Mo alkylidene catalysts; several alkylidyne complexes have been prepared. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Chemistry.

Le travail rapporté dans ce manuscrit s'attache à comprendre l'influence des groupements silylés en position C7 sur l'équilibre de valence entre cycloheptatriène (CHT) et norcaradiène (NCD) et sa réactivité afin de développer de nouvelles approches synthétiques. Nous avons ainsi synthétisé 3 nouveaux cycloheptatriènes silylés et réalisé des réactions de cycloaddition [3+2] et [4+2] visant à les désymétriser. Bien qu'une rationalisation complète n'ait pu être établie, ces travaux ont mis en évidence les réactivités complexes des CHT/NCD silylés. Selon les substituants portés par le silicium, des structures cycliques à 7 chainons ou bicycliques à 6 chainons sont rapidement accessibles. De plus, les groupements silylés permettent aussi une bonne discrimination diastéréofaciale. L'utilisation de composés issus de la désymétrisation de cyloheptatriènes silylés pour la synthèse de mimes de sucres constitue un aspect majeur de nos travaux. La réaction de dihydroxylation appliquée aux CHT silylés a conduit à l’obtention de diols qui ont pu être fonctionnalisés pour conduire à trois aminoheptitols originaux. Les endoperoxides issus des réactions de photo-oxygénation ont été désymétrisés par réaction de Kornblum-DeLaMare asymétrique et une étude des différentes fonctionnalisations possibles, notamment par voie radicalaire, a également été réalisée. / This work sets out to understand the influence of the silyl group at the C7 position on the valence equilibrium and reactivity of the cycloheptatriene (CHT) - norcaradiène (NCD) system, and to use this knowledge to develop new synthetic methodologies. Three new cycloheptatrienes have been synthesized and we have undertaken [3+2] and [4+2] cycloaddition reactions with the aim of desymetrizing them. Although a complete rationale could not be established, this study has highlighted the complex reactivities of silylated CHTs/NCDs. Depending on the nature of the silyl group, 7-membered rings or bicyclic 6-membered rings can be rapidly obtained, and the silyl groups also allow diastereofacial discrimination. The application of the desymetrization reaction of silylated cycloheptatrienes to the synthesis of sugar mimics constitutes a major aspect of this work. Dihydroxylation of silylated CHTs has afforded diols which could be functionalized into three novel aminoheptitols. Endoperoxides from photooxygenation have been desymmetrized by an asymmetric Kornblum-DeLaMare reaction, and a study of possible further functionalization (notably by radical processes) has also been carried out.

Thesis advisor: Amir H. Hoveyda / Chapter 1. Mechanistic Insights and Factors Influencing Polytopal Rearrangements in Stereogenic-at-Ru Carbenes. Herein, the mechanistic elucidation of the stereochemical inversion in stereogenic-at-Ru carbene complexes through olefin metathesis (OM) and non-olefin metathesis (non-OM) based polytopal rearrangements is provided. Our investigations involve the isolation and characterization of previously hypothesized higher-energy (e.g., endo-anti) and lower-energy (e.g., exo-anti) diastereomers, and their interconversion under thermal and/or acid-catalyzed conditions is demonstrated. Furthermore, our computational efforts highlighting the importance of the anionic ligands, due to their critical role in trans influence, dipolar interactions, and e-e repulsions, in polytopal rearrangements are reported. Finally, the positive influence of H-bonding in OM and non-OM processes is also rationalized. (a) Khan, R. K. M.; Zhugralin, A. R.; Torker, S.; O'Brien, R. V.; Lombardi, P. J. and Hoveyda, A. H. "Synthesis, Isolation, Characterization, and Reactivity of High-Energy Stereogenic-at-Ru Carbenes: Stereochemical Inversion Through Olefin Metathesis and Other Pathways," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 12438-12441. (b) Torker, S.; Khan, R. K. M. and Hoveyda, A. H. "The Influence of Anionic Ligands on Stereoisomerism of Ru Carbenes and Their Importance to Efficiency and Selectivity of Catalytic Olefin Metathesis