This thesis describes the catalysed addition of X-H bonds (X = S, O and N) to alkynes using a range of novel rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes containing hybrid bidentate phosphine-pyrazolyl, phosphine-imidazolyl and phosphine-N heterocyclic carbene (NHC) donor ligands. The synthesis of novel bidentate phosphine-pyrazolyl, phosphine-imidazolyl (P-N) and phosphine-NHC (PC) donor ligands and their cationic and neutral rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes [M(P N)(COD)]BPh4, [M(PC)(COD)]BPh4, [Ir(P-N)(CO)2]BPh4 and [M(P-N)(CO)Cl] were successfully performed. An unusual five coordinate iridium complex with phosphine-NHC ligands [Ir(PC)(COD)(CO)]BPh4 was also obtained. Seventeen single crystal X-ray structures of these new complexes were determined. A range of these novel rhodium and iridium complexes were effective as catalysts for the addition of thiophenol to a variety of alkynes. Iridium complexes were more effective than rhodium analogues. Cationic complexes were more effective than neutral complexes. Complexes with hybrid phosphine-nitrogen donor were more effective than complexes containing bidentate nitrogen donor ligands. An atom-economical, efficient method for the synthesis of cyclic acetals and bicyclic O,O-acetals was successfully developed based on the catalysed hydroalkoxylation. Readily prepared terminal and non-terminal alkyne diols were cyclised into bicyclic O,O-acetals in quantitative conversions in most cases. The efficiency of a range of rhodium and iridium complexes containing bidentate P-N and PC donor ligands as catalysts for the cyclisation of 4-pentyn-1-amine to 2-methyl-1-pyrroline varied significantly. The cationic iridium complexes with the bidentate phosphine-pyrazolyl ligands, [Ir(R2PyP)(COD)]BPh4 (2.39-2.42) were extremely efficient as catalysts for this transformation. Increasing the size of the substituent on or adjacent to the donor led to improvement in catalytic activity of the corresponding metal complexes. The mechanism of the catalysed hydroalkoxylation was proposed to proceed by the initial activation of the alkyne via ?? coordination to the metal centre. The ?? binding of both aliphatic and aromatic alkynes to [Ir(PyP)(CO)2]BPh4 (2.44) was observed by low temperature NMR and no reaction between 2.44 and alcohols was observed. In contrast, the facility in which thiol and amine oxidatively added to 2.44 led the proposal that in the hydrothiolation and hydroamination reaction, the catalytic cycle commences with the activation of the X-H bond (X = S, N) by an oxidative addition process.

This thesis describes the catalysed addition of X-H bonds (X = S, O and N) to alkynes using a range of novel rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes containing hybrid bidentate phosphine-pyrazolyl, phosphine-imidazolyl and phosphine-N heterocyclic carbene (NHC) donor ligands. The synthesis of novel bidentate phosphine-pyrazolyl, phosphine-imidazolyl (P-N) and phosphine-NHC (PC) donor ligands and their cationic and neutral rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes [M(P N)(COD)]BPh4, [M(PC)(COD)]BPh4, [Ir(P-N)(CO)2]BPh4 and [M(P-N)(CO)Cl] were successfully performed. An unusual five coordinate iridium complex with phosphine-NHC ligands [Ir(PC)(COD)(CO)]BPh4 was also obtained. Seventeen single crystal X-ray structures of these new complexes were determined. A range of these novel rhodium and iridium complexes were effective as catalysts for the addition of thiophenol to a variety of alkynes. Iridium complexes were more effective than rhodium analogues. Cationic complexes were more effective than neutral complexes. Complexes with hybrid phosphine-nitrogen donor were more effective than complexes containing bidentate nitrogen donor ligands. An atom-economical, efficient method for the synthesis of cyclic acetals and bicyclic O,O-acetals was successfully developed based on the catalysed hydroalkoxylation. Readily prepared terminal and non-terminal alkyne diols were cyclised into bicyclic O,O-acetals in quantitative conversions in most cases. The efficiency of a range of rhodium and iridium complexes containing bidentate P-N and PC donor ligands as catalysts for the cyclisation of 4-pentyn-1-amine to 2-methyl-1-pyrroline varied significantly. The cationic iridium complexes with the bidentate phosphine-pyrazolyl ligands, [Ir(R2PyP)(COD)]BPh4 (2.39-2.42) were extremely efficient as catalysts for this transformation. Increasing the size of the substituent on or adjacent to the donor led to improvement in catalytic activity of the corresponding metal complexes. The mechanism of the catalysed hydroalkoxylation was proposed to proceed by the initial activation of the alkyne via ?? coordination to the metal centre. The ?? binding of both aliphatic and aromatic alkynes to [Ir(PyP)(CO)2]BPh4 (2.44) was observed by low temperature NMR and no reaction between 2.44 and alcohols was observed. In contrast, the facility in which thiol and amine oxidatively added to 2.44 led the proposal that in the hydrothiolation and hydroamination reaction, the catalytic cycle commences with the activation of the X-H bond (X = S, N) by an oxidative addition process.

