Le cannabidiol (CBD), constituant majeur non-psychotrope du Cannabis sativa, possède un grand nombre de propriétés pharmacologiques. Des dérivés du CBD présentant une rotation restreinte autour de la liaison simple aryl-C(sp3) ont été synthétisés avec deux modifications majeures apportés sur l’un ou/et l’autre cycle dans le but d’atteindre et de contrôler l’atropisomérie.Des phénylcyclohexanes diversement substitués ont été préparés par hydrogénation catalytique des phénylcyclohexènes correspondants. Des études de RMN dynamique et de modélisation moléculaire ont permis l’identification des épimères (1R/1S) et de leurs conformères (M/P). Selon la nature des substituants, de bons résultats de diastéréosélectivité et d’atroposélectivité ont été obtenus. Les conformères de l’épimère (1S) ont des barrières de rotation élevées jusqu’à 92 kJ.mol-1, contrairement à ceux de (1R) avec des barrières de seulement ~72 kJ.mol-1. L’atropisomérie dépend non seulement des substituants autour l’axe de chiralité mais aussi de la position d’un groupe méthyle sur le cycle monoterpénique (en C1).Des dérivés ortho-soufrés ont été préparés à partir de leurs analogues oxygénés via le réarrangement de Newman-Kwart. La substitution de l’atome d’oxygène par le soufre ralentit significativement l’échange conformationnel, les barrières énergétiques augmentent d’environ 10 kJ.mol-1. / Cannabidiol (CBD) is the major non-psychoactive constituent of Cannabis sativa with a large number of pharmaceutical interests. CBD derivatives with restricted rotation about the aryl-C(sp3) single bond have been synthesized with two major changes on one and/or both cycles in order to reach and control atropisomerism.Diversely substituted phenylcyclohexanes were prepared by catalytic hydrogenation from their corresponding phenylcyclohexenes. Dynamic NMR experiments and DFT calculations allowed us to identify the epimers (1R/1S) and their conformers (M/P). According to the nature of the substituents, high diastereoselectiviy and atrop-selectivity were obtained in these natural product derivatives. The conformers of epimers (1S) show high rotational barriers of up to 92 kJ.mol-1, unlike those of (1R) and with much lower barriers of ~72 kJ.mol-1. Atropisomerism not only depends on the substituents at the axis of chirality but also is influenced by the position of a methyl group on the monterpene ring (at C1).Ortho-thio derivatives were prepared from their oxygenated analogs via the Newman-Kwart rearrangement. The substitution of the oxygen atom by the sulfur slows the conformational exchange significantly increasing the rotational barriers of around 10 kJ.mol-1.

The topic of this thesis is the design and synthesis of biaryl-based self adaptableligands for asymmetric metal catalysis. The results discussed in papers I-III are covered, together with some unpublished results concerning substrate-adaptable catalysts. A general survey of self-adaptable catalysts is presented first. The second chapter of this thesis starts with a survey of inversion barriers in biphenyl-based ligands and catalysts. Thereafter, the determination of barriers to conformational adaptation in dibenzoazepines and dibenzophosphepines is described. Palladium complexes with a diphosphine ligand or a diamine ligand, as well as the free diamine ligand, were studied. Entropies and enthalpies of activation were determined with variable temperature NMR spectroscopy. The mechanism of conformational change in the metal complexes was elucidated. The third chapter describes the synthesis of semiflexible and rigid phosphinite ligands, as well as their application in rhodium-catalysed asymmetric hydrogenation. Modest enantioselectivities (up to 63% ee) were obtained. The semiflexible ligand was found to behave like the most active rigid diastereomer. The fourth chapter describes the behaviour of amine and phosphoramidite ligands in model complexes relevant to the palladium-catalysed asymmetricallylic alkylation of benchmark substrates. Diphosphoramidite and aminephosphoramiditeligands were designed and synthesised. Pd(olefin) complexesof diamine and diphosphoramidite ligands were studied, and their symmetry determined. It was found that both types of ligands are able to adapt their conformation to the substrate. / QC20100630

This thesis deals with the design and synthesis of ligands for asymmetric catalysis: palladium catalyzed allylic alkylations, and rho-dium and iridium catalyzed hydrogenations of olefins. Chirally flexible phosphepine ligands based on biphenyl were synthesized and their properties were studied. The rotation barrier for configurationally flexible phosphepines was determined by NMR spectroscopy. The ratio of the atropisomers was shown to depend on the group bound to phosphorus. Only complexes with two homochiral ligands bound to the metal center were observed upon complexation with Rh(I). It was shown that one diastereomer of the flexible ligand exhibits higher activity but lower selectivity than its diastereomer in the rhodium catalyzed hydrogenation of methyl alfa-acetamidocinnamate. These ligands were also tested in nickel catalyzed silabora-tions. Chiral P,N-ligands with pseudo-C2 and pseudo-CS symmetry based on pyrrolidines-phospholanes or azepines-phosphepines were synthesized and studied in palladium catalyzed allylic alkylations. Semi-flexible azepine-phosphepine based ligands were prepared and their ability to adopt pseudo-C2 or pseudo-CS symmetry depending on the substrate in allylic alkylations was studied. It was shown on model allyl systems with flexible N,N-ligands that the ligand prefers CS-symmetry in compexes with anti-anti as well as syn-syn allyl moieties, but that for the latter type of complexes, according to computations, the configuration of the ligand is R*,R* in the olefin complexes formed after addition of a nucleophile to the allylic group. A preliminary investigation of the possibilities to use a su-pramolecular approach for the preparation of P,N-ligands with pseudo-C2 and pseudo-S symmetry was made. An N,N-ligand with C2 symmetry was prepared and its activity in palladium catalyzed ally-lic alkylation was studied. Pyridine-based P,N-ligands were tested in iridium catalyzed hy-drogenations of unfunctionalized olefins with good activities and se-lectivities. In order to attempt to improve the selectivity, ligands with a chirally flexible phosphepine fragment were prepared and applied in catalysis with promising results. / QC 20100929