Reactions," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 3439-3455. Chapter 2. Highly Z- and Enantioselective Ring-Opening/Cross-Metathesis of Enol Ethers Through Curtin-Hammett Kinetics. The first instances of Z- and enantioselective Ru-catalyzed olefin metathesis are presented. Ring-opening/cross-metathesis (ROCM) reactions of oxabicyclic alkenes and enol ethers and a phenyl vinyl sulfide are promoted by 0.5-5.0 mol % of enantiomerically pure stereogenic-at-Ru complexes with an aryloxy chelate tethered to the N-heterocyclic carbene. Products are formed efficiently and with exceptional enantioselectivity (up to >98:2 enantiomer ratio). Surprisingly, the enantioselective ROCM reactions proceed with high Z selectivity (up to >98% Z). Moreover, reactions proceed with the opposite sense of enantioselectivity versus aryl olefins, which afford E- isomers exclusively. DFT calculations and deuterium-scrambling experiments, indicating fast interconversion between endo- and exo-Fischer carbene diastereomers, support a Curtin-Hammett situation. On this basis, models accounting for the stereoselectivity levels and trends are provided. Furthermore, the correlation of Fischer carbene character to the observed chemoselectivity in ROCM with enol ethers is also disclosed. Finally, a general proposal for the substrate-controlled Z selectivity in OM is also discussed. (a) Khan, R. K. M.; O'Brien, R. V.; Torker, S.; Li, B. and Hoveyda, A. H. "Z- and Enantioselective Ring-Opening Cross-Metathesis with Enol Ethers Catalyzed by Stereogenic-at-Ru Carbenes: Reactivity, Selectivity, and Curtin-Hammett Kinetics," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 12774-12779. (b) Torker, S.; Koh, M. J.; Khan, R. K. M. and Hoveyda, A. H. "Origin of Z selectivity in Olefin Metathesis Reactions of Certain Terminal Alkenes Catalyzed by Typically E-Selective Ru Carbenes," manuscript submitted. Chapter 3. A New Class of Highly Efficient Ru Catalysts for Z-Selective Olefin Metathesis. Herein, we outline a general design for Z-selective OM, which led to the development of a new class of stereogenic-at-Ru carbene complexes (Ru4-9). Furthermore, we demonstrate that the newly developed dithiolate complexes Ru4b and Ru5 efficiently promote high activity and selectivity in ROMP reactions of norbornene and cyclooctene. Notably, the catechothiolate Ru4b catalyzes Z-selective ROCM with a broad scope of alkenes involving various functional groups (e.g., alcohols, enol ethers, vinyl sulfides, amides, heterocycles, and conjugated 1,3-dienes). More importantly, we disclose that the catecholate complex Ru4a is kinetically non-selective in OM and readily decomposes in the presence of mildly acidic moieties (e.g., alcohols and CDCl3). Subsequently, Ru9 is developed to efficiently promote highly Z-selective CM of a diol cross-partner with a wide range of alkene substrates. Most remarkably, the aforementioned protocol is employed in two natural product syntheses and the OM-based Z-selective cracking of oleic acid, which is unprecedented with existing Ru-carbenes and Mo/W-alkylidenes. (a) Khan, R. K. M.; Torker, S. and Hoveyda, A. H. "Readily Accessible and Easily Modifiable Ru-Based Catalysts for Efficient and Z-Selective Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization and Ring-Opening Cross-Metathesis," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 10258-10261. (b) Koh, M. J.; Khan, R. K. M.; Torker, S. and Hoveyda, A. H. "Broadly Applicable Z- and Diastereoselective Ring-Opening/Cross-Metathesis Catalyzed By a Dithiolate Ru Complex," Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 1968-1972. (c) Khan, R. K. M. ; Torker, S. and Hoveyda, A. H. "Reactivity and Selectivity Differences Between Catecholate and Catechothiolate Ru Complexes. Implications Regarding Design of Stereoselective Olefin Metathesis Catalysts," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 14337-14340. (d) Koh, M. J.; Khan, R. K. M.; Torker, S.; Yu, M.; Mikus, M. S. and Hoveyda, A. H. "Synthesis of High-Value Alcohols, Aldehydes and Acids by Catalytic Z-Selective Cross-Metathesis" manuscript submitted. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Chemistry.