La première partie de ce manuscrit traite de la synthèse de phosphine-boranes P-stéréogènes énantioenrichis à partir d’un précurseur développé par notre laboratoire : le H-phénylphosphinate d’adamantyle. Grâce au développement d’une séquence monotope, une variété d’oxydes de phosphine P-stéréogènes de haute pureté optique a pu être synthétisée. Ces composés comportant une attache hydroxyle ont ensuite été réduits de façon stéréospécifique en présence de borane pour générer les précurseurs phosphine-boranes correspondants. Lors de cette étape de réduction, l’importance de la fonction hydroxyle a été mise en évidence, et un mécanisme basé sur la formation d’une espèce phosphaboracyclique intermédiaire a été proposé, sur la base de l’isolement d’intermédiaires réactionnels O-borés. Les trois rôles du borane (activation, réduction, protection de la phosphine) ont été clairement identifiés dans ce processus. Dans un second temps, nous avons pu mettre à profit la rétroaddition du groupement hydroxyalkyle en milieu basique lors de l’alkylation stéréospécifique chimiodivergente de phosphure-boranes masqués. Cette rétroaddition a permis de contourner l’instabilité chimique et configurationnelle des phosphures générés in situ, permettant l’accès à des phosphine-boranes fonctionnalisés de manière énantiospécifique. Ces ligands P,N ont été ensuite complexés au palladium et les complexes ont pu être testés comme catalyseurs de couplages C-C énantiosélectifs. Lors de ces couplages, l’angle de morsure du ligand s’est révélé crucial pour la réactivité du système catalytique. / The first part of this manuscript deals with the synthesis of enantioenriched P-stereogenic phosphine-boranes from a chiral precursor developed in our laboratory: H-adamantyl phenylphosphinate. Through the design of a one-pot procedure, the synthesis of a wide array of highly enantioenriched phosphine oxides has been achieved. These hydroxy-functionalised compounds were reduced stereospecifically under borane conditions to yield the corresponding hydroxyalkylphosphine-boranes. During the study of this reaction, the importance of hydroxy group has been highlighted, and a mechanism relying on the formation of transient phosphaboracyclic intermediate could be proposed, on the basis of kinetic observation and isolation of O-borylated intermediates. In this transformation, borane seems to display three roles: activating, reducing and protecting agent. Next, we were able to take advantage of the retroaddition of hydroxyalkyl moiety under basic conditions to develop a new approach for the stereospecific and chemodivergent alkylation of masked secondary phosphine-boranes. This unusual reactivity allowed us to circumvent the relative chemical and configurational instability of such in situ generated phosphido-boranes intermediate, thus enabling the stereospecific synthesis of functionalised tertiary phosphine-boranes. These P-N ligands have been complexed to palladium, and the catalytic activity of these complexes in enantioselective C-C couplings has been studied. During the catalytic process, it appears that the ligand bite angle plays an important role in the catalyst activity.